Patents Examined by Daniel M. Robert
  • Patent number: 11858513
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of generating a target operational speed band (53; 63; 67) for a host vehicle (1) travelling along a route. A first time-dependent obstacle (15-n, 18-n) is identified at a first location on the route. The first time-dependent obstacle (15-n, 18-n) is identified as hindering progress of the host vehicle (1) during a first time period (11). The first time-lin dependent obstacle (15-n, 18-n) is defined in a two-dimensional speed against distance map (50, 60). A first speed trajectory (51, 52; 61; 65, 66) is determined from a first point to a second point within the two-dimensional speed against distance map (50, 60). The second point represents the first location on the route and the determined first speed trajectory (51, 52; 61; 65, 66) represents the host vehicle (1) arriving at the first location at a first arrival time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Tommi Jokela, Alex Plianos
  • Patent number: 11858528
    Abstract: Provided are a driving assistance system and method. The driving assistance system is for interfacing with an individual vehicle and includes: a camera system that generates image information about the surroundings of the vehicle; a vehicle controller that generates driving information about the vehicle; and a communication port. The driving assistance system includes a driving assistance terminal and/or mobile device that are/is connected to the communication port, acquire(s) image information and/or driving information by using the communication port, and execute(s) at least a portion of a travel program for the driving assistance terminal and/or mobile device on the basis of an image and/or driving information for controlling the vehicle with respect to one or more of auxiliary travels and/or autonomous operations of the vehicle through a control signal generated by the driving assistance terminal or the mobile device and provided to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun-Tae Lee, Joon-Seok Chae, Young-Ki Lee
  • Patent number: 11851084
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle are disclosed herein. One embodiment determines a reference path for the autonomous vehicle along a roadway segment and steers the autonomous vehicle along a path that includes controlled back and forth lateral deviations from the reference path along the roadway segment to provide feedback to an occupant of the autonomous vehicle, the feedback indicating to the occupant that the autonomous vehicle is in an autonomous driving mode and that the autonomous driving mode is operating correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Manuel Ludwig Kuehner, Daniel J. Brooks, Hiroshi Yasuda, Jaime Camhi
  • Patent number: 11842651
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for providing a runway awareness system for an aircrew of an aircraft. The method comprises receiving a first data stream that provides operational characteristics of a primary aviation parameter on approach to the runway. A second data stream is also received that provides operational characteristics of an alternative aviation parameter on approach to the runway. The first data stream and the second data stream are then displayed in a comparative layout format on a flight display for the aircrew of the aircraft during the approach to the runway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Sripathi Ramachandra, Shobana Arumugam, Anil Kumar Songa, Mohammed Ibrahim Mohideen, Sabu Mathew, Ruben Carrillo
  • Patent number: 11840975
    Abstract: A method for controlling the electrical power supply of injectors for a hybrid automotive vehicle, including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. A first electrical network, having a first DC voltage, supplies power to a motor control of the engine. A second electrical network having a second DC voltage, higher than the first DC voltage, supplies power to the electric motor. The method includes connecting the second DC voltage to the injectors; reading the value of the second DC voltage; adapting control parameters of the injectors based on the value of engine speed, engine temperature and injection pressure upstream of the injectors; and controlling the injectors using the second DC voltage. Wherein there is no change in the control parameters when the value is higher than a threshold value; and changing at least one of the control parameters when the value is lower than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Frédéric Le-Hung
  • Patent number: 11836802
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods and apparatus for controlling a vehicle based on motion or kinematic data received by a computer when the behavior of a driver is being monitored. Such methods and apparatus may generate one or more safety indices that may include a driver score, a vehicle safety score, and/or an environment safety score. These safety indices may optionally be weighted and combined into an overall safety score, grade, or index. The safety scores or indices may be used to generate a personalized speed threshold or acceleration threshold for a vehicle and/or a driver of the vehicle. Methods and apparatus consistent with the present disclosure may result in the speed of a vehicle being reduced, an increase in vehicle location accuracy, or functions such as headlights or windshield wipers or automated driving assistance being turned on to increase safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Speedgauge, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Carver, Jonathan Hubbard
  • Patent number: 11814086
