Patents Examined by Jeffrey Boomer
  • Patent number: 9340300
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing the number of runway excursions (i.e., airplanes going off the end of a runway). An alerting system is provided which alerts pilots when computer calculations indicate that current airplane braking is insufficient to keep the airplane from going off the end of the runway. The current airplane braking during rollout is evaluated using algorithms which take into account the current groundspeed of the airplane, the current deceleration rate or the maximum manual deceleration rate of the airplane, and the distance from the current position of the airplane to the end of the runway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Mark H. Henderson
  • Patent number: 9340112
    Abstract: According to a vehicle control apparatus of the invention, at a point in time when a driving mode switching part switches driving modes from any driving mode to another driving mode, a reference energy consumption amount calculation part multiplies a reference energy consumption amount by a driving mode switching coefficient which corresponds to the switching of the driving modes, whereby a reference energy consumption amount is compressed or expanded. An energy consumption rate calculation part calculates an energy consumption rate based on a reference mileage and the reference energy consumption amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira Shiogai, Takeshi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9336436
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle configured to avoid pedestrians using hierarchical cylindrical features. An example method involves: (a) receiving, at a computing device, range data corresponding to an environment of a vehicle, and the range data comprises a plurality of data points; (b) detecting, by the computing device, one or more subsets of data points from the plurality of data points that are indicative of an upper-body region of a pedestrian, and the upper-body region may comprise parameters corresponding to one or more of a head and a chest of the pedestrian; and (c) in response to detecting the one or more subsets of data points, determining a position of the pedestrian relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Baldwin Dowdall
  • Patent number: 9333996
    Abstract: A system is disclosed having a primary vehicle and a secondary vehicle that is carried by the primary vehicle when not in use. The system further includes at least one of an immobilizing device to immobilize the primary vehicle if the secondary vehicle is removed from the primary vehicle, a data storage device for storing information regarding usage of the primary and secondary vehicles, a user interface device for displaying information regarding usage of the primary and secondary vehicles, and a user prompt for providing information regarding potential opportunities for use of the secondary vehicle to encourage usage of the secondary vehicle and lower CO2 emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Torsten Gerhardt, Marcus Hurst, Robert Spahl, David Burrage
  • Patent number: 9329047
    Abstract: A latency analysis system determines a latency period, such as a wait time, at a user destination. To determine the latency period, the latency analysis system receives location history from multiple user devices. With the location histories, the latency analysis system identifies points-of-interest that users have visited and determines the amount of time the user devices were at a point-of-interest. For example, the latency analysis system determines when a user device entered and exited a point-of-interest. Based on the elapsed time between entry and exit, the latency analysis system determines how long the user device was inside the point-of-interest. By averaging elapsed times for multiple user devices, the latency analysis system determines a latency period for the point-of-interest. The latency analysis system then uses the latency period to provide latency-based recommendations to a user. For example, the latency analysis system may determine a shopping route for a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Dean Kenneth Jackson, Daniel Victor Klein
  • Patent number: 9309969
    Abstract: A method for controlling a hydrostatic drive unit of a work vehicle is disclosed. The method may generally include determining a reference swashplate position for a hydraulic pump of the hydrostatic drive unit, wherein the reference swashplate position is associated with an uncompensated current command, and monitoring an actual swashplate position of the hydraulic pump, wherein the actual swashplate position differs from the reference swashplate position due to a loading condition of the work vehicle. In addition, the method may include determining a current compensation based at least in part on the actual and reference swashplate positions and generating a compensated current command by adjusting the uncompensated current command based on the current compensation, wherein the compensated current command is associated with a compensated swashplate position for the hydraulic that differs from the reference swashplate position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Duqiang Wu, Navneet Gulati
  • Patent number: 9284720
    Abstract: There are included an eco guidance determination unit that detects the occurrence of fuel-wasting operation during operation of a construction machine, and a guidance display control unit that stores guidance for energy saving corresponding to energy wasting operation; that, when fuel-wasting operation occurs, displays corresponding guidance for energy saving; and that also displays the corresponding guidance for energy saving at a predetermined timing after occurrence of the energy wasting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Kamada, Kentarou Tajima
  • Patent number: 9278680
