Patents Examined by Jordan S Fei
  • Patent number: 11519730
    Abstract: A method for determining the position and orientation of a vehicle, this method including measuring, with a magnetometer, a raw-measurement vector; obtaining a reference vector encoding, in a terrestrial reference frame, the amplitude and the direction of the geomagnetic field, the components of the reference vector being obtained from a pre-recorded model of the geomagnetic field and not measured by the magnetometer; then only if the margin of error in an estimate of the orientation of the vehicle is below a predetermined threshold, updating the pre-recorded data from which scale and offset coefficients used for correcting the raw measurement from the magnetometer are obtained, this update being performed using the raw vector, the reference vector and the new estimate of the orientation of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
    Inventor: Christophe Villien
  • Patent number: 11498440
    Abstract: A control system and apparatus for managing charging of electric vehicles in a transportation infrastructure and controlling at least the flight paths for drone-assisted vehicles requiring periodic charge comprises a transportation system control node connected in a first wide area network (WAN), a plurality of vehicle charging facilities distributed within the geographic region covered by the first wide area network and a charge controller connected to each of the plurality of charging facilities for brokering electric power from a power source to at least one structurally supported charge transfer apparatus maintained at each of the charging facilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Michael Steward Evans
  • Patent number: 11493347
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a data processing method comprises obtaining, from a calendar database associated with a particular mobile computing device, an event record specifying an event, and a date value and a time value indicating a date and time of the event; obtaining, from a user location history table accessible to a server computer, historical location data specifying a plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device; using the server computer, determining, based upon the plurality of past geographical locations of the particular mobile computing device, a predicted location of the event; based upon the predicted location of the event, a current location of the particular mobile computing device, and mode data specifying a particular mode of transportation, calculating a route of travel between the current location and the predicted location and an estimated duration of travel; determining, based upon the date value, time value, route of travel and estimated duration of trave
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Scott San Filippo, Arshad Tayyeb, Spencer Murray, Kevin Cheng, Jason Lebrun
  • Patent number: 11480971
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating instructions for a vehicle to navigate an unsignaled intersection are provided. The method may include: generating an expected return over a sequence of actions of the vehicle; determining an optimal policy by selecting an action with a maximum value for the vehicle; executing dynamic frame skipping to expedite learning a repeated action of the vehicle; prioritize an experience replay by utilizing an experience replay buffer to break correlations between sequential steps of the vehicle; generate a plurality of state-action representations based on at least one of the expected return, the optimal policy, the dynamic frame skipping, or the prioritized experience replay; generate the instructions for navigating the unsignaled intersection based on the plurality of state-action representations; and transmit the instructions for navigating the unsignaled intersection to the vehicle such that the vehicle executes the instructions to navigate the unsignaled intersection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: David Isele, Gholamreza Rahimi, Akansel Cosgun, Kaushik Subramanian, Kikuo Fujimura
  • Patent number: 11338806
    Abstract: A bake-steering apparatus for controlling autonomous navigation of an electric scooter includes at least one electric motor coupled to at least one wheel of the scooter to provide driving power to enable forward momentum of the scooter, at least a pair of brake pads on the scooter such that each brake pad is adapted to make mechanical braking contact with respective ones of the wheels to provide navigational steering of the scooter, and a computational module on the scooter and electrically connected to each brake pad. The computational module is adapted to receive electrical signals and compute them into corresponding braking commands so as to determine the mechanical braking contact to generate corresponding slowing and turning of the forward momentum of the scooter so as to provide navigational steering of the scooter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sanghyun Hong, Jianbo Lu, Justin Miller, Smruti Panigrahi, Timothy Feldkamp, Zhijun Han
  • Patent number: 11292698
    Abstract: Accordingly, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of coordinated safety interlocking systems and methods of coordinating safety interlocking. In an exemplary embodiment, a system for providing coordinated safety interlocking between a plurality of machines is disclosed. The system generally includes a plurality of machine control units each configured to control at least one of the plurality of machines. The system also includes at least one operator control unit configured to define a dynamic cluster including a subset of the plurality of machine control units. The at least one operator control unit is configured to control safety interlocking between each machine control unit in the dynamic cluster. The system may be used to provide coordinated safety interlocking between various elements and/or machines, such as crane bridges and crane hoists, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: CATTRON NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: David Stagg
