Patents Examined by Kyle T Johnson
  • Patent number: 11787394
    Abstract: A system for supervisory control for eAWD and eLSD in a motor vehicle includes a control module, and sensors and actuators disposed on the motor vehicle. The sensors measure real-time motor vehicle data, and the actuators alter behavior of the motor vehicle. The control module receives the real-time data; receives one or more driver inputs to the motor vehicle; determines a status of a body of the motor vehicle; determines a status of axles of the motor vehicle; determines a status of each wheel of the motor vehicle; and generates a control signal to the actuators from the driver inputs and the body, axle, and wheel statuses. The control module also exercises supervisory control by actively adjusting constraints on the control signal to each of the actuators where actively adjusting constraints on the control signal alters boundaries of control actions in response to the one or more driver inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Reza Hajiloo, SeyedAlireza Kasaiezadeh Mahabadi, Shamim Mashrouteh, Seyedeh Asal Nahidi, Ehsan Asadi, Yubiao Zhang, Bakhtiar B. Litkouhi
  • Patent number: 11772660
    Abstract: A vehicle state estimation device for a vehicle provided with an inertial measurement sensor and a wheel speed sensor includes: a vehicle state estimation unit that estimates a vehicle state including a vehicle velocity based on an acceleration and an angular velocity acquired by the inertial measurement sensor and a wheel speed acquired by the wheel speed sensor; and a determination unit that determines whether a wheel is slipping. The estimation unit estimates a steady-state vehicle velocity based on the wheel speed and calculates a transient vehicle velocity by time integration based on the acceleration and the angular velocity. When the wheel is slipping, the estimation unit decides an estimated value of the vehicle velocity to be close to the transient vehicle velocity, and when the wheel is not slipping, the estimation unit decides the estimated value of the vehicle velocity to be close to the steady-state vehicle velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Hosoya
  • Patent number: 11745751
    Abstract: A vehicle and a method of managing a user setting menu (USM) enables the vehicle to add a new function after production of the vehicle so as to effectively manage the USM. The method includes: acquiring, by a conversion controller, first setting information about at least one existing function from a system controller through a first network using a first protocol; converting, by the conversion controller, the first setting information into second setting information using a second protocol; transmitting the converted second setting information to a head unit controller to manage the USM through a second network; transmitting third setting information about a one new function from a connectivity controller to the head unit controller through the second network, and updating, by the head unit controller, the USM based on the second and third setting information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seok Min Hwang, Yong Jin Shin
  • Patent number: 11738739
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method to control torque distribution among a plurality of electric machines connected to at least one front wheel and at least one rear wheel of a vehicle during operation, comprising: acquiring the total torque requested; obtaining the most energy efficient torque distribution mode by using a loss model or loss map; evaluating the actual driving situation; determining if a mode switch is allowed depending on the actual driving situation; switching the torque distribution mode, if allowed; and preventing a mode switch, if not allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Juliette Utbult, Derong Yang, Mats Jonasson, Bengt Jacobson
  • Patent number: 11737841
    Abstract: A surgical method is provided for use with a teleoperated surgical system (surgical system), the method comprising: recording surgical instrument kinematic information indicative of surgical instrument motion produced within the surgical system during the occurrence of the surgical procedure; determining respective kinematic signatures associated with respective surgical instrument motions; producing an information structure in a computer readable storage device that associates respective kinematic signatures with respective control signals; comparing, during a performance of the surgical procedure surgical instrument kinematic information during the performance with at least one respective kinematic signature; launching, during a performance of the surgical procedure an associated respective control signal in response to a match between surgical instrument kinematics during the performance and a respective kinematic signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent Tokarchuk, Mahdi Azizian, Joey Chau, Simon P. DiMaio, Brian D. Hoffman, Anthony M. Jarc, Henry C. Lin, Ian E. McDowall, William C. Nowlin, John D. Seaman, II, Jonathan M. Sorger
  • Patent number: 11724733
    Abstract: A vehicle steering control method includes receiving a sensed handwheel angle corresponding to a position of a handwheel and receiving a sensed handwheel toque value indicating an amount of torque applied by an operator on the handwheel. The method also includes, in response to a determination that the handwheel motor is in an unlocked condition, generating a roadwheel angle based on the sensed handwheel angle and a vehicle speed. The method also includes, in response to a determination that the handwheel motor is in a locked condition generating the roadwheel angle based on the sensed handwheel torque value and the vehicle speed and, in response to a determination that the locked condition of the handwheel motor is an intermittent condition, maintaining the handwheel motor in the locked condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Steven D. Klein, Michael K. Hales, Nicholas M. Trewhella