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle executes an adaptive cruise control and an idle stop control. The control device automatically starts an internal combustion engine when an operation amount of a start operating member different from a brake pedal is larger than or equal to a predetermined amount while the idle stop control is being executed. The control device sets the predetermined amount to a first predetermined amount when the adaptive cruise control is not executed. The control device sets the predetermined amount to a second predetermined amount smaller than the first predetermined amount when the adaptive cruise control is being executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroaki Seguchi
  • Patent number: 9272634
    Abstract: Hybrid-electric and pure electric vehicles include a traction battery. During vehicle operation, impedance parameters of the traction battery may be estimated. To ensure accurate estimation results, certain persistent excitation criteria may be met. These conditions may not always be met, in which case active excitation of the traction battery power demand may be initiated. The invocation of active battery excitation may be based on a variability of estimates of a battery parameter and an age of a most recent estimate of the battery parameter. As the variability of the parameter estimates increases, the time between active battery excitation requests may decrease.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yonghua Li, Hai Yu
  • Patent number: 9272696
    Abstract: A failure diagnosis method for a brake system of a vehicle determines whether the failure occurs in a regenerative braking device, a front-wheel friction braking device or a rear-wheel friction braking device. The method may include comparing a driver's required acceleration/deceleration with a current acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, determining that a failure has occurred in the brake system of the vehicle when the driver's required acceleration/deceleration is different from the current acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle and comparing a driver's required braking torque with a regenerative braking maximum torque, and determining that the failure does not occur in the brake system of the vehicle when the driver's required acceleration/deceleration is substantially equal to the current acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Research & Business Foundation SungKyunKwan University
    Inventors: In Su Kim, Jong Yun Jeong, Dong Yoon Hyun, Ji Weon Ko, Hyun Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 9233681
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle outputs creep torque by output torque of a second MG. A creep control unit controls creep torque when an accelerator pedal is not operated. The creep control unit controls a creep cut amount defined by a decrement of creep torque when the brake pedal is operated relative to creep torque when the brake pedal is not operated such that the creep cut amount when reverse running is selected is smaller than the creep cut amount when forward running is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Higa, Eiji Fukushiro, Katsuhiko Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9217649
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a topographical graph are provided. A computer-implemented method for providing a topographical graph includes accessing, by a computer processor, road map data associated with a geographic area, and accessing, by the computer processor, elevation data associated with the geographic area. The computer processor references the elevation data to determine points at which there is a change in incline along roads in the geographic area. The topographical graph is constructed, with the points defining nodes in the topographical graph, and arcs between the nodes representing road segments having a substantially constant degree of incline. Further provided are methods for determining levels of perceived exertion in traversing arcs, and for optimizing travel routes for minimal perceived exertion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
    Inventors: Moshe Dror, Katherine E. Carl
  • Patent number: 9211809
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle system includes determining a vehicle reference speed using an off-board-based input speed and an onboard-based input speed. The off-board-based input speed is representative of a moving speed of the vehicle system and is determined from data received from an off-board device. The onboard-based input speed is representative of the moving speed of the vehicle system and is determined from data obtained from an onboard device. The method includes using the vehicle reference speed to at least one of measure wheel creep for one or more wheels of the vehicle system or control at least one of torques applied by or rotational speeds of one or more motors of the vehicle system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: David Bradley Pulliam, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Bret Dwayne Worden, Jeremy Thomas McGarry, Kevin Ray Ruybal
  • Patent number: 9206587
    Abstract: Systems and methods for compensating dipper swing control. One method includes, with at least one processor, determining a direction of compensation opposite a current swing direction of the dipper and applying the maximum available swing torque in the direction of compensation when an acceleration of the dipper is greater than a predetermined acceleration value. The method can also include determining a current state of the shovel and performing the above steps when the current state of the shovel is a swing-to-truck state or a return-to-tuck state. When the current state of the shovel is a dig-state, the method can include limiting the maximum available swing torque and allowing, with the at least one processor, swing torque to ramp up to the maximum available swing torque over a predetermined period of time when dipper is retracted to a predetermined crowd position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Harnischfeger Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Linstroth, Joseph Colwell, Mark Emerson
