Patents Examined by Alan D Hutchinson
  • Patent number: 11970163
    Abstract: A yaw angle return controller is configured to end first yaw angle return control at a predetermined time when a value which is calculated by adding yaw angle detected by a lane recognition device at a predetermined time and an estimated yaw angle change amount is the same as yaw angle at lane change start time under a state where the first yaw angle return control is being executed. The predetermined time comes after the first start time and before the first finish time. The estimated yaw angle change amount is calculated by multiplying the yaw rate detected by a yaw rate sensor at the predetermined time by a predetermined time period for foreseeing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shota Fujii
  • Patent number: 11954253
    Abstract: Embodiments describe a system configured with a brain machine interface (BMI) system implemented in a vehicle for performing vehicle functions using electrical impulses from motor cortex activity in a user's brain. The system uses fuzzy states for increased robustness. The fuzzy states are defined by sets of Gaussian kernel-type membership functions that are defined for steering and velocity action function states. The membership functions define fuzzy states that provide overlapping control tiers for increasing and decreasing vehicle functionality. An autonomous vehicle may perform control and governance of transitions between membership functions that may overlap, resulting in smooth transitioning between the states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ali Hassani, Aniruddh Ravindran, Dimitar Filev, Vijay Nagasamy
  • Patent number: 11945403
    Abstract: A vehicle for improved user authentication is provided. The vehicle includes a biometric sensor; and a controller programmed to initiate a biometric authentication of a user within a vicinity of a vehicle using data received from the biometric sensor, and responsive to occurrence of a secondary trigger condition initiated by the user to gain access to the vehicle, complete the authentication to grant or deny access to the user. A system for remote management of lockout states for a vehicle is provided. A server is programmed to receive a lockout notification from the vehicle, responsive to occurrence of a failed access attempt using an access modality, the lockout notification including contextual information with respect to the occurrence of the failed access attempt; and send, responsive to the lockout notification, an indication of an administrative action to be performed by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Edwin Hanson, Ali Hassani, Hemanth Yadav Aradhyula, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Hamid Golgiri
  • Patent number: 11940815
    Abstract: Aspects relate to apparatus and methods for autonomously controlling vehicles at a specified location. Apparatus includes a processor configured to receive a map of a location, communicate with a plurality of vehicles at the location, and communicate with a monitor device. Communicating with the plurality of vehicles includes receiving status data from the vehicles and transmitting a waypath to the vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Inventor: Anuja Sonalker
  • Patent number: 11940810
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a current data sample relating to a tractor spraying in an agricultural block, wherein the current data sample includes a current location; calculating a shortest distance from the current location to each of a plurality of borders of the agricultural block; selecting a current sample lowest distance, the current sample lowest distance being a lowest one of the shortest distances; grouping the current data sample with at least one prior data sample to produce a line of data samples, wherein each of the at least one prior data sample has a corresponding prior sample lowest distance; calculating an average lowest distance for the line of samples; comparing the average lowest distance to a threshold distance; and discarding the current data sample and each of the at least one prior data sample if the average distance is less than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: AGROMENTUM LTD.
