Patents Examined by Khoi H. Tran
  • Patent number: 11740622
    Abstract: A method includes, while detecting a continuous motion input in a first region of a touchscreen of a portable device in communication with a vehicle, detecting a steering input from a second region of the touchscreen, and actuating a steering component of the vehicle based on the steering input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hamid M. Golgiri, Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 11738461
    Abstract: Systems and methods for industrial robotic platforms. Squads of industrial robots autonomously communicate and work together. A control center may monitor the autonomous operations. Software at the control center, squad, and robot levels forms a distributed control system that analyzes various data related to the platform for monitoring of the various systems. Artificial intelligence, such as machine learning, is implemented at the control center, squad, and/or robot levels for swarm behavior driven by intelligent decision making. Each robot includes a universal platform attached to a task-specific tooling system. The robots may be mining robots, with a mining-specific tooling system attached to the universal framework, and configured for mining tasks. The platform is modular and may be used for other industrial applications and/or robot types, such as construction, satellite swarms, fuel production, disaster recovery, communications, remote power, and others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Off-World, Inc.
    Inventors: James Keravala, Alicia Teresa Kavelaars, James Jason Murray, Mark Eugene Nall, Joshua Jeremy Izenberg, Amaresh Kollipara
  • Patent number: 11738458
    Abstract: A robot system includes a robot arm, a vehicle being movable and supporting the robot arm, and a tilt sensor configured to detect a tilt relative to a reference direction of at least one of the robot arm and the vehicle. The control method includes controlling the robot arm to sequentially position a control point of the robot arm to a plurality of target points. The controlling of the robot arm includes, when the control point is located at the target point where the control point is to be located one point previously to an object target point of the plurality of target points, resetting a control parameter for positioning the control point at the object target point based on the tilt from the reference direction, and positioning the control point at the object target point using the reset control parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Inventor: Yuki Kiyosawa
  • Patent number: 11738469
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a memory and a processor. The processor is configured to control a distal end portion of a robot to rotate around first and second distal end axes, perform a first control mode in which the distal end portion rotates around the first and second distal end axes, perform a second control mode in which the distal end portion rotates around the first distal end axis and does not rotate around the second distal end axis, switch the first control mode to the second control mode when the first distal end axis is perpendicular to a working surface, and control the distal end portion to work while performing the second control mode and maintaining a state in which the first distal end axis is perpendicular to the working surface after the first control mode is switched to the second control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hagihara
  • Patent number: 11733679
    Abstract: A master machine supporting system includes a master machine in which a speed reducer is incorporated, and a server configured to store performance data of the speed reducer in association with a speed reducer ID of each speed reducer. The server transmits performance data corresponding to the speed reducer ID in response to a performance data transmission request including the speed reducer ID. The master machine receives an input of the performance data of the speed reducer incorporated in the master machine and controls an operation of the master machine based on the input performance data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuzou Ishikawa, Jun Tamenaga, Kenji Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 11731686
    Abstract: A method is described for position control for an electromechanically assisted steering system of a motor vehicle, which has electromechanical steering assistance with an electric motor and at least one controller, wherein a torque to be applied by the electric motor is the controlled variable of the at least one controller, and wherein the controlled system for the design of the at least one controller comprises at least a lower part of the steering system containing the electric motor. A frequency response of the controlled system is determined based on a mathematical model of the controlled system and/or by measuring the controlled system. Controller parameters of the at least one controller are adjusted based on the frequency response of the controlled system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Emad Farshizadeh, Martin Scherberich
  • Patent number: 11723309
    Abstract: An agricultural harvester has a chassis carrying a header for gathering a crop. The header is removably attached to a feeder housing for feeding the crop into the agricultural harvester to be processed. A threshing and separating system is connected to the feeder housing for separating grain from Material Other than Grain (MOG). A grain cleaning system is connected to the threshing and separating system for further cleaning the separated grain. The grain cleaning system has at least one sieve operable to oscillate fore and aft and a side shaker mechanism operable to produce a side to side shaking motion in the at least one sieve. A control system is connected to the side shaker mechanism and operable to automatically proportionately increase an amount of the side to side shaking motion as a function of an amount and type of crop being processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventor: Clay A. Reinecke
