Patents Examined by James Trammell
  • Patent number: 9302613
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, turn signals are automatically activated in response to signals received from a navigation system, based on the navigation instructions generated by the navigation system. The navigation system of a vehicle (either built into the vehicle or provided as a stand-alone unit) is communicatively coupled with or otherwise integrated with the turn signals of the vehicle. When the navigation system instructs the driver to perform a maneuver (such as making a turn), it can also cause the appropriate turn signal to be automatically activated at the appropriate time and/or distance in advance of the maneuver. When the navigation system detects that the maneuver has been made, or that the driver has ignored the system's instructions, the turn signal can be automatically deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Inventor: Sara Elyse Raubvogel
  • Patent number: 9302763
    Abstract: A method of diagnosing a trailing edge flap fault in an aircraft having a trailing edge flap system including multiple trailing edge flaps, a flap handle for setting the position of the trailing edge flaps, and a flap position sensor, the method includes receiving a position signal, determining a variation in the position signal relative to a reference position, diagnosing a fault, and providing an indication of the diagnosed fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Joseph Catt, Julia Ann Howard
  • Patent number: 9304002
    Abstract: Representative implementations provide devices and techniques for observing the movement of one or more objects over a duration of time. Collected locational data of the objects is grouped according to a plurality of sliding time intervals having a variable length. The data is converted to one or more geometric representations, which are representative of object movement during a time interval. Movement patterns of the objects may be determined based on the properties of the geometric representations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventor: Ting Wang
  • Patent number: 9302780
    Abstract: The invention concerns an aircraft including a cockpit comprising a viewing surface for piloting giving at least one pilot a view of an outside scene comprising the environment of the aircraft extending forward of the aircraft. At least part of said viewing surface for piloting is free of any glazed surface and is formed by display means for a digital image representing at least part of an outside scene comprising the environment of the aircraft extending forward of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus SAS
    Inventors: Jason Zaneboni, Bruno Saint-Jalmes
  • Patent number: 9302582
    Abstract: A display system for a work vehicle includes a rotation speed display section for selectively displaying an engine rotation speed or a PTO rotation speed in a same display area, a display selection switch for outputting a display selection command, a discrimination display section for displaying a discrimination object for discriminating which of the engine rotation speed and the PTO rotation speed is being displayed and a display control section for selectively providing an engine rotation speed display signal or a PTO rotation speed display signal to the rotation speed display section based on the display selection command and providing the discrimination display section with a display signal for the discrimination object based on the display selection command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Manabu Togo, Keita Ono, Ryuji Kitagawa, Koji Masumoto, Kengo Satoh
  • Patent number: 9302704
    Abstract: A basic assist torque is set on the basis of the vehicle speed and the steering torque, and when the vehicle changes from a straight driving state to a curve driving state, a correction amount for the basic assist torque is calculated, which is to offset steering torque characteristic values which has been predetermined depending on a steering angle, in a direction opposite to the steering direction by correcting an absolute value of the basic assist torque to reduce its action on the steering direction depending at least upon the curvature radius of the driving road in front of the vehicle, and the basic assist torque is corrected with the basic assist torque correction amount and the controlled/corrected torque (assist torque) is output to a motor drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shiro Ezoe
  • Patent number: 9304003
    Abstract: A computing device includes a location sensor system including sensor(s) configured to measure one or more parameters of a surrounding environment, a pose-tracking engine configured to determine a current pose of the computing device based on the one or more measured parameters of the surrounding environment, a graphing engine configured to access a traversability graph including a plurality of vertices each having a local coordinate system, a navigation engine configured to identify a nearby vertex of the traversability graph to the current pose, and configured to determine a path of traversable edges between the nearby vertex and a destination vertex of the traversability graph, and a display configured to visually present as an overlay to the environment a navigation visualization corresponding to the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Sammis Ashman, Ethan Eade, Arthur Tomlin, Tony Ambrus
  • Patent number: 9296423
