Patents Examined by Charles J Han
  • Patent number: 10647314
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for integrated control of driver assistance systems (DAS). The apparatus includes a first driver assistance system control module configured to control at least one driver assistance system installed in a vehicle, a second driver assistance system control module configured to control a driver assistance system installed in the vehicle other than the driver assistance system controlled by the first driver assistance system control module, and an integrated control module configured to receive an operating state signal indicating an operating state of the at least one driver assistance system controlled by the first driver assistance system control module from the first driver assistance system control module and transmit an activation control signal for the driver assistance system controlled by the second driver assistance system control module to the second driver assistance system control module when the operating state signal is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jae Suk Kim
  • Patent number: 10613534
    Abstract: Autonomous vehicles may include one or more onboard devices to perform various actions, such as a still image capture device. In contrast with using an auxiliary communication system to control a payload, a vehicle navigation sensor is used to monitor autonomous vehicle movements to match a predefined vehicle maneuver event, and trigger a payload event based on identification of the vehicle maneuver event. For example, this allows an autopilot system or a remote drone pilot to initiate an image capture device or send other commands based on vehicle maneuver event recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Sentera, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Eickhoff, Andrew Muehlfeld
  • Patent number: 10606270
    Abstract: A computer-readable medium stores instructions executable by one or more processors to implement a self-driving control architecture for controlling an autonomous vehicle. A perception and prediction component receives sensor data, and generates (1) an observed occupancy grid indicating which cells are currently occupied in a two-dimensional representation of the environment, and (2) predicted occupancy grids indicating which cells are expected to be occupied later. A mapping component provides navigation data for guiding the vehicle toward a destination, and a cost map generation component is configured to generate, based on the observed occupancy grid, the predicted occupancy grid(s), and the navigation data, cost maps that each specify numerical values representing a cost, at a respective instance of time, of occupying certain cells in a two-dimensional representation of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Luminar Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Englard, Gauri Gandhi, Pranav Maheshwari
  • Patent number: 10600260
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing the absence of an under-engine protection of a motor vehicle, includes: estimating a temperature of air external to the vehicle, estimating an under-hood temperature, determining whether the external-air temperature value is below the under-hood temperature value, in the affirmative, calculating an absolute value of a difference between the external-air temperature measurement and the under-hood temperature measurement, determining a diagnostic criterion by calculating a difference between the absolute value and a predetermined absolute value, obtained in the presence of the under-engine protection, comparing the diagnostic criterion against a predetermined diagnostic threshold, and emitting a diagnostic signal dependent on the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignees: Continental Automotive France, Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Lionel Cailler, Stéphane Eloy
  • Patent number: 10578455
    Abstract: A device for providing electric-moving-body information is provided with a calculation unit for calculating, upon receiving a departure point and state of charge (SOC) of an electric vehicle, a plurality of reachable points capable of being reached if an electric vehicle departs from a destination after reaching the destination from the departure point and a display data generation unit for generating display data for displaying a reachable range display screen that makes it possible to visually recognize the plurality of reachable points. Information that is more useful for determining actions that can be taken after arriving at a destination is provided to an electric-moving-body user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Adachi, Shinya Ishii, Nobuyuki Owari, Hidekazu Ono, Hiroyuki Kozawa
  • Patent number: 10580403
    Abstract: A method for controlling operation of an agricultural machine and system thereof are disclosed. The method may comprise providing a portable device that has an input device, a processing unit, a storage unit, an output device, and a transceiver device configured for wireless data transmission; receiving a voice control command over a microphone device of the input device of the portable device; determining command text data from the voice control command by processing the voice control command by a speech recognition application running on the processing unit of the portable device; providing machine control signals assigned to a machine control function in a control device of an agricultural machine located remotely from the portable device; and controlling the operation of the agricultural machine according to the machine control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Kverneland Group Mechatronics B.V.
