Patents Examined by Edward Pipala
  • Patent number: 8560152
    Abstract: To provide an inverted type moving body capable of continuing the inversion control with stability even when abnormality occurs in the inversion control while the moving body is moving, and a method of controlling the inverted type moving body. In an inverted type moving body including a rotational body having a circular cross section, a driving portion that rotationally drives the rotational body, a main body that supports the rotational body, and a control portion that maintains the inverted state of the main body by controlling the driving portion such that the rotational driving of the rotational body touching a floor surface is controlled, the control portion multiplies a signal obtained based on the inclined state of the main body by a predefined gain to calculate the driving amount of the rotational body for maintaining the inverted state, and reduces the gain when the inverted state of the main body is determined to be abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kajima, Yoshiyuki Semba
  • Patent number: 8560226
    Abstract: Provided is a technology of a navigation device which is capable of identifying an intersection or the like based on designation of an incomplete name of a street in which an input of a first keyword and an input of a second keyword are received, and a connection point of a first street having a street name which includes at least in part the first keyword and a second street having a street name which includes at least in part the second keyword is identified, to thereby save the user, who is not always familiar with the geography of a search target area, from the inconvenience of inputting a complete name of the first street, based on which the second street is retrieved and selected and an intersection point of the first street and the second street is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Clarion Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Norio Watarai, Chiharu Hirai
  • Patent number: 8560196
    Abstract: A mounting device for mounting a driven and/or a drivable wheel of a vehicle. The mounting device makes it possible to measure a drive torque or a drag torque that acts between a wheel and a driveshaft. The torque is transmitted from the driveshaft to the wheel by radial teeth on a bearing inner ring where there is a pressure-sensitive measuring element to measure axial forces as a characteristic of the particular effective torque. In addition, a device to control the distribution of the drive and drag torques acting on the driveable wheels of a vehicle is disclosed. To measure the drive and drag torque distribution, there is a sensor unit on each drivable wheel to measure the torque acting on each wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jens Heim, Roland Langer, Peter Niebling, Christian Mock
  • Patent number: 8560205
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a gas turbine control device which is capable of performing correction on the basis of a fuel composition of fuel gas to be supplied to a gas turbine, and is capable of changing an amount of correction in response to variation with time of the gas turbine. To attain this, a frequency analyzing unit 25 performs a frequency analysis of combustion oscillation of a combustor and splits a result of the analysis into respective frequency bands. Then, a state grasping unit 22 checks an operating state of the gas turbine on the basis of the result of the analysis of the combustion oscillation and process value of the gas turbine, and corrects the checked operating state on the basis of a fuel composition or a heat capacity of fuel gas measured by a fuel characteristic measuring unit 200. A countermeasure determining unit 23 conducts a countermeasure for controlling an operating action of the gas turbine on the basis of the operating state thus checked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masumi Nomura, Kozo Toyama, Hiroyuki Iba
  • Patent number: 8554409
    Abstract: In a method for influencing the transverse dynamics of a vehicle, a transverse dynamics disturbance variable acting on the vehicle is detected by a disturbance variable determination device and a counter-yaw moment counteracting the transverse dynamics disturbance variable is produced. For this purpose, the dynamic transverse dynamics disturbance variable is detected by the disturbance variable determination device, and a first counter-yaw moment is produced to compensate at least partially for the dynamic transverse dynamics disturbance variable with the help of a first vehicle system. The first counter-yaw moment is reduced following the at least partial compensation, and with the help of the disturbance variable determination device, a check is made whether a stationary transverse dynamics disturbance variable exists. If so, a second counter-yaw moment is produced with the help of a second vehicle system to at least partially compensate for the stationary transverse dynamics disturbance variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Jens Kalkkuhl, Daniel Keppler, Magnus Rau, Avshalom Suissa
  • Patent number: 8554417
    Abstract: A narrow band feedback control system is provided to mitigate a disturbance within a predetermined bandwidth that is received by an electric power steering (EPS) system within a vehicle. A torque sensor calculates a torque value associated with the disturbance applied to the EPS system, the torque sensor outputs a torque signal related to the torque value. A filter receives the torque signal, filters the torque signal to the bandwidth associated with the external disturbance, and outputs a filtered torque signal. An amplifier receives the filtered torque signal, adjusts the gain of the filtered torque signal, and outputs a filtered, amplified torque signal. A logic module receives the filtered, amplified torque signal, generates a counter torque signal that is an inverse of the filtered, amplified torque signal and outputs the counter torque signal to the EPS system to mitigate the torque received from the external source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jinghong Yu
