Patents Examined by Brian P. Sweeney
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Patent number: 11130470Abstract: The weight sensor vehicle security device comprises a vehicle and a security circuit. The security circuit measures the weight of the operator. The operator enters a security code into the security circuit. The operator then enters a security code. The security circuit compares the measured weight of the operator to a weight of the operator that is associated and stored with the security code. If the measured and stored weights match, the security system enables the operation of the vehicle. After the vehicle travels a previously determined distance, the security circuit repeats the procedure. If the measured and stored weights do not match, the security system disables the operation of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2019Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Inventor: Ronald Corley
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Patent number: 11124143Abstract: An apparatus includes a capture device and a processor. The capture device may be configured to generate a plurality of video frames corresponding to an area outside of a vehicle. The processor may be configured to perform operations to detect objects in the video frames, determine whether a potential collision is unavoidable based on the objects detected in the video frames and generate a signal if the potential collision is unavoidable. The signal may be configured to move a position of a seat in the vehicle. The position of the seat may be moved before an impact corresponding to the potential collision occurs.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Ambarella International LPInventor: Anthony Pertsel
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Patent number: 11127229Abstract: Disclosed is a vehicle accessory calibration and reset module that includes a sensor associated with a vehicle component, and configured to detect a malfunction of the vehicle component, and generate a signal to indicate the malfunction. The vehicle accessory calibration and reset module also includes a control unit configured to receive the signal indicative of the malfunction, automatically identify a diagnostic procedure for the vehicle component, initiate the diagnostic procedure, determine whether a calibration or reset is indicated as part of the diagnostic procedure, initiate an automatic calibration or reset of the vehicle component, initiate a test of the vehicle component, and recommend service options to a user if a result of the test indicates a continuing malfunction status of the vehicle component.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.Inventor: Derek A. Thompson
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Patent number: 11105634Abstract: A method includes receiving relative position data from a laser range finder, where the relative position data includes a distance and a relative angle between a first node and a second node measured by the laser range finder from a first position of the first node. The method may also include computing a second position of the second node based on the relative position data, providing the second position of the second node to a computing device of one or more of the first node and the second node, and computationally reconstructing a route traversed by the first node and the second node from a number of computed positions for the first node and the second node based on data received from the laser range finder.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2019Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air ForceInventors: John P. McIntire, Frederick Webber, Duy Nguyen, Eric Vinande
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Patent number: 11097852Abstract: In an example, an acoustically powered sensor unit for obtaining sensor data indicative of flight characteristics of an aircraft is described. The acoustically powered sensor unit includes a housing having a first portion comprising a diaphragm and a second portion coupled to an exterior of an aircraft and. The diaphragm is configured to receive acoustic energy from an engine of the aircraft. The acoustically powered sensor unit further includes a voice coil actuator disposed within the housing and coupled to the diaphragm. The voice coil actuator is configured to receive kinetic energy by way of a vibration of the diaphragm and responsively generate an electrical power signal. The acoustically powered sensor unit further includes one or more sensors disposed within the housing and powered using energy from the electrical power signal. The one or more sensors are configured to obtain the sensor data indicative of flight characteristics of the aircraft.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: James B. Turner, Charles S. Foss
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Patent number: 11097722Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a second rotating electric machine; a first transmission path configured to transmit force generated by the second rotating electric machine to a wheel; a first clutch that is arranged in the first transmission path and configured to switch between a connected state and a disconnected state between the second rotating electric machine and the wheel; and an ECU configured to control the second rotating electric machine and the first clutch. In the electric vehicle, a torque sensor is arranged between the first clutch and the wheel in the first transmission path.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2019Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Daisuke Hoshino, Yutaka Arimura, Tatsuya Ohzu, Shingo Soma, Yosuke Tanaka
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Patent number: 11092453Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for selecting a first travel route for a vehicle from a database based on particulate filter regeneration requirements and an inferred initial driver state of mind. In one example, the initial driver state of mind may be selected based on a past driver history, and during travel along the first travel route, the driver state of mind may be updated based on the driver interactions with traffic. The route selection may also be updated based on the updated driver state of mind.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2019Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Devesh Upadhyay, Michael Brendan Hopka