  • Patent number: 9207091
    Abstract: A stopping vehicle estimating unit estimates one of a number of stopping vehicles and a length of a stopping vehicle line of different vehicles that are stopping at a traffic light along an estimated driving route ahead of the own vehicle closer to the traffic light than the own vehicle, based on a position information of a site at which a traffic light is provided, an own vehicle position, an own vehicle speed, and traffic information. A passable time zone estimating unit estimates a passable time zone during which the own vehicle is able to pass by the traffic light, based on the one of the number of stopping vehicles and the length of the stopping vehicle line that have been estimated by the stopping vehicle estimating unit, and on schedule information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuko Ota, Masahiko Ikawa, Ryusuke Kinoshita, Shigeki Morita
  • Patent number: 9200921
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a mobile device includes position circuitry and routing algorithms for generating routing instructions from a current position of the mobile device to a destination. The destination is specified in a navigation request and may describe a point-of-interest. A database associates points-of-interest individually or by category with estimated parking durations. The mobile device accesses an estimated parking duration and selects a preferred parking location based on the estimated parking duration. Considerations for selecting the preferred parking location include cost, parking restrictions, and/or distance. For example, the preferred parking location may be the available parking spot that is the least expensive during the estimated parking duration and avoids no parking zones or other time constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventor: Tochukwu Iwuchukwu
  • Patent number: 9187880
    Abstract: An electric drive unit for a construction machine is capable of increasing the operating time of the construction machine. The electric drive unit has an electricity storage device, a hydraulic pump of variable displacement type which is driven by a motor/generator, a regulator which performs variable control on the displacement volume of the hydraulic pump, a bidirectional converter which performs variable control on the revolution speed of the motor/generator, and an LS control device which controls the regulator and the bidirectional converter so that LS differential pressure Pls equals a target value Pgr. The bidirectional converter performs regeneration control for converting the inertial force of the rotor of the motor/generator into electric power thereby charging the electricity storage device when the revolution speed of the motor/generator is decreased in response to an excess of the LS differential pressure Pls over the target value Pgr.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutaka Tsuruga, Kiwamu Takahashi, Tatsuo Takishita, Hajime Kurikuma
  • Patent number: 9174641
    Abstract: In a device and a method for increasing the safety of a motor vehicle, a first sensor unit (2) detects the environment, in particular free spaces and objects (0) and the position and motion thereof, a second sensor unit (20) detects the environment state, a third sensor unit (30) detects the vehicle state, and a fourth sensor unit (40) detects the driver inputs. The respective data from the several sensor units are combined. In consideration of the data, a driving safety coordinator (6) calculates the risk of collision on the basis of a risk evaluation, and determines pre-collision phases (P1, P2, P3, P4a, P4b) of the motor vehicle (1) with regard to the object (0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Stefan Fritz, Bernd Hartmann, Alfred Eckert, Peter Rieth
  • Patent number: 9174672
    Abstract: A method for calculating a virtual target path around a target object that includes providing scan points identifying detected objects and separating the scan points into target object scan points and other object scan points. The method identifies a closest scan point from the target object scan points and identifies a path point that is a predetermined safe distance from the closest scan point. The method determines a straight target line adjacent to the target object that goes through the path point, and determines a distance between the target line and each of the other objects and determines whether all of the distances are greater than a predetermined threshold distance. The method identifies curve points for each other object whose distance is less than the predetermined threshold distance, and identifies a curve path that connects the curve points to be the virtual target path using a quadratic polynomial function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Shuqing Zeng, Nikolai K. Moshchuk, Rouhollah Jafari
  • Patent number: 9162678
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor vehicle including driven wheels, a mechanism recovering energy generated by braking, and a torque transmission chain transmitting torque from the driven wheels to the energy recovery mechanism, the method including: a) acquiring a braking instruction and dynamic characteristics of the motor vehicle, b) controlling the energy recovery according to a control set point calculated as a function of the braking instructions and the dynamic characteristics acquired in a), and c) controlling the brakes according to a control set point calculated as a function of the braking instruction and the dynamic characteristics acquired in a). In b), the control set point for energy recovery is calculated by a preventive filter that filters the braking instruction to attenuate amplitude thereof around the resonant frequency of the torque transmission chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Hamid Azzi, Marc Lucea, Guillermo Pita-Gil