Patents Examined by Anne M Antonucci
  • Patent number: 10384690
    Abstract: Among other things, a vehicle drives autonomously on a trajectory through a road network to a goal location based on an automatic process for planning the trajectory without human intervention; and an automatic process alters the planning of the trajectory to reach a target location based on a request received from an occupant of the vehicle to engage in a speed-reducing maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: nuTonomy Inc.
    Inventors: Harshavardhan Ravichandran, Karl Iagnemma, Eric Wolff
  • Bed
    Patent number: 10383780
    Abstract: Bed with system for propelling the bed including motorized wheel, drive for propelling, processor unit and control member. Using the controller connected via the processor unit to the drive for propelling of the motorized wheel it is possible to change the modes of the motorized wheel. In the first mode the movement of the motorized wheel is dependent on the drive for propelling, whereas in the second mode the motorized wheel rotates independently of the drive for propelling. Using the system for propelling the bed it is thus possible to start the bed moving in the selected direction, in manual mode or in braking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: LINET SPOL. S R.O.
    Inventors: Michal Jordan, Marek Hartman, Vladimir Jurka
  • Patent number: 10386834
    Abstract: An adjustable surf wake system can enhance a wake formed by a watercraft travelling through water. A rider control device can enable a rider to control the wake of the watercraft while riding the wake, such as for wake surfing. The rider can adjust the speed of the watercraft, can adjust the height of the wake, and/or can change the watercraft between a surf-left configuration and a surf-right configuration. The rider control device can include a position sensor. A drone can position a camera based on the position sensor of the rider control device for filming the rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Malibu Boats, LLC
    Inventors: Rachael Marie Green, Cory Wade Dugger, Jackie Dale Springer, Jr., Adam Andrew McCall, Daniel Lee Gasper
  • Patent number: 10386852
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling operation of a utility vehicle that detects a magnetic field generated by electric current flowing through a boundary wire of a working area and is driven to run within the working area based on the detected magnetic field, having left and right magnetic sensor installed at lateral right and left positions of the vehicle to produce outputs proportional to strength of the magnetic field, turning mode is switched between gentle turning mode to make the vehicle turn while running near the boundary wire and sharp turning mode to make the vehicle pause near the boundary wire and then turn, when it is determined from the outputs of the magnetic sensors that the vehicle approaches the boundary wire, each time predetermined conditions are satisfied, and operation of the prime mover is controlled such that the vehicle turns in accordance with the switched turning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Shimamura, Yuki Matsui
  • Patent number: 10385795
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for conducting a fuel tank pressure transducer rationality test diagnostic procedure in vehicles with sealed fuel tanks. In one example, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) or vehicle-to-infrastructure-to-vehicle (V2I2V) technology may be utilized to obtain fuel tank pressure transducer data from a select crowd of vehicles, where the select crowd may be based on the vehicles in the select crowd experiencing similar ambient temperature and weather as the vehicle being diagnosed. In this way, FTPT data from vehicles in the select crowd may be compared to FTPT data in the vehicle being diagnosed, in order to indicate whether the FTPT in the vehicle being diagnosed is functioning as desired, where such a diagnostic can be performed without unsealing the fuel tank on either the vehicle being diagnosed or the vehicles in the select crowd, and which may thus reduce undesired evaporative emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Fling Tseng
  • Patent number: 10384675
    Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically controlling a vehicle are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes an actuator configured to control one or more vehicle driving characteristics, at least one vehicle sensor configured to measure a vehicle characteristic, a remote assistant in communication with the vehicle, and a controller in communication with the actuator, the at least one vehicle sensor, and the remote assistant, the controller being programmed with an automated driving system control algorithm and configured to determine whether a failsafe condition has occurred based on sensor data from the at least one vehicle sensor, receive a control signal from the remote assistant, and automatically control the actuator based on the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Alarcon, Akram M. Abdel-Rahman, Grant L. Meade, Sigrid C. Wagner, Jeremy A. Salinger
  • Patent number: 10378376
    Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting an operating parameter of a machine based on an operating state of a component of the machine are provided. A method may be implemented by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the machine and includes determining that a performance of the machine has degraded. The method further includes selecting a predetermined adjustment to the operating parameter, wherein the selected predetermined adjustment reduces an effect of the operating state of the component on the performance of the machine, and operating the machine using the selected predetermined adjustment to the operating parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Sridhar Adibhatla
  • Patent number: 10378184
