Patents Examined by Madison B Emmett
  • Patent number: 11983939
    Abstract: The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for changing vehicle configuration based on vehicle storage compartment contents. At an autonomous vehicle, a camera is mounted inside a storage compartment. The camera monitors the interior of the storage compartment. The camera can confirm that the storage compartment is empty when it is supposed to be empty and contains an object when it is supposed to contain an object. Any discrepancies can be reported to a human operator. The human operator can instruct the autonomous vehicle to change configuration to address discrepancies. In one aspect, a machine-learning camera memorizes a background pattern permeated to a surface of the storage compartment. The machine-learning camera detects objects in the storage compartment based on disturbances to the background pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Schmidt, Richard A. Kreder
  • Patent number: 11976507
    Abstract: A method for allocating operating parameters to at least two local control units intended to control a door movement for a motor vehicle, wherein: a plurality of parameter records of operating parameters is stored in each local control unit; a plurality of values of a detection criterion is stored in each local control unit, said detection criterion being based on at least two values of an electric variable; for at least one local control unit, a value of the detection criterion is prepared using the electric variable; in each local control unit the detection criterion is queried; and, a parameter record is selected in accordance with the value of the detection criterion determined during the query, and the corresponding operating parameters are allocated to the local control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile SE & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Bamberg
    Inventors: Florian Pohl, Udo Geuther, Thomas Fischer, René Bekendam
  • Patent number: 11964398
    Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous robot distributed processing are provided. A method includes receiving, at a robot, camera output from a camera located on the robot. The method may further include outputting the camera output to a mobile client device. The method may also further include receiving at the robot, from the mobile client device, object recognition metadata based upon the camera output. The method may additionally include outputting a notification from the robot to a user of the mobile client device based upon the object recognition metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Micropharmacy Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Pekarek-Kostka, John E. Kulesza
  • Patent number: 11958492
    Abstract: A vehicle control device configured to control a driving motor coupled to a wheel of a vehicle includes a motor controller and a driving mode determiner. The motor controller is configured to control the driving motor so that the driving motor enters a regenerative state while the vehicle is coasting and stops accelerating. The driving mode determiner is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in a first or second driving mode. In the first driving mode, a driving operation strength is low and the vehicle behavior is slow and gentle. In the second driving mode, the driving operation strength is high and the vehicle behavior is quick and active. When the vehicle stops accelerating in the second driving mode, the motor controller is configured to make a regenerative torque of the driving motor smaller than when the vehicle stops accelerating in the first driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shuuto Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11951986
    Abstract: Systems and methods of electrically heating catalyst (EHC) driver notification are provided. With the goal of increasing driver cooperation in reducing emissions, EHC driver notification systems notify the driver when the EHC is in an inefficient operation state. This notification is provided to the driver so that the driver may consciously operate the vehicle in a fashion that reduces emissions while the EHC is in the inefficient operation state. EHC driver notifications systems may also restrict operation of the vehicle when the EHC is in an inefficient operation state. However, for safety reasons, these systems provide the driver a function to bypass the restriction as needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Alessandro Concas
  • Patent number: 11947352
    Abstract: Sensor data that includes or more of the following: (1) aircraft state information associated with an aircraft or (2) parachute canopy state information associated with a parachute canopy is received. The parachute canopy is coupled to the aircraft at a point aft of a center of mass of the aircraft. It is determined, based at least in part on the sensor data, whether to generate a control signal associated with maneuvering the aircraft into a nose-up position. A recovery action is performed, including by deploying the parachute canopy; wherein a load on the parachute canopy is reduced in the event the aircraft is in the nose-up position compared to the aircraft being in a nose-down position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Cameron Robertson, Joseph Roop, Todd Reichert, Damon Vander Lind
  • Patent number: 11926511
