Vehicle Detectors Patents (Class 340/933)
  • Patent number: 9550120
    Abstract: A method for gamifying a toll image review process includes receiving an image of a vehicle that has utilized a toll road and identifying a region of interest of the image depicting an identifier of the vehicle. A second image is generated that includes the region of interest and is preprocessed to generate a plurality of images of the region of interest. Each of the images includes unique display settings. The images are displayed within a graphical user interface along with progress information for a first user. The progress information is related to an amount of vehicles to identify. Progress information is displayed for additional users. An input including the identifier is received using the user interface. Images related to an image of a second vehicle's region of interest are displayed. A progress of the additional users is monitored and then the displayed progress information is updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Cubic Corporation
    Inventors: Charles F. Mitchell, Dennis Moore, Ashok Sinha, Michael Sinha, Stephen Bliss
  • Patent number: 9530310
    Abstract: Methods and systems for detecting a vehicle of interest utilizing one or more traffic image-capturing units and a centralized server. A request from an authority to detect a vehicle of interest with respect to an incident can be verified based on particular criteria. One or more of the image-capturing units can be selected along with location information stored in a database in order to enable a search. A notification can be sent to the authority upon identification of the vehicle of interest by the image-capturing unit(s). An area or radius of search can be calculated to alert one or more other image-capturing units for use in tracking the vehicle of interest. Data regarding the vehicle of interest can then be transmitted to an incident management module to dynamically update details regarding detection of the vehicle of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene Evanitsky, Joseph Martin St. Germaine
  • Patent number: 9514389
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for training a neural network to detect object in images. One of the methods includes receiving a training image and object location data for the training image; providing the training image to a neural network and obtaining bounding box data for the training image from the neural network, wherein the bounding box data comprises data defining a plurality of candidate bounding boxes in the training image and a respective confidence score for each candidate bounding box in the training image; determining an optimal set of assignments using the object location data for the training image and the bounding box data for the training image, wherein the optimal set of assignments assigns a respective candidate bounding box to each of the object locations; and training the neural network on the training image using the optimal set of assignments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Dumitru Erhan, Christian Szegedy, Dragomir Anguelov
  • Patent number: 9495601
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for detecting and reporting improper activity, such a traffic violation. In one embodiment, a computing device receives multiple image frames from a client device. The computing device detects that a vehicle shown in at least one of the image frames is in violation of a rule. The computing device generates an evidence package based on at least one of the image frames. The computing device transmits the evidence to an evidence review device for review by an enforcement individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: Mirsani, LLC
    Inventor: Eric Anthony Hansen
  • Patent number: 9489840
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of the present invention include efficient, reliable aggregation and transfer of one or more sensor pods detect status to the base station and then the traffic controller. An embodiment of an access point maintains a sensor state array, which is the current status of the sensor pods in communication with the access point. The access point can maintain the sensor state array in its memory and relay the sensor state array to the base station. An embodiment of a base station can use the sensor state array information to generate and update a vehicle detector array, which is the current status of all the sensor pods in the wireless vehicle detector network. An embodiment of the base station emulates one or more bus interface units and uses the vehicle detector array to relay detector information to the traffic controller periodically or when polled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: TRAFFICWARE GROUP, INC.
