Patents Examined by Demetra Smith-Stewart
  • Patent number: 8612143
    Abstract: The passage determination device according to the present invention includes: a storage; a position information obtaining unit that obtains positions of the device at predetermined intervals; and a controller that causes the storage to store a course and a position of a passage point on the course set in advance by the user, and that causes the storage to store the positions obtained by the position information obtaining unit as well as times at which the positions are obtained, wherein the controller determines, if positions of the device enter a predetermined range of the passage point, a time at which the user passes through the passage point based on a position, from among the obtained positions within the predetermined range, that is closest to the passage point and a time at which the position is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: NEC Biglobe, Ltd., NEC System Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Haneishi, Tatsugo Ukegawa
  • Patent number: 8612105
    Abstract: A system for control of a gearbox, having at least one control unit controlling the gearbox where the gearbox is installed in a motor vehicle having an engine connected to drive the gearbox. The system effects a first upshift from a first gear to a second gear if the acceleration a for the vehicle is greater than nil for the second gear and the current engine speed is within a first engine speed range; and effects a second upshift from the first gear to a third gear if the current engine speed is within a second engine speed range. The first speed range is lower than the second speed range of the engine. A method, a motor vehicle, a computer program and a computer program product for the method are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Scania CV AB
    Inventors: Fredrik Swartling, Peter Asplund, Mikael Öun
  • Patent number: 8612092
    Abstract: A request heat calculation unit calculates a request heat power requested to heat sources to supply. A heat cost calculation unit calculates a relationship between a heat power supplied from each of the heat sources and a heat cost, which is a fuel quantity consumed to supply a unit heat power. An abnormal source detection unit detects an abnormal heat source, which cannot normally supply a heat power, from the heat sources. An abnormal heat calculation unit calculates an abnormal heat power supplied from the abnormal heat source. A determination unit determines distribution of heat power supplied from the heat sources based on both the relationship and the abnormal heat power, such that a sum of the heat power supplied from the heat sources coincides with the request heat power, and the heat cost of all the heat sources is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Okamoto, Tsutomu Tashiro, Keisuke Tani
  • Patent number: 8606431
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method capable of reducing a communication cost for tracking a location of construction equipment by controlling a transmission cycle of locational information of the construction equipment. To this end, the present disclosure provides a method for tracking a location of construction equipment by using a tracking vehicle, including: transmitting locational information from the construction equipment at a predetermined transmission cycle; calculating a distance between the construction equipment and the tracking vehicle based on the locational information received from the construction equipment; and if the calculated distance is less than a predetermined value, commanding that a transmission cycle of the locational information of the construction equipment be made shorter than a predetermined transmission cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 8594921
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for comparing multi-dimensional datasets are provided. A multi-dimensional dataset comparison includes receiving a plurality of datasets, each including a plurality of coordinates, wherein a subset of coordinates defines a geo-fence. For a coordinate within a geo-fence of one of the plurality of datasets, determining analogous coordinates in each of the other datasets, the analogous coordinates defining a coordinate input set, and performing in parallel an operation on the coordinate input set to determine whether an entry is present at a coordinate of the coordinate input set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Sheldon Meredith, Mark Pack, John Pastore
  • Patent number: 8589065
    Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems for parking based route navigation and/or parking resource management are disclosed to facilitate navigation to parking spots associated with a destination and/or management of respective parking spots. Navigation may be provided to a parking spot based upon parking criteria (e.g., such as distance to a destination and/or costs associated with the parking spot). Additionally, navigation (e.g., instructions, alternate transport, such as public transit) from the parking spot to the destination may be provided. Parking spots may be reserved by a parking management system based upon reservations received through a parking based route navigation system. Travelers may be re-routed based upon parking factors (e.g., traffic around a parking location, parking density, etc.). Accordingly, travelers may be routed to a destination in a more efficient manner and/or a management system may price and/or allocate parking spots in a desired manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: INRIX, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher L. Scofield, Kush G. Parikh
  • Patent number: 8588999
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving a balance between engine fuel economy and exhaust emissions in an off-highway vehicle. One example method includes adjusting an engine injection timing based on an ambient NOx level estimated by a NOx sensor in the engine intake. Another example method includes adjusting a trip plan with a time in notch duty cycle based on a deviation from the time in notch duty cycle from a reference duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward Joseph Hall, Kyle Stott, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, James Robert Mischler, Christopher Mcnally, Jason Dean
  • Patent number: 8583310