    Abstract: This remote operation terminal is provided with: an image acquisition unit that acquires an image shot by a suspended load camera; a display device that displays the image; an image rotation operation part that rotates the image; a suspended load moving operation part that sets the moving direction of the tip of a boom; and a terminal-side control device that is configured to be communicable with a control device of a crane, wherein when the image rotation operation part is operated during the operation of the suspended load moving operation part, the terminal-side control device rotates the image displayed on the display device in accordance with a rotation amount of the image rotation operation part, and rotates the moving direction of the tip of the boom set through operation of the suspended load moving operation part reversely to the rotating direction of the image displayed on the display device, by an amount of the rotation of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: TADANO LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11926283
    Abstract: A system includes a first controller including a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive first acceleration data from an accelerometer; upon determining that the first acceleration data satisfies a first criterion, transmit a wake-up instruction to a second controller; upon determining that the first acceleration data fails to satisfy the first criterion, instruct the accelerometer to send second acceleration data; and upon determining that the second acceleration data satisfies a second criterion, transmit the wake-up instruction to the second controller. The first criterion includes jerk exceeding a jerk threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Khalid Shamsuddin Hossain
  • Patent number: 11904839
    Abstract: A vehicle control device include a processor. The processor is configured to monitor a primary power source and a secondary power source for anomalies, the primary power source and the secondary power source supplying electrical power to a plurality of drive devices configured to control deceleration and steering of a vehicle, and in a case in which an anomaly has been detected in at least one of the primary power source or the secondary power source as a result of the monitoring, control the vehicle by supplying electrical power to a drive device having a lower electrical power consumption amount among the plurality of drive devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomokazu Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11897481
    Abstract: The driver assistance system comprises a detector, a navigator, a stimulator, and a voice interactor. The detector detects wakefulness reduction of a driver or absent-minded driving by the driver. The navigator navigates a vehicle based on map information. The stimulator continuously or intermittently applies stimulation to the driver. The voice interactor interacts with the driver by voice. The navigator searches for a resting facility on a route from the map information in response to a detection of the wakefulness reduction or the absent-minded driving. The voice interactor executes a first interaction of proposing navigation to the resting facility by the navigator in response to the detection of the wakefulness reduction or the absent-minded driving, and executes a second interaction of proposing application of stimulation by the stimulator after an execution of the first interaction and during a period until the vehicle arrives at the resting facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Sano, Koichiro Yamauchi, Takuya Sakata
  • Patent number: 11897506
    Abstract: A vehicle may include an active ride comfort tuning system that reactively and/or proactively alters a parameter of a system of the autonomous vehicle to mitigate or avoid interruptions to ride smoothness. For example, the comfort tuning system may alter a parameter of a drive system, suspension, and/or a trajectory cost function. The comfort tuning system may alter the parameter based at least in part on detecting and/or receiving a comfort indication, determined based on sensor data, user input, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ZOOX, INC.
    Inventor: Prateek Chandresh Shah
  • Patent number: 11898322
    Abstract: A master-side device is provided outside a working machine and transmits, to a slave-side device, a command for controlling activation of an actuator. The master-side device is provided with a master-side lever and an operation pattern switching unit. The operation pattern switching unit switches a master-side operation pattern in which a first command according to an operation of the master-side lever is combined with a second command for an operation of a machine-side lever. The slave-side device transmits, to the master-side device, information of a machine-side operation pattern selected by an operation pattern switching valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sasaki, Seiji Saiki
  • Patent number: 11884295
    Abstract: A method of controlling autonomous driving of a vehicle includes: selecting a target object ahead of the vehicle based on driving information, generating a velocity profile for maintaining a desired distance to the target object, calculating a desired acceleration based on the velocity profile and a delay time of the vehicle, and controlling an actuator of the vehicle based on the desired acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ki Cheol Shin, Hyun Kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 11865727
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for robotic picking assemblies with different concurrent flow rates. In one embodiment, an example system may include a picking assembly coupled to a vacuum system. The picking assembly may include a first suction cup assembly having a first flow rate, the first suction cup assembly including a first suction cup and a first mesh filter disposed in the first suction cup, a second suction cup assembly having a second flow rate, the second suction cup assembly including a second suction cup and a second mesh filter disposed in the second suction cup, and a third suction cup assembly having the second flow rate, the third suction cup assembly including a third suction cup and a third mesh filter disposed in the third suction cup. The picking assembly may grasp items based on the first flow rate and the second flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Joseph Parness, Benjamin Bedard, Emily Dunne, Felipe De Arruda Camargo Polido
