Patents by Inventor Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
Michael O. Harpster, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9857189Abstract: A navigation system for an electric vehicle includes an electrical energy storing device having a currently-available energy and a controller. The electric vehicle is at least partially operated by a driver. An off-board control module is operatively connected to a remote server and configured to communicate with the controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of determining a preferred route for travelling from a start location to an end location. The controller is programmed to obtain respective energy consumption for each of a plurality of routes based at least partially on a driving style profile of the driver.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2016Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Peggy Wang, Michael O. Harpster, Jr., Wenjing Yang, Eric Chen
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Publication number: 20170227369Abstract: A navigation system for an electric vehicle includes an electrical energy storing device having a currently-available energy and a controller. The electric vehicle is at least partially operated by a driver. An off-board control module is operatively connected to a remote server and configured to communicate with the controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of determining a preferred route for travelling from a start location to an end location. The controller is programmed to obtain respective energy consumption for each of a plurality of routes based at least partially on a driving style profile of the driver.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2016Publication date: August 10, 2017Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Peggy Wang, Michael O. Harpster, JR., Wenjing Yang, Eric Chen
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Patent number: 9291468Abstract: A system for selecting a route from a starting location to a predetermined destination includes a vehicle having a battery, a data storage medium, and a processor. The data storage medium stores a map database that describes a road network defining a plurality of possible routes from the starting location to the predetermined destination. The processor is configured to determine whether any of the possible routes belong to a set of routes the vehicle can complete using only the energy in the battery. The processor is configured to select, of the routes belonging to the set, that route having an optimized value for the attribute.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2009Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Edward D. Tate, Jr., Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
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Patent number: 8813896Abstract: A vehicle including a vehicle body is disclosed. A transmission casing includes a plurality of walls extending outwardly to a distal edge. One of the walls defines a first side and another one of the walls defines a second side. A power inverter module is coupled to the transmission casing to define a unit disposed in a first position when the unit is stationary relative to a first end of the vehicle body and a second position when the unit moves toward a second end of the vehicle body. The power inverter module slopes downwardly from the first side toward the second side to define a module angle relative to a longitudinal axis such that the power inverter module defines an angular position. The angular position of the power inverter module minimizes engagement of the power inverter module with a component when the unit is in the second position.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2013Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Joseph Ralph Littlefield, Anthony P. Tata, Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
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Publication number: 20140202280Abstract: A vehicle including a vehicle body is disclosed. A transmission casing includes a plurality of walls extending outwardly to a distal edge. One of the walls defines a first side and another one of the walls defines a second side. A power inverter module is coupled to the transmission casing to define a unit disposed in a first position when the unit is stationary relative to a first end of the vehicle body and a second position when the unit moves toward a second end of the vehicle body. The power inverter module slopes downwardly from the first side toward the second side to define a module angle relative to a longitudinal axis such that the power inverter module defines an angular position. The angular position of the power inverter module minimizes engagement of the power inverter module with a component when the unit is in the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2013Publication date: July 24, 2014Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Joseph Ralph Littlefield, Anthony P. Tata, Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
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Patent number: 7867124Abstract: An electrically-variable transmission is provided with input member and output member, first and second motor/generators, a first planetary gear set and a final drive gearset. Two or three torque-transmitting mechanisms that are selectively engagable alone or in different combinations to establish at least one forward electric-only operating mode including a series mode, an output split mode, and at least one neutral mode including a purely neutral mode and a neutral battery charge mode. The transmission optionally includes a one-way clutch selected from the group of friction clutch and dog clutch, or is a lockable one-way clutch, for enabling low loss forward operation, regenerative braking functionality, and/or reverse vehicle operation.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.Inventors: Brendan M. Conlon, Peter J. Savagian, Alan G. Holmes, Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
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Publication number: 20100286909Abstract: A system for selecting a route from a starting location to a predetermined destination includes a vehicle having a battery, a data storage medium, and a processor. The data storage medium stores a map database that describes a road network defining a plurality of possible routes from the starting location to the predetermined destination. The processor is configured to determine whether any of the possible routes belong to a set of routes the vehicle can complete using only the energy in the battery. The processor is configured to select, of the routes belonging to the set, that route having an optimized value for the attribute.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2009Publication date: November 11, 2010Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Edward D. Tate, JR., Michael O. Harpster, JR.
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Publication number: 20090082171Abstract: An electrically-variable transmission is provided with input member and output member, first and second motor/generators, a first planetary gear set and a final drive gearset. Two or three torque-transmitting mechanisms that are selectively engagable alone or in different combinations to establish at least one forward electric-only operating mode including a series mode, an output split mode, and at least one neutral mode including a purely neutral mode and a neutral battery charge mode. The transmission optionally includes a one-way clutch selected from the group of friction clutch and dog clutch, or is a lockable one-way clutch, for enabling low loss forward operation, regenerative braking functionality, and/or reverse vehicle operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2007Publication date: March 26, 2009Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Brendan M. Conlon, Peter J. Savagian, Alan G. Holmes, Michael O. Harpster, JR.