Patents Examined by Marthe Marc-Coleman
  • Patent number: 9834200
    Abstract: A vehicle has an engine (26), a power storage device (10), two motor/generators (M/G1, M/G2), a front grille with a shutter, an engine room, a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, and a controller. The shutter changes the amount of air introduced from the front grille into the engine room. The first temperature sensor detects a temperature (Tw) of a coolant of the engine, and outputs the detected coolant temperature to the controller. The second temperature sensor detects an outside air temperature (Te), and outpots the detected outside air temperature to the controller. The controller starts the engine (26) when the coolant temperature is equal to or lower than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Murata, Shingo Kato
  • Patent number: 9835458
    Abstract: A ship assignment device acquires voyage schedule information including an operation time schedule and a sailing route of a voyage. The ship assignment device acquires, from a database, weather information related to the operation time schedule and the sailing route included in the schedule information. The ship assignment device acquires information regarding variations in fuel consumption rate from a database that stores the information for each of plural ships. On the basis of the acquired weather information and acquired information regarding each ship, the ship assignment device calculates the fuel consumption for when each ship sails on the sailing route included in the acquired voyage schedule information in accordance with the operation time schedule included in the voyage schedule information. On the basis of the calculation result, the ship assignment device outputs information identifying plural ships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NIPPON YUSEN KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Otsuka, Atsushi Yamaguchi, Masaharu Urabe, Ryo Kakuta
  • Patent number: 9821795
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a rotary electric machine, a filter and an ECU. The engine includes an exhaust passage. The rotary electric machine is a driving source of the vehicle. The filter traps particulate matter flowing through the exhaust passage. The ECU is configured to control the hybrid vehicle in any one of a plurality of control modes. The plurality of control modes include a first control mode and a second control mode. The number of opportunities for the engine to operate when the control mode is the second control mode is larger than the number of opportunities for the engine to operate when the control mode is the first control mode. The ECU is configured to, when the filter is regenerated, control the hybrid vehicle in the second control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidekazu Nawata, Tsukasa Abe, Toshio Inoue, Keita Fukui, Tomoaki Honda, Yuta Niwa, Taichi Osawa
  • Patent number: 9823657
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system and method for transitioning vehicle control between autonomous operation and manual operation. The system includes sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the vehicle and its operation. During autonomous vehicle operation, the system gauges the level of responsiveness of a vehicle operator through challenges and corresponding responses. The system determines when to present a challenge to the vehicle operator based on internal and external factors. If necessary, the system will transition from an autonomous operation mode to a manual operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Palmer, Mark Freitas, Daniel A. Deninger, David Forney, Slaven Sljivar, Alekh Vaidya, Jeffrey Griswold
  • Patent number: 9821779
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a tractor controller for monitoring trailer brake applications is disclosed. The control logic of the tractor control is capable of receiving a signal indicative of a trailer brake application; receiving a signal indicative of a foot brake application; totaling a number of signals indicative of a trailer brake application for a predetermined time period; and totaling a number of signals indicative of a foot brake application for the predetermined time period. The control logic then compares the total number of signals indicative of a trailer brake application with the total number of signals indicative of a foot brake application. The control logic records a flag in response to the total number of signals indicative of a trailer brake application being greater than the total number of signals indicative of a foot brake application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: Michael D Grandstaff, John V Ripley
  • Patent number: 9811086
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and vehicles for taking a vehicle out-of-service are provided. In one example embodiment, a method includes obtaining, by one or more computing devices on-board an autonomous vehicle, data indicative of one or more parameters associated with the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle is configured to provide a vehicle service to one or more users of the vehicle service. The method includes determining, by the computing devices, an existence of a fault associated with the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the one or more parameters associated with the autonomous vehicle. The method includes determining, by the computing devices, one or more actions to be performed by the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the existence of the fault. The method includes performing, by the computing devices, one or more of the actions to take the autonomous vehicle out-of-service based at least in part on the fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Poeppel, Nicholas G. Letwin, Sean J. Kelly
  • Patent number: 9812013
