Patents Examined by Donald J. Wallace
  • Patent number: 11783718
    Abstract: An enhanced flight vision system for an aircraft includes an image acquisition system configured to acquire images of the surroundings outside the aircraft and a display system configured to receive images produced by the image acquisition system and to display these images on a display in the cockpit of the aircraft. The display system is configured to acquire information about the flight path angle of the aircraft when approaching a runway, to calculate a difference between the flight path angle of the aircraft and a nominal angle and to deactivate the display of the images received from the image acquisition system on the display when the absolute value of the difference is greater than a first angular value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Aymeric Perrin, Jerome Gouillou
  • Patent number: 11780563
    Abstract: Systems and methods of improving the operation of an aircraft during flight are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises deploying spoilers as the speed of the aircraft approaches the maximum operating Mach number of the aircraft, and keeping the spoilers deployed when the speed of the aircraft is substantially at the maximum operating Mach number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER INC.
    Inventor: Nicola Iarocci
  • Patent number: 11760505
    Abstract: An aircraft tow vehicle and methods of towing an aircraft are disclosed. An aircraft tow vehicle comprises an aircraft structural interface configured to couple to a wheel assembly of a main landing gear of an aircraft; and an aircraft towing propulsive force system configured to propel the aircraft forward when the aircraft structural interface is coupled to the wheel assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Bruce Van Deventer, Nima Forghani
  • Patent number: 11760509
    Abstract: In accordance with various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a system and method is configured for scheduling and invoking power sharing among satellites within a constellation of satellites such that energy storage systems at a target satellite may by charged prior to the use of electric propulsion thrust activation or other high electricity demand operations (or such operations contemporaneously augmented) by power beams transmitted from other (source) satellites within the constellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Government of the United States as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Paul E. Hausgen, David M. Wilt
  • Patent number: 11755034
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for solar power generation is provided. The embodiment may include identifying relative positions of co-located electric autonomous vehicles (EAVs) within a group. The embodiment may include identifying solar power generation metrics for each EAV. The embodiment may include determining whether at least two EAVs have a same side unexposed to direct sunlight. In response to determining at least two EAVs have a same side unexposed to direct sunlight, the embodiment may include identifying a direction and an angle of solar light impacting the group. Based on the relative positions and the direction and angle of solar light, the embodiment may include instructing a collaborative movement among the group such that solar light is reflected from an exterior surface of at least one EAV to an exterior surface of at least one other EAV which was unexposed to sunlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Akash U. Dhoot, Shilpa Bhagwatprasad Mittal, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Shailendra Moyal
  • Patent number: 11755038
    Abstract: A system for scaling lag based on flight phase of an electric aircraft is presented. The system include a sensor connected to an electric aircraft configured to detect measured aircraft data, identify a flight phase of the electric aircraft, and generate a flight datum. The system further comprises a computing device communicatively connected to the sensor, wherein the computing device is configured to receive the flight datum and the flight phase, identify an input latency as a function of the flight datum, select a lag frame as a function of the input latency, wherein the lag frame further comprises a lag threshold, and transmit the flight datum to a user device as a function of the lag frame. The system further includes a remotely located user device configured to receive the flight datum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Hoekje List, Vincent Moeykens
  • Patent number: 11754403
    Abstract: A self-position correction method and/or a self-position correction device use a coordinate of the axis parallel to a front-rear direction of a vehicle as a longitudinal coordinate, calculate a corrected vehicle speed by adding a vehicle speed to a correction amount set based on a longitudinal correction amount obtained by subtracting a value of the longitudinal coordinate of a position of a target object detected by a detection unit from a value of the longitudinal coordinate of a position of a target object registered on a map data, and correct a position of the vehicle on the map data by estimating a position of the vehicle based on sequential integration of a calculated movement amount of the vehicle based on the corrected vehicle speed and a yaw rate of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takahiro Nojiri
  • Patent number: 11756346
    Abstract: An analytics reporting system to perform operations that include: aggregating sensor data collected from a plurality of sensor devices within a database, the sensor data comprising a set of values that correspond with a metric; generating a threshold value based on the set of values that correspond with the metric; accessing a portion of the sensor data based on an identifier associated with the portion of the sensor data; determining the portion of the sensor data transgresses the threshold value; and generating a report that comprises a display of the portion of the sensor data based on the determining that the portion of the sensor data transgresses the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Samsara Inc.
