Patents Examined by Edward Torchinsky
  • Patent number: 9417631
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for using prior maps for estimation of lane boundaries or other features within an environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Ian Ferguson, David Harrison Silver
  • Patent number: 9409453
    Abstract: A tire state judging device includes wheel speed sensors configured to detect rotational speeds of tires, and a control unit configured to perform frequency-analysis of detection results of the wheel speed sensors to detect a frequency of a valley part of an output, and calculate an air pressure of the tire from the detected frequency of the valley part. According to this, the tire state judging device has an effect that this can detect a state of the tire irrespective of a state of a road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHISKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daigo Fujii
  • Patent number: 9399406
    Abstract: A method for dynamic control of an electric vehicle operable based on a throttle value received from a throttle and a default throttle map correlating default output values with throttle values, the method including: determining a user parameter; detecting a condition indicative of perturbation; in response to detecting the condition indicative of perturbation, determining a replacement output value for a first throttle value based on the user parameter; and controlling vehicle operation to meet the replacement output value in response to receipt of the first throttle value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Boosted, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Dastoor, John Ulmen, Salomon Trujillo, Matthew Tran
  • Patent number: 9383872
    Abstract: A vehicle seat assembly has a vehicle seat with a seat base and a seat back. The vehicle seat has at least one actuator configured to move one of the seat back and seat base along a path between a first position and a second position. A sensor has a generally planar surface defining a sensing area. A controller is in communication with the actuator and the sensor. The controller is configured to, in response to receiving a sliding input on the sensing area, control the at least one actuator to move the one of the seat back and seat base along the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Arjun V. Yetukuri, David A. Hein
  • Patent number: 9367967
    Abstract: Systems and methods for odometer monitoring are disclosed herein. One example method includes storing an odometer value and a vehicle position in response to an initial triggering event, and determining a second odometer value and a second vehicle position in response to a subsequent triggering event. The odometer value is compared with the second odometer value to detect any odometer value change from the initial triggering event to the subsequent triggering event. The vehicle position is compared with the second vehicle position to detect any vehicle position change from the initial triggering event to the subsequent triggering event. From the comparisons, it is determined whether odometer tampering has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, General Motors LLC
    Inventors: William A. Biondo, George Baker
  • Patent number: 9358969
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine and an electric machine, both capable of propelling the vehicle. The electric machine is electrically connected to a high voltage traction battery. The state of charge of the battery can decrease if the battery is used to power the electric machine, and can increase if the electric machine supplies power to the battery via regenerative braking. Constraints are placed on the vehicle such that the battery operates within a preferred operating window, defined between minimum and maximum state of charge thresholds. At least one controller is programmed to alter the preferred operating window of the battery in response to various vehicular activities, such as when the vehicle is towing another object, or when the vehicle weighs above a certain threshold due to contents within the vehicle, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Steven Yamazaki, Wei Liang, Xiaoyong Wang, Rajit Johri, Ryan Abraham McGee, Ming Lang Kuang
  • Patent number: 9327705
    Abstract: In a method and a device for steering a vehicle towards an object, an optimization of such steering leads to a close and accurate approach. In a method for controlling a vehicle having a drive unit and a braking device during a parking operation leading up to an object, the vehicle is brought to a parking speed up to a first distance of the vehicle from the object, the parking speed maximally corresponding to the drive speed that is achievable using the idling speed, the speed is maintained, and after the first distance has been reached, the braking device decelerates to standstill up to a second distance to the object, which corresponds to the stopping distance. Furthermore, a device is adapted for implementing the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Frank Schwitters, Philipp Hueger
  • Patent number: 9327589
    Abstract: A hybrid powertrain for propelling a vehicle includes an engine and an energy storage system operatively connected to the engine. Both the engine and the energy storage system are operable for providing power to propel the vehicle. A control system is operatively connected to the engine and the energy storage system and is configured to execute a stored algorithm that determines required energy reserve, remaining energy, and power capability of the energy storage system. The control system commands operation in one of a first operating mode, a second operating mode, and a third operating mode based on the required energy reserve, the remaining energy, and the power capability of the energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brendan M. Conlon, Steven A. Tarnowsky, Peter J. Savagian
  • Patent number: 9321481
    Abstract: A steering system providing an assist torque to a handwheel is provided, and includes a lateral position module and a torque command module. The lateral position module determines a lateral position command based on a curvature of a lane and a near field heading angle. The torque command module determines the torque assist based on the lateral position command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy W. Kauffman, Scott A. Millsap, Farhad Bolourchi
  • Patent number: 9322353
    Abstract: An engine control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided with a conversion angle detecting device, an angle determining device, an engine load calculating device and an engine control device. The conversion angle detecting device detects a rotational phase of a cam with respect to a crankshaft as a detected conversion angle of a variable valve operating mechanism of an engine. The angle determining device determines if the detected conversion angle is different from a starting conversion angle when the engine is started. The engine load calculating device calculates a requested load to be imposed on the engine based on the detected conversion angle if the detected conversion angle is different from to the starting conversion angle at a time the engine is started. The engine control device controls the engine in accordance with the requested engine load that was calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoto Ikeda, Ritsuo Satou
