Patents Examined by Tyler D. Paige
  • Patent number: 11974514
    Abstract: An autonomous agricultural carrier vehicle, for carrying an agricultural implement includes a chassis with steerable wheels or tracks attached to a frame, wherein the frame includes a mounting apparatus for connection to the agricultural implement. The vehicle further includes an environmental sensor system for determining obstacles or elements present in the vicinity of the carrier vehicle and a control device for controlling the carrier vehicle or the at least one implement, wherein the control device is connected to a position determination system that captures and issues a position to create an autonomous agricultural carrier vehicle with which the impact force is not reduced. No additional tractor vehicle is needed for the implement and no operator is necessary during field work, wherein it is provided that position-dependent working instructions for the carrier vehicle are preferably stored in the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Horsch Maschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Horsch
  • Patent number: 11977380
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for a safety system including: selecting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command on a controller, the controller comprising a first processor with addressable memory; presenting a first activator and a second activator on a display of the controller for the selected UAV command, wherein the second activator is a slider; and sending the UAV command to a UAV if the first activator and the second activator are selected, the UAV comprising a second processor with addressable memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Thaddeus Benjamin Matuszeski, William Arden Lott, Derek Lisoski
  • Patent number: 11971717
    Abstract: An aircraft including a wing system, a plurality of control surfaces, a camera mounted on a camera pod, and a control system. The camera pod is configured to vary the orientation of the camera field of view only in yaw, relative to the aircraft, between a directly forward-looking orientation and a side-looking orientation. The control system controls the control surfaces such that they induce a significant aircraft yaw causing an identified target to be within the field of view of the camera with the camera in the directly forward-looking orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Nicoloff, Eric M. Sornborger, Lars B. Cremean
  • Patent number: 11958328
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed that assist a user in performing proper setup of a vehicle suspension. A user may utilize a device equipped with an image sensor to assist the user in proper setup of a vehicle suspension. The device executes an application that prompts the user for input and instructs the user to perform a number of steps for adjusting the suspension components. In one embodiment, the application does not communicate with sensors on the vehicle. In another embodiment, the application may communicate with various sensors located on the vehicle to provide feedback to the device during the setup routine. In one embodiment, the device may analyze a digital image of a suspension component to provide feedback about a physical characteristic of the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Galasso, Joseph Franklin, Andrew Laird, Charles Bass, Ryan Bavetta
  • Patent number: 11958508
    Abstract: A control system for an electrically-operated railroad car end door includes, an actuator, a processor, and a memory storing program instructions that cause the processor to instruct the actuator to begin generating a braking force applied to the railroad car end door in response to an opening of the railroad car end door, and determine whether the railroad car end door is being manually opened by a person based on information related to a state of the railroad car end door while the braking force is being generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoru Ozaki
  • Patent number: 11958554
    Abstract: Model-based control of dynamical systems typically requires accurate domain-specific knowledge and specifications system components. Generally, steering actuator dynamics can be difficult to model due to, for example, an integrated power steering control module, proprietary black box controls, etc. Further, it is difficult to capture the complex interplay of non-linear interactions, such as power steering, tire forces, etc. with sufficient accuracy. To overcome this limitation, a recurring neural network can be employed to model the steering dynamics of an autonomous vehicle. The resulting model can be used to generate feedforward steering commands for embedded control. Such a neural network model can be automatically generated with less domain-specific knowledge, can predict steering dynamics more accurately, and perform comparably to a high-fidelity first principle model when used for controlling the steering system of a self-driving vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Funke, Gowtham Garimella, Marin Kobilarov, Chuang Wang
  • Patent number: 11961402
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for using mobile devices for anomaly detection in a vehicle. The present invention may include a computer receives sensor data from at least one mobile device associated with the vehicle, where the mobile device having one or more sensors. The computer analyzes data from the one or more sensors to identify an anomaly associated with the vehicle. The computer identifies a message associated with the anomaly. The computer determines an urgency value of the message based on the anomaly. The computer transfers the message with the urgency value to the vehicle and causes the vehicle to notify the message using a vehicle notification device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pradeep Venkata Sudindra Pusuluri, Sri Harsha Varada, Venkata Vara Prasad Karri, Nagaraju Ampavalli
