Patents Examined by John R. Olszewski
  • Patent number: 9454509
    Abstract: A system for use with a mobile device includes at least one sensor to sense a variable related to tilting of the mobile device and at least one activatable system in operative connection with the sensor. The at least one activatable system increases stability of the mobile device upon actuation/change in state thereof on the basis of data measured by the at least one sensor. A variable related to tilting includes variables that indicate concurrent, actual tilting as described herein as well as variables predictive of imminent tilting. Activatable systems hereof change state upon actuation or activation to increase stability of the mobile device by reducing, eliminating or preventing tilting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Inventors: Jonathan L. Pearlman, Jonathan A. Duvall, Benjamin T. Gebrosky, Rory Alan Cooper
  • Patent number: 9454908
    Abstract: A method and system for managing automatic guidance of an aircraft during a complete engine failure. Said system includes means for monitoring engines so as to be able to detect a complete failure of the engines; means for detecting whether the aircraft is in flight; means for detecting whether the aircraft is in a different guidance mode from a guidance mode configured to make the aircraft descend with a reduced engine thrust and a fixed speed; and control means for automatically bringing guidance means of the aircraft into a guidance configuration compatible with the situation associated with the complete failure of the engines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS S.A.S.
    Inventors: Marie-Claire Moune, Jean Muller, Stéphane Cote
  • Patent number: 9454855
    Abstract: Methods, systems, devices and computer program products for planning for failures of vehicular components are provided herein. A method includes obtaining a first set of data of maintenance events recorded for multiple vehicular components across multiple vehicles in a fleet; obtaining a second set of data of maintenance work orders performed on the vehicular components; obtaining a third set of data of measurements taken in connection with the vehicular components; analyzing (i) the first set of data and (ii) the second set of data to identify component failure events associated with the multiple vehicular components; determining failure indicators for each of the vehicular components in each of the vehicles in the fleet based on the second set of data, the third set of data, and the identified component failure events; and outputting the indicators in multiple visualized forms, each representing one of multiple levels of granularity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hyung-il Ahn, Matthew Denesuk, Axel Hochstein, Ying Tat Leung
  • Patent number: 9452844
    Abstract: A system for quickly locating and retrieving flight data of an aircraft after an aircraft mid-air mishap comprises: a flight data recorder; a tracking device comprising at least one camera; a rapid ejection system for ejecting the flight data recorder and tracking device; a soft landing system; and a tow system, wherein the tow system is configured to continue to transmit flight information from the aircraft to the tracking device via the data communication link for a period of time after the ejection of the tracking device; and wherein the tracking device transmits to the flight data recorder the flight information received from the aircraft after ejection and the images captured by the tracking device immediately following the mid-air mishap, and wherein the flight data recorder is configured to in turn transmit said flight information and images to the remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: COMAC AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wei Ye, Jianhong Sun
  • Patent number: 9449519
    Abstract: A speed zone computation unit that computes a speed zone of a host vehicle; a target speed computation unit that computes a target speed of the host vehicle based on a speed zone; a driving assistance starting point computation unit that computes a driving assistance starting point determined by a state of the host vehicle at the time when a driving assistance is started; and a target speed modification unit that modifies a target speed, when the driving assistance starting point is within the speed zone, are included. The target speed computation unit sets a speed lower than the speed zone in the reference position as the target speed. The target speed modification unit sets a value higher than a value computed by the target speed computation unit as a new target speed, in speed in the reference position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinichi Nagata
  • Patent number: 9446935
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring the crane safety of a crane with a variable support base and with a monitoring unit, wherein several safety criteria are monitored during crane operation, in that, for each criterion which is dependent on at least one parameter relating to the crane configuration and/or crane movement during crane operation, an admissible specific limit value is calculated during crane operation, and monitored for compliance. In addition, the invention relates to a method for operating a crane with a monitoring unit which calculates an admissible bearing load dependent on one or more modifiable parameters, during the operation of the crane, and a sensor system which detects the current modifiable parameters during crane operation, and makes them available to the monitoring unit, wherein one or more sensor values are modified before the calculation of the admissible bearing load, in order to determine the admissible bearing load for one or more future parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Liebherr-Werk Ehingen GmbH
    Inventor: Oliver Ruoss
  • Patent number: 9449505
