Patents Examined by Dale W Hilgendorf
  • Vehicle wireless communication device
    Patent number: 11403944
    Abstract: The present application is such that, in order to prevent communication disruption caused by a change in the situation of wireless communication due to the distance between a roadway instrument and a self-vehicle, a vehicle wireless communication device includes a communication section; a control section which controls the reception in the communication section; a position detection section which detects the position of a roadway instrument; and a running direction detection section which detects the running direction of a self-vehicle, wherein the communication section, based on the roadway instrument position detected by the position detection section and on the self-vehicle running direction detected by the running direction detection section, receives information from a roadway instrument next closest to a roadway instrument carrying out communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Takehara, Akira Hirata, Keisuke Morita
  • Systems and methods for improving driver warnings during automated driving
    Patent number: 11396305
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving driver warnings for automated driving by a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes monitoring a vehicle control system for driver feedback during the automated driving. The method also includes adapting a points value at a defined rate according to whether the driver feedback is present. The method also includes, responsive to determining that the points value satisfies a threshold before the driver feedback is present, generating a warning to a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Load balancing for map application route selection and output
    Patent number: 11391585
    Abstract: There are provided systems and methods for load balancing for map application route selection and output. A user may utilize a device application to map or route between two or more endpoints, such as geo-locations entered or detected by the device. During calculation of a travel route between the endpoints, real-time data, user preferences, and requesting entities may provide criteria data that may cause determination of a particular travel route, where the travel route may be longer than a most efficient route but within a pre-defined variable time or distance allotment and match the criteria data. Use of the route may accrue a form of compensation for the user. The user may view an application interface displaying the route, which may further include one or more executable processes to cause recalculation of the route. Recalculation of the route may require the user to provide credits or compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Todasco, Gautam Madaan, Timothy Resudek, Braden Christopher Ericson, Cheng Tian, Jiri Medlen
  • Systems and methods for vehicle pose prediction
    Patent number: 11386784
    Abstract: Systems and method are provided for predicting a vehicle pose. In one embodiment, a system includes a non-transitory computer readable medium. The non-transitory computer readable medium includes: an asynchronous prediction module configured to, by a processor, receive vehicle data from a vehicle, and compute a prediction of vehicle pose from the vehicle data, wherein the computation is performed asynchronously using a vehicle time frame and a common coordinate system; and a synchronous prediction module configured to, by the processor, compute a final prediction of the vehicle pose across the vehicle population based on the prediction of vehicle pose from the asynchronous prediction module, wherein the computation is performed synchronously using a global time frame and the common system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joon Hwang, Mason D. Gemar, Geoffrey Wakefield, Donal B. McErlean, Scott E. Jackson, Jim McCord, Damien P. Rennick
  • Navigation based on sensed looking direction of a pedestrian
    Patent number: 11377102
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for host vehicle navigation. Disclosed systems and methods may receive, from a camera, a plurality of images representative of an environment of the host vehicle; analyze the plurality of images to identify at least one pedestrian in the environment of the host vehicle; identify eyes of the at least one pedestrian represented in at least one of the plurality of images; and determine, based on analysis of the at least one of the plurality of images and based on the identification of the eyes of the at least one pedestrian in the at least one of the plurality of images, a looking direction of the at least one pedestrian.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: MOBILEYE VISION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Amnon Shashua, Shai Shalev-Shwartz, Shaked Shammah
  • Obstacle map generating method and apparatus
    Patent number: 11373412
    Abstract: A method for generating an obstacle map is provided. The method includes: receiving an environment map; generating a binary map indicating a position of an obstacle by a value of an obstacle cost corresponding to a probability of presence of the obstacle at the position, based on obstacle information obtained from the environment map; and generating an obstacle map by applying an obstacle expansion model to the binary map, wherein the applying the obstacle expansion model comprises setting a plurality of obstacle costs of a plurality of neighboring positions of the position of the obstacle in the binary map to a plurality of values, respectively. Accordingly, a safer and stable route can be generated to avoid the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: HANWHA DEFENSE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Min Hyeok Kwon
  • Method for authenticating a motor vehicle
    Patent number: 11373529
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for authenticating a motor vehicle to perform at least one procedure relating to a predetermined region able to be traveled through by the motor vehicle. When the motor vehicle approaches, the predetermined region is captured by a capturing device of the motor vehicle, and is identified accordingly. An identification message of the captured predetermined region is then output by the motor vehicle to a server device. Next, a request message for authenticating the motor vehicle is output in response to the identification message by the server device to a further server device associated with the predetermined region, and an authentication criterion is checked by the further server device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Florian Schuller, Christian Feist
  • Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium
    Patent number: 11370457
