Patents Examined by James Trammell
  • Patent number: 9286795
    Abstract: A system for sharing and processing road condition information includes a number of road condition information computer systems within individual vehicles or devices and a virtual road condition information server on a mobile network. The road condition information computer systems are each connected through a peer-to-peer radio, cellular, Wi-Fi, or other similar communications network, and which each operate with a database for displaying road maps, with a database storing average speed data for directions of travel along roadways, and with a location sensor used to determine the location and average speed of the vehicle or device, which are transmitted to other vehicles. The virtual server returns average speed data for road segments, which is displayed on the road maps. The system includes sharing average speed data calculated as well average speed data received from the plurality of vehicles to other vehicles, thereby enhancing the real-time communication of road condition data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Inventor: Dimitri Vorona
  • Patent number: 9278453
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sensing human muscle action and gestures in order to control machines or robotic devices are disclosed. One exemplary system employs a tight fitting sleeve worn on a user arm and including a plurality of electromyography (EMG) sensors and at least one inertial measurement unit (IMU). Power, signal processing, and communications electronics may be built into the sleeve and control data may be transmitted wirelessly to the controlled machine or robotic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Christopher Assad
  • Patent number: 9278672
    Abstract: A driving support apparatus is provided with a support control device configured to calculate, based on a remaining distance from a stop position at which a vehicle stops by stop indication of a first traffic signal located in a travel direction of the vehicle to a point of the first traffic signal, an estimated variation distance for a second traffic signal located in the travel direction of the vehicle after the first traffic signal, and create a target vehicle travel state obtained by changing timing to start stopping support at the second traffic signal based on the estimated variation distance; and a support device capable of outputting driving support information to support driving of the vehicle based on a target travel state quantity of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hirotada Otake
  • Patent number: 9278712
    Abstract: A method for determining a cutting trajectory that enables a curve section of a lane to be cut by a vehicle. In the method, information about the curve section is received, and the curve section is divided into at least one curve segment having a segment length and a start curvature, the curve segment being a straight-line segment or a circular arc segment or a curve segment whose curvature is a function of an arc length of the curve segment. This is followed by determination of a cutting trajectory from the at least one curve segment, so that, at a specific point of the curve section, the cutting trajectory has a predetermined offset relative to a center of the lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Lutz Buerkle, Michael Fischer, Thomas Maurer
  • Patent number: 9272713
    Abstract: A device, system and method for establishing, determining compliance and ongoing monitoring of a user in the operation of a machine based on predetermined restrictions. The system is useful for a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to comply with user restrictions in teen driving, the presence of passengers, time of day, curfew, range and location, speed, sobriety and the like, An ignition interlock is engaged if one or more sensors that monitor the presence of the vehicle operator, passengers inside the vehicle compartment, and other operational compliance parameters established for the vehicle is out of compliance, and disengaged if compliance is verified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Imperium Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Dvoskin
  • Patent number: 9275502
    Abstract: A driving information restoration system of a vehicle includes: a cluster configured to be operated in a receiving standby mode or transmit driving information stored therein to a diagnosis system depending on a comparison result of the driving information stored therein and driving information stored in controller, display hot key information received from the diagnosis system, transmit information input by a driver to the diagnosis system, and store the driving information received from the diagnosis system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jin Young Lee
  • Patent number: 9275550
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for implementing low-cost real-time or near real-time tracking of a plurality of vehicles operating in a confined area, including on an airport. A MESH-type of network is provided to allow for the deployment and integration of large numbers of low power (line of sight) radios. The disclosed systems and network architecture include vehicle-mounted integrated end-device radio/GPS/power/antenna units, fixed or mobile router/repeater devices and fixed network gateways/coordinator units with Internet connectivity that may communicate near real-time end device (vehicle) position/track information for display on a situational awareness display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Rolf R. Stefani, James Gary Cooper, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9275410