    Abstract: A hydraulic system for a working machine is a load sensing (LS) system and includes a first hydraulic actuator and a first control valve for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid from a pump to the first hydraulic actuator and for draining hydraulic fluid from the first hydraulic actuator, respectively, and a second hydraulic actuator and a second control valve for controlling the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump to the second hydraulic actuator and for draining hydraulic fluid from the second hydraulic actuator, respectively. The hydraulic system further includes a first hydraulic circuit for providing an LS pressure for the first actuator and a second hydraulic circuit for providing an LS pressure for the second actuator. At least one of the first and second hydraulic circuits includes an offset valve for changing the LS pressure before providing the LS pressure to the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventor: Bo Vigholm
  • Patent number: 10369994
    Abstract: A method for detecting stubs or intersecting roadways includes receiving perception data from at least two sensors. The at least two sensors include a rear facing camera of a vehicle and another sensor. The perception data includes information for a current roadway on which the vehicle is located. The method includes detecting, based on the perception data, an intersecting roadway connecting with the current roadway. The method also includes storing an indication of a location and a direction of the intersecting roadway with respect to the current roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Vincent Myers, Alexandru Mihai Gurghian, Ashley Elizabeth Micks, Alexandro Walsh
  • Patent number: 10370093
    Abstract: Techniques for calculating a sound received at a plurality of distances from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may be provided. For example, during delivery, the UAV may be associated with a sensor to obtain first sound information that corresponds to the sound generated by the UAV. A sensor associated with a landing marker may obtain second sound information about the sound generated by the UAV during flight and delivery of a payload to a location associated with the landing marker. In embodiments, the first sound information and the second sound information may be utilized to calculate sound metrics for the sound generated by the UAV and determine the sound received at a plurality of distances from the UAV during flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian C. Beckman, Eric Berlinberg, John Raymond Brodie, Emilia Sorana Buneci
  • Patent number: 10369950
    Abstract: A monitoring device for an ignition circuit for a personal protection device for a vehicle. The ignition circuit activates the personal protection device when an ignition voltage is present that exceeds a voltage threshold value and/or an ignition current is present that exceeds a current threshold value. The monitoring device has a control device and a voltage source connected via a voltage source terminal of the control device. The control device is connected via a high-side ignition circuit terminal to a first supply terminal of the ignition circuit and via a low-side ignition circuit terminal to a second supply terminal of the ignition circuit. The monitoring device is fashioned such that a no-load voltage of a high-side current source of the control device situated between the voltage source terminal and the high-side ignition circuit terminal corresponds at least to the voltage threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Hartmut Schumacher, Ruediger Karner
  • Patent number: 10365654
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle based on a passenger-initiated action are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer implemented method includes detecting, by one or more computing devices on-board an autonomous vehicle, a first status change of a vehicle door. The first status change is associated with a first user action associated with the vehicle door. The method includes detecting a second status change of the vehicle door. The second status change is associated with a second user action associated with the vehicle door. The method includes determining one or more vehicle actions based at least in part on at least one of the first status change or the second status change associated with the vehicle door. The method includes providing one or more control signals to one or more systems on-board the autonomous vehicle to implement the vehicle actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Shaw Wood, Scott C. Poeppel
  • Patent number: 10363822
    Abstract: A braking control method for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle distributes and transmits a driving force of a vehicle driving source to front and rear wheels based on a power distribution rate. The method includes determining a total braking force based on a brake signal corresponding to brake pedal manipulation, calculating a front and rear wheel braking force satisfying the total braking force, and calculating a regenerative and frictional braking force satisfying the total braking force. The method further includes determining a power distribution rate range to the front and rear wheels during braking using the calculated front and rear wheel braking force and regenerative braking force, determining a power distribution rate to the front and rear wheels based on a vehicle driving condition, within the determined power distribution rate range; and adjusting distribution of the power to the front and rear wheels at the power distribution rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Joon Young Park
  • Patent number: 10358148
