Patents Examined by Donald J. Wallace
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Patent number: 10960712Abstract: A tire tread wear system may include one or more vehicle sensors and a processor. The processor may include a control module, a geometrical model, a machine learning model, and a switch. The geometrical model may be configured to collect data from the vehicle sensors to determine a dynamic rolling radius of a tire. The geometrical model may be configured to output a tread wear estimation based on the dynamic rolling radius of the tire. The machine learning model may be configured to collect data from the vehicle sensors. The machine learning model may be configured to output a tread wear estimation based on a correlation of the tread wear estimation output from the geometrical model and one or more data instances with a tire tread state. The switch may be configured to activate the geometrical model, the machine learning model, or a combination thereof.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.Inventors: Gian Luca Storti, Mumtaz Vauhkonen, Gregory D. Dibb
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Patent number: 10950133Abstract: Vehicle monitoring devices, vehicle monitoring management devices, and vehicle monitoring systems are described. According to one aspect, a vehicle monitoring device includes first circuitry configured to communicate with a vehicle being monitored and to receive information regarding the vehicle at a plurality of moments in time, second circuitry coupled with the first circuitry and configured to generate a plurality of messages, wherein individual ones of the messages include the information regarding the vehicle which was received at one of the plurality of moments in time and timing data which is indicative of timing of the vehicle data according to an independent timing protocol which is utilized by the vehicle monitoring device and another device which is remote from the vehicle monitoring device, and wherein the first circuity is configured to communicate the plurality of messages externally of the vehicle monitoring device.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2018Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: AutoMap, LLCInventor: Michael Smith
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Patent number: 10919617Abstract: An aerial vehicle comprising an airframe, an aircraft flight controller to provide an output control signal, and a planar printed circuit board positioned on the airframe. The printed circuit board may include coupled thereto a processor, a rate gyroscope, and at least three accelerometers. The processor is configured to generate an actuation signal based at least in part on a feedback signal received from at least one of said rate gyroscope and the at least three accelerometers. The processor communicates the actuation signal to said aircraft flight controller, which is configured to adjust the output control signal based on said actuation signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences CorporationInventors: Riley Griffin, Edward Scott, Sean Humbert
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Patent number: 10915104Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enabling a vehicle for which a jet pump that functions to transfer fuel from a passive side to an active side of a saddle fuel tank is degraded, to reach a desired destination by the taking of mitigating action. The mitigating action includes conducting a driving maneuver in response to an indication that the jet pump is degraded, the driving maneuver conducted in order to transfer a desired amount of fuel from the passive side to the active side. In this way, a vehicle may reach a desired destination even under circumstances where the vehicle may otherwise be unable to reach the desired destination.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2018Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventor: Aed M. Dudar
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Patent number: 10908605Abstract: In a driving assist system, a driving assist device as a control device acquires driving control information to be used for performing a driving control process in which an own vehicle follows a preceding vehicle running on the same lane of the own vehicle in front of the own vehicle. The driving assist device performs the driving control process of the own vehicle based on the acquired driving control information. The driving assist device detects an interruption of a preceding-vehicle following of the own vehicle. In the preceding-vehicle following, the own vehicle follows the preceding vehicle running on the same lane. The driving assist device decelerates a vehicle speed of the own vehicle by using a predetermined braking force when detecting the interruption of the preceding-vehicle following of the own vehicle during the preceding-vehicle following.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroaki Niino, Masayoshi Ooishi, Hiroshi Ishikawa
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Patent number: 10906524Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicular power transmitting system includes a power transmission switching portion configured to selectively establish a first drive mode by placing one of the first and second coupling elements in an engaged state, a second drive mode by placing the other of the first and second coupling elements in an engaged state, or a third drive mode by placing both of the first and second coupling elements in the engaged states. The power transmission switching portion switches the vehicular power transmitting system between the first and second drive modes through the third drive mode, where a predetermined condition is not satisfied, and switches the vehicular power transmitting system between the first and second drive modes with concurrent engaging and releasing actions of the first and second coupling elements, where the predetermined condition is satisfied.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Masafumi Yamamoto, Atsushi Tabata, Tatsuya Imamura, Koichi Okuda, Kota Fujii
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Patent number: 10899261Abstract: The technology described in this document can be embodied in a headrest of a seat, the headrest including an enclosure for housing one or more acoustic transducers, and an adjustable headrest wing disposed in front of the enclosure. The headrest wing is coupled to the enclosure by a pivot, and configured to be adjusted to one of multiple positions within an angle range around the pivot. The headrest wing is also configured to support the head of a seat-occupant. The headrest further includes a connector disposed between the enclosure and a rear portion of the headrest wing. The connector is configured to provide an acoustic channel between the enclosure and the headrest wing such that audio signals from the one or more acoustic transducers are radiated outward through the headrest wing.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: Bose CorporationInventors: Bradford Kyle Subat, Charles Oswald, Joseph Walter McCabe
