Patents Examined by Charles J Han
  • Patent number: 9539996
    Abstract: A drive-home button is provided in the dashboard of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The driver presses this button when heading home or to other predetermined destination at which charging is routinely performed. The actual route, the driving style, and other relevant vehicle/road information during the trip home are stored to build up a statistical database. During a present trip home, a highly probably route is predicted based on prior trips and an energy management profile is calculated. The commands to the internal combustion engine and the electric motor are selected to cause the vehicle's battery to be substantially discharged upon arriving at home based on actual data of energy usage by the operator of the vehicle during prior trips. By using actual data, the prediction of energy usage is more accurate allowing more complete discharge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Johannes Geir Kristinsson, Hai Yu, Ryan Abraham McGee
  • Patent number: 9409052
    Abstract: Program products, methods, and systems for providing location-aware fitness monitoring services are disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention, a method of displaying a route traversed by an athlete equipped with a location-aware portable fitness monitoring device includes the steps of (a) receiving data describing a plurality of satellite navigational system waypoints that are acquired as the athlete engages in a fitness activity, (b) identifying a map area based on a location indicated by the data describing the plurality of satellite navigational system waypoints, (c) determining the route traversed by the athlete based on the data describing the plurality of satellite navigational system waypoints and based on the location of one or more known paths associated with the map area, and (d) displaying the route traversed by the athlete on top of the map area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: adidas AG
    Inventor: Jon H. Werner
  • Patent number: 9400183
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle may access portions of a map to maneuver a roadway. The map may be split into one or more levels that represent different regions in space. For example, an overpass may be represented by one level while the road below the overpass may be on a separate level. A vehicle traveling on a particular level may use map data that is associated with that level. Furthermore, if the vehicle travels through a warp zone, it may transition from the current level to a destination level and thus begin to use map data associated with the destination level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Paul Urmson, Michael Steven Montemerlo, Andrew Hughes Chatham, Daniel Trawick Egnor
  • Patent number: 9378642
    Abstract: In a target lead-vehicle designating apparatus, a vehicle tracking ECU compares surrounding vehicle information acquired through an inter-vehicle communication unit and vehicle information on preceding vehicles detected by a radar device to designate a target lead-vehicle. The communicated speed of the other vehicles and the detected speed of the preceding vehicles are compared in terms of velocity component in the travel direction of a host vehicle to identify the target lead-vehicle. Accordingly, the target lead-vehicle may be accurately identified even if the target lead-vehicle is close to other vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuhisa Shida
  • Patent number: 9354068
    Abstract: Dynamically downloading map data to a wireless communications device is achieved by determining a map data density for an area of interest and then dynamically downloading and optionally also dynamically displaying the map data for the area of interest based on the map data density. For areas of interest with low map data density, this technology has the effect of downloading more map data so that the map is displayed with more detail than would conventionally be obtained. Conversely, for areas of interest with excessively high map data density, dynamic downloading and display can reduce the onscreen map density for a less crowded map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Ronald Anthony Dicke
  • Patent number: 9347801
    Abstract: To provide a motor driving system for an electrically powered automotive vehicle, in which the drive motor is rotationally controlled to increase the reliability, the use is made of an angle sensor for detecting the relative rotational angle between a stator and a rotor of a drive motor for driving the electric vehicle and a controller for controlling the rotation of the drive motor on the basis of the relative rotational angle detected by the angle sensor. The angle sensor is provided in a plural number. The controller includes an angle sensor switching unit operable to select and activate one of the plurality of the angle sensors and then to switch over to an activation of another one of the angle sensors in the event that the one of the angle sensors is determined abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Shintarou Ueno, Toru Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9317840
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and apparatus for remote service evaluation and recommendation. The method includes obtaining owner authorization to access diagnostic data associated with an automobile for a trusted, owner-designated repair technician with whom the owner has a preexisting relationship and obtaining diagnostic data for the automobile. The method further includes transmitting, via a network connection, the diagnostic data to the owner-designated repair technician at a location remote from the automobile and receiving, via the network connection, a recommendation from the owner-designated repair technician based upon the diagnostic data, the recommendation including a recommended service and a time for completing the recommended service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: AutoVitals, Inc.
