Patents Examined by John Q. Nguyen
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Patent number: 11486412Abstract: A fan includes a motor adapted to be rotated about an axis and a hub adapted to be rotated by the motor. The hub may include first and second hub parts adapted to mate to form the hub, the first and second hub parts having a gap therebetween. A plurality of fan blades each includes an end portion located in the gap formed between the first and second hub parts, which may be drawn together by a fastener to capture the blades therebetween. One or more of the fan blades may include a receiver, such as an open-ended groove, for receiving a portion of the hub. An adapter may be configured to remain stationary during use while the hub and fan blades rotate, and a portion of the hub is adapted to be selectively deployed to engage the adapter to prevent rotation of the hub. Related methods are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2020Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: DELTA T, LLCInventors: Gregory W. Peterson, Igor Davidenko
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Patent number: 11473515Abstract: A method provides for operating an engine configured to use a plurality of differing fuels. The method includes determining a fuel combustion ratio of the plurality of differing fuels associated with at least one engine cylinder of the engine based at least in part on one or more of a plurality of characteristic profiles. This maintains one or more of a plurality of actual values associated with usage of the plurality of differing fuels relative to defined corresponding threshold values. The fuel combustion ratio includes a ratio of the plurality of differing fuels to be delivered to the at least one engine cylinder. A fuel delivery system delivers the plurality of differing fuels to the at least one engine cylinder based on the fuel combustion ratio.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLCInventors: Daniel George Norton, Adam Edgar Klingbeil
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Patent number: 11473550Abstract: According to one or more embodiments presently described, a method of operating an internal combustion engine that includes injecting fuel into a combustion chamber to form an air-fuel mixture, where the combustion chamber includes a cylinder head, cylinder sidewalls, and a piston that reciprocates within the cylinder sidewalls. The method may also include detecting pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture during a detected intake or compression stroke of the piston, determining that a super knock condition could occur, and mitigating formation of a super knock condition by deploying a super knock countermeasure within the detected compression stroke.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2019Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignees: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabian Oil CompanyInventors: Eshan Singh, Vedharaj Sivasankaralingam, Vallinayagam Raman, Mohammed Jaasim Mubarak Ali, Hong G. Im, Kai J. Morganti, Gautam T. Kalghatgi, Robert W. Dibble
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Patent number: 11459989Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a clip for an injector, in particular, the clip for the injector including a base portion and an elastic piece of the clip that elastically support the upper surface of a connector housing and the lower surface of an injector cup, thus attenuating fuel injection load. In addition, an engaging piece of the clip is inserted into an engaging portion of the injector cup, thus preventing the rotation of the injector.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2018Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: Hyundai Kefico CorporationInventors: Seung Hyuk Oh, Young Il Kang, Kwang Won Koo, Yeon Jee Oh
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Patent number: 9694639Abstract: A distributed active suspension control system is provided. The control system is based on a distributed, processor-based controller that is coupled to an electronic suspension actuator. The controller processes sensor data at the distributed node, making processing decisions for the wheel actuator it is associated with. Concurrently, multiple distributed controllers on a common network communicate such that vehicle-level control (such as roll mitigation) may be achieved. Local processing at the distributed controller has the advantage of reducing latency and response time to localized sensing and events, while also reducing the processing load and cost requirements of a central node. The topology of the distributed active suspension controller contained herein has been designed to respond to fault modes with fault-safe mechanisms that prevent node-level failure from propagating to system-level fault. Systems, algorithms, and methods for accomplishing this distributed and fault-safe processing are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2014Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: ClearMotion, Inc.Inventors: William G. Near, Vladimir Gorelik, Jonathan R. Leehey, Marco Giovanardi, Matthew D. Cole
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Patent number: 9650040Abstract: A collision mitigation apparatus includes an object detecting section for detecting a collision object present in front of an own vehicle on which the collision mitigation apparatus is mounted, a drive assisting section that performs drive assist for avoiding a collision between the collision object detected by the object detecting section and the own vehicle or mitigates damage to the own vehicle due to the collision, an operation state detecting section for detecting an operation state of the own vehicle, and a timing setting section for setting start timing to start the drive assist by the drive assisting section in accordance with the operation state detected by the operation state detecting section.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Akitoshi Minemura, Norio Tsuchida