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes a wheel-driving motor, a motor inverter that supplies electric power to the wheel-driving motor, a pump that delivers a cooling medium to at least one of the motor inverter and the motor, a capacitor that stores a counter electromotive force generated by the pump, and a pump inverter that supplies electric power to the pump to drives the pump. When a vehicle controller receives a signal indicating a collision of the vehicle, the vehicle controller stops a supply of electric power from the pump inverter to the pump and connects the pump inverter to the capacitor. The pump inverter converts AC power generated by the counter electromotive force of the pump into DC power to store the DC power in the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hironobu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8571751
    Abstract: Techniques for operating, testing, and generating a testing report for the electrical and air subsystems of a vehicular trailer, without the use of an associated truck tractor are disclosed. The system includes a portable testing unit with self-powered electrical and air subsystems which are interconnected to the corresponding subsystems of the vehicular trailer under test. The portable testing unit can be rolled about on a stand and functions as a mini-truck tractor, in the sense that it selectively provides electrical power and air to the VUT. The testing unit is controlled by a small, portable hand held radio frequency remote control that communicates test and data signals to a radio receiver in the portable testing unit. The system acquires testing data from both automatic and manual means from disparate sources. The system stores the testing data and automatically generates testing reports. The system manages the testing data and generated reports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: LITE-CHECK Fleet Solutions, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert Marion Blair
  • Patent number: 8509975
    Abstract: A vehicle comprising a chargeable/dischargeable battery, a current sensor for detecting the current from the battery, and a control unit for estimating the charged state of the battery and controlling the charging/discharging of the battery according to the charged state. In a first operation mode in which charging and discharging cycles are repeated, the control unit estimates the open-circuit voltage of the battery, and determines the charged state on the basis of the value which is obtained by correcting the open-circuit voltage according to the polarization. In a second operation mode in which either one of charging and discharging is continued, the control unit determines the charged state on the basis of the result of integration of the current detected by the current sensor. Hence, the charged and discharged amperehours are large, thereby providing a vehicle which can effectively utilize the secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junta Izumi
  • Patent number: 8483912
    Abstract: In a vehicle provided with an ARS actuator and an ARS driving apparatus as the rear-wheel steering apparatus, an ECU performs ARS electric power saving control. In the control, electric power supply to the ARS actuator is cut under the conditions that a rudder angle deviation ??r is greater than a reference deviation ??th and that a duration Tlst exceeds a reference value Tlstth in cases where a rear-wheel rudder angle ?r is greater than a reference rudder angle ?rth, wherein the rudder angle deviation ??r is a difference value between a target rear-wheel rudder angle ?rtg and the rear-wheel rudder angle ?r and the duration Tlst is a time in which the state that the rudder angle deviation ??r is greater than the reference deviation ??rth continues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toru Takashima
  • Patent number: 8473134
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle including a hybrid powertrain system includes enabling a commanded electric vehicle (EV) launch when a high-voltage battery state-of-charge (SOC) is greater than an SOC threshold, a transmission output speed is less than a low speed threshold, a transmission output torque is less than a speed-based torque threshold, and an operator torque request is achievable in the EV traction mode. An EV traction mode is employed to execute the commanded EV launch in response to the operator torque request including a launch maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: John Janczak, Anthony H. Heap, Anthony James Corsetti, Kee Yong Kim, Samantha Victoria Lado
  • Patent number: 8386170
    Abstract: A method is provided for presenting audio information related to scenic points of interest (POIs) to a user traveling along a predetermined route. The predetermined route is guided by a navigation device for providing audio navigation announcements that include turn-by-turn directions to the user. The predetermined route is defined between the starting location and a destination that includes scenic POIs. Audio navigation announcements are output to the user for selectively guiding the user along the predetermined route. An active region around each POI while traveling along the predetermined route is used to identify a current POI. Audio POI information is reproduced relating to the current POI while the user is within the active region of the current POI. Audio POI information reproduced to the user is selectively scheduled at a time not conflicting with the audio navigation announcements output to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Frances H. James
  • Patent number: 8386163
    Abstract: A GPS navigation code device that enables a driver to retrieve directions, without taking his eyes off the road. The user pre-programs the GPS navigation code device with a plurality of addressees or points of interest, and assigns unique navigation codes for each as keyboard entry and speech, all stored in local database within the GPS. While driving, the user presses a special address search mode key and inputs the unique navigation code by keyboard or speech pattern, views displayed address and accepts the same. When an unknown navigation code is entered, the GPS accesses a remote database through the Internet to recover the associated company name and business GPS coordinates. The remote database computes travel distance based on vehicle and business GPS coordinates, creating an ordered list that is presented to the GPS user, together with directions by map and speech on a turn-by-turn basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Inventor: Gary Severson