    Inventors: Uwe Kleinschmidt, Svatjoslav Rilov, Ute Gerlach
  • Patent number: 9317249
    Abstract: An operations support system is provided for an engine with a turbine having a turbine inlet. The system includes a diagnostic engine model unit configured to receive engine data from the engine and to generate diagnostics data based on the engine data, the diagnostics data including scalars. The system further includes an engine-specific model unit coupled to the diagnostic engine model unit and configured to receive the scalars from the diagnostic engine model unit and configured to generate turbine inlet temperature information for the engine using a thermodynamic model. The thermodynamic model is based on component maps associated with the engine. The system further includes a storage unit coupled to the engine-specific model unit and configured to store the turbine inlet temperature information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Kevin Moeckly, Richard Ling, Robert Sandoval
  • Patent number: 9310211
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to determining commute routes and clustering commute routes from a user's location history. Points in the user's location history may be clustered to find the user's home and work locations. Additionally, points along the user's commute may be identified to determine the user's typical commute. Similar commutes can be clustered together, and used to suggest various services to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Kirmse, Tushar Udeshi, Pablo Bellver, James Jeffrey Shuma, Matthieu Devin
  • Patent number: 9308938
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicle power steering control apparatus. A steering control unit sets a base assist torque Tb based upon a vehicle speed and a steering torque. When an obstacle ahead is detected by an image recognition device, the steering control unit calculates an overlapping ratio between the obstacle and the vehicle in the widthwise direction. When an absolute value of the overlapping ratio is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the steering control unit increases the base assist torque for correction, and when the absolute value is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value, it decreases the base assist torque for correction. The steering control unit outputs the calculated value to a motor drive unit as a control quantity (assist torque).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinji Sawada, Hiroki Kato
  • Patent number: 9296399
    Abstract: A method controls a compressed-air braking device of a rail vehicle in the case of automatic, quick, or emergency braking, said compressed-air braking device having a controlled electropneumatic braking device having brake pressure control, an uncontrolled brake pressure control device for producing an uncontrolled brake pressure, and at least one pneumatic brake actuator. In response to a signal to trigger automatic, quick, or emergency braking, the controlled electropneumatic braking device and the uncontrolled brake pressure control device are activated simultaneously and a first value for the brake pressure produced by the controlled electropneumatic braking device or a first value for a pilot control pressure representing the brake pressure and a second value for the brake pressure produced by the uncontrolled brake pressure control device or a second value for a pilot control pressure representing the brake pressure are compared with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUR SCHIENENFAHRZEUGE GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Aurich, Torsten Grunwald, Alexander Seidenschwang
  • Patent number: 9291462
    Abstract: A method for position determination for a motor vehicle includes the acts of: satellite based determination of a geographical position of the motor vehicle, providing digital road map data, which include at least information about road segments in the surroundings of the geographical position; carrying out a first determining step for determining at least a first road segment, on which the motor vehicle is located with high probability, wherein the first determining step is based on a matching of the geographical position with the digital road map data; retrieval of traffic lane data, regarding at least the number of traffic lanes for the first road segment, from the road map database; determining the traffic lane, in which the motor vehicle is currently traveling, by use of at least the traffic lane data; and carrying out a second determining step for determining a second road segment, on which the motor vehicle is located with high probability, wherein the second determining step is based on a matching of t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Axel Jansen, Robert Hein, Roland Bader, Carsten Isert
  • Patent number: 9291471
    Abstract: An in-vehicle information processing device capable of efficiently processing information by extracting an event that exists outside of a travel route but can possibly reach the travel route. The in-vehicle information processing device includes a map database, a traffic information database, a vehicle position determination mechanism, a driving assist information extraction mechanism for extracting driving assist information, and a driving assist information database for storing the driving assist information. An aid information extraction mechanism includes a travel route determination mechanism for determining a vehicle travel route based on a vehicle position. The driving assist information extraction mechanism extracts the driving assist information from map information and traffic information on the travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiko Ikawa, Yuji Igarashi, Yuko Ota, Takashi Irie