    Inventors: Peter van der Vlugt, Shay Navon
  • Patent number: 10558218
    Abstract: To allow acquisition of information corresponding to running conditions of a vehicle and presentation of the information to a passenger. A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus acquires information on vehicle surroundings while floating a floating body equipped with a sensor including at least an image-taking apparatus in the vehicle surroundings and presents the information to a passenger. The vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus includes processing means for controlling at least one of a method for acquiring the information on the vehicle surroundings and a method for presenting the information to a passenger in accordance with running conditions of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi Tanaka, Ayumi Shigematsu
  • Patent number: 10560983
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to modify an electrical property to adjust an opacity of a sensor cover window. The computer is programmed to actuate an excitation source to emit electro-magnetic beams toward the cover window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Seubert, Kenneth Edward Nietering, Mark Edward Nichols
  • Patent number: 10540902
    Abstract: The invention described herein provides a flight crew with an easier, more intuitive, system and method to create a flight plan. A flight planning system is presented for navigation of an aircraft utilizing a touch screen display device mounted in an aircraft cockpit spanning the width and height of the instrument panel. The system provides navigational views, an interactive map, charts, a radio frequency component, a weather component, and a virtual flight plan. A flight planning method is presented that uses an interactive map on a touch screen device in an aircraft cockpit. The method accepts user inputs and displays a desired flight plan on the map. A method for providing a chart on a touch screen device is presented that includes presenting a list of menu options on a touch screen mounted in an aircraft cockpit. The method provides the flight crew with heads-up operation, providing greater situational awareness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Joseph Kneuper, John Robert Lanier, Jason Michael Decker
  • Patent number: 10540903
    Abstract: The invention described herein provides a flight crew with an easier, more intuitive, system and method to create a flight plan. A flight planning system is presented for navigation of an aircraft utilizing a touch screen display device mounted in an aircraft cockpit spanning the width and height of the instrument panel. The system provides navigational views, an interactive map, charts, a radio frequency component, a weather component, and a virtual flight plan. A flight planning method is presented that uses an interactive map on a touch screen device in an aircraft cockpit. The method accepts user inputs and displays a desired flight plan on the map. A method for providing a chart on a touch screen device is presented that includes presenting a list of menu options on a touch screen mounted in an aircraft cockpit. The method provides the flight crew with heads-up operation, providing greater situational awareness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Textron Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Joseph Kneuper, John Robert Lanier, Jason Michael Decker
  • Patent number: 10527438
    Abstract: There is disclosed herein methods of operating a computing device, such as a server, to associate a hazard with a zone of a digital map. The method comprises the computing device: receiving data representative of a location of a hazard matched to a location on a digital map accessible to said computing device; and determining if the repository comprises data representative of a zone corresponding to a region of a digital map containing the location of the hazard, to which the hazard should be associated. If the repository does not comprise data representative of such a zone, the method further comprises generating data representative of a zone corresponding to a region of a digital map containing the location of the hazard, and storing the generated data representative of said zone in the data repository. There is also disclosed herein computing devices and software for carrying out these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOMTOM TRAFFIC B.V.
