Patents Examined by Laura E Linhardt
  • Patent number: 12377805
    Abstract: Provided is an analog-based machine learning apparatus and method that enables low-power sensing and smarter determinations on a vehicle. As an example, the method may include storing a machine learning model and configuration data for an analog processor in a storage device of a digital processor in a vehicle, receiving, via the analog processor, sensor data from one or more hardware sensors that are communicably coupled to the analog processor, extracting features from the sensor data, determining an event that occurred based on the configuration data and execution of a machine learning model on the extracted features of the sensor data, and storing an identifier of the event in the storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: ASPINITY, INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Zeleznik, Madhumita Harish, Brandon David Rumberg, Thomas Doyle, Glen Edward Clark, Lorenzo Ponzanelli
  • Patent number: 12370959
    Abstract: An aftermarket vehicle head unit integration cartridge for use with an aftermarket head unit is provided. The aftermarket head unit preferably includes a dedicated slot for insertion of the cartridge. The cartridge preferably supports communication between a plurality of electronic components in the aftermarket head unit and a plurality of electronic components in the vehicle. The plurality of electronic components in the aftermarket head unit may include, for example, an audio processing system, a video processing system, an analog I/O and/or a digital I/O. and/or a plurality of electronic components. The plurality of electronic components in the vehicle may include an audio system, an analog I/O, a digital I/O/databus, and/or a steering wheel control unit. The cartridge may include a flashable memory for use in reconfiguring the cartridge. The cartridge may be configured to capture and condition the signals from at least one of the plurality of the vehicle-based electronic components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: AAMP of Florida, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathaniel Lee Wincek, Michael Lake
  • Patent number: 12371031
    Abstract: A technique for determining and compensating for a dead time of at least one actuator for lateral guidance or longitudinal guidance of a motor vehicle includes a device including at least one sensor or at least one sensor interface for detecting at least one actual value of a state of motion of the lateral guidance or longitudinal guidance. A unit of determination of the device is configured to determine the dead time of at least one actuator by comparing at least one target value of the state of motion calculated from a dynamic model with the recorded at least one actual value. A control unit of the device is configured to control the actuator depending on the detected state of motion and the certain dead time of at least one actuator, wherein the control unit outputs time-preceding control signals to the actuator around the dead time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus SE
    Inventors: Tobias Neulen, Stefan Gritsch, Arne-Christoph Hildebrandt, Sven Kraus, Peter Strauss
  • Patent number: 12371153
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a rotorcraft includes a control element; a first detent sensor connected to the control element, the first detent sensor being operable to generate detent slip rate data indicating movement of the control element and detent state data indicating pilot control of the control element; a first trim motor connected to the control element and operable to generate trim rate data; and an FCC in signal communication with the first detent sensor and the first trim motor, the FCC including an error monitor operable to compare the detent slip rate data with the trim rate data and determine whether the first detent sensor is functional or defective, operable to provide a first flight management function when the first detent sensor is determined to be functional, and operable to provide a second flight management function when the first detent sensor is determined to be defective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.
    Inventors: Jillian Samantha Alfred, Lan Nam Hoang, Clifton Lee Harrell
  • Patent number: 12337910
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed a vehicle comprising a steering assist system, a steering wheel, a user interface, and a steering controller to detect, via the user interface, a request to move the steering wheel of a vehicle to a first rotational position, the steering wheel having a second rotational position, determine, based the first rotational position and a first parameter, a third rotational position having a first offset from the second rotational position, actuate, via the steering assist system, the steering wheel to the third rotational position, disengage the steering assist system, the disengagement causing the steering wheel to rotate to a fourth rotational position, and compare the first rotational position to the fourth rotational position to determine if the request has been satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Miguel A. Bahena, Andrew Brow, Rachel Dockstader, Michael Puleri, William James Bouse
  • Patent number: 12332658
    Abstract: An aircraft control system includes a longitudinal control module, an engine torque control module, and an actuator control system. The longitudinal control module is configured to generate a desired torque value and a desired elevator position value for an aircraft based on a desired airspeed value, a desired altitude value, an actual airspeed value, and an actual altitude value. The engine torque control module is configured to generate a desired power lever position value based on the desired torque value and a measured engine torque value that indicates a measured engine torque in the aircraft. The actuator control system is configured to generate a power lever position command and an elevator position command for the aircraft based on the desired power lever position value and the desired elevator position value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Famularo, Edward Lim, Joshua Rosenkranz
  • Patent number: 12310276
