Patents Examined by Jorge O. Peche
  • Patent number: 11957301
    Abstract: Methods of assisting an operator to perform a surgical procedure include inserting at least one surgical tool into a surgical environment of a human body. The 3D spatial position of the surgical tool within the surgical environment is estimated in real time, and movement of the surgical tool is detected. The spatial position of the surgical tool within the surgical environment is controlled using a controller, including by determining using image processing whether each of the detected movements is an ALLOWED movement or a RESTRICTED movement based on a predetermined rule stored in a database in communication with the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Asensus Surgical Europe S.à.R.L.
    Inventors: Motti Frimer, Mordehai Sholev, Yehuda Pfeffer
  • Patent number: 11958485
    Abstract: A control system (1) for controlling operation of a host vehicle (2). The control system (1) includes a controller (4) having a processor (5) and a memory (6). The processor (5) is operable to receive a signal (S1) from a sensor (7) and to process the signal (S1) to identify a target vehicle (3). The processor (5) determines a vertical offset (?V) between the host vehicle (2) and the target vehicle (3). A target follow distance (D1) may be set based on the determined vertical offset (?V). Also provided is a vehicle (1) incorporating the control system (1); a related method of controlling a vehicle (2); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: Navid Shamshiri, Arun Raveendran, Robin Boyd
  • Patent number: 11940170
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a control system, a control method, and a storage medium through which a moving object can change a surrounding environment of a user depending on an emotion of the user. [Solution] Provided is a control system including: an estimation unit that estimates an emotion of a user; and a moving object controller that controls a moving object to change a surrounding environment of the user depending on the estimated emotion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Shionozaki, Satoshi Ikeda, Tetsuo Tawara, Yasushi Miyajima
  • Patent number: 11911916
    Abstract: A control system may receive a first plurality of measurements indicative of respective joint angles corresponding to a plurality of sensors connected to a robot. The robot may include a body and a plurality of jointed limbs connected to the body associated with respective properties. The control system may also receive a body orientation measurement indicative of an orientation of the body of the robot. The control system may further determine a relationship between the first plurality of measurements and the body orientation measurement based on the properties associated with the jointed limbs of the robot. Additionally, the control system may estimate an aggregate orientation of the robot based on the first plurality of measurements, the body orientation measurement, and the determined relationship. Further, the control system may provide instructions to control at least one jointed limb of the robot based on the estimated aggregate orientation of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Khripin, Alfred Anthony Rizzi
  • Patent number: 11886772
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling at least one robotically controlled surgical tool via vocal activation include detecting a vocal command generated by a surgeon, converting said at least one surgeon in said surgical setting via said voice sensor. The vocal command is converted to operative instructions associated with a robotically controlled surgical tool to generate instructions according to a predetermined set of rules including at least one of a no fly zone rule and collision prevention rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Asensus Surgical Europe S.a.r.l
    Inventors: Gal Atarot, Motti Frimer, Tal Nir, Lior Alpert
  • Patent number: 11865927
    Abstract: Techniques control a utility vehicle. Such techniques involve storing electric power in a lithium battery of the utility vehicle. Such techniques further involve operating a motor controller of the utility vehicle in a normal mode in which the motor controller provides electric power from a lithium battery of the utility vehicle to an electric motor of the utility vehicle to turn one or more ground engaging members of the utility vehicle. Such techniques further involve, after operating the motor controller in the normal operating mode, operating the motor controller in a walkaway mode in which the motor controller configures the electric motor to provide braking torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur James Harvey, Norman R. Padgett, John Ledden, Robert Charles Bradley, Patrick Dwaine Warden
  • Patent number: 11851069
    Abstract: A method for locating a vehicle involves detecting an elevation profile of a roadway of the vehicle and in which image features on the roadway are detected as landmarks and are compared with landmarks stored on a digital map. A transformation of the detected and/or stored landmarks into a common perspective performed to compare the landmarks. The transformation is carried out based on model parameters of a parametric model of the elevation profile of the roadway and a parametric model of a vehicle inclination. The model parameters are determined by determining an expected elevation profile of the roadway from the parametric models of the elevation profile and the vehicle inclination and minimizing a difference between the expected elevation profile and the detected elevation profile by varying the model parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventor: Carsten Knoeppel