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating payment for online purchases is disclosed. The system allows consumers/customers who shop online to select, at the time of checkout, direct payment from an account as the payment option. An electronic bill (ebill), independent of any confidential financial information pertaining to the consumer, is automatically displayed and emailed to the consumer. The consumer pays the ebill at their bank the same way they pay their utility bill, which then results in a payment confirmation sent from the bank to the payee. Payment information from the bank is sent to the system to update the purchase transactions. Once the payment information is processed, the consumer and merchant accounts are balanced and both receive automatic notification of the payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: WESTERN UNION FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
    Inventor: Marwan Forzley
  • Patent number: 9266561
    Abstract: A method for adapting the boost factor of a steering system of a motor vehicle during tire pressure loss, in which the occurrence of a tire pressure loss is ascertained, the intensity of the pressure loss exceeding a specified threshold value, and in the presence of a pressure loss exceeding the threshold value, the boost factor of the steering system is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Marcus Wagner
  • Patent number: 9267802
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a navigation technology capable of enhancing convenience for a user in the cancellation of the designation of an interchange on a guide route. In order to achieve the object, a navigation device of the present invention includes: a route guide unit capable of presenting a guide route; and a re-routing unit that cancels the designation of an interchange based on detection of a predetermined condition including at least one of a first condition, a second condition and a third condition, and performs re-routing for the guide route. Then, the first condition is a predetermined number of re-routings on a general road, the second condition is entrance to the expressway from an interchange different from the designated entrance interchange, and the third condition is entrance to the general road from an interchange located before the designated exit interchange in a traveling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroki Ebina
  • Patent number: 9266532
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the driving dynamics of a vehicle, especially of a single-track or dual-track and vehicle. The driving dynamics of the vehicle are controlled by way of brake and/or engine intervention, notably depending on a change of the movement of the vehicle in the three-dimensional space and relative to the earth coordinate system and depending on the effective direction of gravity or the earth's gravitational pull. According to said method, the attitude or orientation and the position of the vehicle in three-dimensional space and relative to the earth coordinate system is determined by means of a satellite navigation system (GNSS) which comprises a receiver, mounted on/in the vehicle, having at least three antennas for reception of satellite navigation signals and an inertial measuring system (INS), mounted on/in the vehicle, for measuring all changes in the movement, position and/or attitude of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Inventors: Ute Marita Meissner, Rolf Meissner
  • Patent number: 9268310
    Abstract: A system monitors geographical information for location of an aircraft and supplies that information to a sunrise/sunset calculator that feeds location and sunrise/sunset data to a controller. The controller controls operation of a pinger, limiting its hours of operation to save battery power and extend the time period within which the pinger is audible. The hours of operation are pre-programmed to consist of a time range from sunrise to sunset or from a time after sunrise to a time before sunset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Inventor: H. Jay Spiegel
  • Patent number: 9266488
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining a type of collision of a vehicle includes: receiving acceleration information items, via a reception interface, representing the accelerations of the vehicle in a vehicle longitudinal direction and a vehicle transverse direction; determining a first resultant acceleration information item from a first and a second acceleration information item; determining a second resultant acceleration information item from a third and a fourth acceleration information item; combining the first and second resultant acceleration information items to obtain at least one evaluation information item; and determining the collision type based on the at least one evaluation information item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Gunther Lang, Arunkumar Montaganahalli Srinivasa-Murthy, Jochen Wieland, Jens Melchert, Philip Mayer
  • Patent number: 9267800
    Abstract: A system for assisting a driver of a biomechanically-driven vehicle having at least one wheel (R), such as a bicycle, includes a device (DET1) for determining the speed of the vehicle, another device (DET) for determining the heading of the vehicle, a magnetometer (M) with at least two measurement axes for supplying data to determine the heading of the vehicle, and a device for supplying information relating to a movement of the vehicle, based on the speed of the vehicle, the slope of the rolling surface, and the heading of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignees: MOVEA, COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Jérôme Doutaz, Stéphanie Riche, Thimothée Jobert