    Inventors: Clyde Neel, Darren Beyer, Timothy Fiebrich, Michael Green, Kenneth W MacLeod, Srikar Vadlamani, Mark Hawkins
  • Patent number: 9489839
    Abstract: Tracking a vehicle using an unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. One or more first images may be received from a first camera of the first unmanned aerial vehicle located at a first location. A unique identifier of a first vehicle may be determined to be not identifiable in at least one of the one or more first images. The first unmanned aerial vehicle may be then repositioned. One or more second images having the second field of view and showing the first vehicle may then be received. The unique identifier of the first vehicle may then be determined based on at least one of the one or more second images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
  • Patent number: 9466209
    Abstract: Locations for traffic sensors can be determined by a computer system that identifies a particular segment of a travel path. Traffic flow data from other segments of travel path are accessed based on traffic flow characteristics of the particular path. Using the traffic flow data, parameters for a traffic incident symptom propagation model are generated, and a location of a traffic incident along the segment of the path is determined. Using time-to-detection limits and the incident model, upstream and downstream distances are determined, and the locations of two sensors are identified based on the distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sebastien Blandin, Saif Eddin Jabari, Laura Wynter
  • Patent number: 9449238
    Abstract: Systems and methods search pixels of source images and compare them to pixels of templates. Best matches correlate to objects in the image. That environmental conditions impact the appearance of objects, best matching scores suffer under poor lighting and other adverse conditions. Improving scores includes augmenting traditional correlation techniques with object features extracted from the source image and matching them to templates corresponding to the features. Certain embodiments contemplate corrupting pixels of image templates corresponding to objects with pixels extracted from the source image corresponding to features. Representative features include corners, edges, ridges, points/regions of interest, etc. Other embodiments note augmented correlation as a computing application and computing devices therefore, including cameras for capturing images and displaying results to users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Ahmed Hamad Mohamed Eid, Tomasz Jan Cholewo, Edward Earl Rippetoe, II
  • Patent number: 9436877
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring vehicle traffic and collecting data indicative of pedestrian right of way violations by vehicles is provided. The system comprises memory and logic for monitoring traffic intersections and recording evidence indicating that vehicles have violated pedestrian right of way. Two sensor modalities collecting video data and radar data of the intersection under observation are employed in one embodiment of the system. The violation evidence can be accessed remotely by a traffic official for issuing of traffic citations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard P. Edmondson, Jonathan B. Hanks
  • Patent number: 9398231
    Abstract: A surveillance camera terminal includes an imaging means that outputs a frame image, an imaging visual field control means that changes the imaging visual field of the imaging means in a surveillance area, an object extracting means that extracts an object being imaged by processing the frame image taken by the imaging means, a tracking means that detects a position of the object in the surveillance area based on a position of the object extracted by the object extracting means on the frame image and the imaging visual field of the imaging means, an imaging visual field storage means that stores an imaging visual field, and detection means that detects whether or not the object being tracked by the tracking means has traveled to a position near a handover area for handover of the object to another surveillance camera terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignees: Omron Corporation, The University of Tokyo
    Inventors: Shinya Yuasa, Junichi Nakano, Takeshi Naito, Shunsuke Kamijo
  • Patent number: 9354034
    Abstract: A positive location system is disclosed for a locomotive consist including at least two locomotives. The system may include a first locator element on a first locomotive and a second locator element on a second locomotive. Each locator element may include a receiving device and a transmitting device communicatively coupled with each other locator element. Each locator element may be configured to determine its own location, relay information on its location to at least one other locator element on another locomotive, receive location information on the at least one other locator element, and determine its own location relative to the location of the at least one other locator element. Each locator element may also provide location information for the at least one other locator element as though it were the at least one other locator element when the at least one other locator element is non-functional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve D. Lundquist, Tom Otsubo
  • Patent number: 9346419
    Abstract: A sign plate 1 includes a plate-shaped metal plate 2 having a a slot 23 which penetrates from the front surface 21 toward the back surface 22, an RFID inlay 3 arranged on the front surface 21 of the metal plate 2 so as to straddle the slot 23, and a retroreflective sheeting 4 arranged on the front surface 21 of the metal plate 2 and having a mirror reflective region 41 and a non-mirror reflective region 42. In a plan view of the retroreflective sheeting 4, the mirror reflective region 41 includes a plurality of mirror reflective regions which are formed as independent regions by being divided by the non-mirror reflective region 42, the slot 23 region overlaps the mirror reflective region 41 and the non-mirror reflective region 42, and the overlapping mirror reflective region 41 does not straddle the slot 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: NIPPON CARBIDE INDUSTRIES CO., INC.