  • Patent number: 11845488
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a steering control apparatus, a method therefor and a steering system, wherein, when a vehicle slips, the steering control apparatus increases traction by steering a road wheel to the left and right along a current steering direction. Particularly, the steering control apparatus comprises: a slip occurrence determination unit for determining whether or not the vehicle has slipped; a steering angle determination unit for, when it is determined that the vehicle has slipped, determining a current steering angle of a steering wheel as a reference steering angle; and a control unit for controlling a driving shaft so that the road wheel may be steered to the left and right within a first angle range on the basis of the reference steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kwang Hyung Lee
  • Patent number: 11840294
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a regulating device for regulating the steering angle for a vehicle, comprising a first controller unit with a controller superposed thereon, the controller having a feedback path and a prefilter. The feedback path provides a first adjustment variable based on actual steering angle information which is provided by the first controller unit as an output variable and the prefilter provides a second adjustment variable based on nominal steering angle information. The controller is configured to form input information for the first controller unit based on the first and the second adjustment variables, wherein the feedback path has a first correction element, the transfer behavior of which can be adjusted. The prefilter has a second correction element, the transfer behavior of which can be adjusted. The controller is configured such that at least the controller gain of the first controller unit can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Philipp Keßler, Stefan Feick, Michael Simon
  • Patent number: 11835343
    Abstract: Provided is a method including: capturing, with at least one sensor of a robot, first data indicative of the position of the robot in relation to objects within the workspace and second data indicative of movement of the robot; recognizing, with a processor of the robot, a first area of the workspace based on observing at least one of: a first part of the first data and a first part of the second data; generating, with the processor of the robot, at least part of a map of the workspace based on at least one of: the first part of the first data and the first part of the second data; generating, with the processor of the robot, a first movement path covering at least part of the first recognized area; actuating, with the processor of the robot, the robot to move along the first movement path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: AI Incorporated
    Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Sebastian Schweigert
  • Patent number: 11834109
    Abstract: An electric power steering device includes: an information obtaining unit that obtains information on a steering torque acting on a steering wheel of a vehicle, speed of the vehicle, a turn angle of the steering wheel, and an actual yaw rate; a setting unit that sets a steering assist control amount relating to an assist motor based a deviation of the actual yaw rate from a norm yaw rate set based on a traveling state of the vehicle; and a steering assist control unit that performs steering assist control using the assist motor based on the information on the steering torque. The steering assist control unit performs the steering assist control based on the steering assist control amount set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 11827292
    Abstract: A method for determining a friction torque exerted within a steering column of an electric power steering system, the power steering system comprising a steering column provided with a torsion bar undergoing an instantaneous torsion torque, the steering column being linked to a pinion capable of driving a rack, a torsion bar sensor intended to measure the instantaneous torsion torque, the method comprising an acquisition step, during which at least one value of the friction torque is measured by the torsion bar sensor, the acquisition step being carried out following the reception of a trigger signal, the value of the trigger signal depending on values of conditional variables (VL, A, V, C, ?C, ?A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: JTEKT EUROPE
    Inventors: Pierre Larminy, Arnaud Bouchet
  • Patent number: 11826900
    Abstract: A manipulation device and a manipulation system of a simpler configuration. A manipulation device includes an input part configured to receive an input of an operational instruction by an operator in order to operate a manipulating target, and a speaker configured to receive a signal based on vibration detected at the manipulating target and generate vibration based on the received signal. The vibration generated by the speaker is transmitted to the operator through at least a part of the input part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Shimomura, Masayuki Kamon, Hideyuki Ryu
  • Patent number: 11820442
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a redundancy circuit of an electric power steering system, the redundancy circuit comprising: a plurality of electronic control units for checking whether a breakdown occurs by crossing each other, and adjusting a control ratio according to the occurrence of the breakdown; and a selection control unit for receiving an input of the control ratio and control amount information of the plurality of electronic control units to determine control amounts of each of motors provided in the same number as the plurality of electronic control units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: HL Mando Corporation
