Patents Examined by Alexander C. Bost
  • Patent number: 10773597
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle controller includes a memory and a processor programmed to execute instructions stored in the memory. The instructions include determining a plurality of energy cost functions. Each energy cost function is associated with a combination of candidate variables. The instructions further include selecting one of the plurality of energy cost functions as a minimum energy cost function, determining a combination of candidate variables associated with the minimum energy cost function, and controlling acceleration of a host vehicle according to the combination of candidate variables associated with the minimum energy cost function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Yanan Zhao, Chen Zhang, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 10766496
    Abstract: A method for detecting and characterizing a driving behavior of a driver or an autopilot in a transportation vehicle which has at least one acceleration sensor used to record data points which indicate a lateral acceleration and a longitudinal acceleration of the transportation vehicle over a time interval, and a control unit used to generate an image space as a GG diagram from the data points of at least one sub-section of the time interval. The image space is transformed by the control unit by a transformation into a parameter space and coordinates of accumulation points in the parameter space are acquired by the control unit. From the coordinates of the accumulation points, by using a classification algorithm, the control unit determines a classification value and/or a classification profile relating to the driving behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventor: Samuel Schacher
  • Patent number: 10759635
    Abstract: Embodiments of this document provides improved safety logic for a mobile container handler of the reach stacker or top pick type. The improved logic involves limitations surrounding the hoist function of the machine subsequent to attaching to a shipping container. This improvement addresses damage to the container spreader caused by abrupt joystick hoist inputs by the operator immediately subsequent to attaching onto a shipping container. Due to space between the spreader arms and spreader body, which is so designed to facilitate movement of the arms inside the spreader body, sudden vertical movement of the spreader results in impact forces being exerted on various parts of the spreader body and spreader arms. These impacts accelerate fatigue leading to premature catastrophic failure of the spreader body and/or spreader arms' structural steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Inventors: Abraham Ben Seutter, Aaron Seutter
  • Patent number: 10748426
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to acquiring remote sensor data and identifying occluded objects from the remote sensor data. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring, within a vehicle from one or more remote sensors, remote sensor data that indicates information about a nearby environment of the vehicle. The method includes identifying an occluded object in the surrounding environment according to the remote sensor data, and local sensor data generated by the vehicle. The occluded object is obscured from being perceived by one or more vehicle sensors of the vehicle. The local sensor data indicates information about at least nearby objects that have been observed by the vehicle sensors. The method includes rendering, within the display of the vehicle, a visualization of the occluded object to provide a view of the occluded object when the occluded object is otherwise obscured from being perceived by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventor: James Cazzoli
  • Patent number: 10748357
    Abstract: A waveform estimating method performed by a computer, the waveform estimating method including: estimating a first vibration component of less than a first frequency in a period from a present time to a time preceding by a half wavelength of the first frequency, using an input waveform in the period, the input waveform corresponding to a driving trajectory of a vehicle traveling on a roadway; and calculating a second vibration component of the first frequency or higher in the period by subtracting the first vibration component from the input waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Osafumi Nakayama
  • Patent number: 10739155
    Abstract: A route-quality learning method, system, and computer program product include collecting a first route for a trip recommended from a first third-party application, collecting a second route for the trip recommended from a second third-party application, and after the trip is completed, estimating best alternatives given completion data of the trip and using the first third-party application and the second third-party application recommendation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sebastien Blandin, Laura Wynter
  • Patent number: 10737689
    Abstract: A parking assistance apparatus includes a display unit configured to display an image of an area around a vehicle; a sensor unit configured to detect at least one object around the vehicle; and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to perform an automatic parking function that moves the vehicle to a target parking position by: calculating a congestion level for the automatic parking function based on information about the at least one object around the vehicle detected by the sensor unit; and executing the automatic parking function according to the calculated congestion level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Cheolmun Kim, Kwangjin Jang
  • Patent number: 10732627
    Abstract: In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Steve Roberson, Brian Mark Fields
  • Patent number: 10723595