  • Patent number: 11266054
    Abstract: A method for estimating and adjusting crop residue parameters may include controlling an operation of a tillage implement as the implement is being towed by a work vehicle across the field to perform a tillage operation and receiving a pre-tilled image of an imaged portion of the field located to one side of a first section of the field as the implement is being towed across the first section of the field. The method may also include receiving a post-tilled image of the imaged portion of the field as the implement is being towed across the field, analyzing the pre-tilled and post-tilled images of the imaged portion of the field to estimate a crop residue parameter for the field, and, when the estimated parameter differs from a target associated with such parameter, actively adjusting the operation of the tillage implement in a manner designed to adjust the crop residue parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Luca Ferrari, John H. Posselius
  • Patent number: 11255074
    Abstract: A control system for a work vehicle includes an acceleration detection device and a controller. The acceleration detection device detects an acceleration of the work vehicle. The controller determines whether the acceleration is greater than a first threshold and reduces the a vehicle speed when the acceleration continues to be equal to or greater than the first threshold over a predetermined first determination time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Yamamoto, Shinichiro Hosoya, Takashi Noda
  • Patent number: 11220264
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided herein for managing scooter fleets based on geolocation boundaries. In certain embodiments, individual scooters of the scooter fleet may be associated with geographical areas in which they are allowed to operate, and such areas may be defined by a geolocation boundary. The geographical areas may be provided to prevent scooters from being used and subsequently left in an undesirable location (for example, at an airport terminal or an area where crime is commonplace).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sandro Nuesch, Mathew Boesch, Ahsan Qamar, Anita Stoffer, Anthony Tsakiris, Rashmi Hegde
  • Patent number: 11200797
    Abstract: A simulation device that on the basis of: a traffic network (10) as a graph of route sections (3) and nodes (4), with starting places (1) and destinations (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventor: Aurelius Bernet
  • Patent number: 11187547
    Abstract: A system and method includes accessing a road network database to identify a tire cost for a plurality of edges in a mining road network, identifying least-cost paths between each of a plurality of nodes on the mining road network using the tire cost for each of the plurality of edges, the nodes including a loading area and a dumping area for a plurality of haul trucks, accessing a distributed objects database to identify constraints for the nodes on the mining road network, determining a production plan using the constraints for the nodes on the mining road network by maximizing a function of the form ?f?(x)??g?(x), where f?(x) is a normalized measure of productivity, g?(x) is a normalized measure of impact on tire conditioning, and ? and ? are nonnegative constants with ?+?=1, subject to constraints on resource capacities and production requirements, with the material flow rates between each of the nodes on the mining road network specifying the production plan, determining a task assignment for each of the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: MODULAR MINING SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Lucas Van Latum, Maria Brenda R. Rayco
  • Patent number: 11173892
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine, an electric machine, and a transmission are described. In one example, various vehicle operating modes may be entered from a baseline vehicle operating mode and the vehicle operating modes may revert back to the baseline vehicle operating mode in a plurality of stages so that returning to the baseline operating mode may be less noticeable to vehicle occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Anthony Rockwell, Kent Hancock, Christopher Michael Kava
  • Patent number: 11129343
    Abstract: A modular system includes a hub and a set of modules removably coupled to the hub. The modules are physically coupled to the frame relative to each other so that each module can operate with respect to a different row of a field. An individual module includes a sensor for capturing field measurement data of individual plants along a row as the modular system moves through the geographic region. An individual module further includes a treatment mechanism for applying a treatment to the individual plants of the row based on the field measurement data before the modular system passes by the individual plants. An individual module further includes a computing device that determines the treatment based on the field measurement data and communicates data to the hub. The hub is communicatively coupled to the modules, so that it may exchange data between the modules and with a remote computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: BLUE RIVER TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Lee Kamp Redden, James Patrick Ostrowski, Kent Anderson, Edward William Jeffcott Pell
  • Patent number: 11124191