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Patent number: 9646429Abstract: Apparatus, a method and a computer program product periodically determine one or more temperature thresholds and configuration settings attributable to one or more user equipment coupled to a vehicle. The one or more determined temperature thresholds and configuration settings are sent to the one or more user equipment in a thermal management scheme message. The one or more user equipment are adapted to adjust an operational threshold in response to the received thermal management scheme message.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2013Date of Patent: May 9, 2017Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.Inventors: Seppo Rousu, Timo Juntunen
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Patent number: 9638538Abstract: A street-level view can realistically reflect that objects occlude depicted route paths. Such objects can include guardrails, buildings, or any of a variety of other objects as described herein. A superior user experience that portrays route paths while taking real-world geometry into account can result.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2014Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Ana Lilia Otero Diaz, Hae Jin Lee, Luis Eduardo Cabrera-Cordon, Doyop Kim
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Patent number: 9637111Abstract: A method selects one or more power sources in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) at a particular moment in time for a current route to optimize energy consumption for the HEV, wherein the HEV includes one or more electric engines (EC) and one or more internal combustion engines, by first determining, in an off-line processor, a regression model that predicts a terminal cost of a state along a route from features associated with the route and the vehicle, using a computed true costs-to-go of multiple states from multitude of real or imaginary routes. In an online processor in the HEV, truncated dynamic programming is performed using the regression model to estimate a terminal cost at an end of a truncated time horizon for a current route. Then, one or more of the power sources are selected for the one or more EC and the one or more ICE based on a minimal cost-to-go of a current state.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2015Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Daniel Nikolaev Nikovski, Amir massoud Farahmand
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Patent number: 9630600Abstract: A central control entity controls all actuators of a chassis control system of a motor vehicle. To select a combination of actuator operations best suited for influencing the handling of the motor vehicle, the effect of a change of settings of motor vehicle actuators on the handling is predicted by an observer device configured to receive at least one sensor signal from a sensor via a signal input and, depending on the sensor signal, to determine at least one estimated value for a slip resistance of the motor vehicle. The controller is configured by operating the controller in a test motor vehicle that has a sensor for a measured variable, for which the observer device determines an estimated value. The estimated values from the controller are then compared with corresponding measured values.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2012Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: AUDI AGInventor: Anron Obermüller
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Patent number: 9620017Abstract: A merge assistance system for a vehicle. The system includes a camera configured to monitor an area, at least one sensor configured to detect information about at least one moving target object, an electronic control unit having a processor in electronic communication with the camera and the sensor to receive information about the monitored area and the at least one moving target object. The system also includes a computer readable medium storing instructions that cause the processor to receive information about a velocity and an acceleration of the vehicle, determine a merging location based on the information received from the camera, determine a velocity and an acceleration of the at the least one moving target object based on the information from the at least one sensor, identify a merge assist situation, and initiate a merge driving maneuver to control the vehicle during the merge assist situation.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2011Date of Patent: April 11, 2017Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Vern Trageser
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Patent number: 9606541Abstract: A docking station (20) and a robot (22) for docking therein, include corresponding transmission parts. These transmission parts are for the transmission of energy, such as electricity, for recharging the robot (22), and/or signals, for operating the robot (22), the energy and/or signals passing between the docking station and the robot (22). The docking station (20) and robot (22) are such that the docking of the robot (22) in the docking station (20) is at a horizontal orientation, as the transmission part on the robot (22) includes laterally protruding docking contacts that contact corresponding laterally oriented contact arms of the docking station (20).Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2010Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: F Robotics Acquisitions Ltd.Inventor: Shai Abramson
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Patent number: 9604637Abstract: A vehicle acceleration suppression device and a vehicle acceleration suppression method are provided to be capable of suppressing a degradation in a drive performance and suppressing acceleration at the time of an incorrect manipulation of an accelerator, at the time of parking. Based on a parking frame certainty degree indicative of a degree of certainty that there is a parking frame in a vehicle travel direction and a parking frame entering certainty degree indicative of a degree of certainty that the vehicle enters the parking frame, a total certainty degree indicative of a total degree of certainty of the parking frame certainty degree and the parking frame entering certainty degree is set. As the total certainty degree is higher, a suppression degree of the vehicle acceleration to be controlled in response to a manipulation amount of an accelerator pedal manipulated by a driver to instruct a drive force is increased.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2013Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Osamu Fukata, Yasuhisa Hayakawa, Akira Morimoto, Daisuke Tanaka, Daisuke Oiki
