Patents Examined by Jelani A Smith
  • Patent number: 12210347
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a scene determination unit determining whether or not a current traveling scene is a traveling-restricted scene, an order setting unit setting priorities corresponding to a restriction with respect to driving behaviors previously classified for different purposes in a case where it is determined that the traveling scene is the traveling-restricted scene and setting priorities with respect to the plurality of driving behaviors in a case where it is not determined that the traveling scene is the traveling-restricted scene, a traveling plan generating unit generating traveling plans corresponding to the plurality of priority-set driving behaviors, an executability determination unit determining executability of each of the plurality of generated driving behaviors, a traveling plan selection unit selecting the traveling plan corresponding to the driving behavior with the highest priority, and a traveling control unit controlling the traveling of the host vehicle based on the trav
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Matsubara, Masaki Matsunaga, Kenichiro Aoki, Yoshinori Watanabe, Ryuta Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 12209393
    Abstract: Grade control systems and methods for an earthmoving machine and control architecture to generate a continuous differential surface associated with a rear curved surface of an earthmoving implement, project the continuous differential surface onto a two-dimensional (2D) plane associated with the earthmoving implement, determine a piecewise-derivative continuous curve based on the continuous differential surface projected on to the 2D plane, determine a derivative of the piecewise-derivative continuous curve, project a design plane normal n* of a ground surface for smoothing onto the 2D plane associated with the earthmoving implement, determine a point of perpendicular intersection between the derivative of the piecewise-derivative continuous curve and the design plane normal n* of the ground surface projected onto the 2D plane, and operate the earthmoving machine using one or more linkage assembly actuators and the point of perpendicular intersection to smooth the ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Brosh, Christopher Corwin, Kyle Davis, Seth Meisel
  • Patent number: 12208813
    Abstract: An arithmetic operation device for automobiles includes an arithmetic element state detection unit that detects a parameter indicating a state of an arithmetic element, an external device detection unit that detects a use state of a device that affects the parameter, and a mode selection unit that selects one of a normal mode in which both a basic traveling function unit that can execute control related to a basic traveling function and an automatic driving function unit that can execute control related to an automatic driving function and a degeneration mode in which only the basic traveling function unit is operated, and the mode selection unit selects the degeneration mode when the parameter exceeds a threshold or when it is predicted that the parameter exceeds the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hideomi Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 12205469
    Abstract: An information processing method to be executed by a computer, the information processing method including: obtaining a self-driving vehicle list and a rider list; obtaining a driving skill of each of a plurality of riders included in the rider list, the driving skill indicating whether the rider is capable of driving; allocating a plurality of self-driving vehicles included in the self-driving vehicle list to the plurality of riders in accordance with the driving skill of each of the plurality of riders to distribute riders capable of driving, among the plurality of riders, across the plurality of self-driving vehicle; and outputting a result of the allocating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yoneda, Motoshi Anabuki, Yuki Matsumura, Toshiya Arai
  • Patent number: 12202434
    Abstract: A method for granting access to vehicle functionalities is provided. The method includes receiving a signal from a device that is external to the vehicle, the signal including identification data of an object associated with the device, comparing the identification data with user identifications stored in the memory of the vehicle, and granting, to the object, access to a first set of functionalities of the vehicle in response to determining that the identification data matches a first user identification of the user identifications stored in the memory of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Masashi Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 12205473