  • Patent number: 9310804
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for using prior maps for estimation of lane boundaries or other features within an environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Ian Ferguson, David Harrison Silver
  • Patent number: 9308832
    Abstract: A method for operating railbound vehicles includes transmitting driving information, between a first railbound vehicle and a second railbound vehicle, relating to the future driving operation of at least one of the two railbound vehicles, and coordinating the future driving operation of the two railbound vehicles on the basis of that driving information transmitted therebetween, in such a manner that braking energy fed back by the first railbound vehicle during a braking operation can be used at least partially by the second railbound vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Erhard, Jens-Harro Oechsner, York Schmidtke, Bernd Tieftrunk
  • Patent number: 9296373
    Abstract: A vehicle turn control system including: a running-condition-information acquisition unit which acquires running-condition information for a vehicle; a brake-manipulation-information acquisition unit which acquires information on manipulation for braking by a driver of the vehicle; and a brake control unit which performs brake control of the vehicle based on the information on manipulation for braking which is acquired by the brake-manipulation-information acquisition unit, and performs brake control for generation of a yaw moment in a body of the vehicle by use of a hydraulic system on the basis of the running-condition information which is acquired by the running-condition-information acquisition unit. The brake control unit imposes a limit on an amount of the brake control for generation of the yaw moment when the brake-manipulation-information acquisition unit acquires the information on manipulation for braking during execution of the brake control for generation of the yaw moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Futamura, Takeshi Kojima, Kazutaka Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9296415
    Abstract: When only one of sensor signals generated by the plural systems and output from a torque sensor is normal, a control variable restriction processing part performs an assist restricting process for setting an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a basic assist control variable in accordance with at least one of the lateral acceleration, the steering angle, the steering speed, or the yaw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenori Itamoto, Hirozumi Eki, Gempei Nakasone
  • Patent number: 9280154
    Abstract: In a vehicle system, an inter-vehicle distance between vehicles is controlled by periodically reporting vehicle statuses from a plurality of vehicles to a ground controller and also periodically sending travelling instructions to the plurality of vehicles from the ground controller. Each vehicle stops when detecting failed reception of an instruction from the ground controller and reporting a vehicle status including information that the vehicle has stopped to the ground controller, and the ground controller based on the report received from the stopped vehicle sends a travelling instruction to the stopped vehicle, and based on the report received from the stopped vehicle, also sends a travelling instruction to a vehicle that follows the stopped vehicle so as to avoid interference with the stopped vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventor: Atsuo Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 9266445
    Abstract: A method for dynamic control of an electric vehicle operable based on a throttle value received from a throttle and a default throttle map correlating default output values with throttle values, the method including: determining a user parameter; detecting a condition indicative of perturbation; in response to detecting the condition indicative of perturbation, determining a replacement output value for a first throttle value based on the user parameter; and controlling vehicle operation to meet the replacement output value in response to receipt of the first throttle value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Boosted Inc.
    Inventors: Sanjay Dastoor, John Ulmen, Salomon Trujillo, Matthew Tran
  • Patent number: 9267801
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for determining navigation instructions in a navigation environment. A location estimate may be determined for a mobile device within an indoor pedestrian navigation environment. A user input indicating one or more destinations within the indoor pedestrian navigation environment may be received. A lowest cost path from the location estimate to the one or more destinations may be determined based at least in part on an expected number of navigation instructions associated with the lowest cost path. Such a lowest cost path may be presented to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajarshi Gupta, Min-Wook Jeong
  • Patent number: 9257048
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a landing site for an aircraft is presented. The landing site is selected from a group of landing sites. A description is communicated to a platform about a state of the aircraft along a route of the aircraft over time to the landing site. The aircraft is flown to the landing site using the description of the state of the aircraft along the route of the aircraft over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Brad W. Offer, Paul Clark Parks, Alan Eugene Bruce, Charles B. Spinelli, Travis S. Reid
  • Patent number: 9248830
    Abstract: The control apparatus of the present invention is applied to a hybrid vehicle having an internal combustion engine that is capable, during operation, of changing over its operational mode to lean combustion or to stoichiometric combustion. The control apparatus preferentially selects an operational mode having high system efficiency in relation to the requested power, and selects the stoichiometric combustion mode (S104) when, under the specific condition that the system efficiency is higher in the lean combustion mode as compared to the EV mode and moreover is lower in the stoichiometric combustion mode as compared to the EV mode, also the temperature (Tnc) of an exhaust purification catalyst is less than or equal to a first predetermined value (T?) (S101, S102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihito Kanno, Gohki Kinoshita, Hiroki Morita
  • Patent number: 9248806
    Abstract: A vehicle has a security and anti-theft system that senses movement of the vehicle in a forward or backward direction when the vehicle is in a locked state, such as by detecting wheel rotation. Upon this detection, the security system signals the motor to counteract the wheel movement by rotating one or more wheels in the opposite direction of the direction of wheel rotation detected until the wheel rotation is no longer detected. The security and anti-theft system may determine whether the vehicle is in a locked state by detecting whether a key is present and/or by one or more communications received by an external wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
    Inventors: Yi-Tsung Wu, Hok-Sum Horace Luke, Huang-Cheng Hung, Matthew Whiting Taylor