Patents Examined by Frederick M Brushaber
  • Patent number: 10583982
    Abstract: A shelf transport system comprising a shelf transport vehicle transporting a shelf having shelf legs, the shelf transport vehicle comprising: a distance sensor measuring a distance to an obstacle; a shelf leg candidate detection module detecting shelf leg candidates, which are candidates for the shelf legs; a shelf arrangement candidate calculation module calculating shelf arrangement candidates, in each of which the shelf is virtually arranged on the shelf leg candidates; an excess/deficiency calculation module calculating, for each of the shelf arrangement candidates, the excessive and the deficient number of shelf leg candidates; a shelf arrangement determination module determining a shelf arrangement from among the shelf arrangement candidates based on the excessive and the deficient number of shelf leg candidates; and a movement destination determination module determining a shelf to which the shelf transport vehicle is to be moved based on the shelf arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Kimura, Fumiko Beniyama, Keisuke Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 10580232
    Abstract: An apparatus and method that detect a condition of a vehicle component are provided. The method includes diagnosing vehicle health of a vehicle by analyzing one or more from among vehicle performance, vehicle energy usage, and vehicle vibration and acoustics, performing fault isolation on the vehicle to detect a health condition of a vehicle component corresponding to the isolated fault if the vehicle health below a predetermined threshold, monitoring the vehicle component corresponding to the isolated fault and estimating a remaining useful life of the vehicle component corresponding to the isolated fault, and performing one or more from among continuously monitoring, scheduling maintenance, providing a warning, and performing fault mitigation based on the estimated remaining useful life of the vehicle component corresponding to the isolated fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Shengbing Jiang, Mutasim Salman, Xinyu Du, Kevin A. Cansiani
  • Patent number: 10576970
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for assisting the driver of a motor vehicle while driving through an intersection or road junction where at least three roads converge in a transition area. A future motion of an own or ego vehicle is estimated, and a future motion of a second vehicle is estimated. The probability of a collision between the own vehicle and the second vehicle is estimated based on the respective future motions. A search for a roadway marking arranged in the transition area is executed. If a roadway marking is found, the future motion of at least one of the own vehicle and second vehicle is estimated based on the detected roadway marking. A risk-reducing manuever is executed when the estimated collision probability exceeds a limiting value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Lena Rittger, Markus Peter Armbrust
  • Patent number: 10569711
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for monitoring the operating state of a laser vehicle headlamp (4), wherein the laser vehicle headlamp (4) comprises at least one laser light source (5) and a light conversion element (6) that can be illuminated by the laser light source (5) and therefore can be excited to emit visible light, wherein the monitoring apparatus has at least one photosensitive device (3) and one comparison device (1), wherein the photosensitive device (3) comprises at least one LED (D1) that is set up to convert light received from the laser light source (5) into an electrical signal (UD) that is supplied to the comparison device (1), wherein the comparison device (1) is set up to compare the electrical signal (UD) with a preselectable value and to output a fault signal (U0) on the basis of the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Georg Hebenstreit
  • Patent number: 10569898
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for generating an alert for an aircraft potentially exceeding speed limits in airspace with speed limitations. The method comprises retrieving a flight plan for the aircraft and identifying airspace with speed limitations along the flight plan. A speed profile is generated based on the in-flight aircraft's current position, speed and trajectory. Any predicted speed violations are identified by comparing the speed profile with the airspace with speed limitations along the flight plan. A predictive time window is calculated that allows for the in-flight aircraft to decelerate sufficiently to comply with the speed limits of the airspace with speed limitations. The predictive time window includes a zone for the aircraft to reduce its airspeed and a reaction buffer zone to allow the aircrew sufficient time to comply with instructions to decelerate the aircraft. Finally, an alert is generated for the crew of the in-flight aircraft upon entering the predictive time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Thea L. Feyereisen, Gang He, Jary Engels, Subash Samuthirapandian
  • Patent number: 10562623
    Abstract: A remotely controlled VTOL aircraft includes an autopilot subsystem outputting helicopter control signals, and an autopilot subsystem outputting fixed wing control signals. A transition control subsystem is configured to receive said helicopter control signals, said fixed wing control signals, and a transition control signal. Control signals to be applied to the VTOL aircraft controls are calculated as a function of the transition percentage and weighting factors applied to the helicopter control signals and said fixed wing control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: BirdsEyeView Aerobotics, LLC
    Inventors: Adam Riley Sloan, Nathaniel Miller
  • Patent number: 10559197
