Patents Examined by Jeff A. Burke
  • Patent number: 11687085
    Abstract: An unmanned vehicle management device includes an upper limit speed storage unit that stores an upper limit of a traveling speed of an unmanned vehicle on a downhill set based on an inclination angle of the downhill, an input speed acquisition unit that acquires an input value input by an input device, and an output control unit that causes an output device to output upper limit speed data indicating a relationship between the inclination angle and the upper limit, and input speed data generated based on the input value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Kobashi, Hiroshi Fuji, Takashi Hiranaka
  • Patent number: 11685372
    Abstract: The invention obtains a processing unit and a processing method capable of improving a rider's safety. The invention also obtains a collision warning system that includes the processing unit. The invention further obtains a motorcycle that includes the collision warning system. A processing unit (20) includes: an acquisition section (21) that acquires environment information corresponding to output of an environment detector (11); a determination section (22) that determines presence or absence of a possibility of a collision on the basis of the environment information; and a control section (23) that makes a warning device (30) output a warning in the case where the determination section (22) determines that there is the possibility of the collision. During travel of the motorcycle, the acquisition section (21) acquires posture information related to a bank angle of the motorcycle, and the control section (23) changes the warning output by the warning device (30) in accordance with the posture information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Lars Pfau, S N Prashanth
  • Patent number: 11685434
    Abstract: A method of controlling rear wheel steering in a vehicle including determining a stability state of the vehicle from a plurality of vehicle sensor inputs, determining a target vehicle performance based on the stability state of the vehicle, and determining a target rear angle of rear vehicle wheels based on a difference between a target vehicle characteristic and a model vehicle characteristic, wherein the target vehicle performance promotes agility and stability to a target model at different times based on the stability state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mahmoud Abdelfatah
  • Patent number: 11685438
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a sensor to detect a steering torque applied to a steering shaft that rotates in accordance with a steering wheel operation; a steering assistance unit configured to assist steering by a lane keeping assistance function; a correcting unit configured to obtain a corrected torque by removing a torque caused due to the steering assistance unit from the steering torque detected by the sensor; and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not a driver is in a hands-off state based on the corrected torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Eguchi, Shuichi Kosaka, Ryo Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11685052
    Abstract: A method for operating a vision guided robot arm system comprising a robot arm provided with an end effector at a distal end thereof, a display, an image sensor and a controller, the method comprising: receiving from the sensor image an initial image of an area comprising at least one object and displaying the initial image on the display; determining an object of interest amongst the at least one object and identifying the object of interest within the initial image; determining a potential action related to the object of interest and providing a user with an identification of the potential action; receiving a confirmation of the object of interest and the potential action from the user; and automatically moving the robot arm so as to position the end effector of the robot arm at a predefined position relative to the object of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Kinova Inc.
    Inventors: Louis-Joseph Caron L'Ecuyer, Jean-Francois Forget, Jonathan Lussier, Sébastien Boisvert
  • Patent number: 11685430
    Abstract: A motor controlling ECU 202 includes an automatic steering controller 42 that sets an automatic steering control amount, an assist controller 41 that sets an assist control amount, an integrated control amount calculating portion 43 that calculates an integrated control amount by adding the automatic steering control amount and the assist control amount, and an actual automatic steering angle calculating portion 46 that calculates, based on at least one of either of a steering torque and the assist control amount, an actual automatic steering angle that is a steering angle due to automatic steering control and included in an actual steering angle. The automatic steering controller 42 uses a target automatic steering angle and the actual automatic steering angle to set the automatic steering control amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuko Yoshida, Naoki Shoji, Robert Fuchs
  • Patent number: 11679805
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for mitigating traction steer using an electric power steering system (EPS). A control system for a power steering system including a processor and memory are provided. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a motor command as a function of a handwheel velocity, and to modify the motor command based upon a traction torque signal. A method for controlling a power steering system is also provided. The method includes generating a motor command as a function of a handwheel velocity; modifying the motor command based upon a traction torque signal; and applying the motor command to an actuator of the power steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Meyer, Kameron M. Carey
  • Patent number: 11673262
    Abstract: A press working simulator according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a robot program storage section that stores a robot program that instructs a robot how to move; a press program storage section that stores a press program that instructs a press machine how to move; a profile data setting section that causes the press program storage section to store a press program according to profile data that records what position a die is in at each time point when the press machine is actually moved; a model placing section that places three-dimensional models of a workpiece, the robot, and the press machine in a virtual space; a press movement processing section that causes the three-dimensional model of the press machine to move according to the press program; and a robot movement processing section that causes the three-dimensional model of the robot to move according to the robot program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yoneyama
  • Patent number: 11673275
    Abstract: A method of teaching a robot including providing a pin at a location within a work station, and the robot in an area adjacent to the station. The robot having an arm and an end effector that pivots. The end effector has a through-beam sensor including a light emitter and a light receiver to sense when an object is present therebetween. The robot is moved to perform sensing operations in which the sensor senses the pin, such operations are performed while a position and/or an orientation of the end effector are varied to gather sensed position and orientation data. The sensing operations are performed such that the pin is located at different distances between the emitter and the receiver as the robot moves the sensor across the pin. Calculations are performed on the data to determine the location of the pin with respect to a coordinate system of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignees: YASKAWA AMERICA, INC., KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventor: John Charles Rogers
  • Patent number: 11678415
    Abstract: Robotic devices are provided that can be operated in an autonomous mode. In various embodiments, the devices comprise lighting elements that are capable of displaying information to humans within a robotic environment. A variety of future and near-future actions are expressed through different operations and sequences of the lighting elements. The lighting elements further enable the device to express a current status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KARCHER NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Adam Bearup, Justin LaMar, Nicole Willer