    Inventor: Jong Chun Won
  • Patent number: 11820443
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an MDPS may include: a steering angle position control unit configured to compensate a first steering angle error corresponding to the difference between a command steering angle from an autonomous driving system and a first current steering angle from a steering angle sensor, and output a first command current; and a responsiveness improvement unit configured to compensate a second steering angle error corresponding to the difference between the command steering angle and a second current steering angle from a motor, and apply the compensated value to the steering angle position control unit, wherein the steering angle position control unit applies the compensated value to the first command current, and outputs a second command current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11814122
    Abstract: Provided is a steering control system of a vehicle, the system including a torque calculation unit calculating a required steering angle for controlling a steering device based on a driving route of the vehicle and calculating an automatic steering torque based on the calculated required steering angle; a torque correction unit calculating a correction steering torque for correcting the automatic steering torque based on the required steering angle calculated by the torque calculation unit and driving data of the vehicle; and a steering control unit controlling the steering device of the vehicle based on the automatic steering torque calculated by the torque calculation unit and the correction steering torque calculated by the torque correction unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jeong Ku Kim
  • Patent number: 11807317
    Abstract: A method is for operating a vehicle. The vehicle includes a steering system with at least one steering handle and at least one steering sensor operatively connected to the steering handle and configured to at least detect a driver intervention in an automated drive operating mode. In at least one faulty operating state, in which the vehicle is in the automated drive operating mode and a malfunction and/or a disturbance of the steering sensor is ascertained and/or a steering sensor signal of the steering sensor is ascertained, the steering sensor signal correlating in particular to the driver intervention, an interruption process is initiated in order to discontinue the automated drive operating mode. During the interruption process, at least one wheel steering angle characteristic variable of at least one vehicle wheel of the vehicle is ascertained and taken into consideration while discontinuing the automated drive operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Reinhard Grossheim
  • Patent number: 11794804
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for controlling a motor driven power steering system. The apparatus for controlling a motor driven power steering system includes a steering angle position controller configured to control a steering angle by adjusting a gain value based on a steering angle error between a command steering angle inputted by an autonomous driving system and a current steering angle; a current controller configured to compensate for a current error between a second command current outputted from the steering angle position controller and a sensor current; and a disturbance estimator configured to estimate noise due to an external factor, to remove the estimated noise in advance from a third command current outputted from the current controller, and to apply the third command current with no noise to an MDPS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11731686
    Abstract: A method is described for position control for an electromechanically assisted steering system of a motor vehicle, which has electromechanical steering assistance with an electric motor and at least one controller, wherein a torque to be applied by the electric motor is the controlled variable of the at least one controller, and wherein the controlled system for the design of the at least one controller comprises at least a lower part of the steering system containing the electric motor. A frequency response of the controlled system is determined based on a mathematical model of the controlled system and/or by measuring the controlled system. Controller parameters of the at least one controller are adjusted based on the frequency response of the controlled system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Emad Farshizadeh, Martin Scherberich
  • Patent number: 11724735
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a steering control apparatus, a steering control method, and a steering apparatus. Specifically, the steering control apparatus comprises: a reception unit for receiving steering correction condition information; a steering correction determination unit for determining whether to correct steering on the basis of the steering correction condition information; an angle correction value calculation unit for, when it is determined to correct the steering, determining correction parameters of the steering correction condition information and calculating an angle correction value by using the correction parameters of the steering correction condition information; and a signal generating unit for generating a motor control signal by determining whether to generate the motor control signal which is based on the angle correction value according to a result of comparison of the angle correction value to a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jung-yeol Kim