  • Patent number: 11718284
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a steering control system for a vehicle, a vehicle comprising such a steering control system and a method for operating such a steering control system for a vehicle. The steering control system comprises a frequency filter unit, a first control unit, and a second control unit. The frequency filter unit comprises a high pass filter and a low pass filter. The frequency filter unit is configured to receive a request for a steering angle and filter the request into a low-pass filtered request and a high-pass filtered request. The first control unit is configured to determine a first controlling torque based on the low-pass filtered request the second control unit is configured to determine a second controlling torque based on the high-pass filtered request. The first control unit is different of the second control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Derong Yang, Mats Jonasson
  • Patent number: 11718298
    Abstract: The enclosed disclosure relates to hybrid vehicles and systems with an engine, a drivetrain with a clutch and a transmission, an electric machine, and a controller. The controller receives lookahead information within a lookahead window and present state information of the hybrid vehicle. The controller determines a predicted coasting opportunity exceeding a predetermined threshold within the lookahead window and determines a cruise control reference speed, a power split between the engine and the electric machine, and a timing of enabling engine-off coasting during the coasting opportunity. The controller deactivates the engine and disengages the clutch at a start of the coasting opportunity when the engine-off coasting is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Rohinish Gupta, Jonathan A. Dickson, Kenneth M. Follen, Apurva Arvind Chunodkar, Arun Prakash Thunga Gopal, Manik Narula
  • Patent number: 11713045
    Abstract: A method for determining a friction coefficient potential of a road surface. A total torque for operating a vehicle is unequally distributed among at least two wheel torques at wheels of the vehicle. The friction coefficient potential is ascertained using a detected slip between the road surface and at least one of the wheels and the wheel torque present at the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Erban, Nils Hagenlocher, Tobias Oberhardt, Tobias Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11702076
    Abstract: A sensor assembly can include a housing that includes a view pane and a mounting feature configured to replace a trailer light of a cargo trailer of a semi-trailer truck. The sensor assembly can also include a lighting element mounted within the housing to selectively generate light, and a sensor mounted within the housing and having a field of view through the view pane. The sensor assembly can also include a communication interface configured to transmit sensor data from the sensor to a control system of the self-driving tractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Shaw Wood, Nancy Yung-Hui Sun, Zac Vawter
  • Patent number: 11667276
    Abstract: The ECU executes TRC for controlling the posture of the vehicle and automatic parking control for parking the vehicle at a target parking position without being based on the vehicle operation of the user. The ECU calculates a user accelerator opening based on the operation amount of the accelerator pedal and a control accelerator opening calculated in reverse from the required driving force of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 11654892
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a controller. Upon a slip of a front wheel of a vehicle, the controller executes torque adjustment control that reduces a driving torque of the front wheel of the vehicle and adjusts a driving torque of a rear wheel of the vehicle to equal to or less than the driving torque of the front wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chihiro Oguro
  • Patent number: 11657707
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a system for calculating an error probability of a sensor data record in vehicles, the system comprising: a sensor unit with sensors in a vehicle, the sensor unit configured to provide a sensor data record for an object in an environment of the vehicle; a central computer receiving the sensor data record from the sensor unit; and a reference database storing reference data associated with a position of the vehicle noted at when the sensor data record was generated. The central computer is programmed to refer to reference data in the calculation of an error probability of the sensor data record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Rene Alexander Körner, Susanne Eyrisch
  • Patent number: 11654907
    Abstract: A driver assistance system is configured to determine or receive a setpoint value for a control variable of the motor vehicle, to determine or receive an actual value for the control variable of the motor vehicle, to determine a correction value for reducing a deviation between the setpoint value for the control variable and the actual value for the control variable depending on the deviation between the setpoint value for the control variable and the actual value for the control variable, to compare the correction value with a first threshold value, and at least to limit a future change in the setpoint value for the control variable which increases the deviation between the target value for the control variable and the actual value for the control variable depending on the comparison of the correction value with the first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Tamas Fendler, Robert Knorrn, Thomas Velten
