Patents Examined by Aaron Smith
  • Patent number: 9909653
    Abstract: The invention relates to a manual torque adjuster for a motor vehicle steering system, having an electric motor (1), which has a pinion which is arranged on a motor shaft (6) on the output side of said electric motor (1), which pinion drives a belt pulley (3) via a toothed belt (2), and having a sensor unit (20), which is suitable for sensing the position of the motor and which is connected to an electronic controller which controls the electric motor (1), characterized in that the sensor unit (20) is arranged near to the output-side end of the motor shaft (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Presta AG
    Inventors: Michael Scholten, Robert Galehr
  • Patent number: 9846675
    Abstract: A system for controlling the wheel or track motors of a vehicle based on information from a joystick-type control. In one embodiment, the system includes a joystick control configured to generate X and Y coordinates, and a vehicle controller configured to receive the X and Y coordinates from the joystick control and to determine an adjusted X and Y coordinate combination for each of four vehicle control quadrants. The four vehicle control quadrants include a right-reverse quadrant, a right-forward quadrant, a left-reverse quadrant, and a left-forward control quadrant. The adjusted X and Y coordinate combination for a particular control quadrant is determined based on a control value for that quadrant and a previous control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael G. Kandel, Steven J. Bernardy
  • Patent number: 9809328
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Tam Nguyen Thuc Nguyen, Kerri L. Cahoy, Meghan K. Quadrino
  • Patent number: 9694791
    Abstract: At a time of causing a parking mechanism to execute parking process to switch a parking gear to a locked state when a predetermined parking condition is established and a detected road surface gradient is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined whether a foot brake has been operated, operation of an automatic braking system is controlled to make a travel speed of the vehicle greater than zero but equal to or less than a set speed if it is determined that the foot brake has not been operated, and the parking process is then executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shunji Kamo
  • Patent number: 9645969
    Abstract: An information system for automotive includes a plurality of on-vehicle devices each installed in a vehicle and a server device connected with the on-vehicle devices via a communication network. The plurality of on-vehicle devices each include an acceleration/deceleration change detection unit that detects an acceleration/deceleration change of the vehicle equipped with the on-vehicle device and a transmission unit that transmits acceleration/deceleration information pertaining to the detected acceleration/deceleration change. The server device includes a reception unit that receives the acceleration/deceleration information, a statistical parameter calculating unit that calculates statistical parameters to be used to estimate an extent of energy consumption or energy regeneration based upon the received acceleration/deceleration information, and an estimating unit for estimating the extent of energy consumption or energy regeneration based upon the calculated statistical parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Clarion Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Tagawa, Keisuke Mutou, Mika Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 9625262
    Abstract: A navigation system includes at least one inertial sensor configured to detect motion of the system and generate inertial data; at least one aiding device configured to generate aiding device measurement data; at least one processing unit configured to generate an un-smoothed navigation solution inclusive of navigation state variable error resets based on the inertial data and the aiding device measurement data; wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to sum the state variable error resets into a cumulative sum of the state variable error resets; wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to high pass filter the cumulative sum of the state variable error resets; and wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to subtract the high pass filtered cumulative sum of the state variable error resets from the un-smoothed navigation solution to generate a smoothed navigation solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Merrill Buck, Lawrence Charles Vallot, Scott I. Snyder
  • Patent number: 9616865
    Abstract: Based on a difference (?Fb) between a target value (Fbt) and an actual value (Fba) of a friction member force for pressing a brake disc, a feedback energization amount (Ipt) is calculated using a proportional gain smaller than an ultimate sensitivity gain. If ?Fb falls within a fluctuation range of torque ripple, a first compensation energization amount (Ibt) is calculated using a proportional gain larger than the ultimate sensitivity gain, and if ?Fb falls outside the fluctuation range, the first compensation energization amount (Ibt) is calculated to be constant. A second compensation energization amount (Ift) is calculated based on a calculation characteristic that is preset based on a torque fluctuation over a predetermined range of an electric motor position and based on an actual position of the electric motor. An indication energization amount calculated according to Fbt is adjusted by Ipt, Ibt, and Ift to calculate a target energization amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Yasui, Hiroyuki Kodama, Naotoshi Satake
  • Patent number: 9563528
