Patents Examined by Alex C Dunn
  • Patent number: 10960875
    Abstract: Systems and methods changing between driveline operating modes of a hybrid vehicle are described. In one example, electrical output to electric power consumers is maintained during closing of a driveline disconnect clutch. Further, engine speed is controlled via a first electric machine to a speed of a second electric machine to provide smooth closing of a driveline disconnect clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dushyant K. Palejiya, Rajit Johri, Jason Meyer
  • Patent number: 10964132
    Abstract: An apparatus for detecting fault states of an aircraft is provided. The apparatus receives training data including operational parameters of the aircraft operating over a plurality of training flight legs and applies a first clustering algorithm separately to the training data to produce first clustered data. The apparatus applies a second clustering algorithm to the first clustered data to produce second clustered data that indicates a plurality of states describing behavior of the aircraft operating over the training legs and applies a third clustering algorithm to identify one or more fault states of the aircraft from the plurality of states based on the training data and the second clustered data. The apparatus receives messages carrying data from the aircraft over a digital datalink, detects a fault state of the one or more fault states from the data, and generates an alert of the fault state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Rashmi Sundareswara, Tsai-Ching Lu, Franz D. Betz
  • Patent number: 10948909
    Abstract: Embodiments include engagement management systems and methods for managing engagement with aerial threats. Such systems include radar modules and detect aerial threats within a threat range of a base location. The systems also track intercept vehicles and control flight paths and detonation capabilities of the intercept vehicles. The systems are capable of communication between multiple engagement management systems and coordinated control of multiple intercept vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James Kolanek, Behshad Baseghi, David Sharpin, Anthony Visco, Falin Shieh
  • Patent number: 10946872
    Abstract: In the present invention, a short-term route (provided at a timing for starting automatic driving) for automatic driving control that uses local environment map information generated constantly by a local environment map generation unit is generated continuously even when automatic driving is not set to an on state by an automatic driving switch. As a result, it is possible to instantly control the automatic driving of a vehicle by the continuously generated short-term route after transitioning to the on state of the automatic driving switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Takahashi, Daichi Kato, Hiroshi Oguro
  • Patent number: 10940856
    Abstract: A crossing detection unit (21) detects a pedestrian who is about to cross a roadway on which a vehicle (100) travels. A behavior detection unit (22) detects a behavior of a nearby vehicle traveling around the vehicle (100). A stop determination unit (23) determines whether or not to stop the vehicle (100) in view of the detection of the pedestrian who is about to cross the roadway by the crossing detection unit (21) and the behavior of the nearby vehicle detected by the behavior detection unit (22). A vehicle control unit (24) stops the vehicle (100) before the pedestrian when the stop determination unit (23) determines to stop the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Hirata, Takehiko Hanada, Masahiro Abukawa
  • Patent number: 10940765
    Abstract: A bicycle display is provided that allows the user to recognize the selected operation mode. The bicycle display includes a display screen configured to display an output state of a motor that assists in propelling of a bicycle. The display screen is configured to display an output state of the motor in a first color in a state where the motor is controlled in a first operating mode, and configured to display an output state of the motor in a second color which is different from the first color in a state where the motor is controlled in a second operating mode which is different from the first operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takeshita, Satoshi Shahana, Natsuki Noma, Ayumi Kato
  • Patent number: 10942521
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method for determining a vehicle control parameter, an apparatus for the same, a vehicle controller, and an autonomous vehicle. An embodiment of the method comprises: determining a current vehicle speed and an expected acceleration; determining, from a pre-generated parameter calibration table, a longitudinal control parameter corresponding to the current vehicle speed and the expected acceleration; wherein the parameter calibration table is obtained by: obtaining a training sample set, a training sample in the training sample set including the vehicle speed, the longitudinal control parameter and the acceleration; training a pre-established parameter calibration model with the vehicle speed and acceleration of respective samples in the training sample set as inputs and the longitudinal control parameter value in the training sample as an expected output; and obtaining the parameter calibration table based on the trained parameter calibration model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignees: BAIDU USA LLC, BAIDU.COM TIMES TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fan Zhu, Lin Ma, Qi Kong
