Patents Examined by Brian E Yang
  • Patent number: 11953912
    Abstract: A method for traveling down a prescribed arrangement of paths which are connected to one another at nodes with a mobile robot. The robot changes from an initial route, which contains all as yet untraveled paths, to a different replacement route including a loop route which retakes at least one path and at least one further path, and a subsequent remaining route which contains all as yet untraveled paths at that time if a value of a quality function for the replacement route is lower than a value of this quality function for the initial route. The quality function is dependent on a first effort, a second effort, and a variable weighting of the first and second values in relation to one another. The variable weighting weights the second effort lower for a first localization uncertainty of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Marco Baldini, Alberto Soragna, Rainer Keummerle
  • Patent number: 11897459
    Abstract: An avoidance route calculation part calculates an avoidance route for avoiding a collision between an own vehicle and an obstacle through a collision avoidance assist control (an automatic brake control and an automatic steering control). A post-avoidance route calculation part calculates a post-avoidance route. A post-avoidance route collision determination part determinates whether a secondary obstacle is present on the post-avoidance route. When the secondary obstacle is determined to be present, the automatic steering control is prohibited from being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kotaro Saiki
  • Patent number: 11897462
    Abstract: An avoidance route calculation part calculates an avoidance route for avoiding a collision between an own vehicle and an obstacle through a collision avoidance assist control (an automatic brake control and an automatic steering control). A post-avoidance route calculation part calculates a post-avoidance route. A post-avoidance route collision determination part determinates whether a secondary obstacle is present on the post-avoidance route. When the secondary obstacle is determined to be present, the automatic steering control is prohibited from being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kotaro Saiki
  • Patent number: 11898870
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product provide a route using a map layer of one or more sound events. For example, the apparatus receives a user preference indicating a sound type, identifies a road segment associated with the sound type from a plurality of road segments, selects a subset from the plurality of road segments as a route based on association of the subset with respect to the road segment, and outputs the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
    Inventors: Leon Stenneth, Jerome Beaurepaire, Jeremy Young
  • Patent number: 11898858
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a set of routes using a graph having nodes and links connecting the nodes. The routes are determined for one or more tokens, and each token is associated with an origin node and a destination node included in the graph and with a token weight. Token constraints, which include at least one constraint relative to the token weight, are received for each token. Candidate routes satisfying at least some of the token constraints are received for each token. Each candidate route includes at least one route link included in the graph and the each route link is associated with a link weight. Shared route links are those route links that share at least two tokens. The candidate routes are filtered based on a condition related to the link weight of each shared route link and to the weights of the tokens sharing the link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Amadeus S.A.S.
    Inventors: Michel Demazeau, Jacques Bonaud, Marco Salibba, Jean-Philippe Perret, Celine Soubra
  • Patent number: 11899108
    Abstract: A guiding system guides an autonomous movable object. The guiding system has a time-of-flight imaging system, which has a first light source to illuminate a first field of detection; and a light sensor. The light sensor detects first and second reflected light. The first reflected light has light emitted by the first light source reflected at the first field of detection. The second reflected light originates from a second field of detection illuminated by a second light source, which is independent from the first light source and is coupled to a different movable object. The imaging system differentiates between the first and second reflected light, determines a depth map of the first field of detection based on the detected first reflected light, and generates feedback. The imaging system has a motion controller that receives the feedback, and modifies a motion of the autonomous movable object based on the feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TRUMPF PHOTONIC COMPONENTS GMBH
    Inventors: Stephan Gronenborn, Jan Jasper Van den Berg, Matthew John Lawrenson, Nicholas Walker
  • Patent number: 11874126
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining a rule that is associated with a segment of a map, determining a state for use in evaluation of the rule, evaluating the rule using the state, identifying an action to be performed based on a result of evaluating the rule using the state, and utilizing the action to be performed as an input to an automated control system of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David A. Rosenthal, Andreas H. Bockert, Jessica A. Butorac, Gunnar Martin Byrod, Shane T. Hinerman, Kjell Fredrik Larsson, William W. Luciw, Patrick L. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 11835348
