Patents Examined by Yufeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11713059
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates techniques for autonomously controlling heavy equipment and vehicles using task hierarchies. Particularly, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to obtaining a task to be performed by an autonomous vehicle, determining subtasks to be performed to perform the task, obtaining sensor data providing a representation of operation of the autonomous vehicle in a worksite environment and situational context of the worksite environment, determining a task context for a subtask based on the sensor data, identifying a predictive model from a library of predictive models based on the task context, estimating, by the predictive model, a set of output data based on sensor data, and controlling operations of the autonomous vehicle in the worksite environment to perform the subtask using a set of input data derived from the sensor data and the set of output data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: SAFEAI, INC.
    Inventor: Bibhrajit Halder
  • Patent number: 11708081
    Abstract: A control device of an automatic drive vehicle includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires power generator information as information on a power generator provided in the automatic drive vehicle; an operation control unit that switches between a first state in which automatic driving of the automatic drive vehicle is executed without restriction and a second state in which the automatic driving is partially or entirely restricted; and a determination unit that determines whether to perform switching to the second state by the operation control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Higashitani, Noriaki Ikemoto, Tomomi Hase
  • Patent number: 11692847
    Abstract: An illuminating apparatus includes an illuminance sensor mounted on a vehicle and configured to detect an illuminance outside the vehicle as a detected illuminance, a location sensor mounted on the vehicle and configured to detect a location of the vehicle as a detected location, and a controller configured to store one or more illuminance thresholds that are thresholds of the illuminance and monitor whether there is a crossover phenomenon that the detected illuminance crosses one of the one or more illuminance thresholds. The controller is configured to transmit crossing data, including information indicating the detected location when the crossover phenomenon occurs and information indicating the detected illuminance when the crossover phenomenon occurs, to a management apparatus outside the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryota Akishino, Hiroki Saito
  • Patent number: 11686862
    Abstract: A network system, such as a transport management system, infers movement and a location of a vehicle associated with a transportation service using sensor data from a provider client device and a wireless device mounted in a fixed position in the vehicle. Before or during a transportation service, the provider client device transmits sensor data to the network system for use in detecting the occurrence of one or more specified events, such as a sudden deceleration or a harsh turn. The network system fuses the received sensor data to infer the movement of the vehicle along forward, lateral, and vertical axes and implements an event detector by analyzing movement of the vehicle in the forward direction. Fused sensor data received from the wireless device is used to validate the detected movement and to determine a position of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Irish, Dinesh Ramasamy, Andrew Joseph Beinstein, Theodore Russell Sumers, Hemabh Shekar, Vivek Sankaravadivel
  • Patent number: 11686587
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus that includes a communication device configured to communicate with a vehicle-mounted device installed in a vehicle that is under automatic driving control and a mobile terminal of a user of the vehicle, and a processor configured to send, upon receiving a return request for moving the vehicle to an exit location at which the user has exited the vehicle, from the mobile terminal through the communication device, a return command for moving the vehicle to the exit location to the vehicle-mounted device through the communication device, when a return time required to move the vehicle to the exit location is less than an available return time, the available return time being calculated based on an expected arrival time at which the vehicle is expected to arrive at a destination of a passenger different from the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Shiga, Mami Kato, Masato Endo
  • Patent number: 11679774
    Abstract: A system to reduce VRU unreferenced heading drift error is disclosed. The VRU comprises an IMU and a processor, which hosts first and second modules for bias cancelation. The first module reads inertial data from the IMU when the VRU is powered on; determines whether the VRU is static for a time period; if the VRU is static, corrects gyroscope bias by subtracting an initial bias value from a previous bias value; sets a predefined initial yaw value. The second module reads inertial data from the IMU during in-run operation of the VRU; updates roll, pitch and yaw data, based on input data from a sensor fusion algorithm; outputs updated roll, pitch and yaw data; determines whether the VRU is static for a time period; and if the VRU is static, corrects the bias by subtracting a current bias value, multiplied by a predefined parameter, from a previous bias value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Zhizhen Shen, Siqin Yu
  • Patent number: 11680806
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus that includes a communication device configured to communicate with a vehicle-mounted device installed in a vehicle that is under automatic driving control and a mobile terminal of a user of the vehicle, and a processor configured to send, upon receiving a return request for moving the vehicle to an exit location at which the user has exited the vehicle, from the mobile terminal through the communication device, a return command for moving the vehicle to the exit location to the vehicle-mounted device through the communication device, when a return time required to move the vehicle to the exit location is less than an available return time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiro Shiga, Mami Kato, Masato Endo
  • Patent number: 11667502
    Abstract: An industrial truck, configured for driverless, autonomously-acting operation for a load to be transported, includes at least a control system configured to control and to steer the industrial truck, and an evaluation unit configured to generate a signal for stopping the industrial truck. A detector device configured to recognize persons and/or objects located in a route is connected to the control system. The control system is configured to check a protective field and/or a warning field of the detector device, and the protective field and/or the warning field is automatically switchable in dependence on a position of the industrial truck and/or detected obstacles in the route of the industrial truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Roethling, Alessandro Heim, Johannes Schild
