Patents Examined by James J Lee
  • Patent number: 11702223
    Abstract: A system including a module for collecting vibration signals, a module for filtering the signals, a module for verifying whether the signals preserved by the filtering module correspond to signals representative of a set of flight conditions of the aircraft that are listed in a reference database, a module for identifying sources of vibration, a module for requesting a maneuver to be carried out by a pilot depending on the identified sources of vibration, a module for deciding, using a predefined decision tree, whether the preceding modules should be implemented again, and a module for transmitting a vibration report to a user device. The system allows assistance to be given, to the pilot, with the generation of a vibration report, and assistance to be given with maintenance of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Thien Phu Vo Hoang, Pierrick Ollivier
  • Patent number: 11697426
    Abstract: An in-vehicle system includes: an autonomous driving system device that is mounted in a vehicle and implements autonomous driving of the vehicle; an autonomous driving controller that is configured to control the autonomous driving system device to perform a control related to the autonomous driving of the vehicle; a first network that connects the autonomous driving system device and the autonomous driving controller with a protocol conversion unit interposed therebetween so as to perform communication with each other by using a plurality of different protocols; and a second network that connects the autonomous driving system device and the autonomous driving controller without the protocol conversion unit interposed therebetween so as to perform communication with each other by using a single protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuya Fujihira, You Yanagida
  • Patent number: 11699308
    Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of receiving, by a diagnostic center, malfunction information related to a transport, acquiring, by a diagnostic center, agreements on a threshold for the malfunction information from a plurality of diagnostic centers, in response to the malfunction information exceeding the threshold, storing the malfunction information on a remote storage, and deleting the malfunction information from the transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Joshua C. Batie, Louis Brugman
  • Patent number: 11697510
    Abstract: An aircraft system monitors health of passive safety brakes on a plurality of auxiliary lift wing devices of an aircraft wing. The wing includes an actuator driveline, and a plurality of actuators are secured to the driveline for extending and retracting the auxiliary lift wing devices. Each actuator incorporates a passive safety brake, and a flight computer enables the actuators to synchronously extend and retract the auxiliary lift wing devices. Torque sensors are fixed to the actuator driveline, each torque sensor being positioned adjacent an actuator for sensing static torque values at that actuator location. When an aerodynamic load acting on any one extended auxiliary lift wing device creates a higher static torque value at one actuator location relative to others, the aircraft system generates a warning signal and/or message to indicate occurrence of a potential safety brake failure within the one actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Krismarc Manguera Buenvenida
  • Patent number: 11691646
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for activating a flood event warning are described herein. In the context of a method, a location may be identified as a flood prone location. Data relating to the flood prone location may be received from one or more remote devices. The method may determine a flood confidence for the flood prone location based upon the data. The method may identify an active flood event for the flood prone location based on the flood confidence and cause a flood event warning to be activated in an instance in which the active flood event is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.
