Patents Examined by Jerrod Irvin Davis
  • Patent number: 11801889
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an MDPS may include: a filtering unit configured to filter a specific frequency from a first current steering angle provided from a steering angle sensor; a command steering angle control unit configured to remove noise of a first command steering angle inputted from an autonomous driving system, and output a second command steering angle; a steering angle position control unit configured to compensate for a first steering angle error corresponding to the difference between the second command steering angle and the first current steering angle filtered by the filtering unit, and output a first command current; and a responsiveness improvement unit configured to compensate for a second steering angle error corresponding to the difference between the second command steering angle and a second current steering angle provided from a motor, and apply the compensation result value to the steering angle position control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11801895
    Abstract: A control device includes a processor and a storage device storing a program for controlling an operation of the processor. The processor determines whether a vehicle is in a straight-ahead traveling state, based on a vehicle speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor, a steering wheel torque applied to a steering wheel, and a steering wheel angle as a rotation angle of an input shaft. The processor stores the steering wheel angle in the memory when determining that the vehicle is in the straight-ahead traveling state. The processor stores the steering wheel angle in the memory multiple times when determining that the vehicle is in the straight-ahead traveling state. The processor calculates a corrected steering angle amount from a weighted average of the steering wheel angles stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sohei Miyake, Jun Ogawa, Satoru Onishi, Masaya Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11794756
    Abstract: Techniques are described for using variables associated with vehicle wheels (e.g., linear velocity at a wheel and orientation of the wheel) to estimate velocity of a vehicle during a turn maneuver. In examples of the disclosure, in association with one or more wheels, a wheel orientation during the maneuver and a linear speed during the maneuver may be determined, and well as a yaw rate (e.g., from an inertial measurement unit, gyroscope, etc.) of the vehicle. Examples of the present disclosure include, based on the variables associated with the wheel(s) and the yaw rate associated with the turn maneuver, estimating a vehicle velocity, which may be used by various downstream components, such as to determine or update a pose of a vehicle as part of a localization operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Carsten Bosse, Brice Rebsamen
  • Patent number: 11787423
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method (100) for carrying out a self-diagnosis (115) of an automated vehicle (1), wherein the following steps are carried out:—operating the vehicle (1) in a standard operating mode (I) for a transport-oriented operation of the vehicle (1), in which the self-diagnosis (115) is automatically carried out according to a first weighting, and—operating the vehicle (1) in a diagnosis operating mode (II), in which the self-diagnosis (115) is automatically carried out using a second weighting, said second weighting being greater than the first weighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Richard Ludwig Schiemenz
  • Patent number: 11787434
    Abstract: When a transport is operating, there may be circumstances where the transport may be at least partially compromised and may be less safe than normal. In such situations where the transport is determined as being unsafe, the transport may act to limit the functionality of the transport. An example operation may include confirming that a transport includes at least one component that is not an original or authorized component, and limiting a functionality of the transport when it is determined that the operator of the transport is not associated with the transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Satyajit P. Patne, Ryan N. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11753071
    Abstract: A method for monitoring vehicle inertia parameters in real-time includes receiving at least one lateral dynamic value. The method also includes calculating at least one vehicle inertia parameter value using the at least one lateral dynamic value. The method also include determining a difference between the calculated at least one vehicle inertia parameter value and a corresponding baseline vehicle inertia parameter value. The method also includes, based on a comparison between the difference between the calculated at least one vehicle inertia parameter value and the corresponding baseline vehicle inertia parameter value and a threshold, selectively controlling at least one vehicle operation based on the calculated at least one vehicle inertia parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Xingye Zhang, Apurv Naman
  • Patent number: 11745726
    Abstract: Techniques for using a set of non-steering variables to estimate an angle of a wheel are described. For example, a yaw rate, a linear velocity of a wheel, and vehicle dimensions (e.g., offset between the wheel and a turn-center reference line), can be used to estimate the angle of the wheel. Among other things, estimating angles based on non-steering variables may provide redundancy (e.g., when determined in parallel with steering-based command angles or other commanded angles) and/or may be used to validate commanded angles based on steering components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Carsten Bosse, Brice Rebsamen
  • Patent number: 11731700
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to determine a planned curvature of a planned path of a vehicle, determine a friction-compensation torque based on image data received from a camera of the vehicle, and control a steering system of the vehicle based at least in part on the planned curvature and the friction-compensation torque. The friction-compensation torque compensates for friction internal to the steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimir Ivanovic, Quazi Farooqi
  • Patent number: 11718288
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of determining, by a server, an event associated with a transport, receiving, by the server, atypical data related to the transport from a plurality of devices over various times prior to the event, analyzing, by the server, the atypical data, forming, by the server, a consensus based on the analyzed atypical data to determine a severity of the event, and determining, by the server, an action to take based on the severity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Lucas Smith, Jay Bartholomew
  • Patent number: 11713070
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for controlling the steering of an autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11691663