    Inventors: Katsuhisa Sirosaki, Ikuo Mimura
  • Patent number: 9340227
    Abstract: A lane keep assist system for a vehicle includes a forward facing camera and an image processor. The forward facing camera is disposed at a vehicle and has a forward field of view exterior of the vehicle. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the forward facing camera. The lane keep assist system is operable to process image data to determine lane markers in the field of view and to determine a time to lane crossing value. The lane keep assist system determines a first time to lane crossing value via a first algorithm and a second time to lane crossing value via a second algorithm. The lane keep assist system is operable to apply a steering signal to adjust the steering of the vehicle at least in part responsive to the determined first and second time to lane crossing values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Devendra Bajpai
  • Patent number: 9342986
    Abstract: A driver assistance system takes as input a number of different types of vehicle environment inputs including positions of objects in the vehicle's environment. The system identifies possible outcomes that may occur as a result of the positions of the objects in the environment. The possible outcomes include predicted positions for the objects involved in each outcome. The system uses the inputs to determine a likelihood of occurrence of each of the possible outcomes. The system also uses the inputs to determine a current risk value for objects as well as predicted risk values for objects for the possible outcomes. A total risk value can be determined by aggregating the current and predicted risk values of an object weighted by the likelihood of occurrence. Total risk values for objects can be used to determine how the driver assistance system responds to the inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Behzad Dariush
  • Patent number: 9311816
    Abstract: Magnetometers under the road surface detect variations in the vertical and longitudinal horizontal components of the magnetic field over time in response to passing vehicles. A trajectory of these components in the phase space of these field components is regularized to obtain a magnetic signature. Magnetic signatures are compared using cross-correlation over arc length to identify vehicles. Inductance sensors can be used to detect vehicles and help determine the beginning and end of magnetic signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Intelligent Imaging Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Engler, Brian Heath, Cedar Mah
  • Patent number: 9286802
    Abstract: A meterless remote parking monitoring system, incorporating a plurality of vehicle detector and Radio Frequency Identification Reader (RFID) units deployed in individual parking spaces; a plurality of Cellular Gateway Radios, each Cellular Gateway Radio being connected to one of said plurality of vehicle detector and Radio Frequency Identification Units; a Command and Control Server; the plurality of Cellular Gateway Radios being connected to said Command and Control Server via the internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: fybr
    Inventors: Eric Groft, Larry Berman
  • Patent number: 9275286
    Abstract: A method for detecting a vehicle running a stop signal positioned at an intersection includes acquiring a sequence of frames from at least one video camera monitoring an intersection being signaled by the stop signal. The method includes defining a first region of interest (ROI) including a road region located before the intersection on the image plane. The method includes searching the first ROI for a candidate violating vehicle. In response to detecting the candidate violating vehicle, the method includes tracking at least one trajectory of the detected candidate violating vehicle across a number of frames. The method includes classifying the candidate violating vehicle as belonging to one of a violating vehicle and a non-violating vehicle based on the at least one trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Orhan Bulan, Aaron M. Burry, Robert P. Loce
  • Patent number: 9262910
    Abstract: A precision wireless sensor for monitoring the environment surrounding the sensor. The precision wireless sensor comprises a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver with bank of down converters and bank of correlators, a receive signal strength measurement circuit, and a control processor with timing counter. The control processor utilizes the received information, received signal strength and timing information to estimate and calculate various environmental parameters which can be used to activate different devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: Kiomars Anvari
  • Patent number: 9256226
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to maneuvering autonomous vehicles. Specifically, the vehicle may use a laser to collect scan data for a section of roadway. The vehicle may access a detailed map including the section of the roadway. A disturbance indicative of an object and including a set of data points data may be identified from the scan data based on the detailed map. The detailed map may also be used to estimate a heading of the disturbance. A bounding box for the disturbance may be estimated using the set of data points as well as the estimated heading. The parameters of the bounding box may then be adjusted in order to increase or maximize the average density of data points of the disturbance along the edges of the bounding box visible to the laser. This adjusted bounding box may then used to maneuver the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Jiajun Zhu, Dirk Haehnel
  • Patent number: 9230443
    Abstract: A predictive enhanced maneuverability system providing enhanced timely delivery of vehicle performance selection of chassis, and steering modes for potential predicted safety collisions is disclosed. The primary inputs of the disclosed invention include a determination of the proximity to a preceding vehicle, the density of the surrounding traffic, a forward collision warning alert, and the predictive enhanced maneuverability decision sub-system for vehicle mode selection. The system of the disclosed invention provides a customized vehicle dynamics chassis and steering dynamic mode output, based on a predicted decision about vehicle potential for collision, for improved driver maneuverability and safety. In addition, the disclosed invention provides an improved system and method for incorporating the time dependent headway, forward collision warning alert, and the traffic density for chassis collision-mode embedded decision-making.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kwaku O. Prakah-Asante, Jianbo Lu, Finn Tseng, Dimitar Petrov Filev, Steven Joseph Szwabowski