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Patent number: 9599476Abstract: A system and method for generating a seamless road network of a large geographical area includes a plurality of GPS probe traces extending across a geographical area. The probe traces are divided into sub-sets base on criteria, such as accuracy. A plurality of threads simultaneously employ the sub-sets traces to generate an independent network of the entire geographical area. The networks generated using sub-sets having a high accuracy are preferred over networks generating using sub-sets having a lower accuracy. The independent networks are combined to form a seamless networks of road segments.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2010Date of Patent: March 21, 2017Assignee: TomTom Global Content B.V.Inventors: Heiko Mund, Hannes Scharmann
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Patent number: 9593953Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining a location indicator within a geographic area; determining a traversal position based on a distance from an inanimate object location; determining a position error based on calculating a distance difference between the location indicator and the traversal position; determining an adjustment factor based on an error magnitude of the position error; and generating an update position with a control unit based on updating the location indicator with the adjustment factor for displaying on the device.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2014Date of Patent: March 14, 2017Assignee: Telenav, Inc.Inventors: Shane-Woei Lee, Yi-Chung Chao
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Patent number: 9586563Abstract: An autonomous moving apparatus and an autonomous movement system has a configuration which prevents disabled autonomous moving apparatuses from traveling unexpectedly during collection. An autonomous moving apparatus 1 includes a wheel locking unit 116 which locks the wheels at the time of stop, a manipulation unit 119 which is provided at a location where manipulation thereof is enabled from the outside of the autonomous moving apparatus 1, and a wheel lock releasing unit 118 which releases the lock of the wheels when the manipulation unit 119 is manipulated by force from the outside. In addition, the wheel lock releasing unit 118 releases the lock of the wheels when force equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied to the manipulation unit 119 and maintains the lock of the wheels when the force applied to the manipulation unit 119 is less than the predetermined value.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2012Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Hitachi, ltd.Inventors: Masaki Kanai, Masatsugu Arai, Ryoko Ichinose, Yukihiko Ono
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Patent number: 9586455Abstract: A camera takes an image or images of a region including a vehicle (vehicle-in-front) running in front of a driver's own vehicle. A wheel information acquiring unit acquires the positional information of a wheel or wheels of the vehicle-in-front in the image taken by the camera. More specifically, the boundary between the wheels of the vehicle-in-front and the road surface. The processing for detecting the boundary is done by use of the difference in the brightness between the wheels and the road surface of the vehicle-in-front. A camera attitude correcting unit corrects the detected boundary by use of a self-calibration function, and a road surface condition estimating unit estimates the conditions of the road surface on which the vehicle-in-front is traveling.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Haruhiko Sugai, Tomoyuki Nakamura
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Patent number: 9587960Abstract: A system for piloting an aircraft during an autonomous approach for the purpose of landing. The piloting system has a flight guidance computer that directly computes, with the aid of a position indication and of information characterizing a virtual approach axis, linear deviations. Another computer computes aircraft piloting instructions using the linear deviations.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2007Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS SASInventors: Vincent Markiton, Franck Laine, Edith Renault
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Patent number: 9579978Abstract: The present invention is an in-vehicle charger for detecting ground faults originating in sections in which alternating current is flowing. This device is an in-vehicle charger (100) for charging a vehicle-mounted battery, wherein the device is provided with: a bridge rectifier (14) for converting alternating current supplied from a power source to direct current; a ground fault detecting circuit (21) for outputting a test voltage when a test current flows in a circuit in the in-vehicle charger (100) and, based on changes in the test current in response to the presence or absence of a ground fault resistor, for detecting a ground fault in the circuit of the in-vehicle charger (100); and a controller (23) for controlling the ground fault sensing circuit (21) so as to output a test voltage exceeding the forward voltage of a diode provided by the bridge rectifier (14).Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2013Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Tsuyoshi Nishio, Osamu Ohashi, Noriaki Asaoka, Akihiro Morimoto
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Patent number: 9581458Abstract: A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining a travel context with a control unit for traveling through a geographic region; generating a mental model for the travel context; and determining a guidance landmark based on the mental model for providing a navigation guidance for presenting on a device.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Telenav, Inc.Inventors: Gregory Stewart Aist, Jose Sebastian, Aliasgar Mumtaz Husain, Casey Carter