Patents Examined by Abdhesh Jha
  • Patent number: 9454150
    Abstract: A system, device, and methods of interactive automated driving are disclosed. One example method includes receiving a current value from one or more sensors disposed on a vehicle and determining a current vehicle state based on the current value. The method also includes generating a target vehicle state based on the current vehicle state and including a range of target values and generating a desired vehicle state. The desired vehicle state includes a desired value based on one or more driver inputs received at one or more vehicle interfaces. If the desired value falls inside the range of target values, the method also includes sending a command to one or more vehicle systems to change the vehicle state from the target vehicle state to the desired vehicle state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuo Uehara
  • Patent number: 9454508
    Abstract: A vehicle and a vehicle system are provided with a controller that is configured to generate output indicative of a kinematic road gradient estimation using an extended Kalman filter. The extended Kalman filter includes a system input based on a longitudinal acceleration and an acceleration offset, and a system output based on a predicted vehicle speed. The acceleration offset is based on at least one of a lateral velocity, a lateral offset, and a vehicle pitch angle. The controller is further configured to generate output indicative of a kinematic quality factor corresponding to an availability of the kinematic road gradient estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hai Yu, Jianbo Lu, Mathew Alan Boesch, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9446757
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine and an electric motor both configured to generate a vehicle powertrain torque and a controller programmed to control the powertrain torque for a limited duration in anticipation of a powertrain torque variation scenario using a damping function, wherein the damping function adjusts the vehicle powertrain torque based on a difference between a measured motor speed and a desired motor speed using the electric motor to counteract a powertrain speed oscillation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Wei Liang, Mark Steven Yamazaki, Rajit Johri, Xiaoyong Wang, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 9446769
    Abstract: According to the present disclosure, there is provided a system for providing information about fuel efficiency of construction machinery, including: a TMS controller obtaining information about reference fuel efficiency through a communication network from a server, and providing the information about the reference fuel efficiency as display information; and an equipment controller calculating information about current fuel efficiency by analyzing operations of constituent elements of the construction machinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Cheol Yun, Duck Woo Park
  • Patent number: 9437001
    Abstract: Technologies for determining a distance of an object from a vehicle include a computing device to identify an object captured in a fisheye image generated by a fisheye camera of the vehicle. The computing device projects a contour of the identified object on a selected virtual plane that is located outside the vehicle and selected from a predefined set of virtual planes based on a location of the identified object relative to the vehicle. The computing device identifies a bottom of the projected contour on the selected virtual plane and determines an intersection point of an imaginary line with a ground plane coincident with a plane on which the vehicle is positioned. The imaginary line passes through each of the identified bottom of the projected contour and the fisheye camera. The computing device determines a location of the identified object relative to the vehicle based on the determined intersection point and the identified bottom of the projected contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kay-Ulrich Scholl, Koba Natroshvili
  • Patent number: 9435106
    Abstract: In a display system in an excavator, a position of an upper boundary line and a position of a lower boundary line are calculated. The upper boundary line indicates a height of a top of a cross section of a display object surface. The lower boundary line indicates a height of a bottom of the cross section of the display object surface. When the current position of the excavator is between the upper boundary line and the lower boundary line, a predetermined reference point of a display range is set to a predetermined position between the upper and lower boundary lines. When the current position of the excavator is above the upper boundary line, the reference point is set above the predetermined position. When the current position of the excavator is below the lower boundary line, the reference point is set below the predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Fukano, Azumi Nomura, Takashi Kurihara, Etsuo Fujita, Masao Ando, Toshihiro Koide
  • Patent number: 9423261
    Abstract: In one embodiment, navigational features of a navigation device are activated or deactivated according to the accuracy of the geographic data. The navigation features may be predictive features related to upcoming portions of a path curve. The path curve is compared to measured data. For example, a first curve is accessed from a map database and a second curve is based on measured position data collected while traversing the path. The first curve and the second curve correspond to the same geographic area. A difference of an attribute between a section of the first curve and a section of the second curve is used to assign a confidence factor to the section of the first polycurve based on the difference. The attribute may be heading, position, curvature, or another aspect of the path curves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Ole Henry Dorum, James D. Lynch
  • Patent number: 9409563
    Abstract: A driving pattern based plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) energy consumption preplanning process enables a PHEV trip-oriented energy management control (TEMC) to utilize scalable levels of available trip foreknowledge in order to optimize the onboard energy (fuel and electricity) usage. The preplanning process generates an optimal battery state-of-charge (SOC) depletion profile for a given trip to be traveled by a PHEV. The preplanning process may generate the battery SOC profile using a driving pattern based dynamic programming (DP) algorithm. The TEMC controls the onboard energy usage in accordance with the battery SOC profile, which is optimized for the trip. The preplanning process makes use of spatial domain normalized drive power demand (SNDP) (or S-NDP) distributions in which each set of distributions is indicative of a respective driving pattern. The trip foreknowledge is used to select the driving pattern best representative of the driving process for the trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hai Yu, Qing Wang, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9403548
    Abstract: Examples of systems and methods for controlling or monitoring a fleet of human-propelled, wheeled carts and cart retrievers are described. The carts can be shopping carts at a retail facility, and the cart retrievers can be used to collect and return the shopping carts from a parking lot near the facility to a cart collection area. The carts or cart retrievers can monitor various status or usage parameters (such as retriever battery charge, cart collection trip speed, cart collection path or duration, etc.) and transmit the parameters to a central control unit. The central control unit can analyze and process the status or usage parameters. The system can provide a user interface for access to the status or usage parameters of the cart and cart retriever fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Hannah, Jesse M. James, Chandrashekhar Ekbote
  • Patent number: 9389086
