Patents Examined by Aaron Smith
  • Patent number: 9235339
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus, method, and recording medium which acquire movement trace information and automatically determine a division point for dividing the movement trace information based on an analysis result of the movement trace information. Optionally a movement trace track is generated from the movement trace. Various criteria used for how the division points are generated include using distance and time; altitudes; repeated track; mode of transportation; and lapse of data, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takao Terai
  • Patent number: 9205814
    Abstract: An electric parking brake control device has an actuator that drives a motor configured to operate or release an electric parking brake, a control unit that controls the actuator, a storage unit that stores a state of the parking brake, a determining unit that determines the state of the parking brake based on current that flows into the motor, and a detecting unit that detects an ON/OFF state of an ignition switch. When the detecting unit detects that the ignition switch is in the ON state, the actuator sends current in a direction which causes the parking brake to be operated to the motor, and the determining unit determines whether the parking brake is in an operation state or a release state based on the current which flows to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: OMRON AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michisada Yabuguchi
  • Patent number: 9199521
    Abstract: An electronic control unit used in, e.g., a towing vehicle includes a processing device configured to determine an initial electrical load of a trailer system, detect changes in the electrical load, and generate an alarm signal if the electrical load is substantially different from the initial electrical load. A method includes determining an electrical load of a trailer system prior to arming a vehicle alarm system, detecting changes in the electrical load after arming the vehicle alarm system, and triggering the alarm system if the electrical load is substantially different from the electrical load determined prior to arming the vehicle alarm system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ronald Patrick Brombach, Douglas George Rosner, Timothy John Zuraw
  • Patent number: 9175961
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including, a track list generation unit that generates a track list that is a list of track groups including at least a movement trajectory track generated from movement trajectory information containing position information and time information corresponding to the position information, and a display control unit that causes a display device to display a list screen including the track list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takao Terai
  • Patent number: 9176502
    Abstract: An automatic guided vehicle and a method for drive control enable setting the vehicle alongside a conveyor with high accuracy in stopping at a task address. An automatic guided vehicle includes photoelectric sensors which detect the presence of an article by projecting light to a reflecting plate arranged on a conveyor and receiving signal light reflected from the reflecting plate and are arranged in one at each of the front and rear portions of the automatic guided vehicle, and a unit for detecting the distance between the vehicle and the conveyor. When both the photoelectric sensors arranged at the front and read portions of the side surface of the vehicle, a steering vehicle is steered toward the conveyor, and the automatic guided vehicle is driven toward the conveyor until the distance between the vehicle and the conveyor becomes within a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Furuno, Yoshiharu Tomioka, Yutaka Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9168937
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a dragger. The dragger may have a plurality of sensors configured to be located adjacent a railroad track. Each of the plurality of sensors may be oriented at an angle relative to a horizontal plane. The dragger may also have a controller in communication with the plurality of sensors. The controller may be configured to receive signals from the plurality of sensors, determine a parameter based on at least one of the received signals, and detect a fault condition when the parameter exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation
    Inventor: Mark Joseph Bartonek
  • Patent number: 9162639
    Abstract: When a power supply switch is fed with power from a DC power supply and closed, a power supply unit starts power feeding to an opening and closing command generation unit and continues the power feeding by a self-hold command signal from the opening and closing command generation unit. A reverse connection protective element is a field-effect transistor connected in series to the power supply switch and driven to conduct current in an energization direction of an internal parasitic diode when the power supply is connected in proper polarity. Even when a supply fault abnormality is occurring due to fault contact between a positive-side wire of an in-vehicle electrical load connected to the reverse connection protective element and a positive-electrode wire of the DC power supply, the self-hold command signal is cancelled by determining that the power supply switch is opened while the reverse connection protective element is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shozo Kanzaki, Koji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 9151221
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes: a second drive motor that is coupled to drive wheels to rotationally drive the drive wheels; a compressor that activates an air conditioner; a first drive motor that can drive the compressor; a planetary gear device that includes a first rotary element to which the second drive motor is coupled, a second rotary element to which the compressor is coupled, and a third rotary element to which the first drive motor is coupled; and a brake that selectively couples the compressor to a non-rotary member when the brake is engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Endo, Yukihiro Minezawa
  • Patent number: 9096234
    Abstract: A method and a system for in-vehicle function control are disclosed herein. In an example of the method, an in-vehicle controller recognizes that a predetermined driver is operating a vehicle. The in-vehicle controller receives data from at least one vehicle system, the data being indicative of a driving behavior of the predetermined driver. The in-vehicle controller compares the data with any of i) positive metrics or ii) negative metrics to categorize the driving behavior. In response to the categorized driving behavior, a signal is provided. In response to the signal, access is granted to any of (i) an infotainment function or (ii) an increased number or range associated with an infotainment function, if the categorized driving behavior is associated with a predetermined number of the positive metrics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventor: Mark S. Frye
  • Patent number: 9080892
    Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the same are provided. The mobile terminal selectively provides 2D map data and 3D map data according to a predetermined event in a navigation mode, and thus by calling a driver's attention, the driver's visibility is improved, and a more accurate navigation service can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Jaehong Seo
  • Patent number: 9067554