  • Patent number: 9216740
    Abstract: An electronic control unit is provided with a braking device formed of a brake pedal which exerts braking force on a vehicle, a brake actuator, braking units and the like, a vehicle speed change rate setting device which sets a target vehicle speed change rate, and a vehicle speed control device which performs vehicle speed control to realize the target vehicle speed change rate by predetermined operation to the braking device performed by a driver. The vehicle speed change rate setting device sets a target vehicle speed change rate to accelerate the vehicle when the predetermined operation is performed while the vehicle stops, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideki Kato
  • Patent number: 9153019
    Abstract: In a method for closely monitoring a state of a lamp using an electronic device, a plurality of images of the lamp are captured by an image capturing unit of the lamp and a specified number of captured images are sampled. A luminance value of each of the sampled images is calculated to determine a state of the lamp, the possible states of the lamp including a normal state and an abnormal state. The lamp is marked or indicated accordingly on a monitoring interface when the lamp is in the abnormal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: ShenZhen Goldsun Network Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hou-Hsien Lee, Chang-Jung Lee, Chih-Ping Lo
  • Patent number: 9150221
    Abstract: An ECU of a vehicle control device selects a system-mounted vehicle traveling ahead of a system-mounted vehicle as a cooperating vehicle and controls the inter-vehicle distance between the selected system-mounted vehicle and the system-mounted vehicle, or the like to control the traffic volume of a road in the vicinity of the system-mounted vehicles, such that traffic jams can be prevented effectively as compared with a case where the system-mounted vehicle performs travel control independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoh Sato, Yoshinori Kadowaki, Kazunori Kagawa
  • Patent number: 9137677
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for monitoring QoS criteria of Traffic classes of at least one cell in a telecommunication system, comprising means for setting thresholds, means for monitoring the traffic with regard to the thresholds for the at least two different traffic classes, and means for adapting the traffic handling capacity of the monitored cell depending on the monitoring result. The monitored traffic classes preferably include circuit-switched traffic and packet-switched traffic, and/or realtime and non-realtime packet-switched traffic. Thresholds are preferably set and monitored for rate of call attempt blocking, and/or data throughput, and/or service blocking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
    Inventors: Volker Wille, Phil Pickering, Simon Browne
  • Patent number: 9126483
    Abstract: A vehicular display system includes a vehicle on-board unit having a vehicular display part, and a mobile device having a mobile display part. The vehicular display part is fixedly mounted on a vehicle and configured to display vehicular information including at least a vehicle speed. The mobile display part is configured to display the vehicular information including the vehicle speed when the mobile device is set in position between a driver of the vehicle and the vehicular display part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Aoki, Yoshimitsu Ishida, Masaru Nakayama
  • Patent number: 9126594
    Abstract: To provide a driving assistance apparatus that can detect an intersection at which driving assistance is required with a high degree of precision so that the driving assistance can be provided more appropriately, a driving assistance apparatus 2 includes: a vehicle speed acquisition unit 64 that obtains information indicating a vehicle speed of a vehicle 1; an assistance condition determination unit 98 that determines whether or not an assistance activation condition, which is a condition for providing a driver of the vehicle 1 with driving assistance, is satisfied on the basis of whether or not a vehicle speed V obtained by the vehicle speed acquisition unit 64 is equal to or lower than a reference vehicle speed V1, and on the basis of information relating to an intersection or a preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle 1; and an assistance execution unit 100 that executes, as the driving assistance, assistance including at least one of warning issuance to the driver, braking control, and steering control w
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Kawamata, Osamu Ozaki, Takuya Kaminade
  • Patent number: 9129159
    Abstract: A video-based vehicle headlight state monitoring method and system. A vehicle image can be captured by an image-capturing unit and converted to a grayscale image. The grayscale image can be processed to locate a front license plate and identify a position of a headlight region in front of the vehicle utilizing an algorithm. An average digital count with respect to brightness of the headlight region can be compared with average digital count with respect to brightness of several parts of the vehicle and a background region to determine the vehicle headlights ON/OFF status. The headlights can be considered ON if the digital count level of the headlight region is higher than the digital count of the several parts of the vehicle and the background region. A warning signal can be initiated to turn the headlights on during a special situation utilizing a signal generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: George Cunha Cardoso, Graham Pennington, Yao Rong Wang
  • Patent number: 9117369
