Patents Examined by Atul Trivedi
  • Patent number: 11332154
    Abstract: A method for determining jumps and/or inflection points in an activation characteristic of an activation unit includes activating the activation unit using an activator, wherein different activation areas, separated from one another by the jumps and/or inflection points, are defined by the activation characteristic. Different activation forces for activating the activator are respectively set in the activation areas. The jumps and/or inflection points are determined by activating the activator by continuously determining activation travel values of the activator, respectively assigning an activation speed characteristic variable to the determined activation travel values, continuously forming value pairs from the determined activation travel value and the assigned activation speed characteristic variable, and checking, based on the value pairs which are formed whether significant changes occur in the activation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventor: Arne Michaelsen
  • Patent number: 11324158
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an implement connected to a vehicle is described, wherein the implement is adapted to perform an agricultural operation on a field, the vehicle has steerable ground engaging means for propelling the vehicle over the field, an actuator is arranged to control at least one of a yaw angle and a lateral position of the implement with respect to the vehicle, and an implement control unit is programmed to control the actuator based upon a first signal regarding a difference between a sensed lateral position of the implement and a nominal lateral position of the implement and a second signal regarding a steering movement of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Martin Kremmer, Tobias Schaefer, Joshua T. Lawson, Matthias Meyer
  • Patent number: 11325601
    Abstract: A method for producing an overtaking probability collection, having the following steps: recording a respective driving characteristic in a multiplicity of motor vehicles passing through at least one route section at a geographical position; assigning the respective motor vehicles to overtaking vehicles or to non-overtaking vehicles on the basis of the respective driving characteristic; determining a ratio between the overtaking vehicles and the non-overtaking vehicles; and entering the ratio into the overtaking probability collection as an overtaking probability for the route section at the geographical position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Inventor: Stefan Grubwinkler
  • Patent number: 11326892
    Abstract: A route guide apparatus and a route guide method for an electric vehicle may include a sensor to measure an ambient temperature of the electric vehicle, a battery manager to monitor a battery temperature, and a processor to perform a route guide by predicting battery power based on at least one of the ambient temperature or the battery temperature, when searching for a traveling route to a destination, and by selecting, as a traveling route, a route which represents the least total cost of battery consumption energy based on the predicted battery power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Choong Kim
  • Patent number: 11318958
    Abstract: The present application discloses a vehicle driving control method, an apparatus, a vehicle, an electronic device and a storage medium, relates to artificial intelligence, automatic driving and intelligent transportation in computer technology. Including: dividing a preset driving time period of a vehicle, to acquire multiple driving time points, successively acquiring driving information at a first time point in adjacent driving time points, acquiring driving information at a second time point in the adjacent driving time points according to the driving information at the first time point and a pre-configured driving control amount, calibrating the driving control amount according to the driving information at the first time point and the driving information at the second time point, and determining a driving path between the adjacent driving time points based on the calibrated driving control amount, and controlling a driving of the vehicle according to the driving path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wenchuang Qin
  • Patent number: 11287819
    Abstract: A method for estimating a ground plane includes receiving a pose of a robotic device with respect to a gravity aligned reference frame, receiving one or more locations of one or more corresponding contact points between the robotic device and a ground surface, and determining a ground plane estimation of the ground surface based on the orientation of the robotic device with respect to the gravity aligned reference frame and the one or more locations of one or more corresponding contact points between the robotic device and the ground surface. The ground plane estimation includes a ground surface contour approximation. The method further includes determining a distance between a body of the robotic device and the determined ground plane estimation and causing adjustment of the pose of the robotic device with respect to the ground surface based on the determined distance and the determined ground plane estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Blankespoor, Gabriel Nelson, Neil Neville
  • Patent number: 11285928
    Abstract: Disclosed are an EPB compatible with an autohold function, a starting method and a vehicle. According to the EPB, during starting, by converting the vehicle from a brake state where the EPB acts into a brake state where an autohold function acts and enabling the vehicle to start from the brake state where the autohold function acts, the vehicle is started stably, the starting noise of the vehicle is reduced and the driving experience is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU AUTOMOBILE GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wei Xu, Liang Huang, Huantao Li, Qinglin Chen, Saisai Li
  • Patent number: 11287523
    Abstract: A sensor fusion system for an autonomous vehicle and/or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that combines measurements from multiple independent sensors to generate a better output. The multiple sensors can interact and perform “cross-training” for enhanced sensor performance. The sensor fusion system utilizes data exchange and cross-training between sensors for enhanced sensor performance while constantly improving sensor fusion results. Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for an autonomous vehicle and/or a vehicle ADAS that combines information from independent sensors in order to accurately distinguish environmental objects and movements. This allows the vehicle to accurately make informed navigation decisions based on the environmental surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: CMMB VISION USA INC.