    Inventors: Antoine Carl van der Laan, Gunnar Schmidt
  • Patent number: 10507827
    Abstract: A backup assistance system for a vehicle. The system includes a backup control module configured to restrict at least one of vehicle backup speed, acceleration, and jerk when a field of view of one or more backup sensors is restricted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignees: DENSO International America, Inc., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Gesch, Jin Kurumisawa, Takayuki Kimura, Miki Sato, Katsuhiko Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 10481606
    Abstract: A vehicle guidance system can include a first vehicle that has a camera, radar, and lidar to detect a first path of a second vehicle as the first and second vehicles drive on a road. A processor system of the vehicle guidance system can analyze a first deviation of the first path. Measurements from another detection system can provide additional data regarding a second path of the second vehicle. Analyzing the first path in light of the second path can enable the vehicle guidance system to identify impaired driving indicators. The vehicle guidance system can warn vehicles about the impaired driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Inventors: Eric John Wengreen, Wesley Edward Schwie
  • Patent number: 10466062
    Abstract: A front object determiner determines an object on a traveling road surface in front of a host vehicle based on an image of a forward view captured by a front camera. A display controller draws an overlapping portion where a guide route calculated by a navigation device and the object determined by the front object determiner overlap each other in a display region on a windshield and a non-overlapping portion where the guide route and the object do not overlap each other in the display region on the windshield such that the overlapping portion is to be presented in a mode different from a mode for the non-overlapping portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Maruyama, Hiroshi Watanabe, Norio Kosaka, Masayuki Shishido
  • Patent number: 10464427
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a propulsion system includes roaming vehicles including a reaction plate installed on a bottom of each of the roaming vehicles, a surface stator matrix installed with a running surface for the roaming vehicles and including single sided linear induction motors (SSLIMs). Each of the SSLIMs include two windings installed orthogonally to one another. The propulsion system also includes motor drives configured to electrically couple to the SSLIMs via a switching panel, and a control system configured to receive information related to the roaming vehicles, receive a desired motion profile for the roaming vehicles across the surface stator matrix, determine which of the SSLIMs to activate and a performance of the SSLIMs based on the desired motion profile, the information, or some combination thereof, and send control signals to the motor drives to control the SSLIMs to produce the motion profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventor: Eric Vance
  • Patent number: 10452742
    Abstract: A method for recognizing a deviation of a yaw-rate signal of a sensor of a vehicle is proposed which includes a step of receiving a piece of information regarding a linear acceleration of the vehicle, and a step of receiving the yaw-rate signal, which represents a yaw rate of the vehicle. A step of analyzing the yaw-rate signal takes place when the linear acceleration is smaller than a first threshold value, in order to recognize the deviation of the yaw-rate signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Bentele-Calvoer, Norman Schuetze
  • Patent number: 10448195
    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 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: AT&T MOBILITY II LLC
    Inventors: Stephen Thomas Hardin, Thomas Rodger Becker, Charles A. Carey, Zachary Orlynn Morsbach, Johnathan Bradley Webb
  • Patent number: 10435279
    Abstract: System, method, and apparatus for providing route guidance to a customer in a shopping facility space are provided. A system for providing route guidance comprises a communication device configured to communicate with a user interface device, a store map database storing location information for a plurality of items available for purchase in the retail space, and a control circuit coupled to the communication device and the store map database. The control circuit is configured to receive a list of items for purchase from a user associated with the user interface device via the communication device, retrieve location information associated with each item of the list of items for purchase from the store map database, determine a route based on at least one user entered route preference and the location information associated with each item of the list of items for purchase, and provide the route to the user interface device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Robert C. Taylor, Donald R. High, Michael D. Atchley, David C. Winkle
  • Patent number: 10436582
    Abstract: An orientation or position of a device may be determined through a determination of a slope of a path currently being traveled by a vehicle. The slope of the path may be determined from data indicating a movement of the vehicle provided by sensors of a data acquisition device coupled with the vehicle. A tilt value of the data acquisition device using the sensors of the data acquisition device may also be determined. A position of the data acquisition device may be established based on the slope of the path and the tilt value of the data acquisition device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventor: Vishisht Vijay Gupta
  • Patent number: 10429844
    Abstract: Various methods can, for example, depict information for use by a pilot or other individual in an aircraft. In an exemplary embodiment, the method may include providing, in a hardware display, a graphical vertical profile displaying an aircraft to the pilot of the aircraft. This method may further include providing, in the vertical profile, an indication of the relative speed of at least one other aircraft and a graphical indication of a clearance window for vertical maneuvers for the aircraft of the pilot. Further embodiments of the present invention concern systems and software for implementing the related method embodiments of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: AVIATION COMMUNICATION & SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: Zachary R. Reynolds, Cyro A. Stone, Nicholas R. Hoffman