    Inventors: Alvin Wu, Muhammad Ali Akhtar, Nishant Raman, Jevon Yeoh, Saranyu Phusit, Joanne Wang, Benjamin Chang, Katherine Lee, Jennifer Julia Zhang
  • Patent number: 11755027
    Abstract: A method for detecting an alignment of a robot with a virtual line, including: transmitting a first signal with at least one first transmitter; receiving the first signal with a first receiver and a second receiver, wherein the first receiver and the second receiver are housed within a first passage and a second passage, respectively; detecting, with a controller coupled to the first receiver and the second receiver, the robot is aligned with the virtual line when the first receiver and the second receiver simultaneously receive the first signal, the virtual line being in line with and located at a midpoint between the first passage and the second passage; and actuating the robot to execute a particular movement type when the robot is aligned with the virtual line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi
  • Patent number: 11745740
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for controlling a vehicle based on a map that designed using a factor graph. Because the map is designed using a factor graph, positions of the road can be modified in real-time while operating the vehicle. In one example, the method may include storing a map which is associated with a factor graph of variable nodes representing a plurality of constraints that define positions of lane lines in a road and factor nodes between the variable nodes on the factor graph which define positioning constraints amongst the variable nodes, receiving an indication from the road using a sensor of a vehicle, updating positions of the variable nodes based on the indication and an estimated location of the vehicle within the map, and issue commands capable of controlling a steering operation of the vehicle based on the updated positions of the factor nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Embark Trucks Inc.
    Inventor: Grady Williams
  • Patent number: 11745763
    Abstract: A travel assistance method and a travel assistance device for a vehicle is capable of avoiding any risk that may arise. The method includes obtaining a risk potential of an object detected by the vehicle, associating the risk potential of the object with an encounter location at which the object is encountered, accumulating the risk potential at the encounter location, and using the accumulated risk potential to obtain a primary estimated risk potential of the object predicted to be encountered at the encounter location. The primary estimated risk potential is lower than the risk potential obtained when detecting the object. The method further includes obtaining a secondary estimated risk potential using a predicted travel movement of another vehicle that avoids a risk due to the primary estimated risk potential, and when traveling at the encounter location again, autonomously controlling travel of the vehicle using the secondary estimated risk potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuka Yoshimatsu, Takefumi Goto
  • Patent number: 11745902
    Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus related to a self-preservation/self-protection system (SPS). The SPS system includes a local area situation awareness sensor suite (LASASS), multiple central pattern generator (mCPG) decision circuitries and related actuators. The SPS system utilizes the LASASS, mCPG circuitries and actuators to perform the desired processing and effectuate changes in the position of an object to be detected or avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Government of the United States as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Jason Guarnieri, John Thurman, Jeremy Wojcik
  • Patent number: 11738745
    Abstract: A vehicle comprises an autonomous driving system and a vehicle platform that controls the vehicle in response to a command received from the autonomous driving system. In the present vehicle, when the autonomous driving system issues a first command to request the vehicle platform to provide deceleration to stop the vehicle and a first signal indicates 0 km/h or a prescribed velocity or less, the autonomous driving system issues a second command to request the vehicle platform to maintain stationary. And after brake hold control is finished, a second signal indicates standstill. Until the second signal indicates standstill, the first command continues to request the vehicle platform to provide deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ikuma Suzuki, Yuta Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11740627
    Abstract: Technologies and techniques for the at least the partially automated driving of a motor vehicle. A first application and at least one redundant second application provide output data depending on motor vehicle operating data and/or environmental data. Vehicle driving data for the at least partially automated driving of the motor vehicle are determined depending on the output data. Vehicle operating data from another vehicle are received, and, depending on the vehicle operating data, the at least one redundant second application switches from an active state to a standby state in which a computer instance of a computer unit used by the at least one redundant second application is at least executed at a lower frequency than in the active state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Yael Abelardo Martinez Flores, Hendrik Decke, Julian-Steffen Müller, Marcel Aguirre Mehlhorn, Tobias Kain
  • Patent number: 11738682
