Patents Examined by Genna Mott
  • Patent number: 9815479
    Abstract: An overload protection control system and method are disclosed for an articulated dump truck having a load bin movable between loaded and unloaded positions by hydraulic cylinders of a hydraulic circuit. The overload protection control system includes a source of load data associated with the load bin. The overload protection system also includes at least one controller that receives and processes the load data to determine an overload condition associated with the load bin and determines a speed associated with the work vehicle. The speed is reduced in the overload condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Francois Stander, Jeremy B. Shuler, Jason J. Foley, Daniel A. Griswold, Mark J. Cherney
  • Patent number: 9802681
    Abstract: This disclosure provides wave-powered vessels equipped for fish stock management. The vessels have observational sensors for monitoring fish, a positional sensor to determine the geographical location of the vessel, and a transmitter for sending data to a central control unit. The observational sensors may be deployed on a tow body pulled behind the vessel, or the tow body may relay information from sensors located on a separate unit on the bottom or at a defined depth. The control unit communicates with each of the monitor vessels to direct navigation and obtain data from the sensors. Substance distribution vessels in the fleet are equipped to distribute fish food in target area for the purpose of fish farming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: LIQUID ROBOTICS, INC.
    Inventor: Roger G. Hine
  • Patent number: 9776708
    Abstract: A method during which a current position of a pilot control is determined, an equivalent position is determined that the pilot control needs to reach following a control transition in order to avoid modifying the actuator, and at least one mismatch is determined between the equivalent position and the current position. As from a transition, a target is determined for controlling the actuator by giving a corrected value to at least one position variable in a post-transition piloting relationship, the corrected value being determined as a function of the mismatch and of the current position of the pilot control. So long as the mismatch is not zero, the value of the mismatch in the relationship is reduced in proportion to the movement of the pilot control as the pilot control comes closer to the equivalent position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Vallart, Romeo Byzery
  • Patent number: 9778045
    Abstract: A method for managing a service schedule of a vehicle includes receiving the service schedule of the vehicle that travels along a predetermined route from a control server, generating first service information of the vehicle based on position information of the vehicle, generating service state information of the vehicle based on the service schedule and the first service information, and displaying the service state information of the vehicle using a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: LG CNS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Inseok Bang
  • Patent number: 9776623
    Abstract: A four-wheel drive electric vehicle control device is provided for a four-wheel drive electric vehicle that has a motor/generator as a drive source, and an electronically controlled coupling provided on the drive power transmission path leading from the drive source to the front and rear wheels. The four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle has a 4WD control unit that outputs to the electronically controlled coupling a transmission torque command value to bring about the four-wheel drive state, in accordance with the vehicle state. The 4WD control unit has a regenerative control intervention-coordinating controller that, when regenerative control by the motor/generator has intervened during the four-wheel drive state, brings the transmission torque of the electronically controlled coupling to zero before initiating regenerative control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Sugitani, Koutarou Tanaka, Keishirou Nakamura, Toshiyuki Myochin
  • Patent number: 9776734
    Abstract: A landing aid method and device for an aircraft including a unit for calculating automatically in a repetitive manner, during a final approach of the aircraft with a view to landing on a landing runway, using at least a ground speed of the aircraft, a height of the aircraft in relation to the ground, and a target vertical speed representing a vertical speed required on contact with the landing runway, a slope angle of a flight path allowing the aircraft to perform a flare, checking at least the target vertical speed on contact with the landing runway, and a unit for displaying automatically, on at least one screen of the flight deck of the aircraft, a first symbol illustrating the current slope angle of the aircraft and a second symbol illustrating the calculated slope angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (S.A.S.)
    Inventor: Matthias Eberle
  • Patent number: 9758165
    Abstract: A system for controlling the speed of a vehicle, the system being operable to cause the vehicle to operate in accordance with a value of vehicle set-speed, the system being operable to allow a user to change the current value of vehicle set-speed in discrete steps by means of user input means, a magnitude of the discrete steps being determined by the system in dependence on a vehicle operational state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: James Kelly, Andrew Fairgrieve, Daniel Woolliscroft
  • Patent number: 9725084
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a driveline of a hybrid vehicle are described. The systems and methods may improve hybrid driveline performance so that a driver may experience less turbocharger lag and/or less cam phasing lag. The methods and systems may hold engine torque at an elevated level in the presence of a decrease in driver demand torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Rajit Johri, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Jason Meyer
  • Patent number: 9725157
    Abstract: A method and device for automatically comparing two flight trajectories for an aircraft includes a central processing unit having a first comparison element for automatically comparing lateral trajectories of the two flight trajectories, and a second comparison element for automatically comparing vertical trajectories of these two flight trajectories, these comparisons being carried out successively leg by leg of the flights, these comparisons being carried out as long as the respective successive legs are identical and at least for a predefined distance in the horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Nicolas Albert, Boris Kozlow
  • Patent number: 9725069
    Abstract: A keyless vehicle entry and start system for motor vehicles includes an input device such as a keypad and a backup electrical power supply to unlock the door latch in the event the primary power supply fails, thereby eliminating the need for a lock cylinder. The door latch system is configured to supply electrical power from the primary electrical power supply to unlock the latch upon receiving a signal from a mobile phone, and to supply electrical power from the backup electrical power supply to unlock the latch if an authorized code is input via the keypad. The system is configured to communicate with a portable wireless device such as a smartphone utilizing various frequency bands. The system permits entry and operation of a vehicle utilizing only a smartphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Venkatesh Krishnan
  • Patent number: 9725111
    Abstract: Output signals of a torque sensor include a first output signal used in an assist control and a second output signal used in controls other than the assist control. An adjusting device of an electric power steering device includes an input torque meter for measuring an input torque applied to the input shaft, an output torque meter for measuring an output torque output by the steering mechanism, and a sensor output corrector for correcting an output signal of the torque sensor. The sensor output corrector corrects the first output signal so that a relationship between the input torque measured by the input torque meter and the output torque measured by the output torque meter becomes an ideal characteristic set in advance, and corrects the second output signal so that an input torque detected by the torque sensor coincides with the input torque measured by the input torque meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Maehara, Ryota Yamada
  • Patent number: 9727059
    Abstract: One aspect is a flight control system for independent speed and attitude control of a rotary wing aircraft that includes a main rotor system and a translational thrust system. The flight control system includes a flight control computer configured to interface with the main rotor system and the translational thrust system. The flight control computer includes processing circuitry configured to execute control logic. A pitch attitude reference generator provides a pitch attitude reference to a main rotor controller to command the main rotor system based on pilot input. A longitudinal reference generator produces a longitudinal reference as a longitudinal position or longitudinal velocity based on pilot input. An attitude-to-propulsor crossfeed converts the pitch attitude reference into a propulsor trim adjustment. A propeller pitch controller combines the longitudinal reference and the propulsor trim adjustment into a propeller command, and provides the propeller command to the translational thrust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aaron L. Greenfield, John Knag, Stephen Kubik
  • Patent number: 9726511
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining candidate locations for the location query; determining a candidate associated location specific to each of the candidate locations; determining a waypoint destination from an instance of the candidate locations based on a selected instance of the candidate associated location specific to the instance of the candidate locations; and calculating a travel route including the waypoint destination and the selected instance of the candidate associated location for displaying on a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Telenav, Inc.
