Patents Examined by Jordan T Smith
  • Patent number: 12291358
    Abstract: An integrated guidance and feedback control scheme for steering an underactuated vehicle through desired waypoints in three-dimensional space. The guidance and control algorithm takes as an input the desired trajectory for the translational motion that passes through the given waypoints, and autonomously generates the desired trajectory for the attitude based on the desired thrust direction to achieve the translational motion trajectory. A feedback control law is obtained to steer the underactuated vehicle towards the desired trajectories in translation and rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Amit K. Sanyal, Sasi Prabhakaran Viswanathan
  • Patent number: 12292739
    Abstract: Provided is an autonomous travel system capable of effectively suppressing generation of ruts. It is a further object to provide an autonomous travel system including unmanned vehicles that travel on a transportation path constituted of opposite lanes, which is capable of suppressing generation of ruts while preventing proximity to an on-corning vehicle. An in-vehicle control device 200 includes: an offset amount determination unit 202 adapted to, based on common offset information received via a wireless communication device 240, determine an offset amount of a travel path 60 based on map information 251 and generate a target track 62; and an autonomous travel control unit 201 adapted to output a travel instruction to control traveling of a body so as to track the target track 62 to which the offset amount has been added based on the target track 62 and an own-vehicle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Kanai, Tomoyuki Hamada, Mikio Bando, Hiroto Morizane
  • Patent number: 12284931
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for control by a supervisor of at least one autonomous agricultural robot comprising geolocation means, the supervisor transmitting periodic row allocation messages to the at least one autonomous agricultural robot, each of the agricultural robots comprising a computer for controlling the movement of the corresponding robot as a function, on the one hand, of the allocated trajectory and, on the other hand, of the geolocation data, as well as for calculating a row change trajectory as a function of the messages transmitted by the supervisor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: AGREENCULTURE
    Inventors: Henri Appert, Emmanuel Goua de Baix, Clément Baron
  • Patent number: 12282885
    Abstract: Methods and systems for generating a planned path for a vehicle are disclosed. Upon receiving a trip service request, a processor will access a data store containing multiple candidate motion planning systems, each of which is associated with at least one vehicle or fleet. The processor will identify a starting point and a destination for the trip service request, and it will use an identifier for the vehicle or its fleet to select, from the candidate systems, a motion planning system. The processor will use the functions of the selected motion planning system to generate candidate trajectories for the first vehicle from the starting point to the destination in a high definition map. The processor will select a planned route from the candidate trajectories, and it will output trip instructions to cause the vehicle to move along the planned route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Volkswagen Group of America Investments, LLC
    Inventors: Shubhashree Venkatesh, Noe Brito, Yee-Ning Cheng, Madhav Chhura, Sebastian Dovenor, John Drake, Jonathan Pan, Jason Parraga, Scott Plant
  • Patent number: 12254772
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a signal processing device, a signal processing method, a program, and a mobile device enabling to obtain an occupancy grid map in which an appropriate path can be set. The signal processing device includes: a map creation unit configured to create an occupancy grid map indicating a presence or absence of an object in a unit of a grid on the basis of first sensor data from a first sensor used to detect the object in surroundings of a mobile device; an attribute setting unit configured to set an attribute of the grid of the occupancy grid map on the basis of an attribute of the object; and a correction unit configured to correct the occupancy grid map on the basis of an attribute of the grid. The present technology can be applied to, for example, a system that controls automatic driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Ishikawa, Chao Wang
  • Patent number: 12252227
    Abstract: A marine propulsion system includes a controller configured or programmed to perform a rudder angle change control to change a rudder angle of an auxiliary propulsion device by a predetermined angle to one side in a right-left direction of a hull with respect to a forward-rearward direction of the hull so as to move the hull along the forward-rearward direction without rotating the hull when motorized forward-rearward movement is performed to move the hull along the forward-rearward direction by driving the auxiliary propulsion device that is provided to one side of the hull in the right-left direction without generating a thrust from a main propulsion device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuji Ikegaya
  • Patent number: 12253366
