Patents Examined by Angela Y. Ortiz
  • Patent number: 11940286
    Abstract: Technologies for computing, within a real-time time interval, of a digital plan for a vehicle in response to receipt by an online system of a volume of short-route pickup-and-delivery requests that increases over an operational period, include: receiving, by a hybrid optimization model, a set of digital inputs; where the set of digital inputs includes (i) pairs of geo-location data associated with pickup-and-delivery requests and (ii) geo-location data associated with the vehicle and (iii) precedence data that indicate an order that geo-locations in a pair of geo-location data are to be visited; using the hybrid optimization model to generate, in an execution time that does not exceed the real-time time interval, a pickup and delivery plan that conforms to the precedence data as digital output in response to the set of digital inputs; where the hybrid optimization model includes a constraint programming-based solver that operates in coordination with at least one other solver; creating, digitally storing, tra
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: GRUBHUB HOLDINGS INC.
    Inventor: Ryan J. O'Neil
  • Patent number: 11932296
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for determining ancillary subdivision/districts may include obtaining track data associated with one or more railroads operating one or more subdivisions/districts over which the train may travel, determining an ancillary subdivision/district of the one or more subdivisions/districts that are not included in the track data by any of the one or more railroads, receiving track data for the railroad associated with the ancillary subdivision/district, and communicating with one or more wayside interface units in the ancillary subdivision/district based on the track data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Ann K. Grimm, Rebecca W. Dreasher
  • Patent number: 11919662
    Abstract: A constellation of many satellites provide communication between devices such as user terminals (UTs) and ground stations that are connected to other networks, such as the Internet. A constellation management system (CMS) facilitates management and operation of the satellites in the constellation and facilitates information exchange with other authorized systems to provide for situationally aware operation. The CMS may ingest data such as satellite telemetry, space weather data, object ephemeris data about other orbital objects, and so forth. The CMS uses the ingested data to automatically operate satellites to perform routine activities such as station keeping maneuvers, maintenance activities, interference mitigation, and so forth. Confirmation from a human operator may be obtained before performing some activities. Activities may be planned and coordinated to minimize resource consumption for the individual satellite as well as the constellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jason A. Rhoads, Darren Andrew Schumacher
  • Patent number: 11898856
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for long distance trips in an autonomous vehicle fleet. In particular, systems and methods are provided for autonomous vehicle trips that are a longer distance than a vehicle can travel without recharging. In some implementations, a user is provided an option between stopping to recharge the autonomous vehicle and switching from a first autonomous vehicle to a second autonomous vehicle at a selected stopping location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: GM Cruise Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Willem Gerrese, Aakanksha Mirdha, Yifei Zhang, Jeremy Stephen Juel
  • Patent number: 11884251
    Abstract: Method and system may be configured to determine a stationary time period during which a vehicle has remained stationary. The method and system may be further configured to enable a parked function of the vehicle in response to determining that the stationary time period exceeds a designated threshold. While the parked function is enabled, the vehicle applies a braking effort to the vehicle in response to detecting movement of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandre Rossmann, Amit Saxena, Keith Smith
  • Patent number: 11875687
    Abstract: A method may include receiving, from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a first message via a first network using User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The method may further include determining whether a second message that is identical to the first message has been received from the UAV via a second network that is different than the first network. The method may additionally include processing the first message when the second message has not been received and discarding the first message when the second message has been received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel William McMillan
  • Patent number: 11872989
    Abstract: The concepts described herein relate to a calculation of desired future longitudinal horizons related to torque or acceleration, and desired future lateral horizons related to yaw rate and lateral velocity, and their use in response to driver-selectable modes. In the longitudinal direction, driver inputs of pedal and brake position as well as drivability metrics are used to calculate the desired future torque trajectory. In the lateral direction, the front and rear steering angles may be used with a bicycle model to derive the trajectories. The trajectories are used in a vehicle motion controller that uses weighting to tradeoff competing requests and deliver performance that is consistent with a selected driver mode, such as a tour mode, a sport mode, an off-road mode, a trailering mode, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Paul G. Otanez, Yiran Hu, Hualin Tan, Daniel L Baibak, Ruixing Long