  • Patent number: 11655046
    Abstract: A safety management system to prevent unauthorized use, accident, resale, theft, and so forth of a flying object. The safety management system includes changing, at a motor controller, a power feeding amount to each drive unit based on an instruction from a main control unit, an authentication information storage unit which records registered identification information for performing operator authentication, an authentication accepting unit which accepts an input of input identification information, an operator authentication unit which performs operator authentication of an operator of the flying object based on the input identification information and the registered identification information, and a safety managing unit connected between a power source of the flying object and the motor controller of the flying object. The safety managing unit includes a switch which controls electrical connection between the motor controller and the power source based on the result of the operator authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: The University of Tokyo, Blue Innovation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Suzuki, Takeshi Tsuchiya, Masayuki Kumada
  • Patent number: 11648959
    Abstract: This document describes methods by which an autonomous vehicle deploys a simulation scenario while operating in a real-world environment. The vehicle's sensors collect perception data. During a run of the vehicle in a real-world environment, the vehicle's on-board computing system will: (i) receive the perception data; (ii) publish the perception data to a muxing tool of the on-board computing system; (iii) generate simulation data that identifies and labels one or more simulated objects in the environment; (iv) publish the simulation data to the muxing tool; (v) use the muxing tool to add at least a portion of the simulation data to the perception data to yield augmented perception data; and (v) use at least a portion of the augmented perception data to make one or more navigation decisions based for the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: ARGO AI, LLC
    Inventors: Arjuna Ariyaratne, Thomas Carl Ackenhausen, Patrick Michael Carmody
  • Patent number: 11648952
    Abstract: Systems and methods for avoiding or mitigating motion sickness in a vehicle are disclosed herein. The systems and methods may include (a) determining a profile of the individual inclination towards motion sickness; (b) predicting an individual effectiveness of countermeasures based on typing using the data from step (a); (c) evaluating the actual effectiveness of the predicted countermeasures after their implementation when travelling in the vehicle; wherein step (a) is repeated regularly and all data and results from step (c) are fed into a self-learning system in order to obtain an improved statement on the individual actual effectiveness of countermeasures taken and to make the selection of effective countermeasures based on them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Eike Schmidt, Stefan Wolter, Florian Golm, Pim van der Jagt
  • Patent number: 11643078
    Abstract: A travel control device for a vehicle, includes: a lane information acquisition unit configured to acquire lane information; a steering control unit configured to control steering of the vehicle by executing lane travel control to make the vehicle travel along the lane; and a vehicle speed control unit configured to control a vehicle speed by executing constant speed travel control in which the vehicle is made to travel at a set vehicle speed and/or adaptive cruise control in which the vehicle is made to travel at a speed equal to or lower than the set vehicle speed so as to follow a preceding vehicle. The vehicle speed control unit is configured to control the vehicle speed during a turn of the vehicle by setting a vehicle speed upper limit value, which is set to different values depending on whether the lane travel control is being executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Sadamura
  • Patent number: 11639178
    Abstract: Embodiments of this application disclose a vehicle control method and device, where the method includes: calculating a longitudinal force interference compensation torque and a lateral force interference compensation torque of a vehicle when a flat tire occurs in the vehicle; calculating a feedback control torque of the vehicle; determining an additional yaw moment based on the longitudinal force interference compensation torque, the feedback control torque, and the lateral force interference compensation torque; and controlling, based on the additional yaw moment, a wheel in which the flat tire occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ting Teng, Yongsheng Zhang, Guangyi Wang
  • Patent number: 11636648
    Abstract: Systems and methods for identifying a workpiece in a processing environment may utilize one or more sensors for digitally recording visual information and providing that information to an industrial workflow. The sensor(s) may be positioned to record at least one image of the workpiece at a location where a specified position and orientation thereof is required. A processor may determine, from the recorded image(s) and a stored digital model, whether the workpiece conforms to the specified position and orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: VEO ROBOTICS, INC.
    Inventors: Brad C. Mello, Paul Jakob Schroeder, Scott Denenberg, Clara Vu