Patents Examined by Kyle T Johnson
  • Patent number: 11975722
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate to a vehicle control device and method, and a vehicle system. The vehicle control device may include a determinator determining a road surface condition based on vehicle driving information and determining whether to brake a vehicle based on a result of determining the road surface condition and a vehicle controller controlling a braking device according to a result of determining whether to brake the vehicle by the determinator and controlling a steering device based on control of the braking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jae Hoon Jang
  • Patent number: 11969891
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a 4D printed gripper with flexible finger joints and a trajectory tracking control method thereof. The 4D printed gripper with flexible finger joints includes: a palm unit and five finger units connected to the palm unit, where each finger unit includes two flexible finger joints and two phalanges; each flexible finger joint is divided into one upper layer and one lower layer of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE), and each LCE is used to implement a bidirectional bending movement of the finger unit. The present disclosure can precisely control the gripper with flexible finger joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: YANSHAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yintang Wen, Haiying Yao, Xiaoyuan Luo, Yuyan Zhang, Xi Liang, Bo Liang
  • Patent number: 11969902
    Abstract: Included is a method for a first robotic device to collaborate with a second robotic device, including: actuating, with a processor of the first robotic device, the first robotic device to execute a first part of a cleaning task; transmitting, with the processor of the first robotic device, information to a processor of the second robotic device upon completion of the first part of the cleaning task; receiving, with the processor of the second robotic device, the information transmitted from the processor of the first robotic device; and actuating, with the processor of the second robotic device, the second robotic device to execute a second part of the cleaning task upon receiving the signal; wherein the first robotic device and the second robotic device are surface cleaning robotic devices with a functionality comprising at least one of vacuuming and mopping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AI Incorporated
    Inventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi
  • Patent number: 11958202
    Abstract: A system and method for performing object detection are presented. The system receives spatial structure information associated with an object which is or has been in a camera field of view of a spatial structure sensing camera. The spatial structure information is generated by the spatial structure sensing camera, and includes depth information for an environment in the camera field of view. The system determines a container pose based on the spatial structure information, wherein the container pose is for describing at least one of an orientation for the container or a depth value for at least a portion of the container. The system further determines an object pose based on the container pose, wherein the object pose is for describing at least one of an orientation for the object or a depth value for at least a portion of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: MUJIN, INC.
    Inventors: Xutao Ye, Kazuto Murase
  • Patent number: 11952009
    Abstract: A driving force control system that controls a driving force in line with a driver's intension to propel a vehicle on a slippery road surface without wheel slip. A controller is configured to obtain individual relations of a slip ratio on a road surface to parameters including the driving force, a running resistance of the vehicle, and an accelerating force of the vehicle, and to control the driving force based on the obtained relations of the slip ratio to each of said parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Usui, Keisuke Ushida
  • Patent number: 11938934
    Abstract: A cruise control system for a motor vehicle. The system includes a setpoint value generator for generating a setpoint value determining the vehicle speed, and an actuating device that controls the speed of the vehicle to a setpoint speed through intervention into the drive and/or braking system. The system automatically adapts the setpoint speed to a predicted roadway curvature. The setpoint value generator includes at least two modules working independently from one another, including a base module for generating a base setpoint value and a curve module for generating a curve setpoint value that represents a maximum speed at which a curve having a given curvature may be negotiated without exceeding a predefined limiting value for the lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and includes a fusion module that forms a final setpoint value for the actuating device from the base setpoint value and the curve setpoint value through minimum selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Axel Gruender, Simon Holeczek, Marco Desiderio
  • Patent number: 11940456
    Abstract: An automated apparatus can provide pre-analytical processing of samples, racking and forwarding to an adjacent analyzer for analysis. The apparatus may have a controller that implements an auto-learn process to teach robotic handlers the locations within the workspace(s) of the apparatus. A robotic sample handler may include a sensor configured to generate a detection signal when in a near vicinity of a fiducial beacon in the workspace of the apparatus for biological sample preparation, preprocessing and/or diagnostic assay performed by one or more analyzers of the automated apparatus. The controller may control the robotic sample handler to conduct a search pattern so that a location of the fiducial beacon may be detected and thereafter calculated to obtain a more accurate location of the beacon. The calculated positions may then serve as a basis for the controlled movement of samples by the robot to and from locations of the workspace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: BECTON DICKINSON AND COMPANY
