Patents Examined by Thomas E Worden
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Patent number: 11978341Abstract: A system for detecting driving violations on a roadway in real time includes spaced apart cameras and spaced apart presence sensors which generate timestamp signals when detecting passing vehicles. A GPS module and a communication module are operatively connected to a computer monitoring unit which determines the driving violations. A photographic image is taken of each vehicle which is committing a driving violation and the image and a violation report is transmitted to a transit authority. The system may be a static system mounted in the median of a roadway or may be a dynamic system mounted in a monitoring vehicle. The driving violations may be one of speeding, tailgating, street racing, improper passing, and lane blocking.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2021Date of Patent: May 7, 2024Assignee: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal UniversityInventor: Wael Mohamed ElSayed Ali Eldessouki
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Patent number: 11967229Abstract: A traffic monitoring system has a controller and sensors placed in or on roads such that vehicles pass over or near the sensors, thereby casting shadows on the sensors as they pass. The sensors may be configured to detect the shadows, and a controller may be configured to determine any of a variety of information about the passing vehicles based on the detected shadows. For example, the controller may count the number of vehicles that pass, determine a speed of each passing vehicle, and determine a length of each passing vehicle. The sensors can be relatively inexpensive so that a relatively large number of sensors can be used to monitor a large area at a relatively low cost. In some embodiments, solar cells are used to power the sensors, and if desired, the solar cells may be used as the sensors for detecting the shadows of the vehicles being monitored.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama, for and on behalf of the University of Alabama in HuntsvilleInventor: Biswajit Ray
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Patent number: 11961341Abstract: A new automotive collision repair technology is provided, including system and data flow architectures that are designed to provide enhanced data and enhanced data flow in the context of vehicle diagnosis and repair, particularly when repairs are necessary due to collisions. In some examples, the data flow through the network is streamlined, to avoid network congestion, to use fewer computer and network resources and/or to enable the utilization of smaller databases. In other examples, enhanced access to data in real-time and near real-time enabled by a workflow module supports more accurate and timely decisions on vehicle repair. An advantage of this new automotive collision repair technology is that it enables a determination of relatedness likelihood of individual DTC, which in turn decreases costs and increases savings.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2020Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Inventors: John J. Rozint, GeengYee Chong
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Patent number: 11945429Abstract: A non-transitory storage medium for use in an information processing device in a vehicle control system.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yoshiyuki Kageura, Yoshihiro Sakayanagi, Daiki Yokoyama
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Patent number: 11933633Abstract: A point cloud data acquiring system (1) is a system which acquires, as moving, point cloud data which serves as base data for a three-dimensional map representing a traveling environment of a vehicle includes range finding part (31) which acquires point cloud data representing azimuths and distances to planimetric features configuring the traveling environment, marker detecting part (2) which detects marker (10) laid in or on a traveling road of the vehicle, and a data recording part which records point cloud data acquired by range finding part (31) as linking thereto marker reference information including positional information with reference to any marker (10).Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2020Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: AICHI STEEL CORPORATIONInventors: Michiharu Yamamoto, Hitoshi Aoyama
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Patent number: 11905014Abstract: A technique for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a terminal area from which the UAVs are staged includes charging a plurality of the UAVs on charging pads disposed in a staging array at the terminal area. Merchant facilities for preparing packages for delivery by the UAVs are disposed about a periphery of the staging array. The UAVs are relocated under their own propulsion from interior charging pads to peripheral loading pads of the staging array as the peripheral loading pads become available and the UAVs are deemed sufficiently charged and ready for delivery missions.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2020Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Assignee: WING Aviation LLCInventors: James Schmalzried, Benjamin Jacobs, Brandon Jones, Stephen Lacy, Jonathan Lesser, Aditya Undurti, André Prager
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Patent number: 11899099Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for fusing camera and radar frames to perform object detection in one or more spatial domains. In an aspect, an on-board computer of a host vehicle receives, from a camera sensor of the host vehicle, a plurality of camera frames, receives, from a radar sensor of the host vehicle, a plurality of radar frames, performs a camera feature extraction process on a first camera frame of the plurality of camera frames to generate a first camera feature map, performs a radar feature extraction process on a first radar frame of the plurality of radar frames to generate a first radar feature map, converts the first camera feature map and/or the first radar feature map to a common spatial domain, and concatenates the first radar feature map and the first camera feature map to generate a first concatenated feature map in the common spatial domain.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2019Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Radhika Dilip Gowaikar, Ravi Teja Sukhavasi, Daniel Hendricus Franciscus Fontijne, Bence Major, Amin Ansari, Teck Yian Lim, Sundar Subramanian, Xinzhou Wu
