Based On Weather Condition Patents (Class 701/415)
  • Patent number: 11688288
    Abstract: An example method includes determining, by a flight planning system, a perceived noise at a surface location based on acoustic noise emitted by an aerial vehicle at an aerial location. The aerial location corresponds to a waypoint along a proposed trajectory. Further, determining the perceived noise includes estimating propagation of the acoustic noise from the aerial location to the surface location based on environmental features of the environment or weather data. The flight planning method also includes determining, by the flight planning system using a noise-abatement function, a noise-abatement value of the proposed trajectory for the aerial vehicle based on the perceived noise at the surface location. In addition, the flight planning method includes determining, by the flight planning system, a flight plan for the aerial vehicle based on the noise-abatement value of the proposed trajectory, and outputting the flight plan for use in navigating the aerial vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Brian Tillotson, Charles B. Spinelli
  • Patent number: 11373540
    Abstract: An example method includes determining, by a flight planning system, a perceived noise at a surface location based on acoustic noise emitted by an aerial vehicle at an aerial location. The aerial location corresponds to a waypoint along a proposed trajectory. Further, determining the perceived noise includes estimating propagation of the acoustic noise from the aerial location to the surface location based on environmental features of the environment or weather data. The flight planning method also includes determining, by the flight planning system using a noise-abatement function, a noise-abatement value of the proposed trajectory for the aerial vehicle based on the perceived noise at the surface location. In addition, the flight planning method includes determining, by the flight planning system, a flight plan for the aerial vehicle based on the noise-abatement value of the proposed trajectory, and outputting the flight plan for use in navigating the aerial vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Brian Tillotson, Charles B. Spinelli
  • Patent number: 10580295
    Abstract: A vehicular safety system employing an adaptive epidemic information dissemination protocol running on a wireless ad-hoc network composed by neighboring vehicles and roadside stations. The protocol is based on storage and re-transmission of messages by vehicle on-board units; both storage time and re-transmission period are adaptively adjusted to make information spread through the network reasonably certain. An on-board vehicle system monitors a speed and acceleration to detect collisions or any other dangerous situations that might compromise the safety; when such an event is detected a time-stamped message identifies the vehicle and approximate location and event type. A panic button can trigger an emergency message in an immediate threat situation. Roadside stations add their location to the messages they relay; they also receive messages transmitted from passing vehicles, relaying them to law-enforcement agencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Jose Albornoz
  • Patent number: 10480952
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for probabilistic navigation planning. An exemplary probabilistic navigation method may comprise: obtaining a map of an environment comprising one or more first objects each associated with a probability model; obtaining one or more global factors and local factors to update the probability models, wherein the global factors apply to all of the first objects and the local factors apply to a portion of the first objects; and determining a navigation for a second object through at least a part of the environment based at least on minimizing a total collision probability with the first objects along the navigation according to the updated probability models.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: DiDi Research America, LLC
    Inventor: Zafar Takhirov
  • Patent number: 10425482
    Abstract: Provided is an information management device including: a communication information obtaining unit configured to obtain communication information about a communication state in an internal network inside a building; and an update determination unit configured to determine a start of updating process by an information updating unit, based on the communication information obtained by the communication information obtaining unit, wherein the information updating unit obtains information from an external network outside the building and performs the updating process for storing the obtained information as local information into a storage device which is accessible, not via the external network, by a terminal device connected to the internal network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi Murakami, Yoji Okada, Yoshizo Tanaka, Takashi Yamamoto, Hirotsugu Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Kazuto Yano, Masayuki Ariyoshi, Tomohiro Miyasaka, Mariko Sekiguchi, Yafei Hou
  • Patent number: 10088327
    Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: identifying a free-travel mode for representing a user travelling without a calculated navigation route or an expressed destination determining a contextual parameter during the free-travel mode; and determining a target access identification with a control circuit for communicating with a communication target during the free-travel mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Telenav, Inc.