    Abstract: In an example, a method determines one or more characteristics of an intersection of two or more lanes of a roadway and determines a plurality of compatible movement groups representing allowable movement options of vehicles approaching the intersection. The method further calculates delays for the compatible movement groups, respectively, selects a compatible movement group from the plurality of compatible movement groups based on the delays, and provides control instructions to a set of the vehicles in a control region of the intersection associated with the compatible movement group to control one or more dynamics of each of the vehicles of the set as the vehicles of the set traverse the intersection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hao Yang, Kentaro Oguchi
  • Patent number: 10548261
    Abstract: A growth information management device and the like with which growth information acquired from a plurality of farm fields can be easily divided or processed in other like manners. A growth information management device 10 generates boundary information on farm field information based on measured growth information 24 that is plant growth information that has been measured, generates independent farm field information 53 sectionalized based on the boundary information, and converts the measured growth information corresponding to the independent farm field information into growth level information 45 that is information indicating a level of growth of a plant and displays the growth level information on a display unit 16.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Topcon Corporation
    Inventors: Ryosuke Tomizawa, Issei Hanya, Shinkai Shu
  • Patent number: 10543841
    Abstract: A vehicle with autonomous driving capability is adapted for at least two different driving modes including a first driving mode configured for a first type of autonomous driving and a second driving mode configured for the autonomous vehicle being guided by a pilot vehicle in such a manner that the autonomous vehicle follows the pilot vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mikael Karlsson, Anders Kellström
  • Patent number: 10546437
    Abstract: A failure prediction system having small boats operable by operators, each mounted with an outboard motor equipped with an engine and an Electronic Control Unit and a computer located in a land office connected to the ECU. The ECU acquires boat ID assigned to one small boat on which one operator boards and his personal ID, accesses the computer to acquire past manipulation data of the acquired personal ID for all boats, acquires manipulation data of the one operator during current run, merge the data with past data to generate merged data. Then, it select a parameter in the generated data and set a normal value range by the parameter, assesses whether parameter in the data during current run is within the range, and determines the outboard motor mounted on the one boat is in failure when the parameter is out of the range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keiichiro Bungo
  • Patent number: 10543891
    Abstract: A method of obtaining data with a sensor of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the AUV comprising a bladder which contains a gas and is exposed to ambient water pressure. A downward thrust force is generated which causes the AUV to descend through a body of water, wherein the bladder contracts as the AUV descends due to an associated increase in the ambient water pressure, the contraction of the bladder causing the gas to compress and the AUV to become negatively buoyant. Next the AUV lands on a bed of the body of water. After the AUV has landed on the bed, the sensor is operated to obtain data with the AUV stationary and negatively buoyant and a weight of the AUV supported by the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Autonomous Robotics Limited
    Inventors: Craig Paul Smith, Arran James Holloway
  • Patent number: 10535341
    Abstract: Methods and systems for determining a mood of a human driver of a vehicle and using the mood for generating a vehicle response, is provided. One example method includes capturing, by a camera of the vehicle, a face of the human driver. The capturing is configured to capture a plurality of images over a period of time, and the plurality of images are analyzed to identify a facial expression and changes in the facial expression of the human driver over the period of time. The method further includes capturing, by a microphone of the vehicle, voice input of the human driver. The voice input is captured over the period of time. The voice input is analyzed to identify a voice profile and changes in the voice profile of the human driver over the period of time. The method processes, by a processor of the vehicle, a combination of the facial expression and the voice profile captured during the period of time to predict the mood of the human driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Emerging Automotive, LLC
    Inventors: Angel A. Penilla, Albert S. Penilla
  • Patent number: 10529148
    Abstract: A system and method for multi-signal fault analysis is described. The system receives user test request information from a first mobile device. The user test request information includes a request for fault analysis of a vehicle and a set of symptoms associated with a fault of a vehicle. The system identifies a test design information associated with the fault based on the user test request information. The test design information includes instructions for the first mobile device and a second mobile device. The test design information establishes conditions for performing a collection of a plurality of signal message information. The system communicates the test design information to the first mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy Leigh Cattone
  • Patent number: 10518806
    Abstract: A system for a vehicle includes an ultrasonic sensor including a layer of material such that vibration of the material is indicative of frequency of transmitted and received ultrasonic signals, and a controller configured to, through electrical excitation, cause the material to vibrate to transmit an inquiry ultrasonic signal and, responsive to receiving from an object an acknowledgement ultrasonic signal having frequency different from frequency of the inquiry signal, steer the vehicle from the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher W. Bell, John Paul Gibeau
