Patents Examined by Jean W Charleston
  • Patent number: 11952247
    Abstract: An electric pallet jack can be configured to include logic controllers that are connected to a drive system and a steering system of the electric pallet jack. The logic controllers can be in communication with one or more sensors that enable determinations of pallet jack velocity, pallet jack acceleration, and a rate of turning for the electric pallet jack. The logic controllers can be configured to provide maximum velocity, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and maximum rate of turning limitations to maintain control over an object transported by the electric pallet jack. The logic controllers can determine whether the maximum thresholds of the electric pallet jack are exceeded by an operating variable and can modulate the amount of power provided by the drive system to reduce the operating variable below the associated threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Patrick Dwyer, Robert Matthew Gruendel, Eli Douglas Girod
  • Patent number: 11940251
    Abstract: An ordnance for air-borne delivery to a target under remotely controlled in-flight navigation. In one embodiment, self-powered aerial ordnance includes upper and lower cases. A plurality of co-axial, deployable blades is powered by a motor positioned in the upper case. When deployed, the blades are rotatable about the upper case to impart thrust and bring the vehicle to a first altitude above a target position. An explosive material and a camera are positioned in a lower case which is attached to the upper case. The camera generates a view along the ground plane and above the target when the ordinance is in flight. When the vehicle is deployed it is remotely controllable to deliver the vehicle to the target to detonate the explosive at the target. The ordnance may drop directly on a target as a bomb does.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Overwerx Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Hill
  • Patent number: 11938958
    Abstract: The present disclosure including determining that a state of a load on an occupant in a vehicle on the basis of at least one of a traveling state of the vehicle (100), an external environment state of the vehicle, and a state of the occupant in the vehicle, and executing a dialogue with the occupant by executing a dialogue program corresponding to the state of the load on the occupant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takehito Teraguchi, Hirofumi Inoue, Jo Nishiyama, Shota Okubo, Yu Shikoda
  • Patent number: 11926281
    Abstract: A system for determining an angle ? between a longitudinal axis of a vehicle and an authenticator, in particular a key or a keyless entry device for a vehicle, wherein the angle ? can be calculated with the system using the formula ?=(dr?dl)* kw, where dr is the calculated and/or measured distance to the authenticator from an antenna mounted on the right side in or on the vehicle, dl is the calculated and/or measured distance to the authenticator from an antenna mounted on the left side on the vehicle, and kw is a correction factor for the angle calculation that is established in a vehicle-specific manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & CO. KGAA
    Inventors: Maik Boekenbrink, Sebastian Henke
  • Patent number: 11926323
    Abstract: A vehicle controller includes: an engine controller configured to perform an IS control upon satisfaction of a predetermined stop condition and an engine restart control upon satisfaction of a predetermined restart condition; an HDC controller configured to perform, when the vehicle is traveling on a downhill road and a deceleration request according to an HDC control occurs, a target vehicle speed-based deceleration irrespective of brake operations by the driver; and an information acquisition part configured to acquire progress status information related to the engine restart control and including information on initiation and completion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takahito Yoshida, Yoshinari Sugita, Rei Okubo, Hidetoshi Kobori, Shumpei Tahara, Shun Igarashi, Takuya Sato, Takayuki Matsuyoshi
  • Patent number: 11897499
    Abstract: An autonomous driving vehicle information presentation device includes a traffic congestion information acquisition unit that acquires information on traffic congestion ahead in a traveling direction of an own vehicle, a traveling lane identification unit that identifies a lane where the own vehicle is currently located, a stop position prediction unit that acquires a traveling state of a preceding vehicle based on an external environment information and the traffic congestion information, and to predict a stop position related to the preceding vehicle based on the acquired traveling state, an action plan generation unit that generates an action plan of the own vehicle based on the stop position and the currently located lane, and an information presentation unit that presents information including the generated action plan through using an external display device provided at a rear portion of a vehicle interior of the own vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Mimura, Yuki Kizumi, Takashi Oshima, Yuji Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 11884273
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle control device configured to obtain a distribution between first-order follow-up control and second-order follow-up control based on information on a road curvature of a road on which a preceding vehicle traveling forward of a vehicle has traveled and information on a relative position between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the first-order follow-up control causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle through use of a first-order trajectory, the second-order follow-up control causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle through use of a second-order trajectory, and to output an instruction relating to steering of the vehicle for achieving the obtained first-order follow-up control and second-order follow-up control to a steering actuator unit relating to the steering of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Uemura, Taku Takahama