  • Patent number: 10933866
    Abstract: According to a control method for an electric vehicle of the present invention, when an electric vehicle (100) moves at a first velocity and approaches an object (200) on the basis of instructed information, the electric vehicle (100) is temporarily stopped at a position at which the distance between the electric vehicle (100) and the object (200) is a first stopping distance, after which the velocity is switched to a second velocity that is slower than the first velocity, the electric vehicle (100) is caused to approach the object (200), and the electric vehicle (100) is stopped at position at which the distance between the electric vehicle (100) and the object (200) is a second stopping distance that is shorter than the first stopping distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Ando, Noriaki Imaoka, Hiroyuki Uematsu
  • Patent number: 10926603
    Abstract: A system includes a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to predict an overheat time at which a vehicle computer temperature will exceed a threshold and actuate a cooling component when the overheat time is prior to an initiation time of a trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Adel Awad Alla, Ray Siciak
  • Patent number: 10921146
    Abstract: A user guidance system includes a departure point acquisition unit that acquires departure point information, a destination acquisition unit that acquires destination information, a candidate route generation unit that generates a plurality of candidate routes, a point resource acquisition unit that acquires point resource information, a desire information acquisition unit that acquires desire information indicating a via point desired by the attraction desirer, a non-desire information acquisition unit that acquires non-desire information indicating a via point not desired by the attraction desirer, a point calculation unit that calculates a point that is imparted to the candidate route, or a via route or the via point included in the candidate route, and a point providing unit that provides point information indicating the point that is imparted to the candidate route or the via point included in the candidate route to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masakazu Nomura
  • Patent number: 10919738
    Abstract: A safety device for a mobile crane has: a permitted work range setting unit that, in accordance with whether or not the overhang angle of each outrigger is a reference overhang angle and the overhang length is the maximum overhang length, sets the permitted work range/non-permitted work range of a crane boom; and a load-specific work range setting unit that, in accordance with whether or not each of the outriggers overhang lengths is a maximum overhang length, sets a maximum RTL work range which is a range, within the permitted work range, in which crane work at a maximum rated total load can be carried out. The crane work capacity on the side of the outrigger having the maximum hangover length with high supporting capacity can be fully utilized within a range over which safety can be ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: MAEDA SEISAKUSHO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masakazu Midorikawa, Eiji Ichimura, Nozomu Toufukuji
  • Patent number: 10921487
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting a sitting duck scenario of a vehicle on or near a road are disclosed. The current location and speed of the vehicle are used for different comparisons and/or determinations, including a comparison to road-specific information to determine whether the vehicle is in a particular proximity of a highway, and a determination whether the vehicle has been stationary continuously for at least a specified duration. Additional comparisons and/or determinations may be used. If such an occurrence has been detected, one or more notifications are generated, and provided to one or more of the vehicle operator and/or a remote computing server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Wagstaff, Samuel Thomas Kruse, Jason Palmer
  • Patent number: 10921152
    Abstract: A data processing method (100) for synthesizing in real time customized traffic information for a user who wants to reach a destination position from a departure position, the data processing method (100) comprising the steps of: —obtaining (103) data which define a topological graph, said topological graph being an oriented graph containing information on the connection between segments of a road network, said topological graph comprising nodes which represent points of connection between two adjacent segments and arcs which connect nodes and which correspond to road or carriageway segments; —generating (104) data which define a routes graph (Gp), the routes graph (Gp) being a subset of the topological graph, having a departure node (10) associated with the departure position, a destination node (20) associated with the destination position, intermediate nodes between the departure node (10) and the destination node (20), arcs (1-5) which connect the nodes of the routes graph to one another, the generating s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Duel S.R.L.
