Patents Examined by Jean W Charleston
  • Patent number: 11787412
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) limits for a vehicle based on an occupancy level of the vehicle. The occupancy level is inferred based on a number of occupants and their position within a vehicle, and further based on a degree of interaction of a primary occupant with vehicle controls. As the occupancy level decreases, NVH constraints for operating the vehicle are reduced and one or more vehicle operating parameters nay be based on the reduced NVH constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart N. Ford, Adam Nathan Banker
  • Patent number: 11787398
    Abstract: A driving assist system executes driving assist control for avoiding a collision with a target ahead of a vehicle. The driving assist control operates when the target exists within an assist area. First and second roadway boundaries of a roadway area are located on first and second sides as viewed from the vehicle, respectively. A crossing target is the target crossing the roadway area ahead of the vehicle from the first side toward the second side. The assist area for the crossing target is an area between an assist start boundary located on the first side as viewed from the vehicle and an assist end boundary located on the second side as viewed from the vehicle. The driving assist system sets the assist end boundary at a position between the vehicle and the second roadway boundary of the roadway area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakamura, Kazuyuki Fujita, Minami Sato, Takahisa Awata
  • Patent number: 11790787
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to providing pilots with timely information to allow for better decision making and improved safety during the piloting of a flight. The systems and methods described herein can employ a collection of algorithms that can take disparate information, process it, and synthesize it into meaningful information for a pilot, flight crew, other flight systems, and/or other algorithms to consume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: The MITRE Corporation
    Inventors: Steven L. Estes, John R. Helleberg, Kevin M. Long, Matthew E. Pollack, Marco Quezada, Jeffrey Stein
  • Patent number: 11772633
    Abstract: A vehicle control method is applied to a vehicle 1 in which a front wheel 2 is driven by an engine 4, and the method includes a basic torque setting step of setting basic torque to be generated by the engine 4, based on an operational state of the vehicle 1; an acceleration torque setting step of setting acceleration torque, based on a reduction in steering angle of a steering apparatus 5 mounted on the vehicle 1; a torque generation step of controlling the engine 4 so that torque based on the basic torque and the acceleration torque is generated; and an acceleration torque changing step of changing the acceleration torque, based on a vehicle-width-direction mounting position of a steering wheel 6 and an operation direction of the steering wheel 6 when the steering angle is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignees: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION, IKUTOKU GAKUEN
    Inventors: Takatoshi Tsukano, Shohei Yamada, Daisuke Umetsu, Fuminori Kato, Osamu Sunahara, Masato Abe, Makoto Yamakado, Yoshio Kano, Kazuki Sato
  • Patent number: 11772636
    Abstract: A parking assist apparatus uses vehicle information and the recognition result of a peripheral recognition unit to calculate a plurality of patterns of parking paths, in which the radius of curvature of each of the arcs included in the parking paths is differentiated, as parking paths to park a vehicle at a parking area, by a parking path calculation unit. In addition, the parking assist apparatus selects, among the plurality patterns of parking paths, a parking path with both a minimum number of times of driving operations for changing an advancing direction of the vehicle from forward to reverse or reverse to forward, and the radius of curvature of the arc that is largest, by a parking path selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Faurecia Clarion Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Ishinoda
  • Patent number: 11772665
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating a vehicle that includes a piezoelectric device. The piezoelectric device may harvest energy that may be transferred between two masses, such as a chassis and a vehicle suspension, to power electrical components of a vehicle. In addition, output of the piezoelectric device may be monitored to identify degradation of electrical connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Pallavi Gattu, Kristian Ulyses Flores Aviña, Miguel Angel Leon Guerrero
  • Patent number: 11772637
    Abstract: An embodiment vehicle includes a collecting device for collecting environment information, a user input for automatic parking of the vehicle, an automatic parking controller for performing the automatic parking based on the environment information and the user input, and a behavior controller for controlling a behavior of the vehicle in response to control of the automatic parking controller. The automatic parking controller calculates a first progress corresponding to determination of whether the user input is a wake-up request, a second progress corresponding to acquisition of a control right for the behavior controller, a third progress corresponding to whether the user input is an execution request for the automatic parking, a fourth progress corresponding to generation of control information for the behavior controller, and a fifth progress corresponding to control of the vehicle's behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: In Mook Kim, Sun Woo Jeong
  • Patent number: 11756315