    Abstract: A rotating wheel of a vehicle is detected by evaluating the Doppler shift of a measuring beam, which is emitted by a detector unit passed by the vehicle, and is reflected by the wheel and returned in Doppler-shifted form. In a relative position to the wheel, the vehicle comprises an onboard unit, which can establish radio communication with a transceiver having a known location in the detector unit. The direction and distance of the onboard unit from the transceiver are measured on the basis of at least one radio communication between the same. The radiation direction or radiation position of the measuring beam is controlled in accordance with the measured direction and distance and taking into consideration the aforementioned relative position and location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: KAPSCH TRAFFICCOM AG
    Inventor: Oliver Nagy
  • Patent number: 9115512
    Abstract: A secure safety container is made up with a base and a cover that can be locked together by an electric operated lock carried by the container. The top and base of the container together form a secure space within the container sized and configured to receive an article or articles. Also carried by the container are a CPU with a touch data entry screen, a rechargeable battery, date entry and infra red data entry ports, a tracking transponder and a thermister to provide humidity and temperature inputs to the CPU. After entry into the CPU of insert data relative to the article or articles to be secured within the secure space the electric lock may be activated to secure the container cover to its base. Upon entry of corresponding retrieve data into the CPU and the CPU determining that there is a “match” between the insert data and retrieve data the electric lock is operated by the CPU to permit access to the secure space within the container and retrieval of the article or articles therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Inventor: Mark E. Comunale
  • Patent number: 9112695
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program for cooperative transmission are provided. A re-transmitter for a data packet determined as not having been received at a re-ceiver correctly is selected amongst the potentialre-transmitters in a cooperative transmission mode. In more detail, the re-transmitter is selected amongst an original transmitter of the data packet and assisting transmitters configured to assist transmission of the original transmit-ter. The assisting transmitters receive the data packet in the original transmission, unless errors occur in the reception at a given assisting transmitter, and are candidates for the retransmission in case the original transmission results in erroneous reception at the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy
    Inventors: Markku Juntti, Maria Kangas
  • Patent number: 9098910
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating video stream data relating to different fields of vision from a camera having a sensor which records high resolution images in a distorted manner. According to the invention, image corrections are performed for separate fields of vision, and a total video stream is output from the differently corrected image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: MOBOTIX AG
    Inventor: Ralf Hinkel
  • Patent number: 9091537
    Abstract: A wheel alignment apparatus is capable of automatically obtaining tire pressure information from a plurality of tire pressure monitor systems. The wheel alignment apparatus may include an alignment bay configured to receive a vehicle and an optical system located at an end of the alignment bay and configured to provide an image of wheels of the vehicle. The wheel alignment apparatus may also include a camera configured to receive the image of the wheels of the vehicle and a computer configured to display the image of the wheels of the vehicle and automatically display tire pressure information of the wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is located within a predetermined proximity of the wheel alignment apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Allen Farr, William W. Wittliff, III
  • Patent number: 9087451
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of communicating with an unmanned aerial vehicle includes transmitting a first message via a communications transmitter of a lighting assembly for receipt by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The first message includes an identifier associated with the lighting assembly, and the lighting assembly is located within a proximity of a roadway. The method also includes receiving a second message from the unmanned aerial vehicle via a communications receiver of the lighting assembly. The second message includes an identifier associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method further includes transmitting a third message via the communications transmitter of the lighting assembly for receipt by the unmanned aerial vehicle. The third message includes an indication of an altitude at which the unmanned aerial vehicle should fly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Inventor: John A. Jarrell
  • Patent number: 9084313
    Abstract: A method and system for using smart bulbs is disclosed. One aspect of certain embodiments includes providing applications to both the consumer and the utility to monitor and control the bulbs and provide an audit trail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: ANYCOMM CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert M. Praske, Stephen R. Rumbaugh, Grant E. Hardesty, Thomas A. Hamilton
  • Patent number: 9058701
    Abstract: A meterless remote parking monitoring system, incorporating a plurality of vehicle detector and Radio Frequency Identification Reader (RFID) units deployed in individual parking spaces; a plurality of Cellular Gateway Radios, each Cellular Gateway Radio being connected to one of said plurality of vehicle detector and Radio Frequency Identification Units; a Command and Control Server; the plurality of Cellular Gateway Radios being connected to said Command and Control Server via the internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: fybr, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Groft, Larry Berman
  • Patent number: 9050980
