Patents Examined by Harry Oh
  • Patent number: 8825207
    Abstract: A trajectory planning method according to the present invention is one for obtaining a trajectory for controlling a state of an object toward a goal state by a trajectory planning system. The method includes the steps of dividing, by a cell generating section for dividing a state space of the object into cells, the state space into cells in such a way that approximation error due to discretization is minimized for a predetermined number of cells; generating, by a search tree generating section, a search tree which corresponds to state transition of the object in such a way that each cell does not contain more than one of nodes of branches of the search tree; and determining, by a trajectory generating section, a path from the current state to the goal state of the object using the search tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chyon Hae Kim, Shigeki Sugano, Shota Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8798856
    Abstract: An accessory load control system for a vehicle, includes an actuator control module, a period estimation module, and a load control module. The actuator control module operates an internal combustion engine of the vehicle in a high-efficiency (HE) mode. The period estimation module estimates a period between a current time and a future time when an actual load on a crankshaft of the engine will reach a maximum engine load associated with the HE mode. The load control module selectively decreases engine loads applied by vehicle accessories, respectively, based on the period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Inventors: Gregory A. Major, William R. Hill, Todd M. Tumas, Kenneth L. Porrett
  • Patent number: 8788095
    Abstract: An object grasping control method, in which an object grasping control apparatus grasps a plurality of graspable members using a grasping unit, includes recognizing at least one of a shape, position, and attitude of each of the plurality of graspable members, setting, based on at least of one of the shape, position, and attitude of each of the plurality of graspable members, an attitude range as a graspable attitude range in which each of the plurality of graspable members and the grasping unit do not interfere with each other for each of the plurality of graspable members, and setting, as a grasping target to be grasped by the grasping unit, a graspable member, among the plurality of graspable members, the set graspable attitude range of which is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keisuke Maehara, Hiroshi Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 8768515
    Abstract: A system, method, and device may include software and hardware which simplify and quicken configuration of the system for testing a device, enhance testing procedures which may be performed, and provide data via which to easily discern a cause and nature of an error which may result during testing. A camera may capture still images of a display screen of a tested device and another camera may capture video images of the tested device and a partner device. A wizard may be used to generate a configuration file based on one previously generated for a similar device. A mount for a tested device may be structured so that: it is suitable for mounting thereon a plurality of differently structured devices; and adjustments in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in a plane and adjustments of an angle of the device relative to the plane may be easily made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Inventors: David Jenkinson, Bobby Lee
  • Patent number: 8761938
    Abstract: A system, method, and device may include software and hardware which simplify and quicken configuration of the system for testing a device, enhance testing procedures which may be performed, and provide data via which to easily discern a cause and nature of an error which may result during testing. A camera may capture still images of a display screen of a tested device and another camera may capture video images of the tested device and a partner device. A wizard may be used to generate a configuration file based on one previously generated for a similar device. A mount for a tested device may be structured so that: it is suitable for mounting thereon a plurality of differently structured devices; and adjustments in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in a plane and adjustments of an angle of the device relative to the plane may be easily made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Inventors: David Jenkinson, Bobby Lee, Gavin Liaw, Hans Frederick
  • Patent number: 8762014
    Abstract: In an embodiment, torque control operation is provided in a transmission having a variable displacement variator with a hydraulic actuator. The transmission is engaged in a neutral state such that the variator output experiences substantially zero torque, and a first hydraulic pressure sweep to the hydraulic actuator is commanded while a corresponding sweep of motor speed ratio of the variator is recorded. The transmission is engaged into a locked mode providing a fixed output speed and a second hydraulic pressure sweep to the hydraulic actuator is commanded, and a corresponding sweep of variator output torque is recorded during this sweep. A torque/pressure map is then constructed relating motor torque, motor speed ratio, and actuator pressure by scaling the sweep of motor speed ratios and the sweep of variator output torque. The resultant map is usable to provide feed forward torque control of the transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Lister, Chad T. Brickner