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Patent number: 11089732Abstract: A robotic work tool comprising a motor for driving at least one wheel, an inclination sensor and a controller for controlling the operation of the robotic work tool, the controller being configured to; receive a signal indicating a collision; determine if the signal indicating a collision is above a collision threshold level and, if so, determine that a collision has been detected, the robotic work tool being characterized in that the controller is further configured to: receive an indication of an inclination; and to adapt the collision threshold accordingly based on said indication of an inclination.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2017Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignee: HUSQVARNA ABInventors: Patrik Jägenstedt, Fredrik Kallström, Johan Ståhl
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Patent number: 11087152Abstract: Herein is disclosed an infrastructure state prediction device comprising a memory device onto which an infrastructure state model corresponding to a location and a state timing of a plurality of infrastructure elements is stored; one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the memory device and configured to receive measurement information representing a location and an observed state of a first infrastructure element; determine a predicted state of a second infrastructure element based on a state timing corresponding to a second infrastructure element; determine a movement information based on the observed state of the first infrastructure element, the predicted state of the second infrastructure element and a relation between the location of the first infrastructure element and a location of the second infrastructure element; and generate a message comprising the movement information.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Daniel Pohl, Maik Fox
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Patent number: 11079234Abstract: A dual-band (SWIR/visible) optical system operating based on Angles-Only Navigation technology. The SWIR module is optimized for imaging stars. The visible-light sensor is independently optimized for imaging satellites including GPS satellites at night. Preferred embodiment provides continuous high accuracy geo-position solutions day and night (including through the “midnight hole”, when solar-illuminated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are not available. Applicants have experimentally validated proposed system by imaging LEO satellites during terminator using a 1-inch diameter telescope and GPS satellites at night during midnight hole using a 5-inch telescope.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Inventors: Mikhail Belenkii, Timothy Brinkley
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Patent number: 11067405Abstract: Image-based analysis techniques are used for cognitive state vehicle navigation, including an autonomous or a semi-autonomous vehicle. Images including facial data of a vehicle occupant are obtained using an in-vehicle imaging device. The vehicle occupant can be an operator of or a passenger within the vehicle. A first computing device is used to analyze the images to determine occupant cognitive state data. The analysis can occur at various times along a vehicle travel route. The cognitive state data is mapped to location data along the vehicle travel route. Information about the vehicle travel route is updated based on the cognitive state data. The updated information is provided for vehicle control. The updated information is rendered on a second computing device. The updated information includes road ratings for segments of the vehicle travel route. The updated information includes an emotion metric for vehicle travel route segments.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Affectiva, Inc.Inventors: Maha Amr Mohamed Fouad, Chilton Lyons Cabot, Rana el Kaliouby, Forest Jay Handford
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Patent number: 11067988Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for implementing an interactive autonomous vehicle agent. One of the methods includes receiving a request to generate an experience tuple for a vehicle in a particular driving context. A predicted environment observation representing a predicted environment of the autonomous vehicle after the candidate action is taken by the autonomous vehicle in an initial environment is generated, including providing an initial environment observation and the candidate action as input to a vehicle behavior model neural network trained to generate predicted environment observations. An immediate quality value is generated from a context-specific quality model that generates immediate quality values that are specific to the particular driving context.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Aleksandra Faust, Matthieu Devin, Yu-hsin Joyce Chen, Franklin Morley, Vadim Furman, Carlos Alberto Fuertes Pascual
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Patent number: 11066079Abstract: A vehicle, system for operating the vehicle and method of activating a control system is disclosed. The system includes a sensor for detecting lane markings of a driving lane, a road wheel angle sensor configured to measure a road wheel angle of the vehicle, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine a distance of the vehicle from a central line of a driving lane form the detected lane markings, adjust an angular threshold for activation of the control system of the vehicle based on the determined distance, and activate the control system when the road wheel angle is within the angular threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2019Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Mark Gazda, Kelvin Chen Chih Peng