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for systems and methods to provide navigation control and/or docking assist for mobile structures. A navigation control system includes a logic device, one or more sensors, one or more actuators/controllers, and modules to interface with users, sensors, actuators, and/or other modules of a mobile structure. The logic device is configured to receive navigation control parameters from a user interface for the mobile structure and perimeter sensor data from a perimeter ranging system mounted to the mobile structure. The logic device determines navigation control signals based on the navigation control parameters and perimeter sensor data and provides the navigation control signals to a navigation control system for the mobile structure. Control signals may be displayed to a user and/or used to adjust a steering actuator, a propulsion system thrust, and/or other operational systems of the mobile structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: FLIR Belgium BVBA
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Kersulec, Mark Johnson
  • Patent number: 12202373
    Abstract: The present invention may include a processor that coupling vehicles into a linked vehicle, where each vehicle has a powertrain device with an attachment device, where the attachment device detaches the powertrain device from one of the vehicles. The processor causes the attachment device to detach the powertrain device from at least one of the vehicles based on determining that a weight of the linked vehicle should be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Saraswathi Sailaja Perumalla, Sarbajit K. Rakshit, Sirisha Akella
  • Patent number: 12187326
    Abstract: A vehicular control system for controlling a vehicle includes a vehicle control, an acceleration sensor and a camera. The vehicle control includes an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera as the vehicle is driven along a route by a driver of the vehicle. The vehicle control detects traffic and road topography and determines acceleration of the vehicle as the vehicle is driven along the route by the driver. The vehicle control learns the route during multiple repetitive drives of the route by the driver of the vehicle. The vehicle control increases a confidence level of the learned route during multiple repetitive drives of the route by the vehicle. When the confidence level exceeds a threshold value, the vehicle control is operable to at least semi-autonomously control the vehicle to drive the vehicle along the route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Wenxue Gao
  • Patent number: 12190649
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a controller configured to acquire, when a suspension of operation occurs in an autonomous vehicle, positional information, vehicle information, a vehicle internal image, and a vehicle external image of the autonomous vehicle, and determine, in a case in which a suspension of operation occurs in a plurality of autonomous vehicles, an order of priority for a rescue team to go to the plurality of vehicles, based on the positional information, the vehicle information, the vehicle internal image, and the vehicle external image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yu Nagata, Hiroshi Higashide
  • Patent number: 12187447
    Abstract: A controlled power up sequence for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is disclosed. A disclosed example controlled power up sequence for a UAV includes a remote user terminal, and a power sequence control interface including a transceiver communicatively coupled to the remote user terminal, a user-operated switch of the UAV, and a power controller to electrically couple a power source of the UAV to a propulsion system of the UAV in response to the user-operated switch being toggled on and the power sequence control interface receiving, via the transceiver, a power on signal from the remote user terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: INSITU, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Decker, Joseph B. Jackson
  • Patent number: 12183125
    Abstract: An automotive data processing system includes a storage subsystem and a processor. The storage subsystem is disposed in a vehicle and is configured to store at least data produced by one or more data sources of the vehicle. The processor is installed in a vehicle and is configured to apply, to the data stored in the storage subsystem or that is en route to be stored in the storage subsystem, at least one model that identifies one or more specified features-of-interest in the data, so as to generate metadata that tags occurrences of the specified features-of-interest in the stored data, and to export at least part of the metadata to an external system that is external to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD.
