Patents Examined by Imran K Mustafa
  • Patent number: 11780424
    Abstract: In a vehicle control device, a switching hyperplane generation unit generates a switching hyperplane based on a travel state of a vehicle and cornering stiffness dependent on a travel surface state as a state of a road surface on which the vehicle travels. A deviation computation unit calculates a deviation between a target trajectory and an actual trajectory of the vehicle. A state estimation unit estimates a state to be controlled of the vehicle based on the deviation calculated by the deviation computation unit. A target steering angle and acceleration/deceleration computation unit calculates a target steering angle and a target acceleration/deceleration rate of the vehicle based on the switching hyperplane generated by the switching hyperplane generation unit and an estimated state as the state estimated by the state estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shota Kameoka
  • Patent number: 11772622
    Abstract: An aircraft includes a brake lever for receiving a pilot braking input as a lever travel of the brake lever, a braking wheel operatively coupled with the brake lever to brake the aircraft based on the lever travel, a brake actuator operatively coupled with the braking wheel to apply a braking force in response to a braking pressure provided to the brake actuator, and a brake pressure circuit. The brake pressure circuit is configured for: estimating a maximum braking pressure above which the braking wheel will skid with respect to a ground surface; scaling a lever gain of the brake lever to command the maximum braking pressure at a full travel of the brake lever such that a remaining brake lever travel indicates the amount of braking capability remaining for the aircraft; and braking the braking wheel based on the lever gain and the lever travel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas F. Landers
  • Patent number: 11772615
    Abstract: A vehicle control system installed on a vehicle includes: a driver abnormality detection device configured to detect abnormality of a driver of the vehicle; a vehicle control device configured to execute vehicle stop control that stops the vehicle and abnormality notification processing that activates a notification device, when the abnormality of the driver is detected; and an information acquisition device configured to acquire driving environment information including at least one of surrounding situation information indicating a situation around the vehicle, vehicle state information indicating a state of the vehicle, and driving operation information indicating a driving operation by the driver. The vehicle control device determines, based on the driving environment information, whether to continue or terminate the abnormality notification processing after termination of the vehicle stop control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kamada, Kenichiro Aoki, Taiyo Uejima
  • Patent number: 11753026
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a plurality of IC units, while maintaining the operational reliability. The vehicle control device includes an IC unit for performing image processing on outputs from cameras; an IC unit for performing recognition processing of an external environment of the vehicle; and an IC unit for performing judgment processing for cruise control of the vehicle. A control flow is provided so as to allow the IC unit to transmit a control signal to the IC units and. The control flow is provided separately from a data flow configured to transmit the output from the cameras, the image data, and the external environment data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignees: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Masato Ishibashi, Kiyoyuki Tsuchiyama, Daisuke Hamano, Tomotsugu Futa, Daisuke Horigome, Atsushi Tasaki, Yosuke Hashimoto, Yusuke Kihara, Eiichi Hojin, Arnaud Van Den Bossche, Ray Marshall, Leonardo Surico
  • Patent number: 11746504
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes a work implement. A control system for the work vehicle includes a controller. The controller acquires an end position and a target distance of work performed by a work vehicle. The controller determines, as a start position, a position that is away from the end position by the target distance. The controller generates a command signal to start work from the start position toward the end position and to operate the work implement according to a target design topography. The controller modifies the target distance based on a result of the work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihisa Takaoka, Kazuki Kure
  • Patent number: 11741759
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a controller for indicating a residual driving range available in a battery of an electric vehicle. The controller is operable in a first mode wherein it instructs the output means to display an output indicative of the total amount of energy remaining in the battery and a second mode wherein it instructs the output means to display an output indicative of an amount of energy that may be used without causing the total amount of energy stored in the battery to reduce below an amount required to undertake a predetermined journey. The controller is operable to switch from the first mode to the second mode upon receipt of a user input via said second input means. Advantageously, the second mode may display an amount of energy that can be used in a leisure driving session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED
    Inventors: Elliot Hemes, Sam Anker
  • Patent number: 11708082