    Abstract: A transportation planner and route calculator for alternative travel methods that recommends alternative modes of transport relating to the preferences of the user. Recommendations draw upon preferences generated from the user's profile which is made up of inserted information from the user, travel historical log, a settings application and a method of auto adjusting the user's profile. A calculator unit retrieves one or more generated attributes of the user and obtains various related information such as available public transport, weather forecasts, historical travel log, to calculate travel options that best suit the users needs. The application constantly updates the users profile based on the users travel patterns and preferences, as the application learns more about the user the better the application becomes at recommending travel routes that suite the user's requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Inventors: Heba Abdulmohsen Hashem, Thieab Aldossary
  • Patent number: 9387861
    Abstract: An input control system, method, and apparatus for adjusting an input control value of a motor or engine by damping the acceleration curve. In certain aspects, the damping may gradually increase until the input control optimization system detects a change in the behavior of the vehicle operator, for example, in the form of a conscious or unconscious increase in aggressive use of the accelerator pedal. When such behavior is detected, the input control optimization system reverses the damping and begins to restore gradually the original acceleration curve until aggressive pedal use by the operator is no longer detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Pedal Logic LP
    Inventors: Marc Lurie, Attila Vass
  • Patent number: 9377307
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an atmospheric pressure value obtaining unit configured to obtain an atmospheric pressure value from an atmospheric pressure sensor; and a control unit configured to detect a variance state of the atmospheric pressure value obtained with the atmospheric pressure value obtaining unit. The control unit is further configured to control an on state and an off state of a power source of a GPS (Global Positioning System) device according to a determination whether the variance state satisfies a specific condition. The GPS device is configured to detect a position thereof based on a GPS signal received therewith and output positional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takayuki Saitoh
  • Patent number: 9360869
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling aircraft obtain at least one of ground-referenced longitudinal movement data of the aircraft and ground-referenced lateral movement data of the aircraft. A round-referenced heading of the aircraft is obtained and a heading error is calculated based on a difference between the ground-referenced heading and a target heading. A lateral movement error value is generated based on at least one of the ground-referenced longitudinal movement data and ground-referenced lateral movement data, and based on the heading error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Wittmer, Stephen Kubik
  • Patent number: 9333860
    Abstract: A system for guiding execution of a main function of a vehicle, includes an input unit, a storage, a display and a controller. The input unit includes an independent function key configured to independently perform a function, and a dependent function key capable of performing a function when being selected in connection with another key. The storage stores vehicle state information indicating a state of the vehicle and explanation information about a dependent function key corresponding to error information. The display is configured to display guide information. The controller is configured to output, through the display, an input value of the dependent function key and explanation information corresponding to the vehicle state information by referring to the storage when the dependent function key is inputted two or more times while a condition for operating the dependent function key is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Jong Duck Kwak, Youngwoon Jo, Seung-Chang Park
  • Patent number: 9330509
    Abstract: A feedback system for a motor vehicle infotainment system is disclosed in which information about the state of the motor vehicle, including the infotainment system, and the mobile device may be collected and sent to a remote server that is responsible for receiving and/or organizing such feedback. A user may initiate a feedback process by pressing a dedicated button, issuing a voice command, performing a specific gesture, or other input action. The feedback system may collect a variety of data and create a notice on the mobile device so that a user may submit feedback at a time during which the user will not be operating the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Fabian Tamp
  • Patent number: 9317042
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to generating, by a processing device, a feedback command for an aircraft based on a reference input and an output response of the aircraft, and analyzing, by the processing device, the feedback command to allocate control to a plurality of control surfaces over a plurality of separate frequency bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Aaron L. Greenfield, Ole Wulff, Matthew A. White
  • Patent number: 9296395
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for cognitive state supported automotive travel are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A detection is made that an event in a vehicle is outside of acceptable bounds for that event. A determination is made whether the event being outside of acceptable bounds is a result of a cognitive state of a person operating the vehicle. Responsive to the event being a result of the cognitive state of the person, an indication of the cognitive state of the person being below a threshold level of cognitive abilities is generated. An action corresponding to the cognitive state is performed. The action causes the vehicle to operate with improved safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kember Anne-Rivers Forcke, Marc Kevin Johlic, Susann Marie Keohane, Mary Jo Mueller
  • Patent number: 9291128
    Abstract: A method for detecting evaporative emissions system leaks, comprising: adjusting a leak detection threshold based on a vehicle geographical location including jurisdiction borders; and indicating a leak based on the adjusted threshold. In this way, a vehicle may perform OBD EVAP leak tests in accordance with local regulations. This method allows for a single PCM to be installed in all vehicles of a certain model during manufacturing regardless of the jurisdiction where the vehicle will be sold, thereby reducing part complexity and simplifying the manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 9272715
    Abstract: The steering assistance display device according to this invention includes: a determination unit determining a radius of a curved road on which a vehicle travels, and a velocity and a steering angle of the vehicle; a calculation unit calculating a direction of travel of the vehicle on the basis of an inertial force determined on the basis of the radius and the velocity of the vehicle, and the steering angle; and a display unit displaying by a head-up display a direction of travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Muramatsu, Takashi Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 9260195
    Abstract: An electricity generation system according to the present invention comprises a first electric generator designed to generate electricity by rotation of a high-pressure shaft of a compressor constituting a jet engine, a second electric generator designed to generate electricity by rotation of a low-pressure shaft of the compressor, a power distributor for distributing power generated by the first and second electric generators among a multiple loads, a first power regulation device for regulating power output of the first electric generator, a second power regulation device for regulating power output of the second electric generator, and a power control device which manipulates the first and second power regulation devices to ensure a specified amount or greater of jet engine surge margin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: IHI AEROSPACE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Oyori, Noriko Morioka