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for limiting a load applied to a rotatable shaft joint. An example apparatus comprises a comparator to, based on at least one of an angle of a rotatable shaft joint or a torque applied to the joint, determine whether at least one of the torque or the angle exceeds a threshold, and a limiter to limit at least one of the angle or the torque when at least one of the torque or the angle exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Gerard Offerle, Erick Michael Lavoie, Geoffrey Bossio
  • Patent number: 11091164
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for computing a friction estimate between a road surface and a tire of a vehicle. The method comprises applying a controllable torque to at least one of wheel of the vehicle and determining a vehicle velocity when the controllable torque is applied. Estimate a present tire force acting on the first tire when the torque is applied. Based on a vehicle velocity, estimate the present slip of the tire. Determining a present gradient of the tire force with respect to the slip based on the present tire force and the value indicative of the present slip. When the present gradient exceeds a predetermined first gradient threshold value and is below predetermined second gradient threshold value, compute the friction estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mats Jonasson, Anton Albinsson, Fredrik Hans Bruzelius
  • Patent number: 11084501
    Abstract: An automatic driving control plan creator creates a plan of an automatic driving section where a subject vehicle is automatically driven, and a plan of a driving switching preparation section for switching the subject vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving. A driving load calculator predicts, for each point of the driving switching preparation section, a driving load applied to a driver when the driver manually drives the subject vehicle. A driving switching permission determiner extracts, from the driving switching preparation section, a switching-inhibited section that is a section where switching from automatic driving to manual driving is not permitted, on the basis of the predicted driving load at each point. A driving switching preparation section compensator changes a start point of the driving switching preparation section so as to lengthen the driving switching preparation section in accordance with the length of the switching-inhibited section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Ueno, Mitsuo Shimotani, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Naohiko Obata, Tadashi Miyahara, Tomohiro Shiino
  • Patent number: 11046208
    Abstract: A pre-crash seat actuator system for moving a vehicle seat includes an occupant protection control system that determines a collision is imminent and provides a trigger signal and an enable signal. A vehicle seat controller receives the trigger signal and determines a moving the vehicle seat to a desired position to mitigate severity of a collision. In response to the trigger signal, the vehicle seat controller provides a fast mode voltage for moving the vehicle seat in a fast mode. A smart control adapter determines whether the fast mode voltage and the enable signal are both received, to provide the fast mode voltage to a vehicle seat electric drive. In another embodiment, the vehicle seat controller receives the trigger signal and a collision signal to provide fast mode voltage, and the seat is returned to an original position when a crash does not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Freienstein, George Marutz, II, Kevin Orava
  • Patent number: 11027711
    Abstract: The anti-lock brake control device includes: a wheel motion estimator to estimate one or more of an angle, an angular velocity, and an angular acceleration of a wheel; a slip estimator to estimate a slip state of the wheel, using an estimation result of the wheel motion estimator; and an anti-lock controller to give a command for causing a brake device to reduce a braking force, in accordance with the estimated slip state of the wheel. The slip estimator includes delay compensators, such as one or a plurality of filters, which perform delay compensation for the estimation result of the wheel motion estimator. The anti-lock controller gives the command for reducing the braking force, on the basis of a result of predetermined determination including comparison of the plurality of estimation results outputted from the slip estimator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yui Masuda
  • Patent number: 11014576
    Abstract: The present invention provides a BeiDou-based grid augmentation autonomous driving multi-level warning system comprising a Beidou Satellite Ground-based Augmentation system, user terminals and a Vehicles internet system, wherein the Beidou Satellite Ground-based Augmentation system comprises Beidou grid reference stations, a data processing system and a data broadcast system; the user terminal comprises an in-vehicle receiver and a calculating chips. The present invention can reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents and reduce the loss of life and property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: BEIHANG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhipeng Wang, Yanbo Zhu, Yuan Liu, Jingtian Du
  • Patent number: 11002554
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining a start guidance area excluding a current location; determining an end guidance area excluding a destination; and generating a navigation guidance with a control unit for traversing from the start guidance area to the end guidance area to reach the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Telenav, Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaochuan Niu, Gregory Stewart Aist, Rajeev Agarwal