Patents Examined by David Merlino
  • Patent number: 9324192
    Abstract: A monitoring unit for vehicle monitoring comprising a receiving module configured to receive data from an OBD, wherein the data is associated with a plurality of jerks detected by a 3-axis accelerometer. The monitoring unit comprises an analytics module configured to compare an intensity of each jerk of the plurality of jerks to a predefined jerk threshold and capture high intensity jerks from the plurality of jerks. The high intensity jerks have intensity equal to or more than the predefined jerk threshold. The method further comprises determining an elapsed time for each of the high intensity jerks. The elapsed time for each of the high intensity jerks is compared to a predefined time threshold. Further it is determined whether an analysis on the high intensity jerks is to be performed at the vehicle or at a server located remotely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Tapas Chakravarty, Avik Ghose, Balamuralidhar Purushothaman, Arpan Pal, Arijit Chowdhary
  • Patent number: 9283828
    Abstract: A vehicle temperature control device for temperature control of a vehicle when the engine is stopped is provided, comprising: an engine-stop signaling device providing an engine-stop signal (MS) indicating an engine-stop; and an off-time temperature controller receiving a signal from the engine-stop signaling device and comprising at least an off-time temperature control automatic which can be switched on and off. The off-time temperature controller is adapted such that, when the off-time temperature control automatic has been switched on and when a heating demand is given, off-time temperature control is automatically started upon receipt of an engine-stop signal (MS).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: WEBASTO SE
    Inventors: Josef Graubmann, Franco Moiso
  • Patent number: 9283903
    Abstract: A visible element that is at least partially visible from an outside of a motor vehicle. The visible element is a part of either a lighting and/or signaling device and is capable of presenting at least a first appearance or a second appearance. The first and second appearances being able to remain in the absence of electrical energy. The visible element being arranged to provoke the transition from the first appearance to the second appearance in response to a command. The visible element has an actuator arranged to send the command to provoke the transition between the first appearance and the second appearance, with the actuator being able to be used, in normal usage, outside the motor vehicle. The visible element may be energized to change the appearance of the headlamp or the tail lamp assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Pierre Albou, Jean-Claude Puente
  • Patent number: 9284048
    Abstract: According to one aspect, a controller, including a processor, sets an initial vibration frequency to be applied to an airframe. The controller commands one or more force generators to apply a vibratory load to the airframe at the initial vibration frequency. The controller determines a vibration response of the airframe at the initial vibration frequency using sensors. The controller sweeps through a range of vibration frequencies to be applied to the airframe. The one or more force generators are commanded to apply a plurality of vibratory loads to the airframe over the range of vibration frequencies. The controller determines a range of vibration responses of the airframe over the range of vibration frequencies using the sensors. A global stiffness of the airframe is determined based on the vibration response and the range of vibration responses. The controller reports results of the determined global stiffness of the airframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Matthew Harrigan
  • Patent number: 9286793
    Abstract: Real-time high-fidelity spatiotemporal data on transportation networks can be used to learn about traffic behavior at different times and locations, potentially resulting in major savings in time and fuel. Real-world data collected from transportation networks can be used to incorporate the data's intrinsic behavior into a time-series mining technique to enhance its accuracy for traffic prediction. For example, the spatiotemporal behaviors of rush hours and events can be used to perform a more accurate prediction of both short-term and long-term average speed on road-segments, even in the presence of infrequent events (e.g., accidents). Taking historical rush-hour behavior into account can improve the accuracy of traditional predictors by up to 67% and 78% in short-term and long-term predictions, respectively. Moreover, the impact of an accident can be incorporated to improve the prediction accuracy by up to 91%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventors: Bei Pan, Ugur Demiryurek, Cyrus Shahabi
  • Patent number: 9266529
    Abstract: A system and method for optimizing a fuel efficiency of a hybrid vehicle by learning from a route history. The system may be a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a motor-generator, a battery, a battery module, a GPS unit, a memory, and a processor. The method may include detecting a current route of the hybrid vehicle, calculating a confidence value corresponding to a probability that the current route has a match in the route history, detecting a battery state of charge (SOC), determining a target SOC based on the confidence value and the route history, and adjusting an engine start/stop threshold and/or an engine power request to achieve the target SOC. They system may learn and improve fuel efficiency over successive trips along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Mohammad E. Dufford
  • Patent number: 9266533