    Abstract: A driver assistance system is described that takes as input a number of different types of vehicle environment inputs to provide driver assistance to a driver. To provide the assistance, the driver assistance system synthesizes the inputs. For objects in the vehicle environment detected in the inputs, object risk values are determined by applying a set of rules to the objects. The object risk values are aggregated by quadrant to generate a set of quadrant risk values. A driver assistance system of the vehicle is controlled based on the quadrant risks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Behzad Dariush, David A. Thompson
  • Patent number: 9041807
    Abstract: An image processing device configured to be installed in a vehicle includes an image acquirer, an image selector, a first luminance adjuster, a synthetic image generator, and an image provider. The image acquirer acquires camera images captured by cameras provided on the vehicle. The image selector selects one of the camera images as a representative image based on luminances of the camera images. The first luminance adjuster adjusts a luminance of at least one of the other camera images based on a luminance of the representative image. The synthetic image generator generates a synthetic image showing a periphery of the vehicle, based on the representative image and the other camera images the luminance of at least one of which has been adjusted by the first adjuster. The image provider outputs, to a display device installed in the vehicle, information corresponding to the synthetic image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignees: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED, FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiko Murakami, Nobunori Asayama
  • Patent number: 9035798
    Abstract: Determining traffic flow data in a road network comprising passing a first radio beacon and receiving a request message that at least includes a start location and a stop location; determining if an on-board unit position is within a predetermined range of the start location, and responsively starting a recording of measurement data; determining if the on-board unit position is within a predetermined range of the stop location, and responsively stopping the recording of the measurement data; and transmitting the recorded measurement data to a next radio beacon that is passed by the on-board unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG
    Inventors: Sandford Bessler, Thomas Paulin, Marko Jandrisits
  • Patent number: 9035803
    Abstract: Gaze based systems and methods are used to aid traffic controllers and/or pilots. A gaze line of an eye of the user viewing the display is tracked using an eyetracker. An intersection of the gaze line of the eye with the display is calculated to provide continuous feedback as to where on the display the user is looking. A trace of the gaze line of the eye is correlated with elements of a situation. The user's awareness of the situation is inferred by verifying that the user has looked at the elements of the situation. In an embodiment, the user is notified of the situation when it is determined that the user has not looked at the elements of the situation for a predetermined period of time. The notification is automatically removed once it is determined that the user has looked at the elements of the situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: LC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Dixon Cleveland
  • Patent number: 9035758
    Abstract: A method and a device for driver information, according to which a warning is produced on the basis of the lane information which indicates crossing of the lane edge. Upon branching of a roadway line, the particular outer lines are used as lane edge markings as the basis for the lane departure warning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Alexander Maass
  • Publication number: 20150123819
    Abstract: A parking sensor device has a casing, a front cover, a sensor module and an assembling clamp. The casing has two first hooking elements. The front cover is mounted on the casing. The sensor module is mounted in the casing and the front cover. The assembling clamp detachably engages the casing and has two second hooking elements. The second hooking elements selectively hook the first hooking elements of the casing respectively. The casing and the assembling clamp are engaged quickly with each other, thereby facilitating the easy fabrication of the parking sensor device and improving the convenience of maintenance of the parking sensor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Tung Thih Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiun-Hua Chang, Yih-Jyh Lin
  • Patent number: 9024785
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and programs distribute traffic information including information on a wrong-way vehicle traveling in a wrong-way direction opposite to a designated travel direction of a road. The systems, methods, and programs distributes the traffic information to the target vehicle, determine a reporting range of the wrong-way vehicle information based on a wrong-way vehicle position. When an end-point distance is equal to or larger than a predetermined reference distance, the systems, methods, and programs set a wrong-way section as the reporting range. When the end-point distance is less than the reference distance, the systems, methods, and programs set the wrong-way section and at least one road section which is adjacent to the wrong-way section as the reporting range. When the target vehicle is in the reporting range, the systems, methods, and programs send the traffic information including the wrong-way vehicle information to the target vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Mochizuki, Tomoki Kubota, Hiroaki Sugiura, Masatoshi Takahara
  • Patent number: 9025865
    Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing the required footprint of SNoW-based classifiers via optimization of classifier features. A compression technique involves two training cycles. The first cycle proceeds normally and the classifier weights from this cycle are used to rank the Successive Mean Quantization Transform (SMQT) features using several criteria. The top N (out of 512 features) are then chosen and the training cycle is repeated using only the top N features. It has been found that OCR accuracy is maintained using only 60 out of 512 features leading to an 88% reduction in RAM utilization at runtime. This coupled with a packing of the weights from doubles to single byte integers added a further 8× reduction in RAM footprint or a reduction of 68× over the baseline SNoW method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Vladimir Kozitsky, Aaron Michael Burry, Peter Paul