    Inventors: Naveen Kumar Vandanapu, Gregory Stewart Aist, Casey Carter
  • Patent number: 9851217
    Abstract: Disclosed is a navigation device which extracts an entrance and exit section which exists ahead of a vehicle and in which a vehicle is permitted to make a lane change between an HOV lane and a normal lane on the basis of information about the position of the vehicle and map data in which the HOV lane and the normal lane are defined by a single link, extracts a branch point on the HOV lane existing ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the map data and the position information, determines a guidance time for the extracted entrance and exit section, and another guidance time for the branch point, and provides guidance notifying that the vehicle can exit the HOV lane or guidance notifying that the vehicle can enter the HOV lane at the guidance time, or provides guidance on the branch at the other guidance time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kumi Nishibashi, Takashi Irie
  • Patent number: 9661006
    Abstract: Methods and systems for mitigating cyber attacks on components of an automotive communication system are disclosed. These methods and systems comprise elements of hardware and software for receiving a frame; determining whether the frame potentially affects correct operation of an automotive component; and, taking protective action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Alon Kantor, Tamir Zegman
  • Publication number: 20150127248
    Abstract: To provide remote services, including dynamic, interactive assistance to electric vehicle (EV) users, a central server is arranged for electronic communications with EVs (15) and with client devices (11). The server also communicates with at least one EV charging station network, which in turn communicate with individual charging stations (30). Remote services may include trip planning, locating charging stations, checking availability and suitability of charging stations, making reservations at charging stations, and updating plans en route. The server collects data from the EV and analyzes the data to determine various statistics. The system advises a user on readiness of the EV to complete a proposed trip before recharging the EV batteries. Client devices may include smart phones, computers, or a head unit in the EV. Application software programs are executable on the client devices to provide user interfaces for accessing the remote services and for communicating with the central server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Sheldon Fisher, Bheemrao Zhade
  • Patent number: 8996295
    Abstract: Vehicle range projection is implemented by a host system having logic executable thereon. The logic identifies a starting location of a vehicle and identifies destination locations for the vehicle. The logic also builds routes from the starting location to the destination locations based on routing objectives and travel constraints. The logic further outputs at least a portion of at least one route and travel cost information associated with the at least a portion of at least one route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Edward D. Tate, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8989907
    Abstract: A mobile apparatus and a process for adequately irrigating soil, wherein the apparatus has an irrigation unit for irrigating soil and a mobile microwave measurement unit for determining the water content of the soil along a measurement path. A control unit is used to irrigate the soil along the measurement path depending on the measured water content. The apparatus preferably also has a water tank and leaves an area of soil to be irrigated autonomously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Plantcare AG
    Inventors: Walter Schmidt, Yucel Toprak
  • Patent number: 8965675
    Abstract: A system for navigation along a desired route on a desired future date may include a map interface operable to display a traffic condition and a travel time received via a communication network, and an automobile navigation network communicatively coupled to the communication network. The automobile navigation network may estimate the traffic condition and the travel time for travel along the desired route on the desired future date based on historical travel information, current traffic information and current weather information. Information regarding the estimated travel conditions may be automatically communicated to the map interface. The traffic condition may include geographic location information and/or route information. The historical travel information may include historical traffic information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Gary R. Ignatin
  • Patent number: 8955130
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting an intrusion or a bug in a vehicle data transmission system. A hardware-software complex (HSC) is used to find a bug or intrusion device in a vehicle electronic system. The HSC is connected to CAN-buses in the vehicle and also scans radio waves, which can be used to transmit data to a bug. This complex is a self-teaching CAN-system used to monitor and block harmful commands in the vehicle. Each vehicle (of each model, type and settings) has its own reference bus data (parameters), which is used to detect added modules and malicious data sent over the vehicle's CAN bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Zephyr Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Nikolay Kalintsev, Dmitry Mikhailov, Timur Khabibullin, Andrey Starikovsky, Alexander Zuykov
  • Patent number: 8949020
    Abstract: A map matching apparatus and method are provided. The map matching apparatus comprises a location determining unit configured to determine whether a GPS receipt location is located within planar data for a road, and a map matching unit configured to perform map matching on the GPS receipt location depending on whether the GPS receipt location is located within the planar data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Thinkwaresystems Corp.
