Patents Examined by Anthony R Jimenez
  • Patent number: 11415987
    Abstract: In a method for operating a vehicle, a planning map and a localization map are provided, the vehicle is localized on the localization map, a map corridor indicated in the planning map is selected based on the localization, a sensor corridor is ascertained using a sensor unit of the vehicle, and the map corridor is compared to the sensor corridor. Using a specified threshold value for a deviation between the map corridor and the sensor corridor, it is decided whether the map corridor and the sensor corridor are identical. The map corridor is utilized for operating the vehicle if the map corridor and the sensor corridor are identical, and the sensor corridor is utilized for operating the vehicle if the map corridor and the sensor corridor are not identical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Carsten Hasberg, Philipp Rasp
  • Patent number: 11407374
    Abstract: A processing device includes a control unit configured to execute identifying a first training device that is of one or more training devices equipped in a movable object for providing a training opportunity to a passenger and that is used by the passenger, and at least one process of controlling a traveling state of the movable object depending on a content of a training using the first training device and restricting use states of the one or more training devices depending on the traveling state of the movable object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiro Murakami, Katsuhiko Sakakibara, Makoto Matsushita, Junya Sato, Kiyonori Yoshida, Tae Sugimura, Takashi Hayashi, Jun Endo
  • Patent number: 11410552
    Abstract: A three-dimensional information processing method includes: obtaining, via a communication channel, map data that includes first three-dimensional position information; generating second three-dimensional position information from information detected by a sensor; judging whether one of the first three-dimensional position information and the second three-dimensional position information is abnormal by performing, on one of the first three-dimensional position information and the second three-dimensional position information, a process of judging whether an abnormality is present; determining a coping operation to cope with the abnormality when one of the first three-dimensional position information and the second three-dimensional position information is judged to be abnormal; and executing a control that is required to perform the coping operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Tadamasa Toma, Takahiro Nishi, Toshiyasu Sugio, Toru Matsunobu, Satoshi Yoshikawa, Tatsuya Koyama
  • Patent number: 11398159
    Abstract: A method to reduce aircraft fuel consumption includes determining whether a particular aircraft belongs to a runway queue associated with one or more aircraft waiting to take-off from a runway of an airport based on (i) real-time aircraft geographic location information associated with the particular aircraft and (ii) a graph associated with features of the airport. An amount of time the particular aircraft spends in the runway queue before taking off from the runway can be determined. A runway queue take-off delay associated with the runway queue can be determined based at least in part on the amount of time the particular aircraft spends in the runway queue. The runway queue take-off delay can be communicated to a controller terminal of the airport to facilitate routing a different aircraft to a different runway queue associated with a shorter runway queue take-off delay to reduce fuel consumption by the different aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jakub Dziecielski, Piotr Mazur, Jonasz Rudnik, Michal Ruminski, Aleksander Rydzewski
  • Patent number: 11385065
    Abstract: A route retrieval apparatus includes a route retrieval unit configured to perform route retrieval from a departure place to a destination, the route retrieval retrieving a route using one or two or more pieces of moving means among a plurality of pieces of moving means including sharing type moving means in which a vehicle with a relatively small riding capacity is used by unspecified people, and perform the route retrieval from the departure place to the destination, the route retrieval retrieving a route including usage of the sharing type moving means, such that the usage of the sharing type moving means is restricted to at least one of usage from the departure place or a periphery of the departure place and usage for reaching the destination or a periphery of the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Majima, Nariaki Amano, Yukiya Yamane, Kazuki Kato
  • Patent number: 11383736
    Abstract: A vehicle battery controller includes a sensor configured to acquire information on a subordinate battery configured to back up a main battery during autonomous driving, a DDC provided between the main battery and the subordinate battery, a switching circuit configured to switch a connection state of the subordinate battery between a connection state for manual driving and a connection state for the autonomous driving, and an electronic control unit configured to control charging and discharging of the subordinate battery by controlling the DDC and the switching circuit based on the information acquired by the sensor. The electronic control unit permits the autonomous driving when determination is made, through first battery control, that the subordinate battery can output backup power. The electronic control unit determines whether the subordinate battery can output the backup power by executing second battery control having higher accuracy than that of the first battery control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Ozeki, Norio Nishiwaki, Yoshiyuki Takahara
