Patents Examined by Frank T Glenn, III
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Patent number: 11904861Abstract: An apparatus and a method for estimating a road surface friction coefficient relate to an apparatus of estimating a road surface friction coefficient including an additional power control module that arbitrarily adds a braking force, which causes a wheel speed difference, to an axle of the vehicle to which the braking force is applied, and together adds a driving force that cancels the braking force to an axle of the vehicle to which the driving force is applied, when it is determined that a driving state of the vehicle is an inertial driving state, and a road surface friction coefficient estimation module that estimates the road surface friction coefficient by the wheel speed difference caused by a newly added braking force.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2021Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATIONInventors: Min Ji Chae, Hyun Su Kim
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Patent number: 11860305Abstract: Described herein is a LIDAR device that may include a transmitter, first and second receivers, and a rotating platform. The transmitter may be configured to emit light having a vertical beam width. The first receiver may be configured to detect light at a first resolution while scanning the environment with a first FOV and the second receiver may be configured to detect light at a second resolution while scanning the environment with a second FOV. In this arrangement, the first resolution may be higher than the second resolution, the first FOV may be at least partially different from the second FOV, and the vertical beam width may encompass at least a vertical extent of the first and second FOVs. Further, the rotating platform may be configured to rotate about an axis such that the transmitter and first and second receivers each move based on the rotation.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2019Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Pierre-Yves Droz, Caner Onal, William McCann, Bernard Fidric, Vadim Gutnik, Laila Mattos, Rahim Pardhan
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Patent number: 11851181Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) cluster includes a plurality of mission UAVs and a plurality of core UAVs arranged in a cluster. One or more of the mission UAVs is configured for controlled independent flight. The plurality of core UAVs are distributed throughout the cluster according to a selected distribution pattern that distributes the core UAVs according to a predefined mission characteristic of the UAV cluster.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2022Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANYInventor: David W. Kirkbride
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Patent number: 11851065Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and an associated device for detecting uneven surfaces in vehicle environments. The method comprises emitting a first ultrasonic pulse or first ultrasonic burst and emitting a second ultrasonic pulse or second ultrasonic burst, and receiving a first reflection signal of the first ultrasonic pulse or a first reflection signal of the first ultrasonic burst and receiving a second reflection signal of the second ultrasonic pulse or a second reflection signal of the second ultrasonic burst. In the further course of the method, a comparison is made of the first reflection signal with the second reflection signal, and the presence of a surface unevenness in the vehicle's environment, or the presence of a surface curvature in the vehicle's environment, is determined.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2019Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: ELMOS SEMICONDUCTOR SEInventor: Egbert Spiegel
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Patent number: 11815891Abstract: A method of navigating an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) includes determining a target function for an open space model based on one or more obstacles and map information within a proximity of the ADV, then iteratively performing first and second quadratic programming (QP) optimizations on the target function. Then, generating a second trajectory based on results of the first and second QP optimizations to control the ADV autonomously using the second trajectory. The first QP optimization is based on fixing a first set of variables of the target function. The second QP optimization is based on maximizing a sum of the distances from the ADV to each of the obstacles over a plurality of points of the first trajectory, and minimizing a difference between a target end-state of the ADV and a determined final state of the ADV using the first trajectory.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2019Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: BAIDU USA LLCInventors: Runxin He, Yu Wang, Jinyun Zhou, Qi Luo, Jinghao Miao, Jiangtao Hu, Jingao Wang, Jiaxuan Xu, Shu Jiang
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Patent number: 11734965Abstract: A system and method of calculating a vehicle DTE are provided to calculate a fuel efficiency of each vehicle drive mode, and display a more accurate DTE of each drive mode. The method includes when a driver selects a drive mode and a drive distance of the selected drive mode is accumulated while a vehicle is being driven in the selected mode, collecting drive data including an accumulated drive distance of each drive mode, and fuel efficiency information of each drive mode. A final fuel efficiency of each drive mode is calculated using a drive distance of each drive mode, a consumption energy of each drive mode or a fuel efficiency of each drive mode, and a learning fuel efficiency. A DTE of each drive mode is then calculated based on the calculated final fuel efficiency of each drive mode.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2019Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Seung Jae Yoo, Hyun Woo Shin, Chang Yu Kim
