Patents Examined by Jonathan M Dager
  • Patent number: 12713202
    Abstract: An example operation includes one or more of receiving a request for charge from a vehicle from a software application on the vehicle, where the request comprises an identifier of a destination of the vehicle and a state of charge (SOC) of the vehicle, determining a charging time for the vehicle at a charging station based on the SOC, dynamically selecting content from among a database of content based on the destination and the charging time, detecting the vehicle performing a charging operation at the charging station, and delivering the dynamically selected content to a graphical user interface (GUI) of the software application while the vehicle is performing the charging operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Geoffrey David Gaither, James G. Swartz, Frederick W. Mau
  • Patent number: 12709306
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle having at least one functional unit for performing a driving function, wherein the functional unit is controllable by a control unit of the vehicle to execute the driving function in an automated driving mode. The method includes carrying out an initialization process to activate a manual driving mode for externally controlling the driving function via an operating device. Additionally, the disclosure pertains to a computer program product and a system associated with the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Timo Dobberphul
  • Patent number: 12691878
    Abstract: Systems and methods of determining distance bounds for adaptive cruise control. An autonomous vehicle system can identify a second vehicle on the roadway that is traveling in front of the autonomous vehicle; determine a speed of the second vehicle while the second vehicle travels along the roadway; generate a distance bound between the autonomous vehicle and the second vehicle based on the speed of the second vehicle and a speed of the autonomous vehicle; and control the speed of the autonomous vehicle to implement adaptive cruise control according to the distance bound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2026
    Assignee: TORC ROBOTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Rikki Valverde, Nikhilkumar Bhalodiya, Sheril Avikkal Kunhippurayil
  • Patent number: 12692678
    Abstract: An autonomous pile driving system comprises an arm of an autonomous offroad vehicle (AOV) configured to hold and drive a pile, a chute configured to stabilize the pile as the pile is being driven. The autonomous pile driving system further comprises a controller configured to identify a location in the geographic area where a pile is to be driven (e.g., installed) and position the chute at the location. The controller aligns the pile secured by the AOV with an opening of the chute and inserts the pile into the chute by actuating an arm (or other suitable component) of the AOV securing the pile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2026
    Assignee: Built Robotics Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony Guolla, Brian Lerner, Noah Austen Ready-Campbell, Andrew Xiao Liang
  • Patent number: 12679481
    Abstract: A mobile robot includes a chassis, a tractive element coupled to the chassis, a driveline coupled to the chassis and configured to drive the tractive element to propel the mobile robot, a control system communicably coupled to the driveline, and a platform assembly removably coupled to the chassis. The platform assembly defines an occupant riding area. The mobile robot also includes a controller removably coupled to the platform assembly and communicably coupled to the control system. The controller is configured to receive an input from a user of the controller, and transmit the input to the control system. The control system is configured to operate the driveline based on the input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2025
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: TEXTRON INC.
    Inventors: Donny Lee Hammond, Ricky Veldee Kemp, Charles Daniel Dauchess, Samuel Smith
  • Patent number: 12681792
    Abstract: A notification device includes a processor, and the processor is configured to: receive a signal that indicates occurrence of an abnormal state of a mobile body that is movable through unattended operation, and specify a notification target that meets a specification condition determined in advance from one or more specification targets that include at least one of a worker and a station; and send a notification to instruct handling of the abnormal state of the mobile body to the specified notification target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shogo Yasuyama, Kento Iwahori, Daiki Yokoyama, Yasuhiro Saito
  • Patent number: 12674670
    Abstract: An autonomous drone swarm system and method for subterranean and GPS-denied operations utilizing artificial intelligence for coordinated operations comprises command drones equipped with large language model processors and subordinate drones coordinated through a hierarchical Queen-Worker architecture. The system processes natural language commands, generates autonomous mission plans, and coordinates multi-drone operations through an encrypted self-healing mesh communication network utilizing multiple modalities including radio frequency, optical, acoustic, and visual channels. A Unified Ground Frame with Surface-Referenced Z (UGF-SRZ) coordinate system provides signed vertical coordinates enabling seamless operation across surface and subterranean environments. GPS-denied navigation combines multi-sensor dead reckoning, collaborative positioning, and distributed mapping with fog-layer processing for enhanced accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2025
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2026
    Assignee: DRONE OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas Thompson
  • Patent number: 12662146