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Patent number: 10889274Abstract: A method for electronically controlling a vehicle deceleration of a brake slip-controlled vehicle comprising a pneumatic braking system includes detecting that at least one wheel of the vehicle has a brake slip that exceeds a setpoint brake slip; in response to detecting that at least one of the wheels of the vehicle has a brake slip that exceeds the setpoint brake slip, brake slip-controlling the at least one wheel in order to prevent a lockup of the at least one wheel; determining a braking effect caused by wheel brakes on the wheels of the vehicle; and adjusting brake pressures output at the wheel brakes of one or more non-brake slip-controlled wheels in order to adjust the induced braking effect. The brake pressures at the wheel brakes of all non-brake slip-controlled wheels are adjusted.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2016Date of Patent: January 12, 2021Assignee: WABCO GMBHInventors: Horst Eckert, Florian Schwagmeyer
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Patent number: 10884427Abstract: A travel route generating device for a work vehicle includes a cell memory to store cell information with respect to cells obtained by dividing a topographical map of a work field in which the work vehicle works. A travel probability memory is to store a travel probability with respect to each of the cells. The travel probability includes a left-turn travel probability, a straight travel probability, and a right-turn travel probability in each of the cells. Circuitry is configured to determine a travel direction in each of the cells based on the travel probability of each of the cells. The work vehicle is configured to travel through each of the cells in the travel direction. The circuitry is configured to change the travel probability with respect to affected cells affected by moving the work vehicle through each of the cells.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2017Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuo Sakaguchi, Megumi Suzukawa, Sakura Tomita, Yuji Okuyama
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Patent number: 10875669Abstract: A control system for controlling an operation of a spacecraft. A model predictive controller (MPC) produces a solution for controlling thrusters of the spacecraft. The MPC optimizes a cost function over a finite receding horizon using a model of dynamics of the spacecraft effecting a pose of the spacecraft and a model of dynamics of momentum exchange devices of the spacecraft effecting an orientation of the spacecraft. The optimization is subject to hard and soft constraints on angles of thrusts generated by thrusters. Further, the hard constraints require the angles of thrusts in the solution to fall within a predetermined range defined by the hard constraints. The soft constraints penalize the solution for deviation of the angles of thrusts from nominal angles corresponding to a torque-free thrust passing through the center of the mass of the spacecraft. A thruster controller operates the thrusters according to the solution of the MPC.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2017Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Avishai Weiss, David Zlotnik, Stefano Di Cairano
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Patent number: 10872476Abstract: Systems and methods for broadcasting strategy modes of autonomous vehicles are described. An autonomous vehicle may include one or more notification devices that broadcast a selected strategy mode for the autonomous vehicle. The selected strategy mode may include an uncoupled strategy mode, a permissive strategy mode, an assistive strategy mode, and a preventative strategy mode. The notification devices may include visual, audio, or signal notification devices. In addition, the autonomous vehicle may broadcast other information associated with the vehicle, such as a position, a velocity, a priority, or an identity of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2017Date of Patent: December 22, 2020Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Jon Stuart Battles, James Christopher Curlander, Larry Felser, Gur Kimchi, Pragyana K. Mishra
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Patent number: 10858810Abstract: A shovel management apparatus includes a temporary storing part and an abnormality information storing part. The temporary storing part temporarily stores detection information containing an operation input amount detected by an input amount detecting part of a shovel and physical amounts detected by a plurality of sensors in the shovel. The abnormality information storing part stores abnormality information. A controller performs an abnormality determination based on the detection information. The controller transfers, when an occurrence of an abnormality is determined at a first time, the detection information as the abnormality information, which is stored in a time period from a second time earlier than the first time to at least the first time, from the temporary storing part to the abnormality information storing part.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2017Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: SUMITOMO(S.H.I.) CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.Inventor: Hiroyuki Tsukamoto
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Patent number: 10850949Abstract: The present invention relates to a remote control device for a crane, for a construction machine and/or for a pallet truck comprising a control station that has at least one input means for inputting control commands and that has a signal transmission device for transmitting the input control commands to the control apparatus of the crane, of the construction machine, or of the pallet truck; and a display apparatus for displaying a representation of the machine surroundings and/or of a piece of working equipment such as a boom or a lifting hook, wherein a movement determination unit is provided for determining movements and/or deformations of the machine components in dependence on the input control commands.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2018Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Liebherr-Components Biberach GmbHInventors: Michael Palberg, Jürgen Resch, Oliver Fenker
