Patents Examined by Ana D Thomas
  • Patent number: 10914607
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are therefore provided for providing a navigation user interface to a plurality of points of interest. Methods may include receiving an indication of a location; receiving an indication of a category of points of interest; identifying a plurality of points of interest associated with the category; generating point of interest specific routes from the location to each of the plurality of points of interest; identifying portions of the point of interest specific routes that are common to more than one point of interest; generating a plurality of consolidated routes, where multiple points of interest are located along at least one of the plurality of consolidated routes; and providing for presentation of the plurality of consolidated routes, where each of the plurality of consolidated routes is distinguished, based at least in part, on the number of points of interest that are located along the respective consolidated route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
    Inventors: Daniel Rolf, Federico Rubagotti
  • Patent number: 10909779
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computerized method useful for three-dimensional (3D) model data rendering and information capturing during a vehicle inspection check-in process for service comprising includes the step of providing a vehicle for a check-in inspection. The computerized method includes the step of obtaining a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle. The computerized method includes the step of, based on the VIN of the vehicle, obtaining a 3D vehicle model data. The 3D vehicle model data matches a type of the vehicle. The 3D vehicle model data is generated from a manufacturer's three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) model data of the type of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: TEKION CORP
    Inventors: Jayaprakash Vijayan, Gurusankar Sankararaman, Anand Ramakotti, Sigmundo Bautista, Justin Alexander Chi-Young Hou
  • Patent number: 10899364
    Abstract: An operator interface for controlling one or more autonomous vehicles. The operator interface is configured to generate a graphical rule creation interface (GRCI) for an operator. The GRCI is displayable to and interactive with the operator for allowing the operator to input instructions. The operator interface is further configured to compile a rule set for governing operations of the one or more autonomous vehicles from instructions inputted by the operator via the GRCI and to upload the rule set to memory units of each of the one more autonomous vehicles to supersede previously installed rule sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric V. Kline, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 10899324
    Abstract: A braking control device generates a force for pressing a friction member against a rotating member fixed to a wheel of the vehicle via an electric motor controlled by a controller in accordance with an operation amount of an operation member. A pressing force sensor detects a pressing force actual value, and a rotation angle sensor detects a rotation angle actual value of the motor. The controller determines whether an operating state of the pressing force sensor is appropriate. When the operating state is appropriate, the motor output is adjusted based on the pressing force actual value, a correlation between the pressing force actual value and the rotation angle actual value is stored, and a conversion calculation map is created based on the correlation. When the operating state is not appropriate, the motor output is adjusted based on the rotation angle actual value and the conversion calculation map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Yasui
  • Patent number: 10896202
    Abstract: Described is a system for an episodic memory used by an automated platform. The system acquires data from an episodic memory that comprises an event database, an event-sequence graph, and an episode list. Using the event-sequence graph, the system identifies a closest node to a current environment for the automated platform. Based on the closest node and using a hash function or key based on the hash function, the system retrieves from the event database an episode that corresponds to the closest node, the episode including a sequence of events. Behavior of the automated platform in the current environment is guided based on the data from the episodic memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: HRL Laboratories, LLC
    Inventors: Youngkwan Cho, Hyukseong Kwon, Rajan Bhattacharyya
  • Patent number: 10883834
    Abstract: Disclosed is a feature for a vehicle that enables taking precautionary actions in response to conditions on the road network around or ahead of the vehicle, in particular, a curved portion of a road with insufficient superelevation. A database that represents the road network is used to determine locations where curved sections of roads have insufficient superelevation (banking), i.e., where the superelevation is below a threshold. Then, precautionary action data is added to the database to indicate a location at which a precautionary action is to be taken about the location of insufficient superelevation. A precautionary action system installed in a vehicle uses this database, or a database derived therefrom, in combination with a positioning system to determine when the vehicle is at a location that corresponds to the location of a precautionary action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventor: Robert Denaro
  • Patent number: 10876842
    Abstract: A method for determining is described, with the aid of landmarks, an attitude of a vehicle moving in an environment in an at least partially automated manner; where the vehicle is moved in the environment, and through which a sequence of localization scenarios is generated; and landmark data being digitally processed by at least one vehicle control system, in order to determine the attitude of the vehicle. The quantity of landmark data is increased or decreased as needed, as a function of the localization scenarios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Mielenz, Jan Rohde
  • Patent number: 10876884
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods are provided for measuring moving vehicle information. Moving vehicle information may be measured by a sensor configured to respond to one or more wheels of the moving vehicle, where one or more of the wheels change the characteristic impedance of the sensor at the wheel's contact location. An electrical time domain reflectometry signal processing system which is capable of measuring the change in the impedance of the sensor and converting the impedance change to a signal may be connected operatively to the sensor. A data-processing system receives the signal and extracts the moving vehicle information therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL ROAD DYNAMICS INC.