    Abstract: A computing system for a vehicle may include processors to execute instructions to receive, by a middleware software layer of the computing system, messages published by one or more of a plurality of autonomous processing modules, and determine, by the middleware software layer, and based on the published messages, whether a similarity comparison of a first vehicle parameter and a second vehicle parameter satisfy a similarity threshold value. The first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter relate to the messages published by the one or more autonomous processing modules. In response to determining that the similarity comparison of the first vehicle parameter and the second vehicle parameter does not satisfy the similarity threshold value, provide, by the middleware software layer, an instruction to a control system to cause the vehicle to perform an action, and cause, by the control system, the vehicle to perform the action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Kiran Ram Bharwani
  • Patent number: 11807228
    Abstract: A driving support system executes a risk avoidance control for reducing a risk of collision with an object in front of a vehicle. A risk potential field represents a risk value as a function of position. An obstacle potential field is a risk potential field in which the risk value is maximum at a position of the object and decreases as a distance from the object increases. A vehicle center potential field is the risk potential field in which a valley of the risk value extends in a lane longitudinal direction from a position of the vehicle. A first risk potential field is the sum of the vehicle center potential field and the obstacle potential field. The driving support system executes a steering control such that the vehicle follows the first valley of the risk value represented by the first risk potential field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shintaro Inoue, Kazuyuki Fujita, Minami Sato
  • Patent number: 11794536
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle control system, a vehicle control method, and an image sensor, the vehicle control system including: an image sensor disposed on the vehicle to have a field of view of an outside of the vehicle to capture image data; at least one non-image sensor disposed on the vehicle to have a field of sensing of the outside of the vehicle to capture sensing data; at least one processor configured to process the image data captured by the image sensor and the sensing data captured by the non-image sensor; and a controller configured to determine a chance of a collision with an obstacle with respect to a rear side warning determination reference area that is changed depending on whether a trailer is mounted on the vehicle, on the basis of at least part of processing at least one of the image data and the sensing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HL KLEMOVE CORP.
    Inventors: Jae Suk Kim, Tak Gen Kim
  • Patent number: 11767029
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bend driving control method for an autonomous vehicle, a device and a storage medium, and relate to a field of perception and autonomous driving technologies. The method includes: obtaining an occupancy width of an autonomous vehicle on a target bend when the autonomous vehicle drives on the target bend; detecting location information of an obstacle on the target bend; and controlling a driving route of the autonomous vehicle on the target bend based on the occupancy width and the location information of the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Beijing Baidu Netcom Science and Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhiyuan Chen, Xiaoxin Fu, Lin Ma, Xujian Li, Zhenguang Zhu
  • Patent number: 11753024
    Abstract: Anticipatory vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) actuation, including: determining, based on sensor data capturing an environment around a vehicle, a predicted environmental state corresponding to a future time and comprising a transition in exterior lighting; determining, based on the predicted environmental state, an actuation state for one or more headlights of the vehicle; and configuring the one or more headlights of the vehicle according to the actuation state before the future time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: GHOST AUTONOMY INC.
    Inventors: Volkmar Uhlig, Mario Delgado, Par Botes
  • Patent number: 11755016
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for performing radio station monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles. An example unmanned aerial vehicle disclosed herein includes at least one memory, computer readable instructions, and processor circuitry to execute the computer readable instructions to control the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel to a first radio station site to monitor a radio broadcast associated with the first radio station site, detect a watermark in the radio broadcast, and report at least one of the detected watermark or information associated with the detected watermark to a remote receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventors: Timothy Christian, Mohammed Sayed, Gloria Bautista
  • Patent number: 11745740
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for controlling a vehicle based on a map that designed using a factor graph. Because the map is designed using a factor graph, positions of the road can be modified in real-time while operating the vehicle. In one example, the method may include storing a map which is associated with a factor graph of variable nodes representing a plurality of constraints that define positions of lane lines in a road and factor nodes between the variable nodes on the factor graph which define positioning constraints amongst the variable nodes, receiving an indication from the road using a sensor of a vehicle, updating positions of the variable nodes based on the indication and an estimated location of the vehicle within the map, and issue commands capable of controlling a steering operation of the vehicle based on the updated positions of the factor nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Embark Trucks Inc.