    Inventors: Riccardo Colasanti, Antonio Di Noto
  • Patent number: 10916074
    Abstract: Data describing operation of a vehicle is provided to a deep neural network. A vehicle wheel impact event is determined based on output of the deep neural network. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible to determine the wheel impact event based on output of a threshold based algorithm that compares vehicle acceleration and the velocity to one or more thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Smruti Ranjan Panigrahi, Dawei Luo, Jianbo Lu, Dexin Wang
  • Patent number: 10906539
    Abstract: An automatic driving navigation method, apparatus, and system, an in-vehicle terminal, and a server are provided. The method includes obtaining, by an in-vehicle terminal, satellite positioning data of a vehicle, receiving a differential positioning correction from a radio base station in a wireless network, and correcting the satellite positioning data using the differential positioning correction to obtain a high-precision location of the vehicle; providing, by the server, a lane level planning driving route to the in-vehicle terminal according to the high-precision location provided by the in-vehicle terminal and with reference to high-precision map information; and controlling, by the in-vehicle terminal according to the obtained high-precision location, the vehicle to automatically drive according to the lane level planning driving route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhihua Yang, Hui Li
  • Patent number: 10907973
    Abstract: A method and a device for predicting the future course of a roadway for a transportation vehicle driving on a road, wherein the road has a first section, a bend and a second section, and the bend is arranged between the first and the second section. The method determines an approximated course of a road derived from a digital map material using an original clothoid segment, wherein the clothoid segment has a starting point on the first section, an end point on the second section, and the clothoid segment sweeps over the angle defined by the bend between the first and the second section, and continuously corrects the original clothoid segment by subsequent corrective clothoid segments, wherein the corrective clothoid segments take into account the curvature of the route actually traveled by the transportation vehicle after the starting point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Thomas Eigel
  • Patent number: 10901437
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle is described herein. The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage body, a lift mechanism coupled to the fuselage body, and a depth sensing and obstacle avoidance system coupled to the fuselage body. The depth sensing and obstacle avoidance system includes a platform assembly, a pair of stereovision cameras coupled to a platform assembly, and a motor assembly coupled to the fuselage body and to the platform assembly. The platform assembly includes a support member extending between a first end and an opposite second end along a longitudinal axis. The pair of stereovision cameras includes each stereovision camera positioned at an opposite end of the support member. The motor assembly is configured to rotate the platform assembly with respect to the fuselage body about a rotational axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the platform assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Hangzhou Zero Zero Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tong Zhang, Lei Zhang, Zhaozhe Wang, Xi Zhang, Mengwen Tan
  • Patent number: 10899345
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to detecting and responding to objects in a vehicle's environment. For example, an object may be identified in a vehicle's environment, the object having a heading and location. A set of possible actions for the object may be generated using map information describing the vehicle's environment and the heading and location of the object. A set of possible future trajectories of the object may be generated based on the set of possible actions. A likelihood value of each trajectory of the set of possible future trajectories may be determined based on contextual information including a status of the detected object. A final future trajectory is determined based on the determined likelihood value for each trajectory of the set of possible future trajectories. The vehicle is then maneuvered in order to avoid the final future trajectory and the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, David Harrison Silver, Stéphane Ross, Nathaniel Fairfield, Ioan-Alexandru Sucan
  • Patent number: 10896615
    Abstract: A navigation method is implemented by a group of portable devices which are associated with a map-and-information system and each of which is communicatively coupled to an instrument cluster device of a respective vehicle. The group of the portable devices includes a leader device and at least one follower device. The map-and-information system computes, for the follower device, a dynamic navigation path from the follower device to the leader device. The instrument cluster device of the vehicle that corresponds to the follower device perceivably outputs the dynamic navigation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: KWANG YANG MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Te-Chuan Liu, Li-Hui Chen, Chen-Sheng Lin, Yi-Yang Tsai
  • Patent number: 10894592
    Abstract: Innovative new systems and method of operating the systems, wherein the system comprises an airborne platform comprising an unmanned balloon comprising a gas enclosure; a geographic locator or tracking system configured to determine geographical coordinates of the unmanned balloon; a payload comprising a transceiver, wherein the transceiver is capable of communicating with communication devices that are separate from the unmanned balloon; first and second flight-termination devices each configured to cause termination of a flight of the unmanned balloon; and at least two power sources each configured to provide power to at least one of the first and second flight-termination devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: SPACE DATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gerald M. Knoblach, Eric A. Frische, Bruce Alan Barkley