Patents Examined by Adam D Tissot
  • Patent number: 11180025
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Invently Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Koebler, Nicole G. Goldstein, Stephen J. Brown, Jason H. Harper
  • Patent number: 11174665
    Abstract: A method and system for a camera based hands free power liftgate is described herein. The system may power on following a key approach and/or the doors unlocking and then initialize. If there is an approach detected, the lights may be activated and the gesture detection feature of the system may then determine whether a gesture was detected. If a gesture was detected, the liftgate may then be activated. If no gesture was detected, the lights may be activated. For example, if there is a key approach, the system may power and initialize. The system may then determine whether an approach is detected. If an approach is detected, lights of the vehicle may activate and a determination whether a gesture is detected is made. If a gesture is detected, a liftgate of the vehicle may be activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: FLEX LTD.
    Inventors: Pompilian Tofilescu, Sandor Zsombory, Yarko Matkiwsky, Reginald C. Grills, Adam Mack
  • Patent number: 11173916
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle, which is provided with an engine and drive wheels, is configured, during an inertia running or stop of the vehicle, to execute a control for stopping the engine and/or disconnecting the engine from the drive wheels in each area, depending on whether a condition is satisfied or not. The condition is set based on an information transferred from other vehicle in which the control is executable during an inertia running or stop of the other vehicle. The information includes (a) a location information indicative of the each area and (b) an acceleration representative value representing a required acceleration of the other vehicle required by an operator of the other vehicle in the each area. The acceleration representative value is associated with the location information indicative of the each area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kohei Dodo
  • Patent number: 11168992
    Abstract: A travel route generation device for a field work vehicle includes a memory and circuitry. The circuitry is configured to generate, based on field data stored in the memory, a travel route. The circuitry is configured to determine a getting-off point in the travel route at which a driver gets off the field work vehicle. The circuitry is configured to determine a getting-on point in the travel route at which the driver gets on the field work vehicle. The circuitry is configured to define a first partial route in the travel route between the entrance and the getting-off point and a second partial travel route in the travel route between the getting-on point and the entrance as a manual travel route. The circuitry is configured to define a third partial travel route in the travel route between the getting-off point and the getting-on point as an automatic travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Uoya, Izuru Shimamoto, Kenji Tamatani, Megumi Suzukawa, Atsushi Shinkai, Kazuo Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11169529
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for performing autonomous manoeuvers, especially when visibility is poor or it is unclear whether or not the terrain surrounding the vehicle is suitable for the vehicle to drive on. In some embodiments the systems are operable to detect user-defined boundaries to provide an improved determination as to whether or not the surrounding terrain is suitable for driving on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: Naseem Akhtar, Brian Gerrard, Philip Barber, James Kelly
  • Patent number: 11161417
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a body holding device configured to hold the body of a seated driver; a travel control unit configured to drive the vehicle body so that it travels; and a maximum vehicle speed setting unit configured to set a set maximum vehicle speed. The travel control unit controls an output from the driving unit based on the operation amount of an accelerator device if the vehicle speed is lower than the set maximum vehicle speed, and restricts the output from the driving unit irrespective of the operation amount of the accelerator device if the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the set maximum vehicle speed. The maximum vehicle speed setting unit sets, if it is detected that the body holding device is worn, a first vehicle speed as the set maximum vehicle speed, and sets, if it is detected that the body holding device is not worn, a second vehicle speed lower than the first vehicle speed as the set maximum vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Bessho, Takeshi Satozono, Noriyasu Honjo
  • Patent number: 11161411
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus is provided with: a first controller programmed to perform a first control, which is to make a speed of a vehicle not to exceed a predetermined speed; a second controller programmed to perform a second control, which is a driving support control that is different from the first control; a preventer configured to prevent the second control on the basis of an operation of an accelerator by an occupant of the vehicle; and a prevention reducer configured to control the preventer to hardly prevent the second control if the first control is performed, in comparison with when the first control is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryo Inomata, Akira Nagae, Masayuki Ikeda, Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 11117615
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing driving aid control to cause a travel trajectory of a mobile object to follow a setpoint trajectory (La) by transmitting a control command value (?) to a yaw moment controller capable of controlling a yaw moment of the mobile object. In the apparatus, a setpoint trajectory setter is configured to set the setpoint trajectory (La) of the mobile object. A control command value calculator is configured to calculate the control command value (?) based on an integrated value (?I) of a lateral error that is an error between a position of the mobile object and the setpoint trajectory. The control command value calculator is further configured to decrease the integrated value (?I) with decreasing a curvature (?) of a road on which the mobile object is traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hirotaka Tokoro
  • Patent number: 11120644
    Abstract: A client computing system (CCS) receives a tool measurement from a measurement tool other than by determining the tool measurement from a vehicle data (VD) message. The CCS generates a VD report including a vehicle identifier of a vehicle associated with the tool measurement and the VD report. The VD report can include temporal and/or spatial identifiers pertaining to the tool measurement. The VD report can be provided to a server computing system (SCS) for storage as part of a VD record associated with the vehicle. The CCS that generated the VD report or another CCS can request the VD report from the SCS. The SCS can determine if the requesting CCS is authorized to receive the VD report to maintain the vehicle owner's privacy. The tool measurement can be selected from a service procedure provided to the CCS from SCS and displayed at the CCS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, David Costantino, Lester B. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11112789
    Abstract: Among other things, a determination is made that intervention in an operation of one or more autonomous driving capabilities of a vehicle is appropriate. Based on the determination, a person is enabled to provide information for an intervention. The intervention is caused in the operation of the one or more autonomous driving capabilities of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Shih-Yuan Liu, Harshavardhan Ravichandran, Karl Iagnemma, Hsun-Hsien Chang
  • Patent number: 11106925
