Patents Examined by Jess Whittington
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Patent number: 11142210Abstract: A control unit of a tire-mounted sensor determines whether a tire has been exchanged. When the tire has been exchanged, the control unit changes the threshold value of a road surface state determination condition used for detecting the road surface state from vibration data of the tire detected by an acceleration sensor of the tire-mounted sensor. For example, the threshold value of the road surface state determination condition is reset upon determining that the tire has been exchanged, by transmitting an instruction to the tire-mounted sensor through a tool at an automobile maintenance shop, etc.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2017Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Ryosuke Kanbayashi, Takatoshi Sekizawa, Masashi Mori
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Patent number: 11144056Abstract: Included is a method for autonomous robotic refuse container replacement including: transmitting, by a processor of a first robotic refuse container, a request for replacement to a portion of processors of robotic refuse containers; receiving, by the processor of the first robotic refuse container, a return signal from a portion of processors of the robotic refuse containers; transmitting, by the processor of the first robotic refuse container, a confirmation for replacement to a processor of a second robotic refuse container in response to a return signal received from the processor of the second robotic refuse container; instructing, by the processor of the first robotic refuse container, the first robotic refuse container to navigate to a second location from a current location; and instructing, by the processor of the second robotic refuse container, the second robotic refuse container to navigate to the current location of the first robotic refuse container.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi
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Patent number: 11144068Abstract: A platooning controller includes a processor configured to control platooning based on platooning control vehicle information when platooning vehicles, including one leader vehicle and at least one or more following vehicles, are traveling. The platooning controller is further configured to monitor information associated with an energy state of each of the platooning vehicles while platooning, and to adjust a platoon formation based on a change in the energy state of each of the platooning vehicles. The platooning controller further includes a storage configured to store information obtained to adjust the platoon formation by the processor.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATIONInventors: Jin Kim, Tae Hoon Kim
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Patent number: 11138888Abstract: A method for ride order dispatching comprises: obtaining a current location of a current vehicle from a computing device associated with the current vehicle; obtaining a current list of available orders nearby based on the current location; feeding the current location, the current list of available orders nearby, and a current time to a trained Markov Decision Process (MDP) model to obtain action information, the action information being repositioning the current vehicle to another current location or completing a current ride order by the current vehicle; and transmitting the generated action information to the computing device to cause the current vehicle to reposition to the another current location, stay at the current location, or accept the current ride order by proceeding to a pick-up location of the current ride order.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2018Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: Beijing DiDi Infinity Technology and Development Co., Ltd.Inventors: Zhiwei Qin, Fei Feng
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Patent number: 11136053Abstract: Systems for examining a route inject one or more electrical examination signals into a conductive route from onboard a vehicle system traveling along the route, detect one or more electrical characteristics of the route based on the one or more electrical examination signals, and detect a break in conductivity of the route responsive to the one or more electrical characteristics decreasing by more than a designated drop threshold for a time period within a designated drop time period. Feature vectors may be determined for the electrical characteristics and compared to one or more patterns in order to distinguish between breaks in the conductivity of the route and other causes for changes in the electrical characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2019Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: TRANSPORTATION IP HOLDINGS, LLCInventors: Yuri Alexeyevich Plotnikov, Brett Alexander Matthews, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Jeffrey Michael Fries, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger, Samhitha Palanganda Poonacha, Tannous Frangieh, Frederick Wilson Wheeler, Brian Lee Staton, Timothy Robert Brown, Gregory Boverman, Majid Nayeri
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Patent number: 11123244Abstract: An electric wheelchair control system is adapted to control a wheelchair and comprises a sensing assembly, an inertial sensor, a controller, a motor driver, and a three-phase AC motor. The sensing assembly is configured to detect an external force applied to the wheelchair and generate a first sensed signal based thereon. The inertial sensor is configured to detect an inclination of the wheelchair and generate a second sensed signal based thereon. The controller selectively outputs a PWM braking signal to the motor driver according to the first sensed signal and the second sensed signal, and the PWM braking signal includes an upper arm braking signal and a lower arm braking signal, wherein the upper arm braking signal and the lower arm braking signal have the same duty cycle and when the upper arm braking signal is at a high level, the lower arm braking signal is at a low level.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2018Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTEInventor: Yi-Ling Lin
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Patent number: 11126174Abstract: The present disclosure relates to electronic system and methods for switching a driving mode of a vehicle. The electronic system may include at least one sensor configured to connect to a driving system of a vehicle; at least one gateway module connected to the at least one sensor through a controller area network; and processing circuits connected to the at least one gateway module. During operation, the processing circuits may receive at least one trigger signal from the at least one sensor; determine that the at least one trigger signal meets a predetermined condition; and send at least one switching signal to the gateway module to switch the vehicle from a current driving mode to a target driving mode.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2018Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Tingyou Ming, Xiaowei Chen, Mengpeng He