    Inventors: Alex Averbuch, Kun Lee, Leon Stenneth
  • Patent number: 11691511
    Abstract: Redundant vehicle controls based on user presence and position are disclosed herein. A method can include determining a presence and a position of a driver in a sensing zone of a vehicle using a sensor platform integrated into the vehicle. The sensing zone is associated with a primary driving interface of the vehicle. Determining when the position of the driver indicates that the driver is not in a fully-seated position relative to a driver's seat of the vehicle, and that the vehicle is in a non-seated drive mode where the driver is permitted to operate the vehicle while not being in the fully-seated position. Activating a secondary driving interface of the vehicle when the driver is not in a fully-seated position and the vehicle is in the selected driving mode. The secondary driving interface can be used in combination with the primary driving interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan Edwin Hanson, Pietro Buttolo, John Robert Van Wiemeersch
  • Patent number: 11685288
    Abstract: Presented are control systems for operating rechargeable electrochemical devices, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles with intelligent battery charging and charging behavior feedback capabilities. A method of operating a rechargeable battery includes an electronic controller receiving battery data from a battery sensing device indicative of a battery state of charge (SOC). Using this battery data, the controller determines a number of low SOC excursions at which the battery SOC is below a predefined low SOC threshold and a number of high SOC excursions at which the battery SOC exceeds a predefined high SOC threshold. The controller then determines if the number of low SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable low excursions and/or the number of high SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable high excursions. If so, the controller responsively commands a resident subsystem to execute a control operation that mitigates degradation of the rechargeable battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michelle H. Wiebenga, Anil Bika, Wei Li, Mark W. Verbrugge, Charles W. Wampler, Chaitanya Sankavaram
  • Patent number: 11685410
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle for automated driving with automated longitudinal guidance, wherein when automated longitudinal guidance is active in an automatic mode, automated longitudinal guidance is brought about taking into account a predefinable setpoint speed. The system includes a first detection unit, configured to detect a defined stationary state situation which is set on the basis of a preceding automated braking process of the motor vehicle to the stationary state, a second detection unit, configured to detect accelerator pedal activation, and an evaluation and control unit, configured to actuate a manual mode when actuator pedal activation is detected during a defined stationary state situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Florian Kohlhuber
  • Patent number: 11679745
    Abstract: The present embodiment relates to a vehicle control apparatus or a rear-end collision avoidance apparatus, and may optimally set a reactivation condition for performing reactivation of a rear emergency braking function based on whether an engine operates after the rear emergency braking function is deactivated by a driver's braking input in an operation such as backward parking or the like, a vehicle speed and vehicle traveling distance after the rear emergency braking function is deactivated, a separation distance from an initial stoppage position to an obstacle after the rear emergency braking function is deactivated, and the like, thereby securing both convenience and safety of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: HL Klemove Corp.
    Inventor: Hyeongmin Woo
  • Patent number: 11679787
    Abstract: A method for controlling autonomous driving in an autonomous vehicle includes detecting an autonomous driving-related critical situation during the autonomous driving, outputting a notification message requesting a control-right handover from an autonomous driving system to a human driver when the autonomous driving-related critical situation is detected, and activating a minimal risk maneuver (MRM) driving mode to deactivate the autonomous driving system when the control-right handover is not successful. In particular, when the minimal risk maneuver (MRM) driving mode is activated, the deactivated state of the autonomous driving system is maintained until an engine-restart of the autonomous vehicle is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hee Kyung Kim, Jin Su Jeong, Jae Yong Jeon
  • Patent number: 11674287
    Abstract: A controller obtains topographical data indicative of the topography of a work site. The controller obtains material data indicative of the position of a material. The controller computes an evaluation function based on the material data for each of a plurality of candidates of the travel path to be decided from the topographical data. The evaluation function includes a material function pertaining to an amount of the material. The controller decides a candidate having a smallest evaluation function of the plurality of candidates as the travel path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Masami Hirayama, Jose Guivant, Jayantha Katupitiya, Mark Whitty
  • Patent number: 11676429
    Abstract: A computer can be programmed to determine that an impact to a wheel of a vehicle exceeds an impact severity threshold and transmit a message describing the impact via a vehicle communications network. An electronic controller can be programmed to make an adjustment to monitoring the component based on receiving the message in the electronic controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Smruti Panigrahi, Devon Eyerman, Colm Boran, Dexin Wang
  • Patent number: 11676488
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for determining an attribute of an object at a pre-determined time point. Data representing a respective property of the object and a plurality of further objects at a plurality of time points different from the pre-determined time point are determined, and the data is arranged in an image-like data structure. The image-like data structure has a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows. The data is arranged in the image-like data structure such that each of one of the rows or the columns corresponds to respective properties of the object or of one of the plurality of further objects and each of the other of the rows or the columns corresponds to respective properties at one of the plurality of time points. The attribute is then determined using a pre-determined rule based on the image-like data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Kun Zhao, Michael Arnold