    Abstract: A vehicle control device of an embodiment includes a recognizer configured to recognize a peripheral situation of a vehicle and a controller configured to control a window portion of the vehicle, and the controller controls opening and closing of the window portion on the basis of a result of the recognizing has recognized a gesture which is performed by a user of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Hara, Yasushi Shoda, Junpei Noguchi, Katsuyasu Yamane, Yoshitaka Mimura, Hiroshi Yamanaka, Ryoma Taguchi, Yuta Takada, Chie Sugihara, Yuki Motegi, Tsubasa Shibauchi
  • Driving assistance method and system
    Patent number: 11364899
    Abstract: A driving assistance system includes a sensor set, a data storage device and an output device. The sensor set observes apparent states of each road user of the plurality of road users at successive time steps, the data processor assigns a behavioral model stored in the data storage device, the data processor calculating a new maneuver distribution that is a probability distribution over a finite plurality of alternative maneuvers and a new state distribution that is a probability distribution of possible states for each alternative maneuver of the finite plurality of alternative maneuvers. The data processor determines a risk of collision of the road vehicle with another road user, based on the new maneuver and state distributions of the target road user, and outputs one or more of a driver warning signal and executes an avoidance action if the risk of collision exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPE, INSTITUT NATIONAL de RECHERCHE en INFORMATIQUE et en AUTOMATIQUE (INRIA), INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLQUEES DE LYON
    Inventors: Nicolas Vignard, David Sierra Gonzalez, Christian Laugier, Jilles Steeve Dibangoye, Victor Romero-Cano
  • Braking/driving force control method and braking/driving force control device
    Patent number: 11358477
    Abstract: A magnitude of a road surface slope along which a vehicle travels is detected, when the magnitude of the road surface slope increases, a basic braking force set in advance is corrected to be decreased based on the magnitude of the road surface slope, or a basic driving force set in advance is corrected to be increased based on the magnitude of the road surface slope, when the magnitude of the road surface slope decreases, a basic braking force is corrected to be increased based on the magnitude of the road surface slope or a basic driving force is corrected to be decreased based on the magnitude of the road surface slope, and the corrected braking force or driving force is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Shiozawa, Katsuaki Kubotera, Tatsuya Suzuki, Naoki Miyashita, Mitsunori Ohta, Tomoyuki Kashiwaya, Satoshi Ota
  • Autonomous vehicle convergence avoidance systems and methods
    Patent number: 11355011
    Abstract: A vehicle adjustment system includes one or more processors configured to receive data from one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle that is in a stationary position. The one or more processors are also configured to analyze the data to determine whether an object is within a buffer zone surrounding the vehicle while the vehicle is in the stationary position. In response to determining that the object is within the buffer zone while the vehicle is in the stationary position, the one or more processors are configured to provide control signals to one or more driving components of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle to an alternate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
    Inventors: Yevgeniy Viatcheslavovich Khmelev, Oscar Guerra, Jeffrey Neal Pollack, Janelle Denice Dziuk, Ashley Raine Philbrick, Ryan Thomas Russell, David Patrick Dixon
  • Supplementing vehicle service content with scan tool initialization links
    Patent number: 11354944
    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: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick S. Merg, Roy S. Brozovich, Jacob G. Foreman, Brett A. Kelley
  • Vehicle, vehicle monitoring server, vehicle monitoring system, and vehicle monitoring method
    Patent number: 11352026
    Abstract: Provided are a vehicle, a vehicle monitoring server, a vehicle monitoring system, and a vehicle monitoring method, that can be suitably used in a configuration whereby the vehicle and the vehicle monitoring server communicate in relation to a travel caution region. A first control device in the vehicle sends an entry notification signal to the vehicle monitoring server prior to entry into a travel caution region, if the travel caution region is included in a target route or a target track. The first control device may also send a passage completed signal to the vehicle monitoring server after passing through the travel caution region. A second control device in the vehicle monitoring server performs an error output if, after receiving an entry notification signal from a specified vehicle, a passage completed signal has not been received by a second prescribed point in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaaki Nagashima, Hideki Matsunaga, Takeru Goto, Toshiaki Takano
  • Planning system and method for coordinating road milling tasks
    Patent number: 11346062
    Abstract: The invention relates to a planning system and method for operating one or more road milling machines. In that context, material properties of a road are captured and are geographically associated with one or more roads or road segments. Based on the material properties, an expected milling output of a road milling machine is ascertained, in the context of carrying out milling tasks on the road, or an expected wear on the milling tools. An optimized sequence of milling tasks to be carried out is created on the basis of those data. Accordingly, the invention may enable optimized deployment of the one or more road milling machines and of resources necessary for carrying out the road milling tasks. Aspects of the planning system may be remotely implemented for centralized application with respect to each of the road milling machines, or locally implemented for individual road milling machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventors: Christian Berning, Sebastian Hofrath, Cyrus Barimani
  • System and method for updating map
    Patent number: 11340081
    Abstract: Provided herein is a system that comprises one or more sensors that capture data, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to perform functions that include identifying one or more locations within a distance of the vehicle, capturing current data of the identified one or more locations, determining one or more changes that exceed respective threshold amounts between the current data and historical data of the identified one or more locations, and updating the historical data of the identified one or more locations based on the determined one or more changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Pony AI Inc.
