Patents Examined by Ronnie Mancho
  • Patent number: 9381911
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle with a hybrid powertrain with an engine and a motor/generator includes monitoring net axle torque on the drive axle, monitoring vehicle deceleration rate, monitoring vehicle speed, and controlling the motor/generator to stop rotation of the engine crankshaft when the vehicle speed is non-zero and below a predetermined vehicle speed auto-stop enable threshold if torque percentage braking torque is greater than a predetermined percentage braking torque and the vehicle deceleration rate is greater than a predetermined threshold vehicle deceleration rate. A hybrid vehicle has a controller with a processor that executes a stored algorithm to carry out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: William L. Aldrich, III, Paul S. Lombardo, Jeffrey R. Aldrich
  • Patent number: 9386072
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for compiling event cartridges is provided. A request for one of a plurality of stored event cartridges is received from a user device. Each cartridge includes a thematically related sequence of events. Information regarding the user device on which the cartridge is to be executed is obtained. A type of the user device is determined based on the device information. Scripts for the events of the requested cartridge are accessed and compiled based on the type of user device. The compiled scripts are transmitted to the user device as the requested cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Groundspeak, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy A. Irish, Elias C. Alvord
  • Patent number: 9376998
    Abstract: A device for controlling a vehicle is configured to determine whether or not a relay is fixedly closed before a vehicle travels and after a driver operates an ignition, and the driving of a starter motor and an SSG motor is inhibited when the relay is determined to be fixedly closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Mori, Hironobu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9376071
    Abstract: A vehicle data setting system is provided with auxiliary connection terminals as standard equipment in addition to connection terminals normally used. When an output setting instruction is inputted to the vehicle data setting system from a failure diagnosis tool, output data to be outputted from the connection terminals are changed to desired data by control of a CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Youichi Umino, Yukio Kamiya
  • Patent number: 9358003
    Abstract: A surgical instrument configured to relay a low-power signal from an end effector to a remote device is disclosed. The surgical instrument may comprise a handle, a shaft extending distally from the handle, and an end effector attached to the distal end of the shaft. A sensor may be disposed in the end effector. The sensor may generate a signal indicative of a condition at the end effector. A transmitter may be located in the end effector. The transmitter may transmit the signal from the sensor at a first power level. The signal may be received by a relay station located proximally to the shaft. The relay station is configured to retransmit the signal at a second power level, wherein the second power level is higher than the first power level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC
    Inventors: Steven G. Hall, Daniel L. Baber, Richard L. Leimbach
  • Patent number: 9354626
    Abstract: A method for restarting a robot after a premature interruption of a processing program, which controls it, at an interruption point. The robot has an atomizer apparatus for automatic coating of workpieces, and the processing program is used to preset a nominal movement of the atomizer apparatus with respect to a workpiece, which is to be coated and can be moved by means of a feed device, and to preset the associated nominal atomizer parameters. After the interruption of the processing program, the atomizer apparatus is first of all moved to a restarting point, which is located on the nominal movement path and is located ahead of the interruption point. After this, the atomizer apparatus is then moved on the nominal movement path, corresponding to a predeterminable velocity function, to a transfer point which is located on the nominal movement path and is located behind the interruption point. The atomizer apparatus is switched on again between the restarting point and the transfer point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: ABB AG
    Inventors: Gunter Boerner, Dietmar Eickmeyer
  • Patent number: 9346167
    Abstract: A robotic vehicle may be operated by a learning controller comprising a trainable convolutional network configured to determine control signal based on sensory input. An input network layer may be configured to transfer sensory input into a hidden layer data using a filter convolution operation. Input layer may be configured to transfer sensory input into hidden layer data using a filter convolution. Output layer may convert hidden layer data to a predicted output using data segmentation and a fully connected array of efficacies. During training, efficacy of network connections may be adapted using a measure determined based on a target output provided by a trainer and an output predicted by the network. A combination of the predicted and the target output may be provided to the vehicle to execute a task. The network adaptation may be configured using an error back propagation method. The network may comprise an input reconstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Brain Corporation
    Inventors: Peter O'Connor, Eugene Izhikevich
  • Patent number: 9339396
    Abstract: System and method for operating a robotic exoskeleton involves using a control system (107) to monitor an output one or more electrical activity sensors (202) disposed on a human operator. The control system determines if an output of the electrical activity sensors corresponds to a predetermined neural or neuromuscular condition of the user. Based on the determining step, the control system automatically chooses an operating mode from among a plurality of different operating modes. The operating mode selected determines the response the control system will have to control inputs from the human operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Loran J. Wilkinson, Paul M. Bosscher, Matthew D. Summer
