Patents Examined by Harry Oh
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Patent number: 9561594Abstract: A robot includes, a holding unit configured to hold an object, an image pickup unit, and a predetermined first portion of the robot. The image pickup unit picks up images of the holding unit and the object using the first portion as a background.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2014Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Yukihiro Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 9565274Abstract: A Web based application system for managing a trip. The Web based application system for managing a trip includes a graphical user interface for allowing a client computer coupled to a network to access a server computer to retrieve and store data relating to the trip therewith, one or more interactive windows functioning with the graphical user interface to perform the retrieving and the storing such that the data include a Web document and the graphical user interface and the interactive windows include a first application, and a wireless device interface for allowing a portable device wirelessly coupled, with a cellular telephone system, with the network to access the Web document. The portable device includes a cellular telephone functionality, a geo-locating functionality and a processor for processing the Web document. The processing helps manage the trip. Downloading and processing the Web document include a second application.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Trimble Inc.Inventors: Richard Rudow, James M. Janky, Robert Joseph Allen, Craig Howard
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Patent number: 9565273Abstract: A network based computerized system for managing a trip. The network based computerized system includes a network, which includes one or more of the Internet and a wide area network. The network based computerized system includes a server coupled to the network running a network based application for allowing a user of a client computer coupled with the network to store, on the server, data relating to the trip. The network based computerized system includes a cellular telephone system coupled to the network for allowing a user of a portable electronic device disposed for wirelessly communicating with the cellular telephone system to access the server and download the data relating to the trip. The portable electronic device performs a geo-locating function for determining a geographic location of the portable electronic device and accesses a signal relating to the geographic location generated by a system for determining the geographic location.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2008Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Trimble Inc.Inventors: Richard Rudow, James M. Janky, Robert Joseph Allen, Craig Howard
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Patent number: 9554508Abstract: A robot lawnmower includes a robot body, a drive system, a localizing system, a teach monitor, and a controller in communication with one another. The drive system is configured to maneuver the robot lawnmower over a lawn. The teach monitor determines whether the robot lawnmower is in a teachable state. The controller includes a data processing device and non-transitory memory in communication with the data processing device. The data processing device executes a teach routine when the controller is in a teach mode for tracing a confinement perimeter around the lawn as a human operator pilots the robot lawn mower, when the robot lawnmower is in the teachable state, the teach routine stores global positions determined by the localizing system in the non-transitory memory, and when the robot lawnmower is in the unteachable state, the teach routine issues an indication of the unteachable state.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2015Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Paul C. Balutis, Alec Likhite, Brian Doughty, Jeff Karlson, Tyler Nikitas
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Patent number: 9555867Abstract: A jet propelled watercraft includes a prime mover, a jet pump driven by the prime mover and jetting water from a jet port, a reverse gate changing a direction of the jet flow jetted from the jet pump, a shift actuator capable of moving a position of the reverse gate to a plurality of shift positions including a forward drive position, at which the direction of the jet flow is toward the rear of the body, a reverse drive position, at which the direction of the jet flow is toward the front of the body, and an intermediate position in between these positions, and a controller configured or programmed to execute a stoppage shift control of controlling the shift actuator to move the reverse gate to the forward drive position when stoppage of the prime mover is detected.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2015Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Yukitaka Okamoto, Yoshimasa Kinoshita, Masaru Suzuki
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Patent number: 9534921Abstract: Provided is a navi-system or the like capable of improving accuracy of road traffic information that is created based on probe information. A navi-client 2 creates probe information including an identifier that represents a detection result as to whether a communication with a vehicle-mounted device 3 has been established or not. A server communication device 1 discriminates or selects probe information in accordance with a difference of the identifier, and creates road traffic information based on the thus discriminated or selected probe information.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2013Date of Patent: January 3, 2017Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Tadafumi Nogawa
