Patents Examined by Matthias S Weisfeld
  • Patent number: 11370429
    Abstract: The present invention refers to a method for controlling a distance of a vehicle (10) to a closest preceding vehicle (60), whereby the vehicle (10) has a trailer (12) connected thereto, comprising the steps of determining a velocity of the vehicle (10), detecting a closest preceding vehicle (60), determining a distance (62) to the closest preceding vehicle (60), and determining a safe distance based on the velocity of the vehicle (10) and the distance (62) to the closest preceding vehicle (60), wherein the method further comprises determining an extra safe distance based on at least one characteristic of the trailer (12), and performing a control of the distance (62) to the closest preceding vehicle (60) to stay above the safe distance plus the extra safe distance. The present invention also refers to a driving assistance system (14) for a vehicle (10), which is adapted to perform the above method. The present invention further refers to a vehicle (10) with an above driving assistance system (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Connaught Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Swaroop Kaggere Shivamurthy
  • Patent number: 11364905
    Abstract: A method and control system for assessing a potential for collision between a body part of a vehicle and a roadway. The method includes predicting a trajectory path of the vehicle along the roadway, monitoring elevations of the roadway along the trajectory path, and analyzing, at a point along the trajectory path of the roadway, whether the body part of the vehicle will collide with the roadway based upon the estimated elevation of the body part on the vehicle at the point along the trajectory path and the estimated elevation of the roadway at the point along the trajectory path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Inventors: Aryaman Sharda, Henry Chen
  • Patent number: 11312358
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes: an internal combustion engine; a first rotating electric machine generating electricity by a power of the internal combustion engine; an electric capacitor; a second rotating electric machine connected to a drive wheel and driven by power supply from at least one of the electric capacitor and the first rotating electric machine; a geographical information acquisition unit acquiring geographical information; and a control unit controlling a charging operation for charging the electric capacitor with power generated during a regenerative operation of the second rotating electric machine or an electricity waste operation for consuming the power by the hybrid vehicle. The control unit starts the electricity waste operation when the remaining capacity of the electric capacitor becomes equal to or greater than a threshold value during the regenerative operation of the second rotating electric machine and sets the threshold value based on the geographical information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Yui, Tomohiro Shibata
  • Patent number: 11313686
    Abstract: A moving body, which a person boards, includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire current position information of the moving body, and a recommended path calculation unit configured to calculate a path that is a recommended path toward a predetermined destination and passes through an interior of at least one building, based on the current position information and the predetermined destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tae Sugimura, Hirotaka Karube, Kazuki Matsumoto, Makoto Mori, Jun Kondo
  • Patent number: 11273828
    Abstract: An automotive electronic preventive active safety system comprising a control module configured to receive data indicative of a current position of a vehicle, of roads and characteristics thereof including road curvature, and of potential driving routes of the motor-vehicle from a current position up to an electronic horizon thereof. If a current speed of the vehicle at the current position is greater than or equal to a driving speed determined by a driving speed profile for the current position, the control module is configured to at least one of: command the motor-vehicle to decelerate to the driving speed determined by the driving speed profile for the current position; and generate a request to a driver of the motor-vehicle to decelerate the motor-vehicle to the driving speed determined by the driving speed profile for the current position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: C.R.F. SOCIETA' CONSORTILE PER AZIONI
    Inventors: Claudio Rei, Enrico Raffone, Massimo Fossanetti
  • Patent number: 11267476
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, apparatus, and system for discretizing lane markings and for generating a lane reference line is disclosed. A polynomial defined over an (x,y) coordinate system is received, the polynomial being representative of at least a portion of a lane boundary line. A length of the polynomial is determined. The polynomial is discretized, comprising determining a plurality of discretization points on the polynomial to represent the polynomial, wherein a first discretization point is a first end of the polynomial, wherein subsequent discretization points are determined successively until the polynomial is completely discretized, and wherein each discretization point other than the first discretization point is determined based at least in part on a slope of the polynomial at a previous discretization point. Thereafter, a lane reference line comprising a plurality of points is generated based on the discretized polynomial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: BAIDU USA LLC, BAIDU.COM TIMES TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Xin Xu, Fan Zhu, Lin Ma
  • Patent number: 11267466
