Patents Examined by Laura E Linhardt
  • Patent number: 11975772
    Abstract: A steering control device includes an electronic control unit that stores an end position corresponding angle. The electronic control unit is configured to execute end strike relaxation control, to execute partial release control in a case where turning of a vehicle is attempted during execution of the end strike relaxation control, to make a non-following determination and acquire a release-time restriction position determination angle that corresponds to the absolute steering angle detected at a time when the electronic control unit determines that the movement of the steered shaft is restricted, and to permit update of the end position corresponding angle based on the release-time restriction position determination angle, and update the end position corresponding angle in a case where the update of the end position corresponding angle is permitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Yamaguchi, Takahiro Toko, Nobuaki Kataoka, Yukinobu Ezaki
  • Patent number: 11975776
    Abstract: A steering wheel control apparatus of an SBW (Steer-By-Wire) system may include a dominant controller configured to generate a wake-up signal, in response to an ignition switch of a vehicle being off, a motor driver configured to generate a steering reaction force against a steering wheel through a motor, and a steering wheel controller configured to generate the steering reaction force to interrupt a turn of the steering wheel, by controlling the motor driver according to the wake-up signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hee Lee
  • Patent number: 11977377
    Abstract: A remote operation apparatus capable of remotely operating a work machine efficiently and with high accuracy is provided. A remote operation apparatus (100) is connected to a work machine (200) via a communication network N, and includes an operation input unit (101) that inputs an operation signal to the remote operation apparatus (100), the operation signal in response to an operation performed by an operator, an operation calculation unit (108) that acquires a magnitude of an operation from the operation signal, an operation change amount calculation unit (109) that acquires an operation change amount from the operation signal, a communication delay time measurement unit (110) that measures a communication delay time, and a speed calculation unit (111) that calculates an operation speed of the work machine (200) based on the magnitude of the operation, the operation change amount, and the communication delay time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yoshimoto, Hiroshi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11970231
    Abstract: A vehicle can include a first wheel, a second wheel, and a steering system. Either both the first wheel and the second wheel can be front wheels or both the first wheel and the second wheel can be rear wheels. The steering system can be configured to concurrently cause: (1) a steering angle of the first wheel to be at a first angle and (2) a steering angle of the second wheel to be at a second angle. A difference angle can be a difference of the first angle subtracted from the second angle and can be greater than an angle determined to comply with Ackermann steering geometry. Such a difference angle can act to securely brake the vehicle when the vehicle is parked at a location at which a three-dimensional shape of a topological relief of the location can complicate an effort to securely brake the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Corey Zwegers, Robert C. MacArthur, Claudia A. Ma, Shigenori Shibata, Adam R. VanAntwerp
  • Patent number: 11964714
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus controls a motor used to turn a steered wheel of a vehicle, which synchronizes with a steering wheel, based on a command value. The steering control apparatus includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to compute a feedback control torque to be reflected in the command value. The electronic control unit is configured to compute a disturbance torque based on the feedback control torque and a predetermined angle. The electronic control unit is configured to correct the feedback control torque by using the disturbance torque. The electronic control unit is configured to correct the command value reflecting the corrected feedback control torque, based on an applied torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuki Inden, Terutaka Tamaizumi
  • Patent number: 11947358
    Abstract: A self-learning method for an obstacle and a self-learning method for a new obstacle are provided. With the self-learning method, in step 1, data of a grid map in a movement region is acquired, and each of grids of the grid map is marked as not being traversed. In step 2, a starting grid of the grid map is set, data of the starting grid is pushed into a stack, a movement unit is controlled to move to the starting grid, and the starting grid is remarked as being traversed. In step 3, the movement unit is controlled to traverse the grid map, and boundary data of the obstacle is acquired based on marks of the grids in the grid map. In step 4, boundary data of the obstacle is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG YAT ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yong Chen, Jianfei Gong, Fengwu Chen, Zhe Zhang
  • Patent number: 11928961
    Abstract: To reduce the effects of traffic jams, a traffic reduction system identifies road segments having more a threshold amount of traffic. The traffic reduction system also receives an indication of a current location of a client device operating in a vehicle and compares the current location to the locations of the identified road segments to determine whether the vehicle is on or approaching the road segment. If the vehicle is on or approaching the road segment, the traffic reduction system determines a target speed for the vehicle to maintain an equal distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front of the vehicle and the vehicle and the vehicle behind the vehicle. The traffic reduction system then provides the target speed to the client device for display on a user interface. By maintaining equal distances between vehicles in front of and behind each other, the amount of traffic dissipates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Neil Dhillon, Tanmay Wadhwa
  • Patent number: 11895938
    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: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan McMahan, Jason Schoon, Matthew Moeller, Matthew Baker
  • Patent number: 11891137
    Abstract: A steer-by-wire steering system for a vehicle, including: an operating device including a steering operating member, a counterforce applying mechanism configured to apply, to the steering operating member, an operation counterforce by a counterforce motor, and an operating controller configured to control the operation counterforce; a steering device including a steering actuator configured to steer a wheel by a steering motor and a steering controller configured to control an amount of steering of the wheel by the steering actuator; and a communication line communicably connecting the operating controller and the steering controller, wherein the steering controller is configured to: determine a status code based on a status of the steering device; and transmit the status code to the operating controller via the communication line; and wherein the operating controller is configured to change a magnitude of the operation counterforce in accordance with the status code received by the operating controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Iida, Masaharu Yamashita, Kenji Shibata, Yuji Fujita, Takashi Kodera, Isao Namikawa, Satoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11884343
