Patents Examined by Genna Mott
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Patent number: 9189452Abstract: A device and a method for generating artificial driving noises for a motor vehicle, and to a computer program for carrying out the method is provided. Environmental conditions, objects and/or other road users are recorded via an environmental sensor unit. Depending thereupon and, as required, depending upon vehicle-internal information driving noises are generated with special properties. In this way other road users can be alerted to otherwise quietly driving vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2012Date of Patent: November 17, 2015Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventor: Uwe Hahne
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Patent number: 9180856Abstract: A transportation system is disclosed. The transportation system has a vehicle that is self-powered and configured to generate an air cushion on a trackless lane having a substantially flat surface. The vehicle is configured to move over the substantially flat surface on the air cushion. The transportation system also has a guidance system configured to guide the vehicle between peripheries of the trackless lane.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2012Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: LTA CORPORATIONInventor: John Goelet
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Patent number: 9168949Abstract: A steering system clatter mitigation apparatus and method. The clatter mitigation apparatus excites the steering system at a frequency within a range of an existing engine noise. The excitation of the steering system at a different frequency than the clatter sound greatly reduces the clatter sound. The sound produced by the excitation of the steering system is masked by the existing sound of the engine.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2013Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Anthony Mario D'Amato, Dimitar Petrov Filev
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Patent number: 9158739Abstract: In a pendular motion determination unit of a motion stabilizer for a tractor, a parameter computation unit computes a determination parameter PA indicative of a quantity of change in an actual yaw rate Y, a threshold value setting unit computes a threshold value PAth for the parameter PA, and a determination unit determines that a pendular motion caused by swaying motion of a trailer is imparted, if the parameter PA is greater than the threshold value PAth. Based upon at least one of a value related to the actual yaw rate Y and a value related to the standard yaw rate Ys, an evaluation value computation unit computes a steering-back maneuver evaluation value TS (indicative of a possibility of making periodical steering-back maneuvers), based upon which at least one of the threshold value PAth and the parameter PA is changed.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2013Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignees: NISSIN KOGYO CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazuaki Miyata, Takeshi Kojima, Tomoyuki Futamura
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Patent number: 9133928Abstract: An autofunction control system for motor vehicles comprising an engine, a transmission and an accelerator, the position of the accelerator defining a set ERPM, the system configured to define a desired percentage of maximum available power for each set ERPM, the system configured to control the transmission ratio of the transmission to load the engine at least to the desired percentage of power, wherein the desired percentage of power is a function of the set ERPM when the set ERPM is between a low threshold and a high threshold, and wherein the system is configured to control the transmission ratio to load the engine closest to the maximum available absolute power for the engine for a set ERPM above the high threshold ERPM.Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 2011Date of Patent: September 15, 2015Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Gianluca Conti, Rocco Petrigliano
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Patent number: 9126587Abstract: A vehicle control system including a combustion engine and an electric motor selectively provided torque to a transmission separately or in combination to meet driver torque demand. The engine has a maximum torque output value and a torque increase delay response function spanning a predetermined time period. A motor torque boost signal requests an increase in torque provided from an electric motor if the engine torque request signal exceeds the maximum torque output of the engine or the torque increase delay response function of the engine. The motor torque boost signal is time limited and a second level of motor torque boost may be provided for a second limited time period.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2011Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Mark Steven Yamazaki, Fazal Urrahman Syed, Francis Thomas Connolly
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Patent number: 9128813Abstract: The invention relates to a method for assisting a driver in driving a vehicle by detecting weather-related visibility limitations, wherein image data of the surroundings of the vehicle and of the windshield are generated by a camera that is directed toward the windshield.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2011Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbHInventors: Carlos Almedia, Martin Randler, Jochen Bauer