    Inventor: Jungho Lee
  • Patent number: 8937546
    Abstract: A weather alert manager is used to provide real-time, site specific information to a user regarding weather and possibly other hazards. The weather alert manager compares meteorological data, a user profile including information on points of interest to the user, and geographical data to determine if weather will impact one or more of the user's points of interest. The user's points of interest include at least one mobile point of interest, which periodically transmits its location. The weather alert manager transmits a user alert message if one is needed, and a remote receiver notifies the user that a message has been received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Baron Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert O. Baron, Sr., Tony L. Benson, Thomas S. Thompson, Erick C. Jones, Robert J. Dreisewerd, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8930123
    Abstract: Systems and associated methods for utilizing crowdsourcing probes to obtain traffic information are described. Such traffic information includes location, date, time, speed, and speed limit information. Embodiments allow for the determination of traffic intensity, or road congestion, through the calculation of a road speed capacity factor. Embodiments provide that the traffic information and traffic intensity information may be visualized through a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Biplav Srivastava
  • Patent number: 8902081
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a computer that receives weather information from a weather service provider (“WSP”) server and automatic vehicle locating system (“AVL”) collected information from an AVL server, accesses a material performance specification for at least one treatment material, and determines, based on the weather information and/or AVL collected information and the material performance specification, a treatment recommendation for a selected roadway segment and/or route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Concaten, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Groeneweg
  • Patent number: 8892354
    Abstract: In general, embodiments of the present invention relate to prescription-based travel route recommendation. In a typical embodiment, a prescription related to a medical condition of a patient is received (e.g., electronically in a computer memory medium or the like). Among other things, the prescription typically comprises a set of criteria (e.g., route specifics such as topography/incline, mode of travel such as walking, running, cycling, etc.) for a desired travel route for the patient. Then, using global positioning satellite (GPS) technology or the like, the system will access/receive information corresponding to a geographical area associated with the patient. Using this information, a set of possible travel routes between a starting point and a destination within the geographical area will be determined. Then, by comparing the set of criteria to the information, at least one travel route will be identified from the possible travel routes for treating the medical condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 8880330
    Abstract: Techniques are described for using geographic location data of snowplows to update a snow depth associated with a section of a surface street. The route of the snowplow may be tracked continuously which allows the snow depth of the street to be reset in real-time. The updated snow depth may then be used to generate a cost of travelling on the street. The travelling cost may then be used to plan a route through the region. Alternatively, the cost may be graphically displayed on a map to permit a user to determine which surface streets to avoid. In another embodiment, the cost of travelling on a particular street may be changed by the attributes of the vehicle that will navigate the snow-covered roads, driver's experience, or the geographic terrain of a road. This new cost may then be used, for example, to plan a route or display roads to avoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas M. Gooding
  • Patent number: 8880329
    Abstract: Techniques are described for using geographic location data of snowplows to update a snow depth associated with a section of a surface street. The route of the snowplow may be tracked continuously which allows the snow depth of the street to be reset in real-time. The updated snow depth may then be used to generate a cost of travelling on the street. The travelling cost may then be used to plan a route through the region. Alternatively, the cost may be graphically displayed on a map to permit a user to determine which surface streets to avoid. In another embodiment, the cost of travelling on a particular street may be changed by the attributes of the vehicle that will navigate the snow-covered roads, driver's experience, or the geographic terrain of a road. This new cost may then be used, for example, to plan a route or display roads to avoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas M. Gooding
  • Patent number: 8862403
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining altitudes for a vehicle to travel are provided. In one example, a method comprises receiving information indicating a desired location for a balloon and a time period for traveling to the desired location. A region may include the desired location, and the region can be divided into a plurality of cells. The method may include determining estimated cell locations that can be reached by the balloon over a time interval by following a wind at a given altitude. The method may also include assigning a cost value to each cell based on a proximity of the estimated cell locations to a cell including the desired location. The method may further include determining for each cell an altitude for the balloon to travel based on the assigned cost value, and storing information indicating the cost value and the altitude for the balloon to travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Daniele P. Piponi, Bradley Rhodes