    Abstract: A method for classifying an underlying surface travelled by an agricultural utility vehicle includes acquiring a detail of a surface of the underlying surface in the form of optical data, classifying the optical data in a data processing unit with respect to different underlying surface classes, and determining an underlying surface class on the basis of the classifying step. Output data is output from the data processing unit representative of the determined underlying surface class as a classification result. A technical feature of the utility vehicle is adapted as a function of the classification result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Martin Schmidt, Norbert Fritz
  • Patent number: 11745785
    Abstract: A vehicle control system is used for a vehicle in which steering control is executable. The vehicle control system includes an operation element configured to receive a driving operation by an occupant; a contact sensor configured to detect a contact operation on the operation element from either a first side or a second side in a vehicle width direction; and a travel control unit configured to change a travel position of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction within a travel path where the vehicle is traveling if the contact sensor detects the contact operation in a state where the steering control is executable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryo Yamazaki, Yosuke Shimizu, Takeyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11738803
    Abstract: A method for determining a sensor offset of a sensor in a device, in particular in a steering system for a motor vehicle. The device has a first component, a second component which is movable with respect to the first component, a resetting element, an actuator and a sensor for determining the relative motion between the first component and the second component. The method comprises the following steps: firstly, a predetermined relative motion between the first component and the second component is generated by the actuator. The resulting relative motion is measured by means of the sensor, and the sensor data obtained from the measurement are stored. A constant sensor offset of the sensor is then determined on the basis of the stored sensor data. Furthermore, a device is described whose sensor offset can be determined by means of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias Oesterwind
  • Patent number: 11738743
    Abstract: A collision avoidance method for a vehicle includes monitoring a lateral distance between the vehicle and a target vehicle while the vehicle is travelling within a first lane and the target vehicle is travelling within an adjacent second lane, activating a warning on the vehicle and automatically adjusting operation of the vehicle to increase the distance between the vehicle and the target vehicle when the lateral distance between the vehicle and the target vehicle is less than the threshold distance while the vehicle is travelling within the first lane. Automatically adjusting operation of the vehicle may include one or both of steering the vehicle laterally away from the target vehicle and adjusting a longitudinal velocity of the vehicle. A related collision avoidance system is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Ananda Pandy, Christopher L. Tharp
  • Patent number: 11731651
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for optimizing values of a set of tunable parameters of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV). The controllers can be a linear quadratic regular, a “bicycle model,” a model-reference adaptive controller (MRAC) that reduces actuation latency in control subsystems such as steering, braking, and throttle, or other controller (“controllers”). An optimizer selects a set tunable parameters for the controllers. A task distribution system pairs each set of parameters with each of a plurality of simulated driving scenarios, and dispatches a task to the simulator to perform the simulation with the set of parameters. Each simulation is scored. A weighted score is generated from the simulation. The optimizer uses the weighted score as a target objective for a next iteration of the optimizer, for a fixed number of iterations. A physical real-world ADV is navigated using the optimized set of parameters for the controllers in the ADV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Weiman Lin, Yu Cao, Yu Wang, Qi Luo, Shu Jiang, Xiangquan Xiao, Longtao Lin, Jinghao Miao, Jiangtao Hu
  • Patent number: 11718287
    Abstract: A system for automatically parking a commercial vehicle comprises a service brake system having at least one braking valve, a braking controller for controlling the service brake system, and an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) controller. The ADAS controller communicates with the braking controller and requests activation of the service brakes of the commercial vehicle until the vehicle is stationary. The braking controller, in response to the ADAS controller requesting activation of the service brakes, determines the commercial vehicle should remain stationary and activates at least one braking valve to exhaust system pressure to mechanically park the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Inventor: Timothy J Frashure
  • Patent number: 11713049
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control System (2) for a motor vehicle (1), comprising a central vehicle Controller (3) for Controlling vehicle functions (4) and a plurality of driver assistance Systems (5). The driver assistance Systems (5) are set up to transmit a task key describing the particular assistance function thereof to the vehicle Controller (3) and to transmit a security key assigned to the particular assistance function to the vehicle Controller (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Marc Blumentritt
  • Patent number: 11712958