    Abstract: Based on the operation of a motor driver (16), a counter (13) makes an addition to and a subtraction from a heat generation counter value which is stored in a storage (14) and represents the temperature variation of a motor (7) and/or the motor driver (16). Once a switching decider (12) decides that a shift has been made from a normal operation mode, in which operating power is supplied, to a sleep mode which has a lower power consumption than that in the normal operation mode, a power source controller (15) refers to the heat generation counter value; and, when the heat generation counter value is equal to or more than a specified threshold value, the power source controller (15) stands by until the counter (13) makes a subtraction from the heat generation counter value to the threshold value and then shifts to the sleep mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventor: Hideyuki Tonbe
  • Patent number: 9043150
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that provides routing information to third-party applications on a device. The mapping application receives route data that includes first and second locations. Based on the route data, the mapping application provides a set of routing applications that provide navigation information. The mapping application receives a selection of a routing application in the set of routing applications. The mapping application passes the route data to the selected routing application in order for the routing application to provide navigation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Scott Forstall, Marcel van Os, Bradford A. Moore, Brady A. Law
  • Patent number: 9031721
    Abstract: The leakage diagnosis that carries out a leakage diagnosis on the basis of an internal pressure state of an airtight compartment by emitting gas from the compartment via a canister during a stop of the internal combustion engine includes; detecting a physical quantity that reflects a fuel adsorption state of the canister; and repeating the leakage diagnosis within the number of times of the leakage diagnosis, limited on the basis of the detected physical quantity. The compartment is formed in an evaporative fuel processing mechanism for an internal combustion engine. The evaporative fuel processing mechanism includes a fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keita Fukui, Ryo Kondo, Yoshihisa Oda
  • Patent number: 9031733
    Abstract: A casualty monitoring system is provided in communication with a vehicle controller and configured to monitor and shut down an undersea vehicle. The casualty monitoring processor and the vehicle controller receives, but is not limited to receiving; sensing notification by a depth cutoff switch, a battery over-temperature switch, an over-pressure switch which responds to internal pressure of the vehicle; and a watchdog timer which responds to a failing casualty monitor processor. Before the casualty monitoring processor or the vehicle controller responds to a predetermined setting from these components; casualty logic of the monitoring system will have immediately removed power to the vehicle via a start-up circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Peter Licis, Michael B. Lockwood, Richard P. Berube, James A. DelSavio, Alan J. Basilica
  • Patent number: 9008898
    Abstract: An in-vehicle electronic control unit (ECU), stores behavior information, when a specific vehicle behavior (i.e. a vehicle behavior that does not correspond to the driver's driving operation) is detected. The in-vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) stores, as the behavior information, vehicle travel information, a storage time of the vehicle travel information, and storage execution information that indicates that the vehicle travel information is stored. When the engine of the vehicle stops, the ECU first executes an abnormality check of a CPU operation, when, based on the storage execution information of the behavior information, the vehicle travel information is stored. The ECU stores, as abnormality check information, an abnormality check result, an execution time of the abnormality check, and check execution information indicating that the abnormality check has been executed, and after the storage of the abnormality check information, the ECU stops power supply to the CPU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takeo Umesaka, Mikio Teramura
  • Patent number: 9002572
    Abstract: A diagnostic system that includes a vehicle communication interface (VCI) and a diagnostic tool is provided. When the VCI and the diagnostic tool are coupled together through a wired connection, the VCI and the diagnostic tool can communicate with each other and provide power, as needed, to each other. The VCI and the diagnostic tool can also communicate with each other wirelessly when they are not directly coupled to each other. The VCI and the diagnostic tool are configured so that communication is uninterrupted when going from the wired connection to the wireless connection and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Lipscomb, Manokar Chinnadurai, Troy Liebl
  • Patent number: 8989915
    Abstract: A vehicular wireless communication apparatus disposed in a subject vehicle determines whether a travel locus of the subject vehicle is similar to a travel locus of a lead vehicle. When the travel locus of the subject vehicle and the lead vehicle are similar, the apparatus transmits the lead vehicle's device identification (ID) and a latest position information of the subject vehicle in place of travel locus information of the subject vehicle from the apparatus to other vehicles at regular interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takahisa Yamashiro
  • Patent number: 8989932
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes an electric motor, an inverter that supplies electric power to the electric motor, a radiator that cools a coolant, a coolant passage that is configured to circulate the coolant through the electric motor, the inverter and the radiator, a plurality of liquid leakage detection sensors (flow sensors) provided in the coolant passage, a plurality of valves provide in the coolant passage, and a controller. The controller is configured to close valves provided at two locations, between which a portion where leakage of the coolant is detected by the liquid leakage detection sensors is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yumi Shono
  • Patent number: 8983739
    Abstract: A method of estimating soil conditions of a work surface during operation of a track-type tractor measures current operating conditions and current operating state to develop adjustments to a nominal pull-slip curve. The adjusted pull-slip curve is used to calculate optimum performance in terms of an input variable such as track speed. Two factors are developed to reflect soil conditions, coefficient of traction and a shear modulus adjustment that affect different portions of the nominal pull slip curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Faivre
  • Patent number: 8942874
    Abstract: A self initiated prone progressive crawler facilitates crawling in infants by sensing the infant's intent and assisting movement. The device is designed as a mobility aid to assist an infant in prone locomotion. The infant can be placed in a prone position on a platform and secured with hook and loop straps. The arms and legs are unconstrained and are able to reach the floor comfortably. The self initiated prone progressive crawler is a motorized wheeled platform which has three points of contact with the ground. One point is an industrial trackball, mounted upside down to provide positional and positional derivative data to a controller. It is located roughly under the chest of the infant and is highly sensitive to movement. The other points of contact are two DC torque motors which are controlled by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignees: Virginia Commonwealth University, The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma
    Inventors: Peter E. Pidcoe, Hlapang A. Kolobe