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Patent number: 11900809Abstract: There is provided a vehicle notification sound generation system mounted on a self-driving capable electric bus, and the system has a speaker that outputs a verbal speech about arrival of the electric bus at a destination and outputs a non-verbal sound corresponding to a state of acceleration/deceleration of the electric bus before acceleration/deceleration operation or during acceleration/deceleration of the electric bus.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2020Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tohru Takamura, Jun Kokaji, Masahiro Mori
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Patent number: 11890948Abstract: A control apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a requested torque calculator, a command torque calculator, and a driving controller. The requested torque calculator is configured to calculate requested torque. The command torque calculator includes a change rate adjuster configured to adjust respective upper limit change rates of left command torque and right command torque that follow the requested torque. The change rate adjuster is configured to, on the basis of a predetermined operation of turning back a steering angle performed on a steering unit of the electric vehicle, lower the upper limit change rate of a driving wheel, serving as an inner wheel among left and right driving wheels of the electric vehicle before turning back the steering angle, than the upper limit change rate of the driving wheel, serving as an outer wheel among the left and the right driving wheels before turning back the steering angle.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2021Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventor: Chihiro Oguro
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Patent number: 11884385Abstract: A vibration control system for a rotor hub provides vibration attenuation in an aircraft by reducing the magnitude of rotor induced vibratory. The system can include a force generating device attached to a rotor hub which rotates along with the rotor at the rotational speed of the rotor. Vibratory shear force is generated by rotating unbalanced weights each about an axis non-concentric with the rotor hub axis at high speed to create large centrifugal forces. The rotational speed of the weights can be a multiple of the rotor rotational speed to create shear forces for canceling rotor induced vibrations. The amplitude of the generated shear force is controlled by indexing the positions of the unbalanced weights relative to each other, while the phase of the shear force is adjusted by equally phasing each weight relative to the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2020Date of Patent: January 30, 2024Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: David E. Heverly, II, Jeremy DeWaters, Frank B. Stamps
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Patent number: 11869285Abstract: The present invention relates to an axle-monitoring system of a chassis of a utility vehicle for acquiring data on at least one axle of the chassis, wherein at least one sensor for acquiring at least one physical variable is arranged on the at least one axle, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to acquire a multiplicity of different physical variables, and to the use of an axle-monitoring system.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2018Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Inventors: Stefan Wallmeier, Michael Roos
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Patent number: 11867516Abstract: A system for providing manual guidance of a vehicle includes a first inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to a steering wheel, a second IMU attached to a fixed part of the vehicle, a global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receiver, a data storage device for storing a pre-planned path, and a feedback module. The feedback module is configured to determine a current angle of the steering wheel, determine a deviation of the current position of the vehicle from the pre-planned path, determine a current heading of the vehicle, determine a current velocity of the vehicle, and determine a desired angle of the steering wheel relative to the vehicle. The system further includes a user interface configured to provide a visual indication of the desired angle of the steering wheel or a deviation of the current angle of the steering wheel from the desired angle of the steering wheel.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2020Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Trimble Inc.Inventors: Michael F. Cash, Shannon Smith
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Patent number: 11866070Abstract: Disclosed are a vehicle control method, a vehicle control apparatus, and a storage medium. The method includes acquiring real-time road condition information about an ego vehicle. The real-time road condition information can be used to indicate whether the ego vehicle arrives at an intersection. Vehicle state information can be acquired when the ego vehicle arrives at the intersection. Once a prediction result is obtained based on the vehicle state information, the ego vehicle can be controlled according to the prediction result.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2020Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: GUANGZHOU AUTOMOBILE GROUP CO., LTD.Inventors: Xiao Lin, Jiucai Zhang, Jin Shang, Yi Wang