  • Patent number: 9341485
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for representing road intersections as data. A database includes intersection object data entities that represent physical road intersections. Each intersection object data entity includes a maneuver list that identifies each permissible transversal of the intersection from each lane by which the represented intersection can be entered to each lane from which the intersection can be exited from the associated lane by which the intersection can be entered. Each transversal in the maneuver list indicates an entry lane, an exit lane, the geometry of a vehicle path connecting the entry and exit lanes, and an indication of a level of confidence associated with the specified geometry. The database can be used by a system in a vehicle to provide a safety-related function. The database is compatible with navigation-related applications that use a different data model to provide navigation-related functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Michael Weiland, Gregory Nyczak, William McDonough, Michael Tsengouras, David Shuman, Paul Ford
  • Patent number: 9339934
    Abstract: A method for manually guided adjustment of the pose of a manipulator arm of an industrial robot includes detecting a guidance force applied to the manipulator arm by an operator of the industrial robot, determining one of at least two degrees-of-freedom of a reference coordinate system as a selected freedom direction, wherein the selected freedom direction corresponds to the degree-of-freedom in which the guidance force has its greatest force vector component, and controlling the drives of the industrial robot using force control in such a manner that a pre-specified reference point associated with the manipulator arm is moved only in the selected freedom direction as a result of movement of the manipulator arm by an operator during a manually-guided adjustment of the pose of the manipulator arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Yevgen Kogan
  • Patent number: 9327402
    Abstract: A robot includes a base, a first arm rotatably connected to the base around a first rotating axis, a second arm rotatably connected to the first arm around a second rotating axis orthogonal to the first rotating axis, a third arm rotatably connected to the second arm around a third rotating axis parallel to the second rotating axis, a first angular velocity sensor provided in the first arm and having an angular velocity detection axis parallel to the first rotating axis, and a second angular velocity sensor provided in the second arm and having an angular velocity detection axis parallel to the third rotating axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akio Niu
  • Patent number: 9327409
    Abstract: A robot includes a base, a first arm which is rotatable around a first rotating axis with respect to the base, a second arm which is rotatable around a second rotating axis orthogonal to the first rotating axis, a third arm which is rotatable around a third rotating axis parallel to the second rotating axis, a first angular velocity sensor provided in the first arm, and a second angular velocity sensor provided in the third arm. The angle between a detection axis of the first angular velocity sensor and the first rotating axis is a predetermined first angle. The angle between a detection axis of the second angular velocity sensor and the second rotating axis is a predetermined second angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Asada, Akio Niu, Hiroaki Hosomi
  • Patent number: 9324232
    Abstract: A method and system for modeling and processing vehicular traffic data and information, comprising: (a) transforming a spatial representation of a road network into a network of spatially interdependent and interrelated oriented road sections, for forming an oriented road section network; (b) acquiring a variety of the vehicular traffic data and information associated with the oriented road section network, from a variety of sources; (c) prioritizing, filtering, and controlling, the vehicular traffic data and information acquired from each of the variety of sources; (d) calculating a mean normalized travel time (NTT) value for each oriented road section of said oriented road section network using the prioritized, filtered, and controlled, vehicular traffic data and information associated with each source, for forming a partial current vehicular traffic situation picture associated with each source; (e) fusing the partial current traffic situation picture associated with each source, for generating a single co
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: INRX Gloabal Services Limited
    Inventors: Israel Feldman, Arie Trinker, Yochai Meltzer, Allon Eshpar, Amnon Lotem
  • Patent number: 9301447
    Abstract: A control arrangement and method for controlling the transfer of agricultural crop from a harvesting machine to a transport vehicle comprises a loading container. The control arrangement is able to be operated to automatically deposit the crop during the harvesting mode successively at different points in the loading container, following a predetermined loading strategy, by means of a discharging device of the harvesting machine, where the loading strategy may be changed and/or a choice may be made between different loading strategies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Georg Kormann
  • Patent number: 9296102
    Abstract: A robot, a method and a device for controlling a movement of a robot are provided. The method can include controlling multiple steps of the robot. Thus, the method can include multiple iterations of: (i) calculating or receiving a first slope attribute indicative of a slope of a first area of a terrain on which a first leg of the robot steps; (ii) feeding the first slope attribute to a central pattern generator (CPG); and (iii) generating, by the CPG and in response to the slope attribute, at least one control pulse for controlling a torque characteristic of a torque applied by at least one leg of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LTD.