  • Patent number: 11380202
    Abstract: Methods and systems for vehicle-to-vehicle communication are disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes: receiving, from a first vehicle via a network, a request for communicating with another vehicle; receiving, via the network, a first position signal from the first vehicle; determining a position of the first vehicle based on the first position signal; determining a target vehicle of the request, based on the request and the position of the first vehicle; transmitting, via the network, the request to the target vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle drives according to the request; and adding an amount of credit to an account associated with the target vehicle when it is determined that the target vehicle drives according to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Edwards, Abdelkader Benkreira, Michael Mossoba
  • Patent number: 11378627
    Abstract: A battery and an electrical battery monitoring device are disclosed having a first group of sensing switches connected in series on a first monitoring circuit, the sensing switches, a second group of electrical sensing switches connected in series on a second monitoring circuit, an input unit to provide an input to the first and second monitoring circuits, a monitoring unit to receive an output from the first and second monitoring circuits, wherein the monitoring unit receives at least two outputs from two measuring points of the first monitoring circuit, the two measuring points being separated by at least one sensing switch. The location of a defective battery cell may be early detected and precisely located by the monitoring of the battery cells in rows and columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignees: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GmbH, AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE GmbH
    Inventors: Philipp Weinreiter, Kristian Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 11380941
    Abstract: A battery information processing system includes a control device configured to perform capacity calculation processing. The capacity calculation processing is processing for calculating a full charge capacity Q of the module based on a fitting curve Z calculated by fitting processing of a Nyquist plot representing a result of measurement of an AC impedance of the module. In an OCV-SOC curve of the module, there are a flat region in which a ratio of variation is lower than a reference value and a steep region in which the ratio of variation is higher than the reference value. The control device estimates an OCV of the module from a result of detection by a voltage sensor and performs the capacity calculation processing when the estimated OCV is in the flat region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuya Kodama
  • Patent number: 11378984
    Abstract: A vessel-azimuth control apparatus is configured in such a way that an azimuth controller generates and outputs an angular velocity command, based on an azimuth command from an azimuth command generator and an actual azimuth, in such a way that an angular velocity controller generates and outputs a steering angle command, based on the angular velocity command, a vessel speed, and an actual angular velocity, and in such a way that a vibration suppression controller outputs a final steering angle command, based on the steering angle command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Cornoration
    Inventors: Naoki Imamura, Ryo Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11370322
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a value of a parameter which characterizes the state of health of a battery made up of a plurality of cells and installed on-board a motorized land vehicle, as well as to an associated computer determination system (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: PSA AUTOMOBILES SA
    Inventor: Said Benane
  • Patent number: 11374270
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a secondary battery and a display device. The secondary battery is mounted on the vehicle as a power source. The display device is configured to display an indicator that indicates a capacity retention rate of the secondary battery at a current point in time. The capacity retention rate is a ratio of a capacity of the secondary battery at the current point in time to a reference capacity of the secondary battery. The reference capacity is set in advance based on a virtual capacity of the secondary battery after a lapse of a predetermined period from manufacture of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Kubo, Yoshihiro Uchida, Junta Izumi, Masaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 11370450
    Abstract: A vehicle starting mechanism includes a switch box and a power switch. The switch box is provided near an operation panel or a meter panel, and has a lid that can be opened and closed. The power switch is housed inside the switch box, and is capable of switching the vehicle between a state capable of traveling and a state incapable of traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuchi Yamanouchi, Masaki Shitara, Ryo Hattori
  • Patent number: 11352024
    Abstract: A system for route guidance, the system comprising a driving controller, wherein the driving controller is configured to receive sensor output from at least one sensor, wherein, based on the received sensor output, the driving controller determines, for a common time interval, a first set of route actions and a second set of route actions; and a vehicle motion controller configured to receive, from the driving controller, the first set of route actions and the second set of route actions, and wherein, during the common time interval, the first set of route actions are executed when the vehicle is in a first state and the second set of route actions are executed when the vehicle is in a different second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: NIO USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Alex J. Smith, Ali A. Ayoub, Stefan T. Hilligardt