    Abstract: A warning is not issued when there is not a history in which a host vehicle or an object vehicle (a recording target vehicle) have traveled from a current position of the host vehicle to a predicted collision point and a history in which the recording target vehicle has traveled from a current position of a collision-possible vehicle to the predicted collision point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yasunobu Yokoi
  • Patent number: 11254329
    Abstract: A system for identifying features of a roadway traversed by a host vehicle may include at least one processor programmed to: receive a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle; recognize in the plurality of images a presence of a road feature associated with the roadway; determine a location of a first point associated with the road feature relative to a curve representative of a path of travel of the host vehicle; determine a location of a second point associated with the road feature relative to the curve; and cause transmission to a server remotely located from the host vehicle of a representation of a series of points associated with locations along the road feature. The second point may be spaced apart from the first point, and the series of points may include at least the first point and the second point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: MOBILEYE VISION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventor: Iddo Hanniel
  • Patent number: 11230284
    Abstract: The present driving assistance apparatus assists driving from a vehicle stop state in a predetermined area. The apparatus acquires outside world information from the surroundings of a vehicle, detects a place and position to which the vehicle can move, detects a position of the vehicle, calculates a movement route when the vehicle moves in a predetermined direction by automatic driving from a vehicle stop state in a predetermined area, and determines a safety confirmation position at which the driver can visually confirm a surrounding traveling environment on the movement route. The route is calculated based on the outside world information and the position of vehicle. The driving assistance apparatus reduces a speed of the vehicle to a predetermined speed or less so that the driver can visually confirm the surrounding traveling environment at the safety confirmation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11230285
    Abstract: Provided herein is a system and method of a vehicle that determines an action of a vehicle. The system comprises one or more sensors; one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to perform determining a location of one or more other vehicles relative to the vehicle; determining an action of the vehicle based on the determined location of one or more other vehicles; sending a signal to the one or more other vehicles indicating the determined action; and performing the determined action of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Pony AI Inc.
    Inventor: Piaoyang Cui
  • Patent number: 11214259
    Abstract: A method of managing wheel slip in a vehicle. The vehicle has a frame, an internal combustion engine, front and rear wheels operatively connected to the engine, a throttle valve for controlling a supply of air to the engine, a steering assembly operatively connected to at least the front wheels for steering the vehicle, and an unassisted continuously variable transmission (CVT) operatively connecting the front wheels and the rear wheels to the engine. The method includes: determining a sensed deceleration of the vehicle; comparing the sensed deceleration of the vehicle to a threshold deceleration; and increasing a torque output of the engine from a current engine torque output value to an increased engine torque output value when the sensed deceleration of the vehicle is greater than the threshold deceleration. A method for managing wheel slip in accordance with a drive mode of the vehicle is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS INC.
    Inventors: Christian Nolin, Antoine Bezeau-Tremblay
  • Patent number: 11188082
    Abstract: Techniques are discussed for controlling a vehicle, such as an autonomous vehicle, based on predicted occluded areas in an environment. An occluded area can represent areas where sensors of the vehicle are unable to sense portions of the environment due to obstruction by another object. A first occluded region for an object is determined at a first time based on a location of the object. A predicted location for the object can be used to determine a predicted occluded region caused by the object at a second time after the first time. Predicted occluded regions can be determined for multiple trajectories for the vehicle to follow and/or at multiple points along such trajectories, and a trajectory can be selected based on associated occlusion scores and/or trajectory scores associated therewith. The vehicle can be controlled to traverse the environment based on the selected trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: William Anthony Silva, Chuang Wang
  • Patent number: 11180144
    Abstract: The driving support control device is configured to, when a preceding vehicle is detected (S24: YES), be permitted to cause a transition to the preceding vehicle following mode, in response to a manipulation made by the driver to select the preceding vehicle following mode (S27), and then control the vehicle 1 to follow the preceding vehicle, and to, when edges of a traveling road are detected even though no preceding vehicle is detected (S25: YES), be permitted to cause the transition to the preceding vehicle following mode, in response to the manipulation made by the driver to select the preceding vehicle following mode (S26), and then control the vehicle 1 to travel on and along a given target traveling course set based on the edges of the traveling road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ohmura, Sahori Iimura
