Patents Examined by Tamara Weber
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Patent number: 9593769Abstract: A method for operating a drive train that includes a converter as the start-up element, an automatic transmission, and an output, whereas, after start of the drive unit, the rotational speed of a turbine of the converter is monitored, whereas, if it is determined that, within a defined first time frame after the start of the drive unit, the rotational speed of the turbine reaches or exceeds a first threshold value, a properly filled converter is inferred. If, within the defined first time frame, the rotational speed of the turbine falls short of the first threshold value, an improperly filled converter or a converter that has run empty is inferred.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2015Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventors: Jörg Arnold, Klaus Steinhauser, Thilo Schmidt
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Patent number: 9592798Abstract: Disclosed herein is a brake system including a main brake applying braking force to a wheel of a vehicle when the vehicle travels, a parking brake applying braking force to the wheel of the vehicle when the vehicle is parked, and a parking brake controller operating the main brake when the parked vehicle is sensed to move above a predetermined reference value and stopping the operation of the main brake after increasing locking force of the parking brake when the movement of the vehicle is stopped according to the operation of the main brake.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2015Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: MANDO CORPORATIONInventor: Chan Won Lee
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Patent number: 9586576Abstract: A control device is applied to a hybrid vehicle (1A) in which an internal combustion engine (2) and an MG (3) are connected through a second clutch (21), the MG (3) and a transmission (10) are connected through a first clutch (20) whose state is switchable by a depression operation of a clutch pedal (CP), and an output shaft (12) of the transmission (10) is connected to a driving wheel (5) so as to transmit power. The control device starts the internal combustion engine (2) when an accelerator opening is equal to or greater than a start determination value. When the vehicle (1A) is stopped and the internal combustion engine (2) is stopped, and when the amount of return of the clutch pedal (CP) is small, the control device makes the start determination value greater than when the amount of return of the clutch pedal (CP) is great.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2014Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Naoki Hayashima, Koji Murakami, Takaaki Tanaka
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Patent number: 9573471Abstract: An apparatus is provided that includes a terminal, a detection unit configured to detect movement of a user, and a control unit to control operation of the terminal so that operation and functions corresponding to a number of times the movement is detected. Accordingly, it may be possible to intuitively input operation instructions of the terminal, give cognition of the intuitive and sensuous terminal to the user since the operation instructions of the terminal are input in an input manner by operation struck with a hand two or three times such as clicking or double clicking.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2014Date of Patent: February 21, 2017Assignee: Hyundai Motor CompanyInventor: Tae Ho Lee
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Patent number: 9566125Abstract: A surgical manipulator for manipulating a surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from the surgical instrument. The surgical manipulator further includes at least one controller configured to operate the surgical manipulator in a manual mode or a semi-autonomous mode. The at least one controller including a feed rate calculator configured to calculate an instrument feed rate. The instrument feed rate is a velocity at which a distal end of the energy applicator advances along a path segment of a tool path in the semi-autonomous mode.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2015Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATIONInventors: David Gene Bowling, John Michael Stuart, Jerry A. Culp, Donald W. Malackowski, José Luis Moctezuma de la Barrera, Patrick Roessler, Joel N. Beer
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Patent number: 9566122Abstract: A robotic system includes a surgical manipulator and a force/torque sensor. The surgical manipulator operates in a first operating mode in which a user applies forces and torques to the surgical instrument to cause movement of the energy applicator. The surgical manipulator also operates in a second operating mode in which the surgical manipulator moves the energy applicator along a tool path. A controller monitors the output of the force/torque sensor as the energy applicator is being moved along the tool path in the second operating mode and transitions from the second operating mode to the first operating mode in response to the output exceeding associated limits.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2015Date of Patent: February 14, 2017Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATIONInventors: David Gene Bowling, John Michael Stuart, Joel N. Beer, John S. Ketchel