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Patent number: 11829957Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for providing a motor vehicle for a service, said motor vehicle having a vehicle guidance system designed for fully automated vehicle guidance and being parked in a parking space in a parking environment, in particular which is blocked for people. The method includes providing a service space outside the parking environment, which has a parking-environment-side access gate and a staff access that can be accessed from outside the parking environment.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2018Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: AUDI AGInventor: David Alexander Badouin
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Patent number: 11830301Abstract: A new automotive collision repair technology is provided, including system and data flow architectures that are designed to provide enhanced data and enhanced data flow in the context of vehicle diagnosis and repair, particularly when repairs are necessary due to collisions. In some examples, the data flow through the network is streamlined, to avoid network congestion, to use fewer computer and network resources and/or to enable the utilization of smaller databases. In other examples, enhanced access to data in real-time and near real-time enabled by a Workflow Module supports more accurate and timely decisions on vehicle repair. An advantage of this new automotive collision repair technology is that it enables proper and proven repairs, which in turns increases operation safety of repaired vehicle and people safety.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Mitchell International, Inc.Inventor: John Joseph Rozint
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Patent number: 11825003Abstract: A notification apparatus and system are provided for a lost mobile device. After a notification is provided to indicate that a mobile device is still in an autonomous vehicle after arrival at a destination, user input is received for causing the autonomous vehicle to move toward, or remain within a predetermined distance from, a location of a user using a camera of the autonomous vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2020Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Inventor: Porter Joseph Zilka
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Patent number: 11781883Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a predictive traffic law enforcement profiler apparatus and method which incorporates a means to determine current location, time, velocity and also incorporates a means to utilize a database derived from historic traffic law enforcement records, crowd sourced records and historical traffic data and also incorporates a predictive processing means to provide historic traffic law enforcement records and estimates of enforced speed limits and enforcement profiles, patrol locations and schedules of traffic law enforcement to a driver.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2021Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Inventor: Steve Dabell
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Patent number: 11780414Abstract: A braking control system includes braking control modules configured to generate a braking torque request signal, indicative of a requested braking torque value CFr, which is variable until reaching a target value Vt, and to supply the braking torque request signal to a braking means which converts it into a braking torque with effective braking torque value CFe. The braking control modules are configured to calculate a total difference of instantaneous braking torque ?CFt as the sum of the differences between the CFr values and the CFe values of all modules. If the calculated ?CFt is greater than zero when Vt is reached, the braking control modules increase the braking torque until a ?CFt subsequent to reaching Vt has a zero or negative value, or until the maximum available adhesion signal has indicated that a controlled axle has reached the maximum available adhesion.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2018Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Assignee: FAIVELEY TRANSPORT ITALIA S.P.AInventors: Roberto Tione, Matteo Frea, Luc Imbert
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Patent number: 11752901Abstract: A vehicle seat can be configured to provide support to a vehicle occupant in conditions when lateral acceleration is experienced. Shape memory material members can be operatively positioned with respect to a seat portion of the vehicle seat. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated by an activation input. When activated, the shape memory material members can engage a seat pan so as to cause the seat pan to tilt in a respective lateral direction. As a result, a seat cushion supported by the seat pan can also tilt in the respective lateral direction. The seat cushion can be tilted in a lateral direction that is opposite to the direction of the lateral acceleration. Thus, the effects of lateral acceleration felt by a seat occupant can be reduced. The shape memory material members can be selectively activated based on vehicle speed, steering angle, and/or lateral acceleration.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2019Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Miga Technologies, LLCInventors: Umesh N. Gandhi, Brian J. Pinkelman, Ryohei Tsuruta, Mark A. Gummin
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Patent number: 11753111Abstract: A system includes a support arm. The system includes an engine supported by the support arm. The system includes an armature supported by the support arm. The system includes a coupling device disposed around the armature and slidable between a first position in which the coupling device couples the engine to the armature, and a second position in which the coupling device is uncoupled from the engine.Type: GrantFiled: January 2, 2018Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Larry Dean Elie, Allan Roy Gale, David Allen Janson, Wayne Paul Woodside