Patents Examined by Daryl C. Pope
  • Patent number: 11887480
    Abstract: A context-aware safety device includes a wireless transceiver, a memory storing an application, and one or more processors. When executing the application, the one or more processors are configured to determine a context of a safety device, configure an alert based on the determined context, and broadcast the configured alert using the wireless transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Verbeke, Sven Kratz, Stefan Marti
  • Patent number: 11887475
    Abstract: A traffic light control system configured to provide instructions to a traffic light for testing performance of an autonomous vehicle as it approaches the traffic light includes a controller. The controller includes a transceiver in communication with the traffic light and a computer-readable memory storing a plurality of operation routines for the traffic light. The controller is configured to: select an operation routine of the plurality of operation routines on the computer-readable memory; and provide a control signal via the transceiver to the traffic light to control operation of the traffic light according to the selected operation routine. Controlling operation of the traffic light includes turning on or off at least one of a plurality of light emitters of the at least one traffic light and/or changing a brightness, frequency, or intensity of at least one of the plurality of light emitters of the traffic light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Timothy S. Riggs, Thomas D. McMenamin, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11878680
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle with an active parking assistant, comprising: determining a parking maneuver data set with at least one parking movement for a parking maneuver for parking in a parking space; determining a quality value representative of the parking situation of the motor vehicle in the parking space after the parking movement; comparing the quality value with a predetermined threshold value; providing the parking maneuver data set if the quality value is less than the threshold value; determining a further parking movement of the parking maneuver data set; determining a further quality value representative of the parking situation of the motor vehicle in the parking space after the further parking movement; and comparing the quality value with a predetermined threshold value if the quality value is greater than the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mike John Mould, Hendrik Jeckel
  • Patent number: 11878644
    Abstract: A collision avoidance device, includes a license plate frame, a first sensor mounted to the license plate frame to determine a distance of a following vehicle to the license plate frame and a second sensor mounted to the license plate frame to determine a velocity of the license plate frame, a logic circuit electrically coupled to the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the logic circuit, determines a safe trailing distance between the license plate frame and the following vehicle based upon the velocity of the license plate frame and determines whether the following vehicle is closer than the safe trailing distance to the license plate frame and a warning light is coupled to the license plate frame to illuminate the license plate frame if the following vehicle is closer than the safe trailing distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventor: Tianyi Zheng
  • Patent number: 11877821
    Abstract: A system includes one or more sensors to detect activities of a mobile object; and a processor coupled to the sensor and the wireless transceiver to classify sequences of motions into groups of similar postures each represented by a model and to apply the models to identify an activity of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: BT Wearables LLC
    Inventor: Bao Tran
  • Patent number: 11862022
    Abstract: Described herein are examples of a computerized method that comprises: in response to obtaining information regarding a potential collision between a vehicle and an object, obtaining data describing the vehicle for a time period extending before and after a time of the potential collision. The method may determine a likelihood that the potential collision is a non-collision event based on the data describing the vehicle by performing one or more assessments. The assessments may include telematics monitor assessment, driver behavior assessment, road surface feature assessment, trip correlation assessment, and/or context assessment. In response to determining that the likelihood indicates that the potential collision is not a non-collision event, the method may trigger one or more actions responding to the potential collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Geotab Inc.