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an autonomous cart is provided. The method includes determining a mission type for the autonomous cart and determining a power system for powering the autonomous cart based on the mission type. The method further includes determining a drive system suitable for converting a power delivered by the power system into motive power suitable for moving the autonomous cart based on the power system and the mission type. The method further includes installing the power system onto a chassis of the autonomous cart and installing the drive system onto the chassis of the autonomous cart, wherein the autonomous cart comprises a control system configured to drive the autonomous cart autonomously via the power system and the drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Inventors: Pinakin S. Desai, Peter Josesph Zerillo, Stephen Michael Faivre, Nathan Taylor, Kevin David Monk, David W. Larson
  • Patent number: 11708080
    Abstract: A method for controlling autonomous driving in a vehicle capable of the autonomous driving may include collecting vehicle travel status information and system status information during the autonomous driving, sensing a failure based on the system status information, identifying normally controllable actuators when sensing the failure, determining a risk degree corresponding to the sensed failure based on the normally controllable actuator information and the vehicle travel status information, determining a safety state based on normally controllable actuator information and the risk degree, and determining a failure safety strategy corresponding to the safety state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chan Hee Jung, Jin Su Jeong, Jae Yong Jeon
  • Patent number: 11693409
    Abstract: Systems and methods are directed to determining autonomous vehicle scenarios based on autonomous vehicle operation data. In one example, a computer-implemented method for determining operating scenarios for an autonomous vehicle includes obtaining, by a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, log data representing autonomous vehicle operations. The method further includes extracting, by the computing system, a plurality of attributes from the log data. The method further includes determining, by the computing system, one or more scenarios based on a combination of the attributes, wherein each scenario includes multiple scenario variations and each scenario variation comprises multiple features. The method further includes providing, by the computing system, the one or more scenarios for generating autonomous vehicle operation analytics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Steffon Charles Davis, Andrew Joel Duberstein
  • Patent number: 11690315
    Abstract: An autonomous lawn mower includes removable batteries, one or more electric motors, a cutting blade, one or more wheels, an angle sensor, and a controller. The cutting blade is driven by one of the electric motors. The wheels are driven by one of the electric motors. The controller is configured to allow the lawn mower to perform a grass cutting function at a jobsite without human interaction. The controller is configured to determine whether a roll angle is greater than a first predefined amount using data from the angle sensor. In response to determining the roll angle is greater than the first predefined amount, the controller is configured to stop operation of one of the one or more electric motors configured to provide rotational drive power to the cutting blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Briggs & Stratton, LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Zeiler, Ryan T. Hahn, Kyle Harvey, Todd Johnson, Robert Pjevach, Jacob Schmalz, Peter D. Shears, Nicholas Zeidler
  • Patent number: 11685382
    Abstract: Various embodiments include methods and vehicles that may include determining whether to initiate a configuration change protocol to implement a configuration change for modifying the arrangement of the vehicle internal structure in response to a planned or predicted future operating mode, event or environment. Also, determining whether an occupancy status of the vehicle conflicts with an occupancy status allowed for in a configuration called for by a configuration change input or indication. Further, modifying an arrangement of the vehicle internal structure in accordance with the configuration change input or indication in response to determining that the occupancy status of the vehicle does not conflict with the occupancy status allowed for in the configuration called for by the configuration change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael Franco Taveira
  • Patent number: 11657705
    Abstract: Concepts and technologies directed to an integrated telecommunications roadside unit for supporting vehicle-to-everything (“V2X”) communications are disclosed herein. Embodiments of an integrated telecommunications roadside unit can include a processor and a memory that store computer-executable instructions that configure a processor to perform operations. The operations can include intercepting a vehicle-to-vehicle communication that is provided from a first vehicle to a second vehicle. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication can be transmitted using a direct transmission mode. The operations can further include encapsulating the vehicle-to-vehicle communication in a user plane package. The operations can also include routing the user plane package to a destination network access node, where the destination network access node is outside of a direct communication range corresponding to the first vehicle and the second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: AT&T Mobility II LLC, AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
    Inventors: Zachery Carter, Roger Mahler, Erie Lai Har Lau, Sangar Dowlatkhah