  • Patent number: 11724739
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle includes obtaining a linear representation of a vehicle dynamics model that includes actuator dynamics u integrated with vehicle dynamics x. The actuator dynamics u include a road wheel angle at rear wheels ?r and a torque Mz. The method also includes obtaining an objective function based on a function of the vehicle dynamics x and the actuator dynamics u and formulating a cost function to minimize the objective function. The actuator dynamics u including the torque Mz are determined for a next time sample based on minimizing the objective function. The vehicle is controlled to implement the torque Mz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ehsan Asadi, Seyedalireza Kasaiezadeh Mahabadi, Gill Lipton, Asal Nahidi, Isaac Tabatschnic, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi
  • Patent number: 11724388
    Abstract: A robot controller configured to assist an operation of a user, by effectively utilizing both techniques of augmented reality and mixed reality. The robot controller includes: a display device configured to display information generated by a computer so that the information is overlapped with an actual environment, etc.; a position and orientation obtaining section configured to obtain relative position and orientation between the display device and a robot included in the actual environment; a display controlling section configured to display a virtual model of the robot, etc., on the display device; an operation controlling section configured to operate the virtual model displayed on the display device; and a position and orientation determining section configured to determine the position and/or orientation of the robot by using the position and/or orientation of the operated virtual model and using the relative position and orientation between the robot and the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuhiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11724735
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a steering control apparatus, a steering control method, and a steering apparatus. Specifically, the steering control apparatus comprises: a reception unit for receiving steering correction condition information; a steering correction determination unit for determining whether to correct steering on the basis of the steering correction condition information; an angle correction value calculation unit for, when it is determined to correct the steering, determining correction parameters of the steering correction condition information and calculating an angle correction value by using the correction parameters of the steering correction condition information; and a signal generating unit for generating a motor control signal by determining whether to generate the motor control signal which is based on the angle correction value according to a result of comparison of the angle correction value to a reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jung-yeol Kim
  • Patent number: 11718341
    Abstract: A vehicle driver assistance system includes: a steering assist torque generation device configured to generate steering assist torque; a control device configured to control the steering assist torque generation device; and a switch configured to switch a steering mode between a manual steering mode and an automatic steering mode. The manual steering mode is a mode in which steered wheels are steered as a driver operates a steering wheel. The automatic steering mode is a mode in which the steered wheels are steered by the steering assist torque generated by the steering assist torque generation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoji Kunihiro, Takahiro Kojo, Yuji Watari, Hisaya Akatsuka
  • Patent number: 11720095
    Abstract: A system for remote control of modular vehicle subassemblies within a vehicle assembly facility includes a central management system having predetermined assembly paths and specifications for the modular vehicle subassemblies and a zone management system having zone controllers in communication with the central management system and in communication with the onboard controllers of the modular vehicle subassemblies. The zone controllers are configured to receive transient data from the onboard controllers of the modular vehicle subassemblies and manage movement of the modular vehicle subassemblies throughout the zones within the vehicle assembly facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Galen Keith Thomas, Kerry Lance Paskell
  • Patent number: 11707842
    Abstract: This robot system includes a sensor system, a robot, and a robot controller, in which the robot controller recognizes a robot coordinate system but does not recognize a sensor coordinate system of the sensor system, and the robot controller creates a conversion matrix for carrying out coordinate conversion in a plane including an X-axis and a Y-axis on sets of position coordinates obtained by the sensor system based on the sets of position coordinates of a plurality of objects or points obtained by the sensor system and sets of position coordinates in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction in a robot coordinate system corresponding to the plurality of objects or points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masafumi Ooba
  • Patent number: 11709064