    Abstract: A mobile apparatus and a localization method thereof which perform localization of the mobile apparatus using a distributed filter system including a plurality of local filters independently operated and one fusion filter integrating results of localization performed through the respective local filters, and additionally apply accurate topological absolute position information to the distributed filter system to improve localization performance (accuracy, convergence and speed in localization, etc.) of the mobile apparatus on a wide space. The mobile apparatus includes at least one sensor, at least one first distribution filter generating current relative position information using a value detected by the at least one sensor, at least one second distribution filter generating current absolute position information using the value detected by the at least one sensor, and a fusion filter integrating the relative position information and the absolute position information to perform localization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Hwan Ahn, No San Kwak, Kyung Shik Roh, Suk June Yoon, Seung Yong Hyung
  • Patent number: 9511759
    Abstract: A clutch control device for a work vehicle includes a determination unit that determines as to whether or not a clutch cutoff condition has been established based upon whether or not the accelerator pedal is being operated, as determined by the accelerator pedal operation determination unit, the vehicle speed of the work vehicle detected by the vehicle speed detection unit and the braking force of the work vehicle detected by the braking force detection unit; and a clutch control unit that controls engagement/release of a clutch so as to release the clutch when the determination unit determines that the clutch cutoff condition has been established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: KCM Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Hyodo, Tetsuji Tanaka, Isamu Aoki, Keigo Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9469310
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for automatically controlling a locomotive include a control interface unit configured to receive input from at least one manual control, receive input from an automatic control system, and transmit commands to a locomotive control system, wherein the commands are based at least partially on the input received from the automatic control system. A bypass relay may also be provided to enable and disable communication between the at least one manual control and the locomotive control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Wabtec Holding Corp.
    Inventors: Jeffrey D. Kernwein, Donald J. Gillen, Richard S. Klemanski, Shawn D. Rouse, Scott A. Sollars
  • Patent number: 9434371
    Abstract: An operation line is set on the basis of a shift position and a brake pedal position, from among a plurality of operation lines in which a degree of avoidance of an abnormal noise generation region from a fuel-economy optimal operation line becomes smaller as a degree to which travel of the vehicle is restricted becomes greater. An engine and a motor are controlled by setting a target operation point of the engine using the set operation line, and by setting a torque instruction of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichiro Muta, Michio Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9434391
    Abstract: A brake control unit for a railway vehicle having first and second cores. The first core is responsible for brake control functions and the second core is responsible for communications. A switch controls communication between the second core and a communication bus on the railway vehicle to safeguard the braking function of the first core. The second core only has write access to the communication bus when enabled by the first core, which first core determines whether the system is in a defined safe state to safeguard the braking function. This reduces the testing requirements for new communications software.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE RAIL SYSTEMS (UK) LIMITED
    Inventors: Ross Bradley, Nigel Anstey
  • Patent number: 9406216
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reconfiguration process for an aircraft environment surveillance device including at least two redundant electronic systems (2, 2?), where each system includes at least two surveillance sets (4-10, 4?-10?) able to provide information about the aircraft's environment. The inventive method and apparatus includes the following steps and structures: detection of simultaneous unavailability (S1, S4) of at least one surveillance set of the first system (4-10) and of at least one surveillance set of a second system (4?-10?); and, in the case where at least two unavailable sets (4-10, 4?-10?) are not redundant sets, automatic selection (S3, S6) of the information obtained, on the one hand, from the available surveillance sets of the first system (4-10), and, on the other hand, from the redundant surveillance set or sets of the second system (4?-10?) that matches the unavailable surveillance set or sets of the first system (4-10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS (SAS)
    Inventors: Nicolas Caule, Andre Marques, Garance Raynaud
  • Patent number: 9395192
    Abstract: Methods and systems for road boundary and lane tracing are described herein. In an example implementation, a computing system of a vehicle may receive boundary data associated with a road and may determine edge data representative of edges of the boundaries. A given edge may indicate a discontinuity between a boundary and a characteristic of the road. The computing system may modify the edge data based on a position and orientation of respective edges to combine edges positioned substantially in parallel and within a threshold distance to each other. The computing system may adjust boundary data based on the modified edge data so as to extend a given boundary that includes a combined edge and may determine whether extended boundary data substantially matches road data indicated by a map. In addition, the computing system may provide an estimation of projections of boundaries ahead of the vehicle on the road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Harrison Silver, David Ian Ferguson