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Patent number: 11127286Abstract: A mobile unit control unit causes a communication unit to transmit user setting information supplied from an input unit and control data for controlling a mobile unit. A display control unit generates display data corresponding to the human flow data in a human flow data DB, and outputs the generated display data to a display unit. The communication unit transmits control data, measurement area information, and landing area information to the mobile unit, and receives human flow data from the mobile unit and supplies the human flow data to a control unit. The input unit sets setting information relating to human flow data measurement, in response to a user operation. The display unit performs display corresponding to the display data generated by the display control unit. The present disclosure can be applied to a human flow measurement system including a mobile unit and a terminal, for example.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2017Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Atsushi Shionozaki, Masamichi Asukai
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Patent number: 11124194Abstract: A wakefulness inducing system is capable of appropriately inducing a wakeful state in a driver even in a self-driving vehicle. A wakefulness inducing system includes a wakefulness degree sensing apparatus that senses the degree of wakefulness of a driver, a touch operation apparatus including a touch operation interface that detects contact by the operating hand of the driver, and a self-driving apparatus that controls self-driving of a vehicle. When the wakefulness degree sensing apparatus senses a reduction in the degree of wakefulness of the driver, the self-driving apparatus provides an instruction to the driver to move the operating hand to the touch operation interface, and the temperature of the operating hand is lowered in the touch operation interface upon detection of contact of the operating hand by the touch operation interface.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2018Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Marelli CorporationInventor: Hiromasa Miura
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Patent number: 11124235Abstract: A trailer backup assist system for motor vehicles includes an auxiliary user input feature that can be used by a vehicle operator to provide a steering curvature command corresponding to a desired vehicle path curvature without requiring a user to move a steering wheel of the motor vehicle. The trailer backup assist system is configured to control a vehicle speed while the vehicle is backing up with a trailer attached thereto utilizing an input comprising at least one of a steering curvature command and an angle of a trailer relative to the vehicle. The trailer backup assist system controls at least one of a brake system, an engine torque, and a transmission gear selection to thereby control vehicle speed in a reverse direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2019Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Nathaniel A Rolfes, Bradley G. Hochrein, Darrel Alan Recker, Donald Jacob Mattern, Michael Hafner
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Patent number: 11124090Abstract: A seat assembly includes a seat, one or more sensor assemblies, and/or an electronic control unit that may be connected to the one or more sensor assemblies. The one or more sensor assemblies may provide information about a first position of the seat to the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit may be configured to receive a second position of the seat, and/or the electronic control unit may be configured to automatically move the seat to the second position without contacting other objects. The electronic control unit may include a second seat, and/or the electronic control unit may be configured to automatically move the second seat from a first second seat position to a second second seat position. The electronic control unit may be configured to determine a movement path of the seat according to information from the one or more sensor assemblies.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2018Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: Lear CorporationInventors: Arjun Yetukuri, Mark Weaver, Karl Henn, Mladen Humer
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Patent number: 11110916Abstract: Disclosed herein are an impact-absorbing apparatus and method for a vehicle, which are applied to an automatic emergency brake (AEB) system of a vehicle. The impact-absorbing apparatus includes a path generation unit configured to generate an own vehicle travel path of an own vehicle, based on a speed and travel direction of the own vehicle, and a preceding vehicle travel path of a preceding vehicle, based on a speed and travel direction of the preceding vehicle, and a collision determination unit configured to determine whether or not the own vehicle collides with the preceding vehicle, based on the own vehicle travel path and the preceding vehicle travel path, wherein when it is impossible to avoid the collision between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the path generation unit generates a new travel path by comparing the own vehicle travel path with the preceding vehicle travel path.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2017Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: MANDO CORPORATIONInventors: Seung Bum Park, Man Bok Park
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Patent number: 11099563Abstract: A vehicle can include a primary computing device and a secondary computing device. The primary computing device can receive a trajectory and can generate control data to control the vehicle based on a computed state. Further, the primary computing device can send the internal data to the secondary computing device configured to control the vehicle in the event of a failure of the primary computing device. The secondary computing device can receive the internal data as first internal data and determine a capability associated with the primary computing device. Using the first internal data, the secondary computing device can determine second internal data and, based on the capability (e.g., in event of a failure of the primary computing device), can control the vehicle to follow a trajectory using the second internal data. Transferring state between an active to a standby computing device can ensure algorithmic synchronization and safe operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Zoox, Inc.Inventors: Shayan Darayan, Joseph Funke, Marc Wimmershoff