    Abstract: An information processing method, an information processing system, an information processing device, and an information terminal of the present invention, accepts a destination for the vehicle, then searches for the travel route to the destination and sets as a first travel route, and sets a travel start time to start traveling on the first travel route. Then, vehicle information is acquired for the vehicle in advance of the travel start time by a prescribed time after the setting of the first travel route; and a travel route to the destination is searched again and a second travel route is set based on the vehicle information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenta Suzuki, Kazuhiro Suzuki, Toshiharu Nakajima, Yasunori Maruyama
  • Patent number: 12246715
    Abstract: A method for controlling an approach of a driving vehicle to at least one preceding reference vehicle using an automated distance setting as a function of a setpoint distance between the vehicle and the reference vehicle. The setpoint distance is calculated as a function of an operating position of an operating element of the vehicle, which is actuatable by the driver of the vehicle and controls a drive of the vehicle. The setpoint distance being reduced directly or indirectly by actuating an actuating element of the vehicle, which has an actuating position, is actuatable by the driver of the vehicle, and controls a braking deceleration of the vehicle. A distance control system, a computer program, and a memory unit, as also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Thorsten Schori
  • Patent number: 12223841
    Abstract: A method in an On-Demand Autonomy system includes: monitoring for a trip change request from a plurality of platoon vehicles including a first leader vehicle (Lv) and a follower vehicle (Fv). When a trip termination request is received from a platoon vehicle, the method includes broadcasting information regarding the request to the other platoon vehicles, and monitoring for an acknowledgement of the request. When the trip termination request originated from the first Lv, the method includes electing a new Lv, computing a rendezvous point for the new Lv and the Fv, and signaling the Fv and new Lv regarding the rendezvous point. When a trip modification request is received from the Fv, the method includes broadcasting information regarding the request to the first Lv, electing a new Lv, computing a rendezvous point for the new Lv and the Fv, and signaling the Fv and new Lv regarding the rendezvous point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Inventors: Arun Adiththan, Prakash Mohan Peranandam, Ramesh Sethu
  • Patent number: 12210348
    Abstract: A method for controlling a construction machine can include dividing a work area into a plurality of work lanes; selecting a first set of consecutive work lanes of the plurality of work lanes that can be worked without an obstruction; and completing one or more passes on the selected first set of consecutive work lanes before moving on to another set of the plurality of work lanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel S. Doy, John L. Marsolek, David Edwin Gerding, Rolf af Klinteberg, Robert J. McGee
  • Patent number: 12193434
    Abstract: The invention relates to a collaborative agricultural field processing control device intended to be mounted on an agricultural machine (1), composed of a set of detectors (2) for weeds or leaf symptoms of deficiencies or diseases collaborating in the decision to control the treatment devices (3) of the agricultural field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Carbon Bee
    Inventor: Gérald Germain
  • Patent number: 12179795
    Abstract: A trajectory for an autonomous machine may be evaluated for safety based at least on determining whether the autonomous machine would be capable of occupying points of the trajectory in space-time while still being able to avoid a potential future collision with one or more objects in the environment through use of one or more safety procedures. To do so, a point of the trajectory may be evaluated for conflict based at least on a comparison between points in space-time that correspond to the autonomous machine executing the safety procedure(s) from the point and arrival times of the one or more objects to corresponding position(s) in the environment. A trajectory may be sampled and evaluated for conflicts at various points throughout the trajectory. Based on results of one or more evaluations, the trajectory may be scored, eliminated from consideration, or otherwise considered for control of the autonomous machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Birgit Henke, David Nister, Julia Ng
  • Patent number: 12157580
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring aircraft within a landing area of an aerial transport are provided. A system includes a plurality of robotic devices configured to move aircraft within the landing area. The system obtains facility data to dynamically determine accessible and prohibited areas of the landing area. The system determines a robotic device to transfer an aircraft based on map data representing the prohibited/accessible areas of the landing area and robotic data representing attributes of each robotic device. The system determines a number of routes for the selected robotic device to transfer the aircraft within the landing area while avoiding prohibited areas of the landing area. The system generates command instructions for the selected robotic device and provides the command instructions to the selected robotic device to travel in accordance with the number of routes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: JOBY AERO, INC.
