Patents Examined by Abdhesh Jha
  • Patent number: 9701408
    Abstract: In some examples, a landing location within a region for an unmanned aerial vehicle may be determined. The landing location may be determined based on a first digital elevation dataset, a second digital elevation dataset, and parcel data corresponding to a region. The landing location may be determined by identifying open areas within the parcel data and performing one or more slope calculations and one or more area calculations on the open areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Douglas Willison
  • Patent number: 9702715
    Abstract: A system and method for generating a trip plan for a vehicle system determine a first trip plan for a trip of a vehicle system from a first location to a second location over a first route that includes a first intersection with a second route. The first trip plan designates operational settings of the vehicle system. An alternate trip plan that extends along the second route from the first intersection to the second location of the trip of the vehicle system also is determined. The first and alternate trip plans are determined prior to the vehicle system reaching the first intersection. Movement of the vehicle system is controlled according to the first trip plan prior to the vehicle system reaching the first intersection and then controlled according to the alternate trip plan responsive to the vehicle system deviating from the first trip plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jared Klineman Cooper, David Allen Eldredge, Samuel William Golden
  • Patent number: 9669822
    Abstract: A multi-mode powertrain system is described, and includes an internal combustion engine and electric machines operative to transfer mechanical power through a gear train to an output member coupled to a driveline, wherein the electric machines electrically connect to a battery. The method includes determining an audible noise-based maximum engine speed, wherein the internal combustion engine generates an audible noise that is less than a threshold noise level when operating at a speed that is less than the audible noise-based maximum engine speed. The electric machines and the internal combustion engine are controlled responsive to an operator torque request including controlling the engine speed to be less than the audible noise-based maximum engine speed when battery power is greater than a minimum threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Eric Piper, Anthony H. Heap, John Janczak, Samantha Victoria Lado, Yaoyao Wei, Kee Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 9663143
    Abstract: A control unit for an electric power steering apparatus that controls a motor based on a current command value (2) calculated based on a current command value (1) due to steering torque generated on a steering shaft and a current detection value of the motor providing a steering mechanism with a steering assist force. The apparatus includes an SAT estimating section that inputs a motor angular velocity, a motor angular acceleration, the current command value (1) and the steering torque, and estimates a self-aligning torque (SAT) or measures by a sensor; and a feedback section that processes the estimated SAT value and outputs an SAT compensation value. The feedback section comprises a BPF, a dead band section, a steering torque sensitive gain section and a vehicle velocity sensitive gain section. The current command value (2) is obtained by adding the SAT compensation value to the current command value (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Takahiro Tsubaki
  • Patent number: 9643592
    Abstract: A vehicle propulsion system includes a plurality of power sources coupled to a final drive of the vehicle propulsion system. A controller is programmed to determine a desired power demand from the power sources and operate a number of the power sources to produce the desired power demand. The controller identifies a least efficient power source of the power sources and controls the least efficient power source to produce power at an optimum operating point of the least efficient power source. The controller also identifies a power output of the least efficient power source corresponding to the optimum operating point, compares the power output of the least efficient power source to the desired power demand, identifies a remaining power demand from the comparison, and controls another power source to produce the remaining power demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Zhi Zhou
  • Patent number: 9643789
    Abstract: Control solutions for a mobile conveyor vehicle are provided. The vehicle includes a pair of movable belt conveyor systems for conveying bulk material to an elevated location. One of the conveyors may be rotated via turntable while the other is rotated by four-wheel steering motion of the vehicle. The control system may be configured to: receive user input indicative of desired infeed location of the infeed end and a desired output location of the output end; determine a desired control solution for disposing the infeed end at the desired infeed location and disposing the output end at the desired output location; and cooperatively operate the first powered actuator system, the second powered actuator system and the powered drive system according to the desired control solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: TY-CROP MANUFACTURING LTD.