  • Patent number: 11954950
    Abstract: An information interaction system for a vehicle is provided. The information interaction system comprises: an information processing device including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, that, when executed by the processor, cause the latter to perform steps comprising: providing a first customization option for a user to set a first trigger condition and a corresponding first customized content; detecting whether the first trigger condition is met by a vehicle computer; and when the first trigger condition is met, running the first customized content by the vehicle computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hailan Liu, Xiaojing Zhang, Sheena Meng
  • Patent number: 11954952
    Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of receiving, by an accident processing node, an accident report from a transport, determining, by an accident processing node, a time and location parameters of the accident based on the report, querying, by an accident processing node, transport profiles on a storage based on the time and location parameters, and responsive to the transport profiles containing data corresponding to the time and location parameters, sending a request to access the transport profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Neil Dutta, Anil Nagpal
  • Patent number: 11952741
    Abstract: A shovel (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lower travelling body (1), an upper pivot body (3) pivotably mounted to the lower travelling body (1), an object detection device (70) provided to the upper pivot body (3), and a controller (30) that brakes a drive unit of the shovel. The controller (30) is configured to, when the object detection device (70) detects an object, automatically brake the drive unit. The controller is configured to, upon determining that an operator has an intention to continue operation during execution of the braking, deactivate the braking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takeya Izumikawa
  • Patent number: 11953072
    Abstract: A torsional moment acting on a component in a drive train of an aircraft may be determined using at least one sensor, where the determined torsional moment is used for adjusting at least one adjustable damping element located in or on the component and/or for regulating a torsional stiffness in the torque-conducting component. As a result, the torsional load in the component may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS TECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Daniel Wolf, Jörg Litzba, Johannes Schäfer, Georg Tenckhoff
  • Patent number: 11945449
    Abstract: An automated method of controlling a speed of a vehicle includes identifying parameters of a driving instance of the vehicle; identifying a predetermined profile that is applicable to the driving instance based on the identified parameters; identifying a predetermined speed policy applicable to the driving instance based on the identified profile; and implementing the identified speed policy during the driving instance. The method may be repeated during the driving instance, whereby the speed policy that is implemented is automatically updated when one or more changes in the identified parameters cause a different predetermined speed policy to be identified. Parameter may include driver parameters (e.g., driver age and driver experience); vehicle parameters (e.g., vehicle age, mileage, and tire wear) tire maintenance information); behavior parameters (e.g., speed, acceleration, hard braking of the vehicle, following distance, swerving, and cornering); and circumstance parameters (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: 7980302 CANADA INC.
    Inventors: Gabriel Paquin Lefebvre, Mathieu Boivin, George Bassily
  • Patent number: 11945436
    Abstract: A vehicle speed/headway control function and a lane-keeping function are provided as driving assist functions to assist in a driving operation by a driver. A mode-switching controller is provided for switching between the modes. In the lane-keeping assist mode, it is assessed whether or not a traveling condition has been met that an actual vehicle speed of the host vehicle exceeds a speed limit of a roadway on which the host vehicle is traveling during lane-keeping travel in which “hands-off mode,” which allows the driver to remove their hands from the steering wheel, has been selected. The mode is switched from “hands-off mode” to “hands-on mode,” which has as a condition that the driver has their hands on the steering wheel, upon assessing that the traveling condition that the actual vehicle speed exceeds the speed limit has been met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Ito, Shohei Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11948409
    Abstract: A system for processing a diagnostic message of a vehicle includes a first external diagnosis device included in a D domain, an internal diagnosis device included in an M domain, a second external diagnosis device included in a G domain, and a vehicle gateway transmitting a diagnostic result corresponding to a request for diagnosis only to a domain including a diagnosis device requesting the diagnosis when the request for the diagnosis is received from one of the first external diagnosis device, the internal diagnosis device, or the second external diagnosis device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Ho Jin Jung