  • Patent number: 9387733
    Abstract: A method locates an installation position of vehicles wheels in a motor vehicle having at least one vehicle wheel containing a wheel electronics unit. The method includes: determining from the wheel electronics unit a first rotational angle position of the vehicle wheel associated with the wheel electronics unit; transmitting a transmission signal with a first piece of rotational angle information dependent on the determined first rotational angle position; determining from the vehicle second rotational angle positions of the vehicle wheels, and depending thereon, providing second rotational angle information. The first rotational angle information is compared with the second rotational angle information. The installation position of the vehicle wheel associated with the wheel electronics unit is determined depending on the comparison. A device is provided for performing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Alexander Fink
  • Patent number: 9376103
    Abstract: A traveling mode switching controller of a hybrid electric vehicle has a velocity detection unit, a state-of-charge detection unit, and a switching control unit for selectively switching among first to third traveling modes. In the first traveling mode, an engine is deactivated and a drive motor is activated to actuate drive wheels. In the second traveling mode, the engine activates a generator to activate the drive motor. In the third traveling mode, the engine activates the drive wheels. When the state of charge is less than a first state of charge, the switching control unit performs switching between the second traveling mode and the third traveling mode at a first velocity. When the state of charge is the first state of charge or more, the switching control unit performs switching between the first traveling mode and the third traveling mode at a predetermined velocity higher than the first velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsunori Ueda, Yusuke Sasaki, Shigetoshi Hirano
  • Patent number: 9322651
    Abstract: A sensor system having multiple sensors and having a grid generator projecting into space a relative navigation grid and a method of utilizing multiple airborne sensors operably coupled to an aircraft and coordinating the sensor outputs from the airborne sensors based on the determined spatial position of the multiple sensors and a method for utilizing multiple airborne sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: Eric Daniel Buehler, David Kevin McCauley
  • Patent number: 9322744
    Abstract: Provided is a tire air pressure monitoring device capable of accurately determining the wheel position of a transmitter. The tire air pressure monitoring device comprises: a transmitter installed on each wheel for transmitting detected air pressure information via a wireless signal; a rotational position detection mechanism disposed on the vehicle body side which detects the rotational position of each wheel and also outputs rotational position information to a communications line at prescribed time intervals; and a vehicle body side rotation position estimation mechanism that estimates the rotational position (i.e., number of teeth) at the time of transmission by the transmitters, on the basis of the reception information for the wireless signal from the transmitters and the rotation position information for the wheels input via the communications line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Shima, Kazuo Sakaguchi, Syoji Terada
  • Patent number: 9315173
    Abstract: A towed vehicle braking system and method for applying brakes to a towed vehicle. The towed vehicle braking system may include a master controller, a brake pedal activation device, and a breakaway cable. The master controller may be mountable in a towing vehicle and may be selectively placed in a trailer mode or a powered vehicle mode. A brake signal wire used to apply braking power to trailer brakes may be used for communication between the master controller and the brake pedal activation device. The brake pedal activation device may use a force sensor to determine that a force applied to a brake pedal of the towed vehicle corresponds to a desired amount of braking force as indicated by the master controller. The breakaway cable may be a combination of a traditional breakaway switch and an electrical cord between the towed and towing vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: John Gray, Vicki Shuss, Gary Kaminski, Greg Yotz
  • Patent number: 9248742
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a driver assistance device which is designed to guide the motor vehicle independently and can be switched between several assistance modes which differ in a degree of autonomy of the driver assistance device when driving the motor vehicle. An operating device having several operating elements allows the user to adjust respective driving parameters, which determine a driving behavior of the driver assistance device, in at least one of the assistance modes as a function of an activation of the operating elements. The operating device is designed in the form of a palm rest. Some of the operating elements are arranged on a support body. The support body is mounted such that it can be manually rotated about a vertical axis, and the driver assistance device is designed to adjust the currently active assistance mode as a function of a rotary position of the support body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Martin Wimmer, Karl-Heinz Siedersberger, Heike Sacher, Franziska Ehrhart, Fabian Scheiffert