Patents Examined by David Merlino
  • Patent number: 9551132
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an automatic transmission control unit for construction machinery and a control method therefor, and when a load pressure detecting unit detecting a load pressure of hydraulic pressure supplied from a main hydraulic pump to an actuator, such as a cylinder and a hydraulic motor, is in an abnormal state, the automatic transmission control unit receives an electronic control pressure signal having little concerns of a breakdown or a malfunction, and automatically changes a travel speed of construction machinery based on the received electronic control pressure signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyun Sik Lim
  • Patent number: 9532179
    Abstract: The invention relates to compressed data transmission in wireless data communication. Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network. A disclosed method for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network, includes the steps of: receiving data for updating residue encoding schema from a monitoring server; constructing a residue encoding schema based on the data, thereby producing a constructed residue encoding schema; and storing the constructed residue encoding schema such that the constructed residue encoding schema will become the current residue encoding schema; where: the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that each residue of the constructed residue encoding schema corresponds to a code; and the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that a residue having a relatively high probability of occurrence corresponds to a code of relatively short length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen Hao An, Liya Fan, Bo Gao, Xi Sun, Yuzhou Zhang
  • Patent number: 9527444
    Abstract: A rear area monitoring device for a vehicle includes one or more distance sensors configured to determine the distance of the rear of the vehicle from an obstacle, and at least one electronic control device configured to evaluate the data collected by the distance sensor(s) and to determine a distance signal that indicates the current distance of the rear of the vehicle from the obstacle. The electronic control device includes at least one input connection for a position sensor configured to detect the position of at least one adjustable vehicle component that, in certain positions, projects beyond the rear of the vehicle. The electronic control device is configured to determine the distance signal depending upon the signal of the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Risse, Udo Ronnenberg, Axel Stender, Jan-Christoph Von Der Beeke
  • Patent number: 9518835
    Abstract: A user interface for use in a vehicle navigation and traffic information device. Various adaptable menu commands and intuitive UI elements are provided to ease user navigation of the interface and to minimize driver distraction while providing information in an optimized manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: BlackBerry Corporation
    Inventors: Laurie J. Vertelney, Daniel M. Kohn, Steven C. Wollenberg, Brian E. Smartt, Paul J. Lima, Eric S. Wels
  • Patent number: 9510155
    Abstract: The invention relates to compressed data transmission in wireless data communication. Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network. A disclosed method for transporting residue of vehicle position data via a wireless network, includes the steps of: receiving data for updating residue encoding schema from a monitoring server; constructing a residue encoding schema based on the data, thereby producing a constructed residue encoding schema; and storing the constructed residue encoding schema such that the constructed residue encoding schema will become the current residue encoding schema; where: the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that each residue of the constructed residue encoding schema corresponds to a code; and the constructed residue encoding schema is constructed such that a residue having a relatively high probability of occurrence corresponds to a code of relatively short length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen Hao An, Liya Fan, Bo Gao, Xi Sun, Yuzhou Zhang
  • Patent number: 9510316
    Abstract: Methods, media, and node-enabled autonomous transport vehicles are described for navigating to a shipping location using a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network. A node associated with the autonomous transport vehicle, such as a mobile master node, detects a signal broadcast from an ID node associated with the shipping location, and instructs the ID node to lower a power level of the broadcast signal. The mobile master node identifies the signal broadcast from the ID node with the lowered power level, and determines a direction of the ID node relative to the mobile master node based upon the detected signal with the lowered power level. The mobile master node then navigates to the ID node associated with the shipping location based upon the determined direction, which may involve providing the determined direction to an input for the vehicle's control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Ole-Petter Skaaksrud
  • Patent number: 9494091