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Patent number: 9499166Abstract: An Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system for a vehicle is disclosed. An electronic control unit (ECU) is programmed to reduce vehicle lateral skidding by reducing differences between an intended vehicle direction and/or yaw rate and an actual vehicle direction and/or yaw rate by applying modifications to operation of the vehicle brakes and/or throttle. The ESC system receives inputs from wheel speed sensors, a steering wheel position sensor, a yaw rate sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor. The ESC system also receives input that indicates at least a property of the road upon which the vehicle is located, wherein the road upon which the vehicle is located is determined from a positioning system that uses a map database and the property is determined from the map database. The ESC system incorporates the road property information in determining when and/or how to modify operation of the vehicle to reduce vehicle skidding.Type: GrantFiled: March 4, 2016Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: HERE Global B.V.Inventors: Kevin Moran, Robert Denaro
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Patent number: 9501928Abstract: Using social media feeds to determine infrastructure and personal resolutions to high traffic events.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2015Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Mark Bell, Gregory J. Boss, Christopher J. Dawson, Rick A. Hamilton, II
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Patent number: 9457473Abstract: Robotic systems and methods are provided for tending, manipulating, engaging, acting upon, observing and/or monitoring objects and conditions in a defined volume or space (“work space”) in or overlying a target area. The robotic system includes a mobile robot supported by or suspended from suspension cables secured to spaced apart anchor locations.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2013Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventor: Pavlo Rudakevych
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Patent number: 9457740Abstract: The control property of an onboard device is changeable by using an external control unit, and the data from the external control unit is authenticated. An onboard gateway unit is provided with a verification code generator for generating a security key, and an external control unit is provided with an application control unit for generating a security key. When the external control unit is connected, a main control logic unit of the gateway unit compares the two keys, and when the keys are verified, the control by the external control unit using an application program is enabled. The onboard device control unit can be easily connected to the external control unit. As the control of the device control unit by an external control signal is enabled only when verified, an unauthorized access can be prohibited, and the onboard deice can be controlled only by an authorized control signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2012Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shotaro Odate, Yo Ito
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Patent number: 9459609Abstract: An actuator monitoring circuit 1 which is mounted in an airplane and monitors an actuator 30 having a piston (output portion) calculates the moving distance of the piston, and outputs, when the moving distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, an approaching notification signal 78s and a progression notification signal 79s to notify the excess over the threshold.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2010Date of Patent: October 4, 2016Assignee: Nabtesco CorporationInventors: Takashi Koizumi, Hiroshi Usui, Kiyoshi Yasuda
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Patent number: 9446792Abstract: A steering control device includes a steering reaction force control unit that applies a steering reaction force to a steering unit in accordance with a steering reaction force characteristic that is based on steering torque and steering angle of the steering unit in which the steering torque increases as the steering angle increases. A curvature detection unit detects a curvature of a white line. An offset unit calculates an offset amount that increases as the detected curvature increases and that offsets the steering reaction force characteristic such that a neutral point of the steering is moved in a curve direction according to a magnitude of the detected curvature. A curve direction steering torque detection unit programmed to detect a steering torque in a curve direction. An offset suppression unit suppresses a change in the offset amount more as a detected steering torque in the curve direction increases.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2013Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yuya Takeda
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Patent number: 9387614Abstract: Method for removing injection-molded items from an injection-molding machine via a robot and device for performing method. The injection-molding machine and the robot each having a separate drive, and each drive is acted on by a separate open- and closed-loop control unit that is separately programmable. At least the open- and closed-loop control unit of the robot contains a computing element, and the injection-molding machine is equipped with at least one signaling device for detecting a position of the mold. The method includes applying a signal of the signaling device to the open- and closed-loop control unit of the robot, recalculating a motion sequence of the robot based of the open- and closed-loop control unit after each removal cycle, and for each next removal cycle, moving the robot from a start position by a timer at a recalculated start time.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2011Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: WITTMANN KUNSTSTOFFGERAETE GMBHInventors: Tomas Kalender, Johannes Rella, Duane Royce