    Abstract: Among other things, techniques are described for expressive vehicle systems. These techniques may include obtaining, with at least one processor, data associated with an environment, the environment comprising a vehicle and at least one object; determining an expressive maneuver including a deceleration of the vehicle such that the vehicle stops at least a first distance away from the at least one object and the vehicle reaches a peak deceleration when the vehicle is a second distance away from the at least one object; generating data associated with control of the vehicle based on the deceleration associated with the expressive maneuver; and transmitting the data associated with the control of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to decelerate based on the deceleration associated with the expressive maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Paul Schmitt, Emilio Frazzoli, Cristhian Guillermo Lizarazo Jimenez, Luke Fletcher
  • Patent number: 11738768
    Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for notifying drivers to assume manual vehicle control of vehicles. For example, sensor data is acquired from on-board vehicles sensors (e.g., radar, sonar, and/or camera imagery of a crosswalk) of a vehicle that is in an autonomous driving mode. In an example, the sensor data is augmented with driving condition data aggregated from vehicle sensor data of other vehicles (e.g., a cloud service collects and aggregates vehicle sensor data from vehicles within the crosswalk to identify and provide the driving condition data to the vehicle). The sensor data (e.g., augmented sensor data) is evaluated to identify a driving condition of a road segment, such as the crosswalk (e.g., pedestrians protesting within the crosswalk). Responsive to the driving condition exceeding a complexity threshold for autonomous driving decision making functionality, a driver alert to assume manual vehicle control may be provided to a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: INRIX, INC.
    Inventor: Christopher L. Scofield
  • Patent number: 11733715
    Abstract: A fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicle configured with a composite adaptive nonlinear tracking controller that utilizes a real-time accurate estimation of the complex aerodynamic forces surrounding the wing(s) and rotors in order to achieve a high performance flight. The method employs online adaptation of force models, and generates accurate estimation for wing and rotor forces in real-time based on information from a three-dimensional airflow sensor. The novel three-dimensional airflow sensor illustrates improved velocity tracking and force prediction during the transition stage from hover to forward flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Xichen Shi, Patrick Spieler, Ellande Tang, Elena S. Lupu, Soon-Jo Chung
  • Patent number: 11731619
    Abstract: A collision avoidance assist apparatus calculates a lane marking recognition reliability level and execute an emergency steering control. The emergency steering control includes processes to determine a target steering torque to avoid a collision of a vehicle with an obstacle when determining that the vehicle has a high probability of colliding with the obstacle, a moving lane defined by the left and right lane markings is a straight lane, and the calculated lane marking recognition reliability level is equal to or higher than a first threshold reliability level, and apply a steering torque corresponding to the target steering torque to a steering mechanism. The collision avoidance assist apparatus stops executing the emergency steering control when the lane marking recognition reliability level becomes lower than a second threshold reliability level set to a value lower than the first threshold reliability level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, CONTINENTAL AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Takashi Moriya, Sho Hashimoto, Yusuke Fukui, Akshay Rajendra, Michael Patzelt
  • Patent number: 11726496
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an industrial facility is provided comprising a tag layout and at least one ingress/egress zone. The tag layout comprises at least one double row of tags. The ingress/egress zone is located outside of an area of the vehicle travel plane occupied by the aisle path and is bounded in its entirety by the double row of tags, by two or more double rows of tags, by a combination of one or more double rows of tags and one more selected facility boundaries, or by combinations thereof. The double row of tags is arranged in an n×m matrix that is configured for successive detection of the inner and outer rows of tags that is dependent on the point-of-origin of a sensor transit path across the double row of tags. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel D. Walton, Nicholas J. Sherman
  • Patent number: 11724694
    Abstract: A traveling assistance apparatus controls a safety apparatus for avoiding collision between an own vehicle and an object, based on detection information from an object detection apparatus. The assistance apparatus calculates a predicted time to collision of a target object and the own vehicle, and operates the safety apparatus in response to the predicted time to collision being equal to or less than a predetermined operation timing. In response to a steering operation by a driver for collision avoidance of the own vehicle being performed, the assistance apparatus performs operation-stop in which operation of the safety apparatus is stopped or operation-delay in which the operation timing is delayed. The assistance apparatus suppresses the operation-stop or the operation-delay in response to a target object serving as a collision avoidance target being recognized in a path of the own vehicle after the steering operation by the driver, based on the detection information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Takahashi, Yosuke Ito, Kei Kamiya, Ryo Takaki, Shogo Matsunaga, Takaharu Oguri, Takahiro Baba