Patents Examined by David P. Merlino
-
Patent number: 11458983Abstract: Method and system for controlling the behavior of an object. Behavior of the object is controlled during a first time period by using a first agent that applies a first behavior policy to map observations about the object and the environment in the first time period to a corresponding control action. Control is transitioned from the first agent to a second agent during a transition period following the first time period. Behavior of the object during a second time period following the transition period is controlled by using a second agent that applies a second behavior policy to map observations about the object and the environment in the second time period to a corresponding control action that is applied to the object. During transition the first agent applies the first behavior policy control the object and the second agent applies the second behavior policy to map observations about the object and the environment to corresponding control actions that are not applied to the object.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2020Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jun Luo, Julian Villella, Mohsen Rohani, David Rusu, Montgomery Alban, Seyed Ershad Banijamali
-
Patent number: 11449067Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is described herein. The autonomous vehicle generates segmentation scenes based upon lidar data generated by a lidar sensor system of the autonomous vehicle. The lidar data includes points indicative of positions of objects in a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle. The segmentation scenes comprise regions that are indicative of the objects in the driving environment. The autonomous vehicle generates scores for each segmentation scene based upon characteristics of each segmentation scenes and selects a segmentation scene based upon the scores. The autonomous vehicle then operates based upon the segmentation scene.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2018Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Andrea Allais, Micah Christopher Chambers
-
Patent number: 11442454Abstract: An adaptive sensor array system and method includes receiving one or more signals from a sensor array and compare the received signals to one or more object detection threshold values, determining if the robotic cleaner was moving along a travel path for a predetermined period of time, window W, in response to a determination that the robotic cleaner was operating in straight-line motion during the window W, calculating a value of the received detected signals from the sensor array during one or more calibration periods C of the window W, and adjusting one or more of the object detection threshold values based on the calculated value during the window W. A sum of all the calibration periods C during window W is less than a length of the window W. One of the calibration periods C may start at a beginning of the window W.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2020Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLCInventors: Alex Irkliy, Charles Fiebig, Isaku D. Kamada, Xavier F. Cullere, Charles S. Brunner, Brian Burke
-
Patent number: 11442596Abstract: A mapping system presents geographically relevant images. The images may be relevant to a search entered by the user, directions requested by the user, or any other factor relevant to the user's relationship to the displayed map. Moreover, the images may change in response to user actions or other factors, wherein new images “bubble up” as user context changes. The mapping system may display geographically relevant images by way of an information card presented in response to a user interacting with a point on a digital map. The user may interact with any of the geographically relevant images, causing an indicator of the map location associated with the image to be presented. Alternatively or additionally, a user interaction with a geographically relevant image may cause an interactive panoramic presentation of street-level imagery to be presented.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2018Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Kelvin Ho, Jonathan Siegel, Su Chuin Leong
-
Patent number: 11433925Abstract: A method for assisting the driver of a vehicle that comprises an analysis means which analyzes the environment in an area located in front of the vehicle in order to detect boundaries and traffic signs and to provide environmental data representative of said boundaries and traffic signs, and a control means which controls the automated driving of said vehicle. Said method comprises a step in which the environmental data are analyzed to determine a variation in speed limit correlated temporally with a variation in the number of traffic lanes, and when such a determination is made, it is considered that the vehicle is located close to a restricted area and an alert is generated requesting that the driver take back control of the driving while crossing said restricted area or that a specific automated driving strategy be implemented by the control means for said crossing.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2019Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: PSA AUTOMOBILES SAInventors: Celine Etcheverry, Jean-Francois Layerle, Audrey Rizzo, Nolwenn Monot
-
Patent number: 11427143Abstract: A vehicle includes a prime mover, a charging system, a plurality of electrical loads electrically coupled to the charging system, and a controller. The charging system is coupled to the prime mover and includes a charge storing device and an alternator. The alternator is configured to convert mechanical energy generated by prime mover into electrical energy to charge the charge storing device. The electrical loads are electrically coupled to the charging system via a power distribution module. The controller is configured to receive an indication that an electrical output of the charging system is unable to provide sufficient electrical energy to each of the plurality of electrical loads, and provide a control signal to the power distribution module in response to the indication. The control signal is configured to cause the power distribution module to decouple at least one of the plurality of electrical loads from the charging system.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2018Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: Oshkosh Defense, LLCInventors: Cathy Linsmeier, Ryan Bishop, Luke Gustafson, Eric Pederson, Noah Johnson
-
