Patents Examined by Ashley L Redhead, Jr.
-
Patent number: 11002548Abstract: A return-to-harbor notifying device is provided, which may include a user interface and processing circuitry. The user interface may receive an information related to a planned time of arrival at a home harbor that is a location to which a ship returns. The processing circuitry may generate a traveling route upon returning to the harbor, calculate a required time for traveling from a current location of the ship to the home harbor based on the traveling route, calculate a return-to-harbor start time of the ship based on the required time and the information related to the planned time of arrival, and notify a content based on the return-to-harbor start time.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2018Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: FURUNO ELECTRIC COMPANY LIMITEDInventor: Ryota Kikuchi
-
Patent number: 11006263Abstract: A vehicle system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions including receiving an alert signal, deploying a drone from a host vehicle in response to receiving the alert signal, and commanding the drone to follow the host vehicle and to present a perceptible alert.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2016Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Francisco Javier Ferreira, Gerardo Velazquez Monroy, Joan Manuel Hernandez, Erick Garcia Dominguez
-
Patent number: 11004333Abstract: A method, computer system, and a computer program product for detecting a plurality of influential factors for traffic congestion is provided. The present invention may include identifying one or more influential roads and one or more influential routings associated with an object road in a target road network. The present invention may also include quantifying an impact associated with the identified one or more influential roads and the identified one or more influential routings associated with the object road, wherein at least one Impact Matrix is utilized to determine a road-by-road influence in connection to the target road network.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2018Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jing James Xu, Jing Xu, Jun Wang, Xiaoyang Yang, Ji Hui Yang
-
Patent number: 10996060Abstract: A device, system, and methods are described to perform machine-learning camera-based indoor mobile positioning. The indoor mobile positioning may utilize inexact computing, wherein a small decrease in accuracy is used to obtain significant computational efficiency. Hence, the positioning may be performed using a smaller memory overhead at a faster rate and with lower energy cost than previous implementations. The positioning may not involve any communication (or data transfer) with any other device or the cloud, providing privacy and security to the device. A hashing-based image matching algorithm may be used which is cheaper, both in energy and computation cost, over existing state-of-the-art matching techniques. This significant reduction allows end-to-end computation to be performed locally on the mobile device.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2017Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignees: William Marsh Rice University, Seoul National University R&DB FoundationInventors: Anshumali Shrivastava, Chen Luo, Krishna Palem, Yongshik Moon, Soonhyun Noh, Daedong Park, Seongsoo Hong
-
Patent number: 10994927Abstract: An automated carting assembly includes a cart that has a plurality of garbage containers each being positioned thereon. The cart has a slidably adjustable length for accommodation a varying number of the garbage containers. A pair of rear wheels is each rotatably coupled to the cart for rolling on a support surface and each of the front wheels is steerable on the cart. A pair of front wheels is each rotatably coupled to the cart for rolling along the support surface. A pair of steering actuators is each coupled to a respective one of the front wheels for steering the cart. A pair of drive motors is each rotatably coupled to a respective one of the front wheels for driving the cart between a storage point and a pickup point.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2019Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Inventor: Brian Schuster
-
Patent number: 10996068Abstract: A vehicle may include a display, a sensor configured to detect state information related to a user and the vehicle, a communicator configured to receive travelling information related to the vehicle corresponding to the state information from an external server; and a controller configured to classify drivers having a same tendency as the user on the basis of the travelling information, generate a travel route of the vehicle on the basis of an emotion state of the user and information related to the classified drivers, and display the generated travel route on the display.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2018Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Daeyun An, Dong-Seon Chang, Seunghyun Woo
-
Patent number: 10991260Abstract: A system for intelligent non-disruptive airspace integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is disclosed. The system includes an onboard positioning system and altimeter that determine a current position and altitude of the UAS. Under normal conditions, the UAS remains in inert mode: a transceiver listens for and decodes transmissions from nearby aircraft and ground-based traffic and control facilities. If certain conditions are met (e.g., proximate aircraft, altitude ceilings, controlled or restricted airspaces) the system may declare an alert mode. When in alert mode, the transceiver broadcasts position and identifier information of the UAS to alert neighboring aircraft to its presence. Intelligent transmission strategies regulate the power level or rate of alert-mode transmissions to reduce spectrum congestion due to high UAS density. Alert-mode transmissions continue until the underlying conditions change and inert mode is resumed.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2019Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: UAVIONIX CORPORATIONInventors: Paul Beard, Christian Ramsey
