Patents Examined by John R. Olszewski
  • Patent number: 9261881
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle may be configured to receive, using a computer system, a plurality of remission signals from a portion of a lane of travel in an environment in response to at least one sensor of the vehicle sensing the portion of the lane of travel. A given remission signal of the plurality of remission signals may include a remission value indicative of a level of reflectiveness for the portion of the lane of travel. The vehicle may also be configured to compare the plurality of remission signals to a known remission value indicative of a level of reflectiveness for a lane marker in the lane of travel. Based on the comparison, the vehicle may additionally be configured to determine whether the portion of the lane of travel in the environment is indicative of a presence of the lane marker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Ian Franklin Ferguson, David Harrison Silver
  • Patent number: 9260016
    Abstract: A control device 200 which is formed of a vehicle control device 50, a controller 100, an inverter control device 30 and a steering control device 32 executes control to give a yaw moment to a vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 travels while tracing a first trolley wire 3R1/3L1 in a first traveling section before the vehicle 1 reaches a trolley wire linkage section C and the vehicle 1 travels while tracing a second trolley wire 3R2/3L2 in a second traveling section after the vehicle 1 passed through the trolley wire linkage section. In the trolley wire linkage section, a prescribed path is set from a representative point to a second target point and the control device 200 executes control to give a yaw moment to the vehicle 1 so that the vehicle 1 travels along the prescribed path and eventually tracing the second trolley wire 3R2/3L2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shinjiro Saito
  • Patent number: 9254869
    Abstract: A steering system for detecting a hand wheel position is provided and includes an input shaft connected to a hand wheel, a main gear disposed around the input shaft, a puck gear meshingly engaged with the main gear, and a control module. The control module receives an angular main position of the main gear and an angular puck position of the puck gear. The control module includes a rotational calculation module for calculating the hand wheel position based on at least the angular main position and the angular puck position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Zaki Ryne, Keith A. Kidder, Tomy Sebastian, Carl D. Tarum, Paul M. Fisher, Christian E. Ross, Scott T. Blehm
  • Patent number: 9254862
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an electric power steering device, the control device configured to control an output torque of a motor that provides an assist torque to a steering torque, the output being controlled based on a steering-torque signal from a torque sensor that detects a steering torque, the control device controls the output torque using a correction signal to damp a vibration at a natural frequency determined in accordance with a transfer characteristic from the steering-torque signal to the output torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Kezobo, Yoshihiko Kimpara, Takayuki Kifuku, Tatsuya Mori, Takashi Iwasaki, Masashi Iwane, Yuji Takatsuka
  • Patent number: 9257042
    Abstract: Techniques are described for generating and using information regarding road traffic in various ways, including by obtaining and analyzing road traffic information regarding actual behavior of drivers of vehicles on a network of roads. Obtained actual driver behavior information may in some situations be analyzed to determine actual delays for vehicles encountering various particular road features in the network of roads, such as for identified decision points at which drivers face choices corresponding to possible alternative routes through the network of roads (e.g., intersections, highway exits and/or entrances, etc.) and/or for other traffic flow impediments. The identified and determined information from the analysis may then be used in various manners, including in some situations to assist in determining particular recommended or preferred routes of vehicles through the network of roads based at least in part on actual driver behavior information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Inrix, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher L. Scofield, Robert Cahn, Weimin Mark Wang, Alec Barker, Robert Frederick Leidle
  • Patent number: 9257926
    Abstract: A method of controlling at least one motor in a motorized mobility vehicle, wherein the motor is part of a drive circuit for mobilizing the mobility vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: utilizing a stored profile of a motor performance parameter to develop a compensation term for controlling the motor, wherein the stored profile is of a resistance based variable associated with the motor as a function of a further variable and dynamically updating the compensation term when the mobility vehicle is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Dynamic Controls
    Inventors: Warren Gordon Pettigrew, Ian Palmer
  • Patent number: 9249556