    Abstract: A driving force control system for vehicle for controlling a target speed of an engine serving as a prime mover by selecting a control mode based on an index representing a driving preference of a driver. The control mode is selected from a first mode for operating the engine to achieve the target speed while optimizing a fuel economy, and a second mode for operating the engine to achieve the target speed at a speed lower than that achieved while optimizing the fuel economy. The driving force control system is configured to determine a lower limit speed of the engine based on the index provided that the second mode is selected, and to restrict a lower limit value of the target speed of the engine to the lower limit speed in case the target speed of the engine exceeds the lower limit speed under the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keisuke Takeuchi, Kazuo Tsuruoka, Toshio Tanahashi, Yoshimitsu Agata, Hiroki Kaneko, Koji Tsurumura
  • Patent number: 9469341
    Abstract: In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a steering aid for a steering system of a vehicle. Upon activation of a vehicle in which a steering aid has been deactivated, a signal instructing a driver to rotate a steering wheel of the steering system without a steering assist motor can be generated. Whether rotation of the steering assist motor occurs during rotation of the steering wheel can be determined. The steering aid can be activated when the steering assist motor has rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Jens Dornhege
  • Patent number: 9469303
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining the axle load of a vehicle (10) having at least two tires on an axle. During cornering, the axle load is determined from a difference between wheel speeds at a wheel on the inside of the bend and wheel speeds at a wheel on the outside of the bend and by taking into account the lateral acceleration and track width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: WABCO GmbH
    Inventors: Daniel Czaja, Axel Stender, Thomas Treichel, Markus Wolf
  • Patent number: 9457807
    Abstract: A method for automated lane centering and/or lane changing purposes for a vehicle traveling on a roadway that employs roadway points from a map database to determine a reference vehicle path and sensors on the vehicle for detecting static and moving objects to adjust the reference path. The method includes reducing the curvature of the reference path to generate a reduced curvature reference path that reduces the turning requirements of the vehicle and setting the speed of the vehicle from posted roadway speeds from the map database. The method also includes providing multiple candidate vehicle paths and vehicle speeds to avoid the static and moving objects in front of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Jin-Woo Lee, Upali Priyantha Mudalige, Tianyu Gu, John M. Dolan
  • Patent number: 9459621
    Abstract: A system to transport a payload platform along a predefined path in an amusement facility, including a system controller to generate and transmit a timing signal and a propulsion platform, coupled to and supporting the payload platform, to traverse the predefined path in synchronism with the timing signal received from the system controller. The propulsion platform having an address corresponding to at least one of a plurality of individually addressed timing signals. The system may further include a plurality of entertainment devices positioned along the predefined path in an amusement facility, that likewise operate in synchronism with the timing signal received from the system controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: OCEANEERING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Scott Grant, Michael Wayne Boshears
  • Patent number: 9434363
    Abstract: When a vehicle runs along a curved path, successive values of a speed limit are calculated based on the yaw rate of the vehicle, and values of acceleration demand are calculated and applied to control the actual vehicle speed based on the speed limit. If commencement of oscillation of the yaw rate and acceleration demand is detected, due to running along the curved path, guard processing is applied to the values of speed limit used to calculate the acceleration demand or is applied to the acceleration demand, such as to prevent the acceleration demand from varying in a direction that would increase the speed limit. Instability of deceleration control due to the oscillation is thereby substantially suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jin Kurumisawa, Toyohito Nozawa, Tatsuya Namikiri
  • Patent number: 9428176
    Abstract: A control device that controls a vehicle drive device in which a first rotating electrical machine and a speed change mechanism are provided on a power transmission path connecting an internal combustion engine and wheels. The control device includes a first pump that is driven by the first rotating electrical machine and a second pump that is driven by a second rotating electrical machine provided independently of the power transmission path. The control device is configured with an auxiliary drive control section that, when a main power supply of a vehicle is turned on, executes auxiliary drive control of driving the first pump for a set drive time by the first rotating electrical machine before driving the second pump by the second rotating electrical machine, and starting the second pump after elapse of the set drive time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Kasuya, Masashi Kito, Shigeru Sugisaka
  • Patent number: 9426774