  • Patent number: 8755952
    Abstract: A system to reduce head-down time for a flight crew member is provided. The system includes a functional module that includes a set of screens used to receive and send controller pilot data link communications (CPDLC) messages between an aircraft and a ground-based system; a message composition screen communicatively coupled to the functional module; and a shortcut interface communicatively coupled to the functional module, wherein a shortcut prompt is displayed when one of a response timer expires or a negative uplink response message is received responsive to a previously-sent downlink request message, wherein an implementation of the shortcut interface generates a “when can we expect . . . ” message related to the previously-sent downlink request message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas F. McGuffin, Thomas D. Judd, Reetu Gupta
  • Patent number: 8751040
    Abstract: A system is configured to determine the performance of a braking system for a joint of a robot. The braking system is configured to apply a brake to the joint and a servo system is configured to apply a torque to the joint. The system measures performance data at the joint, identifies a performance parameter, and defines performance regions and limits that are used to evaluate the performance parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: James W. Wells, Gary Lee Snavely, Roland J. Menassa
  • Patent number: 8738254
    Abstract: A non-synchronous automatic transmission up-shift control utilizes input torque measurements. The input torque is measured during an up-shift having preparatory, torque, and inertia phases. Target input torque profiles for the torque and inertia phases are determined based on the input torque during the preparatory phase. During the torque phase, an engine torque is controlled to cause the input torque to achieve the target profile for the torque phase. During the inertia phase, the on-coming clutch is controlled to cause the input torque to achieve the target profile for the inertia phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Seung Hoon Lee, Yuji Fujii, Bradley Dean Riedle, Gregory Michael Pietron, Diana Yanakiev, Joseph F. Kucharski, Hongtei Eric Tseng
  • Patent number: 8738249
    Abstract: A synchronous automatic transmission up-shift control utilizes input torque measurements. The input torque is measured during an up-shift having preparatory, torque, and inertia phases. Target input torque profiles for the torque and inertia phases are determined based on the input torque during the preparatory phase. During the torque phase, an engine torque is controlled to cause the input torque to achieve the target profile for the torque phase. During the inertia phase, an on-coming clutch is controlled to cause the input torque to achieve the target profile for the inertia phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yuji Fujii, Bradley Dean Riedle, Seung Hoon Lee, Gregory Michael Pietron, Diana Yanakiev, Joseph F. Kucharski, Nimrod Kapas, Hongtei Eric Tseng
  • Patent number: 8738224
    Abstract: A steering wheel system for use with a vehicle includes, but is not limited to, a steering wheel having a rim. A touch sensitive member covers the rim. The touch sensitive member detects first and second gestures on the rim and generates a first electronic signal when the first gesture is detected and generates a second electronic signal when the second gesture is detected. A processor is communicatively coupled to the touch sensitive member and is configured to be operatively coupled to a first subsystem and a second subsystem. The touch sensitive member is further configured to send the first electronic signal and the second electronic signal to the processor and the processor is further configured to send a first command to the first subsystem after receiving the first electronic signal and to send a second command to the second subsystem after receiving the second electronic signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Claudia V. Goldman-Shenhar
  • Patent number: 8731816
    Abstract: A method for classifying objects into obstacles and non-obstacles for a vehicle is described. The vehicle comprises a sensor for covering the surroundings that detects stationary and moving objects in a scene in front of a vehicle. Where required, the path of the motion of the objects is tracked. The method provides one or several observers, wherein one observer classifies an object according to predetermined features and contributes to an overall classification result when there are several observers. An observer detects the path of the motion of vehicles in the surroundings of at least one stationary object and classifies the stationary object in dependence thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Philippe Dintzer, Tobias Stephan, Martin Randler, Nele Hanel
  • Patent number: 8718843
    Abstract: A control method for an industrial vehicle can appropriately set a charge amount for a battery, and an industrial vehicle are provided. The control method includes an estimation step that estimates the charge rate of a battery by calculating the current that is charged to the battery and the current that is discharged from the battery; a charge amount determining step that determines the charge amount of the battery based on the estimated charge rate; a correction amount determining step that determines the charge power that is necessary for motors to generate the determined charge amount as a correction amount for the power that is supplied by the engine; and an addition step that adds the charge power to the supplied power of the engine that has been determined based on the state of the traveling and load-handling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kubota, Tomohiro Akaki, Kensuke Futahashi