    Abstract: The trailer backup assist system has a human machine interface coupled to a controller having a setup module, a calibration module, an activation module and a control module configured to receive trailer measurements, apply trailer measurements, activate and control vehicle systems to calibrate and implement a curvature control algorithm that controls the reverse movement of the vehicle-trailer combination in a manner consistent with a driver request. When incorrect trailer measurements have been entered, the trailer backup assist system recognizes the error, initiates a warning and requests corrective action to correct the trailer measurements. Default values for a maximum controllable curvature limit and a maximum controllable angle replace the limits calculated and applied by the calibration model that used incorrect trailer measurements, until corrected trailer measurements may be entered by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventors: Matt Y. Rupp, David Dean Smit, Roger Arnold Trombley, Thomas Edward Pilutti, Erick Michael Lavoie, Christopher Scott Nave, John Shutko, Kenneth Michael Mayer, Martin Fitzpatrick Frey, Douglas Scott Rhode
  • Patent number: 9296103
    Abstract: A control device for controlling a robot which has a tool for holding a workpiece and a force measuring part for measuring a force acting on the tool. The control device includes a calculating part for calculating a center-of-gravity position of the workpiece, based on force data measured by the force measuring part with a plurality of postures of the robot holding the workpiece, a processing part for performing at least one of a process for estimating a holding state of the workpiece, a process for determining a type of the workpiece, and a process for testing a quality of the workpiece, based on the position of the tool and the center-of-gravity position of the workpiece, and an operating command modifying part for modifying an operating command to the robot, based on a result of the process performed by the processing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Iwatake
  • Patent number: 9298185
    Abstract: A controller (140) included in a traveling vehicle system (100) includes: a traveling-prohibited section setting unit (145) configured to set a traveling-prohibited section which is a section of a traveling path (130) which a traveling vehicle cannot travel; a determination unit (147) configured to determine, for each of stations, when a traveling-prohibited section is set by the traveling-prohibited section setting unit (145), whether or not the traveling vehicle can return, to one of the stations from which the traveling vehicle departs, without passing the traveling-prohibited section; and an availability setting unit (148) configured to set the station as available when the determination unit (147) determines that the traveling vehicle can return to the station, and to set the station as unavailable when the determination unit (147) determines that the traveling vehicle cannot return to the station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazumi Harasaki
  • Patent number: 9296101
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for arbitration of control signals for robotic devices. A robotic device may comprise an adaptive controller comprising a plurality of predictors configured to provide multiple predicted control signals based on one or more of the teaching input, sensory input, and/or performance. The predicted control signals may be configured to cause two or more actions that may be in conflict with one another and/or utilize a shared resource. An arbitrator may be employed to select one of the actions. The selection process may utilize a WTA, reinforcement, and/or supervisory mechanisms in order to inhibit one or more predicted signals. The arbitrator output may comprise target state information that may be provided to the predictor block. Prior to arbitration, the predicted control signals may be combined with inputs provided by an external control entity in order to reduce learning time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Brain Corporation
    Inventors: Patryk Laurent, Jean-Baptiste Passot, Eugene Izhikevich
  • Patent number: 9296311
    Abstract: A fuel-cell vehicle includes a storage container, a fuel cell system, a state detector, a transmitter, a request detector, and a controller. The controller includes a signal generator and a communication starting device. The signal generator is configured to determine a transmission value indicating a physical state detected by the state detector so as to generate a data signal in accordance with the transmission value. The signal generator is configured to set the transmission value to a reference value preset based on the physical state detected by the state detector if the fuel cell system is not running and configured to set the transmission value to a value obtained by correcting the reference value so that an amount of the fuel gas to be monitored by an external filling device increases if the fuel cell system is running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Kawase, Kiyoshi Handa, Kazuyuki Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 9292705
    Abstract: A method to provide negotiation control to data such that a person or entity can negotiate the use of data gathered beyond what is needed for a particular use by a third party transaction. The method also provides negotiation for the control and operation of autonomous vehicles such as drones operating in non-public space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: LENS VENTURES, LLC
    Inventors: Tara Lemmey, Stanislav Vonog
  • Patent number: 9290169