    Abstract: A vehicle adaptive cruise control system and method are provided. The adaptive cruise control system, comprising an adaptive cruise mode selection unit configured to select adaptive cruise modes to control speeds and relative distances for a host vehicle in different modes; a data acquisition unit configured to acquire a vehicle state variable x(t); a control unit configured to generate a vehicle control signal u(t) based on the vehicle state variable x(t); a critic unit configured to evaluate a control performance according to the vehicle state variable x(t) and the vehicle control signal u(t), if a result of evaluation indicates that the control performance does not comply with a requirement, then the control unit and the critic unit perform an online leaning; a gas pedal unit and a brake unit configured to be controlled respectively by using the vehicle control signal u(t) output from the is control unit and data provided from a the vehicle inverse dynamics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventor: Dongbin Zhao
  • Patent number: 9248824
    Abstract: A method for controlling a stop/start vehicle includes commanding an engine auto start in response to a calibratable time interval elapsing after receiving an electric defroster activation request when the engine is auto stopped. The method may further include activating a defroster after the engine has been auto started. The method may additionally include activating a defroster indicator when the electric defroster activation is received. The method may further include inhibiting an engine auto stop in response to an electric defroster activation request when the engine is running and further in response to a battery charge being insufficient to support a predicted current draw, and signaling an alert to a vehicle driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Eric Michael Rademacher, Kirk Pebley, James Rollinson, Eric Gerd Schaefer
  • Patent number: 9242645
    Abstract: A fail-safe control method and apparatus for an engine clutch actuator includes determining whether a driving mode of a hybrid vehicle is an electric vehicle (EV) mode. An oil pressure in a cylinder of the engine clutch actuator is measured when the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle is the EV mode. The oil pressure value in the cylinder is compared with a previously stored average pressure value. A motor of the engine clutch actuator rotates to decrease the oil pressure value in the cylinder t when the oil pressure value in the cylinder is greater than the previously stored average pressure value. An engine clutch is connected to an internal combustion engine as the oil pressure value in the cylinder decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Tae Ho Kim, Jong Hyun Kim, Young Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 9222236
    Abstract: A bulldozer includes a blade pivotably attached to a vehicle body, a blade operation lever, and a blade control section. The blade operation lever outputs a lowering instruction signal, a holding instruction signal, and a raising instruction signal for the blade. The blade control section controls a height of the blade according the signal input. The blade control section can lower the blade to a predetermined position when the lowering instruction signal and the holding instruction signal are input in order after a transmission has been switched from a state, which is different from an advancing state, to the advancing state. The blade control section can raise the blade to a predetermined position when the raising instruction signal and the holding instruction signal are input in order after a transmission has been switched from a state, which is different from a reversing state, to the reversing state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Eiji Ishibashi, Hidehiro Hashimoto, Kenji Yamamoto, Yasuhito Yonezawa, Fumio Imamura, Kenjiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 9221388
    Abstract: A method for reducing the movements of light from at least one movable light source for a motor vehicle with a steering wheel, wherein a movement of the steering wheel causes a movement of the light source includes the steps of detecting a current steering wheel angle and at least one steering wheel angle change coming from the current steering wheel angle is detected over a defined time window and the steering wheel angle change is summed to form a magnitude, wherein simultaneously a number of steering wheel changes in direction is detected within the defined time window, wherein a characteristic value is allocated to each magnitude and the associated number of changes, wherein a comparison of the characteristic value with a limiting value is performed and a decision is made with reference to the comparison whether additional movement of the light source is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventors: Andreas Krauβ, Boris Kubitza
  • Patent number: 9156662
    Abstract: A system with an apparatus that moves on wheels along a track defined by rails, and comprises two opposite sides carried by two or more wheels. The apparatus comprises detectors, at least one detector in either side of the apparatus in a known spatial connection with a wheel for generating to the control unit a signal that represents a measured lateral distance of a specific part of the wheel from a rail. Signals received from detectors are associated with position data that represents a specific position along the track where the lateral distance of the specific part of the wheel from the rail was measured. Signals received from detectors in spatial connection with wheels in opposite sides of the apparatus are used to generate an indication that represents temporal dimensional compatibility of the apparatus and the track. An effective tool for advanced monitoring interoperability of the apparatus and the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2015
    Assignee: Konecranes PLC
    Inventors: Simo Hakkarainen, Ari Lehtinen, Matti Pekkarinen, Jussi Kiova, Jukka Saikkonen, Kari Wallgren, Don Paulino
  • Patent number: 9079579