    Inventors: Gary Wayne Teichrob, Thomas Abraham Jansen
  • Patent number: 9637049
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an operator control event using a sensor arrangement having at least one proximity sensor and a sensor controller, the operator control event being generated by a user of a vehicle. A first coarse evaluation of the sensor measured values for the occurrence of an operator control sign is carried out, that a predetermined number of the respective last sensor measured values of at least one sensor element are buffered, that the detection of an operator control sign triggers a fine evaluation of the sensor measured values for verifying the occurrence of an operator control event at a triggering time, and that the fine evaluation is based on the buffered sensor measured values and on the temporally subsequent sensor measured values, with the result that sensor measured values both before and after the triggering time are included in the fine evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Hallstadt
    Inventors: Detlef Russ, Holger Wuerstlein, Thorsten Fuchs
  • Patent number: 9613056
    Abstract: A pedestrian navigation system for navigating a foot apparatus comprises a system communication unit, a map database, a step data generation unit, a navigation path analysis unit and a feedback unit. The system communication unit communicates with an apparatus communication unit of the foot apparatus. The step data generation unit generates step data according to the sensing data of the foot apparatus. The navigation path analysis unit determines a navigation path and determines a heading direction of the foot apparatus. A turning direction and a turning angle are generated according to the navigation path and the heading direction. The feedback unit receives the turning direction and the turning angle to generate a feedback signal. The indication unit generates an indication signal according to the feedback signal to indicate the turning direction and the turning angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: INSTITUTE FOR INFORMATION INDUSTRY
    Inventors: Chih-Chun Ma, Shih-Yao Wei, Rong-Sheng Wang, Shih-Chun Chou
  • Patent number: 9566966
    Abstract: In a system and a method for performing a safety function of a vehicle, control signals are generated and transferred to a functional unit of the vehicle by a control unit. The safety function is performed by the functional unit in dependence on the control signals. Diagnostic tests are repeatedly performed at time intervals, the diagnostic tests being used to check if a fault that can interfere with the performance of the safety function is present. Metadata of the data are transferred to the control unit by the communication system, the metadata containing information about systems. This information is used to determine at least one reliability value of the data by the control unit. In dependence on the at least one reliability value, the control unit checks if the transferred data are sufficiently reliable for the performance of the safety function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Bettina Erdem, Hans-Leo Ross
  • Patent number: 9561733
    Abstract: An on-vehicle travel distance output apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle including a battery and a travel motor that generate, based on electric power of the battery, a drive force for the travel of the vehicle, wherein the battery is chargeable based on electric power from a first charge source as well as electric power from a second charge source. The on-vehicle travel distance output apparatus includes a processing device that calculates a first travel distance of the vehicle over which the vehicle travels based on the electric power of the battery obtained from the first charge source and a second travel distance of the vehicle over which the vehicle travels based on the electric power of the battery obtained from the second charge source to output the calculated first and second travel distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Seigen Maeno
  • Patent number: 9558659
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to an autonomous vehicle that may detect other nearby vehicles and designate stationary vehicles as being in one of a short-term stationary state or a long-term stationary state. This determination may be made based on various indicia, including visible indicia displayed by the detected vehicle and traffic control factors relating to the detected vehicle. For example, the autonomous vehicle may identify a detected vehicle as being in a long-term stationary state based on detection of hazard lights being displayed by the detected vehicle, as well as the absence of brake lights being displayed by the detected vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may then base its control strategy on the stationary state of the detected vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Harrison Silver, David Ian Franklin Ferguson
  • Patent number: 9540014
    Abstract: An abnormality determination system includes: an autonomous moving object including at least one distance measuring unit that is disposed to face a road surface in a moving direction ant that measures a distance to the road surface; a charging unit including a connection terminal for charging a battery of the autonomous moving object; a stepped portion disposed on a road surface which is subjected to measurement by the distance measuring unit when the autonomous moving object is connected to the connection terminal of the charging unit and is positioned; and a determination unit configured to determine whether the distance to the stepped portion measured by the distance measuring unit at the time of positioning is less than a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tetsuya Taira, Yutaka Takaoka
  • Patent number: 9534527