    Abstract: A changing operation assisting apparatus includes a driving assistance control section, an operation section, and an information providing section. The driving assistance control section stores set states regarding driving assistance functions of a vehicle and provides the functions in accordance with the set sates. The set state includes a request state of the function. The operation section is used for changing the set state. The information providing section provides information regarding the set state to a driver of the vehicle. Further, the driving assistance control section executes a setting change confirmation processing upon satisfaction of a specific condition. The setting change confirmation processing is a process of providing confirmation information to confirm whether or not to change the request state of the function, and changing the request state of the function when the driver performs an approving operation in accordance with the confirmation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Nishida
  • Patent number: 11697413
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a signal processing IC unit that outputs image processing data; a recognition processing IC unit that performs recognition processing of the external environment of a vehicle to output external environment data obtained through the recognition processing; a judgment processing IC unit that performs judgment processing for cruise control of the vehicle; a power management unit capable of controlling an on or off state of a recognition function of the external environment of the vehicle in the recognition processing IC unit according to the conditions of the vehicle; and a bypass path for enabling data communications from the signal processing IC unit to the judgment processing IC unit without performing the recognition processing of the external environment of the vehicle by the recognition processing IC unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignees: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Eiichi Hojin, Kiyoyuki Tsuchiyama, Masato Ishibashi, Daisuke Hamano, Tomotsugu Futa, Daisuke Horigome, Atsushi Tasaki, Yosuke Hashimoto, Yusuke Kihara, Arnaud Van Den Bossche, Ray Marshal, Leonardo Surico
  • Patent number: 11699351
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for assisting in determining the best course of action at any point inflight for an emergency. The system may monitor a plurality of parameters including atmospheric conditions along the flight path, ground conditions and terrain, conditions aboard the aircraft, and pilot/crew data. Based on these parameters, the system may provide continually updated information about the best available landing sites or recommend solutions to aircraft configuration errors. In case of emergency, the system may provide a pilot with a procedure for execution for landing the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Otto Aero Company
    Inventors: Sean Patrick Suiter, Richard Andrew Kruse
  • Patent number: 11657721
    Abstract: A system and apparatus for assisting in determining the best course of action at any particular point inflight for any category of emergency. The system monitors a plurality of static and dynamic flight parameters including atmospheric conditions along the flight path, ground conditions and terrain, and conditions aboard the aircraft. Based on these parameters, the system may provide continually updated information about the best available landing sites or recommend solutions to aircraft configuration errors. In case of emergency, the system may provide procedure sets associated with a hierarchy of available emergency landing sites (or execute these procedure sets via the autopilot system) depending on the specific nature of the emergency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Otto Aero Company
    Inventors: Sean Patrick Suiter, Richard Andrew Kruse
  • Patent number: 11643080
    Abstract: A system for controlling platooning by a following vehicle includes a main body of the following vehicle. The system further includes a pressure sensor located in or on the main body and configured to detect a pressure corresponding to a pressure wake from a leading vehicle. The system further includes an electronic control unit (ECU) located in or on the main body, coupled to the pressure sensor, and configured to determine an optimal distance from the following vehicle to the leading vehicle based on the detected pressure. The optimal distance corresponding to a distance at which drag applied to the following vehicle is reduced based on the pressure wake from the leading vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Tenghua Shieh
  • Patent number: 11639177
    Abstract: Techniques are described for estimating road friction between a road and tires of a vehicle. A method includes receiving, from a temperature sensor on a vehicle, a temperature value that indicates a temperature of an environment in which a vehicle is operated, determining a first range of friction values that quantify a friction between a road and tires of a vehicle based on a function of the temperature value and an extent of precipitation in a region that indicate a hazardous driving condition, obtaining, from the first range of friction values, a value that quantifies the friction between the road and the tires of the vehicle, where the value is obtained based on a driving related behavior of the vehicle, and causing the vehicle to operate on the road based on the value obtained from the first range of friction values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Kun Zhang, Xiaoling Han, Weina Mao, Zehua Huang, Charles A. Price
  • Patent number: 11628845
    Abstract: A method and a device for driver state evaluation are provided. In a detection step, in a sensor-aided manner, a driver's viewing direction in a field of view defined relative to the vehicle is detected and a solid angle oriented to the viewing direction is determined depending on at least one parameter that influences the field of view. In an evaluation step, at least one object point of the three-dimensional surroundings of the driver is evaluated on the basis of the latter's position with respect to the solid angle determined and an attentiveness-related driver state is ascertained depending on this evaluation and is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Florian Bade, Martin Buchner, Julia Niemann