  • Patent number: 11866904
    Abstract: A digging machine such as a face shovel is controlled in an automated dumping sequence in which the bucket is pivoted to a first angular orientation before opening and, optionally, re-orienting to a second, slightly more forwardly inclined angular orientation. The first orientation may relieve the front part of the bucket from the load while the second orientation is selected to discharge the load at an optimal trajectory. The bucket may move to a third angular orientation before closing the front part against gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Global Mining LLC
    Inventor: Marcus Bitter
  • Patent number: 11866072
    Abstract: A method and a device for controlling autonomous driving in an autonomous driving vehicle are provided. The method may include collecting state recognition information during travel, receiving information on a driver-requested automation level, determining a currently applicable maximum automation level based on the collected state recognition information, comparing the driver-requested automation level with the currently applicable maximum automation level to determine whether automation level downward adjustment is required, and adjusting an automation level downward to perform the autonomous driving when it is determined that the automation level downward adjustment is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Chan Hee Jung
  • Patent number: 11858529
    Abstract: A vehicle computing system may implement techniques to determine whether two objects in an environment are related as an articulated object. The techniques may include applying heuristics and algorithms to object representations (e.g., bounding boxes) to determine whether two objects are related as a single object with two portions that articulate relative to each other. The techniques may include predicting future states of the articulated object in the environment. One or more model(s) may be used to determine presence of the articulated object and/or predict motion of the articulated object in the future. Based on the presence and/or motion of the articulated object, the vehicle computing system may control operation of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZOOX, INC.
    Inventors: Adrian Michael Costantino, Subhasis Das, Francesco Papi
  • Patent number: 11850743
    Abstract: There is provided a transport apparatus including: an articulated arm including: a first arm in which a drive motor is installed; a second arm configured to be driven by the first arm; a transmission portion configured to convert a rotation of the drive motor into a rotation of the second arm via a joint; a first detector configured to detect a first sensor value corresponding to a rotation angle of an input shaft of the transmission portion; and a second detector configured to detect a second sensor value corresponding to a rotation angle of the second arm; and a controller configured to control the articulated arm, wherein the controller is further configured to control the second arm to a target rotation angle based on the first sensor value and the second sensor value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takehiro Shindo, Toshiaki Kodama
  • Patent number: 11845432
    Abstract: A driving support system for a vehicle includes an information obtainer, a target vehicle speed calculator, a comparison processor, and a determination processor. The information obtainer is configured to obtain curvature information about a curvature of a driving lane of the vehicle and about a curvature of an adjacent lane. The adjacent lane is adjacent to the driving lane. The target vehicle speed calculator is configured to calculate a target vehicle speed in the driving lane and a target vehicle speed in the adjacent lane using the curvature information. The comparison processor is configured to compare a difference between the target vehicle speed in the driving lane and the target vehicle speed in the adjacent lane with a threshold. If the difference is greater than or equal to the threshold, the determination processor is configured to determine that a road branches off in a traveling direction of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuro Yatagai, Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 11845444
    Abstract: A vehicle parameter estimation module is configured to generate a first estimate of a vehicle parameter based on operating conditions of a vehicle measured or estimated at a first time. The vehicle parameter includes at least one of a tire cornering stiffness of the vehicle and an understeer coefficient of the vehicle. The vehicle parameter estimation module is also configured to determine an error value based on the first estimate of the vehicle parameter and values of the vehicle operating conditions measured or estimated at a second time that is later than the first time. The vehicle parameter estimation module is further configured to generate a second estimate of the vehicle parameter based on the first estimate of the vehicle parameter and the error value. A vehicle actuator control module is configured to control an actuator of the vehicle based on the second estimate of the vehicle parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jackson Barry McGrory, Klaus Trangbaek, Zhi Li, Mohammadali Shahriari, Patrick Giancarlo Gabriel Digioacchino