-
Patent number: 10983516Abstract: When generating a traveling path for divergent event, a traveling path generation portion judges an occurrence of a traffic jam on a divergent lane. The occurrence of the traffic jam on the divergent lane is judged based on whether or not a surrounding vehicle which satisfies a predetermined condition exist in a search region. If it is judged that the traffic jam is occurring on the divergent lane, a notice for handover from an automatic divergent operation to a manual divergent operation is given to a driver.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2018Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Kenichiro Aoki, Akira Ito
-
Patent number: 10983517Abstract: If a vehicle controller makes a gripping request, a grip determination unit changes a determination level (voltage threshold) of a grip sensor that is positioned in a particular area of a disposed area where a steering wheel is disposed, in a manner that it becomes less easy to determine that the steering wheel is gripped and it becomes easier to determine that the steering wheel is not gripped, compared with a determination level (voltage threshold) of the grip sensor that is positioned in an area other than an area in a particular direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2019Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Tadashi Naruse
-
Patent number: 10974831Abstract: An example system includes an aerial vehicle, a sensor, and a winch system. The winch system includes a tether disposed on a spool, a motor operable to apply a torque to the tether, and a payload coupling apparatus coupled to the tether and configured to mechanically couple to a payload. The system also includes a repositioning apparatus configured to reposition the payload coupling apparatus in at least a horizontal direction. A control system is configured to control the aerial vehicle to deploy the payload coupling apparatus by unwinding the tether from the spool; receive, while the aerial vehicle hovers above the payload and from the sensor, data indicative of a position of the payload coupling apparatus in relation to the payload; and reposition, using the repositioning apparatus and based on the data, the payload coupling apparatus in the horizontal direction to mechanically couple to the payload.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2020Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: Wing Aviation LLCInventors: Andre Prager, Trevor Shannon, Adam Woodworth
-
Patent number: 10974711Abstract: Disclosed are an electronic parking brake system and a control method thereof. The electronic parking brake system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure which comprises an EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) actuator operated by an electric motor, comprises a motor driving unit for driving the electric motor of the EPB actuator, a current sensing unit for sensing a current flowing in the electric motor, and an electronic control unit for accumulating an electric charge amount put into the electric motor from the time when a motor current change rate is higher than a preset change rate if the motor current change rate according to the motor current sensed through the current sensing unit during a parking operation is higher than the preset change rate and determining a stuck failure of the electric motor based on the accumulated electric charge amount.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2017Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: MANDO CORPORATIONInventor: Jin Yeong Choe
-
Patent number: 10967874Abstract: Method for controlling a vehicle, comprising: identifying an upcoming curve and determining its properties; determining current vehicle speed, vv, estimating friction, ?e, between a tire of the vehicle and the road; estimating maximum allowable vehicle speed, vmax_e, when entering the curve based on the properties, speed and friction; if the current vehicle speed is higher than the estimated maximum allowable vehicle speed, determining that a friction measurement is required; if distance, dv, between the vehicle and a curve entrance is higher than a predetermined threshold distance, dT, and if a braking action is detected, performing a friction measurement during the braking action to determine current friction, ?c; if a distance between the vehicle and the curve entrance is lower than the predetermined threshold distance, performing a friction measurement to determine a current friction; and determining a maximum allowable vehicle speed vmax_d based on the curve radius, speed and friction.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Volvo Car CorporationInventors: Mats Jonasson, Mattias Brannstrom, Rickard Nilsson
-
Patent number: 10967850Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling driving of a vehicle, and a vehicle system are provided. The apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a determination device that determines a closed state of an engine clutch, based on a state of a motor or an engine of the vehicle when a state of the engine clutch is unknown by an engine clutch controller. A state determination device receives information from the determination device to thus determine whether the engine clutch is in a closed or open state. A motor controller allows reverse rotation of the motor for reverse driving control of the vehicle in response to determining that the engine clutch is in the open state.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Yeon Bok Kim, Tae Woo Kim
-