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Patent number: 10836388Abstract: In a vehicle control apparatus, a gradient calculator calculates a gradient difference between a reference gradient of a reference road section of an own vehicle and a target gradient of an objective road section of an image-detected object. A corrector corrects, based on the calculated gradient difference, second location information about the image-detected object measured by an imaging device to thereby correct a second distance of the image-detected object relative to the own vehicle. A determiner determines whether a radar-based object is identical with the image-detected object in accordance with first location information about the image-detected object measured by a radar device and the corrected second location information about the image-detected object.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2018Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Ryo Takaki
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Patent number: 10832578Abstract: A system for collision prevention of a host vehicle includes a camera sensor and/or a radar sensor mounted to the host vehicle and having a field of view outside of the host vehicle. A controller communicatively connected to the camera or radar sensor is configured to determine a first lateral distance between a preceding vehicle running in a same direction as the host vehicle and one of a roadway center line or an oncoming vehicle located in the opposite lane with respect to the host vehicle. The controller compares the first lateral distance to a second lateral distance to determine a danger of collision, and controls a danger warning device to generating a warning signal according to a result of the comparison. A method for collision prevention is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2018Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: MANDO CORPORATIONInventor: Hyun Woo Baek
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Patent number: 10829173Abstract: A bicycle seatpost system comprises an electric actuator, a remote controller, and a seatpost controller. The electric actuator is to change a state of a bicycle seatpost assembly between a lock state where a total length of the bicycle seatpost assembly is invariable, and an adjustable state where the total length of the bicycle seatpost assembly is variable. The remote controller is configured to transmit a first control signal and a second control signal different from the first control signal. The seatpost controller is configured to control the electric actuator to change the state of the bicycle seatpost assembly to the adjustable state based on one of the first control signal and the second control signal.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: November 10, 2020Assignee: SHIMANO INC.Inventors: Nobukatsu Hara, Hiroshi Matsuda
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Patent number: 10820494Abstract: A method is provided for generating a three-dimensional geographical map of a lawn using a mower equipped with sensors for monitoring geographic location, pitch and roll, comprising the steps of: periodically acquiring position, pitch and roll data as the lawn is mowed; transmitting the geographic location, pitch and roll data to a computer processor; and processing the geographic location, pitch and roll data to generate the map. The method is useful for enhancing mowing efficiency and managing the activities of a fleet of mower units.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2018Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited PartnershipInventors: Alyn G. Brown, David H. Dunten
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Patent number: 10818102Abstract: This disclosure relates to a system configured to generate and provide timely vehicle event information for a fleet of vehicles including at least a first vehicle. Individual vehicles detect vehicle events and transmit related information to a remote computing server. The remote computing server determines whether the detected vehicles events are relevant to add to a set of vehicle events scenarios. For example, if a particular vehicle event is duplicative of a previous vehicle event, if may not need to be added. The newest vehicles events may be reported at certain intervals, in particular if they are indicative of a trend.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2018Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: SmartDrive Systems, Inc.Inventors: Mark Freitas, Jason Palmer, Reza Ghanbari, Nicholas Shayne Brookins, Slaven Sljivar, Barry James Parshall, Daniel Andrew Deninger
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Patent number: 10815000Abstract: The disclosed non-limiting embodiment provides important improvements in aircraft performance in short rejected takeoff systems by automatically detecting whether the speed of the aircraft does not exceed Vshort, where Vshort>V1; automatically detecting whether one of said plural engines has failed during takeoff while the aircraft is still in contact with the ground; and if the aircraft speed does not exceed vshort and an engine has failed, automatically performing an autonomous abort takeoff sequence to allow an improved takeoff weight in case of a single engine failure autonomously rejected takeoff. The aircraft's take off weight increase leads to increased payload or fuel quantity. The Payload increase allows for increased passenger and/or cargo capability. The fuel quantity increased allows the aircraft to achieve greater ranges. An aircraft provided with the proposed system, which reduces accelerate-stop distance, may then operate in shorter runways as compared to the prior art.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2016Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Embraer S.A.Inventors: Jose Roberto Ferreira Clark Reis, Patrice London Guedes, Jonatan Teruo Yamazaki, Nelson Barbosa
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Patent number: 10814817Abstract: A computing device in a vehicle can be programmed to receive an occupant position measurement from at least one of an acoustic and a light sensor, determine an estimated occupant size based on occupant weight, estimate a vehicle seat position based on the occupant position measurement, and, control a vehicle occupant safety device based on the estimated occupant size and estimated vehicle seat position.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2017Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLCInventors: Jialiang Le, Robert William McCoy, Saeed David Barbat