    Abstract: Disclosed systems and methods for customizable commands for vehicle operation include one or more command sensors configured to receive a command from a user, one or more environmental sensors configured to collect environmental information, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are operable to cause the systems to determine, based on a command database and user command profiles, whether the received command includes a high-level function of vehicle operation, in response to determining that the received command includes the high-level function, generate sequential vehicle operations based on the high-level function and the environmental information, the sequential vehicle operations including one or more fundamental functions of vehicle operation, and operate a vehicle using the sequential vehicle operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignees: Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Robert Heckel, Mark Anthony McClung, Steven S. Basra, Charan S. Lota, Benjamin R. Resnick, Ryan Wheeler, Lokesh Kumar Viswavarapu, Raja Shekar Kilaru, Nikhil Rajendra
  • Patent number: 12654723
    Abstract: The Vehicle-in-Virtual-Environment (VVE) technology described herein is directed to the use of a computational system and software that generates a highly realistic real world or representative 3D environment, generates raw perception and localization and communication sensor information from that environment, and feeds these to the autonomous driving computer system in an autonomous vehicle (AV) such that the autonomous driving system behaves as if it is in that environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Ohio State Innovation Foundation
    Inventors: Levent Guvenc, Bilin Aksun-Guvenc
  • Patent number: 12630998
    Abstract: A work machine controller is configured to, when in a swinging operation, identify a circumferential operation start position of the tip of an arm based on a detected posture of the work device, and identify an angular interference prevention position in a swing direction that does not interfere between a vessel being loaded and the work device. A lower limit value of a height direction of the work device corresponding to the angular position in the swing direction of the arm is calculated to be within an operating range of the swing body from the identified operation start position to the interference prevention position. While the swinging body is in motion, the controller invalidates the operation of the arm and controls the movement of the boom and the swinging body so that the height of the tip of the arm does not fall below the lower limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryu Narikawa, Teppei Saitoh, Tadashi Kotani, Hideaki Ito, Kei Sato, Hidefumi Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 12630156
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is configured to acquire a camera image obtained by imaging a surrounding situation of a vehicle, generate a traveling possible region, which is a region where the vehicle is able to travel, based on first information including a traveling route shape defined by a road marking line captured in the camera image and second information including a traveling route shape defined by a road marking line included in map information, and control traveling of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in the generated traveling possible region, and the processor further sets any one of the first information and the second information as priority information based on information regarding one or more stationary targets included in the first information or the second information to generate the traveling possible region from the set priority information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daichi Inoue, Sho Tamura
  • Patent number: 12623571
    Abstract: An embodiment power control apparatus includes a power converter configured to convert a voltage supplied from a first battery into a voltage lower than the voltage supplied from the first battery, a power distributor configured to distribute power supplied from the power converter and supply the distributed power to a braking device, a steering device, a sensor, and an autonomous driving control device in duplicate, and a battery management device configured to control a charging of a second battery using the power supplied from the power distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation, Kyungshin Corp.
    Inventors: Sehoon Park, Hyunsock Yi
  • Patent number: 12618681
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a map application that identifies a transit route that includes one or more transit legs between a starting location and a destination location. In response to a request to start navigating the identified transit route, the map application of some embodiments provides a first display area for displaying a set of navigation instructions, each of which describes a transit maneuver that is associated with a transit leg of the transit route. The map application also provides a second display area for displaying a map region presentation associated with the navigation instruction that is displayed in the first display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Usama M. Hajj, Marcel Van Os, Brian Andrich, Ian Leighton, Justin O'Beirne, David Hodge, Eleanor Cady Wachsman, Nathaniel V. Kelso, Aaron A. Reiner, Christine B. McGavran, Wesley Yue, Eric L. Grundstrom
  • Patent number: 12614131
    Abstract: A routing optimization method for truck-drone integrated rescue vehicles in forest firefighting includes the following steps: collecting the data of the disaster sites caused by forest fires, calculating transportation time on road and flight time according to the data of the disaster sites, and getting the transportation time data of post-disaster relief; based on the disaster site data, transportation time data, and an amount of relief supplies that can be allocated to disaster relief sites, constructing a mathematical model of the truck-drone based vehicle routing problem; solving the mathematical model of the truck-drone based vehicle routing problem by the optimization algorithm, and specifying a post-disaster rescue route of the truck-drone integrated rescue vehicle according to the solution results. The model based on the truck-drone based vehicle routing problem method can reduce the impact of sudden natural disasters, and give full play to the advantages of truck-drone integrated rescue vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Inventors: Songtao Hu, Xiang Li, Bowen Zhang, Nan Chen, Xueyou Feng
