Patents Examined by Brian E Yang
  • 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
  • Patent number: 11544973
    Abstract: Apparatus, device, methods and system relating to a vehicular telemetry environment for monitoring vehicle components and providing indications towards the condition of the vehicle components and providing optimal indications towards replacement or maintenance of vehicle components before vehicle component failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Geotab Inc.
    Inventors: John Robert Ford Kyes, Mark Jeffrey Davidson, Thomas Arthur Walli
  • Patent number: 11480980
    Abstract: An anti-spin system for an aircraft can include an anti-spin module configured to execute a computer implemented method. The method can include receiving flight data from one or more aircraft flight data systems, determining if the aircraft is near stall or in a stall using the flight data, and determining if the aircraft is in uncoordinated flight while near stall or in a stall to determine if the aircraft is near spin or in a spin using the flight data. If the aircraft is determined to be near spin, the method includes at least one of sending an alert to a warning indicator in a cockpit to warn the pilot of a spin or near spin condition, or sending a signal to an automated control system for inputting automatic control to the aircraft to avoid a spin by coordinating the aircraft or avoiding a stall while uncoordinated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Rosemount Aerospace Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Brent Naslund, John D. Winter
  • Patent number: 11465649
    Abstract: A vehicle control system comprising a vehicle control device, and a remote operation terminal. The vehicle control device controls a host vehicle capable of traveling in each of an autonomous self-driving mode, a remote self-driving mode, and a manual driving mode. The remote operation terminal remotely operate the host vehicle. The vehicle control device acquires a nearby-vehicle driving mode representing a driving mode of a nearby vehicle that is a vehicle near the host vehicle. In a case in which the nearby-vehicle driving mode of the nearby vehicle is a remote self-driving mode and a driving mode of the host vehicle is the autonomous self-driving mode, the vehicle control device controls travel of the host vehicle in the autonomous self-driving mode so that a distance between the nearby vehicle and the host vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Ito, Tsukasa Nakanishi, Yuta Morikawa, Naoki Yamamuro, Yuki Tatsumoto
  • Patent number: 11423280
    Abstract: A cognitive commuter assistant may provide alerts regarding sensitive conversation topics and smart excuse route suggestions. The cognitive commuter assistant may store user preferences and historical data related to past conversations between passengers and navigators. The cognitive commuter assistant may identify current location and destinations, and may further identify local information, such as news and cultural information, based on the current location and destination. The cognitive commuter assistant may monitor and analyze the conversation between a passenger and navigator to determine a first route to the destination. The cognitive commuter assistant may generate, based on user preferences, local information, the first route, and historical data, alternative route suggestions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Santosh R. K. Penubothula, Lohit K. Namboodiri, Prabuchandran Krithivasan Jayachandran, Harish Guruprasad Ramaswamy, Pankaj S. Dayama
  • Patent number: 11409281
    Abstract: An information processing method includes: acquiring, from one or more first vehicles, manual driving information for each of the first vehicles; acquiring, from one or more second vehicles, automatic driving information for each of the second vehicles; calculating, for each area, a first value of a driving parameter correlated with a degree of difficulty in driving according to the manual driving information; calculating, for the each area, a second value of the driving parameter according to the automatic driving information; comparing the first value with the second value for the each area to determine at least one difficult area in which travel of a vehicle by automatic driving is difficult; and creating difficult area information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventors: Takuya Yamaguchi, Naoyuki Harada, Shuhei Matsui, Hideo Umetani
  • Patent number: 11409295
    Abstract: A robot uses types of behavior such as approach, follow, avoid, and so forth to move about an environment and interact with a user. An occupancy map provides information about obstacles in the environment. A predicted trajectory of the user is determined that is indicative of expected locations and confidence of those expected locations. The predicted trajectory may be based on the user's movement and the occupancy map. Based on the predicted trajectory and the occupancy map, a target point and a path to the target point is determined. The path may also be based on a proxemic cost map that specifies how regions with respect to the user may be traversed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Sandeep Samdaria, Amin Hani Atrash, Saurabh Gupta, Sven Cremer, Raumi Sidki
  • Patent number: 11385638
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a procedure for operating a safety system for a motor vehicle for driving beyond a system boundary. The motor vehicle moves autonomously within a predetermined area, defined by the system boundary, in an autonomous driving mode from a delivery point to a predetermined position and back to the delivery point. To drive beyond the system boundary, a mechanical blocking device of the safety system is first detected by a detection device of the motor vehicle, the mechanical blocking device forming part of the system boundary. Subsequently, a current driving mode of the motor vehicle is detected. Next, a driving mode message is output by a communication device of the motor vehicle for opening the mechanical blocking device. Finally, the mechanical blocking device is opened when the motor vehicle is in a non-autonomous driving mode according to the driving mode message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: David Alexander Badouin, Kai Uwe Kreher
  • Patent number: 11340634
    Abstract: A method of controlling a movable object to track a target includes determining a difference between a desired height and a measured height of the movable object, determining a reference speed of the movable object or the target, and adjusting the movable object based on the reference speed and the difference between the desired height and the measured height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Qian, Cong Zhao, Xuyang Feng
  • Patent number: 11313688
    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: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Ben Qingzhou Wang, Salil Pandit, Clement Wright, Nirmal Patel, Saksiri Tanphaichitr, Mishika Vora
  • Patent number: 11314247