    Abstract: A thermostat failure detection device sequentially calculates a normal-time minimum water temperature on an assumption that a thermostat is normal and an internal combustion engine is operated in a state where the engine water temperature is less likely to rise, sequentially calculates a failure-time maximum water temperature on an assumption that the thermostat is in a stuck-open failure state and the internal combustion engine is operated in a state where the engine water temperature is likely to rise, determines the failure of the thermostat if the engine water temperature is lower than the normal-time minimum water temperature, determines the normality of the thermostat if the engine water temperature is higher than the failure-time maximum water temperature, and determines neither the normality nor the failure if the engine water temperature is between the normal-time minimum water temperature and the failure-time maximum water temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yousuke Sakayori, Takane Hayashi
  • Patent number: 9530316
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a commute application that receives a selection of a route from several different routes. Each route in the several different routes includes several stops. In response, the commute application also provides a dynamic focus table that includes a first portion for displaying a schedule of stops along the selected route and a second portion for displaying metadata regarding the selected route. The metadata presented in the second portion is automatically updated whenever a different schedule of stops is displayed in the first portion of the dynamic focus table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: May-Li Khoe, Joseph A. Hagedorn, Marcel van Os
  • Patent number: 9523573
    Abstract: Sinusoidal signals (S1, S2) having a phase difference of 120° are output from two magnetic sensors in accordance with rotation of an input shaft. A first rotation angle computation unit computes a rotation angle ?(n) on the basis of output signals S1(n), S1(n?1), S2(n), S2(n?1) from the magnetic sensors, which are sampled at two sampling timings. At this time, the first rotation angle computation unit computes the rotation angle ?(n) on the assumption that there are no variations of amplitudes of the output signals (S1, S2) from each one of the two sensors due to temperature changes between the two sampling timings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Takaki, Yuji Kariatsumari, Yoshinobu Shimizu, Yasuyuki Yoshii
  • Patent number: 9519881
    Abstract: The disclosure includes technology for estimating journey destinations based on crow-sourced popularity factors. The technology includes an example system including a processor and a memory storing instructions that when executed cause the system to: receive location data; determine a current route associated with a user based on the location data; determine one or more crowd-sourced popularity factors; estimate one or more destination estimations along the current route based on the one or more crowd-sourced popularity factors; and suggest the one or more destination estimations to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: David Frank Russell Weir, Roger Melen
  • Patent number: 9519873
    Abstract: A satellite support and administration system includes a web based portal to allow widespread user access to advanced satellite technology at extremely low costs. The system supports the sequential launch of increasingly sophisticated satellites having limited life spans. Each satellite is equipped with a powerful array of sensors for space based measurement of scientifically and commercially important phenomena. A ground based platform supports and encourages the development of software and custom applications to operate experiments utilizing the processors and sensor array on the satellite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: SPIRE GLOBAL, INC.
    Inventor: Peter Platzer
  • Patent number: 9513135
    Abstract: A system may identify an expected time-of-arrival distribution to a waypoint along a vehicle route, determine energy usage along the route according to a plurality of arrival timing states of a traffic control located at the waypoint given the expected time-of-arrival distribution, and display a map including the vehicle route and range contours indicative of alternative results of arriving at the waypoint at the plurality of arrival states. The system may also determine energy usage along the vehicle route and update an expected available range of the vehicle along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Perry Robinson MacNeille, Yimin Liu, Michael Edward Loftus
  • Patent number: 9499144
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a tone wheel having a plurality of encoding members spaced substantially evenly about a periphery thereof. Each tone wheel is rotates with an associated wheel. A fixed speed sensor is mounted adjacent to each tone wheel. The vehicle includes a brake system. A method determines a travel distance between adjacent encoding members. A required rolling distance of a vehicle from standstill is established. Maximum allowed interrupts per wheel is established, with an interrupt defined as each instance an encoding member passes an associated speed sensor. It is determined whether the vehicle is actually rolling from standstill. Once the vehicle is actually rolling, a number of interrupts is counted at each wheel. When the maximum allowed interrupts is counted at each wheel, the brake system is supplied with pressure increase to return the vehicle to, and hold the vehicle at, standstill prior to reaching the required rolling distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Ye, Pedro Henriques, Sai-pavan Eswara
  • Patent number: 9481375
    Abstract: An input control signal is adjusted to account for a portion of the input control signal that may be attributable to unintended forces. Such unintended forces may include, but are not limited to, one or more of operator initiated unintended forces, vehicle-generated unintended forces, and extra-vehicular unintended forces. The amount by which the input control signal is adjusted correlates to a determined probability. The probability is an indicator as to how likely the input control value is affected by unintended forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Pedal Logic LP
    Inventors: Marc Lurie, Attila Vass