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for advanced trip planning for an autonomous vehicle service. For instance, an example method may include determining a potential pickup location for a user, determining a set of potential destination locations for a user, and determining a set of potential trips. For each potential trip a vehicle of a fleet of autonomous vehicles of the service may be assigned and trip information, including an estimated time of arrival for the assigned vehicle of the potential trip to reach the destination location of the potential trip, may be determined. The trip information for each potential trip may be provided for display to the user. Thereafter, confirmation information identifying one of the set of potential trips may be received, and the assigned vehicle for one first of the set of potential trips may be dispatched to pick up the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Ben Qingzhou Wang, Salil Pandit, Clement Wright, Nirmal Patel, Saksiri Tanphaichitr, Mishika Vora
  • Patent number: 11829132
    Abstract: A water surface and underwater dual-purpose automatic positioning and tracking system and method, which belongs to the field of marine environment observation technologies. The positioning and tracking system includes: a rope winding and unwinding structure, arranged on a main hull structure; where the rope winding and unwinding structure includes a rope roller and a winding and unwinding rope wound around the rope roller; an auxiliary positioning remote control ship, located outside a main body of the main hull structure, where the auxiliary positioning remote control ship is in transmission and fixed connection with the winding and unwinding rope away from the rope roller; communication control units, arranged on the main hull structure and the auxiliary positioning remote control ship; and an automatic positioning tracker unit, arranged on the hull structure, where the automatic positioning tracker unit is in remote communication connection with the communication control units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignees: FIRST INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY, MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, QINGDAO NATIONAL LABORATORY FOR MARINE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTER
    Inventors: Guanlin Wang, Yanfeng Wang, Guanhui Liang, Shujiang Li
  • Patent number: 11809180
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle remotely. The method includes: receiving requirement signals, which represent at least one requirement that is in force for a restricted geographic region and must be followed by motor vehicles; receiving navigation signals, which represent a route to be traveled by the motor vehicle; based on the navigation signals, checking if the at least one requirement is being followed by the motor vehicle; the checking including a check as to whether the route to be traveled by the motor vehicle violates the at least one requirement; generating remote control signals for controlling a lateral and/or longitudinal guidance of the motor vehicle remotely, based on a result of the check as to whether the at least one requirement is being followed by the motor vehicle; outputting the generated remote control signals. A device, a computer program and a machine-readable storage medium, are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Rolf Nicodemus, Stefan Nordbruch
  • Patent number: 11754413
    Abstract: A path setting apparatus that sets a path of a mobile body having a plurality of operation modes is provided. The apparatus includes a quality acquisition unit configured to acquire communication qualities at a plurality of geographical locations, and a setting unit configured to set a path of the mobile body so as to pass through an area that satisfies a requirement of communication quality that is determined according to an operation mode of the mobile body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Onodera, Masamitsu Tsuchiya, Hideki Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 11726473
    Abstract: A vehicle may include an authority tracker to grant and/or limit authority to provide guidance to the vehicle. The authority tracker may store a state in a memory identifying an actor that currently has the authority. An actor requesting to have authority to provide guidance to the vehicle may transmit a control message to the authority tracker which may, in turn, authorize or deny the request based on a policy. The authority tracker may periodically, and/or in response to a request, broadcast a state message identifying the actor that currently has authority, as recorded in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Meredith James Goldman, Frank Reinaldo Ramirez
  • Patent number: 11644333
    Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for generating map data of categorized links. The method may include receiving a request for at least one categorized link in a map area and obtaining at least one categorized link in the map area, based on the request. The method may further include determining link identifiers corresponding to each link of the at least one categorized link, and generating at least one bloom filter, wherein the at least one bloom filter encodes link identifiers corresponding to each link of the at least one categorized link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Daniel Rolf, Raul Cajias
  • Patent number: 11635304