  • Patent number: 8855901
    Abstract: In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining travel information that indicates travel patterns for a mobile computing device that is associated with a user; identifying a current context for the mobile computing device and the user; identifying one or more destination locations that the user has at least a threshold likelihood of travelling to with the mobile computing device based on the current context and the obtained travel information; generating a prediction that one or more events have at least a threshold probability of occurring along one or more of a plurality of routes for travelling to the identified one or more destination locations; selecting a particular route from the plurality of routes to recommend to the user based on the current context and the prediction of the one or more events; and providing route information that identifies the selected particular route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Adam L. Leader, Andrew Kirmse
  • Patent number: 8825234
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a touch screen system. Data generated by an acceleration detector about acceleration of the touch screen system is received. The acceleration detector is located within the touch screen system. An action is initiated by an input manager when the acceleration of the touch screen system reduces usability of the touch screen system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Williams, Susan Anne Foster, Jason W. Clark, Samantha Ann Schwartz, Aaron Daniel Pilcher
  • Patent number: 8825366
    Abstract: The device includes processor elements for determining an optimal flight trajectory, which is free of collision with obstacles, which respects constraints of energy, and which links the current position of the aircraft to a target point defined by an operator. The device minimizes additional crew work required to update and validate a new trajectory when an original flight plan needs to be modified to avoid moving obstacles such as storms or other aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Andrea Giovannini, Thomas Pastre
  • Patent number: 8825349
    Abstract: An on-vehicle information terminal includes a traffic information obtaining unit that obtains traffic information including at least either weather information or event information through wireless communication, a decision-making unit that makes a decision, based upon at least either the weather information or the event information, as to whether or not telematics information provided by a distribution server via a mobile communication network is to be downloaded, and a download unit that downloads the telematics information via the mobile communication network if the decision-making unit has determined that the telematics information is to be downloaded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akio Sumizawa
  • Patent number: 8793067
    Abstract: A route searching device according to an embodiment of the invention includes an estimated fuel consumption amount computing unit that computes an estimated fuel consumption amount of each interval constituting plural routes from a departure point to a destination and an optimum route selecting unit that selects a route in which a total of the estimated fuel consumption amount from the departure point to the destination is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Taisuke Tsurutani, Koichiro Takemasa, Yoshinori Aoki, Kenichi Mineta
  • Patent number: 8762050
    Abstract: A fuel-saving path planning navigation system and a fuel-saving path planning method thereof. A plurality of sensors monitors a plurality of roads respectively and periodically report traffic information to a server. The server comprises a storing module and a processing module. The storing module stores the traffic information as history information. The processing module estimates how many vehicles on a road based upon the history information, calculates fuel consumption of each possible planned path including current fuel consumption based on real-time traffic and future fuel consumption based on the historical information, and plans a most fuel-efficient path. Also, the processing module recalculates fuel consumption of remaining path and changes the remaining path while fuel cost of a new path better 10% than the remaining path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Wen-Tsuen Chen, Po-Yu Chen, Yi-Min Guo
  • Patent number: 8688379
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine-readable media for determining one or more possible destinations that may be reached using a hierarchy of maps. The system may be configured to receive search parameters indicating a starting point and an allotted cost and identify a set of nodes on a first level map that may be reached given the allotted cost. If further level maps in the hierarchy of maps are to be searched, the system may identify nodes in other level maps in the hierarchy of maps that may be reached given the remaining allotted cost and add the identified nodes to the set of nodes. Based on the set of nodes, the system may calculate the area that may be reached from the starting point given the allotted cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: James Brian McGill
  • Patent number: 8680978
    Abstract: A method for displaying a warning message in a first vehicle, includes transmitting from a second vehicle a warning and position data relating to a position of the second vehicle to the first vehicle, wherein if, after reception of the warning and of the position data by the first vehicle, it is concluded on the basis of the received position data that the second vehicle can be seen by a driver of the first vehicle in a region of a head-up display of the first vehicle, the warning message is displayed in such a way that the second vehicle is characterized visually for the driver of the first vehicle in the head-up display of the first vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Yiwen Yang, Lutz Bersiner, Mario Mueller-Frahm, Moez Selem, Peter Vogel, Gerrit De Boer, Andreas Engelsberg, Holger Modler