  • Patent number: 11348450
    Abstract: A remote control device having capacitive touch controls may be configured to enter a sleep state (or mode). For example, the remote control device may be configured to enter the sleep state upon expiration of an interval of time since a most recent button press. The remote control may be configured to awaken from the sleep state when one or more portions of a housing of the remote control are deflected, for example, when a user grasps the remote control to actuate one or more of the capacitive touch controls. For example, the remote control device may include a switch. The switch may include a carbon structure that may be configured to contact an open circuit pad on a circuit board to close the corresponding circuit when the housing is deflected and awaken the remote control device from the sleep state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Mann, Matthew Philip McDonald, Lawrence R. Carmen, Jr., Robert D. Stevens, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11349159
    Abstract: Provided are a battery management system and a battery pack including the same. The battery management system includes a plurality of slave controllers, a plurality of temperature sensors, and a master controller. The plurality of temperature sensors are disposed in a plurality of different regions within the battery pack in a distributed fashion. The master controller is communicably coupled to the plurality of temperature sensors through a wired communication network. The master controller is communicably coupled to the plurality of slave controllers through a wireless communication network. The master controller determines a position of each of the plurality of slave controllers based on a temperature value of each region measured by the plurality of temperature sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Ji-Won Hwang, Yean-Sik Choi, Ji-Eun Kim, Chang-Hyun Sung, Sang-Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 11346679
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to receive a set of user attribute preferences for a trip. The processor is also configured to determine a plurality of trip routes, the routes having variance in a value for at least one user attribute preference as compared to other of the routes. The processor is further configured to present the plurality of routes in a selectable manner, including displaying an attribute value associated with each route and implement navigation for a selected route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Fling Tseng, Pankaj Kumar, Hassene Jammoussi, Fakhreddine Landolsi, Imad Hassan Makki
  • Patent number: 11346890
    Abstract: The life of a secondary battery has not been able to be prolonged due to deterioration of the secondary battery. In one step, whether a difference between an average value of a negative electrode capacity deviations calculated in a different step and a negative electrode capacity deviation calculated in another step is larger than a predetermined value is determined. In a case where the average value of the measured negative electrode capacity deviations is larger than the ideal negative electrode capacity deviation, and deterioration of the negative electrode capacity deviation is proceeding, a secondary battery is controlled to operate at a high voltage in a further step. With the control, the deterioration of the negative electrode capacity deviation is suppressed and the life of the secondary battery is prolonged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan Inc.
    Inventors: Masanari Oda, Shuichi Suzuki, Shigeki Makino, Takenori Ishizu, Ryohhei Nakao
  • Patent number: 11338683
    Abstract: In the event of an abnormality occurring in a temperature sensor that is used to detect the temperature of a battery, an electrically driven vehicle sets a drivable time by using a reference temperature of the battery and gives permission for emergency drive until a driving time of the electrically driven vehicle reaches the drivable time. When the reference temperature is used for the first time since the occurrence of the abnormality in the temperature sensor, a temperature detected before the occurrence of the abnormality in the temperature sensor is used as the reference temperature. When the reference temperature is used for the second or subsequent time since the occurrence of the abnormality in the temperature sensor, a temperature obtained by applying a resistance value based on an inter-terminal voltage of the battery and an electric current flowing in the battery, to a correlation between battery resistance and battery temperature is used as the reference temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroki Tashiro
  • Patent number: 11332036
    Abstract: An estimation method of the residual charge of an electric vehicle comprising at least one electric battery and at least one motor configured to use, at least in part, the energy of said at least one battery for enabling the operation of the electric vehicle, the method comprising a plurality of calculation steps for calculating an optimised coefficient of available energy that takes into account the actual operation of the vehicle in order to correct the energy of said batteries at the beginning of the next work cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: IVECO S.P.A.
    Inventor: Attilio Perrone