Patents Examined by Dale W Hilgendorf
  • Patent number: 12377910
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for a steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle, the system having at least one steering function that requests one or more steering angle changes as target steering angles for at least at one vehicle axle. An arbitration unit (AE) weights the steering angle changes as target steering angles (SLw_i) and, taking into account at least one target steering angle (SLw_i), determines an overall target steering angle (G_SLw). Before the overall target steering angle (G_SLw) is set by an actuator of the steer-by-wire steering system, a check is carried out to see whether a gradient of the overall target steering angle (G_SLw) is smaller than or equal to the gradient of the at least one target steering angle (SLw_i).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Dominik Vogt, Ingo Dasch
  • Patent number: 12372651
    Abstract: Systems and methods for retrofitting a light detection and ranging (LIDAR)-based vehicle computing system to operate with vision-based sensor data are provided. For example, a method implemented by a vehicle may include receiving, from one or more sensors of a first sensing modality at the vehicle, first sensor data associated with a surrounding environment of the vehicle; and retrofitting a vehicle controller of the vehicle that is based on a second sensing modality different from the first sensing modality to operate on the first sensor data, where the retrofitting includes generating second sensor data from the first sensor data based on the second sensing modality; and determining, by the vehicle controller, an action for the vehicle based at least in part on the generated second sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventor: Burkay Donderici
  • Patent number: 12374174
    Abstract: A method and system for causing an artificial neural network to learn using driving record data and diagnostic trouble data that can be collected while a vehicle travels, and predicting troubles of the vehicle in advance using the same. The method includes the steps of: collecting driving record time series data indicating a vehicle state or a driving state of a collection target vehicle during a predetermined measurement period, by a computing system; collecting diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) generated while the collection target vehicle travels during the measurement period, by the computing system; generating a learning data set on the basis of the driving record time series data and the diagnostic trouble codes of the collection target vehicle collected during the measurement period, by the computing system; and causing an artificial neural network to learn on the basis of the generated learning data set, by the computing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: INFOCAR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Geo Seok Choi, Moon Kyu Choi, Geon Ho Pyo, Gyu Hyeon Lee
  • Patent number: 12367771
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and a method for jointly controlling one or multiple connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and one or multiple human-driven vehicles (HDVs) subject to integer constraints for crossing each of multiple intersections on a road. The method comprises collecting digital representation of states of each of the CAVs, HDVs, and traffic signs, solving an optimization problem jointly optimizing traffic flows based on a macroscopic traffic flow model in a centralized traffic controller (CTC) subject to convex relaxation of the integer constraints, solving a multi-variable mixed-integer programming (MIP) problem in each of multiple intersection traffic controllers (ITCs) optimizing a cost function and minimizing tracking errors in traffic flow values of a microscopic traffic flow model with respect to relaxed traffic flow values from the CTC, and transmitting the optimized values of the control commands to the corresponding CAVs and corresponding traffic signs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Rien Quirynen, Nilesh Suriyarachchi, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 12365496
    Abstract: An aerial vehicle configured for operating within indoor or outdoor spaces is equipped with acoustic sensors for detecting reflections of sound, or echoes, from objects. Distances and bearings to such objects may be calculated based on such echoes. The echoes may be reflections of sound actively emitted by the aerial vehicle, such as by a speaker, or sound radiating from operating components aboard the aerial vehicle, such as rotating motors or propellers. The echoes may be captured by multiple sensors such as microphones provided around the aerial vehicle and used to calculate distances or bearings to the objects, such as by trilateration, triangulation, or in any other manner. Such distances or bearings may also be utilized along with distances or bearings determined from cameras, range sensors, or other systems, and used to generate a navigation map of the space, or compared to a navigation map generated for that space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Valentin Radu, Lorenzo Sorgi, Rada-Amalia Cifor
  • Patent number: 12358381
    Abstract: Provided are a method for predicting an energy consumption-recovery ratio of a new energy vehicle, and an energy saving control method and system for the new energy vehicle. The method includes: (1) acquiring, by means of an electronic horizon system, geographic information data of a position that is K meters ahead on a road from a current position of the new energy vehicle; (2) compiling statistics on speed information during the process of the new energy vehicle traveling S meters to reach the current position, values of K and S being the same; and (3) taking the geographic information data and the speed information as input vectors, inputting the same into a trained artificial neural network, and outputting a predicted energy consumption-recovery ratio. The present disclosure can optimize energy control over the vehicle, improve the utilization rate of electrical energy, and increase the traveling mileage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: Xiamen Yaxon Zhilian Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yankai Tu, Junfang Lai
  • Patent number: 12361832