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Patent number: 11092971Abstract: A shared mobility system using robots may include: a plurality of robots configured to be allocated performance zones and to perform assigned tasks in the performance zones, or assigned tasks without restriction of the performance zones. When one or more deviating robots performing the assigned tasks in the performance zones deviate from corresponding performance zones, one or more adjacent robots in adjacent performance zones adjacent to the corresponding performance zones move to the corresponding performance zones, a number of the one or more adjacent robots moving to the corresponding performance zones equaling a number of the one or more deviating robots.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2018Date of Patent: August 17, 2021Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Dong Han Koo
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Patent number: 11084427Abstract: This disclosure relates to a running board assembly for a motor vehicle and a corresponding method. An example method includes supplying current to a motor to move a running board between a retracted position and a deployed position, monitoring a level of the current, and permitting the level of current to exceed a threshold (i.e., overcurrent is permitted) in response to a user input.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Stuart C. Salter, Chris Thomas Bustamante, Aaron Halonen, David Brian Glickman, Paul Kenneth Dellock
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Patent number: 11087630Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for vehicles, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). A method for traffic control can include detecting a traffic condition; determining whether to adjust a virtual traffic sign responsive to detecting the traffic condition; and adjusting the virtual traffic sign based on the traffic condition. Adjusting the virtual traffic sign can include encoding a message for transmission to a base station within a range of the virtual traffic sign, the message including at least one of a virtual traffic sign type and a virtual traffic sign value. Other methods, systems, and apparatuses are described.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Jerome Parron, Markus Dominik Mueck
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Patent number: 11087145Abstract: According to one embodiment, a gradient estimation device includes one or more processors. The processors acquire a first image and a second image obtained by photographing a surface of an object. The processors extract, from the first image, a first pixel indicating a boundary of an object in a direction different from a gradient direction of the surface, and extract a second pixel corresponding to the first pixel from the second image. The processors calculate gradient magnitude of the surface by transforming at least one of the first image and the second image such that a matching degree between the first pixel and the second pixel is increased.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2018Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage CorporationInventors: Tsuyoshi Tasaki, Takuya Miyamoto, Takayuki Sugiura
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Patent number: 11080929Abstract: A system and a method for generating a 3D path from a source to a destination for an aerial vehicle is disclosed. An example system includes a managing unit to select a group of altitude layers including source and destination and generate a 2D horizontal scenario by identifying constraints to avoid at each altitude layer. The example system includes a path computing unit to determine common constraints for the altitude layers of the 2D horizontal scenario and compute a 2D lateral path avoiding the common constraints. The managing unit generates a 2D vertical scenario based on a projection of the previously computed 2D lateral path onto the constraints at the altitude layers. The path computing unit computes a 2D vertical path avoiding constraints of the 2D vertical scenario. The managing unit composes 3D waypoints of a conflict-free 3D path according to the 2D lateral path and 2D vertical path.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2018Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Carlos Querejeta Masaveu, Ernesto Valls Hernandez, Francisco A. Navarro Felix
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Patent number: 11067431Abstract: A method is for determining a tire characteristic influencing variable and includes: a) detecting an acceleration of a measurement point on a tire inner side of a vehicle tire, wherein a deviation, caused by contact of the vehicle tire with a roadway, of the acceleration of the measurement point within an observation window is detected, b) deriving at least one analytical characteristic variable which is characteristic of the detected acceleration, wherein the at least one analytical characteristic variable characterizes the non-periodic profile of the detected acceleration within one tire rotation, c) determining at least one tire characteristic influencing variable in a manner dependent on the at least one analytical characteristic variable, wherein a mathematical mapping yields the dependency between the analytical characteristic variable and the tire characteristic influencing variable, wherein the mathematical mapping assigns at least one tire characteristic influencing variable to the at least one derivType: GrantFiled: February 26, 2018Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbHInventors: Adrian Cyllik, Carsten Hahn, Michael Lehn, Heiner Volk
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Patent number: 11067984Abstract: A driving-rule system (10) suitable to operate an automated includes a vehicle-detector (16) and a controller (20). The vehicle-detector (16) is suitable for use on a host-vehicle (12). The vehicle-detector (16) is used to detect movement of an other-vehicle (14) proximate to the host-vehicle (12). The controller (20) is in communication with the vehicle-detector (16). The controller (20) is configured to operate the host-vehicle (12) in accordance with a driving-rule (22), detect an observed-deviation (24) of the driving-rule (22) by the other-vehicle (14), and modify the driving-rule (22) based on the observed-deviation (24).Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Motional AD LLCInventors: Junqing Wei, Wenda Xu, Jarrod M. Snider, Jong Ho Lee