Patents Examined by Katherine Marie Fitzharris
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Patent number: 11383707Abstract: A vehicle includes an inertial sensor configured to measure a speed, a steering angle, and a yaw rate, a camera configured to acquire image data, a radar configured to acquire a radar data, and a safety device including an air bag and a seat belt pretensioner. A controller is configured to predict a collision with a first object located at the outside of the vehicle based on the image data or the radar data, predict a collision with a second object that is likely to occur after the collision with the first object based on an angle of reflection predicted at a time of the collision with the first object, and lower a deployment threshold that is compared with a collision severity such that the safety device is deployed before the collision with the second object.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2019Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: NamGyun Kim
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Patent number: 11260901Abstract: A four wheel steering vehicle (1), in which front wheels (2f) and rear wheels (2r) can be steered in response to a steering input from a steering wheel (11), includes a rear wheel steering control unit (50) that variably controls a rear wheel steering device such that the rear wheels are steered in a prescribed relation to a steered angle of the front wheels. When the steering input is determined while the front wheel brake and the rear wheel brake are engaged, the rear wheel steering control unit disengages the rear wheel brake and steers the rear wheels. When the fore and aft inclination angle detected by an inclination sensor (40) provided on the vehicle is greater than a threshold value, the rear wheel steering control unit prohibits a steering of the rear wheels and keeps the rear wheel brake engaged even if the steering input is determined.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2019Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Ryosuke Yamazaki, Takumi Inagaki
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Patent number: 11237562Abstract: A control system for preventing vehicle collisions may include a vehicle location determination module, a terrain determination module, a terrain surface coefficient of friction estimation module, and a sensing system configured to generate signals indicative of vehicle speed, vehicle pose, vehicle size, vehicle weight, vehicle tire type, vehicle load, vehicle gear ratio, weather characteristics, and road conditions for a vehicle operating at a job site. A manned vehicle trajectory determination module may receive location information and plot a first travel path for a manned vehicle based at least in part on a location, heading, and speed of the manned vehicle and a desired destination for the manned vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2019Date of Patent: February 1, 2022Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.Inventors: Eric John Schultz, Karl Arthur Kirsch, Philip Carl Wallstedt
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Patent number: 11215999Abstract: An image captured using a sensor on a vehicle is received and decomposed into a plurality of component images. Each component image of the plurality of component images is provided as a different input to a different layer of a plurality of layers of an artificial neural network to determine a result. The result of the artificial neural network is used to at least in part autonomously operate the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2018Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Tesla, Inc.Inventors: Timofey Uvarov, Brijesh Tripathi, Evgene Fainstain
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Patent number: 11169516Abstract: An aerial vehicle comprises one or more sensors to environmental data, a communication system to receive control inputs from a user, two or more actuators, with each actuator coupled to a rotary wing. The aerial vehicle also comprises a controller to determine a mode of the aerial vehicle based on the environmental data and the control inputs, each mode indicating a set of flight characteristics for the aerial vehicle, generate a gain value based on the mode, the gain value, when used to modify power signals transmitted to actuators of the aerial vehicle, causing the aerial vehicle to conform within the indicated flight characteristics of the determined mode, generate an output signal modified by the gain value based on the input signal, and transmit a power signal based on the output signal to each actuator of the aerial vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2017Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: GoPro, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin Tankersley, Joseph Anthony Enke, Donald Allen Severns
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Patent number: 11117614Abstract: A method for scaling a stability signal in a steering system is provided and includes computing, by a torque boost module, an assist torque command to cause a motor of the steering system to generate an assist torque. Further, the method includes computing, by a stability compensation module, a stabilized torque command based on an input signal, the stabilized torque command modifying the assist torque command. Further, the method includes computing, by a stability monitoring module, a stability scaling factor to adjust the stabilized torque command based on a duration and severity of an instability detected in the input signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2017Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding CorporationInventors: Qi Wang, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
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Patent number: 11084526Abstract: A system and method for passively and actively monitoring and determining the location of at least one mechanical anomaly for a power steering system of a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores a baseline waveform and data comprising program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to receive at least one excitation signal and at least one response signal. The power steering system creates the response signal in response to receiving the excitation signal. In response to receiving the excitation signal and the response signal, the system is caused to estimate the frequency response between the excitation signal and the response signal based on a fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm. The frequency response is represented by an estimated waveform.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Bo Yu, Ian Y. Hwa, Adam J. Kloess, Yu Cao
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Patent number: 11008201Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for methods and systems for automating the operation of a rolling-jack system for the servicing of automotive vehicles. The rolling-jack(s) travel/transport between the runways of a drive-on lift. They have automated/motorized transportation, engagement and jacking power mechanisms. These mechanisms are controlled by a guidance system which guides/controls them for a fully automated operation. A number of technologies may be used for this purpose, including sensors onboard the vehicles and/or the drive-on lifts and/or the rolling-jacks and/or the service center. A computer vision pipeline may also be utilized to assist in the process. Machine learning may also be employed. Techniques are also extended to autonomous vehicles as well as interfacing with fleet management software.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: Mohawk Lifts, LLCInventor: Zachary Perlstein