    Abstract: A server device 200 is a map generation device which assigns, to voxel data in the map DB 20 which is divided into multiple voxels, a first weight value for each voxel, wherein the first weight value is associated with the presence of a stationary object and a moving object. Then, the server device 200 acquires upload information Iu which includes position information relating to a travelling route of a measurement vehicle during measurement of point cloud data needed for generation or update of the voxel data. Then, the server device 200 determines the first weight value for each voxel based on the travelling route of the measurement vehicle identified by the position information included in the upload information Iu.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiro Kato, Kazuki Oyama
  • Patent number: 11604468
    Abstract: Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for blended control of remote operation of vehicles are presented. The sensors of automated vehicles can detect conditions for which there is no preprogrammed response. In these situations, automated vehicles can engage a remote operator mode. Remote operation of vehicles can be difficult. These techniques can use the automated driving system of the vehicle to monitor the driving commands from a remote operator and the sensor information of the vehicle. The commands from the remote operator can be analyzed by a supervision module in the automated vehicle. The supervision module can also receive vehicle sensor information. The supervision module can correct or adjust the remote operator commands as necessary to avoid collision, dampen remote operator induced oscillations, and provide for a smoother, safer, and more realistic driving experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Inventors: Cyril Rastoll, Sree Harsha Chowdary Gorantla, Jagdish Bhanushali
  • Patent number: 11586201
    Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a method and an apparatus for recognizing a stuck status as well as a computer storage medium, with the method comprising: building an environmental map within a preset extent by taking the current position of the mobile robot as center; real-time monitoring the march information of the mobile robot and predicting whether the mobile robot is stuck or not; acquiring data from multiple sensors of the mobile robot, if the mobile robot is stuck; and recognizing the current stuck status of the mobile robot based on the data from multiple sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: ShenZhen Silver Star Intelligent Technology CO.. LTD
    Inventors: Minghong Zhong, Lirong Ye, Ruijun Yan
  • Patent number: 11577808
    Abstract: A system and method that reduces spatial positioning control requirements for maintaining reduced wave-making resistance of at least one following vessel in a fleet operating in a seaway, by determining a position of the at least one following vessel within a coordinated zone, which is a zone within a reduced wave-making resistance region of the Kelvin wake of at least one lead vessel, at which a surge motion of the vessels is synchronized with each other. By positioning the at least one following vessel in the coordinated zone, the spatial positioning control requirements of the at least one following vessel can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Inventors: Terrence W. Schmidt, Jeffrey E. Kline
  • Patent number: 11566911
    Abstract: A POI request comprising query criteria and information identifying a starting location is received. A network version starting segment is identified based on the information identifying the starting location. A route determination algorithm is expanded, starting at the starting segment. When the route determination algorithm is expanded to a new segment, it is determined whether any POIs associated with the new segment match the query criteria. Responsive to determining that a POI associated with the new segment satisfies the query criteria, a POI route from the starting segment to the POI is extracted. Map version agnostic identifiers are generated for each segment of the POI routes. Each of the map version agnostic identifiers are coded using at least one coding function. A bloom filter having the coded map version agnostic identifiers as members is generated. The bloom filter is provided such that a mobile apparatus receives the bloom filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Raul Cajias, Daniel Rolf
  • Patent number: 11560158
    Abstract: A robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an authentication interface for authenticating a user's boarding of the robot using authentication information of the user, a position detector for detecting a position of the robot in a space, a processor for identifying a first section corresponding to the detected position among at least one section in the space, recognizing at least one driving mode for the first section among a plurality of driving modes with different driving speeds, setting one of the recognized at least one driving mode as a driving mode for the first section based on the authentication information, and controlling driving of the robot based on the set driving mode, and a display for outputting information on the set driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Boyeon Kim, Bina Kim, Jinsu Kim, Mina Suh, Jungkyu Son, Hyesun Lee, Jinwon Kang
  • Patent number: 11556126
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle based on a prediction from a semantic map is presented. The method includes receiving a snapshot of an environment from one or more sensors. The method also includes generating the semantic map based on the snapshot and predicting an action of a dynamic object in the snapshot based on one or more surrounding objects. The method still further includes controlling an action of the vehicle based on the predicted action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Marcus Hammond, Tyler William Packard, Randall St Romain, II