  • Patent number: 11661101
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a steering system for a vehicle. The steering system may include a steering rack and an electronic power steering (EPS) system. The EPS system may include an actuator that assists movement of the steering rack, a torque sensor; an angle sensor; and an EPS system controller. The EPS controller may be configured to determine a steering rack center point indicating a center of the steering rack between opposite maximum steering angles. The EPS controller may be configured to determine a vehicle center zero point. The EPS controller may be configured to store the vehicle center zero point in response to determining that the vehicle center zero point is within a threshold of the steering rack center point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: David Theodore Christian, Jr., Takumi Makabe, Rodney M. Frijas
  • Patent number: 11654945
    Abstract: A method, a device and a system for safely and reliably performing real-time speed measurement and continuous positioning are provided. With the method, inertial navigation data from an inertial navigation signal source arranged in a train is detected, and correction data from a correction signal source is detected. In a case that no correction data is detected, a current speed and a current position of the train is determined based on the inertial navigation data, and in a case that the correction data is detected, the inertial navigation data is corrected with the correction data, and a current speed and position of the train are determined based on the corrected inertial navigation data. Therefore, even in the case that no correction data is detected, the real-time speed measurement and continuous positioning can be performed safely and reliably based on the inertial navigation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CRRC ZHUZHOU ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gaohua Chen, Jianghua Feng, Shu Cheng, Rongjun Ding, Chaoqun Xiang, Yijing Xu, Liang Han
  • Patent number: 11654795
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a temperature control system, a battery configured to power the temperature control system, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, in response to a request to precondition the battery or the cabin air, an absence of receiving a signal indicative of a desired initial battery state of charge, and an actual battery state of charge being greater than a default threshold, deliver electrical power from the battery to the temperature control system at a desired value. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the request to precondition the battery or the cabin air, receiving the signal indicative of the desired initial battery state of charge, and the actual battery state of charge being greater than the desired initial battery state of charge but less than the default threshold, deliver electrical power from the battery to the temperature control system at the desired value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Charles Everett Badger, II, Rohan Shrivastava, Jordan Mazaira, Zachary March
  • Patent number: 11656619
    Abstract: Example methods and systems are disclosed to provide autonomous vehicle sensor security. An example method may include generating, by a first autonomous vehicle, a first map instance of a physical environment using first environmental information generated by a first sensor of a first autonomous vehicle. A second map instance from at least one of a second autonomous vehicle located in the physical environment is received. The first map instance may be correlated with the second map instance. In response to a discrepancy between the first map instance and the second map instance, a secure sensor may be activated to generate a third map instance. In response to the third map instance verifying that the discrepancy accurately describes the physical environment, the first environmental information including the discrepancy is used to navigate the first autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Joseph Soryal, Dylan C. Reid
  • Patent number: 11649147
    Abstract: The various embodiments described herein generally relate to an autonomous material transport vehicle, and systems and methods for operating an autonomous material transport vehicle. The autonomous material transport vehicle comprises: a sensing system operable to monitor an environment of the vehicle; a drive system for operating the vehicle; a processor operable to: receive a location of a load; initiate the drive system to navigate the vehicle to the location; following initiation of the drive system, operate the sensing system to monitor for one or more objects within a detection range; and in response to the sensing system detecting the one or more objects within the detection range, determine whether the load is within the detection range; and when the load is within the detection range, operate the drive system to position the vehicle for transporting the load, otherwise, determine a collision avoidance operation to avoid the one or more objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
    Inventors: Nolan Lunscher, Enrique Fernandez Perdomo, James Servos, Ryan Christopher Gariepy
  • Patent number: 11643312
    Abstract: A vehicle-mounted device includes an analysis unit and a control unit. The analysis unit detects an insertion target into which an insertion blade can be inserted, on the basis of sensing information acquired from a spatial recognition device. The control unit performs a loading misalignment determination to determine whether or not the insertion target loaded on a conveyance destination is misaligned from the conveyance destination on the basis of the sensing information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: NEC CORORATION
    Inventors: Jun Uchimura, Hideaki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11642986
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an anti-pinch control system. The anti-pinch control system includes a motor configured to generate driving force for moving a seat of a vehicle, a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure applied to the seat, a current measurement sensor configured to measure an amount of current generated by the motor, a database unit configured to store data on an amount of current required to drive the seat that corresponds to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor, and a controller configured to vary an anti-pinch value of the seat based on data corresponding to the pressure applied to the seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI TRANSYS INC.