    Inventors: Willem Petersen, Harjot Singh Parmar, Amish Vijay Patel, Meghan Frances Fotak, Paul Stobbe, Robert Spencer Hockin
  • Patent number: 11840215
    Abstract: An automated valet parking system is configured to acquire a first vehicle position, and acquire a second vehicle position, and determine whether a position failure about the first vehicle position of an autonomous vehicle is. The first vehicle position includes a first longitudinal position and a first lateral position, the second vehicle position includes a second longitudinal position and a second lateral position, and a longitudinal threshold is smaller than a lateral threshold. The automated valet parking system is configured to determine that the position failure is in at least one of a case where a difference between the first longitudinal position and the second longitudinal position is equal to or larger than the longitudinal threshold, and a case where a difference between the first lateral position and the second lateral position is equal to or larger than the lateral threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Sugano
  • Patent number: 11813042
    Abstract: A portable biometric monitor includes a wearable member having a plurality of sensors incorporated therein. Each sensor of the plurality of sensors is adapted to monitor a corresponding biometric indicator. A communications hub is in selective communication with the plurality of sensors. One of the wearable member and the communications hub includes a set of biometric parameters, wherein each biometric parameter of the set of biometric parameters includes a corresponding preferred range. When at least one of the sensors indicates that the corresponding biometric indicator is outside of the corresponding preferred range, the communications hub provides a status indicia corresponding to a proposed recommendation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventor: Anthony Olivero
  • Patent number: 11813985
    Abstract: A collision avoidance assembly for reducing collisions with a semitrailer includes a rear and side facing alert modules, which are mountable to a semitrailer, and a control module, which is mountable in a cab of a semitruck engaged to the semitrailer. Each alert module comprises a sensor, a camera, and a speaker. The sensors detect and the cameras image an approaching vehicle. The speaker and the control module provide audible alerts to a driver of the approaching vehicle and an operator of the semitrailer, respectively, so as to facilitate collision avoidance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Inventor: Bradley Enno
  • Patent number: 11813982
    Abstract: A target vehicle can be identified for sound recording. A microphone on the host vehicle is activated to record sounds emanating from the target vehicle. A host vehicle assist feature is operated to maintain a sound recording proximity to the target vehicle. Then the sounds emanating from the target vehicle are recorded while the host vehicle is within the sound recording proximity of the target vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Keith Weston, Andrew Denis Lewandowski, Jordan Barrett, Jennifer Bloedow
  • Patent number: 11816968
    Abstract: Methods, systems and computing devices are described herein for monitoring a premises when residents or other users are present in order to detect patterns of activity at the premises. Such patterns may comprise, for example, a typical schedule indicating usage of one or more devices by one or more users of the premises. When a user is away or otherwise inactive, commands may be sent to various user devices to make it appear (e.g., to those outside the premises) as if the user is present by simulating and/or recreating the patterns that were previously detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Amit Garg, Richard Woundy
  • Patent number: 11815328
    Abstract: A detector for detecting the removal and/or insertion of a firearm out of and/or into a holster. The detector may transmit a message each time the firearm is removed from the holster. A recording system may receive the message and determine whether or not it will begin recording the data it captures. A detector may detect the change in a magnitude of an inductance and/or an impedance of a circuit to detect insertion and removal of the firearm into and out of the holster. A placement mode may be invoked to determine an optimal mounting location of the detector relative to the holster. The optimal mounting location may be a location of maximum sensitivity of the detector with respect to the weapon and/or a location wherein the measurements obtained via the detector exceed a threshold. The detector may provide indicia corresponding with the optimal mounting location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Axon Enterprise, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Hatcher, John Wilson, Nache Shekarri, Shlesh Tiwari, Varun Sathyanarayan
  • Patent number: 11810368
    Abstract: A parking assist apparatus of a vehicle includes an image recognition ECU and a vehicle control ECU. The image recognition ECU extracts characteristic points contained in an image of a surrounding region of the vehicle captured during a travel. The vehicle control ECU can register, as parking lot information, the position of a parking lot and a piece of information regarding characteristic points contained in an image of a scene of the entrance of the parking lot. The vehicle control ECU can automatically park the vehicle in the registered parking lot. The image recognition ECU extracts the characteristic points contained in the image of the surrounding region when the distance between the vehicle and the entrance of the registered parking lot is equal to or shorter than a threshold distance, and does not extract the characteristic points when the distance is longer than the threshold distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Hiei, Daiki Maruki, Miho Shiotani
  • Patent number: 11807224