  • Patent number: 12613536
    Abstract: A localization system comprises: a device; a master unit which wirelessly transmits a first localization signal; a plurality of lateration units distributed about the area within which the device is being localized, wherein each lateration unit of the plurality independently starts its own timer upon its receipt of the first localization signal; and a localization unit. The device receives the first localization signal and responsively wirelessly transmits a second localization signal. Each of the lateration units: independently receives the second localization signal; stops its respective timer responsive to receipt of the second localization signal; and wirelessly transmits a timer count signal to a localization unit. The timer count signal identifies the transmitting lateration unit and a count of its respective timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Assignee: Grain Weevil Corporation
    Inventors: Juan Manuel Bogado Torres, Ian Kennedy, Zane Zents, Benjamin H. Johnson, Chad E. Johnson, Cole Oswald, Travis Vanderheyden, Caden Carlson
  • Patent number: 12608024
    Abstract: An autonomous drone swarm system and method utilizing artificial intelligence for coordinated operations comprises command drones equipped with large language model processors and subordinate drones coordinated through a hierarchical Queen-Worker architecture. The system processes natural language commands, generates autonomous mission plans, and coordinates multi-drone operations through an encrypted self-healing mesh communication network utilizing laser, radio frequency, and visual communication channels. Multi-modal sensor integration including electro-optical, infrared, LiDAR and photogrammetry, radio frequency, and chemical detection provides comprehensive environmental awareness while federated learning algorithms enable distributed coordination in signal-denied environments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2025
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: DRONE OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Nicholas Thompson
  • Patent number: 12606188
    Abstract: An assistance system includes: a perception module configured to collect sensor data including data tracking behavior of a vehicle occupant in a host vehicle, and to determine perception information describing a current situation warranting initiation of an interactive dialog with the vehicle occupant; an interactive goal module configured to determine an interactive goal based on the determined perception information; an interaction timing module configured to determine timing for initiating the interactive dialog based on the interactive goal; a dialog module configured to, based on the perception information and the timing, initiate the interactive dialog to provide at least one of a suggestion and an offer to the vehicle occupant; and a vehicle control module configured to control operation of at least one of a device and a system of the host vehicle in response to the vehicle occupant accepting the at least one of the suggestion and the offer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ron Hecht, Ohad Akiva, Omer Tsimhoni, Ariel Telpaz, Claudia Goldman-Shenhar, Gershon Celniker
  • Patent number: 12596383
    Abstract: Provided is a channel monitoring method, an electronic device, and a storage medium. The method includes: obtaining scan data collected by a vehicle body collection component of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) in an area around a vehicle body; obtaining video data collected by a camera in a video collection area, where the camera is one of a plurality of cameras and is used to collect video of at least a partial area of the channel to be monitored of the plurality of channels to be monitored; in a case of determining an existence of a target object based on the scan data collected by the vehicle body collection component and/or the video data collected by the camera, obtaining a target channel where the target object is located; and generating target warning information for the target channel where the target object is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: Zhejiang Hengyi Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peng Wang, Xiantao Peng, Dake Li, Mingyi Liu, Feng Xu, Jun Shen
  • Patent number: 12584746
    Abstract: A method includes receiving map image data of multiple horizontal input maps of an overlapping geographical area and arranged to be displayed on a display device on a vehicle. Each input map has style data and at least one layer associated with a different type of geographical data shown on the map. The method includes generating multiple plain maps comprising removing the style data from the map image data of each input map, and determining common layers between at least two of the plain maps showing the same type of geographical data. The method includes determining data of a discrepancy map of discrepancies between the common layers of the at least two plain maps and for each common layer of the at least two plain maps, and generating an error value of the at least two plain maps comprising using the discrepancy maps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Debabrata Pal, Anvita Singh, Abhishek Alladi, Srinivasa Rao Pilla
  • Patent number: 12576860
    Abstract: Method for guiding a motor vehicle in an at least partially automated manner, wherein the parameter value of at least one parameter of the at least partially automated guidance depends on occupant information relating to a vehicle occupant, wherein the item of occupant information is determined on the basis of sensor data from at least one interior sensor at least partially representing the vehicle occupant of the motor vehicle and/or from at least one temperature sensor recording a body temperature of the vehicle occupant and/or a temperature of the interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Christina Böhmer, Florian Schwensfeier