  • Patent number: 11548550
    Abstract: A method for adapting the steering feel for a driver of a vehicle at an input element of the vehicle is described. The vehicle has a steer-by-wire steering system. The method comprises creating a reference of the steering feel. The method further comprises selecting scaling factors for the reference model such that characteristics of the steering feel remain constant for different steering ratios. The method further comprises adapting the steering feel using the scaling factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Joerg Strecker, Alexander Sauter
  • Patent number: 11477935
    Abstract: An agricultural zone management system and methods where a variable rate prescription (VRP) includes a plurality of equipment zones of the agricultural field that are generated based on at least one treatment dimension of a farm implement to be used in the agricultural field, and each one of the equipment zones is further defined based on one or more of an intended direction of travel of the farm implement in the agricultural field, and an intended travel path of the farm implement in the agricultural field. In addition, a treatment plan, such as a treatment rate, can be generated based on the needs of plants, soil or the like in each equipment zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Sentera, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrew Muehlfeld
  • Patent number: 11447150
    Abstract: A comfort-based self-driving planning method is provided, including the steps of: a) establishing a relationship model of vibration road surface quality and driving comfort on the basis of a vehicle type; b) obtaining road ahead condition parameters, including abnormal condition information, road flatness and road surface anti-slide performance; c) obtaining the road ahead condition parameters, and adjusting a vehicle expected driving trajectory; d) respectively designing vehicle acceleration, deceleration and constant speed processes, and generating a speed change curve; and e) optimizing the speed change curve. Based upon changeable road surface quality and vehicle vibration action mechanism analysis and image-based road surface anti-slide coefficient evaluation technology, a GIS and vehicle-road communication technology are used to acquire road condition parameters, and vehicle acceleration, deceleration and constant speed processes are respectively designed on the basis of changes in the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Inventor: Yuchuan Du
  • Patent number: 11433886
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adapting a driving condition of a vehicle. The system includes a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a pre-programmed driving maneuver of the vehicle. The system also includes a processor configured to obtain audio data of acoustic sources in the environment of the vehicle. The processor is further configured to determine a receiving direction of the acoustic source based on the audio data. The processor is further configured to determine whether the acoustic source are located within the maneuver of the vehicle based on the pre-programmed or updated driving maneuvers and the determined receiving direction of the acoustic source. Furthermore, the processor is configured to determine a range between the vehicle and the acoustic source in order to determine that the acoustic source is located within the driving path of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Eli Tzirkel-Hancock, Alex Gendelman, Noam Shabtai
  • Patent number: 11299189
    Abstract: A motorized cart retriever, which may be a cart pusher or a cart puller, can apply a force to a nest of human-propelled, wheeled carts to facilitate retrieval of the carts. The cart retriever can include a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive cart status information from cart transmitters of the wheeled carts and wirelessly report event data to a control unit. The cart status information may include an identification of the cart transmitter, a location of the cart, a lock or unlock status of a cart wheel, a misuse condition, etc. The event data can include the cart status information, a number of wheeled carts being retrieved, etc. The cart wheel may include a brake. The transceiver may communicate a message to the cart wheel to keep the brake unactuated during retrieval. The control unit may analyze the event data to detect traffic patterns of the carts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Gatekeeper Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Hannah, Scott J. Carter, Jesse M. James
  • Patent number: 11220263
    Abstract: A method for open-loop or closed-loop control of a driver assistance system of a vehicle, including: a) using a first sensor device to detect from a roadway at least one lane and a roadway marking that separates the lane from an edge of the roadway; b) using a second sensor device to detect operation of at least one operating device of the vehicle that influences the driving dynamics of the vehicle by virtue of the driver; c) using steering actuators and/or brake actuators to influence the driving dynamics of the vehicle; and d) outputting, if there is a threat of the vehicle leaving the lane, as detected by the first sensor device, a first warning signal. A related driver assistance system is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBH
    Inventors: Ulrich Guecker, Markus Klein, Jan Mayer
  • Patent number: 11167685