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Patent number: 9367239Abstract: A navigation device has a route re-calculation function. This is activated by the user touching the screen to task away from the normal navigation map mode to a menu screen which displays multiple types of route re-calculation options.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2011Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: TomTom International B.V.Inventors: Ayal Pinkus, Edwin Neef, Sven-Erik Jurgens, Mark Gretton
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Patent number: 9318980Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator includes a vibrating body including a piezoelectric device; a driving circuit that supplies a driving signal to the piezoelectric device; a phase difference detecting circuit that detects a phase difference between the driving signal and a detection signal detected based on vibration of the vibrating body; and a frequency controller that controls the frequency and power of the driving signal, wherein the frequency controller sets the power to an upper limit voltage value when the frequency is changed so that the phase difference falls within a predetermined range and sets the voltage to a lower limit voltage value smaller than the upper limit voltage value when the phase difference is outside the predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2012Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Osamu Urano
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Patent number: 9314307Abstract: Methods of controlling a gripping force of an end effector of a robotically-controlled surgical instrument are provided. The method includes receiving a first input signal indicative of a high grip level input at a master gripping mechanism that controls a slave gripping force of the end effector; receiving a second input signal indicative of a user's readiness to operate the surgical instrument to perform a surgical procedure; and outputting an actuation signal in response to receiving the first input signal and the second input signal together to increase the slave gripping force from a first level to a second level higher than the first level during the surgical procedure.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2012Date of Patent: April 19, 2016Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Gregory F. Richmond, Gary S. Guthart
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Patent number: 9302659Abstract: An Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system for a vehicle is disclosed. An electronic control unit (ECU) is programmed to reduce vehicle lateral skidding by reducing differences between an intended vehicle direction and/or yaw rate and an actual vehicle direction and/or yaw rate by applying modifications to operation of the vehicle brakes and/or throttle. The ESC system receives inputs from wheel speed sensors, a steering wheel position sensor, a yaw rate sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor. The ESC system also receives input that indicates at least a property of the road upon which the vehicle is located, wherein the road upon which the vehicle is located is determined from a positioning system that uses a map database and the property is determined from the map database. The ESC system incorporates the road property information in determining when and/or how to modify operation of the vehicle to reduce vehicle skidding.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2013Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignee: HERE Global B.V.Inventors: Kevin Moran, Robert Denaro
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Patent number: 9302393Abstract: The disclosed Auditory RRC-Humanoid Robot equipped with a verbal-phoneme sound generator is a computer-based system programmed to reach high levels of human-like verbal-AI. Behavioral programming techniques are used to reach human-like levels of identification-AI, recognition-AI, and comprehension-AI of all the words and sentences presented to the robot as verbal input signals. An innovative behavioral speech processing methodology is used to recognize and repeat the acoustic sequential set of phoneme signals that comprise the verbally generated speech of human speakers. The recognized and repeated sequential set of phoneme signals are then mapped onto a unique phonetic structure such as all the words and clauses listed in a 50,000 word lexicon that may then make up the vocabulary of the RRC-Robot. The system is programmed to hear and understand verbal speech with its auditory sensors, and intelligently responds by verbally talking with its verbal-phoneme sound generator.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2015Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Inventors: Alan Rosen, David B. Rosen
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Patent number: 9218801Abstract: A method of controlling sounds associated with a vehicle is provided. The method includes performing on a processor, monitoring powertrain data; determining a powertrain transition event based on the powertrain data; and selectively controlling the generation of one or more tones based on the powertrain transition event.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2010Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Scott M. Reilly, Timothy R. Bohn, Larry G. Hartleip
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Patent number: 9214153Abstract: A method of controlling sounds associated with a vehicle is provided. The method includes: performing on a processor, monitoring engine torque; and selectively controlling the generation of one or more tones associated with the vehicle based on the engine torque.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2010Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: Scott M. Reilly, Timothy R. Bohn, Andrew W. Baur