  • Patent number: 9013327
    Abstract: The invention includes a vehicular sensor node, circuit apparatus and their operations. Power from power source is controlled for delivery to radio transceiver and magnetic sensor, based upon a task trigger and task identifier. The radio transceiver and the magnetic sensor are operated based upon the task identifier, when the task trigger is active. The power source, radio transceiver, magnetic sensor, and circuit apparatus are enclosed in vehicular sensor node, placed upon pavement and operating for at least five years without replacing the power source components. Magnetic sensor preferably uses the magnetic resistive effect to create magnetic sensor state. Radio transceiver preferably implements version of a wireless communications protocol. The circuit apparatus may further include light emitting structure to visibly communicate during installation and/or testing, and second light emitting structure used to visibly communicate with vehicle operators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Inventor: Robert Kavaler
  • Patent number: 9014953
    Abstract: Wireless sensing and communication system including sensors located on the vehicle, in the roadway or in the vicinity of the vehicle or roadway and which provide information which is transmitted to one or more interrogators in the vehicle by a wireless radio frequency mechanism. Power to operate a particular sensor is supplied by the interrogator or the sensor is independently connected to either a battery, generator, vehicle power source or some source of power external to the vehicle. The sensors can provide information about the vehicle and its interior or exterior environment, about individual components, systems, vehicle occupants, subsystems, or about the roadway, ambient atmosphere, travel conditions and external objects. The sensors arranged on the roadway or ancillary structures would include pressure sensors, temperature sensors, moisture content or humidity sensors, and friction sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Intelligent Technologies International, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Breed, Wendell C. Johnson, Wilbur E. DuVall
  • Patent number: 9007235
    Abstract: A corner sensor assembly includes a housing having at least one magnet attached thereto, wherein the magnets allow the corner sensor assembly to be readily attached and relocated to corner structures within a building. The assembly includes at least one motion sensor for detecting motion within two opposing fields of monitoring. At least one visual indicator is activated when the motion sensors detect motion within both fields of monitoring and are deactivated when no motion is sensed in at least one of the fields of monitoring. The assembly includes an integrated power supply located within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Sentry Protection LLC
    Inventors: James P. Ryan, Jeffrey P. Wagner
  • Patent number: 9000949
    Abstract: A parking space monitoring system, with multiple microprocessors for handling various parking space management conditions, including at least one of the following conditions: (1) Space Occupancy (vehicle detection); (2) Parking Meter Status; (3) Display of Parking Policy to Motorists; (3) Motorist User Interactions; (4) Maintenance User Interactions; (5) Radio Communications with a Central management system and Network; and (6) Coordination of the operation between various ones of the microprocessors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Streetsmart Technology LLC
    Inventors: Scott Keller, Chris Krstanovic, Tom Swiedler, David Fasciano, Eric Groft
  • Patent number: 9002066
    Abstract: Methods, systems and processor-readable media for providing a license plate overlay decal with an infrared readable annotation mark for an optical character recognition and segmentation. The annotation mark with respect to character image of a license plate can be designed by training an ALPR engine to improve automatic license plate recognition performance. A plate overlay decal can be rendered with the annotation mark and attached to a license plate. The annotation mark can also be directly placed on the license plate when the license plate is rendered. The annotation mark is visible when illuminated by an infrared light and the license plate appears normal in visible light. The annotation mark enables an ALPR imaging system to obtain more information for each character and utilize the information to improve conclusion accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Vladimir Kozitsky, Peter Paul, Aaron Michael Burry
  • Patent number: 8988251
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus and method which allows information representing a state or condition or an action to be performed as part of a control system to be present to one or more users. The information is selected and generated in a manner which removes or at least reduces the risk of potentially catastrophic error occurring which would be possible if, for example, the information is corrupt or lost during subsequent transmission, remote processing and/or displaying. One such use of the apparatus and method of the invention is in relation to transport vehicles and the control of the movement of said vehicles along predefined geographical paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Park Signalling Limited
    Inventor: Benjamin Clements
  • Patent number: 8989996
    Abstract: A roadway information system is disclosed with components generating and using vehicle signatures for vehicles passing near sensor pods located on or near lanes. These components in turn are part of and/or communicate with means and/or processors for generating an/or using Vehicle Movement Estimates based upon the vehicle signatures. The VME are used to create traffic feedback that may be presented to programmable field devices that may present at least some of the traffic feedback to drivers of the vehicles, thereby optimizing the fuel usage and travel time of the roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sensys Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Kavaler, Karric Kwong, Ram Rajagopal, Pravin Varaiya