    Inventor: Piaoyang Cui
  • Method of handling occlusions at intersections in operation of autonomous vehicle
    Patent number: 11332132
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle navigates an intersection in which occlusions block the vehicle's ability to detect moving objects. The vehicle handles this by generating a phantom obstacle behind the occlusion. The vehicle will predict the speed of the phantom obstacle and use the predicted speed to assess whether the phantom obstacle may collide with the vehicle. If a collision is a risk, the vehicle will slow or stop until it confirms that either (a) the phantom obstacle is not a real obstacle or (b) the vehicle can proceed at a speed that avoids the collision. To determine which occlusions shield real objects, the system may use a rasterized visibility grid of the area to identify occlusions that may accommodate the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Argo AI, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Petroff, Neal Seegmiller, Albert Costa, Christopher Cunningham, G. Peter K. Carr, Sameer Bardapurkar
  • Determining a runway exit for landing an aircraft
    Patent number: 11335205
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided. The apparatus determines a plurality of runway exits reachable by the aircraft, and applied braking force of the aircraft to land at respective ones of the plurality of runway exits and predicts taxi-in times of the aircraft to land at respective ones of the plurality of runway exits. The apparatus also predicts maintenance costs of the aircraft to land at respective ones of the plurality of runway exits based on the applied braking force and predicts overall costs of the aircraft to land at respective ones of the plurality of runway exits based on the taxi-in times and the maintenance costs. The apparatus further determines the runway exit among the plurality of runway exits, the runway exit having a minimal overall cost among the overall costs and presents a recommendation of the runway exit for landing the aircraft to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Marco Gaertner, Jendrick Westphal
  • Vehicle travel control system for parking lot, and control method of vehicle travel control system for parking lot
    Patent number: 11332123
    Abstract: A vehicle travel control system for a parking lot controls traveling of at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle through at least a first radio communication circuit and a second radio communication circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masanao Yamazaki
  • Method and system to generate updated map data for parallel roads
    Patent number: 11333505
    Abstract: A system, a method, and a computer program product for generating updated map data are provided. The method comprises obtaining map data of a speed sign associated with a plurality of parallel roads, determining one or more effective links associated with the speed sign, based on the map data of the speed sign, determining first vehicle sensor data corresponding to the one or more effective links, and generating a speed index for each of the one or more effective links based on the first vehicle sensor data The method further comprises generating the updated map data based on the speed index for each of the one or more effective links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Zhenhua Zhang, Leon Stenneth
  • Proceedable direction detection apparatus and proceedable direction detection method
    Patent number: 11335099
    Abstract: A proceedable direction detection apparatus includes a processor. The processor inputs an image acquired from an image capturing unit mounted on a vehicle into a classifier that is pre-trained to output a proceedable certainty degree indicating a proceedable probability of each relative bearing with respect to a predetermined direction relative to a vehicle based on a display status of a traffic signal in the image. The processor calculates, using the classifier, the proceedable certainty degree of each relative bearing based on the display status of the traffic signal in the image. The processor determines the direction in which the vehicle can proceed based on a proceedable certainty degree of each relative bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Hirano, Daisuke Hashimoto, Satoshi Takeyasu