  • Patent number: 11932245
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving identification of a path for an ego vehicle on a roadway. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to acquiring sensor data from at least one sensor of the ego vehicle about a surrounding environment, identifying roadway elements from the sensor data as cues about the path. The roadway elements include one or more of lane markers of the roadway and surrounding vehicles. The method includes grouping the roadway elements into two or more groups according to characteristics of roadway elements indicating common curvatures. The method includes analyzing the two or more groups according to a confidence heuristic to determine a priority group from the two or more groups that corresponds with a trajectory of the ego vehicle. The method includes providing an identifier for the priority group to facilitate at least path planning for the ego vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Rohit Pandita, Ruiko Miyano
  • Patent number: 11932258
    Abstract: A vehicle body speed estimation device and a vehicle body speed estimation method are provided for estimating a vehicle body speed of a four-wheel drive vehicle from a wheel speed of each wheel of the four-wheel drive vehicle. In the vehicle body speed estimation device and a vehicle body speed estimation method, a controller determines whether a deviation of at least two of the wheel speeds among the wheel speeds is within a first prescribed range. The controller switches a method for selecting the wheel speed used for estimating the vehicle body speed between a first method and a second method when a sign of a drive torque that is applied to each of the wheels is reversed and the deviation of at least two of the wheel speeds among the wheel speeds is within the first prescribed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoshi Nishihashi, Yuki Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11933915
    Abstract: A radar detection system for activation of a powered closure member of a vehicle and corresponding method are provided. The system includes a radar sensor assembly having a radar transmit antenna for transmitting radar waves and a radar receive antenna for receiving the radar waves after reflection from an object in a detection zone. The radar sensor assembly outputs a sensor signal corresponding to the motion of the object in the detection zone. An electronic control unit is coupled to the radar sensor assembly and includes a data acquisition module to receive the sensor signal and a plurality of analysis modules to analyze the sensor signal to detect extracted features and determine whether extracted features are within predetermined thresholds representing a valid activation gesture. The electronic control unit initiates movement of the closure member in response to the extracted features being within the predetermined thresholds representing the valid activation gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Wassim Rafrafi, Samuel R. Baruco
  • Patent number: 11919388
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes at least one camera capturing images of an environment outside of the motor vehicle. A proximity sensor detects an object disposed adjacent to the motor vehicle. An electronic processor receives the images captured by the at least one camera, and receives a proximity signal from the proximity sensor. The proximity signal is indicative of whether an object is disposed adjacent to the motor vehicle. The electronic processor determines, based upon the images captured by the at least one camera and the proximity signal, whether the motor vehicle is disposed within an enclosure. The electronic processor receives an engine start request signal that has been wirelessly transmitted by a user. In response to receiving the engine start request signal, the electronic processor causes the engine start system to start an engine of the motor vehicle when the motor vehicle is not disposed within an enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: Padmanaban Kanagaraj, Katherine Freund
  • Patent number: 11920942
    Abstract: A method for controlling autonomous lane change of a moving body is disclosed. The method includes calculating a driving route from a current location of the moving body to a destination; determining whether an intersection or a forked road exists at a predetermined distance from the current location of the moving body on the calculated driving route; checking, when the intersection or the forked road exists, link information corresponding to a lane in which the moving body is located, and determining a moving direction toward the intersection or the forked road; determining an entry route for entering the intersection or the forked road according to the determined moving direction; and generating a control signal for controlling a moving direction of the moving body according to the determined entry route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: THINKWARE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ki Wook Lee, Hye Kyung Byun, Tae Kyu Han
  • Patent number: 11919637
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), and specifically discloses an automatic return method, device and UAV. By means of the foregoing technical solutions, the embodiments of the present invention can estimate a minimum power consumption required for the UAV to return from the current position to the return point in a more accurate way, so as to avoid forced landing of the UAV due to an excessively low battery level during a flight or a return.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaogang Lei