  • Patent number: 8548726
    Abstract: A marker system and method are provided that can determine a shape and an axial location of a rotationally symmetrical hole in an instrument having a plurality of instrument markers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Brainlab AG
    Inventors: Aleksander Bogojevic, Christian Maier, Georg Christian, Jörg Uhde
  • Patent number: 8548664
    Abstract: In an autonomic traveling apparatus for a vehicle, vehicles usually travel an independent travel lane and when there are two approaching vehicles on the independent travel lane, they switch to pass-by lanes to pass by each other. To do this switching operation effectively, respective vehicles check and obtain road conditions around them while they are traveling and the obtained road conditions are transmitted to and collected by a travel administration center so that the road conditions at various points along the lanes can be obtained from the travel administration center. Accordingly, when the autonomic traveling trucks approaching each other and supposed to pass by each other, switch to the associated pass-by lanes, they change travel lanes avoiding the point of bad road condition on the basis of the road conditions sent from the travel administration center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Uchida, Yukihiro Kawamata, Katsuaki Tanaka, Mikio Bando
  • Patent number: 8548686
    Abstract: An automatic crash notification system may include a crash detection system configured to detect a crash of a vehicle, a wireless communication system configured to wirelessly transmit a message to and wirelessly receive a message from a remote location in conformance with the IEEE 802.16 standard, and a processing system configured to transmit notice of a crash over the wireless communication system to the remote location in conformance with the IEEE 802.16 standard in response to detection of the crash by the crash detection system. The wireless communication may be configured to wirelessly transmit a message to and wireless receive a message from the remote location using WiMAX. The automatic crash notification system may include a memory system containing a first prerecorded message that includes one or more words that mean that the remote location has received notice of a crash and a user communication system configured to deliver words to an occupant of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: James T. Pisz
  • Patent number: 8543276
    Abstract: An unmanned autonomous vehicle for substantially lateral displacement of feed lying on a ground, comprising two wheels separately drivable by separate drive units, a torque difference adjusting device for adjusting the torque difference between the wheels, a control unit for controlling the vehicle and moving it in a direction of travel by controlling at least one of the separate drive units, a feed displacing device for substantially lateral displacement of the feed, and an adjusting device which is arranged to adjust the height and/or the position of a lowest point of the feed displacing device. The adjusting device comprises a vehicle tilting device which is arranged in such a manner that the lowest point will be located at least substantially off the center line of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Lely Patent N.V.
    Inventor: Karel Van Den Berg
  • Patent number: 8543290
    Abstract: An information processing unit displays a pop-up window in a display area of a display unit when the own vehicle is in an area of a set distance or less away from an extracted intersection, when the own vehicle stops, when a brake switch is ON, and when a display request for an image of traffic conditions of vehicles at the intersection by the driver is recognized. If an accelerator operation is performed in a predetermined way after the pop-up window is displayed, the display of the pop-up window is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuyoshi Takazawa, Norimasa Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8538633
    Abstract: The power steering apparatus according to the invention is a power steering apparatus with a power steering function to drive an oil pump by a motor to generate hydraulic pressure, and to assist in driver's steering through the hydraulic pressure. The power steering apparatus includes a power source voltage detecting unit which detects the voltage of a power source of the power steering apparatus; a motor rotating speed detecting unit which detects the rotating speed of the motor; and a control stopping unit which stops the power steering function when the voltage of the power source detected by the power source voltage detecting unit exceeds a predetermined power source voltage value, and the rotating speed of the motor detected by the motor rotating speed detecting unit is equal to or less than a predetermined motor rotating speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nishimura, Motohiro Norikawa, Akira Ejiri
  • Patent number: 8538606
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems, methods, and apparatus for sensing flight direction of a spacecraft. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for determining flight direction of a spacecraft. The method includes providing at least one imaging detector associated with a spacecraft; imaging at least a portion of a celestial body onto the at least one imaging detector; acquiring, by the at least one imaging detector, sequential images of at least a portion of the celestial body; and determining the spacecraft flight direction relative to the celestial body based at least in part on processing the sequential images, wherein the processing is performed by one or more computer processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: The Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: Siegfried W. Janson, Jerome K. Fuller
  • Patent number: 8538652