Patent number: 10967881Abstract: A utility vehicle includes a frame and a plurality of ground-engaging members supporting the frame. Each of the plurality of ground-engaging members is configured to rotate about an axle. The utility vehicle further includes a powertrain assembly supported by the frame and a braking system configured to operate in a normal run mode and an anti-lock braking mode. The braking system includes an anti-lock braking control module operably coupled to the plurality of ground-engaging members and configured to automatically engage the anti-lock braking mode in response to a predetermined condition.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2018Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.Inventors: Harry Pongo, Brian E. Brandt, Joshua T. Weed, Agata Kaleta, Jacob J. Minick, Ryan D. Kincade
-
Patent number: 10962970Abstract: A vehicle that is remotely operable by an operator is provided. The vehicle includes a communication circuit that receives a vehicle operation signal including an accelerator input value based on a first operation performed by the operator, a steering angle sensor that measures a steering angle of the vehicle, a speed sensor that measures a speed of the vehicle, and a processor. The processor corrects the accelerator input value such that when the absolute value of an angular measure of the steering angle is greater than or equal to a predetermined angular measure and the speed is greater than zero, the accelerator input value is corrected so as to reduce the speed to a value that is less than when the absolute value of the angular measure of the steering angle is less than the first predetermined angular measure and the speed is greater than zero.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICAInventors: Takahiro Yoneda, Shuhei Matsui, Yuta Shimotsuma
-
Patent number: 10962429Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a technology of estimating rack force using force that is transmitted from a steering motor of a Steer-By-Wire (SBW) system to a rack bar. The present disclosure provides a method for estimating rack force of an SBW system, the method calculating restoring force that is applied to a reducer on the basis of the difference between position values of the rack bar that are obtained at the front end and the rear end of the reducer when the position of the rack bar is changed by operation of a steering motor; and calculating rack force by reflecting the restoring force to a motion equation including inertia force of the SBW system.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATIONInventors: Sang Woo Hwang, Young Dae Park, Byung Rim Lee, Min Jun Kim, Se Hyun Chang, Hyeon Seok Cho
-
Patent number: 10960985Abstract: A method for integrating an application into a flight deck includes receiving, by the flight deck, an identification of the application for integrating into the flight deck, wherein the application is running on a portable electronic device (PED) separate from the flight deck. The method also includes transmitting, by the flight deck, the identification of the application to the PED. The method additionally includes locating an application window corresponding to the application on a display of the PED and reading pixel data corresponding to the application window on the display of the PED. The method further includes transmitting the pixel data from the PED to the flight deck and integrating the application into the flight deck using the pixel data.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Keith L. Johnson, Peter J. Batsakes, Brandon S. Uttech
-
Patent number: 10935990Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method for the driverless operation of a vehicle system of a motor vehicle designed for fully automatic control of the motor vehicle. In accordance with at least one sequential criterion, which evaluates a status of the driver, comprising location information describing the current position of the driver and/or comprising resource information describing an amount of a resource that is present or required for the driver, of which resource a supply is present in the motor vehicle, operating information describing the taking of the motor vehicle to a sequential position having a shorter, in particular minimum possible distance from the current position of the driver or from a predicted destination of the driver, is automatically determined and applied. A motor vehicle with an onboard vehicle system and a control device, for execution of the method, are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2016Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: AUDI AGInventors: Felix Friedmann, Daniel Profendiner, Christoph Sippl, Florian Netter
-
Patent number: 10933802Abstract: A vehicle illumination system provided to a vehicle capable of traveling in an autonomous driving mode includes: an illumination unit configured to emit light toward an outside of the vehicle; and an illumination controller configured to change an illumination mode of the illumination unit, depending on a waiting time of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Naoki Takii, Atsushi Sugimoto, Misako Kamiya
-
Patent number: 10926648Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle. At least one electric engine designed for driving the motor vehicle is used to recuperate electric energy. In this case, a travel of the motor vehicle during a period of time lying ahead is taken into account. During the use of at least one electric engine for recuperating the electric energy, it is taken into account whether during a thermal load of the at least one electric engine in the period lying ahead, a reduction of the power that can be output by at least one electric engine is to be expected. The at least one electric engine then recuperates an amount of electric energy during the deceleration of the motor vehicle which is smaller than the amount of electric energy that can be recuperated during the deceleration by the at least one electric engine. The invention relates in addition also to a motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2017Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: AUDI AGInventors: Stefan Weinzierl, Matthias Geuß, Dominik Dreher, Michael Ackermann