  • Patent number: 9260107
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, a driveline disconnect clutch transfer function may be adapted in response to engine operating conditions during closing of the driveline disconnect clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Allen Doering, Alex O'Connor Gibson, Dennis Craig Reed, Gregory Michael Pietron, Seung-Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 9233672
    Abstract: A control system in a vehicle configured to rotate a drive wheel by a driving power generated in a driving power source mounted in the vehicle; comprises a slip value measuring unit configured to measure a slip value indicating a degree to which the drive wheel spins; a change rate calculator configured to calculate a change rate of the slip value measured by the slip value measuring unit; and a road surface condition determiner configured to determine a road surface condition according to the change rate of the slip value calculated by the change rate calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshimoto Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9211796
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes: a plurality of controllers, each of which executes a plurality of energy saving control modes for restricting reduction of driving energy of the vehicle; a selector for displaying the plurality of energy saving control modes at the same time and for prompting an user of the vehicle to select execution or rejection of one of the plurality of energy saving control modes; and a central control device for controlling one of the plurality of controllers to execute a corresponding energy saving control mode, of which the execution is selected by the user, so that a maximum cruising range of the vehicle is expanded without providing a feeling of discomfort.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keiji Nagayanagi, Masayoshi Kondoh
  • Patent number: 9196157
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter provides for traffic analysis employing timed fingerprint location information. In an aspect, TFL information can be associated with location characteristics for a UE. These location characteristics can describe the motion of the UE. As such, with proper analysis, the motion of the UE can be correlated to traffic patterns. Transportation analytics can employ TFL information to provide real time or near real time traffic information, forecast traffic conditions, or automate response to traffic conditions based on TFL information. Whereas TFL can provide advantages over other types of location information systems, leveraging TFL information in traffic analysis can reflect these advantages. Further, whereas TFL information can be gathered from nearly all modern and many legacy mobile devices, large volumes of TFL information can be employed in related transportation analytics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: AT&T Mobolity II LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Hardin, Thomas Rodger Becker, Charles A. Carey, Zachary Orlynn Morsbach, Brad Webb
  • Patent number: 9180862
    Abstract: A vehicle dynamic control apparatus is designed to control a plurality of controlled objects based on a first parameter associated with a motion of a vehicle in a same direction to fulfill a request value of a second parameter associated with the motion of the vehicle in the same direction and outputted from a control requester. The vehicle dynamic control apparatus includes an availability obtainer configured to obtain an availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects, and to output the availability of the first parameter of each of the controlled objects to the control requester.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, ADVICS CO., LTD., AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Tokimasa, Junpei Tatsukawa, Yasuhiko Mukai, Masaki Maruyama, Masatoshi Hanzawa, Hirofumi Nitta, Yuichi Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9174643
    Abstract: When a preceding vehicle in front of a host vehicle reduces speed, other vehicles between the preceding vehicle and a system-mounted vehicle successively reduces speed. An ECU and an ACC control the traveling of the system-mounted vehicle on the basis of prediction information of speed reduction propagation when the system-mounted vehicle reduces speed such that the system-mounted vehicle and an ordinary vehicle immediately in front of the system-mounted vehicle have a predetermined relative positional relationship. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the speed reduction propagation between the preceding vehicle and the system-mounted vehicle in advance, making it possible to more effectively suppress congestion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Makoto Aso
  • Patent number: 9159177
    Abstract: Device for monitoring the process of driving a vehicle consisting of at least the following: a first means of processing a signal; a second means of detecting the vehicle movement; a means for providing an HMI type of interactive display of information for the user; and a means configured for knowing the consumption characteristics of the vehicle and its technical characteristics as far as optimum theoretical behaviour; where the means for processing are configured for calculating the optimum consumption according to the characteristics of the vehicle, establishing the driving parameters required for equating the actual consumption to the optimum consumption, displaying this information to the user in the means available for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignees: CRAMBO, S.A.
    Inventor: Nilo Garcia Manchado