    Abstract: This application provides a method for controlling vehicles to drive as a platoon performed by an electronic device. The method includes: transmitting, from a leading vehicle, a first platoon disbanding message to a target non-tail following vehicle and a second platoon disbanding message to the other remaining following vehicles, the second message including a temporary disbanding instruction for instructing to temporarily disband the current vehicle platoon, so that the target non-tail following vehicle adjusts a status thereof to a free status and drives away from the current vehicle platoon; transmitting, from the leading vehicle, a re-team up invitation message to each of the remaining following vehicles according to the second platoon disbanding message; receiving, at a leading vehicle, a re-team up confirmation message; and reorganizing each of the remaining following vehicles according to the re-team up confirmation message to form a new vehicle platoon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Zhuoyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 12344242
    Abstract: A path-adapting system for precautionary path planning of a host vehicle. The path-adapting system determines conditions of a liquid and/or solid loose material in the air and/or on the road surface in vicinity of the host vehicle, determines movement attributes in relation to the host vehicle of at least a first object in host vehicle surroundings, determines based on the conditions and movement attributes, at least a first estimated upcoming host vehicle position occurring at an estimated upcoming at least first time instance at which the at least first detected object is estimated to direct the material onto the host vehicle and/or the host vehicle is estimated to direct the material onto the at least first detected object, and determines a driving path, altering for the at least first time instance the at least first estimated upcoming host vehicle position to a modified host vehicle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: Zenseact AB
    Inventors: Zhennan Fei, Gabriel Rodrigues De Campos
  • Patent number: 12338801
    Abstract: A method of controlling an aero wind power generation device, includes take-off preparation process of preparing for take-off of the aero wind power generation device; a gas injection process of injecting gas into a buoyancy generation unit of the aero wind power generation device; a take-off process of taking off the aero wind power generation device using a drone unit and the buoyancy generation unit of the aero wind power generation device; and a charging process of charging a battery connected to the aero wind power generation device using the aero wind power generation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Jung Hun Choi, Dong Hyun Ha, Jae Wung Jung
  • Patent number: 12326737
    Abstract: According to the embodiments described herein, system and methods for determining relative pose of materials handling vehicles in an industrial environment may include utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna array systems respectively mounted on the materials handling vehicles to send mutually received information to determine the relative pose between the vehicles, determining one or more fields of each materials handling vehicle, and determining one or more overlapping fields between the materials handling vehicles based on the determined one or more fields and the relative pose. A vehicle control may be implemented based on the determined relative pose and the overlapping fields as a field enforcement, such as a control action to avoid collision between the vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan Estep, Justin Bennett, Mike Etienne Ciholas, Ben Morelli, Chad Lefeld, Trisha Marie Luthman
  • Patent number: 12321172
    Abstract: In a network of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, an alert may be triggered when one of the vehicles switches from autonomous to manual mode. The alert may be communicated to nearby autonomous vehicles so that drivers of those vehicles may become aware of a potentially unpredictable manual driver nearby. Drivers of autonomous vehicles who may have become disengaged (e.g., sleeping, reading, talking, etc.) during autonomous driving may become re-engaged upon noticing the alert. A re-engaged driver may choose to switch his/her own vehicle from autonomous to manual mode in order to appropriately react to an unpredictable nearby manual driver. In additional or alternative embodiments, the alert may be triggered or intensified when indications of impairment of a nearby driver or malfunction of a nearby vehicle are detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Steve Roberson, Brian Mark Fields
  • Patent number: 12311912
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle on a mission, the vehicle comprising a first and a second power source for driving the vehicle itself, wherein the first power source comprises an engine configured to generate power from fuel and an after treatment system coupled to the combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of solving a convex first optimal control problem based on a mathematical model of the vehicle, the first optimal control problem involving state variables for the after treatment system, a set of constraints, and a cost function having control variables that include a discrete variable and a continuous variable; the solving including an initial determination of the discrete variable and an iterative execution of minimizing the cost function after replacement of the discrete variable with respect to the continuous variable, updating the discrete variable, and verifying the satisfaction of a convergence criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: FPT MOTORENFORSCHUNG AG
    Inventors: Johannes Ritzmann, Oscar Chinellato, Georg Lins, Mauro Salazar, Christopher Onder
  • Patent number: 12298443