  • Patent number: 11884260
    Abstract: The vehicle control device includes an arbitration unit configured to arbitrate between a plurality of control commands acquired from a plurality of driving support applications that respectively implements driving support functions, configured to output instructions based on a control command after arbitration to a first control unit that is able to control a steering actuator and a second control unit that is able to control at least one of a brake actuator or a drive actuator, and configured to acquire a steering angle and a yaw rate as the control commands from the driving support applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masumi Dakemoto, Kaiji Itabashi, Yoshihisa Yamada
  • Patent number: 11884317
    Abstract: A method for positioning a steering wheel of a motor vehicle in a rest position and/or an easy-entry position. The steering wheel has an operative connection to an adjustment means via which the steering wheel can be moved in a steering wheel adjustment field. A most recently set steering wheel position is established as the current steering wheel position. A target position in the steering wheel adjustment field, which represents the maximum increase in space for a driver in relation to the currently set steering wheel position, is determined. This target position is established as a rest position and/or as an easy-entry position. The steering wheel is moved into the established rest position and/or easy-entry position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Loos, Richard Schroeder
  • Patent number: 11866027
    Abstract: A method for regulating a kinematic variable of a motor vehicle. The method includes: receiving actual value signals, which represent an actual value of a kinematic variable of a motor vehicle; receiving setpoint signals, which represent a setpoint value of the kinematic variable; ascertaining an actuating variable to be implemented by one or multiple actuating element(s) of the motor vehicle, based on the actual value, the setpoint value and a variation of the setpoint value over time in such a way that a deviation between the actual value and the setpoint value becomes smaller when the actuating variable is implemented with the aid of the one or multiple actuating element(s); and outputting actuating variable signals, which represent the ascertained actuating variable. A device, a computer program, and a machine-readable memory medium are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Michael Bachmann
  • Patent number: 11845422
    Abstract: A method includes determining a desired yaw moment to be applied to an ego vehicle during travel. The method also includes identifying yaw moment changes that are achievable using different torque vectoring techniques supported by the ego vehicle. The method further includes selecting at least one of the torque vectoring techniques based on the identified yaw moment changes. In addition, the method includes using the at least one selected torque vectoring technique to obtain the desired yaw moment and create lateral movement of the ego vehicle during the travel. In some cases, a desired response time associated with the lateral movement of the ego vehicle may be used, where steering control provides a faster response time and torque vectoring control provides a slower response time. The at least one torque vectoring technique may be selected based on different energy efficiencies associated with different ones of the torque vectoring techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Canoo Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kilsoo Kim, Jongmoo Choi, Vishal U. Shanbhag, Lung En Jan, Aviral K. Singh, Paolo E. Pucci
  • Patent number: 11834027
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a driving controller that switches between autonomous driving an manual driving of a vehicle, a seat whose form is changed between a form during autonomous driving and a form during manual driving that are different from each other, and a seat controller that controls motion of the seat when a form of the seat is changed. If the seat is in a form during autonomous driving, the driving controller does not switch autonomous driving to manual driving when controlling the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: TS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Ozawa, Takayoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 11827225
    Abstract: A lane change assistance system includes: at least one sensor that detects sensing information including a first vehicle speed of a host vehicle, a second vehicle speed of a surrounding vehicle around the host vehicle, and a distance between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle; a lane change controller that identifies a lane change possible condition based on the sensing information, calculates an expected lane change time, and generates a lane change path for the expected lane change time; a steering device that controls lateral movement of the host vehicle based on the lane change path; and an acceleration and deceleration device that controls longitudinal movement of the host vehicle based on the lane change path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jin Young Park
  • Patent number: 11820356