  • Patent number: 9266611
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to a method and apparatus to produce a flightplan for a sUAS. Embodiments can produce such a flightplan for a variety of environmental and/or geographical parameters. A specific embodiment produces an optimal flightplan based on one or more metrics and/or one or more assumptions or boundary conditions. Embodiments take in vehicle parameters and/or the properties of the sensor systems used for imaging, and compute a partial, or complete, flightplan. Such a flightplan can include altitude, airspeeds, flight paths encompassing the target area, and/or the direction and/or path to turn in-between flightlines. Embodiments can improve the flight planning procedure compared to a manual process, which can be completely dependent on the operator, to implement a partially, or totally, automated process. Specific embodiments can produce a flightplan that results in the optimal data collection path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Jeffrey Rambo
  • Patent number: 9261880
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method that control a vessel deviating from an anchorage using wide-range sensor-based spherical trigonometry. In the method, vessels anchored in an anchorage are monitored. The anchorage is defined as a group, and the group of the anchored vessels is managed. Leaving of a vessel, needing to deviate from the anchorage, from the group is controlled. If a vessel recognized as a vessel identical to one that left the group requests anchoring after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the anchoring-requesting vessel is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Dae-Hee Seo, Byung-Doo Kim, Do-Hyeung Kim, Seung-Hee Oh, Kwan-Tae Cho, Joong-Yong Choi, Ju-Young Kim, Byung-Gil Lee, Jung-Chan Na, Hyun-Sook Cho
  • Patent number: 9261371
    Abstract: Systems and methods of voice based personalized interactive evacuation guidance are provided. Some methods include receiving a notification about an occurrence of a predetermined event in a monitored region, responsive to receiving the notification, pairing with a fixed device in the monitored region, responsive to pairing with the fixed device, transmitting location identifying information to a remote wireless system, and receiving, from the remote wireless system, information identifying an optimal route from a current location. Some methods include receiving user input requesting an optimal route from location A to location B in a monitored region, transmitting the user input to the remote wireless system, and receiving, from the remote wireless system, information identifying the optimal route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Sasikumar S R, Ranjith Kumar P
  • Patent number: 9261601
    Abstract: Lane Boundary Estimation and Host Vehicle Position and Orientation, within the host lane estimation, using V2V (vehicle to vehicle) system, are discussed here. Lane boundary detection and tracking is essential for many active safety/ADAS application. The lane boundary position enables the tracking of the host vehicle position and orientation inside the lane. It also enables classifying in-lane, adjacent lanes, and other lanes vehicles. These two functionalities (lane boundary estimation and vehicle lane classifications) enable active safety applications (such as LDW, FCW, ACC, or BSD). It also enables the lateral control of the vehicle for lane keeping assist system, or for full lateral control for automated vehicle (automated for one or multiple lane changes).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SAVARI, INC.
    Inventor: Faroog Ibrahim
  • Patent number: 9260199
    Abstract: An aircraft data processing system includes a main transceiver, a data distributor, a plurality of data processors, and a display page maker. The main transceiver selectively receives aircraft data transmitted from a plurality of client aircraft and selectively transmits cockpit data to one or more client aircraft. The data distributor selectively receives the aircraft data received by the main transceiver and parses and distributes the aircraft data. The data processors receive a portion of the parsed aircraft data, process the aircraft data, and supply processed aircraft data. The display page maker receives the processed aircraft data from the plurality of processors and generates the cockpit data for selective transmission by the main transceiver to the one or more client aircraft. The cockpit data, when processed in a client aircraft, will render one or more images representative of at least portions of the processed aircraft data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Bharath Sundararajan, Vijayshankaran Ramamoorthy Iyer, Sathya Prakash Nilagiri
  • Patent number: 9260087
    Abstract: A brake system for a vehicle having a hydraulic brake system and a regenerative brake system and a method of controlling the same is provided. The brake system may include a brake pedal having a range of motion and configured to control the application of the hydraulic brake system based upon a position of the brake pedal within the range of motion. The brake system may further include a brake controller configured to determine an inflection position of the brake pedal, the inflection position being a position of the brake pedal within the range of motion when the hydraulic brake system begins to apply a brake pressure over a predetermined threshold, wherein the brake controller applies the regenerative brake system based upon inflection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: William L. Aldrich, III, Andrew M. Zettel, Ammar A. Atmeh