  • Patent number: 8674854
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a traffic control apparatus and method. The traffic control apparatus includes a navigation route database (DB) for storing navigation routes of a vehicle for respective navigational situations. A vehicle situation information collection unit collects current navigational situation information of the vehicle. A preferred route extraction unit extracts a preferred navigation route of the vehicle corresponding to the collected current navigational situation information from the navigation route DB. A predicted route estimation unit estimates a predicted navigation route of the vehicle based on the extracted preferred navigation route with reference to a traveling state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Byung-Gil Lee, Jong-Wook Han, Hyun-Sook Cho
  • Patent number: 8666663
    Abstract: A technology for searching for a recommended route matched to a search condition is provided for route search that involves substitution with a learned route. A route search device comprises: a storage unit to store therein, as learned routes, routes corresponding to sections where traveling deviated from recommended routes have been performed; a setting unit to set a search condition matched a recommended route; a recommended-route search unit to find a recommended route on the basis of the search condition; an application unit to select any one of the learned routes that is applicable to the thus found recommended route, and apply the selected learned route to the recommended route; and a display unit to display the recommended route to which the learned route has been applied. The storage unit stores therein category information of the learned routes in association with the respective learned routes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takefumi Kudo
  • Patent number: 8645067
    Abstract: A road data apparatus is disclosed that predicts road conditions comprising a land surface data generator which derives a land surface data output from a plurality of current and forecast weather and location data, said current and forecast weather and location data comprising surface temperature, subsurface temperature, and precipitation depth, a pavement data generator which derives a road temperature and a road condition from said land surface data output and a plurality of pavement generator input data, said plurality of pavement generator input data comprising road layer data; and a roadway status indicator generator which derives a roadway status indicator from said road temperature, road condition and precipitation data. In one embodiment, the roadway status indicator is communicated to an end user through a distribution network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Baron Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel R. Gallagher, Robert J. Dreisewerd, John N. McHenry
  • Patent number: 8635023
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to localizing mobile devices. In one example, a first location method associated with a first accuracy value may be used to estimate a location of the mobile device. A confidence circle indicative of a level of confidence in the estimation of the location is calculated. The confidence circle may be displayed on a mobile device. When other location methods become available, the size of the displayed confidence circle may be expanded based on information from an accelerometer of the client device or the accuracy of the other available location methods. This may be especially useful when the mobile device is transitioning between areas which are associated with different location methods that may be more or less accurate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Sorelle Alaina Friedler, Mohammed Waleed Kadous, Andrew Lookingbill
  • Patent number: 8600587
    Abstract: A vehicle system for determining an object threat level, includes a display and electronics configured to receive mission context data indicating an operational state of the vehicle. The electronics determines a threat level of the object in response to the mission context data. The electronics determines at least one recommended action in response to the threat level. The electronics provides an indication of the threat level and at least one recommended action to the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Kirschen A. Seah, Kevin M. Kronfeld, Jeffery A. Finley
  • Patent number: 8594924
    Abstract: An asset operational health monitoring system, in which a plurality of sensors are arranged to determine values of asset operation parameters pertaining to an instance of asset operation. One or more processing unit receives data corresponding to said asset operation values and determine a plurality of asset locations at a corresponding plurality of points in time. The one or more processing unit is arranged to receive data indicative of the location of a region of adverse environmental conditions which may impact on the operation of the asset and to compare the determined locations of the asset with the location of said region so as to determine whether one or more of said asset locations fall within said region. An indicator of operational risk associated with the presence of said asset in said region is output which can drive asset operation or maintenance decision making. The system may be used for ash cloud impact monitoring for aircraft, a fleet of aircraft or aircraft engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce, PLC
    Inventors: Stephen P. King, Adrian Bird, Paul A. Flint, Daniel K. Goodall
  • Patent number: 8583362