    Inventors: Iftach Birger, Boaz Bachar, Tal Weksler
  • Patent number: 11933096
    Abstract: A window control apparatus of a vehicle and a method thereof may include a sensor that collects state information of the vehicle, and a controller that subdivides an entire short drop section of a frameless window provided in the vehicle into a plurality of short drop sections, and performs a transition of the frameless window between a full closed state of the frameless window and a plurality of shot drop states corresponding to the plurality of shot drop sections, based on the state information of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Hee Tae Yang
  • Patent number: 11932242
    Abstract: Techniques for receiving and processing sensor data captured by a fleet of vehicle are discussed herein. In some examples, a fleet dashcam system can receive sensor data captured by electronic devices on a fleet of vehicles and can use that data to detect collision and near-collision events. The data of the collision or near-collision event can be used to determine a simulation scenario and a response of an autonomous vehicle control to the simulation scenario and/or it can be used to create a collision heat map to aid in operation of an autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Scott Crego, Josh Alexander Jimenez, James William Vaisey Philbin, Chuang Wang
  • Patent number: 11932201
    Abstract: A biometric information authenticating device includes a biometric information sensor to detect contact of an operating finger with a reading surface and to read biometric information of the operating finger, an illumination unit including at least one light source, and a control unit to indicate completion of reading of the biometric information by an illumination pattern including a combination of turning on and off of the at least one light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Rijin Owaki, Yosuke Ohashi, Takahiko Ando, Yuya Goto, Yasuhisa Ohta, Naoyuki Takada, Daisuke Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11928974
    Abstract: An unmanned aircraft includes: a sensor that includes at least a microphone that generates sound data; and a processor. The processor determines quality of a target sound using the sound data generated by the microphone, obtains a positional relationship between the unmanned aircraft and a sound source of the target sound using data generated by the sensor, and controls movement of the unmanned aircraft to control a distance between the unmanned aircraft and the sound source of the target sound, in accordance with the quality of the target sound and the positional relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Stephen William John, Kazunobu Konishi, Katsuhiko Asai, Kazuo Inoue, Shunsuke Kuhara
  • Patent number: 11919537
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a set of dynamic vehicle parameters of an ADV associated with a road location are determined based on outputs of an IMU of the ADV measured when the ADV is traveling through the road location. Whether the set of dynamic vehicle parameters satisfy one of a first set of criteria and a second set of criteria is determined. In response to the dynamic vehicle parameters satisfying the first set of criteria for a first predetermined quantity of times or satisfying the second set of criteria for a second predetermined quantity of times, the speed limit associated with the road location is adjusted within a limited range spanning from a minimum speed limit to a maximum speed limit. Operations of the ADV when the ADV subsequently travels through the road location are controlled based at least in part on the adjusted speed limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Fan Zhu, Kecheng Xu
  • Patent number: 11919422
    Abstract: A vehicle braking energy recovering method includes obtaining current location information of a vehicle, determining a current road scenario based on the current location information of the vehicle, determining the current road scenario based on a mapping relationship between a road scenario and a weight, determining a safe distance and a safe speed of the vehicle based on the weight, determining a target torque based on the safe distance and the safe speed of the vehicle, and controlling, based on the target torque, a motor of the vehicle to recover braking energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zuqi Liu, Jianfeng Zheng, Jinbo Ma, Jiajun Huang, Wei Zhang
  • Patent number: 11904895
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus related to cruise control for a vehicle. In one approach, speed for a first vehicle is controlled in a first mode using data from sensors. The speed is controlled while keeping at least a minimum distance from a second vehicle being followed by the first vehicle. In response to determining that data from the sensors is not usable to control the first vehicle (e.g., the data cannot be used to measure the minimum distance), the first vehicle changes from the first mode to a second mode. In the second mode, the first vehicle maintains a constant speed and/or obtains additional data from sensors and/or computing devices located externally to the first vehicle. In another approach, the additional data can additionally or alternatively be obtained from a mobile device of a passenger of the first vehicle. The additional data is used to maintain a safe minimum distance from the second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Amy Rae Griffin, Xiao Li, Maria Pat F. Chavarria, Alpha Chavez Labiano
  • Patent number: 11898863
    Abstract: A server includes a processor configured to acquire a user's destination, estimate a user's staying time at the destination based on the destination, determine whether to move a moving body used by the user based on the staying time, and control driving of the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Sugimoto, Kotoru Sato, Kumiko Katsumata, Shun Ota, Takahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11898937