    Abstract: Continued and precise operation of an agricultural implement exists even where a subsystem, such as a GPS receiver, wireless communicator, a sensor, or the like, fails, falters, or is otherwise unusable. Data is continually tracked to the extent possible during failure or faltering and is temporarily stored. To continue operations during periods of unavailability, a representation of planted ground is anticipated by other agricultural implements and/or calculated with agricultural data from other agricultural implements. Normal operations then continue until data sync can catch back up to real-time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan McMahan, Jason Schoon, Matthew Moeller, Matthew Baker
  • Patent number: 12298523
    Abstract: A head up display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a head up display producing a virtual image that is visible to a driver of the motor vehicle when he is sitting in a driver's seat and his eyes are above a first vertical level and below a second vertical level. An eye tracking system detects a vertical level of the eyes of the driver and transmits a height signal indicative of the detected vertical level of the eyes of the driver. A motorized seat height adjustment module adjusts a vertical level of the driver's seat. An electronic controller is communicatively coupled to the eye tracking system and to the motorized seat height adjustment module. The electronic controller controls the motorized seat height adjustment module based on the height signal to move the driver's eyes to a vertical position above the first vertical level and below the second vertical level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
    Inventors: David Kay Lambert, Fidelis Itsede, Patrick M. O'Connell
  • Patent number: 12276507
    Abstract: An indoor navigation method is provided, including: receiving an instruction for navigation, and collecting an environment image; extracting an instruction room feature and an instruction object feature carried in the instruction, and determining a visual room feature, a visual object feature, and a view angle feature based on the environment image; fusing the instruction object feature and the visual object feature with a first knowledge graph representing an indoor object association relationship to obtain an object feature, and determining a room feature based on the visual room feature and the instruction room feature; and determining a navigation decision based on the view angle feature, the room feature, and the object feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignees: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD., BEIJING XIAOMI PINECONE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Erli Meng, Luting Wang
  • Patent number: 12270656
    Abstract: An electronic device may include a magnetic sensor and at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to: collect path data based on first magnetic data related to movement of the electronic device, by using the magnetic sensor; identify a plurality of pieces of second magnetic data, which have at least a predetermined level of mutual similarity, from among the path data; determine, to be an intersection area related to the movement of the electronic device, an area range in which the plurality of pieces of second magnetic data are collected; determine, on the basis of the intersection area, a first space and a second space related to the movement of the electronic device; and determine, on the basis of third magnetic data, the space in which the electronic device is located from among the first space and the second space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youngpo Lee, Taeyoon Kim, Dukhyun Chang, Hyeonggeon Lee, Hyoungjoo Lee, Chaeman Lim
  • Patent number: 12245537
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of controlling a mobile agricultural machine includes receiving field map data representing a first agricultural operation performed on a field, receiving a location sensor signal indicative of a sensed geographic location of the mobile agricultural machine on the field, the mobile agricultural machine having a plurality of sections that are independently controllable to perform a second agricultural operation on the field that is different than the first agricultural operation, and generating a control signal to control the plurality of sections based on the field map data and the location sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Qiang R. Liu, Patrick C. Dougherty, Michael R. Moody, Ajit K. Thankappan Pillai
  • Patent number: 12235107
    Abstract: The disclosure generally pertains to systems and methods for use of a vehicle to conduct a site survey. An example method can include receiving navigation guidance to move a vehicle along a pre-defined path on a property for executing a site survey operation of the property. The site survey operation can include a staking procedure performed by a robotic arm attached to the vehicle, an image capture procedure performed by use of a camera in the vehicle, and/or a subterranean scanning procedure for detecting a buried object. In an example implementation, the staking procedure can include inserting at a first location on the property, a stake having affixed thereon, a barcode label. A barcode scanner can be used to read the barcode label for obtaining information associated with an object present at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart Salter, Ryan Edwin Hanson, Hussein Berry, John Van Wiemeersch, Vivekanandh Elangovan
  • Patent number: 12233886
    Abstract: Systems and methods for transferring autonomous driving preferences between vehicles are provided. For example, a vehicle operator may borrow a friend's or spouse's vehicle, or may rent a vehicle, and may wish to transfer his or her autonomous driving preferences to the vehicle he or she is currently operating. An autonomous driving preference associated with an operator of a first vehicle is obtained. The autonomous driving preference includes vehicle controls that the operator prefers to be operated autonomously, semi-autonomously, and/or manually. When the operator of the first vehicle is to operate a second vehicle or is currently operating a second vehicle, an indication of the autonomous driving preference associated with the operator is transmitted to the second vehicle, and the vehicle controls associated with the second vehicle are modified based on the autonomous driving preference associated with the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventor: Aaron Scott Chan
  • Patent number: 12221045