    Inventors: Christopher John Tesluk, Kevin Bailey, Matthew Wesly, John Moore
  • Patent number: 11933621
    Abstract: Methods for providing a location of an object or objects of interest that may be performed by a processor of a computing device may include generating a map of an environment around the computing device by a first simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) operation using information received from the optical sensor, identifying an object of interest in the environment of the computing device by an object recognition operation using information received from the optical sensor, determining a location of the object or objects of interest in the environment, and presenting the determined location of the object or objects of interest in the environment in response to a trigger event correlated to the object or objects of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sumeet Kumar Sahu, Vishnu Vardhan Kasilya Sudarsan, Tapan Kumar Sahu
  • Patent number: 11926313
    Abstract: An in-vehicle device includes: an empty stall determiner that determines, based on sensing of surroundings by a sensor section provided in a vehicle, whether or not a parking stall present in surroundings of the vehicle is an empty stall; an empty stall storing section that stores information regarding a location of the empty stall determined by the empty stall determiner in association with a passing route of the vehicle; and an automatic travel controller that generates a travel route from a current location to the empty stall based on the sensing of the surroundings by the sensor section, the automatic travel controller performing control to cause the vehicle to travel along the travel route and be parked in the empty stall in a head-in manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Faurecia Clarion Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuki Matsushita
  • Patent number: 11919527
    Abstract: An autonomous driving system configured to make an abnormality determination for an in-vehicle device at an abnormality determination point while an autonomous vehicle is driving autonomously includes: a route search unit configured to search for a travel route from a departure point to a destination point; a route determination unit configured to determine a determination route for making the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device from the searched travel route, based on necessity of making the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device and the number of the abnormality determination points on the travel route; and an abnormality determination unit configured to make the abnormality determination for the in-vehicle device at the abnormality determination point while the autonomous vehicle is driving along the determination route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Daichi Hotta, Nobukazu Ueki, Sadayuki Abe
  • Patent number: 11904478
    Abstract: A simulation device includes an image sensor which captures an image of a real space including an actual robot and a peripheral device arranged at the periphery of the actual robot, an augmented reality display section which displays a virtual robot overlaid on the actual robot shown in the captured image, a workpiece management section which manages a position of a moving workpiece, and a motion control section which controls a motion of the virtual robot on the basis of the position of the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masafumi Ooba, Taiki Katagiri
  • Patent number: 11904872
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, methods, and techniques for an ego vehicle to respond to detecting misbehaving information from remote vehicles are provided. An ego vehicle, in addition to reporting misbehaving vehicles to a misbehavior authority via a vehicle-to-anything communication network, can, take additional actions based in part on how confident the ego vehicle is about the evidence of misbehavior. Where the confidence is high the ego vehicle can simply discard the misbehaving data and provide an alternative estimate for such data from alternative sources. Where the confidence is not high the ego vehicle can request assistance from neighboring vehicles and roadside units to provide independent estimates of the data to increase confidence in the evidence of misbehavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Xiruo Liu, Liuyang Yang, Manoj Sastry, Marcio Juliato, Shabbir Ahmed, Christopher Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 11900747
    Abstract: Methods and enhanced apparatus used in such methods are described that a dispatched logistics operation for a deliverable item from a hold-at-location (HAL) logistics facility having a secured storage and using a modular autonomous bot apparatus assembly and a dispatch server. The bot apparatus assembly picks up and delivers the item from the HAL facility in response to a delivery dispatch command from the dispatch server. In response, the MAM of the bot verifies compatibility of modular components for the operation, controls receiving of the deliverable item from the secured storage at the HAL facility, then autonomously causes movement to the delivery destination. The MAM notifies the customer before delivery of the approaching delivery, authenticates delivery is to the authorized customer, provides access to the item within the bot apparatus assembly, monitors unloading of the item, then autonomously moves back to the HAL facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Ole-Petter Skaaksrud, Frank Mayfield, Daniel Gates
  • Patent number: 11897635