Patent number: 11427190Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a self-driving method and an apparatus. The method includes: sending, by a first vehicle, lane change request information and first real-time information to a network device; receiving, by the first vehicle, lane change indication information sent by the network device, where the lane change indication information is determined by the network device according to the first real-time information and second real-time information that is sent by a second vehicle, and the lane change indication information indicates that the first vehicle is allowed to perform lane change; and changing, by the first vehicle, from the first lane to the second lane according to the lane change indication information.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.Inventors: Zhihua Yang, Hui Li
-
Patent number: 11414099Abstract: A vehicle includes an automated driving assistance system that controls maneuvering of the vehicle under certain conditions. When the vehicle comes to a stop, the driving assistance system dynamically selects a threshold stop time corresponding to a duration of time that the vehicle can remain stopped before the driving assistance system will either detect a physical action from the user to resume automated driving assistance or time out and cease the driving assistance.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2020Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Alexandra Taylor, Ali Hassani, Darren Lee
-
Patent number: 11414094Abstract: A vehicle system is provided. The vehicle system includes a first driving input device, a second driving input device, and an autonomous vehicle control module. The autonomous vehicle control module is configured to monitor a driving behavior of a first driver operating the first driving input and to automatically transfer vehicle control of a vehicle from the first driver to the second driver when one or more requirements are met based on the driving behavior of the first driver. The autonomous vehicle control module is further configured to analyze switching of vehicle control between the first driver and the second driver.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2020Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.Inventor: Stephen G. McGill
-
Patent number: 11414076Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a travel control section, a first traffic condition quantity acquisition section, a second traffic condition quantity acquisition section, a correction parameter calculator, and a correction section. The first traffic condition quantity acquisition section acquires a current traffic condition quantity on a road on which a preceding vehicle is traveling further ahead of a front vehicle. The second traffic condition quantity acquisition section acquires a reference traffic condition quantity, which is a traffic condition quantity that serves as a reference for the road on which the preceding vehicle is traveling. The correction parameter calculator calculates a difference between the current traffic condition quantity and the reference traffic condition quantity and calculates a correction parameter using the difference.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2020Date of Patent: August 16, 2022Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Hiroyuki Nanjo
-
Patent number: 11409412Abstract: A mapping system presents geographically relevant images. The images may be relevant to a search entered by the user, directions requested by the user, or any other factor relevant to the user's relationship to the displayed map. Moreover, the images may change in response to user actions or other factors, wherein new images “bubble up” as user context changes. The mapping system may display geographically relevant images by way of an information card presented in response to a user interacting with a point on a digital map. The user may interact with any of the geographically relevant images, causing an indicator of the map location associated with the image to be presented. Alternatively or additionally, a user interaction with a geographically relevant image may cause an interactive panoramic presentation of street-level imagery to be presented.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2018Date of Patent: August 9, 2022Assignee: Google LLCInventors: Kelvin Ho, Jonathan Siegel, Su Chuin Leong
-
Patent number: 11390278Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a vehicle; and an action controller configured to control an action of the vehicle. The action controller determines a range in which the vehicle is located relative to a first vehicle located on a lateral side of the vehicle recognized by the recognizer and a second vehicle located on a side behind the first vehicle in a longitudinal direction of a road by the recognizer based on a distance between the first and second vehicles when a course of the vehicle is changed to the lateral side.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2020Date of Patent: July 19, 2022Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Aditya Mahajan
-
Patent number: 11360481Abstract: A method for covering a surface by a robotic device including: generating a two-dimensional map of a workspace using data from at least a depth measurement device positioned on the robotic device, dividing the two-dimensional map into a grid of cells, identifying the cells as free, occupied, or unknown, localizing the robotic device within the two-dimensional map, identifying at least one frontier within the map for exploration, generating a spanning tree such that a movement path of the robotic device includes a repetition of movement in a first direction along a straight line, 180 degree rotation over a distance perpendicular to the first direction, movement in a second direction opposite the first direction along a straight line, and 180 degree rotation over a distance perpendicular to the second direction, and recording the number of collisions incurred and the areas covered by the robotic device while executing the movement path.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia, Sebastian Schweigert
-