    Abstract: Provided is a traffic congestion prediction method which is able to perform a prediction process using floating information with higher accuracy. The traffic congestion prediction method includes: a step of receiving information by a prediction device; a step of predicting a route of each floating car based on the current position information and destination information received; a step of calculating, for the each floating car, a first passing time group which is a set of respective passing times at a plurality of predetermined spots on the route predicted; a step of calculating the number of existing floating cars per link based on the first passing time group, if any of a plurality of floating cars exists on the link at a predetermined time; and a step of calculating a second passing time group by use of the number of existing floating cars and a predetermined calculation technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: DENSO IT LABORATORY, INC., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Masutani
  • Patent number: 9448082
    Abstract: A method operates a hybrid drive operable selectively in a first operating mode powered by only an internal combustion engine or in a second operating mode powered by only an electric motor. Prior to starting a trip, for which a route that leads from a start to a destination is determined, the entire route to be traveled is segmented, according to pre-defined logic, into a plurality of route sections. These route sections are used to select certain route sections that are ever taken into consideration, based on certain route section criteria, for driving in the second mode. From, the selected certain route sections, those are used to identify and to drive on the route in the second mode in which route travel in the second mode yields a total maximum fuel economy advantage compared to driving the route in the first or any other mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Thomas Christ, Moritz Gretzschel
  • Patent number: 9446746
    Abstract: A method of vehicle stability control including the steps of: a) applying a test braking pulse to a wheel on a first side of the vehicle and to a wheel on a second, opposite, side of the vehicle, b) measuring the rotational speed of both wheels during the test braking pulse, c) calculating a change in wheel speed during the test braking pulse for each wheel, d) calculating the difference between the change in speed of the wheels, e) carrying out a stability control intervention if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, f)ceasing the test braking pulse if the difference over the first period of times is less than a predetermined level, and g) continuing the test braking pulse for a second period of time if the difference over the first period of time is greater than the predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Haldex Brake Products Limited
    Inventor: Dudley John Harrison
  • Patent number: 9448969
    Abstract: The present invention is directed a system including a vehicle monitoring device coupled to a vehicle configured to retrieve vehicle information from a vehicle diagnostic system of the vehicle and transmit the vehicle information to an off-board device via a communication relay device to receive the vehicle information and display the received vehicle information based at least in part on information of the one or more recipients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Bosch Automotive Service Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Darren Schumacher
  • Patent number: 9443424
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of displaying traffic congestion estimation including a step of detecting a transition state that exists when transitioning from a free flow in which a possibility (probability of occurrence) of an occurrence of traffic congestion is lower than a first set value, to a mixed flow in which states of braking and accelerating the vehicle are mixed as the state of the flow of traffic, and a step of displaying the possibility (probability of occurrence) of transition from the free flow to the mixed flow in a continuous and visual manner on the basis of the detection result of the transition state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takamasa Koshizen
  • Patent number: 9434368
    Abstract: When a controller (19) is restarted after system control has ended, a brake apparatus drives an electric motor (43) so as to achieve a corrected target thrust force calculated by setting a greater thrust force than a target thrust force set according to a temperature estimated value of a frictional member at this time, based on the temperature estimated value of the frictional member at the time of the end of the control, or drives the electric motor based on the temperature estimated value of the frictional member at the time of the end of the control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ohara, Wataru Yokoyama, Kenji Hashida, Kimio Nishino, Kenichiro Matsubara
  • Patent number: 9438948
    Abstract: An AVN system of a vehicle includes a processor including a receiving unit that receives driving information of the vehicle, and receives mirroring data from an external wireless terminal through a wireless communication, a determining unit that determines whether or not the vehicle is moving, based on the driving information, and determines a type of the mirroring data, whether the mirroring data are movie data or non-movie data, a control unit that, upon the determining unit determining that the vehicle is not moving, outputs the mirroring data as they are regardless of the type of the mirroring data, and upon the determining unit determining that the vehicle is moving, outputs the mirroring data as they are only when the mirroring data are the non-movie data, and an output unit that outputs the mirroring data to a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: TINNOS INC.