    Abstract: A client navigation system establishes a wireless connection to a navigation server on a computer network. The client requests a route by uploading start and destination specifications. The server calculates an optimal route based on real-time data available on the network. A generic natural language description is used to specify the optimal route downloaded to the client. The natural language description is a plain text description for each link using pre-defined generic terms. The client interprets the route, interfaces with the local mapping data and reconstructs the optimal route. The route is subsequently displayed and highlighted on the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Infogation Corporation
    Inventors: Kent Qing Pu, Hui Henry Li
  • Patent number: 9805526
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for calculating probabilities of service interruptions based on fault event indications. Instances of fault event indications are filtered to remove duplicate indications for the same fault event. Then a probability of the fault event indication causing a service interruption is calculated by dividing a number of service interruptions caused by instances of the fault event indication by the number of fault event indications. In the event that a particular fault event indication is associated with a high probability of causing a service interruption, a message can be automatically generated and transmitted upon receipt of a future instance of the service interruption. The message can provide information related to short-term solutions to address the fault event, long-term solutions to address the fault event, and parts and tools for addressing the fault event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Jonathan Leung, Brian Pontrello, Roxanne Hirst, Cameron L. Carnegie, Rashed M. Noman, Johanne Friedrichs
  • Patent number: 9805130
    Abstract: A service arrangement system coordinates service providers who provide geographical location-based services to users. The location-based services may include transportation of users. For example, a service provider operates a vehicle to transport a user from an origin location to a destination location. To provide an engaging user experience and encourage users to continue using the services, the service arrangement system accurately and expediently determines the origin location and the destination location based on querying available data sources. The service arrangement system can use selection rules for multiplexing, fallback logic, or load-balancing to select a high quality data source from the available data sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Srihari Reddy, Brent Hamby, Aditya Sarawgi, Govind Kabra, Manik Gupta, Jennie Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9797978
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a UAV, system, and method for radio frequency spectral analysis. Accordingly, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a flight body, a flight module, a geolocation module, and a signal detection module is utilized to detect and store signal data associated with various radio signal(s) during flight. The signal data may then be displayed on a processing device to provide a user with a visualization of the signal data parameters in various points of three dimensional space and at particular recorded times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventors: Howard Melamed, Stevan Melamed, Chris Svanberg, Matias Ponce, Michael Horvat
  • Patent number: 9786172
    Abstract: Warning guidance systems, methods, and programs communicate with a vehicle navigation system to provide guidance on a warning event that may occur on the vehicle. The systems, methods, and programs acquire warning event information indicating the warning event and an event vehicle on which the warning event has occurred. The systems methods and programs transmit the guidance to the vehicle traveling in a predetermined section in a case in which the warning event that has occurred a plurality of times in the predetermined section has occurred on a plurality of event vehicles, but do not transmit the guidance at another vehicle traveling in the predetermined section in a case in which the warning event that has occurred a plurality of times in the predetermined section has occurred on a single event vehicle for all of the plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Takahara, Hirohiko Goto
  • Patent number: 9783199
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining if a vessel is experiencing a drive-off event, identifying a subsystem causing the drive-off event, and controlling a vessel to correct the drive-off event are disclosed. The determining may include processing, with a processor of the dynamic positioning control system, a modeled vessel motion and a measured vessel motion to determine whether there is a discrepancy between the modeled vessel motion and the measured vessel motion. The dynamic positioning (DP) control system may then take action to control vessel motion based, at least in part, on the processing of the modeled vessel motion and the measured vessel motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Transocean Sedco Forex Ventures Limited
    Inventors: Trenton Martin, David Hollier
  • Patent number: 9783272
    Abstract: A system for countering the rolling motion of a marine vessel, includes one or more sensors adapted to characterize a sea condition approaching the vessel, one or more control systems, a computer, and one or more active stabilizers. The computer is adapted to receive the characterized sea condition data, is further adapted to generate one or more control signals in dependence on the characterized sea condition data, and is still further adapted to transmit the or each control signal to the or each control system. The or each control system is in turn adapted to actuate the or each active stabilizer in response to receipt of the or each control signal, to counter the rolling motion of the marine vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventor: Colin R. Edmunds