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle is provided with a plurality of actuators which perform sprung vibration suppression control, a vertical acceleration sensor configured to detect sprung vertical acceleration, and a plurality of actuator attitude control units which control the respective actuators such that the vertical acceleration detected by the vertical acceleration sensor becomes vertical acceleration corresponding to a target sprung state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironobu Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Hirayama
  • Patent number: 9070285
    Abstract: A computerized aircraft system, such as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is provided with a cloud detection system. The UAS includes a monocular electro-optic or infra-red camera which acquires consecutively, in real time, a plurality of images within a field of view of the camera. The system identifies feature points in each of the consecutive images, and generates macro representations of cloud formations (3D representations of the clouds) based on tracking of the feature points across the plurality of images. A cloud avoidance system takes in nominal own-ship waypoints, compares those waypoints to the 3D cloud representations and outputs modified waypoints to avoid the detected clouds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: UtopiaCompression Corporation
    Inventors: Prakash Ramu, Hieu Nguyen, Sharath Avadhanam, Jason Newton, Joseph Yadegar, Anurag Ganguli
  • Patent number: 9043145
    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: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wen Hao An, Liya Fan, Bo Gao, Xi Sun, Yuzhou Zhang
  • Patent number: 9026295
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle which is provided with an engine and an electric motor each functioning as a drive power source, and a clutch selectively connecting the engine and the electric motor to each other, said control apparatus being configured to switch a drive mode of the hybrid vehicle between an engine-driven running with at least said engine of the drive power source consisting of the engine and said electric motor used as the drive power source and with said clutch placed in a fully engaged state, and an electric-motor-driven running with said electric motor used as the drive power source and with said clutch placed in a released state, includes: a clutch temperature calculating portion configured to calculate, during said engine-driven running, an estimated temperature of said clutch upon a next engaging action of the clutch for switching of said drive mode from the following electric-motor-driven running back to the engine-driven running; and a switching control portion configured to
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuji Inoue, Yukihiko Ideshio, Yousuke Michikoshi
  • Patent number: 9014891
    Abstract: A control unit increases a discharge allowable power when the running mode is at a charge depleting mode and an engine is stopped. An engine operation determination unit determines whether the engine is to be set at load operation or not based on a non-increased power value when the running mode is at the charge sustaining mode, and based on an increased power value when the running mode is at the charge depleting mode. In the case where the engine is at no-load operation, the engine operation determination unit determines whether the engine is to be set at load operation or not based on the non-increased power value even if the running mode is at the charge depleting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takayanagi, Hiroki Endo, Masaya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8983692
    Abstract: A method to control a hybrid powertrain including an engine, an electric machine, and a transmission through a transition from an initial operating point to a target operating point includes monitoring a break point in a non-convex data set defined by an engine torque below which a growl condition cannot occur and a threshold low motor torque required for the grown condition, comparing the target operating point to the break point, and controlling the powertrain based upon the target operating point and the comparing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony H. Heap, Jeremy Wise, Sean W. McGrogan
  • Patent number: 8977433
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus includes a first torque calculating unit for calculating a first torque command based on a steering torque detected by the steering torque detecting unit, a second torque command calculating unit for calculating a second torque command based on the wheel rotation speed, an emergency switching unit for outputting the second torque command instead of the first torque command when error of the rotation torque is detected, a wheel rotation speed error detecting unit for detecting an error of the wheel rotation speed based at least on the wheel rotation speed, the steering torque in a normal state and the motor rotation information, and an emergency command limiting unit for liming the second torque command when normal and the motor rotation information, and where error of the wheel rotation speed is detected, when the second torque command is selected by the emergency switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsushi Kojima
  • Patent number: 8948957
    Abstract: In a method for operating a vehicle which performs an autonomously controlled movement, images of the vehicle are recorded in temporal succession with a mobile control which is held by an operator located outside the vehicle, a position of the vehicle in the images, a change of the position of the vehicle in the images, a proportion of the depiction of the vehicle of the total image content and/or a change of the proportion is analyzed by an analysis device, and in case the vehicle was not or only incompletely detected in the images, the proportion of the depiction of the vehicle of the total image content, the change and or degree of change of the proportion is above or below a predeterminable threshold value, the autonomously controlled movement of the vehicle ins interrupted or terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventor: Rudolf Leinfelder