    Inventors: Guanbin Xing, Hui Liu, Jenq-Neng Hwang
  • Patent number: 11273806
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to identify an initial lateral distance and an initial longitudinal distance of a host vehicle in a turn at an initiation of the turn, predict a heading angle of the host vehicle at a specified time after the initiation of the turn, predict a final lateral distance and a final longitudinal distance between the host vehicle and a target at the specified time based on the identified lateral distance, the identified longitudinal position, and the predicted heading angle, determine a lateral offset at a longitudinal time to collision based on the final lateral distance and the final longitudinal distance, and actuate a brake of the host vehicle according to a threat assessment based on the lateral offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Yuhao Liu, Christopher Pontisakos, Steven Joseph Szwabowski, Alex Maurice Miller
  • Patent number: 11273823
    Abstract: A method for determining a maximum speed of a vehicle during a parking maneuver, in which at least one surroundings condition is detected with the aid of at least one sensor unit and supplied to a control unit as an input variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Englert, Lukas Oppolzer, Thomas Brettschneider, Tobias Putzer, Toni Frenzel
  • Patent number: 11273838
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for determining a vehicle speed computing a probability distribution of action intentions based on observation information of a surrounding object. Then, a probability redistribution of the different action intentions is computed based on travel times for the vehicle to travel from a current position to risk areas corresponding to the different action intentions, motion status variations of the surrounding object with the different action intentions are predicted based on the travel times for the vehicle to travel to the risk areas corresponding to the different action intentions. Finally, the travelling speed of the vehicle is determined based on the probability redistribution of the different action intentions, the motion status variations of the surrounding object with the different action intentions, and motion status variations of the vehicle under different travelling speed control actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mingbo Du, Yongxiang Tao
  • Patent number: 11257373
    Abstract: A method avoids a collision of a motor vehicle initially moving backwards or forwards, in particular leaving a parking place, with cross-traffic. The method detects whether there is a risk of collision with cross-traffic; determines a last possible braking intervention for ensuring avoidance of collision when there is a risk of collision with cross-traffic; and performs an automatic last possible initiation of a braking intervention for preventing the collision in the event of an identified risk of collision, if avoidance of the collision is ensured thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Alexey Fokin, Christine Kock
  • Patent number: 11247621
    Abstract: A test system disposed in a vehicle to repetitively reproduce a driving situation based on a predetermined vehicle speed and a method for controlling, may include determining, by a test controller, at least one of a first value representing an accelerator pedal sensor (APS) command value corresponding to a vehicle speed profile in a specific mode or a second value representing a brake pedal sensor (BPS) command value corresponding to the vehicle speed profile when the vehicle speed profile is determined, converting, by the test controller, at least one of the determined first value or the determined second value, and sending the converted voltage signal from the test controller to a power train controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Coporation
    Inventors: Kyunghun Hwang, Kyung Taek Lee, Dong Su Ha
  • Patent number: 11237006
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus according to this disclosure is an information processing apparatus applied to a traffic mode where a plurality of users including a first user and a second user ride in an identical vehicle and travel, and the second user gets off the identical vehicle earlier than the first user does, including a controller configured to execute: acquiring destination points of the first user and the second user; and setting a combination between the first user and the second user allowed to ride in the identical vehicle so that the destination point of the second user does not belong to a destination area that is a predetermined area including the destination point of the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yeonseo Kim, Shin Sakurada, Daisuke Tanabe, Ayana Takeshita, Hiroyuki Tokita, Koichi Asamoto
  • Patent number: 11230287
    Abstract: A vehicle control device disclosed in the present disclosure includes: a first control unit configured to control a speed of the vehicle in accordance with the route distance and the set speed until the detection unit determines that the vehicle has passed through the ETC toll gate, while the vehicle is performing the constant-speed traveling by the cruise control unit; a vehicle frontward detecting unit configured to detect road information about a road frontward of the vehicle; and a second control unit configured to change control content in the cruise control unit on the basis of a detection result from the vehicle frontward detecting unit, when the detection unit determines that the vehicle has passed through the ETC toll gate, while the vehicle is performing the constant-speed traveling by the cruise control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Yamaguchi, Toshihide Satake, Yuji Shimizu, Kazuhiro Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 11222389