    Abstract: Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with traffic sign recognition, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an orchestrator, disposed in a CA/AD vehicle, to receive a classification and a location of a traffic sign, while the CA/AD vehicle is enroute to a destination. In response, the orchestrator query a remote sign locator service or a local database on the CA/AD vehicle for a reference description of the traffic sign, determine whether the classification is correct, and output a result of the determination. The classification of the traffic sign is generated based at least in part on computer vision, and the orchestrator includes an anomaly detector to detect anomalies between the classification and the reference description, and determine whether the classification is correct based at least in part on an amount of anomalies detected. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Oleg Pogorelik
  • Patent number: 11105643
    Abstract: A method and system for generating tactical routes includes an intervisibility database pre-populated with pre-computed optical lines of sight between locations or nodes in geographic terrain, an intervisibility analyzer for analyzing propagation of the pre-computed optical lines of sight between the locations or nodes in the geographic terrain, a speed analyzer for analyzing speeds of travelers across the locations or nodes in the geographic terrain, a cost generator for generating a blended cost grid using said intervisibility and speed analyses, and a route generator for generating routes that facilitate tactical movement based on said blended cost grid. The route generator computes intervisibility unions at the locations or nodes in the geographic terrain and minimizing intervisibility unions along the generated route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Randy L. Milbert, Erik S. Freed, Kyle K. Estes
  • Patent number: 11105927
    Abstract: The technology relates to localizing a vehicle. As one approach, a first LIDAR sensor scan data of an environment of the vehicle and localization data for the vehicle at a location where the first LIDAR sensor scan was captured are stored. Thereafter, the computing device is suspended and subsequently unsuspended. After the computing device is unsuspended, second LIDAR sensor scan data of the vehicle's environment is received. The first LIDAR sensor scan data is compared to the second LIDAR sensor scan data to determine whether the vehicle has moved. Based on the determination of whether the vehicle has moved from the location, the stored localization data is used to localize the vehicle. Other approaches are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Mingcheng Chen, Colin Braley, Craig Lewin Robinson, Christian Lauterbach
  • Patent number: 11099017
    Abstract: A first reference line representing a route from a first location to a second location associated with an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV). In response to the first reference line multiple sets of sample points are generated based on the first reference line. Each set of sample points includes a first subset of sample points and a second subset of sample points that are offset from the first subset of sample points. A plurality of segments is generated between the multiple sets of sample points. A path for the ADV is generated based on the plurality of segments. The path includes one sample point from each of the multiple sets of sample points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Liangliang Zhang, Li Dong, Fan Zhu, Yifei Jiang, Jiangtao Hu
  • Patent number: 11097841
    Abstract: An unmanned autonomous vehicle assessment and reporting system may implement a boustrophedonic flight pattern for capturing images of a structure to develop a three-dimensional model of the same. A crisscross boustrophedonic flight pattern may include two or more boustrophedonic flight patterns that are at angles relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Loveland Innovations, LLC
    Inventors: Jim Loveland, Leif Larson, Dan Christiansen, Tad Christiansen
  • Patent number: 11089773
    Abstract: A controller is operatively connected to a dispensing system and configured to change the dispensement of an agricultural input from the dispensing system in different predetermined locations within at least one predefined test plot in a management zone of an agricultural field. The predetermined locations have been randomized and replicated for quantifying the agronomic response in a statistically valid manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Premier Crop Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Frieberg, Mark William Stelford
  • Patent number: 11091045
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a travelable information display unit that displays before a discharge, regarding motor-driven movable bodies of a discharge source and a discharge destination driven by using electric power of batteries, information about places to which the motor-driven movable body of the discharge source can move using electric power of the battery left after the discharge by assuming, when information about a discharge amount discharged from the battery of the motor-driven movable body of the discharge source toward the motor-driven movable body of the discharge destination that receives power supply is input, a case in which the discharge amount is discharged from the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihito Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11084377
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising an interface, a memory and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive sensor data samples during operation of a vehicle. The memory may be configured to store the sensor data samples over a number of points in time. The processor may be configured to analyze the sensor data samples stored in the memory to detect a pattern. The processor may be configured to manage an application of brakes of the vehicle in response to the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Invently Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Koebler, Nicole G. Goldstein, Stephen J. Brown, Jason H. Harper
  • Patent number: 11080944
    Abstract: A computer system can communicate with a mobile device of a service provider to receive location data. Additionally, the computer system can monitor, from the location data, a location of the mobile device over a duration that follows the service provider being assigned to a service request. Based on monitoring the location data, the computer system can determine whether the service provider has failed to correctly indicate when a transport service for the service request began. Moreover, the computer system can cause a service application running on the mobile device to prompt the service provider to enter input to identify a start location where the transport service began, in response to the computer system determining that the service provider has not correctly indicated when the transport service begun.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Brinig, Daniel Heller, Todd Sifleet, Jyothidhar Pulakunta
  • Patent number: 11079771
    Abstract: Systems and methods for coordinating operations of a plurality of autonomous vehicles are described. An autonomous vehicle management system may receive information from the plurality of autonomous vehicles related to strategy modes, actions, and the environments. The strategy modes may include an uncoupled strategy mode, a permissive strategy mode, an assistive strategy mode, and a preventative strategy mode. The autonomous vehicle management system may then process the received information based on an operational goal for the system as a whole. The autonomous vehicle management system may then instruct modifications to operations of one or more of the plurality of autonomous vehicles to achieve the operational goal for the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Stuart Battles, James Christopher Curlander, Larry Felser, Gur Kimchi, Pragyana K. Mishra