Patents Examined by Hongye Liang
  • Patent number: 11618532
    Abstract: An electromechanical control system for a bicycle has a switch device, the switch device operating a switch between at least three positions. A control communication device transmits signals responsive to operation of the switch. The electromechanical control system includes an operation device configured to respond to signals transmitted by the control communication device. Signals transmitted by the control communication device include commands to listen and commands to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventor: Brian Jordan
  • Patent number: 11583153
    Abstract: A mobile robot that includes a control system, a task execution system and a drive system, the control system configured to monitor the task execution system and drive system, wherein the control system comprises an error detection unit, the error detection unit configured to detect a first error in the task execution system and a second error in the drive system, and further configured to determine that a third error has occurred if it detects the first error and the second error at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Maximilian John Britain, William Matthew Wakeling, Christopher John Ord
  • Patent number: 11561558
    Abstract: Provided in this disclosure is a system and methods for wind compensation of an electric aircraft. More specifically, provided in this disclosure is a controller of an aircraft configured to use a plant model for compensating for wind forces. The processor is configured to receive, from the sensor, at least a geographical datum of the electric aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventor: Collin Freiheit
  • Patent number: 11555710
    Abstract: A method for generating energy-optimized travel routes for a motor vehicle includes one or more of the following: receiving an origin destination (OD) of the motor vehicle and an encrypted energy consumption database of the motor vehicle; generating N candidate routes for the OD; evaluating encrypted energy consumption over a route using an encrypted energy consumption database; applying at least one of homomorphic addition function or homomorphic multiplication function to the encrypted energy consumption data; and returning N candidate routes and their encrypted energy consumption to a client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Bharatkumar Hegde, Chen-Fang Chang
  • Patent number: 11513533
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for belief space planning for multiple robots at an initial belief state, for reducing belief space uncertainty, including receiving multiple, candidate, multi-robot paths, each including one or more pose constraints; generating a candidate factor graph for each candidate multi-robot path, and generating from each candidate factor graph a topology graph; calculating a signature metric from each topology graph, wherein the signature metric is one of a Von Neumann (VN) metric and a spanning tree (ST) metric; selecting a multi-robot path having the greatest signature metric from among the candidate, multi-robot paths; and instructing the multiple robots to proceed according to the selected multi-robot path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LIMITED
    Inventors: Andrej Kitanov, Vadim Indelman
  • Patent number: 11507087
    Abstract: A distributed integrated sensing and communication (DISC) module for an autonomous vehicle is described herein. The DISC module includes at least a first sensor system, a second sensor system, a processor, and memory. The first sensor system and the second sensor system are different types of sensor systems. The first sensor system outputs a first sensor signal, and the second sensor system outputs a second sensor signal. The DISC module can detect and track an object (or objects) based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal. Moreover, the DISC module can output data indicative of the object as detected. In the DISC module, the first sensor system, at least a portion of the second sensor system, the processor, and the memory are integrated on a single substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventor: Vason Srini
  • Patent number: 11507077
    Abstract: Product transport is facilitated by a processor(s) obtaining data related to a planned transport event, and analyzing the data to predict energy usage of a transport vehicle in performing the planned transport event, including transporting one or more transport containers. The processor(s) determine, based at least in part on the predicted energy usage, an energy source size for a transport container of the transport container(s) to be transported by the transport vehicle, and determine whether the transport vehicle is to proceed with the transport event. The determining whether to proceed is based, at least in part, on the processor(s) determining that an energy source of the determined energy source size is integrated within the transport container, with the integrated energy source being adapted in the container to contribute energy to the transport vehicle when the transport container is positioned within the transport vehicle for transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hyman David Chantz
  • Patent number: 11508241
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a vehicle may obtain a video stream via a camera system of the vehicle. The video stream may be processed to extract one or more feature vectors from the video stream. Based on the feature vectors extracted from the video stream, vehicle description information related to one or more parked vehicles in the parking area may be determined. Space information indicating locations of the parked vehicles relative to available parking spaces in the parking area may also be determined based on the feature vectors extracted from the video stream. A mapping of the parking area may then be generated based on the vehicle description information and the space information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Capital One Services, LLC
    Inventors: Qiaochu Tang, Micah Price, Jason Hoover, Avid Ghamsari, Geoffrey Dagley
  • Patent number: 11506510
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for identifying a confidence level of an autonomous driving system in an autonomous driving vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Zhiji Automotive Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Weilong Wang, Tao Liu, Jinpeng He
  • Patent number: 11492084
    Abstract: A stability controller includes a machine learning engine that outputs stabilizer settings to several on-board stabilizer systems of a vessel based on various inputs. The machine learning engine is first trained based on human selections of stabilizer system settings, and then, once suitably trained, the stability controller can be used to optimize the use and operation of the stabilizer systems as conditions change, based on a quantity or stability quality that the vessel operator desires to optimize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Inventor: Michael Hughes Bartlett
  • 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: 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: 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