    Inventors: Jonathan Spitz, Miriam Zacksenhouse
  • Patent number: 9292807
    Abstract: A system creates filters and provides tasks based on a geographic location associated with each task. The geographic location may be in one of several types of coordinate formats, and determined by the actual user location when the task is created of input associated with a desired location. When a user requests tasks for a specified geographic location, the user's tasks are filtered by a particular geographic location associated with the request. The filter may allow tasks that match the location and are within a threshold distance of the location. Tasks having a geographical location that are outside the threshold distance from the location are not provided. When managing tasks from a mobile device, the geographic location can be automatically determined by the mobile device. When managing tasks from a non-mobile device, the geographical location may be received or derived from user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Omar H. Shahine
  • Patent number: 9289899
    Abstract: Method for controlling continuum robots and systems therefrom are provided. In the system and method, a new system of equations is provided for controlling a shape of the elastic member and a tension on a tendon applying a force to an elastic member of the robot. The system of equations can be used to estimate a resulting shape of the elastic member from the tension applied to the tendon. The system of equations can also be used to estimate a necessary tension for the tendon to achieve a target shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Daniel Caleb Rucker, Robert James Webster
  • Patent number: 9291473
    Abstract: A navigation includes a next audio output state storage that stores, as a next audio output, an audio output which is started the next time when one audio output is completed, a next audio output state determiner that determines whether or not to output the next audio output on the basis of both the storing state of the next audio output and current navigation information, and an output determiner that, when a plurality of playback requests coincide, outputs an audio output having a higher one of priorities acquired from the priority holder, and stores an audio output having a lower one of the priorities in the next audio output state storage as a next audio output, and that determines an audio output to be played back according to the determination by the next audio output state determiner when one audio output is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9292980
    Abstract: A Driver Risk Assessment System and Method Employing Selectively Automatic Event Scoring. The system and method provides robust and reliable event scoring and reporting, while also optimizing data transmission bandwidth. The system includes onboard vehicular driving event detectors that record data related to detected driving events, selectively store or transfer data related to said detected driving events. If elected, the onboard vehicular system will score a detected driving event, compare the local score to historical values previously stored within the onboard system, and upload selective data or data types to a remote server or user if the system concludes that a serious driving event has occurred. The system may further respond to independent user requests by transferring select data to said user at a variety of locations and formats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Lytx, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryon Cook, Peter Ellegaard, Louis Gilles
  • Patent number: 9286738
    Abstract: A data recording and recovery system includes a plurality of data storage modules distributed among a respective plurality of physical locations about a structural platform. Each module comprises a first electronic interface for receiving data from the platform and for data communication among the plurality of modules during operation of the platform. A data storage device stores at least a portion of the received data. A second electronic interface communicates with another of the plurality of modules. Tracking is enabled upon occurrence of a catastrophic event associated with the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Immortal Data, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale Amon