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Patent number: 9091220Abstract: A first torque determining unit determines a value of a torque input to a transmission on the basis of a load acting on a start clutch (12), and a second torque determining unit determines a value of a torque input to the transmission on the basis of a manipulated amount of an accelerator pedal. After the accelerator pedal is manipulated while the start clutch (12) is in a released state, as long as the torque determined by the first torque determining unit (31a1) is less than the torque determined by the second torque determining unit (31a2), the torque input to the transmission is limited to the torque determined by the first torque determining unit (31a1).Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2010Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Satoshi Kanazawa, Takeshi Kurata
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Patent number: 9073546Abstract: A hybrid vehicle driving system 1 of the invention includes a cylinder deactivated operation necessity determination unit for determining the necessity of a cylinder deactivated operation of an engine 6 when a required driving force required on a vehicle is smaller than a driving force of the engine 6 that runs in the cylinder deactivated operation. When the cylinder deactivated operation is determined to be unnecessary by the cylinder deactivated operation necessity determination unit, the vehicle can be driven in an EV driving by disengaging a first clutch 41 and a second clutch 42, whereas when the cylinder deactivated operation is determined to be necessary by the cylinder deactivated operation necessity determination unit, the engine 6 runs in the cylinder deactivated operation and at least one of the first clutch 42 and the second clutch 42 is engaged.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2011Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Shigetaka Kuroda, Atsushi Hagihara, Hiroyuki Isegawa
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Patent number: 9061700Abstract: Provided is an electric power steering control apparatus for an electric power steering system equipped with a torque sensor for detecting a steering torque of the steering system and a motor for generating a torque for assisting the steering torque, including a motor target torque calculation unit for calculating a torque of the motor in response to a steering torque signal from the torque sensor and a motor-applied voltage calculation unit for calculating a voltage applied to the motor in response to a motor target torque signal from the motor target torque calculation unit, in which the motor target torque calculation unit generates the motor target torque signal indicating a motor target torque whose ratio to a steering torque indicated by the steering torque signal is set such that an influence of a torque fluctuation of the motor on a driver becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2008Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventor: Takayuki Kifuku
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Patent number: 9057611Abstract: In order to make a user intuitively recognize labor of traveling on a route, a map information providing server (10) stores map data including an undulation of an actual topography, stores information on first routes each containing one or more routes from a point, as a start point, corresponding to information on the user in the map data, to a plurality of predetermined points in a region containing the point corresponding to the information on the user in the map data, in association with identification information on the user, determines a second route from a start point to an endpoint specified based on a request from the user, directly or indirectly compares a length of the second route and an undulation on the second route, and a length of each of the first routes and an undulation on each of the first routes with each other in the map data, and provides the user with information on a comparison result.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2011Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: Rakuten, Inc.Inventor: Naohiro Yanase
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Patent number: 9051975Abstract: A transmission control device includes even-numbered and odd-numbered transmission gears selected via a shift mechanism and causes the torque capacities of two clutches to be transitioned to a certain proportion until the clutch rotation speed difference of a low-speed gear-side clutch reaches 0 or approximately 0, sets the torque capacity of the clutch on the low-speed gear side to be the total torque capacity of both clutches, and sets the torque capacity of the clutch on the high-speed gear side to 0. The heat load on the clutch at the time when the vehicle starts to move is reduced and the durability thereof is improved, and the clutch can be made smaller and lighter.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2011Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Katsuhiro Arai
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Patent number: 9050969Abstract: An engine, electric machine and battery of a vehicle are operated such that a state of charge of the battery generally decreases and then achieves approximately a charge-depletion-to-charge-sustaining transition threshold after the vehicle has been driven a distance greater than the pure electrical range of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2012Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Hai Yu, Ming Lang Kuang, Ryan Abraham McGee
