Patents Examined by Hongye Liang
  • Patent number: 11485254
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling an interior configuration of a vehicle. The system may include an interior vehicle component; an actuator component configured to adjust/restrict movement of a physical configuration of the interior vehicle component; one or more sensors configured to collect data corresponding to a state of the vehicle, an action of the vehicle, and/or an internal or external environment of the vehicle; and one or more processors configured to receive sensor data and detect, by processing the sensor data, a vehicle accident condition. After the one or more processors detect the vehicle accident condition, the one or more processors may cause the actuator component to adjust the interior vehicle component from a first physical configuration to a second physical configuration, or may cause the actuator component to restrict movement of the interior vehicle component to a predetermined range of physical configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Scott T. Christensen, Brian M. Fields, Stephen R. Prevatt, Steve Roberson
  • Patent number: 11466435
    Abstract: A work machine (1) having a controller (40) that can perform area limiting control, the work machine further includes a machine control ON/OFF switch (17) that alternatively selects an ON position permitting execution of the area limiting control and an OFF position prohibiting execution of the area limiting control. The controller (40) has an engine control section (63) that performs automatic idling control when a predetermined period of time (T1) has elapsed after a point in time when all of operation levers (1, 23) have attained a neutral state. The engine control section (63) is configured to execute the automatic idling control during when the switch (17) is in the OFF position and not to execute the automatic idling control during when the switch (17) is in the ON position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shiho Izumi, Shuuichi Meguriya, Ryuu Narikawa, Kouji Ishikawa, Tarou Akita
  • Patent number: 11402223
    Abstract: Systems and methods of generating scenic routes and safe parking locations near scenic points are provided. Based at least in part upon a driver indication of a preference for a scenic route from an origin location to a destination location, a mobile device application may generate a scenic route by selecting route segments between the origin location and the destination location associated with a large number of scenic points. Scenic points may be identified based at least in part upon historical driver telemetry data and POI data. For instance, if historical telemetry data indicates that a large number of drivers stop briefly at a location not known to be near a POI, that location may be a scenic location (e.g., a location where drivers frequently leave their vehicles to take photos). Additionally, safe parking locations near each scenic point may be identified based at least in part upon historical vehicle damage data, and navigation directions to safe parking locations may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: BlueOwl, LLC
    Inventors: Patricia Grealish-Rust, Theobolt N. Leung, Kenneth Jason Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11400834
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling an interior configuration of a vehicle. The system may include an interior vehicle component, an actuator component configured to adjust a physical configuration of the interior vehicle component, an external communication component configured to collect driving environment data representing an external environment of the vehicle, and one or more processors configured to receive driving environment data and detect, by processing the driving environment data, an external driving condition. When the one or more processors detect the external driving condition, the one or more processors may cause the actuator component to adjust the interior vehicle component from a first physical configuration to a second physical configuration, or may cause the actuator component to restrict movement of the interior vehicle component to a predetermined range of physical configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Brian Mark Fields, Steve Roberson, Scott T. Christensen, Stephen R. Prevatt
  • Patent number: 11378961
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an obstacle is predicted to move from a starting point to an end point based on perception data perceiving a driving environment surrounding an ADV that is driving within a lane. A longitudinal movement trajectory from the starting point to the end point is generated in view of a shape of the lane. A lateral movement trajectory from the starting point to the end point is generated, including optimizing a shape of the lateral movement trajectory using a first polynomial function. The longitudinal movement trajectory and the lateral movement trajectory are then combined to form a final predicted trajectory that predicts how the obstacle is to move. A path is generated to control the ADV to move in view of the predicted trajectory of the obstacle, for example, to avoid the collision with the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Kecheng Xu, Jinghao Miao, Yajia Zhang
  • Patent number: 11338751
    Abstract: There is provided an occupant protection device for a vehicle, the occupant protection device including a side collision prediction device configured to predict a collision with a side of a host vehicle and output a prediction result including determination about whether or not the predicted collision is an inevitable collision, a physical quantity detection device configured to detect a physical quantity related to the collision with the side of the host vehicle and output a detection value of the physical quantity, an airbag device configured to expand to protect an occupant of the vehicle when the airbag device is operated, and an electronic control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Mase, Hisashi Hagiwara, Takashi Fujinami
  • Patent number: 11299112
    Abstract: The autonomous driving ECU includes a first communication unit that transmits and receives autonomous driving data to and from the plurality of data ECUs, and a vehicle control unit that controls a vehicle on the basis of the autonomous driving data transmitted from the plurality of data ECUs. Each data ECU includes a data construction unit that performs a construction of the autonomous driving data transmitted to the autonomous driving ECU, and a second communication unit that transmits and receives the autonomous driving data to and from the autonomous driving ECU. If a predetermined event occurs, among the data ECUs, the data construction unit of the data ECU in which the predetermined event occurs constructs the autonomous driving data so that a total amount of the autonomous driving data transmitted from the data ECU in which the predetermined event occurs is not greater than a predetermined amount of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Kitani, Hidetoshi Teraoka, Kohei Sakurai, Kenichi Osada, Mikio Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11294071