    Abstract: A semiautomatic (1) sensorized apparatus for the execution of inspections of the railway pantograph (P) is detachably associated to a railway pantograph and allows the execution of two distinct tests in succession: i) the first one, which monitors the functional properties of the pantograph, based on the characterization of the thrust force generated by the main suspension; ii) the second, which aims to identify global and local defects, adopting the principle of inspection by means of vibration analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: Scuola Superiore Sant'anna, Trenitalia SpA
    Inventors: Giancarlo Santamato, Massimiliano Solazzi, Antonio Frisoli, Paolo Masini, Mauro Menci
  • Patent number: 11898867
    Abstract: A method for replaying route data with annotation for re-display comprises: recording a recorded-route-replay by a first user of a first automobile vehicle and saving the recorded-route-replay to a website; electing to trigger playback of the recorded-route-replay by a second user of a second automobile vehicle and entering a predetermined key word by the second user to trigger playback; contacting a website and downloading from the website GPS tagged pictures for a predetermined next trip travel distance of the second automobile vehicle; and retrieving one of the GPS tagged pictures when a GPS trigger location is reached during the trip of the second automobile vehicle and displaying the one of the GPS tagged pictures on an image screen of a head-up display of second automobile vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Seder, Kai-Han Chang
  • Patent number: 11897341
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and a system for controlling a motion of an electric vehicle (EV). The method includes determining a velocity profile moving the EV from an initial velocity over a period of time by minimizing the energy dissipation according to an energy-loss function. The energy-loss function maps values of acceleration and velocity of the EV to energy dissipation of the EV resulting from controlling one or multiple electric motors of the EV to move the EV at corresponding acceleration and velocity values. The velocity profile is a function of time. The method further includes controlling the one or multiple electric motors of the EV to generate a torque for moving the EV according to the velocity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcel Menner, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 11890939
    Abstract: A driver assistance system includes a first sensor installed in a vehicle to have a front view of a vehicle, and configured to obtain front image data; a second sensor installed in the vehicle to have a front detection field of view of the vehicle and selected from a group consisting of a radar sensor and a LiDAR sensor, configured to obtain front detection data; a third sensor installed in the vehicle to have a side detection field of view of the vehicle and selected from a group consisting of the radar sensor and the LiDAR sensor, and configured to obtain side detection data; and a controller including a processor configured to process at least one of the front image data, the front detection data, and the side detection data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HL KLEMOVE CORP.
    Inventor: Jiyeol Park
  • Patent number: 11891783
    Abstract: A calibration work support system includes an input device for inputting machine information including machine rank data on a hydraulic excavator and specification data on a front work implement, a display controller that generates a target posture image that is an image of the case in which the front work implement that takes target measurement posture is viewed with a point-of-view position and a line-of-sight direction of an operator M on the basis of the machine information input from the input device and target posture data defined in advance as the target measurement posture of the front work implement when an inertial measurement device is calibrated, and an HMD that displays the target posture image generated in the display controller. The HMD executes displaying in such a manner that the target posture image is superimposed on the actual front work implement viewed with the point-of-view position and the line-of-sight direction of the operator M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Nakagi, Yasuhiko Kanari, Shiho Izumi
  • Patent number: 11888715
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for associating content with wireless signals, e.g., beacon signals, and for controlling the ability to access or alter content provided in response to an indication that one or more wireless signals have been received are described. In some embodiments a beacon transmitter is placed in a product such as a teddy bear, story book, toy, piece of jewelry, etc. Devices in the range of the wireless transmitter detect the signal and report the receipt of the signal to a registry device. The registry device takes into consideration which wireless signal or signals were reported as being received in a given time period, the identity of the device reporting the receipt of the signal, the time period in which the wireless signal was received, and/or other factors. Based on one or more rules the registry device determines which content, if any, to supply to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: CECELUMEN, LLC
    Inventors: James S. Buscemi, Jim Webster
  • Patent number: 11879985
    Abstract: A method and system for determining center coordinates of a circular arc uses a position sensor, such as a GPS receiver, for receiving position coordinates for a plurality of points along the circular arc. The position coordinates for the plurality of points are then processed using an algorithm developed based on the geometric relationship for a cone inscribed in a sphere, with the sphere representing the Earth, the position coordinates defining points along a base perimeter of the cone, and an apex of the cone being located at the center of the Earth. A regression model is used to determine the center coordinates of the circular arc in a three-dimensional coordinate system without converting the position coordinates into two-dimensional coordinates. The method and system can be used to determine center coordinates for a center pivot sprinkler monitoring system or a vehicle guidance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Dane R Thompson