Patents Examined by Gertrude Arthur Jeanglaud
  • Patent number: 9610944
    Abstract: An approach is provided for processing and/or facilitating a processing of sensor information associated with one or more parked vehicles to determine one or more parking conditions, wherein at least one subset of the one or more parked vehicles is configured with one or more automatic movement systems. The approach involves determining at least one adjustment to the one or more of the parked vehicles based, at least in part, on the one or more parking conditions. The approach further involves causing, at least in part, (a) a presentation of at least one notification regarding the one or more parking conditions, the at least one adjustment, or a combination thereof; (b) an activation of the one or more automatic movement systems to perform the at least one adjustment; or (c) a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
    Inventors: Jerome Beaurepaire, Ari A Aarnio
  • Patent number: 9610940
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a transmission having an electric machine, an engine, and a controller. The engine may be selectively coupled with the transmission via a disconnect clutch. The controller may be programmed to, in response to an anticipated engine start request, command a disconnect clutch pre-stroke to couple the engine to the transmission prior to an actual engine start request while operating the vehicle in electric mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Walter Joseph Ortmann, Todd McCullough, Brandon R. Masterson, Kimberly Trice
  • Patent number: 9607521
    Abstract: The trajectory coming from a planned trajectory, managed by a system, and from at least one trajectory section sent by a third party system to the system, the method at least comprises: a preliminary step in which a knowledge base is produced comprising the calculation parameters and their field of use for the moving object, several envelopes of parameters being defined within the field of use corresponding to different operational constraints of the moving object; a first step in which the system initializes the planned trajectory according to the parameters of the preliminary step, the calculation parameters of the planned trajectory being contained in one of the envelopes; a second step in which the system receives a trajectory section sent by the third party system in order to be inserted in the planned trajectory by replacing a part of the trajectory; a third step in which the received and accepted section is simplified by segmentation in such a way that its calculation parameters are contained in the at
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Laurent Deweerdt
  • Patent number: 9604633
    Abstract: A travel route from the current location to the destination is divided into a plurality of sections. Travel modes of a vehicle include an EV mode, which uses the motor as the drive source, and an HV mode, which uses at least the internal combustion engine as the drive source. A road load for traveling each section in the EV mode is set. A travel support device includes a planner and a setter. The planner plans, for each section, the travel mode by selecting one of the EV mode, and an HV mode. When a planned section of the travel mode is switched from an EV mode-planned section to an HV mode-planned section, the setter sets the travel mode to continue traveling in the EV mode, on the condition that a remaining charge of the battery is less than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9598088
    Abstract: A driver assistance apparatus and a vehicle including the same are disclosed. The driver assistance apparatus includes a stereo camera, a memory to store road surface data regarding a state of a road surface classified into a dry state, a wet state, a snow covered state, and an icy state, and a processor to classify the state of the road surface as any one of the dry state, the wet state, the snow covered state, and the icy state based on stereo images received from the stereo camera and the road surface data. Consequently, it is possible to recognize a current road surface state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hansung Lee, Soohwan Choi, Jaehyuk Yang
  • Patent number: 9594169
    Abstract: The present invention intends to provide an altitude detecting unit capable of, while utilizing both the advantages of a satellite positioning system and a pressure sensor, making an altitude measurement error, which may occur when combining them, as small as possible, and provide the others, and has determined a conversion expression adapted to convert from pressure into altitude such that at each of multiple valid altitude measurement points at which a satellite positioning system detects accurate altitude, altitude based on pressure is made equal to altitude by the satellite positioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Horiba, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shun Fukami, Katsumi Uratani
  • Patent number: 9586469
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle control device is provided for controlling a drive system in a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle control device is provided with a hybrid control module that begins engagement of a clutch, and cranks a transverse engine using a motor/generator as a drive source, when a request is made to start an engine in an EV mode. The hybrid control module has a “normal start mode” and a “sound and vibration prioritizing startup mode” as engine startup modes. The “normal start mode” prioritizes drive force response performance. The “sound and vibration prioritizing startup mode” prioritizes sound and vibration reduction performance. If a drive range is selected and the vehicle is stopped when an engine startup request is made, then the “sound and vibration prioritizing startup mode” is selected, and the transverse engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuichi Orita
  • Patent number: 9583007