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Patent number: 10994729Abstract: A control system uses a set of regions of states of lateral dynamic of the vehicle corresponding to a set of equilibrium points to control a vehicle. Each region defines a control invariant set of the states of the lateral dynamic determined such that the vehicle having a state within a region is capable to maintain its states within the region. Each region includes a corresponding equilibrium point and intersects with at least one adjacent region. The control system identifies collision-free regions at different time steps of control to produce a collision free sequence of regions forming a union of regions in space and time connecting a region including an initial displacement with a region including a target displacement. The control system produces a trajectory within the union connecting the initial displacement with the target displacement and control the vehicle according to the trajectory.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2017Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Karl Berntorp, Avishai Weiss, Claus Danielson, Stefano Di Cairano
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Patent number: 10737768Abstract: A method converts an aircraft takeoff trim setting that would be a function of several parameters to a value that is a function of CG position only. In this way, it is possible to create a direct simple equivalence between Stabilizer angle and CG. The equivalent CG can be presented in real time to the pilot.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2017Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: Embraer S.A.Inventors: Sérgio Luiz Miranda De Souza, Eduardo Alves Menini, Lumi Galadriel Silva Morimitsu
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Patent number: 10626575Abstract: A control system for a construction machine includes an electric lever operating device that outputs a command to a hydraulic actuator, a travel control lever device that outputs a command to a travel device, and a controller that outputs a drive command to a solenoid proportional valve that decompresses hydraulic fluid supplied from a pilot hydraulic source. The control system includes a machine body state judgment part that judges the state of the machine body based on an electric signal from the electric lever operating device and an operation amount of the travel control lever device and a dead zone calculation part that calculates a dead zone for the electric signal from the electric lever operating device based on the state of the machine body.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2016Date of Patent: April 21, 2020Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Tsuchie, Hidekazu Moriki, Yasutaka Tsuruga
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Patent number: 10501116Abstract: An automatic steering control device includes: a steering assist device; and a steering control unit. The steering control unit includes an input-output unit, a memory unit, a first abnormality detection unit, a second abnormality detection unit, an instruction value computation unit, and a switching unit. The steering assist device calculates a first instruction value to be output to a steering device included in a vehicle to make the vehicle travel along a target travel road shape calculated based on at least one of external environment information or map information of the vehicle based on the target travel road shape and a state quantity output from a state quantity detection device that detects behavior of the vehicle. The steering control unit controls the steering device based on the first instruction value during automatic driving of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2018Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventor: Masato Mizoguchi
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Patent number: 10408706Abstract: A device for detecting a light beam projecting from a lamp of a vehicle is described, and includes a plurality of photo-sensors and a plurality of indicator bulbs. The photo-sensors are arranged in a linear array along a first axis, and the indicator bulbs are arranged in a linear array along a second axis that is in parallel to the first axis. A controller is in communication with the photo-sensors and the indicator bulbs. The controller includes an instruction set that is executable to monitor signal inputs from the plurality of photo-sensors to detect presence of a light beam projecting from the lamp of a vehicle, determine a cut-off gradient line for the light beam based thereon, and illuminate one of the indicator bulbs to indicate a location of the cut-off gradient line for the light beam.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2017Date of Patent: September 10, 2019Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Michael K. Larsen, Gregory M. Castillo
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Patent number: 10384915Abstract: A slewing apparatus includes a control section that performs at least a slewing angular velocity pattern determination process. In the slewing angular velocity pattern determination process, the slewing angular velocity pattern is determined such that in a first interval and a second interval of a control time T that is shorter than a cycle determined by a pendulum length of a suspended load that is in a pendulum motion, a difference between a maximum angular velocity and a minimum angular velocity increases as the control time T decreases.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2016Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignees: TADANO LTD., HIROSHI YAMAURAInventors: Hiroshi Yamaura, Kazuya Tanizumi, Shinji Noguchi, Yuji Tadano
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Patent number: 10351221Abstract: A method for controlling a trim position of a marine propulsion device includes receiving operator demands corresponding to propulsion system operating speeds and determining a rate of change of demand versus time between an initial and a subsequent operator demand. When the rate of change of demand exceeds a predetermined rate, the control module uses successively measured operating speeds of the propulsion system and an offset trim profile to determine setpoint trim positions for the propulsion device. As the propulsion system's measured operating speed increases from an initial to a subsequent operating speed, the control module controls a trim actuator to rotate the propulsion device to the setpoint trim positions. An operating speed at which the propulsion device begins trimming up is less according to the offset trim profile than according to a base trim profile, which is utilized when the rate of change does not exceed the predetermined rate.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2017Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Brunswick CorporationInventors: Steven M. Anschuetz, Steven J. Andrasko, Andrew J. Przybyl