    Abstract: An on-demand transport facilitation system can receive transport requests from requesting users throughout a given region, and select autonomous vehicles (AVs) and human driver to service the transport requests. The AV can operate on a mapped and labeled autonomy grid within the given region. For a given transport request, the transport system can determine an optimal pick-up location along the autonomy grid based on the current location of the requesting user and a current location of a selected AV, and transmit data indicating walking directions from the current location of the requesting user to the optimal pick-up location. The transport system may then coordinate the rendezvous by monitoring progress made by the requesting user and AV to the optimal pick-up location, and controlling the pace of the AV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Sweeney, Anthony Levandowski
  • Patent number: 11212954
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for field operations based on historical field operation data. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a guidance line generator to generate a guidance line for operation of a vehicle during a second operation on a field, the guidance line based on (1) a field map generated from location data collected during a first operation in the field, the field map including a plurality of crop rows and (2) an implement of the vehicle, the implement to perform the second operation on the field. The example apparatus further includes a drive commander to cause the vehicle to traverse the field along the guidance line, and an implement commander to cause the implement to perform the second operation as the vehicle traverses the field along the guidance line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Curtis A. Maeder, Qiang R. Liu, Terence D. Pickett, Jeffery J. Adams
  • Patent number: 11208125
    Abstract: A control system dictates operational settings of a rail vehicle system based a transitory second speed limit that is no faster than a current first speed limit and which is issued for a determined segment of the track for a determined time period. The control system obtains a current time, determines whether the transitory second speed limit has started, is in effect, or has expired based on the current time relative to the determined time period, and, in response to such determination, performs one or more of (a) generate a prompt to indicate that the determined time period has expired, (b) operate the rail vehicle system at the first speed limit, and/or (c) modify the operational settings of the rail vehicle system to exceed the second speed limit in the determined segment but not exceed the first speed limit for the determined segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: transportation ip holdings, llc
    Inventors: Saravanan Thiyagarajan, Ankit Sharma, Prakarsh Paritosh, David Allen Eldredge, William Cherrick Schoonmaker, Kaitlyn Ann Hrdlicka, Joseph Daniel Wakeman
  • Patent number: 11209828
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a recognizer configured to recognize a surrounding situation of a host vehicle and a driving controller configured to control acceleration/deceleration and steering of the host vehicle on the basis of a recognition result of the recognizer, wherein the driving controller determines a target speed of the host vehicle by reflecting a first target speed based on a relationship between a first vehicle that travels in front of the host vehicle in a first lane and the host vehicle and a second target speed based on a relationship between a second vehicle that travels in front of a target position to which the host vehicle makes a lane change in a second lane and the host vehicle in a prescribed ratio according to progress of the lane change when the lane change from the first lane to the second lane is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nana Niibo, Chihiro Abe, Katsuya Yashiro
  • Patent number: 11198434
    Abstract: A lane centering system for use in a vehicle driving in a lane on a road includes a camera and a controller. Based on processing by a processor of image data captured by the camera, the controller determines position of a left lane delimiter on the road on a left side of the vehicle and position of a right lane delimiter on the road on a right side of the vehicle. The controller is operable to determine a target path for the vehicle based on processing of image data captured by the camera. The determined target path maintains the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle centered between the left lane delimiter and the right lane delimiter. The lane centering system may be enabled responsive to the vehicle speed exceeding a threshold speed, and may be disabled during a braking event of a collision mitigation system of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Christopher L. Van Dan Elzen, Ka Chai Cheok, Micho Radovnikovich