  • Patent number: 11663863
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for operating a rotorcraft comprising a plurality of engines configured to provide motive power to the rotorcraft. The rotorcraft is operated in a first flight regime. A target output power range for at least one of the plurality of engines is determined, the target output power range associated with operating the rotorcraft in a second flight regime different from the first flight regime in which at least one first engine of the plurality of engines is operated in an active mode to provide motive power to the rotorcraft and at least one second engine of the plurality of engines is operated in a standby mode to provide substantially no motive power to the rotorcraft. A graphical representation of the target output power range for the second flight regime is produced via a flight display in a cockpit of the rotorcraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Patrick Manoukian, Philippe Beauchesne-Martel, Stephen Mah
  • Patent number: 11661090
    Abstract: The apparatus for automated driving includes a processor configured to: determine whether a change of a travel condition or a controller of a vehicle that is being automatically driven is necessary; when the change is necessary, detect a predetermined feature that is visible to a driver, predetermined notification that is recognizable to the driver, or a predetermined situation around the vehicle; and when the feature, the notification or the situation is detected, control the vehicle so as to make the change, or notify the driver of the change with a notifying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Suzuka Kondo, Ryo Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11654937
    Abstract: A reporting device includes an emergency reporting section that sends, to a response system via a communication control section, first emergency information including at least one of no-occupant information indicating that no occupant is present in a moving body and autonomous driving mode setting information indicating that the moving body is set in an autonomous driving mode when recognizing that a shock has occurred in the moving body based on shock occurrence information while it is recognized by a driving mode recognizing section that the moving body is set in the autonomous driving mode and it is recognized by an occupant recognizing section that no occupant is present in the moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Suguru Yoshida, Noriyuki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11656622
    Abstract: An amusement park system in accordance with present embodiments includes multiple separated park areas, an autonomous vehicle configured to drive along ground surfaces within the multiple separated park areas, and a gondola system configured to transport the autonomous vehicle between the multiple separated park areas. The amusement park system further includes a control system configured to operate the autonomous vehicle to engage with and disengage from the gondola system to facilitate transport of the autonomous vehicle by the gondola system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventor: Keith Michael McVeen
  • Patent number: 11654936
    Abstract: A configuration for controlling safe switching of automatic driving and manual driving includes a driver information acquisition unit that acquires driver information of a movement device such as an automobile, an environmental information acquisition unit that acquires environmental information of the movement device, and a safety determination unit that receives, as an input, the driver information and the environmental information, and learns and calculates a safety index value indicating whether or not a driver in the movement device during automatic driving is in a state of being able to perform safe manual driving. The safety determination unit further estimates a manual driving recovery available time including a time required until the driver in the movement device during the automatic driving becomes able to start the safe manual driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: SONY CORPORATION, SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Yamamoto, Eiji Oba
  • Patent number: 11654939
    Abstract: In an autonomous driving apparatus and method, the apparatus includes a sensor unit, an output unit, a memory, and a processor configured to control the autonomous driving of an ego vehicle based on a map information stored in the memory. The processor generates an actual driving trajectory and an expected driving trajectory of a surrounding vehicle around the ego vehicle based on driving information of the surrounding vehicle detected by the sensor unit and the map information and controls one or more of the driving of the ego vehicle and provides communication with an external organization, based on a state of a passenger detected by the sensor unit when an autonomous driving mode of the ego vehicle is turned off, and based on an autonomous driving risk of the ego vehicle determined based on a trajectory error between the actual driving trajectory and expected driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byeong Hwan Jeon, Jun Han Lee, Hyuk Lee, Soon Jong Jin
  • Patent number: 11648965
    Abstract: A method of determining a trajectory for an autonomous vehicle is disclosed. An ego-vehicle may detect a moving actor in an environment. To choose between candidate trajectories for the ego-vehicle, the system will consider the cost of each candidate trajectory to the moving actor. The system will use the candidate trajectory costs for the candidate trajectories to select one of the candidate trajectories via which to move the ego-vehicle. An autonomous vehicle system of the ego-vehicle may then move the ego-vehicle in the environment along the selected trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher Cunningham, Neal Seegmiller, Mark Ollis, Andrew T. Hartnett, G. Peter K. Carr, Constantin Savtchenko