    Abstract: A device receives a request for a flight path from a first location to a second location in a region, and calculates the flight path based on the request and based on one or more of weather information, air traffic information, obstacle information, regulatory information, or historical information associated with the region. The device determines required capabilities for the flight path based on the request, and selects, from multiple UAVs, a particular UAV based on the required capabilities for the flight path and based on a ranking of the multiple UAVs. The device generates flight path instructions for the flight path, and provides the flight path instructions to the particular UAV to permit the particular UAV to travel from the first location to the second location via the flight path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
    Inventors: Gurpreet Ubhi, Ashok N. Srivastava, Douglas M. Pasko, Hani Batla, Igor Kantor
  • Patent number: 9580961
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a utility vehicle, in particular to a firefighting vehicle, including an aerial apparatus (i.e. a turnable ladder and/or an aerial rescue platform) and lateral ground supports movable between retracted positions and extracted operating positions in which the ends of the supports rest on the ground. The vehicle includes a monitoring system for monitoring the position of the vehicle. The system includes surveillance cameras at the sides of the vehicle, each camera being allocated to one support to monitor the ground area on which the end of this support rests in its operating position and to take a real-time image of the respective ground area. The system also includes a visual display presenting the images of all cameras at the same time in different screen areas, superposed by visual markings representing expected operating positions of the supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: IVECO MAGIRUS AG
    Inventor: Jens Kraemer
  • Patent number: 9580069
    Abstract: When driver's deceleration intention is detected during traveling by a motor generator with an engine being stopped, a clutch is engaged to start the engine, and thereafter disengaged. When an engine speed after engine start is lower than a reference rotational speed being an input shaft rotational speed produced by driving force reversely transmitted from drive wheels, the engine speed is increased to a target rotational speed lower than the reference rotational speed. When the engine speed reaches the target rotational speed, output from the engine is decreased and the clutch is reengaged. Thus, while engine stall when activating the engine brake, which is due to the engine speed too low after engine start, is avoided by increase in the engine speed, the clutch is reengaged earlier so as to activate the engine brake fully, generating deceleration feeling the driver expects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Nakanishi, Masato Shigenaga
  • Patent number: 9573488
    Abstract: A driving control method and system for a fuel cell vehicle are provided. The driving control method includes monitoring, by a vehicle controller, information regarding vehicle conditions and entering a minimum driving mode when the monitored vehicle conditions meet minimum-driving-mode entry conditions. A temperature of a fuel cell stack detected and then adjusted when the determined temperature of the fuel cell stack is different from a preset target stack temperature value, to match the temperature of the fuel cell stack with the preset target stack temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Seon Hak Kim
  • Patent number: 9566986
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product controls a driving mode of a self-driving vehicle (SDV). Sensor readings describe a current operational anomaly of an SDV that is traveling on a roadway. One or more processors compare a control processor competence level of the on-board SDV control processor that autonomously controls the SDV to a human driver competence level of a human driver in controlling the SDV while the SDV experiences the current operational anomaly. One or more processors then selectively assign control of the SDV to the on-board SDV control processor or to the human driver while the SDV experiences the current operational anomaly based on which of the control processor competence level and the human driver competence level is relatively higher to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Gordon, James R. Kozloski, Ashish Kundu, Peter K. Malkin, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9566963
    Abstract: A system and a method of operating an antilock braking system in a vehicle. The system and method include an electronic control unit that monitors an angle sensor to determine whether the vehicle is moving straight. The electronic control unit also monitors a plurality of images produced from a vehicle camera orientated towards a road surface. The electronic control unit determines a type of road surface and whether the road surface is slippery based on these images. The electronic control unit operates the antilock braking system in a plurality of modes depending on information received about the road surface and the angle sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Dino Harrer
  • Patent number: 9561860
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for overcoming the disadvantages of current air transportation systems that might be used for regional travel by providing a more cost effective and convenient regional air transport system. In some embodiments, the inventive air transport system, operational methods, and associated aircraft include a highly efficient plug-in series hybrid-electric powertrain (specifically optimized for aircraft operating in regional ranges), a forward compatible, range-optimized aircraft design, enabling an earlier impact of electric-based air travel services as the overall transportation system and associated technologies are developed, and platforms for the semi-automated optimization and control of the powertrain, and for the semi-automated optimization of determining the flight path for a regional distance hybrid-electric aircraft flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Tzunum, Inc.