    Abstract: A method of remotely controlling a vehicle involves creating an exterior situation image for the vehicle (1) using a sensor system (2) for detecting the surroundings of the vehicle. A trajectory of the vehicle is specified by a driver assistance system (3) of the vehicle. The exterior situation image and the trajectory are transmitted wirelessly to a remote control (7) that is arranged spatially separately from the vehicle. The vehicle is controlled by the remote control based on the trajectory and the exterior situation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Biehler, Bardo Peters, Mario Geigenfeind
  • Patent number: 11282306
    Abstract: Apparatus, device, methods and system relating to a vehicular telemetry environment for monitoring vehicle components and providing indications towards the condition of the vehicle components and providing optimal indications towards replacement or maintenance of vehicle components before vehicle component failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Geotab Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Jeffrey Davidson, John Robert Ford Kyes, Thomas Arthur Walli
  • Patent number: 11279354
    Abstract: A travel control apparatus of a self-driving vehicle including an electric control unit having a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the microprocessor is configured to function as: a proximity degree calculation unit configured to calculate a degree of proximity of a rearward vehicle at a rear of the self-driving vehicle to the self-driving vehicle; a proximity degree determination unit configured to determine whether the degree of proximity calculated by the proximity degree calculation unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined degree; and an actuator control unit configured to control the actuator so as to increase a maximum vehicle speed when it is determined by the proximity degree determination unit that the degree of proximity is equal to or greater than the predetermined degree than when it is determined that the degree of proximity is less than the predetermined degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kito, Yoshiaki Konishi, Takayuki Kishi, Toshiyuki Mizuno
  • Patent number: 11142210
    Abstract: A control unit of a tire-mounted sensor determines whether a tire has been exchanged. When the tire has been exchanged, the control unit changes the threshold value of a road surface state determination condition used for detecting the road surface state from vibration data of the tire detected by an acceleration sensor of the tire-mounted sensor. For example, the threshold value of the road surface state determination condition is reset upon determining that the tire has been exchanged, by transmitting an instruction to the tire-mounted sensor through a tool at an automobile maintenance shop, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryosuke Kanbayashi, Takatoshi Sekizawa, Masashi Mori
  • Patent number: 11123244
    Abstract: An electric wheelchair control system is adapted to control a wheelchair and comprises a sensing assembly, an inertial sensor, a controller, a motor driver, and a three-phase AC motor. The sensing assembly is configured to detect an external force applied to the wheelchair and generate a first sensed signal based thereon. The inertial sensor is configured to detect an inclination of the wheelchair and generate a second sensed signal based thereon. The controller selectively outputs a PWM braking signal to the motor driver according to the first sensed signal and the second sensed signal, and the PWM braking signal includes an upper arm braking signal and a lower arm braking signal, wherein the upper arm braking signal and the lower arm braking signal have the same duty cycle and when the upper arm braking signal is at a high level, the lower arm braking signal is at a low level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Yi-Ling Lin
  • Patent number: 11084427
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a running board assembly for a motor vehicle and a corresponding method. An example method includes supplying current to a motor to move a running board between a retracted position and a deployed position, monitoring a level of the current, and permitting the level of current to exceed a threshold (i.e., overcurrent is permitted) in response to a user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart C. Salter, Chris Thomas Bustamante, Aaron Halonen, David Brian Glickman, Paul Kenneth Dellock
  • Patent number: 11052939
    Abstract: A steering feel control apparatus of a motor driven power steering (MDPS) system may include: a filter configured to filter a motor current inputted to a motor, in order to remove a vibration component which generates vibration on a steering wheel; and a controller configured to control the filter to remove the vibration component of the motor current when the MDPS is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 10937257
    Abstract: Apparatus, device, methods and system relating to a vehicular telemetry environment for monitoring vehicle components and providing indications towards the condition of the vehicle components and providing optimal indications towards replacement or maintenance of vehicle components before vehicle component failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Geotab Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Jeffrey Davidson, John Robert Ford Kyes, Thomas Arthur Walli
  • Patent number: 10919572
    Abstract: Examples of techniques for controlling a vehicle based on trailer sway are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method includes estimating, by a processing device, an estimated articulation angle between a vehicle and a trailer coupled to the vehicle. The method further includes calculating, by the processing device, an expected articulation angle between the vehicle and the trailer. The method further includes comparing, by the processing device, the estimated articulation angle and the expected articulation angle to determine whether the trailer is experiencing trailer sway. The method further includes, responsive to determining that the trailer is experiencing sway, controlling, by the processing device, the vehicle to reduce the trailer sway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: SeyedAlireza Kasaiezadeh Mahabadi, Jinsong Wang, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi
  • Patent number: 10916071
    Abstract: An apparatus for predicting structural degradation and performing maintenance induction for a plurality of in-service aircraft is provided. The apparatus identifies maintenance requirements for the plurality of in-service aircraft and receives fatigue metric values on historical usage and structural health condition of the plurality of in-service aircraft. The apparatus predicts levels of structural degradation to the plurality of in-service aircraft based on the fatigue metric values and assigns maintenance priorities to the plurality of in-service aircraft based on the levels of structural degradation. The apparatus generates an instruction to route an aircraft of the plurality of in-service aircraft to a maintenance facility for maintenance based on a maintenance priority of the maintenance priorities assigned to the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John Matthew Boggio, Alexander Stephen Burch