    Inventor: Grady Williams
  • Patent number: 11745763
    Abstract: A travel assistance method and a travel assistance device for a vehicle is capable of avoiding any risk that may arise. The method includes obtaining a risk potential of an object detected by the vehicle, associating the risk potential of the object with an encounter location at which the object is encountered, accumulating the risk potential at the encounter location, and using the accumulated risk potential to obtain a primary estimated risk potential of the object predicted to be encountered at the encounter location. The primary estimated risk potential is lower than the risk potential obtained when detecting the object. The method further includes obtaining a secondary estimated risk potential using a predicted travel movement of another vehicle that avoids a risk due to the primary estimated risk potential, and when traveling at the encounter location again, autonomously controlling travel of the vehicle using the secondary estimated risk potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuka Yoshimatsu, Takefumi Goto
  • Patent number: 11738745
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises an autonomous driving system and a vehicle platform that controls the vehicle in response to a command received from the autonomous driving system. In the present vehicle, when the autonomous driving system issues a first command to request the vehicle platform to provide deceleration to stop the vehicle and a first signal indicates 0 km/h or a prescribed velocity or less, the autonomous driving system issues a second command to request the vehicle platform to maintain stationary. And after brake hold control is finished, a second signal indicates standstill. Until the second signal indicates standstill, the first command continues to request the vehicle platform to provide deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ikuma Suzuki, Yuta Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11738761
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method for monitoring driving behavior risk degree, including: acquiring first vehicle size information of a first vehicle, second vehicle size information of a second vehicle, vehicle driving information and vehicle driving environment information; determining the number of overlapping regions of the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the first vehicle size information, the second vehicle size information and the vehicle driving information; and determining risk degree information of driving behavior based on the number of overlapping regions, the vehicle driving information and the vehicle driving environment information. This method may be applied in multiple scenarios, and facilitates drivers or passengers in avoiding them from traffic collision incidents, so that the safeties of the drivers and the passengers is greatly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Shenzhen University
    Inventors: Guofa Li, Yifan Yang, Shenglong Li, Weijian Lai, Yaoyu Chen
  • Patent number: 11738749
    Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A method for implementing a lane-keeping assist unit of a vehicle by receiving information of a plurality of road geometries, and driving scenarios wherein at least one driving scenario is combined with a target path that is parallel and biased from a lane center by a desired path offset, and a reference path for guiding the vehicle to merge with the target path; adapting the reference path with control based on a selected road geometry and driving scenario; adjusting the desired path offset by considering lane markings during an intervention for an inner curve, an outer curve and a straight road; controlling the vehicle trajectory for enabling the vehicle to track the reference path; exiting the intervention once a trajectory tracking performance by the vehicle is confirmed; and aborting once an instability of the trajectory tracking performance is confirmed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jayant Sachdev, Reza Zarringhalam, Amir Takhmar, Jimmy Zhong Yan Lu, Paul A. Adam, Tetyana V. Mamchuk
  • Patent number: 11738682
    Abstract: Among other things, techniques are described for expressive vehicle systems. These techniques may include obtaining, with at least one processor, data associated with an environment, the environment comprising a vehicle and at least one object; determining an expressive maneuver including a deceleration of the vehicle such that the vehicle stops at least a first distance away from the at least one object and the vehicle reaches a peak deceleration when the vehicle is a second distance away from the at least one object; generating data associated with control of the vehicle based on the deceleration associated with the expressive maneuver; and transmitting the data associated with the control of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to decelerate based on the deceleration associated with the expressive maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Paul Schmitt, Emilio Frazzoli, Cristhian Guillermo Lizarazo Jimenez, Luke Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11731619
    Abstract: A collision avoidance assist apparatus calculates a lane marking recognition reliability level and execute an emergency steering control. The emergency steering control includes processes to determine a target steering torque to avoid a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle when determining that the vehicle has a high probability of colliding with the obstacle, a moving lane defined by the left and right lane markings is a straight lane, and the calculated lane marking recognition reliability level is equal to or higher than a first threshold reliability level, and apply a steering torque corresponding to the target steering torque to a steering mechanism. The collision avoidance assist apparatus stops executing the emergency steering control when the lane marking recognition reliability level becomes lower than a second threshold reliability level set to a value lower than the first threshold reliability level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, CONTINENTAL AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Takashi Moriya, Sho Hashimoto, Yusuke Fukui, Akshay Rajendra, Michael Patzelt
  • Patent number: 11726496
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an industrial facility is provided comprising a tag layout and at least one ingress/egress zone. The tag layout comprises at least one double row of tags. The ingress/egress zone is located outside of an area of the vehicle travel plane occupied by the aisle path and is bounded in its entirety by the double row of tags, by two or more double rows of tags, by a combination of one or more double rows of tags and one more selected facility boundaries, or by combinations thereof. The double row of tags is arranged in an n×m matrix that is configured for successive detection of the inner and outer rows of tags that is dependent on the point-of-origin of a sensor transit path across the double row of tags. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel D. Walton, Nicholas J. Sherman