    Inventors: Randal Leroy Hanson, Michael David Lockerbie, Ian Robert Meier, Tyler William Haichert
  • Patent number: 10870430
    Abstract: In one example, an autonomy system assigns a trust level to a vehicle, wherein the trust level is a lowest trust level. The autonomy system may modify the trust level to fully autonomous in response to an indicator light providing a fully autonomous status prior to a maneuver as indicated by the indicator light. Additionally, the autonomy system may modify the trust level to driver controlled in response to the indicator light providing a driver controlled status prior to the maneuver as indicated by the indicator light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David Relihan, Michael O'Reilly
  • Patent number: 10872540
    Abstract: A monitoring and maintenance system that utilizes imperial and theoretical data to compare parts, vehicles, users, regions, wear intensity indexes over time and tracking information to provide a sophisticated data collection system for heavy-duty equipment or rental equipment. This tracking is designed to better the specifications, designs, training, preventative maintenance, and replacement wear understanding of fleet management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brian B. Steketee, David W. Baarman, Mark Strayer, Thad Senti
  • Patent number: 10873829
    Abstract: The example embodiments are directed to a system and method which can reduce the number of requests to a web mapping service. In an example, the method may include receiving a processing request from a field service software application for a route distance between a source field service location and a target field service location, identifying a sub-area of the web map in which the source field service location is located and a sub-area of the web map in which the target field service location is located, approximating the route distance between the source field service location and the target field service location based on a previously determined distance between a representative point of the sub-area which includes the source field service location and a representative point of the sub-area which includes the target field service location, and outputting route guidance based on the approximate route distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Boniface Lobo, Daniel Bennett
  • Patent number: 10831213
    Abstract: A targeted loading assistance system includes a work machine having a load carrying mechanism. The system includes a sensor that detects a location of the target loading zone relative to the work machine and generates a location signal indicative of the location of the work machine. The system also includes a path calculation component that receives the location signal and calculates a control path for the work machine to reach the target loading zone. The system also includes a control component that generates a control signal to guide the work machine along the control path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Michael G. Kean, Mark J. Cherney
  • Patent number: 10828953
    Abstract: A self-driving vehicle with an integrated fully-active suspension system. The fully-active suspension utilizes data from one or more sensors used for autonomous driving (e.g. vision, LIDAR, GPS) in order to anticipate road conditions in advance. The system builds a topographical map of the road surface. Suspension and road data is delivered back to the vehicle in order to change autonomous driving behavior including route planning. Energy storage is regulated based on a planned route. Forward and lateral acceleration feel is mitigated through active pitch and tilt compensation. The fully-active suspension pushes and pulls the suspension in three or more operational quadrants in order to deliver superior ride comfort, handling, and/safety of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.