  • Patent number: 8704700
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing passive bird-strike avoidance. A passive L-band receiver system is located on an aircraft. The system includes a processor and an antenna having an array of four or more elements. The antenna configured to receive L-band signals. The processor receives the L-band signals from the antenna, determines if the received L-band signals indicate a target, determines distance, direction of travel and speed of any determined targets, determines if the target is a flock of birds based on the determined speed and determines if a hazard condition exists based on the distance, direction and speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: David C. Vacanti
  • Patent number: 8694237
    Abstract: Present novel and non-trivial system, apparatus, and method for generating airport hot spot information system are disclosed. A navigation data source and an airport surface data source provide navigation data and airport surface data to a hot spot information generator (“HSIG”). The hot spot data is representative of locations of vertices corresponding to at least one airport hot spot. The HSIG determines the distance between ownship and each vertex of the vertices, and generates advisory alert data if a threshold advisory parameter has been breached; the threshold advisory parameter is a threshold advisory distance and/or a threshold advisory time, and both are configurable by a manufacturer and/or an end-user. The advisory alert data is provided to a presentation system in which a visual alert and/or an aural alert is presented to the pilot on a visual display unit and/or through an aural alert unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: John W. Romine, III
  • Patent number: 8682518
    Abstract: A shift control system for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as power sources, may include a driving condition detector which detects whether a kick-down shift-request occurs, and a hybrid control unit which determines a motor rotation speed of a target shift-speed when the kick-down shift-request may be detected, determines whether the motor rotation speed satisfies a required torque, and executes a kick-down shift in EV (ElectircVehicle) mode or in HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) mode according to a condition that the motor rotation speed satisfies the required torque or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Byeong Wook Jeon
  • Patent number: 8676439
    Abstract: An information processing adapter for an on-board diagnostic (OBD) includes an input connector inserted into a socket of the OBD, a circuit board connected to the input connector and a first output connector connected to the circuit board. The circuit board has a controller area network (CAN) transceiver and a microcontroller. The adapter gets vehicle driving information through the input connector and transmits to the microcontroller through the CAN transceiver to perform interpretation and format conversion, then sends the converted vehicle driving information to an external electronic device through the first output connector. With the format of vehicle driving information converted by the adapter, the information can be directly displayed or stored in various electronic devices without specific specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Sung Jung Minute Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wen-Huo Huang
  • Patent number: 8666573
    Abstract: A shift control system for a hybrid vehicle having an engine and a motor as power sources may include a driving condition detector which detects whether a kick-down shift-request occurs in EV (Electric Vehicle), and a hybrid control unit which changes a driving mode from the EV (Electric Vehicle) mode to HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) mode by connecting an engine clutch when the kick-down shift-request may be detected and an engine may be operated, and executes a kick-down shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Byeongwook Jeon
  • Patent number: 8660727
    Abstract: An electric drive apparatus includes a controller for controlling an electric motor and a continuously-variable transmission connected with the motor. The controller controls the motor and the continuously-variable transmission in a first control mode to control the transmission ratio of the continuously-variable transmission to a predetermined fixed ratio so as to hold the transmission ratio at the fixed ratio, and to control the motor to achieve the demand motor torque when a demand motor operation point determined from a predetermined assumed ratio is within a predetermined operation range, and to control the motor and the continuously-variable transmission in a second control mode to vary the transmission ratio and to control the motor to achieve a desired driving torque for a driven member driven by the motor when the demand motor operation point is not within the predetermined operation range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: JATCO Ltd
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Katou
  • Patent number: 8630779
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Navteq B.V.
    Inventors: Kevin Moran, Robert Denaro