  • Patent number: 11675348
    Abstract: A computer architecture includes an application program interface (API). The API does not include a user interface. The computer architecture asynchronously receives into the API data relating to mission plan domains from clients. The data include an identification of vehicles, goals of the vehicles, and threats to the vehicles. The mission plan domains include an air domain, a sea or ocean domain, and a land domain. The computer architecture uses a parallel processing scheme to process the mission plan domains from the clients for determining goal priorities for each of the plurality of vehicles, processing the data using a genetic algorithm and physics models associated with the plurality of vehicles, and transmitting to the vehicles path commands based on the processing of the genetic algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Michael P. Sica, Michael C. Xu
  • Patent number: 11673780
    Abstract: A multi-function camera system, applied to a forklift truck, includes a camera device and a display device installed on the forklift truck, and an image processing unit coupled between the camera device and the display device, capable of shooting and displaying a corresponding real image in order to assist operations of the forklift truck. In addition, the camera device is equipped with a fill light module capable of providing multiple light colors, and the image processing unit includes an identification module capable of identifying the optical identification code. Accordingly, the camera system with multiple functions of monitoring, fill light, identification and positioning etc. is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: AUTOEQUIPS TECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ting-Peng Wang, I-Jen Lai
  • Patent number: 11667276
    Abstract: The ECU executes TRC for controlling the posture of the vehicle and automatic parking control for parking the vehicle at a target parking position without being based on the vehicle operation of the user. The ECU calculates a user accelerator opening based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal and a control accelerator opening calculated in reverse from the required driving force of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 11666195
    Abstract: A method of controlling a robot includes obtaining a first image and a second image of a plurality of objects, the first and second image being captured from different positions; obtaining, from the first and second images, a plurality of candidate positions corresponding to each of the plurality of objects, based on a capturing position of each of the first and second images and a direction to each of the plurality of objects from each capturing position; obtaining distance information between each capturing position and each of the plurality of objects in the first and second images by analyzing the first and second images; and identifying a position of each of the plurality of objects from among the plurality of candidate positions based on the distance information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junghwan Lee, Daehun Kim, Saeyoung Kim, Soonhyuk Hong
  • Patent number: 11670160
    Abstract: A multi-function remote control contains: a new remote control and a network control system. The new remote control includes two control panels, and each of the two control panels including a first learning unit, a learning button, and multiple blank buttons. A first learning unit of a first control panel includes a radio frequency (RF) module, and the RF module includes a first emitter element and a first receiver element. A second learning unit of a second control panel includes an infrared (IR) module which includes a second emitter element configured to send first infrared signals, and the IR module includes a second receiver element configured to receive second infrared signals of another electrical remote control. Furthermore, the second receiver element is also configured to send the second infrared signals to the integration chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventor: Mu-Chen Tami
  • Patent number: 11669086
    Abstract: A method for operating or interacting with a mobile robot includes determining, using at least one processor, a mapping between a first coordinate system associated with a mobile device and a second coordinate system associated with the mobile robot, in which the first coordinate system is different from the second coordinate system. The method includes providing at the mobile device a user interface to enable a user to interact with the mobile robot in which the interaction involves usage of the mapping between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Kenrick E. Drew, Philip Wasserman, Christopher V. Jones
  • Patent number: 11661059
    Abstract: A method and system for validating the calculated localization (15) of a vehicle are devised. The vehicle (1) is equipped with P independent localization data sources (2-8), with P higher than or equal to 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: EASYMILE
    Inventors: Benoit Perrin, Cyril Roussillon, Arnaud Dumerat, Manon Monnerie, Arnaud Telinge
  • Patent number: 11662729
    Abstract: A submersible inspection drone used for inspection of liquid cooled electrical transformers can include a number of separate cameras for imaging the internal structure of the transformer. The submersible can be configured to communicate to a base station using a wireless transmitter and receiver. The cameras on the submersible can be fixed in place and can be either static or motion picture cameras. The submersible can include an input/output selector capable of switching between the camera images, either through commanded action of a user or through computer based switching. In one form the input/output selector is a multiplexer. The base station can be configured to display images from the cameras one at a time, or can include a number of separate viewing portals in which real time images are displayed. The base station can include a demultiplexer synchronized to the multiplexer of the submersible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ENERGY SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Gregory A. Cole, William J. Eakins, Daniel T. Lasko, Harshang Shah, Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge, Carlos W. Morato, Biao Zhang, Luiz Cheim, Poorvi Patel, Gregory F. Rossano, Andrew Salm
  • Patent number: 11656621
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a conveyance control system and the like that enable a scheduled recipient of a conveyance object to reliably receive the conveyance object even when a destination of a conveyance robot is changed for any reason. The conveyance control system is a conveyance control system configured to control a conveyance robot to autonomously move and convey a conveyance object to a destination, including: a change unit configured to change the destination after the conveyance robot starts conveying the conveyance object; and a notification unit configured to notify an information terminal of a scheduled recipient of the conveyance object about destination information regarding the destination that has been changed by the change unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohisa Takai, Yuhei Yamaguchi, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Mikio Honda, Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Nobuhisa Otsuki
  • Patent number: 11654962
    Abstract: A travel control method for a vehicle is provided, which includes autonomous steering control for autonomously controlling the steering of the vehicle. The travel control method includes: setting a plurality of cancellation thresholds corresponding to respective travel scenes, the cancellation thresholds being used for canceling the autonomous steering control and transitioning to the driver's manual operation; detecting a travel scene of the vehicle during execution of the autonomous steering control; extracting a cancellation threshold corresponding to the detected travel scene from among the plurality of set cancellation thresholds; and determining, based on the extracted cancellation threshold, whether or not to cancel the autonomous steering control and transition to the driver's manual operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinya Saito