    Abstract: A device for displaying a distance to empty of an electric vehicle is provided. The device includes a detector configured to detect state information of the vehicle and a controller configured to estimate a weight of the vehicle based on the state information of the vehicle and determine whether to update the distance to empty based on the estimated weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jung Min Cha
  • Patent number: 11707838
    Abstract: A machine learning system builds and uses control policies for controlling robotic performance of a task. Such control policies may be trained using targeted updates. For example, two trials identified as similar may be compared and evaluated to determine which trial achieved a greater degree of task success; a control policy update may then be generated based on identified differences between the two trials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Vogelsong, Darren Ernest Canavor
  • Patent number: 11702101
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for scenario generation for autonomous vehicle navigation that can include defining a cellular automaton layer that defines a road network level behavior with at least one rule directed to pathways by vehicles on a passageway for travel. The method may further include defining an active matter layer that defines a vehicle level behavior with at least one rule directed to movement of the vehicles on an ideal route for the pathways; and defining a driver agent layer that defines driving nature with at least one rule that impacts changes in the vehicle level behavior dependent upon a characterization of driver behavior. The method may further include combining outputs from the different layer to provide scenario generations for autonomous vehicle navigation. The combining of the outputs can utilize a pseudo random value to determine at an order in the execution and duration of execution for the layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentaro Aota, Yoshifumi Sakamoto, Hitoshi Kadoi, Yoshikazu Yamamoto, Masao Kasuya, Junya Nishina
  • Patent number: 11701770
    Abstract: A robot system includes a manipulating force detector configured to detect a manipulating force given to an operation end by an operator, a reaction-force detector configured to detect a reaction force given to a work end or a workpiece held by the work end, a system controller configured to generate an operating command of a master arm and generate an operating command of a slave arm based on the manipulating force and the reaction force, a master-side control part configured to control the master arm, and a slave-side control part configured to control the slave arm. The system controller has an exaggerated expresser configured to exaggeratedly present an operating feel to the operator who operates the operation end in a reaction-force sudden change state that is a state in which the reaction force changes rapidly with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Nobuyasu Shimomura, Masayuki Kamon, Jun Fujimori, Hiroki Kinoshita, Takuya Shitaka, Hiroki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11701041
    Abstract: Described herein are assistant robots that anticipate needs of one or more people (or animals). The assistant robots may recognize a current activity, knowledge of the person's routines, and contextual information. As such, the assistant robots can provide or offer to provide appropriate robotic assistance. The assistant robots can learn users' habits or be provided with knowledge regarding humans in its environment. The assistant robots develop a schedule and contextual understanding of the persons' behavior and needs. The assistant robots may interact, understand, and communicate with people before, during, or after providing assistance. The robot can combine gesture, clothing, emotional aspect, time, pose recognition, action recognition, and other observational data to understand people's medical condition, current activity, and future intended activities and intents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: AEOLUS ROBOTICS, INC.
    Inventors: SÅ‚awomir Wojciechowski, Gregg Podnar, T. William Mather, Theodore Enns, Daniel Oblinger
  • Patent number: 11703881
    Abstract: A method of controlling a guide machine and a navigation system. The navigation system includes: a plurality of signal sources deployed in a predetermined area; a guide machine including a signal receiver arranged to receive electromagnetic signals emitted from one or more of the plurality of signal sources; and a processor arranged to process the electromagnetic signals to identify the locations of the signal sources, and thereby to determine a current position of the guide machine with reference to the locations of the signal sources; and the processor is further arranged to determine a path for the guide machine to travel from the current position to a destination location in the predetermined area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Logistics and Supply Chain Multi Tech R&D Centre Limited
    Inventors: Xiao Sheng Chen, Guang Bo Li, Kin Keung Lee, Leung Chiu
  • Patent number: 11698261
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method, apparatus, computer device, and storage medium for determining a POI alias. The method may include: acquiring a to-be-processed target POI, and generating a candidate alias list corresponding to the target POI based on a query behavior-associated log matching the target POI; and screening out at least one target alias corresponding to the target POI in the candidate alias list, according to an association relationship between each candidate alias in the candidate alias list and the target POI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yanyan Li, Jianguo Duan, Hui Xiong