    Abstract: A device for restraining a passenger in a relaxed position for a vehicle seat and a method for controlling the device are configured such that when a seated passenger in an autonomous vehicle enters a relaxed mode, and thus is seated in a relaxed posture in the vehicle seat, and when a vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed, the device automatically operates such that legs of the seated passenger can be restrained, thereby effectively protecting the passenger in the relaxed position if an accident occurs. The device includes a rod member coupled to a seat cushion and configured to have a variable length; and a support foam connected to one end of the rod member and positioned in front of the seated passenger to restrain the legs of the seated passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Seung Kyu Kang
  • Patent number: 12223145
    Abstract: [Object] To provide a movement control apparatus that is capable of controlling the movement of a movable body using an intuitive operation, and the movable body. [Solving Means] A movement control apparatus according to the present technology includes a motion controller and an operation instructing section. The motion controller causes a movable body to perform motion. The operation instructing section gives an instruction to the motion controller on the basis of output of a sensor such that the movable body performs motion, the sensor detecting a distribution of pressure applied to a detection surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Munetake Ebihara, Toshiaki Nishikawa, Akira Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 12204330
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved user interfaces and mechanisms associated with controlling a vehicle. Some such embodiments provide a decluttered user interface that dynamically updates to provide detailed element(s) utilized to convey particular details of vehicle operation and/or adjust operation of the vehicle. Some embodiments cause rendering of an indicator associated with a value tape set to an invisible state, cause visibility of the value tape in response to interaction data, update the value tape upon second interaction data with the indicator, and set at least one value in response to third interaction data with the indicator and set the value tape back to an invisible state. In this regard, in some embodiments the user interface remains operable while simultaneously reducing the number of interface elements required to be rendered at a given time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Roberto Gudino Montoya, Kelsey Marie Keberle, Steven Curtis Crouch
  • Patent number: 12194936
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for predicting collision severity, including: establishing a first learning model, and inputting vehicle data and collision accident scene feature data into the first learning model; obtaining a predicted collision acceleration curve outputted by the first learning model, the predicted collision acceleration curve being established based on a plane rectangular coordinate system; establishing a second learning model, and inputting the predicted collision acceleration curve, the occupant feature data and the restraint system feature data into the second learning model; obtaining a plurality of predicted collision kinematics and dynamics curves of human body parts outputted by the second learning model; generating a collision severity parameter according to the plurality of predicted collision kinematics and dynamics curves of the human body parts, the collision severity parameter being configured to evaluate the collision severity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Bing-Bing Nie, Wen-Tao Chen, Qing-Fan Wang, Jiajie Shen, Quan Li, Shengbo Li, Qing Zhou
  • Patent number: 12172721
    Abstract: A vehicle control system for a steer-by-wire vehicle executes: driving assist control that assists driving of the vehicle; and conjunction reaction force control that applies a steering reaction force component to a steering wheel in conjunction with vehicle turning caused by the driving assist control. A driver turn angle is a target turn angle corresponding to a steering angle of the steering wheel, and a first system turn angle is a target turn angle required by the driving assist control. In the conjunction reaction force control, a second system turn angle is acquired by adjusting the first system turn angle according to a driver's steering intention such that the difference between the system turn angle and the driver turn angle becomes smaller. Then, a steering reaction force component is applied in a direction of reducing a difference between the driver turn angle and the second system turn angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kosuke Akatsuka, Yoshio Kudo, Junya Miyake
  • Patent number: 12162483
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a body including suspension components, multiple wheels coupled to the body, a suspension sensor coupled to one of the suspension components or at least one of said multiple wheels, a camera, a display connected to the camera to display at least part of the camera view, a processor receiving inputs from the suspension sensor, and memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes a program from which an actual horizontal wheel position relative to a path of travel of the vehicle is determined as a function of a vertical position of the at least one of said multiple wheels. And the processor causes an image representative of the actual horizontal wheel position to appear on the display, and wherein vertical is in the direction of gravity and horizontal is perpendicular to the direction of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Colin M Cole, Aleksander M Tonkovich
  • Patent number: 12151752
    Abstract: Disclosed are a steering auxiliary motor control device and a method thereof, the device comprising: a receiving unit for receiving steering angle information and driver steering torque information from a sensor included in a vehicle; a maximum steering angle determination unit for determining the maximum steering angle of the vehicle on the basis of the steering angle information and preset reference steering angle information; and a limited motor torque determination unit for determining limited motor torque for limiting maximum motor torque outputted from a steering auxiliary motor on the basis of a first condition including the steering angle information, the maximum steering angle information, and steering angle holding time information and/or a second condition including the driver steering torque information, over-torque limit entry torque information, over-torque limit release torque information, and steering torque holding time information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jongchun Won