Abstract: A CT imaging system for imaging an object is provided. The CT imaging system includes a stationary component, a rotating component configured to rotate with respect to the stationary component, a first conductive line coupled to the stationary component, and a second conductive line coupled to the rotating component, wherein the first and second conductive lines are positioned proximate one another such that inductive crosstalk between the first and second conductive lines provides a contactless communication channel for communicating data between the stationary component and the rotating component.
Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a forklift system. The system includes a vehicle body of a forklift; a fork configured to be vertically movable at one side of the vehicle body; a sensor unit; and a control unit. The sensor unit is configured to be disposed at a front end portion of the fork to detect an external object. The control unit is configured to control movement of the vehicle body or the position of the fork according to a detection signal generated by the sensor unit.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 11, 2020
Date of Patent:
March 23, 2021
Assignees:
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
Inventors:
Euihyun Kim, Jae Ho Choi, Jung Su Gong, Jung Whan Yeum, Sangduck Han
Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to electricity usage. A device may determine the electric or a hybrid-electric motor vehicle is charged at one or more charging locations. The device may determine a cost associated with electricity applicable at the time of the charging at the one or more charging locations. The device may determine a billing period associated with the electricity cost, wherein the billing period is at least one month. The device may cause the prediction of electricity costs expected to arise by an end of a current billing period as a result of charging the vehicle at the one or more charging locations. The device may display, on a user display device, information associated with the prediction of electricity costs.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 19, 2019
Date of Patent:
March 23, 2021
Assignee:
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
Inventors:
Michael Peter Loeffler, Frank Peters, Thomas Birkenbeil, Guido Feuser, Frank Mast, Yiyi Xiang
Abstract: Methods and systems for improved positioning accuracy relative to a digital map are disclosed, and which are preferably used for highly and fully automated driving applications, and which may use localisation reference data associated with a digital map. A vehicle localization is obtained by comparing real time depth map acquired by a sensor associated to the vehicle to a depth map associated to a digital map. The depth maps are indicative of an environment around the vehicle. Longitudinal and lateral offsets of the vehicle with respect to the digital map are determined. The invention further extends to methods and systems for the generation of localisation reference data associated with a digital map.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 3, 2016
Date of Patent:
March 16, 2021
Assignee:
TOMTOM GLOBAL CONTENT B.V.
Inventors:
Krzysztof Kudrynski, Krzysztof Miksa, Rafal Jan Gliszczynski, Blazej Kubiak
Abstract: Radiation detecting and sensing systems using graphene and methods of making the same are provided; including a substrate, a single or multiple layers of graphene nanoribbons, first and second conducting interconnects each in electrical communication with the graphene layers. Graphene layers are tuned to increase the temperature coefficient of resistance, increasing sensitivity to IR radiation. Absorption over a wide wavelength range (200 nm to 1 mm) is possible based on the three alternative devices structures described within. Devices can variously include (a) a microbolometer based graphene film where the TCR of the layer is enhanced with selected functionalization molecules, (b) graphene layers with a source and drain metal interconnect and a deposited metal of SiO2 gate which modulates the current flow across the phototransistor detector, and/or (c) tuned graphene layers layered on top of each other where a p-type layer and a n-type layer is created using a combination of oxidation and doping.
Abstract: This disclosure relates to a distributed data center that includes resources carried by a fleet of vehicles. Individual vehicles carry sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to the vehicles and/or the surroundings of the vehicles. The system includes a remote computing server configured to obtain executable code from a user, and subsequently transmit the executable code to individual vehicles in the fleet. Individual vehicles locally execute the executable code to produce local results, and subsequently transfer the results to the remote computing server for presentation to the user.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 11, 2020
Date of Patent:
February 23, 2021
Assignee:
SmartDrive Systems, Inc.
Inventors:
Reza Ghanbari, Daniel Andrew Deninger, Mark Freitas, Nicholas Shayne Brookins, Slaven Sljivar, Jason Palmer, Jeffrey Griswold, David Forney
Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to automatically adjusting a climate of a vehicle based on detecting the type of clothing a vehicle occupant is wearing. In one embodiment, the method includes, in response to acquiring an identifier from a reader, where the identifier being associated with a tag affixed to a wearable article in proximity of the reader, determining a type of the wearable article based on the identifier. The method includes controlling a climate control system based at least in part on the type of the wearable article.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 4, 2018
Date of Patent:
February 9, 2021
Assignee:
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
Abstract: A vehicle platooning system to operate vehicles in a platoon in an appropriate order. The vehicle platooning system is applied to a vehicle that can be operated autonomously. A controller obtains information about each of the vehicles participating in the platoon including a straight line stability upon satisfaction of a condition to form a platoon with other vehicles, and assigns the vehicle having a relatively good straight line stability to a leader vehicle in the platoon.
Abstract: A mobile robot includes a mobile robot body, a drawing unit provided at the mobile robot body and including a marker configured to draw a travel locus of the mobile robot on a travel plane, and a detector provided at the mobile robot body and configured to detect the travel locus drawn by the drawing unit. The mobile robot travels along the travel locus detected by the detector.
Abstract: A method for operating a transport system having at least one transport means. In this case, it is provided that a period of use of the transport by a user or at least a beginning of the period of use is recorded by detecting a use of the transport means if at least two of the following conditions are met: A communication link of an assistance device of the user to the transport system exists or is being created; a load capacity of the transport means or a change in the load capacity is detected; and a movement of the transport means and/or an operation of a drive device of the transport means exists or exist or is or are being initiated.