    Abstract: Provided are a method for maintaining Walker constellation formation and a terminal device. The method comprises: determining a first offset amount of each satellite within a simulation time period according to parameters of a Walker constellation; performing first offset on each satellite according to the first offset amount to obtain a Walker constellation after the first offset; determining a second offset amount of each satellite within the simulation time period according to parameters of the Walker constellation after the first offset; and superimposing the first offset amount and the second offset amount, and performing second offset on each satellite so as to maintain the formation of the Walker constellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Space Engineering University
    Inventors: Min Hu, Jiuyang Li, Xuyu Wang, Yongjing Ruan, Feifei Li, Xianjun Pan, Tianyu Sun, Ge Zhang
  • Patent number: 11897505
    Abstract: This document discloses system, method, and computer program product embodiments for operating an autonomous vehicle (AV). For example, the method includes performing the following operations by a muxing tool when AV is deployed within a particular geographic area in a real-world environment: receiving perception data that is representative of at least one actual object which is perceived while AV is deployed within the particular geographic area in a real-world environment; receiving simulation data that represents a simulated object that could be perceived by AV in the real-world environment and that was generated using a simulation scenario which is selected from a plurality of simulation scenarios based on at least one of the particular geographic area in which AV is currently located and a current operational state of AV; and generating augmented perception data by combining the simulation data with the perception data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Argo AI, LLC
    Inventors: Arjuna Ariyaratne, Thomas Carl Ackenhausen, Patrick Michael Carmody
  • Patent number: 11892319
    Abstract: An inertial measurement unit (IMU) self-test system includes an IMU and a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to receive IMU data collected by the IMU and inputs from systems external to the IMU indicative of mechanical stimulus, wherein the control circuit utilizes IMU data collected in response to the mechanical stimulus to determine IMU validity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christopher David Ruppel, David Jerold Imboden, Jerry Keith Fennell
  • Patent number: 11891092
    Abstract: An emergency maneuver control system includes a path planning control device, which is designed to determine an emergency maneuver trajectory in a highly automated or autonomous operating mode of the vehicle; a longitudinal guidance actuator control device which is coupled to the path planning control device and is designed to provide longitudinal guidance control commands derived from the emergency maneuver trajectory and, in the event of an emergency maneuver situation, to cause the at least one longitudinal guidance actuator to execute the longitudinal guidance control commands; and a transverse guidance actuator control device which is coupled to the path planning control device and is designed to provide transverse guidance control commands derived from the emergency maneuver trajectory and, in the event of an emergency maneuver situation, to cause the at least one transverse guidance actuator to execute the transverse guidance control commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Martin Kuemmel, Karl-Heinz Meitinger
  • Patent number: 11874120
    Abstract: Traversing, by an autonomous vehicle, a vehicle transportation network, may include identifying a distinct vehicle operational scenario, wherein traversing the vehicle transportation network includes traversing a portion of the vehicle transportation network that includes the distinct vehicle operational scenario, communicating shared scenario-specific operational control management data associated with the distinct vehicle operational scenario with an external shared scenario-specific operational control management system, operating a scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance including an instance of a scenario-specific operational control evaluation model of the distinct vehicle operational scenario, and wherein operating the scenario-specific operational control evaluation module instance includes identifying a policy for the scenario-specific operational control evaluation model, receiving a candidate vehicle control action from the policy for the scenario-specific operational contr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: Nissan North America, Inc., The University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Kyle Hollins Wray, Stefan Witwicki, Shlomo Zilberstein
  • Patent number: 11872994
    Abstract: Techniques for using a set of variables to estimate a vehicle velocity of a vehicle are discussed herein. A system may determine an estimated velocity of the vehicle using a minimization based on an initial estimated velocity, steering angle data and wheel speed data. The system may then control an operation of the vehicle based at least in part on the estimated velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Carsten Bosse, Brice Rebsamen
  • Patent number: 11867521
    Abstract: A system for adaptive in-drive updating, for a vehicle travelling on a route, includes a controller adapted to obtain a pre-drive energy consumption prediction for the route, via an energy consumption predictor. An in-drive updating module is selectively executable by the controller at a timepoint during the route at which a completed portion of the route has been traversed and a remaining portion remains untraversed. The controller is adapted to obtain an actual energy consumption for segments in the completed portion of the route. The controller is adapted to obtain at least one modification factor based on a comparison of the actual energy consumption and the pre-drive energy consumption prediction for the segments in the completed portion of the route. The pre-drive energy consumption prediction for the remaining portion of the route is adjusted based on the modification factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Klaus Trangbaek, Vladimir Suplin, Daniel Urieli