  • Patent number: 11616466
    Abstract: A current sensor state determination device determines that an abnormality is caused in a current sensor when a sum of phase currents based on current detection values from each of the current sensors in three phases is greater than a first determination value, and determines that no abnormality is caused in the current sensor when the sum of phase currents is equal to or less than the first determination value. The state determination device determines that the current sensor is normal when it is determined that (i) no abnormality is caused in a preset electric angle range equal to or less than one electric-angle cycle of the rotating electric machine and (ii) a value of an electric current flowing in the rotating electric machine in a rotating coordinates system calculated based on the current detection value is equal to or greater than a second determination value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Daisuke Kobayashi, Masaya Taki
  • Patent number: 11597364
    Abstract: A system calibrates a function of a tire friction of a vehicle traveling on a road from motion data including a sequence of control inputs to the vehicle that moves the vehicle on the road and a corresponding sequence of measurements of the motion of the vehicle moved by the sequence of control inputs. The system updates iteratively the probability distribution of the tire friction function until a termination condition is met, wherein, for an iteration, the system samples the probability distribution of the tire friction function, determines a state trajectory of the vehicle to fit the sequence measurements according to the measurement model and the sequence of control inputs according to the motion model including the sample of the tire friction function, and updates the probability distribution of the tire friction function based on the state trajectory of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Karl Berntorp
  • Patent number: 11590942
    Abstract: A braking force control apparatus has an upstream braking actuator for generating an upstream pressure common to four wheels, a downstream braking actuator individually controlling braking pressures 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 reduced, the control unit selects higher one of the target braking pressures of the left and right front wheels and higher one of the left and right rear wheels, determines lower one of the two selected target braking pressures as a backup target upstream pressure, and controls the upstream braking actuator such that the upstream pressure becomes the backup target upstream pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidehisa Kato, Masahiro Hara
  • Patent number: 11577707
    Abstract: Braking systems and methods for an autonomous vehicle are provided. Braking devices are associated with respective wheels of the autonomous vehicle. A hydraulic circuit is connected between a primary braking module (PBM) and the braking devices and connected between a secondary braking module (SBM) and the braking devices. One of a PBM electronic control unit and a SBM electronic control unit is configured to: in response to detecting a communications failure of the other braking module, apply a predetermined hydraulic pressure operation in the hydraulic circuit. The other of the PBM electronic control unit and the SBM electronic control unit is configured to identify, based on output from the at least one sensor, the predetermined hydraulic pressure operation being applied by the one of the PBM electronic control unit and the SBM electronic control unit, and select and execute a braking profile based thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Mohsen Mehdizade, Edward T. Heil
  • Patent number: 11578981
    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, wherein the first route includes a series of the first map elements from the first map. The method also includes matching the series of the first map elements from the first route to second map elements from a second map to define a subset of the second map elements, and determining a second route from the first location to the second location using the subset of the second map elements. The second route is constrained to the subset of the second map elements and the second route includes a series of the second map elements from the subset of the second map elements. The method also includes outputting information describing the second route for at least one of storage or display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Mikhail Tsoupko-Sitnikov, Lukas M. Marti
  • Patent number: 11577743
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving automated driving by testing for inputs during driving. In one embodiment, a method includes testing an input from a driver in a manual driving mode of a vehicle. The method also includes adapting a fixed time interval on a condition that a test result of the input satisfies criteria used to validate driver inputs. The method also includes monitoring, via an input system of the vehicle, for driver feedback according to the fixed time interval in an automated driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Urano, Kentaro Ichikawa, Junya Ueno
  • Patent number: 11565671
    Abstract: A method for monitoring an electric motor of a hydraulic brake system for a motor vehicle, wherein a first torque and a second torque are calculated and compared with one another. A fault can be detected on the basis of the comparison. The invention also relates to an associated electronic control module, to an associated hydraulic brake system and to an associated non-volatile computer-readable storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Inventors: Albert Cimpoesu, Bogdan Budianu, Eberhard Münz, Tom Kaufmann