    Abstract: History information for the history of vehicle travel on a road is obtained. Traffic-volume information indicating a traffic volume on the road is obtained based on the history information that has been stored in at least a predetermined amount. When the traffic volume on the road during a predetermined period is smaller than a predetermined reference value indicating a difficulty of passage, road-selection information for avoiding that road is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nagase, Kensaku Fujitani
  • Patent number: 8577599
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle navigation accurately calculates travel times between locations and serves a vehicle driver request for the shortest time route. A navigation server compiles data of common road segments between two locations that are contained in route requests and subsequently calculates travel time between the two locations. When subsequent route requests contain further information pertaining to the same locations, the navigation server updates the travel time. Consequently, the navigation server can calculate the travel times of different routes from the same source vehicle location and destination location. When a vehicle driver requests directions from the vehicle's current location to a destination, the navigation server then provides directions for the shortest time route to the vehicle driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventor: Richard A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8577534
    Abstract: A method and a device are described for scanning the surrounding environment of a vehicle. When the vehicle falls below a first boundary speed a timer is triggered whose state is incremented until the vehicle exceeds a boundary speed, a check of the unobstructed view of the scanning device being carried out upon expiration of the time period recorded by the state of the timer and in which the state of the counter is incremented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Dorenkamp, Volker Brichzin, Ulrich Schirm, Maria-Eugenia Garcia Bordes
  • Patent number: 8538694
    Abstract: A system may include a processing device and a routing application included on the processing device. The routing application may be configured to receive a destination location for a vehicle; determine a fuel efficiency of the vehicle; and determine a route for the vehicle from a current location to the destination location, the route being based on the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, a fuel capacity of the vehicle, an amount of fuel remaining for the vehicle, and navigation information including the location of at least one charging station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Adrian E. Conway
  • Patent number: 8515662
    Abstract: A method and arrangement are configured for determination of the energy consumption of a transportation device per section of the route, in urban traffic, for example. In an embodiment, current energy consumption data is compared to reference data from a fleet of transportation devices. The result is visually conveyed to the driver to allow them an interpretation of the energy consumption and to provide motivation for energy-saving driving behavior. An evaluation of the energy consumption data relative to the route allows specific feedback, for example, that the driver has achieved an energy-saving best value for a section of the route. The gathered data can also be used to pay bonuses or to initiate training measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Haaf, Martin Kessner
  • Publication number: 20130191018
    Abstract: A portable navigation device (PND) having software adapted to establish a wireless communication with a third party device having a corresponding wireless signal transceiver and which forms one of a plurality of nodes of a vehicle controller area network (CAN). The PND software includes one or more routines specific to the functionality of one or more of said nodes so as to effectively communicate with said node and utilize its functionality. The invention allows the PND, for example, to interrogate the controller area network and retrieve information from one or more nodes on the network for display on the PND or for improved operation thereof, or to cause control or state change of one or more of the nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Inventors: Martin Siereveld, Jochem De Jong, Serhiy Tkachenko
  • Patent number: 8489321
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for nature event signaling are provided. Example mobile electronic devices of the present disclosure can include a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, and a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The processor executes the instructions to calculate a distance between a reference location and a current location, and calculate a travel time for the distance based on a speed. The processor also executes the instructions to determine a nature event time and cause a return alert indication to be signaled, via the mobile electronic device, based on a comparison of a calculated travel time and the nature event time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH
    Inventor: Choy Wai Lee
  • Patent number: 8489324
    Abstract: Two-way communication between a mobile device and a server is used to provide increased relevance of traffic information at lower bandwidth. The complexity, amount of storage and processing power required of the mobile navigation device are minimized, since the server performs much of the required computing. A transactional billing model can be used to bill the driver based on usage or consumption of traffic information. A driver selects a destination and routing preferences on a mobile device, and the local system generates a routing. The mobile device sends the planned route and preferences to a server. The server uses real-time traffic flow and incident information to determine an estimated driving time for the planned route. The server may also generate alternative routes, with an estimated time for each alternative route. The traffic and time information for the planned and alternative routes are then transmitted back to the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: deCarta Inc.