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Patent number: 11067997Abstract: The present disclosure provides a map generation method, localization method, and simultaneous localization and mapping method. The method includes: recognizing fiducial markers in the motion area; taking a position as origin of a global coordinate system of the robot, and obtaining pose information of the fiducial markers; the robot moving to a next position, recognizing the fiducial markers with determined coordinate information and underdetermined coordinate information respectively, and obtaining pose information of the fiducial marker of the undetermined coordinate information with respect to the origin based on that of the determined coordinate information; repeating the previous step until the pose information of all the fiducial markers are obtained; and generating a marker map associated with coordinate information of all fiducial markers. The method is capable of generating a map of the motion area through the fiducial markers and further realizing autonomous localization.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: UBTECH ROBOTICS CORPInventors: Youjun Xiong, Xi Luo, Sotirios Stasinopoulos
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Patent number: 11064348Abstract: An in-vehicle communication system includes a gateway that relays communication between an external apparatus and an in-vehicle LAN; and a communication permission determination unit that inhibits communication between the external apparatus and the in-vehicle LAN through the gateway if it is determined that a vehicle having the in-vehicle LAN mounted therein is in a parking state based on acquired predetermined vehicle information.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2019Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yuta Ochiai, Mitsutoshi Kato
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Patent number: 11054835Abstract: Embodiments include devices and methods for vehicle collision avoidance. A processor of the vehicle may receive lidar sensor data comprising one or more points including a distance and a direction from the vehicle to the one or more points. The processor may determine a velocity constraint for each of the one or more points based on the distance and direction from the vehicle to the one or more points. Based on a navigation instruction, the processor may determine one or more velocity solutions that satisfy the one or more velocity constraints. The processor may select a velocity solution from the determined one or more velocity solutions based on the navigation instruction, and may adjust a vehicle velocity based on the selected velocity solution.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2019Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Matthew Hyatt Turpin, Stephen Marc Chaves
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Patent number: 11054271Abstract: An approach is provided for aligning one or more drive segments based on a consensus set of user defined inputs. The approach involves, for example, retrieving manual drive alignment data collected from a plurality of human users, wherein the manual drive alignment data indicates one or more regions of at least two drive data segments selected by the human users to align the at least two drive segments. The approach also involves processing the manual drive alignment data to determine a set of common drive alignment locations of the one or more regions. The approach further involves processing a plurality of subsequent drive segments to automatically align the plurality of subsequent drive segments based on the set of common drive alignment locations.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: HERE Global B.V.Inventor: Anirudh Viswanathan
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Patent number: 11042167Abstract: Methods and associated systems and apparatus for controlling a moveable device are disclosed herein. The moveable device includes an image-collection component and a distance-measurement component. A representative method includes generating an image corresponding to the operator and generating a first set of distance information corresponding to the operator. The method identifies a portion of the image in the generated image and then retrieves a second set of distance information from the first set of distance information based on the identified image portion corresponding to the operator. The method then identifies a gesture associated with the operator based on the second set of distance information. The method then further generates an instruction for controlling the moveable device based on the gesture.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Ketan Tang, Guyue Zhou, Zhuo Guo
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Patent number: 11036224Abstract: A system for transferring a utility vehicle between a driver and a management system in order to autonomously operate the utility vehicle in a restricted area, including: a vehicle interface to allow the driver to request the transfer of the utility vehicle; a safety module to establish a safe state of the utility vehicle; and a control module to transfer the vehicle between the driver and the management system if the driver has requested the transfer and the safety module has established the safe state. Also described are a related utility vehicle, a management system, a method, and a computer readable medium.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2017Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBHInventors: Huba Nemeth, Csaba Horvath
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Patent number: 11034450Abstract: A control method includes obtaining a flight parameter of an aircraft during flight, where the flight parameter is configured to control an operation component carried by the aircraft and includes at least one of a flight time parameter or a flight distance parameter; and controlling the operation component to operate in response to at least one of the flight time parameter satisfying a time requirement included in a control condition or the flight distance parameter satisfying a distance requirement included in the control condition.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2019Date of Patent: June 15, 2021Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Zhaoliang Peng, Chaobin Chen