    Abstract: An hydraulic shovel according to the present invention includes a lower running body 1, an upper turning body 3 turnably mounted on the lower running body 1, a boom 4 pivotably attached to the upper turning body 3, an arm 5 pivotably attached to the boom 4, a bucket 6 attached to the arm 5, an boom angle sensor S1 which detects a condition of the boom 4, an attachment condition determining part 300 which determines whether the boom 4 is within a predetermined upper working range based on a detection value of the boom angle sensor S1, and an operating condition switching part 301 which switches an operating condition of the hydraulic shovel. The operating condition switching part 301 slows down a movement of the bucket 6 if the attachment condition determining part 300 determines that an attachment is within the predetermined upper working range UWR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: SUMITOMO(S.H.I.) CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideto Magaki, Ryuji Shiratani
  • Patent number: 9249557
    Abstract: When the total value of demanded hydraulic power and demanded traveling power is larger than the sum of the engine power that can be output by an engine (1) and of the discharge power that can be discharged by an electrical storage device (3), the actual power of a hydraulic pump (9) is increased from the value at the time of demand toward the demanded hydraulic power under the constraint of a predetermined limit. While the power of the hydraulic pump is being subjected to the predetermined limit, the actual power of the traveling motor is decreased from the value at the time of demand by a value smaller than the magnitude of the predetermined limit. This prevents worsening of ride comfort attributable to the distribution of power between the hydraulic pump and the traveling motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hidekazu Moriki, Satoru Kaneko, Takashi Ikimi, Noritaka Ito
  • Patent number: 9248708
    Abstract: A disclosed system for monitoring and locating a position of a tire pressure monitoring device within a tire includes a controller configured to detect a first transmission from a first sensor installed within a first wheel and a second transmission from a second sensor installed within a second wheel coupled to the first wheel. The controller and system utilizes a relative angular position corresponding to receipt of the transmissions to identify a lead and trailing tire pressure monitoring device. The controller is then enabled to correlate the signals with a known sequence of sensors to determine within which of the coupled tire assembly includes which tire pressure monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Fink, Jean-Christophe Deniau
  • Patent number: 9250630
    Abstract: A modular vehicle management system is described, comprising a controller module configured to control different types of carrier modules. The controller module includes a computer system and optionally one or more sensors. The computer system is configured to perform operations comprising detecting whether a carrier module is connected to the controller module. If the carrier module is connected to the controller module, the carrier module is authenticated. If the authentication fails, operation of the vehicle is inhibited. The control module is configured to determine carrier module capabilities including information regarding a navigation processing device, and/or a radio modem. The controller adapts to the capabilities of the controller module. Using information from the sensors and the navigation processing device, the vehicle management system navigates the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: UNMANNED INNOVATION, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Downey, Bernard Michini
  • Patent number: 9248852
    Abstract: There is provided a drive control method for a motor including multiple sets of coils and drive circuits in an electric power steering system. In order to reduce computational load when sensorless control is executed, an electrical angle estimator includes an ?-axis voltage component adder and a ?-axis voltage component adder that add together voltage vectors of a first coil and a second coil expressed in a two-phase fixed coordinate system, an ?-axis current component adder and a ?-axis current component adder that add together current vectors of the first coil and the second coil expressed in a two-phase fixed coordinate system, and an induced voltage computing unit that computes an induced voltage based on an added voltage vector and an added current vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Mikamo, Kenichiro Aoki
  • Patent number: 9242620
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for programming a wiper system (10; 10a) for vehicle windscreens, in which for operating respectively a windscreen wiper (14, 15) a wiper module (12, 13) on the driver's side is programmed as master module (36) and a wiper module (12, 13) on the passenger's side is programmed as slave module (37), wherein the wiper modules (12, 13) consist of a reversing motor (18), if applicable a gear (19), a holder (22, 23) for fastening to the body of a vehicle, and a control (20), wherein in the control (20) at least data for a program sequence (38), vehicle-specific characteristic data (39) and data for the operation of the wiper module (12, 13) as master module (36) or respectively as slave module (37) are stored, wherein at least the wiper module (12, 13) on the driver's side is connected via an on-board wiring system interface (30) and a first data communication line (32) with a vehicle control unit (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Valeo Systémes d'Essuyage
    Inventors: Eberhard Högler, Sebastian Wagner
  • Patent number: 9243926