    Abstract: A method of reducing vapor generation in an LNG fueled vehicle is provided. The LNG fueled vehicle includes an LNG fuel system including an external LNG pump. The method includes a step of predicting if the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during a first forthcoming time period using a controller. If the LNG fueled vehicle will be operated during the first forthcoming time period, as determined by the first predicting step, the method includes cooling the external LNG pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Gamache Foege, Walter Henry Klaric
  • Patent number: 10362638
    Abstract: A description is given of a process for producing a metal plate having at least one embedded heating element and of the metal plate produced by the process. The heating element is arranged between two plate bodies, and the heating element is embedded in the plate bodies by rolling with material displacement. The adjacent sides of the plate bodies have a layer of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. After a heat pre-treatment at the re-crystallization temperature of the aluminum or the aluminum alloy, the plate bodies are pressed against one another to bring about a reduction in thickness, with which the plate bodies form a diffusion bond with one another and are integrally bonded to one another over the entire surface area thereof to form the metal plate to be produced. The process produces a metal plate as a whole with better thermal conductivity and a broader spectrum of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: ALINOX AG
    Inventors: Norbert Hoffstaedter, Markus Spring
  • Patent number: 10358154
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system and method for detecting and recording rail vehicle events. The system comprises one or more cameras, one or more sensors, non-transient electronic storage, one or more physical computer processors, and/or other components. The one or more cameras may be configured to acquire visual information representing a rail vehicle environment. The one or more sensors may be configured to generate output signals conveying operation information related to operation of the rail vehicle. The non-transient electronic storage may be configured to store electronic information. The one or more physical computer processors may be configured to detect rail vehicle events based on the output signals and facilitate electronic storage of the visual information and the operation information for a period of time that includes the rail vehicle event in the non-transient electronic storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Palmer, Slaven Sljivar, Mark Freitas, Daniel A. Deninger, Shahriar Ravari
  • Patent number: 10360461
    Abstract: A travel control device for a vehicle is configured to execute a self-driving control based on a traveling state and traveling environment information of the vehicle. The travel control device includes a controller. The controller estimates execution of a right turn and a left turn from a traveling lane of the vehicle based on the traveling state and traveling environment information. When execution of either one of the right turn and the left turn from the traveling lane of the vehicle is estimated, the controller varies a traveling path from the traveling lane to a lane after the execution of the estimated turn according to the traveling state and traveling environment information to perform a right or left turn control of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayuki Nagase, Eiichi Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 10351044
    Abstract: Techniques for drone device control are provided. In one example, the technique includes monitoring, by a drone device operatively coupled to a processor and allocated to a vehicle in operation, one or more conditions associated with the vehicle. The technique also includes, in response to identifying, by the drone device, a defined condition of the one or more conditions: moving, by the drone device, to a position relative to the vehicle and determined based on the defined condition; and performing, by the drone device, an indication operation determined based on the defined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael S. Gordon, James Robert Kozloski, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 10351141
    Abstract: A control system controls a power transmission system located between a motive power source and drive wheels. The power transmission system includes a fluid coupling and an engagement device. The control system includes an electronic control unit configured to: obtain information concerning vibration of the power transmission system; determine whether the vibration of the power transmission system is in a resonance region of the power transmission system; control the engagement device so that the engagement device slips, when the electronic control unit determines that the power transmission system is in the resonance region; and control the motive power source when the electronic control unit determines that the power transmission system is in the resonance region, so that a rotational speed of the motive power source increases as compared with a case where the power transmission system is not in the resonance region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuya Imamura, Atsushi Tabata
  • Patent number: 10351145
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a vehicle, the method may include measuring a speed of the vehicle to provide speed measurements; measuring, by at least one vibration sensor, vibrations of the vehicle to provide vibrations measurements; determining, based on the vibration measurements and speed measurements, an actual relationship between speed and vibrations of the vehicle; comparing between the actual relationship between the speed and vibrations of the vehicle and a reference relationship between speed and vibrations of the vehicle to provide a comparison result; and determining the quality of the driving based on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TRAFFILOG LTD
    Inventors: Robert Izraeli, Assi Bitton, Arik Greenberger