    Inventors: Sang Kyung Koh, Jae Kwon Son, Won Ho Jung
  • Patent number: 11635756
    Abstract: A control system for a lift truck comprises: human-control devices generating manual-guidance signals for actuators of the vehicle, said devices including a hydraulic steering system, a control module (1) including an automatic-control submodule generating autonomous-guidance signals intended for one or more actuators of the vehicle, depending on setpoint signals, a switching module (2) designed to select one or more manual guidance signals and/or one or more autonomous-guidance signals, and an electrohydraulic valve enabling the conversion of a guidance signal stemming from the automatic-control module into a signal intended for the hydraulic steering system The system includes, in addition, a servo controller of the electrohydraulic valve, comprising a proportional-integral controller, an on/off controller and means for activation of one or other of the PI and ON/OFF controllers, depending on a speed threshold of the lift truck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN
    Inventor: Ivan Modolo
  • Patent number: 11619185
    Abstract: A Hybrid Electric Vehicle comprising a heat transfer medium, transfers heat generated by an electric motor to a fuel, increasing fuel evaporation and cooling the motor. This configuration allows the use of multiple fuels and fuel blends including hydrogen, liquefied natural gas, natural gas liquids and heavier hydrocarbons in varying proportions while allowing higher efficiency and lower emissions due to the hybrid configuration, and efficient cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Inventors: Alberto Martin Perez, Natalia Perez-Lodeiro
  • Patent number: 11619853
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for altering an appearance of an electrochromic coating of a vehicle is provided. The method includes obtaining vehicle information related to at least one vehicle attribute. The method also includes applying weightage factors to the at least one vehicle attribute. The method also includes determining that a vehicle is a boundary area of a testing zone based on a determined location of the vehicle. The method also includes changing a base appearance of the electrochromic coating of the vehicle to an altered appearance based on the determination that the vehicle is in the boundary area and based on the weightage factors of the vehicle components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gandhi Sivakumar, Anil Manohar Omanwar, Kushal S. Patel, Sarvesh S. Patel
  • Patent number: 11613218
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to receive a series of pressure maps indicating a respective series of sitting positions of an occupant in a seat, wherein the pressure maps include a current pressure map; update a profile of the occupant based on the pressure maps, wherein the profile includes a plurality of clusters of sitting positions and classifications of the clusters as preferred or nonpreferred, and updating the profile includes sorting one of the sitting positions into one of the clusters that is classified as preferred in response to the occupant remaining in that sitting position for greater than a threshold time; and adjust a physical configuration of the seat in response to the current sitting position being in one of the clusters that is classified as nonpreferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fling Finn Tseng, Shiqi Qiu, Johannes Geir Kristinsson, Patrick Maloney, Alex Perkins, Himanshu Verma, Nikhil Kailas Jamdade, Vishal Vinayak Nageshkar, Victoria Leigh Schein, Samuel Laidlaw, Bhagyashri Satyabodha Katti, Kalyani Purushottam Sonawane
  • Patent number: 11603091
    Abstract: The present invention obtains a controller and a control method capable of appropriately stabilizing a posture of a straddle-type vehicle. In the controller and the control method according to the present invention, when the straddle-type vehicle jumps, automatic posture control for controlling the posture of the straddle type vehicle by increasing or reducing a rotational frequency of a wheel is executed in accordance with posture information at the time when the straddle-type vehicle jumps. Furthermore, in the case where it is determined whether a driver has intention to control the posture of the straddle-type vehicle at the time when the straddle-type vehicle jumps without relying on the automatic posture control and where it is determined that the driver has the intention, the automatic posture control is prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Takayuki Hattori