    Abstract: A method and assembly for operating at least two lifting gears in a group operation, where each lifting gear has a hoist via which a respective cable or chain can be raised or lowered. The hoists are first operated in a synchronous operating mode to perform a common lifting procedure to move a load supported by the hoists. At least one of the hoists involved in the common lifting procedure is then deactivated to switch from the synchronous operation into an individual operation or a multi-operation, with at least one of the hoists remaining activated to carry out a lifting or lowering process relative to each deactivated hoist. A load value is then determined for the at least one deactivated hoist and compared to a predetermined threshold value of the at least one deactivated hoist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Konecranes Global Corporation
    Inventor: Klaus Behnke
  • Patent number: 10717445
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to end-user modification of the driving behavior of a vehicle when operating in an autonomous driving mode. One embodiment stores disengagement data associated with an autonomous driving mode of the vehicle; outputs, to an end user from the stored disengagement data, a report of a disengagement that occurred along a particular route identified by the end user due to incorrect identification, by a sensor system of the vehicle, of an object; receiving, from the end user, a corrective input that includes labeling the object; and modifying automatically one or more autonomous driving modules of the vehicle in accordance with the corrective input to prevent future disengagements when the vehicle is traveling along the particular route in the autonomous driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolaos Michalakis, Julian M. Mason
  • Patent number: 10698404
    Abstract: A controller of a motorcycle determines that the motorcycle is lane-splitting. The controller transmits a notification to vehicles in proximity to the motorcycle. In response to the notifications, the vehicles facilitate lane-splitting by the motorcycle. In particular the vehicles may flash lights to communicate that the vehicle has received the notification and will facilitate lane-splitting. The vehicles may facilitate lane-splitting by refraining from performing lane changes. The vehicles may further notify the motorcycle if lane changes are needed and the motorcycle controller may provide an alert to a rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Zachary David Nelson
  • Patent number: 10654477
    Abstract: Provided is a feature such that the opportunity to cancel travel control can be reduced by seamlessly switching between travel modes in combination with a plurality of functions. A travel control device has: a first mode which causes a vehicle to travel according to the control target set on the basis of an object outside the vehicle; and a second mode which causes the vehicle to travel according to the control target set irrespective of an object outside the vehicle. If it is impossible to set the control target on the basis of the object outside the vehicle during traveling in the first mode, the travel mode is shifted to the second mode. If it is possible to set the control target on the basis of the object outside the vehicle during traveling in the second mode, the travel mode is shifted to the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Katoh, Kiyoshi Yorozuya, Shigenori Hayase
  • Patent number: 10632866
    Abstract: A vehicle seat in accordance with the present disclosure includes a seat bottom and a seat back. The seat back is coupled to the seat bottom to move relative to the seat bottom. The seat bottom is coupled to a floor of a vehicle and configured to move relative to the seat back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew K. Benson, Cedric Ketels, Brian R. Dexter, Rod Goodrich, Garrett Goodwin, Tristan Vanfossen, Kevin L. Wright
  • Patent number: 10618528
    Abstract: An object is to provide a technique which enables a driver to intuitively select and determine a target object to which a vehicle is to travel. A driving assistance apparatus includes a candidate selection unit which selects a target object candidate when the candidate selection unit determines that a visual line position of a driver is included in any setting range of a plurality of target object candidates and a target object determination unit which determines the target object candidate selected by the candidate selection unit as a target object when a determination button which can be operated by the driver is operated after the candidate selection unit selects the target object candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Sakai, Yuji Karita, Mitsuo Shimotani, Satoru Inoue, Yoshio Sato, Tadashi Miyahara
  • Patent number: 10611323
    Abstract: An audio system of a vehicle includes a selection module configured to, based on whether a gear shift of a transmission of the vehicle is occurring, set a selected torque to one of: a torque output of an engine of the vehicle; and a predicted torque output of the engine. A sound control module is configured to: determine frequencies for outputting a predetermined engine sound; and based on the selected torque, determine magnitudes for outputting the predetermined engine sound at the frequencies, respectively. An audio driver module is configured to apply power to speakers to output sound within a passenger cabin of the vehicle at the magnitudes and frequencies, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Frank C. Valeri, Glenn Pietila, Richard I. Chang
  • Patent number: 10598505
    Abstract: A travel route generation apparatus includes a work field data input interface, a handwriting input interface, a memory, and circuitry. Work field data are to be input via the work field data input interface. The work field data includes data regarding a shape of a work field in which a work vehicle is to work. A handwriting locus is to be input via the handwriting input interface. The memory is to store travel route patterns. The circuitry is configured to select a designated travel route pattern from travel route patterns based on the handwriting locus and to generate, based on the designated travel route pattern and the work field data, a travel route along which the work vehicle is to travel in the work field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Megumi Suzukawa, Sakura Tomita, Yuji Okuyama