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a precise location including: a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles each having a first broadband signal module and a global position system GPS receiver attached thereonto and flying in the air; and a terminal provided at a location and determining the location by communication with the first broadband signal modules. In addition, a method for determining a precise location including: respective GPS receivers receiving GPS signals from artificial satellites and detecting locations of each of the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles, transmiting locations of the unmanned aerial vehicles and distances between the unmanned aerial vehicles and the terminal and determining a location of the terminal using information received from the first broadband signal modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: KOREA AEROSPACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Sung Hyuck Im, Moon Beom Heo, Eun Sung Lee
  • Patent number: 11279332
    Abstract: A braking force control apparatus is provided which has an upstream braking actuator for generating an upstream pressure common to four wheels, a downstream braking actuator individually controlling braking pressure supplied to braking force generating devices of the wheels using the upstream pressure, and a control unit. When the downstream braking actuator is abnormal and the upstream pressure can be supplied to the braking force generating devices, but a braking pressure of any one of the wheels cannot be normally controlled, the control unit selects a control mode on the pressure increasing side out of the front wheel control modes, selects a control mode on the pressure increasing side out of the rear wheel control modes, selects a control mode on the pressure decreasing side out of the two selected control modes as a prescribed control mode, and controls the upstream pressure in the prescribed control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidehisa Kato, Masahiro Hara, Yuji Yoshii
  • Patent number: 11281229
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and apparatus for outputting obstacle information. A specific embodiment of the method comprises: determining a candidate direction information set of a target obstacle point cloud; determining, for each piece of candidate direction information in the candidate direction information set, a target value of the target obstacle point cloud in a direction indicated by the candidate direction information based on the target obstacle point cloud and a smallest circumscribing rectangle of the target obstacle point cloud in the direction indicated by the candidate direction information; defining candidate direction information having a minimum target value in the candidate direction information set as direction information corresponding to the target obstacle cloud point; and outputting the direction information corresponding to the target obstacle cloud point, thereby improving the abundance of content of outputted obstacle information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: APOLLO INTELLIGENT DRIVING TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yiyuan Cheng, Yu Ma, Jun Wang
  • Patent number: 11269346
    Abstract: A control system uses visual odometry (VO) data to identify a position of the vehicle while moving along a path next to the row and to detect the vehicle reaching an end of the row. The control system can also use the VO image to turn the vehicle around from a first position at the end of the row to a second position at a start of another row. The control system may detect an end of row based on 3-D image data, VO data, and GNSS data. The control system also may adjust the VO data so the end of row detected from the VO data corresponds with the end of row location identified with the GNSS data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: AGJUNCTION LLC
    Inventors: Tommy Ertboelle Madsen, Anant Sakharkar
  • Patent number: 11247552
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods disclosed provide for receiving internal hybrid vehicle information, external static information, and external dynamic information; determining a propulsion power for the hybrid vehicle at a particular location at a particular time based on at least one of the internal hybrid vehicle information, the external static information, and the external dynamic information, and wherein in response to the determined potential propulsion power, predicting a shift event at the particular location at the particular time; determining a current state of charge of a battery, wherein the battery is operatively coupled to an electric motor in the hybrid vehicle; and managing the state of charge of the battery at the particular location at the particular time based on the current state of charge and the determined propulsion power to eliminate the need for the potential shift event at the particular location at the particular time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Cummins, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth M. Follen, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Vivek A. Sujan, Pinak Jayant Tulpule, Mugdha S. Sane
  • Patent number: 11247678
    Abstract: A method for operating a motor vehicle having partial/full autonomous driving, having a plurality of wheels, a drive system for producing a drive torque at at least one of the wheels, and a brake system for producing at least one holding force for holding still at least one of the wheels, a rotational speed sensor being allocated to at least one of the wheels, which sensor produces a respective signal pulse for each of a plurality of positions of angular rotation of the associated wheel, a specifiable driving maneuver being performed as a function of the produced signal pulses. For a short path driving process starting from a standstill, the brake force is reduced until the rotational speed sensor produces a first signal pulse, and is then held at least temporarily constant until a specified number of signal pulses is produced, and subsequently is increased up to the holding force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Bettina Crepin, Leo Michels, Thomas Brettschneider, Toni Frenzel
  • Patent number: 11242132