    Inventors: Zackary Martin Anderson, Marco Giovanardi
  • Patent number: 10807636
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus that drives and controls a motor which applies an assist torque to a steering system of a vehicle and has a function switching between an assist mode and an automatic mode, including a torsion bar torsional angle calculating section to calculate a torsion bar torsional angle based on a torque information, an output-side column shaft relative angle generating section to output an output-side relative angle from an electrical angle signal of the motor, an actual handle angle calculating section to calculate an actual handle angle based on the torsion bar torsional angle and the output-side relative angle, a resonance filter to obtain an estimated handle angle in a hands-off state from the output-side relative angle, and a hands-on/off judging section to judge a hands-on state when a time that a deviation angle between the actual handle angle and the estimated handle angle is equal to or more than a predetermined angle is continued for the predetermined time or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Sawada, Yukie Fujiwara, Ryo Minaki, Takayoshi Sugawara
  • Patent number: 10800423
    Abstract: A stability index is determined based on the estimated position, the estimating heading, and the estimated yaw rate. A surface roughness estimator is adapted to estimate a variance or standard deviation of the roll of roll angle change based on the measured roll angle. A wheel-slip estimator estimates the wheel slip indicator based on numerator of drivetrain-derived wheel speed minus estimated velocity, which numerator is collectively divided by the drivetrain-derived wheel speed. A performance evaluation module determines a performance rating based on the determined stability index, the estimated surface roughness index and the estimated wheel slip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventor: Tyler D. Schleicher
  • Patent number: 10800393
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the condition of a service brake for a vehicle is provided. The service brake includes at least one linear path detection device for each service brake unit. The method includes reading a position signal of a service brake component from the path detection device over time or a time period, reading a pressure signal, a control signal and/or a lining wear signal, evaluating the position signal in order to determine at least one condition parameter of the service brake determined using the pressure signal, the control signal and/or the lining wear signal, and providing the condition parameter of the service brake to an interface for use in subsequent brake applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH
    Inventors: Falk Hecker, Robert Theil, Alexander Werth
  • Patent number: 10795378
    Abstract: A network device receives input from an operator that selects parameters associated with issuing at least one remote control command to at least one autonomous vehicle. The network device generates an autonomous vehicle control token based on the selected parameters, and transmits the control token, via a wireless network, to the at least one autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Lisewski, Arvind Basra, Glenna Colaprete Hudson
  • Patent number: 10760913
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining and reducing drift in inertial navigation systems (INS). One method includes receiving images and drifted positions associated with a plurality of INS. The method includes detecting, from the plurality of images, a plurality of objects associated with the plurality of INS. The method includes determining, relative positions for the objects. The method includes generating a plurality of avatars, each having a virtual position, and associating each of the plurality of objects to one of the plurality of avatars. The method includes, for each of the INS, calculating a relative drift based on the relative position of the object and the drifted position of the INS. The method includes calculating a drift correction factor for at least one of the INS, and transmitting the drift correction factor to an electronic device associated with the INS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Gabi Ofir, Mihael Bercovici, Eitan Koren
  • Patent number: 10752342
    Abstract: A regulator device for regulating a speed of rotation, of a shaft of a gas generator of at least one turboshaft engine of a rotorcraft. The rotorcraft has at least one main rotor for regulating at least lift and/or propulsion for said rotorcraft in the air; a control member for controlling a collective pitch of the blades of said at least one main rotor, said control member serving to generate a control setpoint for said collective pitch; at least one turboshaft engine suitable for driving rotation of said at least one main rotor, said at least one engine producing, at least temporarily, a drive torque that is transmitted to said at least one main rotor; and measurement means for taking at each instant a measurement of said drive torque transmitted by said at least one engine to said at least one main rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS
    Inventors: Setareh Taheri, Nicolas Certain
  • Patent number: 10755117
    Abstract: A method of determining obstacles determines if a detected object detected outside a subject vehicle is an obstacle for the subject vehicle on the basis of a predetermined determination criterion. In this method, a determination is made whether or not the detected object detected outside the subject vehicle is a driver or passenger of the subject vehicle. When the detected object is not the driver or passenger, a determination is made whether or not the detected object is an obstacle for the subject vehicle on the basis of a first determination criterion. When the detected object is the driver or passenger, a determination is made whether or not the detected object is an obstacle for the subject vehicle on the basis of a second determination criterion with which the detected object is less likely to be determined as an obstacle for the subject vehicle than with the first determination criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Suzuki, Yasuhisa Hayakawa, Yohei Taniguchi