  • Patent number: 11173925
    Abstract: A driving assistance device includes: a risk degree obtaining portion obtaining a degree of a risk of an event threatening a safety of a driver when an occurrence of the event is predicted; a risk handling control portion controlling an execution of a risk handling measure by a risk handling unit against the event that is predicted; a risk factor obtaining portion obtaining a factor which causes the risk as a risk factor; and a presentation control portion controlling a presentation of information about the risk factor. The presentation control portion presents information indicating a presence of the risk factor when the risk handling control portion controls the risk handling unit not to execute the risk handling measure and the degree of the risk is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamitsu Suzuki, Hiroshi Imajo, Masayuki Kondo, Tetsuro Koga, Erika Sawada
  • Patent number: 11130523
    Abstract: A driving supporter includes a support inhibitor that inhibits support of driving when a steering-operation value is greater than a threshold value. The support inhibitor includes a threshold-value determiner that determines the threshold value to a value greater when a first object and a second object are present than when the first object is present, and the second object is absent. The first object has a relationship in which a relative positional relationship between the object and an own vehicle is a relationship in which a steering operation is estimated to be performed in a first direction in which the own vehicle avoids the object. The second object has a relationship in which the relative positional relationship is a relationship in which the steering operation is estimated to be performed in a second direction reverse to the first direction such that the own vehicle avoids the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kataoka, Taisuke Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11117576
    Abstract: A lane trace control system for maintaining a vehicle in its intended lane of travel. The system includes a lane trace control module configured to: compare the road information obtained by a lane recognition camera with map data obtained from a map module; determine a confidence level of the lane recognition camera based on a magnitude of any differences identified between the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera and the obtained map data; generate a target wheel angle for keeping the vehicle in its intended lane based entirely on the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera when the confidence level is above a predetermined threshold; and generate the target wheel angle based on a combination of the road information obtained from the lane recognition camera and the obtained map data of the road when the confidence level is below the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Minglei Huang, Yu Yan, Hiroshi Inou
  • Patent number: 11096323
    Abstract: A machine control system includes an agricultural work machine having an ECU coupled via a system bus to control engine functions, a GPS receiver, data collector, and specialized guidance system including a stored program. The data collector captures agricultural geospatial data including location data for the work machine and data from the ECU, and executes the stored program to: (a) capture geometries of the farm; (b) capture agricultural geospatial data; (c) automatically classify the agricultural geospatial data using the geometries of the farm, into activity/event categories including operational, travel, and ancillary events; (d) aggregate the classified data to create geospatial data events; (e) match the geospatial data events to a model to generate matched events; (f) use the matched events to generate actionable information for the working machine in real time or near real-time; and (g) send operational directives to the agricultural work machine based on the actionable information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: CropZilla Software, Inc.
    Inventors: Dustin J. Wolters, Brian H. Watkins, Michael J. Thompson
  • Patent number: 11043125
    Abstract: An information processing device in a first vehicle: detects a head-on approach of a second vehicle relative to the first vehicle; determines whether a meeting point is in a first section; calculates a first distance between the first section and the meeting point; when the meeting point is not in the first section, transmits the first distance to the second vehicle, and receives, from the second vehicle, a second distance between the meeting point and a second section; generates travel control information for the first vehicle according to the result of comparison between the first distance and the second distance; and outputs the travel control information to a travel controller of the first vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Eiichi Naito, Takenobu Aoshima, Shunsuke Kuhara
  • Patent number: 11040713
    Abstract: A collision mitigation apparatus configured to mitigate a shock to an occupant of a vehicle when a rearward vehicle collides into the vehicle from behind, including a driving unit generating a driving force, and an electronic control unit having a microprocessor and a memory. The microprocessor is configured to perform predicting whether the rearward vehicle collides into the vehicle, and controlling the driving unit so that when it is predicted that the rearward vehicle collides into the vehicle, a difference between a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a vehicle speed of the rearward vehicle reduces and a driving force of a rear wheel is greater than a driving force of a front wheel immediately before the rearward vehicle collides into the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kota Saito, Chao Niu, Shogo Takano, Takashi Adachi