    Abstract: One example aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for assessing input. The method can include determining a state of the aerial vehicle. The method can include obtaining data indicative of an expected operator input based on the determined state. The method can include obtaining data indicative of an actual operator input. The method can include determining a state of operator behavior based on the expected operator input and the actual operator input. The method can include determining a control action for the aerial vehicle based on the determined state of the aerial vehicle and the determined state of the operator behavior. The method can include implementing the control action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Inventor: George R. Henderson
  • Patent number: 11242228
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of moving a load using a crane comprising the steps: defining an origin coordinate system in the crane; defining at least one obstacle coordinate system that is fixedly linked to a deployment location of the load movement; establishing a relationship of the at least one obstacle coordinate system with the origin coordinate system; predefining a travel path of the hook block, preferably with the suspended load, with the aid of the at least one obstacle coordinate system; and converting the travel path from the obstacle coordinate system into actuator controls of the crane for a corresponding movement of the hook block, preferably with the suspended load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH
    Inventor: Andreas Hartmann
  • Patent number: 11203379
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for disturbance feedforward compensation technique for improving the disturbance rejection properties of a closed loop position control system using a cascaded control structure with an inner velocity and outer position control loops. According to one or more embodiments, a system includes a position controller that receives an input rack-position command, and a measured rack-position, and computes a velocity command based on a difference in the input rack-position command and the measured rack-position. The system further includes a velocity controller that receives the velocity command, and a measured motor velocity, and computes an input torque command based on a difference in the velocity command and the measured motor velocity. The system adjusts a position of a rack by generating an amount of torque corresponding to the applying the input torque command to a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Kai Zheng, Mariam Swetha George, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Patent number: 11203333
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a trailer parking brake status indicator in a tractor is provided that allow an operator to deactivate the indicator when the tractor is operating without a trailer using a pre-existing operator interface. The apparatus includes means for determining whether a trailer is coupled to the tractor and a controller configured to execute, when a determination whether the trailer is coupled to the tractor cannot be made, a process for controlling activation and deactivation of the indicator. The process includes determining whether a speed of the tractor meets a predetermined condition relative to a predetermined speed. The process further includes monitoring, after determining that the speed of the tractor meets the predetermined condition relative to the predetermined speed, for an activation command to activate a parking brake on the trailer. The process further includes deactivating the trailer parking brake status indicator responsive to the activation command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: Andrew L. Kennedy, Christopher H. Hutchins, Daniel P. Zula, Girish Barade, Thomas J. Weed, Linda J. Burns, Rebecca J. Carter
  • Patent number: 11193784
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to providing an end of trip sequence when a vehicle is nearing its destination. One or more computing devices may generate and display a video indicating a projected trajectory of the vehicle and objects detected by sensors on the vehicle, on a map corresponding to a route the vehicle is currently following, where the video is generated from a perspective of a virtual camera at a default position and default pitch A determination that the vehicle has reached a threshold relative to the route of the vehicle may be made and the position and pitch of the virtual camera may be adjusted to an updated position above the vehicle and a perspective which looks downwards towards a roof of the vehicle. The video may then be generated and displayed from the perspective of the virtual camera at the updated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Nirmal Patel, Maria Moon, Peter Crandall, Ryan Powell, Hans-olav Cavelie, Matthew Hall
  • Patent number: 11193245
    Abstract: A machine train is composed of a road milling machine that travels in front and a road finisher that travels behind. The road milling machine has a profile data determining device configured so that a sequence of height profile data describing the height of the road surface in the longitudinal direction is determined while the road milling machine advances. For transmission of the height profile data, a data transmission device is provided on the road milling machine and a data receiving device is provided on the road finisher. To change the position of the screed, the road finisher has a levelling device that comprises at least one actuator and a control unit, which is configured so that the control unit generates a control signal for controlling the at least one actuator in accordance with a height profile data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Inventors: Christoph Menzenbach, René Müller, Cyrus Barimani
  • Patent number: 11168993
    Abstract: A method includes determining a first route from a first location to a second location using a first map that includes first map elements. The first route includes a series of the first map elements. The method also includes determining a second route from the first location to the second location using a second map by matching the series of the first map elements from the first route to second map elements from the second map. The method also includes monitoring a current location of a device, determining that the current location of the device does not correspond to any of the first map elements from the series of the first map elements, and determining a third route from the current location of the device toward the second location using the second map in response to determining that the current location does not correspond to any of the first map elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Mikhail Tsoupko-Sitnikov, Lukas M. Marti