    Abstract: Methods, media, and node-enabled autonomous transport vehicles are described for navigating to a shipping location using a plurality of nodes in a wireless node network. A node associated with the autonomous transport vehicle, such as a mobile master node, detects a signal broadcast from an ID node associated with the shipping location, and instructs the ID node to lower a power level of the broadcast signal. The mobile master node identifies the signal broadcast from the ID node with the lowered power level, and determines a direction of the ID node relative to the mobile master node based upon the detected signal with the lowered power level. The mobile master node then navigates to the ID node associated with the shipping location based upon the determined direction, which may involve providing the determined direction to an input for the vehicle's control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Ole-Petter Skaaksrud
  • Patent number: 9415752
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a driver assistance unit that includes a braking unit and at least one detection unit to detect an environmental parameter. The driver assistance unit can control performance of an autonomous deceleration of the motor vehicle in the case of a risk of collision, which is recognized using the environmental parameter. The driver assistance unit is formed in such a way that an autonomous emergency stop is only then able to be carried out if the motor vehicle has at least one reversible seat belt pre-tensioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Werner Bernzen, Hikmet Parca, Dominic Reutter
  • Patent number: 9410491
    Abstract: A simple and effective control method is disclosed for starting and stopping the engine of a vehicle during an idling stop of the vehicle, wherein an integration controller can be used to achieve those purposes. In particular, a useful control method is disclosed for stopping and restarting engine while vehicles wait for stoplight. It is using equipment, such as two brake levers, to interact with a start-button, wherein electrical signals generated from the operation of the equipment are divided into two different groups of control signals to achieve the operation control of the engine starting or stopping when the start button is pressed. By using the method of present invention, a vehicle driver driving on the road can have a simple and secure operation method to stop or start the engine of the vehicle during an idling stop of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Inventor: Fu Ling Chang
  • Patent number: 9400049
    Abstract: A shifting apparatus and method for a vehicle is provided and the apparatus includes a transmission adjuster that shifts a gear position of an automatic transmission. In addition, a controller is configured to operate the transmission adjuster to shift the gear position of the automatic transmission to a neutral null position and the null position varies based on the gear position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: SL Corporation
    Inventors: Chun Nyung Heo, Jeong Ho Bak
  • Patent number: 9372096
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus refers to location measurement information measured in the past at each time when the latest location measurement information is output from a location measurement module with a predetermined measurement period, if measurement accuracy is good and it is regarded that a direction change has been made, determines the latest location measurement information as saving “necessary” and stores the information. If the measurement accuracy is no good or it is regarded that a positioning point shown by the latest location measurement information is an intermediate point during linear traveling, the latest location measurement information is not saved. Therefore, a data size to be saved is made smaller than that in related art and draining of a battery taken for writing of data is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Maezawa, Junichi Otsuka, Kazunori Shimoda
  • Patent number: 9371089
    Abstract: A driver assistance system and method of operating same is provided for a non-track-bound. By applying a steering torque to the driver's steering wheel via an electric motor, a direction-oriented steering recommendation is made to the driver. By this steering torque, first, a steering wheel angle in the recommended rotating direction at an angular speed that is greater in its amount is set and subsequently a steering wheel angle is set in the opposite rotating direction at an angular speed that is lower in its amount. Subsequent to the setting of the steering wheel angle having the opposite rotating direction, at a comparatively lower angular speed, a further steering wheel angle can be set, by which the vehicle is changed along a straight course of the road essentially to the orientation held before the making of the direction-oriented steering recommendation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschat
    Inventors: Moritz Werling, Philipp Reinisch, Klaus Gresser, Peter Zahn, Nils Pletschen
  • Patent number: 9348555
    Abstract: In-vehicle access of mobile device functions is provided wherein a vehicle is coupled to the mobile device, and obtains a list of apps installed thereon. A user manipulates vehicle controls to operate a select app and the vehicle modifies its display based on the app.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Lars Scholz, Mark Beckmann, Patrick Bartsch