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Patent number: 9550524Abstract: A steering control device includes a steering reaction force control unit that applies a steering reaction force to a steering unit in accordance with a steering reaction force characteristic that is based on steering torque and steering angle of the steering unit in which the steering torque increases as the steering angle increases. A curvature detection unit detects a curvature of a white line. An offset unit calculates an offset amount that increases as the detected curvature increases and that offsets the steering reaction force characteristic such that a neutral point of the steering is moved in a curve direction according to a magnitude of the detected curvature. A lateral acceleration detection unit detects a lateral acceleration of a host vehicle. An offset suppression unit suppresses an increase in the offset amount more as an absolute value of the detected lateral acceleration increases.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2013Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yuya Takeda
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Patent number: 9527494Abstract: Methods and systems for determining driveline control parameters for a vehicle are described. In one example, a method for requesting a vehicle to operate in a specific operating region based on a request from a cloud network is described. The method may include options for driver interaction and autonomous vehicle operation.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2015Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Chris Paul Glugla, Douglas James McEwan, Garlan J. Huberts
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Patent number: 9523562Abstract: An aerial vehicle includes an outer surface, an arithmetic unit and a control unit. The arithmetic unit calculates a control command using a control parameter. The control unit controls an attitude of the aerial vehicle or a thrust of the aerial vehicle based on the control command. At least a part of the outer surface of the aerial vehicle is composed of ablation material. The arithmetic unit changes the control parameter in response to an amount of shape change of the aerial vehicle caused by disappearance of the ablation material.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2015Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Keisuke Ando, Yoshihiko Ueno, Yoshihiro Sera, Shojiro Furuya
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Patent number: 9522740Abstract: A method of stopping an overspeeding engine (4) of a rotorcraft (1). A protection device stops the overspeeding engine (4) on condition of a comparison between a mechanical power requirement (19) of the rotorcraft (1) and a predefined power threshold (22). Stopping of the overspeeding engine (4) is authorized by the protection device (8) on condition that said mechanical power requirement (19) is identified as being less than or equal to the predefined power threshold (22). The mechanical power requirement (19) of the rotorcraft (1) is calculated on the basis of at least one current or anticipated value for the opposing torque (15) of a main rotor (5) of the rotorcraft.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2014Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: Airbus HelicoptersInventors: Benoit Domingo, Guillaume Dumur, Stephane Bailly
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Patent number: 9518832Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a drive-pattern evaluation device for appropriately evaluating energy-saving performance of a drive pattern. A drive-pattern evaluation device of the present invention is a drive-pattern evaluation device which evaluates a past actual drive pattern of a moving body based on energy consumption, the device including: an energy-saving drive pattern generating unit that generates an energy-saving drive pattern in consideration of energy consumption with respect to an evaluation section of the actual drive pattern; an energy consumption estimating unit that estimates energy consumption by the energy-saving drive pattern as an estimated energy-saving consumption; and an eco-score calculator that compares energy consumption by the actual drive pattern in the evaluation section and the estimated energy-saving consumption, to evaluate the actual drive pattern based on the comparison result.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2012Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIONInventors: Ryusuke Kinoshita, Takashi Irie, Masahiko Ikawa, Yuko Ohta
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Patent number: 9513136Abstract: Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for creating, modifying, and viewing geographic areas and their corresponding routes and items of work. For example, an interface can be provided with a map display area and a route display area. The map display area and the route display area can be synchronized to create new routes, modify existing routes, and/or view information about various routes and/or items of work.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2015Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Robert Santilli, Steve Snyder, Elisabeth Defronzo, Svetlana Inskeep, Joel Tantzer, Karen Levin
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Patent number: 9510560Abstract: An animal feeding vehicle includes a movement control system, a GPS receiver for generating a first set of parameters including location information, a proximity sensor for generating a second set of parameters including spatial information, a position sensor for generating a third set of parameters including motion information, a feeding system including a feeding control system for feeding animals based on a fourth set of parameters. A control unit receives the first, second, third, and fourth sets of parameters, and defines a first mode in which the user controls the movement control system and the feeding control system, and in which the control unit records data representing the first, second, third, and fourth sets of parameters; and a second mode in which the control unit controls the movement control system and the feeding system by comparing recorded data with the first, second, third, and fourth sets of parameters.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2014Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: DANSK MINK PAPIR A/SInventors: Henrik Palsgaard, Johnny Mollerup Larsen, Rudi Pedersen