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed to a system and method of compensating for any forces induced by components of a robotic driving system, the robotic driving system including a turntable defining a steering axis and mounted to a steering wheel of a vehicle including an automated steering system, a robot frame mounted to the vehicle and including a support member, a transmission device coupled to the support member and operatively coupled to the turntable, a steering motor in driving engagement with the transmission device, a load sensor mounted between the support member and the transmission device at a known distance from the steering axis, and a controller in communication with the steering motor and the load sensor, the controller configured to adjust a steering torque generated by the steering motor to compensate for any forces induced by said robotic driving system to prevent overriding the automated steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Humanetics Austria GmbH
    Inventors: Jürgen Gugler, Patrick Hofmanninger
  • Patent number: 11820363
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus changes its activation state to an activated state and execute an automatic pulling-out control of automatically pulling a vehicle out of a parking space to a designated place and automatically stopping the vehicle at a designated place when receiving an automatic pulling-out request command of requesting executing the automatic pulling-out control from an outside by wireless. The vehicle control apparatus holds a driver's seat at a designated backed position without displacing the driver's seat forward when changing its activation state to the activated state in response to receiving the automatic pulling-out request command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Keisuke Oyama
  • Patent number: 11820364
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle and to a method for operating a motor vehicle for carrying out a parking procedure, wherein the motor vehicle comprises at least a first parking assistance function and a second parking assistance function, which may be selected as desired, and wherein the method comprises: detecting a gripping status of a steering handle of the motor vehicle by a driver; and automatically selecting the first or the second parking assistance function depending on the gripping status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Jana Seeland, Bastian Göricke, Markus Radimirsch, Christian Hopp
  • Patent number: 11801866
    Abstract: A method includes identifying a desired path for an ego vehicle. The method also includes determining how to apply steering control and torque vectoring control to cause the ego vehicle to follow the desired path. The determination is based on actuator delays associated with the steering control and the torque vectoring control and one or more limits of the ego vehicle. The method further includes applying at least one of the steering control and the torque vectoring control to create lateral movement of the ego vehicle during travel. Determining how to apply the steering control and the torque vectoring control may include using a state-space model that incorporates first-order time delays associated with the steering control and the torque vectoring control and using a linear quadratic regulator to determine how to control the ego vehicle based on the state-space model and the one or more limits of the ego vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Canoo Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kilsoo Kim, Paolo E. Pucci
  • Patent number: 11794725
    Abstract: The present invention provides a travel support system of a vehicle, including a detection unit configured to detect information of a periphery of the vehicle, a control unit configured to perform travel support control based on the information detected by the detection unit, and a stationary state control unit configured to cause the vehicle to be stationary at one of completion and suspension of the travel support control by the control unit, wherein the stationary state control unit performs steering control to maintain a steering angle at one of the completion and suspension of the travel support control while the vehicle is stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Hara, Miki Tsujino
  • Patent number: 11794775
    Abstract: The subject matter described in this specification is generally directed control architectures for an autonomous vehicle. In one example, a reference trajectory, a set of lateral constraints, and a set of speed constraints are received using a control circuit. The control circuit determines a set of steering commands based at least in part on the reference trajectory and the set of lateral constraints and a set of speed commands based at least in part on the set of speed constraints. The vehicle is navigated, using the control circuit, according to the set of steering commands and the set of speed commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Motional AD LLC
    Inventors: Juraj Kabzan, Hans Andersen, Lixun Lin, Ning Wu, Yiming Zhao, Xiyuan Liu, Qian Wang, Zachary Batts, Jesse Adam Miller, Boaz Cornelis Floor, Marc Dominik Heim
  • Patent number: 11794742
    Abstract: A location of an occupant within a vehicle and/or an activity engaged in by the occupant may be determined. Based on the location and/or the activity, a point of interest associated with the occupant and/or the vehicle may be determined. One or more systems of the vehicle, such as the steering and/or suspension, may be controlled to minimize acceleration associated with the point of interest, thereby increasing a comfort of the occupant. In instances where the vehicle includes more than one occupant, the vehicle may be adjusted to accommodate the multiple occupants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: David Martins Belo, Johannes Edren, Johannes Andreas Huennekens, Ella Strack