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to vehicle technology, and more particularly, to a vehicle for carrying a container. The vehicle includes: a vehicle body, at least one locking mechanism provided on the vehicle body and a microcontroller unit communicatively connected to each of the at least one locking mechanism and configured to control each of the at least one locking mechanism to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state. Each of the at least one locking mechanism is connected fixedly to the container when the locking mechanism is in the locked state, such that the container is fixed to the vehicle body. The vehicle is advantageous in that it is capable of locking and unlocking the container in a simple way, thereby improving the efficiency of the vehicle in transportation of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BEIJING TUSEN WEILAI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaoping Gu, Chao Yan, Ming Wang, Jie Sun
  • Patent number: 11156475
    Abstract: A method for packing an electronic flight bag (EFB) involves obtaining a route, determining a buffer zone surrounding the route, identifying aeronautical content to be downloaded that is at least partially located in the buffer zone, and downloading the identified aeronautical content from a remote aeronautical content repository to the EFB device. The method further involves selecting, from the downloaded aeronautical content, at least one aeronautical chart, and displaying the route and the buffer zone in the at least one aeronautical chart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Foreflight LLC
    Inventors: Jason Miller, Christopher Tyson Weihs, William Bryce Gestrich, Raymond Aaron Farnham
  • Patent number: 10919601
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a control method for regulating the electric motor of an electric bicycle for push assistance for the electric bicycle. The control method comprises identification of activation of the push assistance by the cyclist. When activation is identified, the electric motor generates a torque for driving the electric bicycle as push assistance. Subsequently, an acceleration by the electric bicycle in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the electric bicycle is captured by means of a first sensor, wherein the acceleration results on the basis of a manual pushing or braking force of the cyclist. The captured acceleration is compared with an acceleration threshold value in a further step, wherein, in the event of the acceleration threshold value being exceeded, the electric motor is regulated on the basis of a change in the captured acceleration to adapt the torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Baumgaertner, Rinaldo Greiner
  • Patent number: 10005473
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a stereo camera, a vehicle driving assistance device comprising the same, and a vehicle. A stereo camera according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first lens, a first image sensor to sense a first image including a grey color and a first color on the basis of light which is incident through the first lens, a second lens separated from the first lens by a predetermined distance, and a second image sensor to sense a second image including the grey color and a second color on the basis of light which is incident through the second lens. Accordingly, the stereo camera may acquire a disparity map and a RGB image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yunpyo Hong, Woonki Park, Youngkyung Park, Namseoung Lee
  • Patent number: 10002468
    Abstract: Various arrangements for servicing autonomous devices via satellite-based communication links are detailed herein. A satellite transponder stream of data may be monitored via a tuner for an identifier indicative of an autonomous device. An update linked with the identifier may be acquired from the satellite-transmitted transponder stream of data. The acquired update may be stored at least until the autonomous device communicatively pairs with the network-independent maintenance device. The autonomous device may be communicatively paired with the system or device that received the satellite-broadcast update. In response to having acquired the update linked with the identifier from the transponder stream of data and the autonomous device being communicatively paired with the system or device, the acquired update may be transmitted to the autonomous device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: ECHOSTAR TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Darren Hamilton
  • Patent number: 9963155
    Abstract: A system for path control for a mobile unmanned vehicle in an environment is provided. The system includes: a sensor connected to the mobile unmanned vehicle; the mobile unmanned vehicle configured to initiate a first fail-safe routine responsive to detection of an object in a first sensor region adjacent to the sensor; and a processor connected to the mobile unmanned vehicle. The processor is configured to: generate a current path based on a map of the environment; based on the current path, issue velocity commands to cause the mobile unmanned vehicle to execute the current path; responsive to detection of an obstacle in a second sensor region, initiate a second fail-safe routine in the mobile unmanned vehicle to avoid entry of the obstacle into the first sensor region and initiation of the first fail-safe routine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Inventors: Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Alex Bencz, Yan Ma, Michael Irvine, Shahab Kaynama, James Servos, Peiyi Chen
  • Patent number: 9931954
    Abstract: A park assist system may, in response to receiving a signal indicating that a remote inductive charge source is within a vicinity of a vehicle, transition from a park assist mode to a wireless charging mode. During the wireless charging mode, the park assist system generates instructions to assist a driver in positioning the vehicle relative to the inductive charge source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Venkateswa Anand Sankaran, John Paul Gibeau, James A. Lathrop, Christopher W. Bell