    Abstract: An agricultural implement includes a sensor configured to emit output signals for reflection off of a surface and detect reflections of the output signals as return signals. Furthermore, the agricultural implement includes a computing system configured to control the sensor such that the sensor emits the output signals for reflection off of a calibration device including a base portion and a plurality of projections extending outward from the base portion such that a top surface of the calibration device approximates a surface profile of the field. Moreover, the computing system is configured to receive data indicative of a profile of the top surface of the calibration device from the sensor in a spatial domain. Additionally, the computing system is configured to convert the received data to a frequency domain using a spectral analysis technique and calibrate an operation of the sensor based on the converted data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Inventors: Surya Saket Dasika, Michael R. Cozza, Thamer Z. Alharbi
  • Patent number: 12290021
    Abstract: A control device for executing travel control of a self-propelled work machine, comprising a turning unit that turns the work machine such that the work machine travels inside a boundary of a work region, an evaluation unit that evaluates complexity of a shape of the boundary in the work region, and a changing unit that changes a turning mode of the work machine when the work machine is turned based on an evaluation result by the evaluation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Matsui, Hideaki Shimamura, Satoshi Onodera
  • Patent number: 12292747
    Abstract: A method of operating a robotic vehicle is provided. The method includes generating, using a prediction model, first scores, each of the first scores associated with a possible action of the robotic vehicle. The prediction model generates the first scores based, at least in part, on a predicted probability of the robotic vehicle encountering a dynamic object. The method further includes generating, using an analytical model, second scores, each of the second scores associated with a possible action of the robotic vehicle. The analytical model generates the second scores based, at least in part, on the information on the static objects. The method also includes combining the first scores with the second scores to generate combined scores, and selecting an action for the robotic vehicle based, at least in part, on the combined scores. A motion planning module and a robotic vehicle implementing the method are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Y.E. Hub Armenia LLC
    Inventor: Ilya Alekseevich Melnikov
  • Patent number: 12293616
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a computing device, textual vehicle service content. The method further includes identifying, by the computing device, a vehicle scan tool function relevant to associated text at a location within the textual vehicle service content. The method additionally includes modifying, by the computing device, the textual vehicle service content to include a selectable link at the location of the associated text, wherein the selectable link is selectable to initialize a vehicle scan tool to perform the identified vehicle scan tool function on a vehicle. The method also includes providing, by the computing device, the modified textual vehicle service content including the selectable link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, Roy S. Brozovich, Jacob G. Foreman, Brett A. Kelley
  • Patent number: 12286122
    Abstract: An operation appropriateness determination system includes an authentication apparatus that identifies an operator on a basis of a feature of the operator and that outputs information for identifying the operator, a biometric sensing apparatus that obtains biological information regarding the operator and that outputs the biological information, an operation sensing apparatus that detects a load of an operation that is being performed by the operator and that outputs operation information indicating the load of the operation, a storage device, and a signal processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 12283094
    Abstract: A sensor aiming device includes: a target positional relationship processing unit for outputting positional relationship information of first and second targets; a sensor observation information processing unit configured to convert the observation result of the first and second targets into a predetermined unified coordinate system according to a coordinate conversion parameter, perform time synchronization at a predetermined timing, and extract first target information indicating a position of the first target and second target information indicating a position of the second target; a position estimation unit configured to estimate a position of the second target using the first target information, the second target information, and the positional relationship information; and a sensor correction amount estimation unit configured to calculate a deviation amount of the second sensor using the second target information and an estimated position of the second target and estimate a correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunsuke Matsuo, Tatsuhiko Monji, Akira Kuriyama, Haruki Nishimura
  • Patent number: 12280808
    Abstract: Categorizing driving behaviors of other road users includes maintaining a first history of first lateral-offset values of a road user with respect to a center line of a lane of a road; determining a first pattern based on the first history of the first lateral-offset values; determining a driving behavior of the road user based on the first pattern; and autonomously performing, by a host vehicle, a driving maneuver based on the driving behavior of the road user. The first history can be maintained for a predetermined period of time. An apparatus includes a processor that is configured to track a trajectory history of a road user; determine, based on the trajectory history, a driving behavior of the road user; and transmit a notification of the driving behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Hagaribommanahalli, Christopher Ostafew, David Ilstrup
  • Patent number: 12277873
    Abstract: Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of electric autonomous vehicles for apportioned display of a media, operating autonomously and a fleet management module for coordination of the autonomous vehicle fleet. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprising a screen configured to display the media. Activation, deactivation, brightness modification, in combination with specific media selection enables more efficient media display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Cosimo Leipold