  • Patent number: 10509402
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the use of detected objects for image processing are described. A computing device autonomously controlling a vehicle may receive images of the environment surrounding the vehicle from an image-capture device coupled to the vehicle. In order to process the images, the computing device may receive information indicating characteristics of objects in the images from one or more sources coupled to the vehicle. Examples of sources may include RADAR, LIDAR, a map, sensors, a global positioning system (GPS), or other cameras. The computing device may use the information indicating characteristics of the objects to process received images, including determining the approximate locations of objects within the images. Further, while processing the image, the computing device may use information from sources to determine portions of the image to focus upon that may allow the computing device to determine a control strategy based on portions of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Dave Ferguson, Abhijit Ogale
  • Patent number: 10501179
    Abstract: Technologies for managing assets of a data center include a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communicatively coupled to a remote computing device. The UAV is configured to navigate throughout a data center and capture data center mapping information during the navigation usable to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of the data center. The UAV is further configured to transmit the captured data center mapping information to a remote computing device. Accordingly, the UAV can receive instructions from a remote computing device that define a type of task to be performed by the UAV in the data center and perform such a task (e.g., a data center map update task, an asset inventory task, a maintenance task, a visual inspection task, etc.) based on the received task instructions. Other embodiments are described and claimed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Igor Ljubuncic, Raphael Sack, Tomer Rider, Shahar Taite, Robert L. Vaughn, Vishwa Hassan, William L. Giard
  • Patent number: 10501112
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an adaptive front steering system including an assist motor that provides an overlay angle superimposed on a steering wheel angle. External torque to the assist motor is estimated by a controller and evaluated to determine whether it is the result of an external disturbance. If so, the controller evaluates whether the external disturbance is a road disturbance, such as by determining that road wheel speed varied from the vehicle speed or that an impact site is present in outputs of external sensors of the vehicle. If a road disturbance is determined to have occurred, compliance may be introduced in order to reduce the transmission of torque to the steering wheel. Compliance may be introduced by adjusting current to the assist motor, a target angle to the assist motor, reducing gain in the control system for the assist motor, or shorting leads of the assist motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Park, Jan Bremkens, Lodewijk Wijffels, Oliver Nehls
  • Patent number: 10501074
    Abstract: Methods and systems for reducing vehicle and animal collisions. One system includes an electronic processor configured to receive vehicle data. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a collision risk of the vehicle based on the vehicle data, the collision risk representing a probability of a collision between the vehicle and an animal. The electronic processor is also configured to adjust a collision parameter of the vehicle based on the collision risk. The electronic processor is also configured to identify when an animal is in a path of the vehicle based on the vehicle data. The electronic processor is also configured to, when an animal is identified in the path of the vehicle, automatically perform a vehicle operation based on the adjusted collision parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Meier, Ryan Rummer, Frederic Marcel Sejalon, Robert Kaster
  • Patent number: 10501060
    Abstract: A braking control device for a vehicle is provided, which includes an operating amount detecting part configured to detect an operating amount of a brake pedal, a reaction-force giving part configured to generate a reaction force of the brake pedal, a braking-force generating part configured to generate a braking force for wheels, and an ECU electrically connected with them and configured to control the reaction-force giving part and the braking-force generating part, and set a braking characteristic in which the reaction force according to a stepping force of the brake pedal and a deceleration of the vehicle have a logarithmic relationship, and when the reaction force is above a given reaction force. The ECU controls the braking-force generating part based on the braking characteristic while making the deceleration for the reaction force higher than the logarithmic relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takemura, Naoki Yamada, Yuta Tango, Shinichi Kaihara, Noboru Kyuto, Hirotaka Mochizuki, Takanobu Kamura
  • Patent number: 10496098
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a routing request is received for routing an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) from a source lane to a target lane. One or more road paths are determined from a source road to a target road. The road paths include zero or more intermediate roads in between, where each intermediate road includes one or more intermediate lanes. For each of the road paths, one or more lane paths are determined. Each lane path includes a number of lanes in combination to connect the source lane of the source road to the target lane of the target road via at least one of the intermediate lanes of the intermediate roads. A trajectory is planned from the source plane of the source road to the target lane of the target road using the lane paths to drive the ADV according to the trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Fan Zhu, Qi Kong