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Patent number: 9043132Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a travel path of a vehicle is mounted on the vehicle; and includes: an object detection device that detects an object lying ahead of the vehicle; a stationary object detection device that determines whether a detected object is a stationary object; a device that calculates an approximate straight line indicating a path of the stationary object from the temporal positional data for the stationary object projected on two-dimensional coordinates using a vehicle position as a starting point; a device that calculates a orthogonal line which passes through a midpoint in the temporal positional data for the stationary object and goes straight with respect to the approximate straight line on the two-dimensional coordinates; and a device that calculates a vehicle turning radius from an intersection point where the orthogonal line intersects with a x axis.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2011Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masakazu Obi
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Patent number: 8977442Abstract: A civil engineering machine includes an arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing which has a calculating unit to determine data which defines at least one trajectory of the civil engineering machine as a function of the position of the front and rear running gear, both as a function of a steering angle and as a function of a mode of steering. The arrangement for assisting the driver of the machine when reversing also has an image detecting unit for detecting an image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine and a display unit for displaying the detected image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine. An image processing unit superimposes a representation of the at least one trajectory on the image of the rear part of the civil engineering machine which is displayed on the display unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2011Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Wirtgen GmbHInventors: Christoph Menzenbach, Joern Von Der Lippe, Cyrus Barimani, Guenter Haehn
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Patent number: 8958954Abstract: Early actuation of an active device of a vehicle (e.g., a seat belt tensioner) is provided by applying rate of change of brake pressure to monitored brake pressure, so as to produce a modified brake pressure characteristic which is advanced in time. The active device is actuated at a brake pressure threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover LimitedInventor: Paul Bunker
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Patent number: 8938334Abstract: A vehicular steering angle estimating apparatus including wheel rotational speed sensors for detecting rotational speeds of left and right wheels of a vehicle, provided with a steering angle estimating portion for estimating and outputting a estimated steering angle 1 from the wheel rotational speeds detected by the wheel rotational speed sensors, and a estimated steering angle outputting portion for outputting a estimated steering angle 2 on the basis of the estimated steering angle 1 and an SAT detected value or an SAT estimated value.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2008Date of Patent: January 20, 2015Assignee: NSK Ltd.Inventors: Yong Wei, Shuji Endo
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Patent number: 8886376Abstract: A control apparatus for a motor-assisted bicycle detects a pedaling torque applied to a crankshaft with a pedaling force sensor, controls a motor unit of the motor-assisted bicycle in a regenerative control process to charge a battery, if the torque value of the detected pedaling torque is equal to or smaller than a predetermined level, and controls the motor unit in an assistive control process, if the torque value is greater than the predetermined level. The control apparatus performs an assistive transient control process with an assistive ratio lower than in the assistive control process while the crankshaft makes a predetermined number of revolutions and thereafter performs the regenerative control process, if the torque value detected by the pedaling force sensor has a peak equal to or smaller than the predetermined level.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2011Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Koji Aoki, Hisashi Murakami
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Patent number: 8849510Abstract: An in-vehicle display system includes a steering switch disposed at a steering wheel, an in-vehicle display having a display screen, and a touch panel covering the display screen. When an operator operates the touch panel, the in-vehicle display is operable to display a touch panel menu including icons on the display screen. When the operator operates the steering switch while the touch panel menu is displayed on the display screen, the in-vehicle display is operable to replace the touch panel menu with a steering switch menu to display the steering switch menu on display screen. The steering switch menu includes the icons arranged differently than the touch panel menu. This in-vehicle display system is suitably used to operate both of the touch panel and the steering switch.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventor: Tsuyoshi Tanaka
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Patent number: 8843259Abstract: An engine includes variable valve mechanisms capable of causing an intake valve and an exhaust valve to stop. An ECU estimates poisoning states of catalysts, and executes and prohibits stopping of the valves based on the poisoning states. When stopping of the valves is prohibited during a fuel-cut operation, the ECU drives a crankshaft of the engine by means of a motor to idle the engine. Thus, even in a hybrid vehicle in which the engine is stopped during a fuel-cut operation, a sufficient amount of oxygen can be rapidly supplied to the catalysts by utilizing a pumping action of pistons, and the catalysts can be caused to recover from rich poisoning efficiently.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2010Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Norihisa Nakagawa, Takashi Nishikiori