Patent number: 11346677Abstract: A method of monitoring quality of a road segment from driver data is provided. The method includes receiving, by a server over a network, the driver data for a road segment from one or more sensing units in one or more vehicles. The method also includes calculating, in one or more computing devices, one or more quantitative pavement surface characteristics of the road segment from the driver data using a probabilistic inverse analysis framework. The method also includes identifying, in the one or more computing devices, one or more quantitative vehicle properties of the one or more vehicles from the driver data using the probabilistic inverse analysis framework. The method then includes estimating, in the one or more computing devices, one or more road quality characteristics of the road segment based on at least one of the quantitative pavement surface characteristics of the road segment and the quantitative vehicle properties of the one or more vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2018Date of Patent: May 31, 2022Assignees: University of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyInventors: Arghavan Louhghalam, Mazdak Tootkaboni, Franz-Josef Ulm
-
Patent number: 11327481Abstract: This communication system has a transmitter and a receiver for repeatedly transmitting a frame of steering signal having a plurality of channels. The transmitter stores an identification data of a control parameter of a specific operation object in a first empty channel within one frame and stores a characteristic data of the control parameter of the specific operation object in a second empty channel to transmit along with steering data of other channels. Since the identification data and the characteristic data are transmitted at the same time along with the control data, the control parameters can be changed during steering of the operation object. Since the characteristic data and the identification data are transmitted in the same frame as a pair, when at least the one frame is received, the setting of the control parameter can be changed.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Futaba CorporationInventor: Masahiro Tanaka
-
Patent number: 11325641Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an electric power steering apparatus capable of improving reliability of a drive device for a three-phase synchronous motor without increasing a cost of the drive device. A control device for controlling an electric power steering apparatus according to the present invention is a control device for controlling an electric power steering apparatus using a three-phase synchronous motor as a force assisting in a steering operation, includes: a rotational position estimation unit that estimates a position of a rotor of the three-phase synchronous motor on the basis of a neutral point potential or a virtual neutral point potential of the three-phase synchronous motor; and a command signal computing unit that computes a command signal to the three-phase synchronous motor on the basis of the position of the rotor estimated by the rotational position estimation unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2016Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.Inventors: Takafumi Hara, Toshiyuki Ajima, Mitsuo Sasaki, Yoshitaka Iwaji, Shigehisa Aoyagi, Takumi Hisazumi
-
Patent number: 11312377Abstract: Method and device for autonomous driving of a vehicle on a roadway in a direction of travel. A trajectory for driving on the roadway in the direction of travel is determined. A bending strip of limited length defines the trajectory, wherein the bending strip is fixed at one end thereof in a node which defines a starting point of the trajectory. A course of the trajectory is determined, starting from the starting point, in dependence on a bending line of the bending strip, which line extends, starting from the node, to the other end of the bending strip. A representation of a roadway boundary defines a boundary condition for the determination of the trajectory. A quality measure is defined in dependence on a property of the bending strip. The bending line which satisfies the boundary condition and for which the quality measure has an extremal value is determined.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2020Date of Patent: April 26, 2022Inventors: Georg Tardy-Tuch, Florian Strecker, Michael Glatz
-
Patent number: 11307580Abstract: An autonomous vehicle parking system includes a parking system server that is in electronic communication with an autonomous vehicle. The server executes programming instructions that cause it to receive a parking location request from the autonomous vehicle, identify one or more parking zones that are proximate to the autonomous vehicle, determine an estimated density and a distance from a present location of the autonomous vehicle for each the parking zones, use the estimated densities and the distances to select one of the parking zones as a destination zone, and provide the autonomous vehicle with a geographic identifier for the destination zone. After the vehicle identifies an available parking space in the destination zone, the system will initiate a transaction with a parking service provider to authorize the autonomous vehicle to park in the destination zone for a period of time.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2018Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Meter Feeder, Inc.Inventors: James Gibbs, Daniel W. Lopretto
-
Patent number: 11305756Abstract: A parking control method includes: performing parking control of moving a vehicle to a target parking position on the basis of an operation command acquired from an operator located outside the vehicle; and when the parking control to the target parking position is suspended and the vehicle leaves the target parking position, moving the vehicle so that at least part of the vehicle is present within a predetermined range from the operator.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryota Yamanaka, Yasuhiro Suzuki, Yasuhisa Hayakawa
-
Patent number: 11292491Abstract: A server includes: a candidate trajectory generation part for generating a candidate traveling trajectory of a target vehicle; a trajectory simulator for executing a trajectory simulation on the candidate traveling trajectory generated by the candidate trajectory generation part; a trajectory evaluation part for determining a traveling trajectory based on a result of the trajectory simulation; a vehicle coordination part for transmitting information of the traveling trajectory determined by the trajectory evaluation part to an onboard device; an infrastructure coordination part for obtaining sensing information from an infrastructure sensor; an ambient environment generation part for generating information indicating an ambient environment of the traveling trajectory, based on the sensing information obtained by the infrastructure coordination part; and a resetting determination part for determining whether to reset the traveling trajectory.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2020Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Matsumoto, Tsuneo Sobue, Akihiro Kondo