Patents Examined by Jack Keith
  • Patent number: 7917270
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle electronic stability control (“ESC”) system utilizing values for a variable obtained from a primary source and a redundant source includes the steps of receiving a first value for the variable from the primary source, receiving a second value for the variable from the redundant source, generating a normalized value as a function of the first value and the second value, determining whether the primary source is operating correctly, utilizing the first value for operation of the vehicle ESC system if the primary source is operating correctly, and utilizing the second value for operation of the vehicle ESC system if the primary source is not operating correctly and the second value is not greater in absolute value than the normalized value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kerfegar K. Katrak, Hualin Tan, David M. Sidlosky, Theresa M. Kondel
  • Patent number: 7917267
    Abstract: In order to determine an optimized upshift point, it is proposed that a control circuit, on the basis of a current engine operating point (TQCUR;N) calculates a new engine operating point (TQNEW; NNEW) produced when shifting up at approximately the same vehicle speed, wherein the current engine operating point is determined as the optimized upshift point if the calculated new engine operating point is below a preset upper torque limit (TQ_MAX_LIM) and is at the same time above a preset lower engine speed limit (N_MIN_x+1) for the higher gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Aigner, Laurent Bailliard, Gerhard Schopp
  • Patent number: 7912597
    Abstract: In an on-vehicle network diagnosis system, a master data storage stores master data, which includes reference connection information of a plurality of electronic control apparatuses with respect to an on-vehicle network. Current connection information of the plurality of electronic control apparatuses with respect to the on-vehicle network is obtained based on a response, which is transmitted from the plurality of electronic control apparatuses in reply to a response request. A validity of a connecting state of the plurality of electronic control apparatuses relative to the on-vehicle network is diagnosed by comparing the current connection information with the master data and thereby determining whether the current connection information matches with the master data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsuo Yamada
  • Patent number: 7911878
    Abstract: A walkaway VSP survey is carried out with receivers located in a borehole near the base salt. Reflection tomographic inversion of data from the walkaway VSP is used to derive a velocity model for the subsurface and may be used for imaging of sub-salt reflections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Xiaomin Zhao, Min Lou, James C. Jackson
  • Patent number: 7912630
    Abstract: A system for communicating between networked applications and vehicles that includes a vehicle response server and a vehicle response agent. The vehicle response server can manage communications between at least one vehicle and at least one application remotely located from the vehicle, wherein the application can provide activation contexts to the vehicle. The vehicle response agent can be disposed in the vehicle. The vehicle response agent can receive the activation contexts and determine event occurrences based in part upon the activation contexts and in part upon a location of the vehicle relative to previously defined geographical boundaries specified by the vehicle response server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Neal J. Alewine, Jonathan L. Gabel, Joseph G. Rusnak, Anthony W. Wrobel, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7911877
    Abstract: Passive suppression of casing signals is used to improve the ability to measure formation velocities. Passive suppression includes the use of a magnet slidably coupled to the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas J. Patterson, Xiao Ming Tang, Alexei Bolshakov
  • Patent number: 7912613
    Abstract: A riding type vehicle includes an automatic transmission capable of executing a shift change by a clutch actuator and a shift actuator. A clutch is controlled by the clutch actuator and is a multiplate clutch. The multiplate clutch is provided with bias member configured to enlarge a partial clutch engagement region of the clutch. The multiplate clutch is configured such that during shift change, both of the clutch actuator and the shift actuator are controlled to operate in overlapping manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Kosugi
  • Patent number: 7912632
    Abstract: A navigation system stores setting record information related to places designated as destination or reached place. The setting record information includes setting frequencies with which corresponding places were designated. A control unit searches a map database for places meeting a keyword inputted by a user and causes a display unit to present the places in the descending order of their corresponding setting frequencies in the stored setting record information. The user then selects as a destination a certain place from the presented places. The control unit stores the selected certain place to update the setting record information. Thus, the names of places meeting the keyword inputted are directly displayed in the descending order of the setting frequency with which they have been designated in the past. Therefore, the user need not perform an operation to hierarchically select a desired place by region or facility name.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuko Ohashi, Yoshinori Watanabe, Hidehiko Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7908077
    Abstract: A land use compatibility software module uses an existing suite of airport management programs to generate exception reports for FAA Part 77 land use compatibly surveys. Land use compatibility management is a manually intensive and time-consuming process. The noise officer may have to compute whether a proposed structure violates FAA's obstruction clearance criteria as set out in FAA's standard for obstacle clearance zones (Part 77). With these three-dimensional zone shapes entered into AirScene™, the user may enter lat/long and height data for potential obstructions, such as cellular telephone towers as mentioned in the above example. The system will plot the potential obstructions on the map and will determine whether or not the height and proposed position of the tower violates the FAA's obstruction criteria for that runway. The system may be used to generate “exception reports” for proposed structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander E. Smith, Jonathan C. Baldwin, Robert P. Blair, Thomas J. Breen
  • Patent number: 7908063
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided to execute synchronous shifting in a powertrain system having multiple torque-generative devices each operable to independently supply motive torque to the transmission device. The exemplary transmission device comprises a two-mode, compound-split, hybrid electro-mechanical transmission. Operation includes operating in an initial fixed gear ratio, operating the transmission in a mode operation, and, operating the transmission in a final fixed gear ratio. The control system reduces reactive torque of a clutch activating the initial gear, and deactivates the first torque-transfer device when the reactive torque is less than a predetermined value. It determines that speed of an input shaft to the transmission is substantially synchronized with a rotational speed of the second torque-transfer device, and actuates the second torque-transfer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jy-Jen F. Sah
  • Patent number: 7908045