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for adjusting the driveability of at least one wheel of a vehicle, in particular an automobile, that comprises a wheel driving engine (50), engine control means (40), means (62) for supplying information on an acceleration level desired by the vehicle driver, means (22) for providing information on the vehicle acceleration level, and an electronic control unit including computing means (70) for receiving the different information. The computing means (70) are adapted in order to obtain a vehicle acceleration level that corresponds to the acceleration level desired by the driver. The device further includes means for providing information on the vehicle inclination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignees: Peugeot Citroen Automobiles SA, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Emmanuel Charpin, Philippe Blaise, Damien Joucgnoux
  • Patent number: 8538651
    Abstract: A driving force control apparatus includes a driver model which is a functional block adjusting characteristics relevant to human senses and a powertrain manger which is a functional block adjusting vehicle's hardware characteristics. The driver model includes a target base driving force calculation unit (static characteristics) calculating a target driving force from an accelerator pedal position using a base driving force map or the like, and a target transient characteristics addition unit calculating a final target driving force from the target driving force using transient characteristics represented by a transfer function. The powertrain manager includes a target engine torque and AT gear calculation unit and a characteristics compensator compensating for response of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norimi Asahara, Katsumi Kono
  • Patent number: 8538627
    Abstract: According to a vehicular communication system (10) of the present invention, a probe information can be sent to a server (20) from a second vehicle (Q2) out of an arbitrary number of second vehicles (Q2) whose present position is located in a designated area whose information is included in a multicast received by the second vehicle (Q2), in other words, a designated area with high necessity from the viewpoint of leading smoothly a first vehicle (Q1) to a desired position (P2). Also, the probe information can be collected in real time from the second vehicle (Q2) which was present in the designated area in the past and is beyond the designated area at the present time in consideration of the high capability that it holds useful information in estimating the present state thereof in the designated area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki Asahara, Ryoji Igarashi, Hidehiko Anzai
  • Patent number: 8538646
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicular automatic transmission is provided which can preferably execute backpressure control of accumulators and torque-up control so as to minimize the occurrence of interference between learning on these controls during a gearshift operation. With the control device for the vehicular automatic transmission including the accumulators (104, 106 and 108) operative to control a hydraulic pressure supplied to second and third clutches (C2 and C3) and a third brake (B3), the backpressure control is executed for controlling a backpressure of the accumulators (104, 106 and 108) during the gearshift operation while the torque-up control is executed for raising torque output from an engine (12). Completion of learning on the backpressure control is determined when no completion of learning on the backpressure control is determined, learning on the backpressure control is executed with no execution of the torque-up control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuro Shibata, Hideaki Otsubo, Toshiya Oishi, Kiyoshi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8532887
    Abstract: A switching apparatus is provided in a hydraulic control apparatus having a fluid transmission apparatus; a lockup clutch; a switching valve that controls engagement of the lockup clutch; and a control oil pressure generation apparatus that pressurizes oil and outputs a control oil pressure to control activation of the switching valve. The switching apparatus executes a control to warm the oil input into the control oil pressure generation apparatus if the temperature of the oil is below a predetermined temperature and prohibits execution of the control to warm the oil input into the control oil pressure generation apparatus if the temperature of the oil equals or exceeds the predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuji Moriyama, Akira Murakami, Keisuke Ichige, Hiroyuki Nishizawa, Masanori Iritani, Hideyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8527120
    Abstract: A method for controlling a powertrain includes operating an engine substantially at wide open throttle, monitoring an output torque request, controlling the engine input torque by controlling a valve overlap setting for a cylinder of the engine based upon the output torque request wherein controlling the valve overlap setting for the cylinder modulates a residual burnt gas fraction within the cylinder utilizing at least one of an extended low slope portion of an exhaust valve closing curve and an extended low slope portion of an intake valve opening curve, and controlling an electric machine input torque based upon the output torque request and a time-lag difference between the output torque request and the controlled engine input torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Gregory P. Matthews, Daniel G. Brennan
  • Patent number: 8521358
    Abstract: A method for releasing an electric parking brake of a motor vehicle comprises detecting a release command and releasing the parking brake if a detected change in at least one signal precedes by maximally a predefined time interval, the change indicating capacity of a driver to act.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Lucas Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Kinder, Matthias Jumpertz, Andreas Mueller