Patents Examined by Elaine Gort
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Patent number: 11774967Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring operations of an autonomous vehicle. For instance, a monitoring device receives sub-system data from one or more sub-systems of the autonomous vehicle. The device receives contextual data of the vehicle that comprises one or more situational circumstances of the vehicle during operation. The device receives control data from a control system of the vehicle and analyzes the sub-system data, the contextual data, and the control data to determine a control result. The device provides an assessment to a management system of the overall control status of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2022Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.Inventors: Erin Elizabeth Alves, Lisa Fern
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Patent number: 11772643Abstract: A vehicle computing system may implement techniques to determine relevance of objects detected in an environment to a vehicle operating in the environment (e.g., whether an object could potentially impact the vehicle's ability to safely travel). The techniques may include determining an initial location and trajectory associated with a detected object and determining whether the detected object may intersect a path polygon (e.g., planned path with a safety buffer) of the vehicle. A path intersection may include the detected object intersecting the path polygon or sharing a road segment with the vehicle at a substantially similar height as the vehicle (e.g., on a similar plane). Based on a determination that the detected object does not intersect the planned path of the vehicle, the vehicle computing system may determine that the detected object is irrelevant to the vehicle and may disregard the detected object in vehicle control planning considerations.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: Zoox, Inc.Inventors: Jefferson Bradfield Packer, Lichao Ma
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Patent number: 11772679Abstract: A method is provided for steering control of a vehicle by using lateral velocity of two know points (or lateral velocity of one known point and yaw rate), longitudinal velocity and steer angle information. These factors are used to calculate a target steer angle based on the track angle based on yaw decomposition to thus adjust a current steer angle of the vehicle based on the target steer angle.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2020Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Jun Mo Lee
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Patent number: 11771075Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, the brake pedal of an agricultural vehicle can be used as an interface to control auto fold/unfold sequences on a sprayer. This can allow functionality to be moved from a button, such as on the armrest, to the brake pedal using a controller, sensing and software. In one aspect, a button on the armrest can start the sequence, as long as the brake pedal is depressed. After the button is pressed, the operator can remove his hand from the button, but maintain the brake pedal depressed. If the operator lifts his foot off of the pedal, or initiates a different boom control button press, the sequence can stop. This can advantageously allow the operator to have the use of his hands during the sequence.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: CNH INDUSTRIAL AMERICA LLCInventors: Steven Winkel, Nathan Brooks
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Patent number: 11771076Abstract: A flight control method for controlling an aircraft includes obtaining wind information of an operation region during a spread operation performed by the aircraft. The flight control method also includes controlling a flight location of the aircraft based on the wind information and an allowable deviation of the spread region in the spread operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2019Date of Patent: October 3, 2023Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventor: Jiemin Zhou
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Patent number: 11767013Abstract: A vehicle for predicting a risk of collision includes a controller configured to: calculate distances between the vehicle and left and right lines of a first lane, respectively, using a position of the vehicle and first lane width information of the first lane, calculate distances between the surrounding vehicle and left and right lines of a second lane, respectively, using a position of the surrounding vehicle and second lane width information of the second lane, calculate a second distance between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicle by reflecting the calculated distances between the vehicle and the left and right lines of the first lane or the calculated distances between the surrounding vehicle and the left and right lines of the second lane to a first distance, and predict a risk of collision between the vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on the second distance.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia CorporationInventor: Seunghwan Chung
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Patent number: 11763577Abstract: Determining head orientation and/or position of a vehicle occupant includes determining a first detection range for head orientations and/or positions of a first imagining sensor located in the vehicle interior based on various head orientations and/or positions in relation to the location of the first sensor, determining the second detection range of the second imaging sensor for head orientations and/or positions based on various head orientations and/or positions in relation to the position of the second sensor, and, based on the head orientation and/or position of the vehicle occupant, determining the head orientation and/or position with that sensor that has a detection range in which the head orientation and/or position can be better determined than in the detection range of another sensor.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AGInventor: Jörg Angermayer