    Abstract: A steering control device controls a steering device that includes an electric motor. The steering control device includes a control unit configured to control an operation of the steering device by controlling the electric motor. The control unit is configured to calculate a control value for controlling the electric motor, to calculate a predetermined component indicating characteristics of the steering device using a value of a variable associated with the control value as an input, and to determine whether a mechanical abnormality has occurred in the steering device based on the calculated predetermined component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kodera
  • Patent number: 11691671
    Abstract: The inventive concepts determines a threshold road slope based on camera information and lateral acceleration of a vehicle, estimates the road slope, compensates the estimated road slope to an ADAS driving convenience system, and thus prevents the vehicle from being inclined to the road slope in a section where a threshold road slope is present, thereby securing the driving stability of the vehicle by driving the vehicle in the middle of the lane on a road having the threshold road slope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kwang Il Choi
  • Patent number: 11685438
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a sensor to detect a steering torque applied to a steering shaft that rotates in accordance with a steering wheel operation; a steering assistance unit configured to assist steering by a lane keeping assistance function; a correcting unit configured to obtain a corrected torque by removing a torque caused due to the steering assistance unit from the steering torque detected by the sensor; and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not a driver is in a hands-off state based on the corrected torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Eguchi, Shuichi Kosaka, Ryo Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11679805
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for mitigating traction steer using an electric power steering system (EPS). A control system for a power steering system including a processor and memory are provided. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a motor command as a function of a handwheel velocity, and to modify the motor command based upon a traction torque signal. A method for controlling a power steering system is also provided. The method includes generating a motor command as a function of a handwheel velocity; modifying the motor command based upon a traction torque signal; and applying the motor command to an actuator of the power steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Meyer, Kameron M. Carey
  • Patent number: 11654890
    Abstract: A vehicle control data generation method includes causing processing circuitry to execute an obtaining process that obtains a state of a vehicle and a specifying variable, an operating process that operates an electronic device, a reward calculating process that provides a greater reward when a characteristic of the vehicle meets a standard than when the characteristic does not meet the standard, an updating process that updates relationship defining data. The update map outputs the updated relationship defining data so as to increase an expected return for the reward in a case where the electronic device is operated in accordance with the relationship defining data. The reward calculating process includes a changing process that changes the reward between when the characteristic of the vehicle is a predetermined characteristic in an EV mode and when the characteristic is the predetermined characteristic in a HV mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yosuke Hashimoto, Akihiro Katayama, Yuta Oshiro, Kazuki Sugie, Naoya Oka
  • Patent number: 11648942
    Abstract: An assistance device for driving in a traffic lane for a motor vehicle includes a module for determining at least one input variable chosen from among variables related to the vehicle and variables related to the traffic lane, a module for producing a correction instruction according to the input variable, and an assistance module capable of implementing a driving assistance action according to the correction instruction. The input variable includes a lateral position of the vehicle in the traffic lane and a lateral deflection speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignees: RENAULT s.a.s., NISSAN MOTOR Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Emmanuel Dallier, Alain Haddad
  • Patent number: 11644846
    Abstract: The subject disclosure relates to techniques for real-time lane validation. A process of the disclosed technologies can include steps for receiving a route from a remote computing system, the route indicating lanes on the route that an autonomous vehicle must traverse, traversing at least one lane of the lanes on the route, and sending sensor data to the remote computing system after traversing the at least one lane, the sensor data indicating whether the at least one lane is in accordance with a virtual lane of a virtual map, the virtual lane corresponding to the at least one lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: GM Cruise Holdings LLC.
    Inventors: Erin Antcliffe, Jeremy Allan, Robin Yang, Andrew Robinson, Lucio Otavio Marchioro Rech, Brian Joseph Donohue, Kavya Sambana
  • Patent number: 11640171
    Abstract: In an autonomous driving control apparatus, a control unit communicable with the memory deter mines, upon execution of the autonomous driving, whether it is necessary to update a primary scheduled travel route for the autonomous vehicle toward a destination in accordance with at least one of failure information about the autonomous vehicle and route condition information indicative of a condition of the primary scheduled travel route. The control unit updates the primary scheduled travel route to a new scheduled travel route in accordance with one or more driving operations executable by the autonomous vehicle upon determination that it is necessary to update the scheduled travel route. The control unit controls the autonomous driving of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the new scheduled travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Itoh
  • Patent number: 11618519
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of tracking control for a foot force and moment of a biped robot. According to the method, a double-spring damping model is designed, and a force tracking controller is designed by using an LQR optimization method, so as to realize tracking of the foot force and moment of the biped robot. Further, a desired force on a foot and a desired moment on the foot are calculated through a planned ZMP distribution method, thereby eventually achieving better ZMP tracking of the biped robot and adapting to ground of certain unevenness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Qiang Huang, Zhangguo Yu, Xuechao Chen, Chencheng Dong, Qingqing Li, Libo Meng, Gao Huang
  • Patent number: 11618499
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power steering system of a vehicle, having a steering wheel, and an inverter powering an assist motor, when a short-circuit failure is detected between a phase of the assist motor and an electric line of the inverter, wherein it includes:—a configuration step intended to determine, for a magnetic field of the assist motor, a controllable zone and a non-controllable zone, —a step of compensating for a space-average brake torque in the controllable zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: JTEKT EUROPE
    Inventor: Arnaud Bouchet