    Inventor: Geoffrey R. Hendrey
  • Patent number: 8471729
    Abstract: A road-vehicle communication system enabling resumption of the transmission/reception from the rest of data between the vehicle and the road if the transmission/reception is interrupted. Specifically, the road-vehicle communication system includes a roadside apparatus for distributing a content and a vehicle-mounted device which can play a distributed content, the roadside apparatus is connected communicatively with the vehicle-mounted device, and a series of contents are distributed from the roadside apparatus to the vehicle-mounted device. The roadside apparatus includes a control unit for determining a content which the roadside apparatus starts transmitting to the vehicle-mounted device, which is a communication party, from among the series of contents and distributing the other contents succeeding the determined transmission start content. Thus, if the transmission/reception of data between the road and vehicle is interrupted, the transmission/reception can be resumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kenwood
    Inventors: Kouji Kuga, Hideyuki Nagatomo
  • Patent number: 8467919
    Abstract: A method of descent trajectory of an aircraft includes an iterative process of selecting meteorological data points along a predicted descent trajectory, generating a wind profile along the predicted descent trajectory for the selected data points, determining a subset fuel cost and a subset time cost based upon the wind profile, selecting the subset that minimizes weighted fuel burn and time error, and calculating an optimized descent trajectory based on the selected subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Joel Kenneth Klooster
  • Patent number: 8452526
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimation of roadway travel information based on historical travel data are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for estimating travel conditions may comprise, for example, a communication network; an automobile navigation system communicatively coupled to the communication network, the automobile navigation system for specifying a future travel information for travel along the desired route on the desired date; and a processor communicatively coupled to the communication network, the processor estimating travel conditions associated with the desired route on the desired date, and the processor performing said estimation by correlating the future travel information with historical travel information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Inventor: Gary Ignatin
  • Patent number: 8433506
    Abstract: A method of providing weather information for an aircraft trajectory to a flight management system (FMS) includes selecting a unique subset of temperature data points from weather data points along an aircraft trajectory and sending corresponding weather data points to the FMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Frank Saggio, III, Ana Isabel Del Amo Blanco
  • Patent number: 8427308
    Abstract: A weather alert manager is used to provide real-time, site specific information to a user regarding weather and possibly other hazards. The weather alert manager compares meteorological data, a user profile including information on points of interest to the user, and geographical data to determine if weather will impact one or more of the user's points of interest. The user's points of interest include at least one mobile point of interest, which periodically transmits its location. The weather alert manager transmits a user alert message if one is needed, and a remote receiver notifies the user that a message has been received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Baron Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert O. Baron, Sr., Tony L. Benson, Thomas S. Thompson, Erick C. Jones, Robert J. Dreisewerd, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8412445
    Abstract: A user of a telematics-navigation device in a vehicle requests a recommendation as to a route to take to reach a destination. Multiple routes are identified from a current location of the vehicle to the destination. For each route, traffic conditions of the route are predicted. Based on the traffic conditions predicted for each route, one route is chosen to recommend to the user for traveling to the destination. The recommended route is presented to the user along with the other identified routes. When the user selects to travel along one of the presented routes, directions to the destination are provided to a driver of the vehicle along the selected route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Robert Uyeki
  • Patent number: 8406994
    Abstract: Improved designs of navigation devices or systems are disclosed. A navigation device presents a digital map resembling an ambient environment with a certain level of realism, where various objects resembling major structures or signs are presented or superimposed in the map. Depending on the time of the day or the weather condition of the time, the map or the objects therein is caused to be altered correspondingly in a tone that reflects the time or weather.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: InfoGation Corporation
    Inventors: Kent Qing Pu, Ivan Angelov, David Thieme