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Patent number: 11731624Abstract: A vehicle controller of a subject vehicle includes a processor that: recognizes a surrounding state of the subject vehicle traveling in a lane on a road; detects a specific target object in a specific area; provides control such that the subject vehicle follows a vehicle traveling ahead thereof; and makes the subject vehicle operate in at least one of a first support status and a second support status having an automated degree higher than the first and realized only when the subject vehicle is traveling in the specific area. When the subject vehicle is traveling in the specific area in the first support status and the specific target object has been detected therein, the processor keeps the support status of the subject vehicle unchanged at the first support status; and, in the second support status, shifts the support status of the subject vehicle to the first support status.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2020Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Katsuya Yashiro
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Patent number: 11702316Abstract: Disclosed is an elevator inspection system, having: a sensor implement; a robotic platform supporting the sensor, the robotic platform configured to inspect a hoistway; a controller operationally connected to the robotic platform and the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to define hoistway model data for the hoistway, from sensor data, corresponding to locations and shape boundaries of the hoistway and doorway openings formed in the hoistway.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANYInventors: Tadeusz Pawel Witczak, Joseph Crute
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Patent number: 11703570Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a housing having a front chamber and a rear chamber fluidly isolated from the front chamber. The rear chamber includes a rear sensor window and the front chamber includes a front sensor window. The rear chamber includes a rear air inlet and a rear air outlet. The rear air outlet is aimed at the rear sensor window. The front chamber includes a front air inlet and a front air outlet. The front air inlet is aimed at the front sensor window.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2019Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Venkatesh Krishnan, Sunil Reddy Patil, Raghu Raman Surineedi
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Patent number: 11697369Abstract: Disclosed is a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-integrated lamp device configured for a vehicle. In the included LiDAR-integrated lamp device, the position at which a head lamp is applied and the position at which a LiDAR is applied are identical and then, a reduction in layout is achieved. Furthermore, through sharing of constituent elements, the number of constituent elements is reduced and then, manufacturing costs are reduced.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2019Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Byoung Suk Ahn, Jung Wook Lim
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Patent number: 11691640Abstract: An in-vehicle apparatus includes: a check direction determination unit determining a check direction for which the driver of an own vehicle needs a checking action for checking the safety based on a traveling direction of a roadway adjacent to a stall and an unparking direction; a direction information acquisition unit acquiring at least one of the line of sight or the facing direction of the face of the driver; a check occurrence determination unit setting a detection range of the line of sight based on the check direction, and determining whether or not at least the one is within the detection range so as to determine occurrence of the checking action; and a notification control unit controlling a display unit, a speaker, or a vibrator to execute a notification action when the check occurrence determination unit determines that the checking action has not occurred.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: CLARION CO., LTD.Inventors: Masashi Akachi, Hiroshi Shojima, Kunio Sasada
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Patent number: 11667275Abstract: A control apparatus of a vehicle includes: a steering apparatus (6) including a steering wheel (11) operated in order to turn a vehicle (1) and a steering angle sensor (8) that detects a steering angle of the steering wheel (11), the steering apparatus (6) steering a front wheel (steered wheel) (2) of the vehicle (1) in accordance with operation of the steering wheel (11); and a controller (14) that sets a steering angle acceleration based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor (8) and controls vehicle motion when the steering wheel (11) is operated to be turned. In particular, the controller (14) suppresses a rise of lateral acceleration of the vehicle (1) based on the steering angle acceleration in order to control the vehicle motion.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2019Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignees: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, IKUTOKU GAKUENInventors: Takatoshi Tsukano, Masato Abe, Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Kano, Kazuki Sato
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Patent number: 11599120Abstract: An obstacle detecting method, apparatus, device and computer storage medium are proposed. The method includes: obtaining data acquired by a plurality of sensors installed on a vehicle at the same time; combining the data acquired at the same time to obtain a data set corresponding to the time; and performing obstacle detection based on the data set to obtain obstacle information. The technical solution may reduce financial costs and enrich information amount of the data, and may simplify the obstacle detecting steps, and avoid the problem about failure to fuse data in different formats, and thereby further improve the vehicle's travel safety.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2019Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: APOLLO INTELLIGENT DRIVING TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.Inventor: Chen Chen