    Abstract: A control unit (17) includes a regenerative coordination control unit (17D) and a vehicle speed calculation unit (17E). The regenerative coordination control unit (17D) performs a regeneration cooperative control to distribute the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force. The vehicle speed calculation unit (17E) calculates a vehicle speed. The control unit (17) calculates a basic target driving force based on: an amount of accelerator operation detected by an accelerator operation amount detecting unit (32), and the vehicle speed calculated by the vehicle speed calculation unit (17E), and adds a value corresponding to the regenerative braking force distributed by the regenerative coordination control unit (17D) to the basic target driving force, thus obtaining a target driving force to be generated by motors (4 and 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakazu Saito, Yoshiki Ito, Masaaki Tagawa, Hitoshi Ohkuma
  • Patent number: 9290185
    Abstract: In various example embodiments, a system and method for determining a haul weight are disclosed. A method includes, determining that one or more vehicle performance parameters fall within a threshold range, storing a plurality of data pairs that include longitudinal acceleration and drive force, determining a slope of a line that linearly approximates the plurality of data pairs, and determining the weight being hauled by the vehicle by subtracting the weight of the vehicle from the value representing the slope of the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Inventor: Michael Hall
  • Patent number: 9291472
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing additional content that is relevant to an upcoming service appointment in an audible format. The additional content can be retrieved from remote sources and aggregated to form an audio package to be played back to the technician as the technician travels to a destination address that corresponds with the upcoming service appointment. The additional content retrieved can depend on the estimated travel time to the destination address. By presenting the additional content audibly at the same time as route directions are being presented graphically, the driver can multi-task which results in time savings since the additional content has been consumed during the drive to the upcoming appointment rather than when the technician arrives at the destination address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: SAP SE
    Inventors: Venkitesh Subramanian, Venkat Iyer, Prerna Makanawala, Lin Pang, Ryan Currier
  • Patent number: 9283954
    Abstract: One embodiment relates to a system for idle reduction in a hybrid vehicle. The system includes a control system for causing the vehicle to operate in a charge depletion mode, or a charge accumulation mode in response to job site data; the job site data can include an estimate of the amount of energy required at the job site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Odyne Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph Thomas Dalum
  • Patent number: 9283957
    Abstract: A hydraulic pressure instruction-learning apparatus of a hybrid vehicle includes a power source including an engine and a motor. The engine clutch is disposed between the engine and the motor. The vehicle controller is configured to output a hydraulic pressure instruction to control engagement/disengagement of the engine clutch. The vehicle controller compares output performance of the engine clutch with predetermined dynamic target performance in a launch control, extracts a performance error function if a difference therebetween exceeds a predetermined allowable error range, and corrects the output performance of the engine clutch, such that the output performance falls within the predetermined allowable error range and is stored as a learned value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION, SNU R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Seongwook Moon, Daero Park, Seok Min Jeong, Jae Ho Lee, Jung Un An, Hee Yun Lee, Won Sik Lim, Nam Woong Kim, Kyo Bum Lee, Howon Seo, Suk-Won Cha
  • Patent number: 9286265
    Abstract: An add-on device and method for managing an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle is disclosed. The add-on device includes a transceiver adapted for communicating with the communication network of a vehicle. The add-on device further includes a controller being communicatively connected to the transceiver, and adapted to generate a user-interface control signal addressed to the user interface of the vehicle, in order to manipulate the user interface of the vehicle and to present thereon command options prompting a user to enter a command selection in response to the command options presented. The controller is further adapted to receive the command selection from the user interface, and to generate in response thereto, an ECU control signal to be sent to the communication network for executing an operation with respect to a targeted ECU, in order to manage the targeted ECU from the user interface of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: INNOVATION GAP INC.
    Inventors: Christian Simard, Patrick Meilleur
  • Patent number: 9283972
    Abstract: A networking operation dispatch system based on electronic zones for rail vehicle comprises: a zone-end relay computer, a communication ranging antenna along rail, a locomotive-mounted response computer and a road networking computer, wherein: the zone-end relay computer is installed on an end of each electronic zone; the communication ranging antenna along rail has an equivalent length to the electronic zone, a first end of the communication ranging antenna along rail is connected with the zone-end relay computer and a second thereof is disposed in the air; the locomotive-mounted response computer is installed on each locomotive and communicates with the zone-end relay computer in the electronic zone occupied by the locomotive via the communication ranging antenna; and the road networking computer connects each zone-end relay computer to form a network. A rail security detecting sensor is provided in the electronic zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Inventors: Wei Bai, Jing Bai, Qing Bai, Xianbing Bai, Baolong Feng