    Inventors: Han Min Ryu, Dong Yup Lee
  • Patent number: 9435648
    Abstract: A map matching device for a positioning device includes an inertial detect module, measuring a moving signal generated from the positioning device, a movement estimation module, estimating location information of the positioning device according to the moving signal, a map data storage module, storing a plurality of types of map feature information of an environment where the positioning device is located, and a matching module, matching the location information with the plurality of types of map feature information for performing map matching processes, and providing a positioning coordinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chin-Chia Chang, Shih-Ching Huang, Chia-Ming Tsai
  • Patent number: 9429948
    Abstract: The invention relates to a humanoid robot endowed with particular capabilities for managing falls. The risks of falling limit the development of the mass-market use of humanoid robots. In the prior art, the modalities for detecting falls are not well suited to the case of very dynamic robots since the center of mass is very often outside their support polygons. The modalities for managing falls are also poorly suited to robots which must be economical in their computation resources. According to the invention, the conventional support polygon is supplemented with effectors for which it is determined that they are sufficiently close to the ground. Protection strategies are implemented, chosen from a set of strategies defined by a classification of the angles of fall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: ALDEBARAN ROBOTICS
    Inventor: David Gouaillier
  • Patent number: 9428013
    Abstract: A tire wear state estimation system includes as inputs an axle force estimation, a measured tire inflation pressure; a tire load estimation; a tire cornering stiffness estimation; and a tire identification by which a specific tire-based correlation model correlates tire inflation pressure, the tire load estimation, the tire cornering stiffness estimation, and the vehicle-based sensor axle force estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
    Inventor: Kanwar Bharat Singh
  • Patent number: 9423794
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control system for travel in a platoon (1), the platoon comprising a lead vehicle (L) and one or more following vehicles (F1, F2, . . . , Fi-1, Fi, . . . , Fn) automatically following the lead vehicle, the lead vehicle controlling the movement of the following vehicles, each of the following vehicles and the lead vehicle comprising communication means (10, 12), wherein the control system comprises a common time base, which allows a control command proposing an action to be communicated from the lead vehicle (L) to at least one of the following vehicles (F1, F2, . . . , Fi-1, Fi, . . . , Fn) in advance of a control point (tc). The invention further relates to the use of a common time base in a platoon and to a method to control travelling in a platoon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Henrik Lind, Jonas Ekmark
  • Patent number: 9423260
    Abstract: A rating of map information of self-learned maps with the aid of a method for producing, storing, and further using a digital map for a motor vehicle. Data relating to a first environment of the motor vehicle is captured using an ascertaining apparatus based on the ascertained data, a digital map of a first environment of the motor vehicle is produced and stored in a storage apparatus of the motor vehicle and rated using a first confidence indicator. A second confidence indicator is obtained from an electronic horizon. If the map information of the self-learned map matches the map information of the electronic horizon, the confidence indicator is raised to obtain a third confidence indicator of higher value and the map information can be used in a driver assistance system. However, if the data items do not match, the confidence indicators are lowered and transmission of the map information to the driver assistance system is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Ulrich Stählin
  • Patent number: 9423016
    Abstract: A hydraulic oil deterioration ratio estimating apparatus in a vehicle includes a torque converter, an automatic transmission, an oil temperature detector, an engine speed detector, an input shaft rotation speed detector, an output shaft rotation speed detector, and a hydraulic oil deterioration ratio estimator. The hydraulic oil deterioration ratio estimator is configured to estimate a deterioration ratio of hydraulic oil. The hydraulic oil deterioration ratio estimator includes a first thermal deterioration ratio calculator, a second thermal deterioration ratio calculator, a third thermal deterioration ratio calculator, a mechanical deterioration ratio calculator, and a deterioration ratio comparator. The first thermal deterioration ratio calculator is configured to calculate a first thermal deterioration ratio of the hydraulic oil during stoppage of the vehicle based on an estimated value of a change in temperature of the hydraulic oil from the stoppage of the vehicle to start of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsumasa Furumoto
  • Patent number: 9424752
    Abstract: Example methods and systems for performing fleet planning based on coarse estimates of regions is provided. A method may include receiving information indicative of a sequence of coverage requirements for a region over a period of time. For one or more time intervals of the period of time, the method may include dividing the region over which vehicles of the plurality of vehicles may traverse into a plurality of sub-regions such that for each subsequent time interval a size of a given sub-region increases. The method includes at each of the one or more time intervals of the period of time, determining vehicles of the plurality of vehicles that can reach a given landmark in a given sub-region by an end of the one or more time intervals, and based on the sequence of coverage requirements, generating a fleet plan for the time intervals based on the determined vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Bonawitz