    Abstract: A system and method for presenting an image of terrain threats are disclosed. Substantially transparent terrain symbols (color or monochrome) are depicted where each symbol is representative of a level of threat. Terrain symbols may overlay a weather image without a loss in information. A system is disclosed which comprises a navigation system, a terrain database, an image processor, and an indicating system. The navigation system acquires navigation data representative of aircraft position and direction; the database stores data of a plurality of cells; and the indicating system receives image data and presents symbols representative of the terrain image. The image processor receives navigation data defines a range of elevations of threat levels based upon the aircraft altitude, receives terrain data from the terrain database, determines the terrain threat of each cell, and provides an image representing the threat level and locations to the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick D. McCusker
  • Patent number: 7908042
    Abstract: A method for wirelessly communicating data between a plurality of avionics units on an aircraft and a data communication apparatus. The method includes wirelessly communicating download data for one avionics unit from the data communication apparatus to an aircraft data services link in the aircraft; automatically switching a communication path from the aircraft data services link to the avionics unit responsive to the download data; and electronically communicating the download data from the data communication apparatus to the avionics unit via the automatically switched communication path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Roger R Brinkley, Timothy M Mitchell, Jerry L Price, David R Lee
  • Patent number: 7904221
    Abstract: A vehicle has a drive control ECU that controls an internal combustion engine or a transmission on the basis of a target drive force. The drive control ECU has a first arbitrator that sets the target drive force on the basis of a driver's request and the like, and filters that have individually different damping characteristics and that correct the target drive force from the first arbitrator so that the vibration of a sprung weight of the vehicle is controlled, as well as a switch that includes a switching portion and a filter setting portion. The filter setting portion determines whether a pitching resonance frequency has changed. If having determined that the pitching resonance frequency has changed, the filter setting portion switches the filter having been used for correcting the target drive force to a filter corresponding to a post-change pitching resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Oikawa, Hideki Takamatsu, Shoji Inagaki, Kenji Kawahara, Yasuhiro Nakai
  • Patent number: 7904227
    Abstract: In an electric parking brake system, a first position (Park) is tentatively determined and also finally determined before the initial check is completed. Even when a second position is tentatively determined before the initial check is completed, the second position is finally determined after the initial check is completed. Then, a determination that the shift position has been changed is made. When a release command is issued based on the determination that the shift position has been changed, an electric motor is operated to release parking brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsukasa Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 7904224
    Abstract: A control-mode switching device includes: a plurality of actuators (2, 6, 7) that conduct different movement; driving means (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) that drive the actuators; a plurality of control levers (22a-22c) that command operation of the driving means; a plurality of limit switches (72a-72e) that detect arrival of the control levers to the proximity of an end of a control range; a mode judging means (controller 23) that judges whether a priority operation mode is taken or not in accordance with a combination of on/off conditions of the limit switches; and a drive controlling means (controller 23) that, when it is judged by the mode judging means that the priority operation mode is taken, controls the driving means so that an output of selected one or more of the driving means becomes larger than that in a normal mode or the power ratio as compared with the other driving means becomes larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Kanayama, Koutarou Sasano, Koichi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7898903
    Abstract: A combined probe includes a dilatometer probe, a gas conduit coupled to the dilatometer probe for providing a gas connection between the dilatometer probe and an external gas source, a wire located in the gas conduit for providing an electrical connection between the dilatometer probe and an external circuit, and a seismic module coupled to the wire located in the gas conduit to provide an electrical connection between the seismic module and the external circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventors: Silvano Marchetti, Diego Marchetti
  • Patent number: 7899586
    Abstract: A guidance system includes a device to generate an alphanumeric identification characteristic, enabling identification of a data item which is used for a selected guidance mode of an aircraft. The system also includes a display unit which automatically shows the alphanumeric identification characteristic on a display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Airbus France
    Inventors: Vincent Markiton, Eric Peyrucain, Lionel Bertin, Jean-Louis De Menorval
  • Patent number: 7894980
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and an apparatus for estimating real-time travel times or traffic loads (e.g., traffic flows or densities) over a transportation network based on limited real-time data. In one embodiment, a method for estimating a travel time over a transportation network comprising at least a first link and a second link includes receiving a data feed associated with a real-time traffic flow over the first link, estimating a first travel time over the first link based at least in part on the data feed, and estimating a second travel time over the second link, also based at least in part on the data feed. The method assumes that a real-time data feed is not available for the second link, and thus estimates the traffic flow over the second link based on the known traffic flow over the first link and other known data, such as historical traffic patterns and physical parameters of the transportation network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhen Liu, Laura Wynter, Li Zhang
  • Patent number: 7894961
    Abstract: A dump cycle counting system is provided for a work machine. The system may include a payload carrier configured to contain a payload of material and a dump actuator configured to effectuate dumping of the payload out of the payload carrier. The system may also include a controller configured to control actuation of the dump actuator and a dump control device operatively coupled to the controller. The system may further include a load counter configured to record at least one dump cycle based on a command state of at least one of the dump control device and the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Mark Robert Blackburn, Robert Todd, Roger Tansley
  • Patent number: 7894300
    Abstract: A method and system for fluid characterization in an underground formation surrounding a borehole are provided. Acoustic signals are transmitted and received in the borehole. The received acoustic signals are processed to obtain at least one attribute of formation mobility. Formation fluid is characterized based on a change of the at least one attribute. A decision is made based on the characterization output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Hawthorn, Lucian King Johnston, David Linton Johnson, Takeshi Endo, Henri-Pierre Valero