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Patent number: 11568744Abstract: Provided herein is a system and method for a vehicle system on a vehicle. The system comprises a server comprising sensor data of stop points, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform: determining, from the stop points, one or more available stop points; selecting, from the one or more available stop points, a stop point based on a criteria; and stopping the vehicle at the selected stop point.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2019Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: Pony AI Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Diehl, Robert Dingli
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Patent number: 11565807Abstract: An exchange network comprising a plurality of exchange stations, in which each of the exchange stations comprises at least one drone operative to function as a flying crane, a temporary storage space, and at least one designated stopping area for on-road vehicles operative to carry cargo. Each of the exchange stations uses the respective local crane-drones to unload cargo from certain vehicles arriving at one of the respective local designated stopping areas, temporary store the cargo, and then load the cargo onboard certain other vehicles arriving at one of the respective local designated stopping areas, thereby exchanging carriers, and thus generating a transport route for the cargo which is the combination of different parts of transport routes of different carriers. The exchange network may use predetermined routes of many scheduled carriers to plan a routing scheme for the cargo, thereby propagating the cargo between exchange stations in a networked fashion.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2020Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Inventor: Gal Zuckerman
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Patent number: 11541876Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electronic stability control method for a vehicle for performing vehicular electronic stability control simply by adjusting driving force and braking power that are generated by a driving device of the vehicle without use of a driving force distributing method between front, rear, left, or right vehicle wheels. To this end, the vehicular electronic stability control method includes determining a vehicular state value indicating a driving state of a vehicle from information collected from the vehicle, comparing the determined vehicle state value with a first reference value, and controlling an operation of a driving device for generating driving force for driving the vehicle by the controller when the vehicle state value is greater than the first reference value to adjust driving force for preventing understeer or oversteer of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2020Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATIONInventors: Ji Won Oh, Jeong Soo Eo
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Patent number: 11512968Abstract: An autonomous vehicle comprising an integrated on-vehicle system having a queue management system configured to manage a queue of passenger waypoints, wherein the integrated on-vehicle system is configured to assign the passenger waypoints to a virtual driver system (VDS) of the autonomous vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2019Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Michael Hand, Christopher Nave, Shubham Sharma, Johnathon Gagnon
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Patent number: 11500375Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for vehicle control. The method includes: obtaining (101) manual operation information of a vehicle; determining (102) an intervention intention of a driver based on the manual operation information; and controlling (103), when the vehicle is currently in an automated driving mode and the intervention intention is determined to be a slow intervention, the vehicle to reach a predetermined safe state and handing corresponding control of the vehicle over to the driver. The method and apparatus can solve potential safety problems in vehicle control and improve safety of the vehicle control.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2019Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: BEIJING TUSEN WEILAI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Qiyuan Liu, Nan Wu, Weijun Liu
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Patent number: 11498523Abstract: A precipitation index estimation apparatus includes a data collection unit and an estimation processing unit. The data collection unit is configured to collect rainfall amount data detected by a rainfall amount sensor in one or more vehicles positioned on a predetermined road link within a predetermined period. The estimation processing unit is configured to estimate a precipitation index indicating an intensity of precipitation on the predetermined road link within the predetermined period, based on the collected rainfall amount data.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2019Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryota Osumi, Noriaki Saito
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Patent number: 11479248Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided with: a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a host vehicle; a controller programmed to perform a deceleration control when a deceleration target is recognized by the recognizer; and a detector configured to detect a slip of the host vehicle. The controller sets a first controlled variable, which is a controlled variable associated with the deceleration control when the slip of the host vehicle is detected without execution of the deceleration control, so as to suppress an extent of deceleration of the host vehicle, in comparison with a second controlled variable, which is the controlled variable when the slip of the host vehicle is not detected without execution of the deceleration control.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Shogo Ito, Masahiko Adachi, Kohei Tochigi, Yuta Ikezawa