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Patent number: 11754689Abstract: The present teaching relates to method, system, medium, and implementations for detecting a need for sensor adjustment. Information is received from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) attached to a sensor, including one or more measurements associated with the IMU, where the sensor is deployed on a vehicle for sensing surrounding information to facilitate autonomous driving. The one or more measurements are analyzed with respect to one or more corresponding known measurements of the IMU. The discrepancy between the one or more measurements and the one or more corresponding known measurements is used to determine whether an adjustment to the sensor is needed.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: PlusAI, Inc.Inventors: Jinpeng Li, Greg Seyfarth, Qiaoyu Zhang, Amit Kumar
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Patent number: 11753023Abstract: A control system controls a vehicle using a probabilistic motion planner and an adaptive predictive controller. The probabilistic motion planner produces a sequence of parametric probability distributions over a sequence of target states for the vehicle with parameters defining a first and higher order moments. The adaptive predictive controller optimizes a cost function over a prediction horizon to produce a sequence of control commands to one or multiple actuators of the vehicle. The cost function balances a cost of tracking of different state variables in the sequence of the target states defined by the first moments. The balancing is performed by weighting different state variables using one or multiple of the higher order moments of the probability distribution.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2020Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Rien Quirynen, Karl Berntorp, Stefano Di Cairano
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Patent number: 11756349Abstract: A computer-implemented method for implementing electronic control unit (ECU) testing optimization includes capturing, within a neural network model, input-output relationships of a plurality of ECUs operatively coupled to a controller area network (CAN) bus within a CAN bus framework, including generating the neural network model by pruning a fully-connected neural network model based on comparisons of maximum values of neuron weights to a threshold, reducing signal connections of a plurality of collected input signals and a plurality of collected output signals based on connection weight importance, ranking importance of the plurality of collected input signals based on the neural network model, generating, based on the ranking, a test case execution sequence for testing a system including the plurality of ECUs to identify flaws in the system, and initiating the test case execution sequence for testing the system.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2020Date of Patent: September 12, 2023Inventors: Jianwu Xu, Haifeng Chen
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Patent number: 11745871Abstract: Disclosed are an anti-drone method using a GPS spoofing signal and a system thereof. According to an embodiment of the inventive concept, an anti-drone method may include injecting a GPS spoofing signal to analyze a drone feature of a target drone and hijacking the target drone by injecting a GPS spoofing signal into the target drone based on a drone hijacking strategy corresponding to the analyzed drone feature among predefined drone hijacking strategies. The analyzing of the drone feature may include injecting the GPS spoofing signal to analyze a safety device mechanism (GPS fail-safe) and a path-following algorithm of the target drone.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2019Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and TechnologyInventors: Yongdae Kim, Juhwan Noh, Yujin Kwon, Hocheol Shin, Dohyun Kim
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Patent number: 11740637Abstract: A zone mobility system and method for an autonomous device includes a work area within which the autonomous device is intended to operate, one or more electrically separated boundary conductors, each boundary conductor surrounding a work zone within the work area, a transmitter base electrically connected to at least one of the boundary conductors, and a removably coupled transmitter configured to transmit a signal for directing movement of the autonomous device on the boundary conductor wire. The transmitted signal can be adjusted to optimize the power consumption of the transmitter, and a work operation can be commenced utilizing a transmitter interface, and/or utilizing an autonomous device user interface.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2019Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: MTD PRODUCTS INCInventors: Shai Abramson, Christopher J. Churavy, Ryan Cmich, Adam Ference, Joseph Edward Saunders
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Patent number: 11740352Abstract: An obstacle recognition device, a vehicle system including the same, and a method thereof are provided. The obstacle recognition device includes a storage storing data and an algorithm for calculating a risk probability and a processor configured to execute the algorithm to generate an occupancy grid map based on a sensing value of at least one ultrasonic sensor, calculate the risk probability of each cell on the occupancy grid map, and determine a shape and location of an obstacle based on the risk probability of each cell.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2020Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATIONInventor: Kyu Jin Park
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Patent number: 11725940Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for an unmanned aerial vehicle control point selection system. A first unmanned aerial vehicle can navigate about a geographic area while a second unmanned aerial vehicle can capture images of the first unmanned aerial vehicle. Location information of the first unmanned aerial vehicle can be recorded, and a system can identify the first unmanned aerial vehicle in the captured images. Utilizing the recorded location information, the system can identify landmarks proximate to the first unmanned aerial vehicle identified in the images, and determine location information of the landmarks. The landmarks can be assigned as ground control points for subsequent flight plans.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Skydio, Inc.Inventors: Bernard J. Michini, Brett Michael Bethke, Hui Li