    Abstract: An electronic map may be output based on map data including information related to a current configuration of each of a plurality of map objects and historical attributes of at least a portion of the plurality of map objects. The historical attribute associated with a map object may include information related to a historical configuration of the respective map object in the past. A time selection input may be received at a user interface. The map data may be processed to identify a map object having a current configuration different from a historical configuration at a time in the past which is determined based on the time selection input. An optical output device may be controlled to output a graphical representation of the identified map object that is dependent on both the current configuration and the historical configuration of the identified map object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GMBH
    Inventor: Marek Strassenburg-Kleciak
  • Patent number: 9242645
    Abstract: A fail-safe control method and apparatus for an engine clutch actuator includes determining whether a driving mode of a hybrid vehicle is an electric vehicle (EV) mode. An oil pressure in a cylinder of the engine clutch actuator is measured when the driving mode of the hybrid vehicle is the EV mode. The oil pressure value in the cylinder is compared with a previously stored average pressure value. A motor of the engine clutch actuator rotates to decrease the oil pressure value in the cylinder t when the oil pressure value in the cylinder is greater than the previously stored average pressure value. An engine clutch is connected to an internal combustion engine as the oil pressure value in the cylinder decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Tae Ho Kim, Jong Hyun Kim, Young Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 9242644
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle illustrated as a representative example of an electrically-powered vehicle includes a chargeable/dischargeable power storage device, a motor configured to generate a vehicle drive force by receiving supply of power from the power storage device, an internal combustion engine as a drive force source, and a generator configured to generate charging power for the power storage device by power generation using an output of the internal combustion engine. If the generator cannot be operated normally, the control unit causes the electrically-powered vehicle to perform limp-home mode traveling by traveling using only the motor. During the limp-home mode traveling, the control device calculates a remaining travelable distance in the limp-home mode traveling, based on at least a remaining capacity of the power storage device and a vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takahiko Hirasawa, Keiji Kaita
  • Patent number: 9233680
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle system includes determining when the vehicle system approaches an airflow restricted area and distributing a total power output of the vehicle system among first and second vehicles of the vehicle system. The total power output is distributed by directing the first vehicle to decrease power output relative to a power output generated by the second vehicle and/or by directing the second vehicle to increase power output relative to the power output generated by the first vehicle. The method includes monitoring the power output of the second vehicle during travel of the vehicle system in the airflow restricted area to determine when the second vehicle derates and redistributing the total power output of the vehicle system among the at vehicles as the vehicle system travels in the airflow restricted area and responsive to the second vehicle derating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Wolfgang Daum
  • Patent number: 9233762
    Abstract: The display device comprises display means which highlight on a screen, preferably of PFD type, the information useful to the pilot relating to at least one flight parameter, especially while reducing the corresponding scale on said screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventors: Pascale Louise, Fabien Perrin, Delphine MacDonald, Nicolas Chauveau
  • Patent number: 9233671
    Abstract: In order to suppress power consumption, in a parking lock control device of a vehicle of the present invention, when a parking lock activation command is outputted, either one of right or left parking lock mechanism is activated. When it is estimated or detected that the vehicle moves in a state in which only the one parking lock mechanism is activated, the other parking lock mechanism is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Hasegawa, Yasuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9220196
    Abstract: A method for automatic adjustment of at least one of several working units of a self-propelled harvesting machine involved in a harvesting process, includes the steps of initially modeling the harvesting process by at least one program map, based on a data base characteristic of a current harvesting process; determining an initial working point of the at least one of the working units on a basis of the initial modeling; adapting the at least one program map on a basis of data currently collected by measurements and which influence the harvesting process; determining a new working point of the at least one working unit depending on the adaptation of the program map; and iteratively approximating the new working point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Baumgarten, Sebastian Neu, Christoph Bussmann, Andreas Wilken, Henner Voecking, Christoph Heitmann
  • Patent number: 9222421
    Abstract: An electronic control unit (1) stops output suppression control for an engine (6) at the time of simultaneous depression of an accelerator pedal (2) and a brake pedal (4) when the depression of the brake pedal (4) is erroneously detected due to an ON-failure of a stop lamp switch (5) even if the brake pedal is not depressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinya Kodama, Masashi Takagi, Michihito Shimada, Akihiro Kida, Motonari Obayashi, Hiroshi Shimada, Akito Oonishi, Takamasa Kitamura