    Abstract: An automated valet parking system includes a parking lot management server configured to: acquire information on a plurality of traveling coordinates arranged along a runway of a parking lot to an entrance of a target parking space based on a vehicle position of an autonomous driving vehicle, a position of the target parking space, and parking lot map information; generate a trajectory of the vehicle based on the information on the traveling coordinates and a result of detection from an in-vehicle external sensor; and determine whether the entrance of the target parking space is recognizable based on an object recognition range; and generate the trajectory that brings the vehicle closer to the target parking space so that the object for recognizing the entrance of the target parking space is included in the object recognition range when it is determined that the entrance of the target parking space is not recognizable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noriyuki Tsuruoka
  • Patent number: 11804116
    Abstract: A merchandise security device is provided. The merchandise security device may include a base configured to be attached to a support surface. The base includes an alarm circuit and a tether, and the tether is configured to be extended and retracted relative to the base and to be coupled to one or more items of merchandise. The alarm circuit is configured to detect removal of the base from the support surface, cutting of the tether, and/or removal of the tether. In addition, the security device includes a lock mechanism configured to lock to the tether for securing the one or more items of merchandise to the tether, wherein one or more items of merchandise are removable from the tether when the lock mechanism is unlocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: InVue Security Products Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Schultz, Christopher J. Fawcett
  • Patent number: 11801829
    Abstract: An in-vehicle device, a system and a method for automatic parking assistance. The in-vehicle device includes a communication interface through which the in-vehicle device receives a parking navigation path from an external device, the parking navigation path including linear road sections and/or arc road sections; and a parking controller coupled with the communication interface. The parking controller is configured to identify line-shape features of each road section; determine whether the vehicle can travel along a road section based on line-shape features of the road section; in the case that the determination is affirmative, control a driving behavior of the vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the road section; in the case that the determination is negative, determine a new travelling path and control a driving behavior of the vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the new travelling path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventor: Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 11804081
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating axles of a vehicle are provided. In one example, an apparatus is configured to consume a first amount of electric power to indicate a first axle operating state. The apparatus is also configured to consume a second amount of electric power to indicate a second axle operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Casey R. Lofthouse, Justin S. Davis
  • Patent number: 11794640
    Abstract: The technology relates to autonomous vehicles suffering a breakdown along a roadway. Onboard systems may utilize various proactive operations to alert specific vehicles or other objects on or near the roadway about the breakdown. This can be done alternatively or in addition to turning on the hazard lights or calling for remote assistance. The disabled vehicle is able to detect nearby and approaching objects. The detection may be performed in combination with a determination of the type of object or predicted behavior for that object, enables the vehicle to generate a targeted alert that can be transmitted or otherwise presented to that particular object. This approach provides the other object, such as a vehicle, bicyclist or pedestrian, sufficient time and information about the breakdown to take appropriate corrective action. Different communication options are available and may be selected based on the particular object, environmental conditions and other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Vijaysai Patnaik
  • Patent number: 11794532
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are devices and systems for continuous control of tire pressure. In one aspect, a device for continuously controlling tire pressure includes a bracket, a fixed non-rotating member fixedly attached to the bracket, and a non-fixed rotating member rotatably attached thereto. The fixed non-rotating member has at least one first seal surface, the at least one seal surface configured to be in fluid communication with a compressed air source. The non-fixed rotating member has at least one second seal surface, wherein an air chamber defined within a volume between interacting the at least one first seal surface and the at least one second seal surface causes fluid communication between an interior space of the tire and the compressed air source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventor: Peter Vogelpohl
  • Patent number: 11772676
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a driving support device which can notify a driver of the existence of other vehicles, even in a case of a function of detecting the existence of the other vehicle temporarily not being useable. A driving support device 11 includes: a second vehicle detection unit 204 which detects the other vehicle existing behind or ahead of the vehicle 1, based on the captured image, in a case of the vehicle detection function being determined as not normally operating, in which the notification control unit 202 notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of existence of the other vehicle, in a case of detecting the other vehicle by way of the second vehicle detection unit 204.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Katayama, Hirokazu Tokushima, Osamu Ito, Hideo Kadowaki, Hiroki Tanaka