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Patent number: 11724710Abstract: Vehicles, methods, and computer readable storage media are provided for implementing a hybrid control for an autonomous vehicle. The vehicle can be controlled by receiving a request from an individual for transportation in the vehicle. The vehicle can then navigate with an autonomous control component to the location of an individual to commence the transportation. Then the vehicle can detect, by one or more sensors, that the individual has entered the vehicle. Then, responsive to detecting that the individual has entered the vehicle, the vehicle can change from an autonomous control component to a hybrid control component wherein the hybrid component control comprises allowing the individual to control one or more vehicle control features that were under autonomous control in autonomous component control.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2019Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Pony AI Inc.Inventors: Jialin Jiao, Haojun Wang
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Patent number: 11724714Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous vehicle state management are provided. An offboard state service can obtain a vehicle command associated with changing an onboard-defined state of an autonomous vehicle. Data indicative of the command can be provided to a computing system onboard the autonomous vehicle. The onboard computing system can initiate a vehicle action in accordance with the command and provide a command response indicative of an updated vehicle status for the onboard-defined state to the state service. In response, the state service can update a current status for the onboard-defined state as represented by a vehicle profile corresponding to the autonomous vehicle. The state service can generate an update event indicative of the vehicle state and the updated current status and publish the update event to a distributed event stream such that a number of devices subscribed to the event stream can receive data indicative of the update event.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2020Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Zelin Liu
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Patent number: 11718294Abstract: A lane departure prevention control apparatus includes a recognizer that recognizes environment ahead of a vehicle and detects left and right lane markers of a lane where the vehicle is traveling based on the environment, a first detector that detects vehicle behavior, a determiner that predicts whether the vehicle will depart from the lane markers based on the lane markers and the vehicle behavior, a setting unit that sets a range for permitting lane departure prevention control from the lane markers, a calculator that transmits a signal corresponding to steering torque for preventing the vehicle departure from the lane markers to a steering controller when the vehicle departs from the lane markers and the vehicle is within the control permission range, and a second detector that detects a shape change in the lane. The unit variably sets the control permission range based on the shape change.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATIONInventors: Takashi Omikawa, Ryo Hajika
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Patent number: 11720107Abstract: A method can include sending, via a processing device, a signal to at least two of a plurality of location indicators from an autonomous vehicle in motion and transporting equipment or passengers. The method can further include receiving signals from the at least two location indicators. The method can further include determining a location of the autonomous vehicle within an indoor facility based on the received signals. The method can further include comparing the determined location to a corresponding pre-determined location. The method can further include, in response to the determined location being different than the pre-determined location, adjusting a direction of the autonomous vehicle along a predetermined path within the indoor facility.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Meng Yew Lai
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Patent number: 11715338Abstract: A plurality of fault conditions are detected on a communication network onboard a vehicle. The detected fault conditions, a fault condition importance, environment conditions, and a vehicle operation mode are input to a neural network that outputs rankings for respective detected fault conditions. The neural network is trained by determining a loss function based on a maximum likelihood principle that determines a probability distribution that ranks the detected fault conditions. The vehicle is operated based on the rankings of the fault conditions.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Dhanunjay Vejalla, David A. Symanow, Ray Siciak
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Patent number: 11701978Abstract: Systems and techniques are provided for charging devices at a property using battery-charging drones. In some implementations, a monitoring system is configured to monitor a property and includes a battery-powered sensor configured to generate sensor data. The system includes a drone that is configured to navigate the property and charge the battery-powered sensor. A monitor control unit is configured to obtain a battery level from the battery-powered sensor and compare the battery level to a battery level threshold. Based on the comparison, the monitor control unit determines that the battery level does not satisfy the threshold. Based on the determination, the monitor control unit generates and transmits an instruction to a drone for the drone to navigate to the battery-powered sensor and charge a battery of the battery-powered sensor. The monitor control unit receives data from the drone that indicates whether the drone charged the battery of the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Alarm.com IncorporatedInventors: Kevin Maurer, Alison Jane Slavin, Aaron Lee Roberts, Shan Huang