Abstract: The invention is a monitoring system for determining a vehicle safety setting based on weight. The system includes a monitoring station, a weight determination system, a data input device configured to receive input data, and a processing device. The processing devices includes a processor and non-volatile memory. The processor is configured to receive load ratings for a tow vehicle and tow equipment, receive weight data from the weight determination system, and receive the input data from the data input device. The processor is also configured to determine at least one safety setting based on the load ratings, the weight data, and the input data, send the safety setting data to the monitoring system, and communicate the safety setting to a user.
Abstract: Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for determining a safe driving speed for a vehicle. Aspects include obtaining a location and a direction of travel of the vehicle, obtaining one or more operating conditions of the vehicle, and obtaining historical accident data that corresponds to the location of the vehicle under operating conditions that are similar to the one or more conditions of the vehicle. Aspects also include analyzing, by a processor, the historical accident data to identify the safe driving speed for the vehicle, wherein the safe driving speed is determined to be a maximum speed that is associated with maximum acceptable risk of an accident and causing an indication of the safe driving speed to be displayed to an operator of the vehicle.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 13, 2017
Date of Patent:
January 12, 2021
Assignee:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to transitioning a vehicle from an autonomous to a manual driving mode. One embodiment analyzes data from one or more vehicle sensors to detect, at a current vehicle position, features in a first detection region and a second detection region ahead of the vehicle; determines, for each of one or more hypothetical vehicle positions, which features detected at the current position, if any, lie within the first detection region at that hypothetical position; identifies, among the one or more hypothetical positions, at least one localization-failure position at which localization of the vehicle will fail due to insufficient features being detected within the first detection region at the at least one localization-failure position; and initiates a transition from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode based, at least in part, on the at least one localization-failure position.
Abstract: A transport system, an information processing device, and an information processing method are disclosed. A transport system includes: a plurality of mobile units; and a server configured to manage information about a user who uses at least any one of the plurality of mobile units, the server including a characteristic database configured to store characteristic information in association with user identification information of the user, the characteristic information including a characteristic that is used when a mobile unit used by the user responds to the user, and a processing unit configured to, execute, based on the characteristic information identified by the user identification information, a first process in response to a first request from the mobile unit used by the user, and transmit a result of the first process to the mobile unit.
Abstract: A computer-eimplemented thermal imaging device having an optically-sensitive layer that includes a superpixel having at least one pixel. The at least one pixel includes a plasmonic absorber configured to obtain radiance measurements of electromagnetic radiation emitted from an object at a plurality of wavelengths. The device further includes a processor configured to determine an emissivity and temperature for the electromagnetic radiation received at the plasmonic material from the object using the radiance measurements and to form an image of the object from the determined emissivity and temperature.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 10, 2019
Date of Patent:
November 10, 2020
Assignee:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Inventors:
Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Abram L. Falk, Damon B. Farmer, Shu-Jen Han, George S. Tulevski
Abstract: A method and system for generating an expected speed of travel along one or more navigable elements of a navigable network within a geographic area, each navigable element being represented by a segment of an electronic map. The method comprising obtaining positional data relating to the movement of a plurality of devices along a navigable element represented by a segment of the electronic map. The positional data is used to determine a first mean speed of travel and a second mean speed of travel for the segment, and an expected speed of travel is determined for the segment as a value between the first mean speed of travel and the second mean speed of travel determined based on a congestion parameter for the segment. Data indicative of the determined expected speed of travel is then associated with the segment in the electronic map.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 25, 2017
Date of Patent:
November 10, 2020
Assignee:
TOMTOM TRAFFIC, B.V.
Inventors:
Peter Mieth, Gregor Wuensch, Jan-Philipp Kappmeier, Rene Beier
Abstract: A computer-implemented method and thermal imaging device includes a layer of plasmonic material and a processor. The layer of plasmonic material receive electromagnetic radiation from an object and generates radiance measurements of the electromagnetic radiation at a plurality of wavelengths. The processor determines an emissivity and temperature of the object from the radiance measurements and forms a thermal-based electronic image of the object from the determined emissivity and temperature.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 3, 2017
Date of Patent:
November 10, 2020
Assignee:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Inventors:
Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Abram L. Falk, Damon B. Farmer, Shu-Jen Han, George S. Tulevski
Abstract: A computer-implemented method of forming a thermal-based electronic image of an object that includes receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted by the object at an optically sensitive layer including a superpixel having a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the plurality of pixels includes a plasmonic absorber having a characteristic resonance wavelength and that generates a radiance measurement of the electromagnetic radiation at its characteristic resonance wavelength. The method further provides for determining, at a processor, an emissivity and temperature for the electromagnetic radiation received at the superpixel using the radiance measurements obtained at the pixels of the superpixel. In addition, the method provides for forming an image of the object from the determined emissivity and temperature.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 10, 2019
Date of Patent:
November 10, 2020
Assignee:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Inventors:
Ali Afzali-Ardakani, Abram L. Falk, Damon B. Farmer, Shu-Jen Han, George S. Tulevski
Abstract: A system and method for detecting, measuring, and analyzing for metallic impurities in pharmaceutical drugs and compounds utilizes an x-ray fluorescence system. The system and method may be co-located with a pharmaceutical manufacturing process for in-line continuous monitoring of metal impurities. The pharmaceutical products may be in a form selected from a powder, slurry, pill, tablet, and gel.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 3, 2016
Date of Patent:
November 3, 2020
Assignee:
UHV Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Nalin Kumar, Manuel Gerardo Garcia, Jr.