    Inventors: Jalen Doherty, Ian Andreas Villa, Matthew Derkach, Philipp Haban
  • Patent number: 12157460
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for object detection for a work machine. In an embodiment, data may be received from at least one sensor associated with the work machine and corresponding to a field of view extending from the main frame. Objects are classified in respective locations in the field of view, and at least one segmentation mask is generated corresponding to contours for at least one portion of, or attachment to, the work machine as determined to be in the field of view, wherein each of the at least one segmentation mask defines a respective masked zone in the field of view. One or more of the classified objects may then be determined as separate from the portion/attachment, wherein the at least one segmentation mask is applied to the portion/attachment independently of the one or more separate objects in the field of view. The at least one segmentation mask may be dynamic in nature to account for detected movements of, e.g., attachments to the work machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel M. Czarnecki, Giovanni A. Wuisan, Rachel Bruflodt, Christopher B. Howard
  • Patent number: 12153444
    Abstract: A technique relates to route planning. Points associated with a start location and a destination location are received. It is determined whether the points comprise one or more hard points, one or more soft points, or both. At least one obstruction to avoid is determined. A route is autonomously generated comprising the points and segments associated with the points, the segments comprising rhumb lines, great-circle arcs, or both. Responsive to the points comprising the one or more soft points, the at least one obstruction is avoided by permitting a distance associated with the one or more soft points to be reached and adding at least one free waypoint. Responsive to the points comprising the one or more hard points, the at least one obstruction is avoided by requiring the one or more hard points to be reached and adding the at least one free waypoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Navid Dadkhah Tehrani, Brian Henri LeFloch, Brian Scott MacAllister, Jr., Suraj Unnikrishnan, Igor Cherepinksy
  • Patent number: 12152899
    Abstract: A guidance text generation device that generates a guidance text for a user includes a route generation unit that generates a route including nodes from a point of departure to a destination, the nodes being represented by the point of departure, corners or/and ends at which a traveling direction changes and the destination and geographical information including types for classifying things located on a route connecting nodes, the types being classified into at least one of global brands, universal signs/facilities, objects peculiar to Japan, shops/facilities with alphanumeric notation, and shops, facilities and objects that do not fall under any of such categories and a guidance text generation unit that generates a guidance text for the generated route based on the generated route, the geographical information on the generated route, presentation priority of the geographical information associated with the type of the geographical information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Asuka Miyake, Misa Hirao, Hiroya Minami
  • Patent number: 12146753
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for suggesting a charging station for an electric vehicle. A partial range of the electric vehicle corresponding to a predetermined percentage of the current state of charge of a battery of the electric vehicle is determined. A location corresponding to the partial range, along a route to a destination, is determined and used to select a suggested charging station based on the location corresponding to the partial range. The suggested charging station is generated for presentation at a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Murat Erozlu, Vignesh Eswar, Calvin Ka Wai Ching, Kok Wei Koh, Martin Hermez, Jason Meyer Quint, Parinaz Sayyah
  • Patent number: 12128888
    Abstract: A behavior prediction method includes: determining a position of a host vehicle; determining a position of another vehicle in a second travel lane, the second travel lane being an opposite lane to a first travel lane in which the host vehicle travels; detecting an intersecting passage intersecting the second travel lane at a position ahead of the host vehicle; and determining whether or not the another vehicle is located within a predetermined range from an intersection position of the intersecting passage and the second travel lane to a point away from the intersection position by a predetermined distance in an opposite direction to a traveling direction of a vehicle in the second travel lane and the another vehicle is in either state of a stopped state and a decelerated state to predict that there is a probability that a mobile unit enters the first travel lane from the intersecting passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Nanri, Fang Fang, Shotaro Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 12130623
    Abstract: Disclosed here are methods and systems for automatically operating automated vehicles moving through vegetation obstacles with minimal damage, comprising receiving image(s) depicting vegetation obstacle(s) blocking at least partially a path of an automated vehicle executing a mission, analyzing the image(s) to extract one or more obstacle attributes of the vegetation obstacle(s), computing a plurality of movement patterns for operating the automated to cross the vegetation obstacle(s) based on one or more vehicle attributes of the automated vehicle with respect to one or more of the obstacle attributes where each movement pattern defines one or more movement parameters of the automated vehicle, selecting one of the movement patterns estimated to reduce a cost of damage to the automated vehicle and/or to the one or more vegetation obstacles, and outputting instructions for operating the automated vehicle to move through the vegetation obstacle(s) according to the selected movement pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Blue White Robotics Ltd
    Inventors: Aviram Shmueli, Alon Ascher, Ben Alfi, Shmuel Ur
  • Patent number: 12110129
    Abstract: An autonomous landing system for vertical landing aircraft includes a vertical landing aircraft including a powertrain and an onboard camera, a motion-stabilized visual cue including a visual indicator, wherein the visual cue is configured to maintain a fixed orientation of the visual indicator with respect to a horizon, and an autonomous control system configured to control a position of the aircraft with respect to the visual indicator of the visual cue based on image data captured by the onboard camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventors: Bochan Lee, Moble Benedict