  • Patent number: 9770989
    Abstract: A vehicle display device is provided in an electric vehicle including a friction brake and includes: a loss energy calculation module that calculates a loss energy released from the electric vehicle on the basis of an actuation state of the friction brake; a consumption calculation module that calculates an energy consumption consumed by the electric vehicle on the basis of the loss energy; a first efficiency calculation module that calculates a first energy efficiency on the basis of a travel distance and an energy consumption in a first period; a second efficiency calculation module that calculates a second energy efficiency on the basis of a travel distance and an energy consumption in a second period shorter than the first period; and a display control module that controls a display content of an onboard display on the basis of an efficiency difference between the first and second energy efficiencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Komatsu
  • Patent number: 9773175
    Abstract: A system for tracking a position of a cable attached between a power source and a machine in a worksite is disclosed. The cable is further coupled to a guiding device located in the worksite between the power source and the machine. The system includes a perception module disposed on the machine to detect a location of the guiding device. The system further includes a controller disposed to be in communication with the perception module. The controller determines the location of the guiding device with respect to a location of the machine and determines a distance between the guiding device and the machine. The controller further compares the distance with a first threshold distance and a second threshold distance and generates a warning if the distance is greater than the first threshold distance or smaller than the second threshold distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Paul R. Friend, Paul E. Rybski
  • Patent number: 9772194
    Abstract: A satellite navigation method and system are provided. The system includes a global position system module, an input unit, a picture database, a geographical information system module, an integrating unit, and a display unit. The method includes the following steps. Firstly, a navigation area is determined through the input unit, so as to search out several picture batches in the navigation area from the picture database. Next, a map relating to the navigation area is provided by the GIS module. Then, the picture batches and the map are integrated by the integrating unit to produce an integrated map shown on a first frame of the display unit. Afterwards, several pictures of the picture batch chosen from the first frame displayed on a second frame and satellite navigation information of the picture chosen from the second frame are displayed on a third frame by the display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: HTC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuo-Chen Wu, Yih-Feng Kao, Chih-Feng Hsu
  • Patent number: 9772195
    Abstract: A system for deleting map data comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is configured to determine a location associated with a device. The processor is configured to determine one or more map bundles to delete based at least in part on the location and delete the one or more map bundles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Lambert, Brendan Peter
  • Patent number: 9766091
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for determining the compatibility of an approach, to a landing runway, with an angular guidance mode, the approach being compatible with a linear guidance mode, the angular guidance being characterized by a lateral angle of precision, the linear guidance being characterized by a lateral divergence of precision. The method is implemented on a flight management system deployed aboard an aircraft and comprising a first step of determining a first distance representative of a maximum distance of use of the angular guidance, on the basis of the lateral angle of precision and of the lateral divergence of precision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Christophe Caillaud, Jérôme Sacle
  • Patent number: 9764645
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a motor, an inverter, a battery, a cooler configured to cool the inverter, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute following when abnormality occurs to the cooler: i) set a vehicle speed, at which an induced voltage by the motor becomes at most equal to an input voltage that is input to the inverter from the battery side, as vehicle speed limit, and ii) control the motor such that the electric vehicle travels within a range of the vehicle speed limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaya Kaji, Tomoko Oba
  • Patent number: 9758244
    Abstract: A helicopter autopilot system includes an inner loop for attitude hold for the flight of the helicopter including a given level of redundancy applied to the inner loop. An outer loop is configured for providing a navigation function with respect to the flight of the helicopter including a different level of redundancy than the inner loop. An actuator provides a braking force on a linkage that serves to stabilize the flight of the helicopter during a power failure. The actuator is electromechanical and receives electrical drive signals to provide automatic flight control of the helicopter without requiring a hydraulic assistance system in the helicopter. The autopilot can operate the helicopter in a failed mode of the hydraulic assistance system. A number of flight modes are described with associated sensor inputs including rate based and true attitude modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Merlin Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Mercer, Nicolas Albion, Mark Bartel, Marc Feifel, Mark Marvin