    Inventors: Changzheng Jiang, Kumar Maddali, Maneesha Jain
  • Patent number: 9719785
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for presenting forecast information pertaining to a planned route of travel, such as a flight plan. One exemplary method involves obtaining a plurality of forecast data sets associated with a plurality of different forecast time periods and subdividing a route into a plurality of forecast regions encompassing respective portions of the route based on the times associated with the navigational reference points defining the route. Each forecast region of the plurality of forecast regions is associated with a respective forecast time period. For each forecast region, a graphical representation of a subset of the forecast data set associated with that forecast region's associated forecast time period that corresponds to the geographic area of that forecast region is displayed on a display device concurrently to displaying a graphical representation of the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Jiri Vasek, Zdenek Eichler, Petr Tieftrunk, David Bajger
  • Patent number: 9720099
    Abstract: A method, executed by a computer, includes receiving a notification to a user of a mobile device, extracting travel information for the user from the notification, determining an expected travel interval from the travel information, and activating global positioning system tracking of the user during the expected travel interval to provide a user trajectory for the travel interval. A computer system and a computer program product corresponding to the method area also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vijay Ekambaram, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 9718462
    Abstract: A vehicle is provided with a powertrain including a battery-powered electric motor, an internal combustion engine, a transmission, and a powertrain controller. The controller is programmed to permit an upshift of a transmission gear ratio while a powertrain torque demand is less than a forecasted available powertrain torque sustainable over a predetermined upcoming duration of time. The controller is also programmed to inhibit an upshift while the torque demand exceeds the forecasted available powertrain torque to reduce successive gear shifts. The controller may be further programmed to, in response to battery a state of charge being less than a threshold, reduce the forecasted available powertrain torque by an amount sufficient to provide a recharge to a battery. The controller may be further still programmed to reduce the forecasted available powertrain torque by an amount sufficient to restart the engine while the powertrain is operating in an engine-off traction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Steven Yamazaki, Zhengyu Dai, Felix Nedorezov, Rajit Johri, Bernard D. Nefcy, Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang
  • Patent number: 9718324
    Abstract: A damper control device includes a speed conversion unit configured to convert a damper speed to a control damper speed, and if the damper is accelerating, the damper speed is converted so that signs of the control damper speed and the damper speed accord with each other and an absolute value of the control damper speed becomes an absolute value of the damper speed or more, and if the damper is decelerating, the damper speed is converted so that the signs of the control damper speed and the damper speed accord with each other and the absolute value of the control damper speed becomes the absolute value of the damper speed or less, and a damping force of the damper is controlled by using the control damper speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoo Kubota, Masatoshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 9718476
    Abstract: A device is provided for teaching a driver of a vehicle in real-time to operate the vehicle in a fuel efficient manner based on feedback from a plurality on on-board sensors on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Inventor: Jonathan David Lonski
  • Patent number: 9612121
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for locating a position within an enclosure. In one example, known global coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates of latitude/longitude) associated with the position within the enclosure may be transformed into local coordinates (e.g., x/y coordinates) for the position. The local coordinates may be used for tracking a location of the position within the enclosure. In another example, known local coordinates of the position within the enclosure may be transformed into global coordinates for the position, which may be used for tracking a location of the position within the enclosure. In another example, a blueprint image of the enclosure may be used to track a location of the position within the enclosure. In this way, location tracking may be provided for objects within indoor spaces (e.g., a mapping application may track a current position of a mobile device within a building).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Mattias Beermann, John Ian Ferrell, Edward Un, Kai Wang, Jun Zhao
  • Patent number: 9581456
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a system and method for determining a current location of a user at a current time. The method may include determining journey data associated with one or more of the user, the current location, and the current time, where journey data describes one or more historical journeys of the user. The method may include determining, based on the journey data, an estimated time of arrival (ETA) describing an arrival estimate of when the user and a vehicle will arrive at an endpoint of a journey; and transmitting the ETA to a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Inventors: Jackie Liao, Roger Melen, Vinuth Rai, Hidenobu Suzuki, Toshiyuki Namba