    Inventors: Burton Matthew Knapp, Ashish Andrew Kumar
  • Patent number: 9562770
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a receiver to obtain three-dimensional geographic information identifying at least one open area and at least a height associated with at least one object adjacent to the at least one open area, determine at least one pathway in the open area, and determine expected line of sight and expected non-line of sight detections of satellite positioning system (SPS) signals at locations along the pathway based on the three dimensional geographic information. The mobile device includes a processing unit to estimate a location of the mobile device based on application of the expected line of sight detections and the non-line of sight detections to signals acquired at the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Lionel Jacques Garin
  • Patent number: 9550482
    Abstract: A method for operating a braking system of a vehicle includes: establishing a first setpoint brake pressure to be set in a first wheel brake cylinder of a first brake circuit and a second setpoint brake pressure to be set in a second wheel brake cylinder of a second brake circuit; reducing first and second actual brake pressures by setting a master brake cylinder pressure to be no greater than a minimum of the first and second setpoint brake pressures, and controlling a first switchover valve of the first brake circuit and/or of the second brake circuit; and/or increasing the first and second actual brake pressures by setting the master brake cylinder pressure to be no smaller than a maximum of the first and second setpoint brake pressures, and activating a first wheel inlet valve of the first brake circuit and/or of the second brake circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Christoph Betz, Christian Koehler, Michael Reichert, Michael Bunk, Olaf Grotheer
  • Patent number: 9550418
    Abstract: A system and method for encouraging a user of a recreational vehicle to wear safety equipment is described. The helmet contains a microprocessor and sensors to determine if the helmet is worn. The helmet communicates with the vehicle and the vehicle either disables operation or allows limited operation if the helmet is not worn. On motorized vehicles, the motor operation is restricted. On human powered vehicles mechanical resistance may limit operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Twin Harbor Labs, LLC
    Inventors: James D Logan, Paul Hammerstrom, Richard A Baker, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9550495
    Abstract: Technologies for assisting vehicles with changing road conditions includes vehicle assistance data based on crowd-sourced road data received from a plurality of vehicles and/or infrastructure sensors. The crowd-sourced road data may be associated with a particular section of roadway and may be used to various characteristics of the roadway such as grade, surface, hazardous conditions, and so forth. The vehicle assistance data may be provided to an in-vehicle computing device to assist or facilitate traversal of the roadway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Igor Tatourian, Rita H. Wouhaybi, Hong Li
  • Patent number: 9546005
    Abstract: A voice router for a vehicle and a method for operating a voice router are provided. The voice router, for example, may include, but is not limited to, an interface configured to be coupled to a microphone and a plurality of subsystems of an aircraft, and a processor coupled to the interface, the processor configured to receive, from the microphone, voice command audio data, convert, using an avionic language model, the voice command audio data into voice command text data, determine, using a distribution model, whether a command corresponding to the voice command text data can be executed, transmitting, to at least one of the plurality of subsystems, instructions to execute the command when the voice router determines that the command can be executed, and providing, using the output system, feedback when the command is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Chao Li, Lucas Chen
  • Patent number: 9541414
    Abstract: A system for validating a correction to map data for a geographic location, the system comprising: a processing resource; and a navigation device; wherein the processing resource comprises: a user request generator that is configured to generate a user request for transmission to the navigation device; a transmitter for transmitting the generated user request to the navigation device; and a receiver for receiving a user response from said navigation device; and the navigation device comprises: a receiver for receiving the user request transmitted from the processing resource; a user request module configured to present said received user request to a user of the navigation device; a user response module for capturing a user response to said presented user request, and a transmitter for transmitting said captured user response to said processing resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: TomTom International B.V.
    Inventors: Paulus Gruijters, Robert Lukassen