    Inventor: Noam Mizrahi
  • Patent number: 12180685
    Abstract: A shovel includes a data acquisition device and a storage. The data acquisition device acquires operation information indicating a status of each part of the shovel during operation of the shovel and sound data during operation of the shovel, from a state detecting sensor, and wherein the storage stores the operation information in association with the sound data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Masato Koga
  • Patent number: 12184803
    Abstract: A disclosed method includes monitoring a plurality of emergency event queues at an emergency network entity; determining that an emergency event in one of the emergency event queues corresponds to an emergency type that can be responded to using an unmanned aerial vehicle; determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is available that has capabilities corresponding to the emergency type; establishing an unmanned aerial vehicle control link between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the emergency network entity; and deploying the unmanned aerial vehicle to the emergency event location and providing data from the unmanned aerial vehicle on a display of the emergency network entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: RAPIDSOS, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas Edward Horelik, Michael John Martin
  • Patent number: 12181883
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a scene determination unit determining whether or not a current traveling scene is a traveling-restricted scene, an order setting unit setting priorities corresponding to a restriction with respect to driving behaviors previously classified for different purposes in a case where it is determined that the traveling scene is the traveling-restricted scene and setting priorities with respect to the plurality of driving behaviors in a case where it is not determined that the traveling scene is the traveling-restricted scene, a traveling plan generating unit generating traveling plans corresponding to the plurality of priority-set driving behaviors, an executability determination unit determining executability of each of the plurality of generated driving behaviors, a traveling plan selection unit selecting the traveling plan corresponding to the driving behavior with the highest priority, and a traveling control unit controlling the traveling of the host vehicle based on the trav
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Matsubara, Masaki Matsunaga, Kenichiro Aoki, Yoshinori Watanabe, Ryuta Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 12174630
    Abstract: A display device includes a display unit, and a control unit that displays a flight route of a flying object flying while photographing surroundings of a crane on the display unit. The control unit is configured to display the crane and the flight route on the display unit, and to display the flight route in a display mode viewed from at least two different directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Cranes Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Toida, Hironori Matsuura, Katsuaki Kamashima, Yu Ikeda, Hiroyuki Tomioka
  • Patent number: 12172644
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for carrying out a driving maneuver for creating a gap in the traffic flow, which is multiple lanes wide, involving a first vehicle and a plurality of second vehicles. The first vehicle, which requests the gap in the traffic flow periodically sends corresponding request signals at least to a plurality of second vehicles. The second vehicles that intend to comply with the request send out corresponding signaling signals. As soon as a sufficient minimum number of second vehicles that intend to comply with the request can be determined, the second vehicles participating in the driving maneuver for creating the gap in the traffic flow are informed. The second vehicles participating in the driving maneuver agree on the beginning of the driving maneuver and mutually coordinate their trajectories. One of the second vehicles is designated as the maneuver leader and transmits at least one characteristic of the gap in the traffic flow to the first vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Thorsten Hehn, Jörg Plechinger
  • Patent number: 12172607
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for estimating atmospheric properties using a LIDAR sensor. A control system includes a LIDAR sensor configured to detect a distance to an object, and an intensity of light reflected by the object. A controller's a target selection module determines whether the object is a target for use in estimating the atmospheric properties. A data collection module collects values of the distance and the intensity as detected by the LIDAR sensor. The atmospheric properties are determined based on the values of the distance and the intensity. In response to the determined atmospheric properties, the actuator is operated to effect an action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Brent N Bacchus, Donald K Grimm
  • Patent number: 12164300
    Abstract: A moving object control system includes a storage device configured to store instructions; and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors executes the instructions stored in the storage device to determine whether or not an element selected on a basis of a priority based on the type of a specific location near the sidewalk among a plurality of elements satisfies a criterion defined for each element, and determine whether or not a sidewalk is to be included in a route of a moving object on a basis of a result of determination of whether or not the element satisfies the criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koki Aizawa, Misako Yoshimura, Ichiro Baba, Kosuke Nakanishi, Yosuke Koike
  • Patent number: 12162361
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a driving force control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a front-wheel driver; a rear-wheel driver; a wheel speed detector; a wheel vibration calculator; an estimated speed calculator that calculates an estimated vehicle speed of the vehicle; a slip-rate calculator that calculates a slip rate of each wheel; and a driving controller that reduces a driving force of the front wheel driver or the rear wheel driver when a slip rate of each wheel is greater than a preset slip rate value. The estimated speed calculator determines that the estimated vehicle speed is greater than an actual speed of the vehicle when the vibration value calculated by the wheel vibration calculator is greater than a preset vibration value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kyung Jun Yoon
  • Patent number: 12157496
    Abstract: A control device executes the following processes: a first process of detecting that autonomous traveling control is not able to be continued and executing stop control of a vehicle; a second process of determining whether a person is present in the vehicle; and a third process of unlocking a door lock of the vehicle when at least one person is present in the vehicle after the vehicle is stopped by the first process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Nemoto, Shin Tanaka, Satoshi Nakamura