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Patent number: 9513631Abstract: A method for remotely controlling a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle comprises a steering system and a drive train, which can both be electronically actuated by control means of the motor vehicle and by way of which the motor vehicle can be driven automatically. The control means of the motor vehicle have a wireless communication link to the touchscreen device so that automatic driving of the motor vehicle can be remotely controlled by way of the touchscreen device.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2015Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbHInventors: Nicolas Boos, Joerg Strecker
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Patent number: 9511752Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a brake system, in particular for motor vehicles, having an electrically controllable pressure supplying device for hydraulically actuating at least one wheel brake. The pressure supplying device includes a cylinder-piston arrangement with a hydraulic pressure chamber. The piston of the cylinder-piston arrangement being movable by an electromechanical actuator in order to generate a specificable target pressure in the hydraulic pressure chamber. An actuator torque and an actuator position of the electromechanical actuator are ascertained, and a pressure value for the pressure in the hydraulic pressure chamber is determined using the actuator toque and the actuator position taking into consideration a pressure model.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2012Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: CONTINENTAL TEVES AG & CO. OHGInventor: Jürgen Böhm
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Patent number: 9506771Abstract: Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for creating, modifying, and viewing geographic areas and their corresponding routes and items of work. For example, an interface can be provided with a map display area and a route display area. The map display area and the route display area can be synchronized to create new routes, modify existing routes, and/or view information about various routes and/or items of work.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2015Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Robert Santilli, Steve Snyder, Elisabeth Defronzo, Svetlana Inskeep, Joel Tantzer, Karen Levin
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Patent number: 9506772Abstract: Computer program products, methods, systems, apparatus, and computing entities are provided for creating, modifying, and viewing geographic areas and their corresponding routes and items of work. For example, an interface can be provided with a map display area and a route display area. The map display area and the route display area can be synchronized to create new routes, modify existing routes, and/or view information about various routes and/or items of work.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2015Date of Patent: November 29, 2016Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Robert Santilli, Steve Snyder, Elisabeth Defronzo, Svetlana Inskeep, Joel Tantzer, Karen Levin
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Patent number: 9487193Abstract: A control system for a vehicle having a drive system, the drive system having a forward drive mode, a reverse drive mode, and a neutral mode. The control system may include an operator control operable by the vehicle user to control whether the vehicle is in a drive mode or a neutral mode. The control system may be configured, based on whether the vehicle operator is actively controlling the operator control, to automatically engage/disengage a vehicle brake, detect operator presence or absence and provide neutral lockout for preventing starting of the vehicle engine.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: Hurricane, Inc.Inventor: Ricky A. Weihl
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Patent number: 9488491Abstract: A navigation device includes a travel road specification portion acquiring a current location of a vehicle and specifying a travel road actually traveled by the vehicle, a continuity determination portion determining an existence of a continuity between the travel road and a first road connected to an end point of the travel road, and an extension road designation portion. The end point of the travel road is defined as a reference end point, the travel road is defined as a reference road, and the first road is defined as a determination target road. The extension road designation portion designates the first road as a first extension road when the continuity determination portion determines that the continuity exists between the first road and the travel road.Type: GrantFiled: June 26, 2013Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Noriko Kato
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Patent number: 9483051Abstract: The invention relates to an automated guided vehicle, a system having a computer and an automated guided vehicle, and a method for operating an automated guided vehicle. The automated guided vehicle is to travel along track sections automatically from a start point to an end point.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: November 1, 2016Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbHInventors: Patrick Pfaff, Daniel Meyer-Delius, Stefan Loibl