    Abstract: A steering feel assisting apparatus of a steer-by-wire (SBW) system, may include a disk configured to rotate together with a steering shaft; a cam engaged to an actuator and configured to receive a rotational force of the actuator to be eccentrically rotated; and a brake arm configured to selectively friction-contact with an external peripheral surface of the disk to provide a predetermined frictional force in a forward rotation direction of the disk as the brake arm rotates in conjunction with rotation of the cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sang Woo Hwang, Young Dae Park, Byung Rim Lee, Min Jun Kim, Se Hyun Chang, Hyeon Seok Cho
  • Patent number: 11873040
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for monitoring a steering system, in particular during an operation in a vehicle, in which method a load characteristic of at least one steering component of the steering system is determined and is evaluated in order to determine a stress and/or a state of the steering component. According to the disclosure, the load characteristic comprises at least one load on the steering component caused by an external application of force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas John, Michael Friedel, Stefan Kersten Weber, Susanne Meyer
  • Patent number: 11851121
    Abstract: An apparatus for reducing vibration of a steering wheel may include: a judder compensation logic unit configured to calculate judder compensation torque for removing a judder which occurs in a steering wheel of a vehicle, based on one or more of a motor current, vehicle speed and vehicle wheel speed; and a judder compensation diagnosis unit configured to determine an operation state of the judder compensation logic unit based on one or more of the vehicle wheel speed, steering torque and a brake state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: In Hyuk Kim, Pil Woo Lee, Kwang Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 11840295
    Abstract: A steering system includes a steering shaft; a motor configured to generate a torque applied to the steering shaft; and a control unit configured to control the motor. The control unit has a function of performing steering angle feedback control for causing a steering angle that is a rotation angle of a steering wheel to reach a target steering angle that is set based on a point of view of adjusting a rotational position of the steering wheel, as an adjustment process of adjusting the rotational position of the steering wheel. The control unit is configured to set a limit value for limiting a change range of the target steering angle with respect to the steering angle at each moment in a period in which automatic rotation of the steering wheel is hindered in a case where the automatic rotation is hindered while the adjustment process is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kakimoto, Yoshiyuki Uchino, Kenji Shibata, Takafumi Sato
  • Patent number: 11835967
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein include a method of receiving, by a moving assisting vehicle, a calibration assistance request related to a moving ego vehicle that requested assistance in collaborative calibration of a sensor deployed on the moving ego vehicle. The method further includes analyzing the calibration assistance request to extract at least one of a schedule or an assistance route associated with the requested assistance. The method includes communicating with the moving ego vehicle about a desired location relative to the position of the moving ego vehicle for the moving assisting vehicle to be in order to assist the sensor to acquire information of a target present on the moving assisting vehicle. The method includes facilitating to drive the moving assisting vehicle to reach the desired location to achieve the collaborative calibration of the sensor on the moving ego vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: PlusAI, Inc.
    Inventor: Ankur Agarwal
  • Patent number: 11834116
    Abstract: Machine-learning-based steering torque non-uniformity compensation for vehicles is enabled. For example, a system can comprise a memory that stores computer executable components, and a processor that executes the computer executable components stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable components comprise: a machine learning component that generates a steering non-uniformity model based on machine learning applied to past steering data representative of positions and steering ratios of a steering wheel of a vehicle, and a torque compensation component that, using current position data representative of a current position of the steering wheel and the steering non-uniformity model, determines a torque to apply to the steering wheel configured to offset a steering non-uniformity at the current position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenneth Ekström, Carl-Johan Häll
  • Patent number: 11835955
    Abstract: A vehicle (e.g., an agricultural vehicle or other off-road vehicle) comprising a track system can be monitored to obtain information regarding the vehicle, including information regarding the track system, such as one or more parameters (e.g., a temperature, a pressure, an acceleration, an identifier, etc.) of the track system and/or one or more characteristics of an environment of the track system (e.g., a compliance, a profile, a soil moisture level, etc. of the ground beneath the track system), which can be used for various purposes, such as, for example, to: convey the information to a user (e.g., an operator of the vehicle); control the vehicle (e.g., a speed of the vehicle, operation of a work implement, etc.); transmit the information to a remote party (e.g., a provider such as a manufacturer or distributor of the track system and/or of the vehicle; a supplier of a substance such as fertilizer used where the vehicle is located; etc.); control equipment (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Camso Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Richard, Eric Blondeau, Jean-Francois Migneault, Ghislain Laperle, Michel Deslauriers, David Gingras, Jeremie Zuchoski, Jake Dalphond, Stephan Georgiev, Martin Tremblay
  • Patent number: 11835953
    Abstract: An autonomy system for use with a vehicle in an environment. The autonomy system comprising a processor operatively coupled with a memory device, a plurality of sensors operatively coupled with the processor; a vehicle controller, a situational awareness module, a task planning module, and a task execution module. The situational awareness module being configured to determine a state of the environment based at least in part on sensor data from at least one of the plurality of sensors. The task planning module being configured to identify, via the processor, a plurality of tasks to be performed by the vehicle and to generate a task assignment list from the plurality of tasks that is based at least in part on predetermined optimization criteria. The task execution module being configured to instruct the vehicle controller to execute the plurality of tasks in accordance with the task assignment list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Ryan, Jeffery Saunders
  • Patent number: 11834115
    Abstract: A steering system includes a steering shaft; a reaction motor; and a control unit configured to control the reaction motor. The control unit has a function of performing a correction process of rotating the steering wheel using the reaction motor such that a displacement in a rotational position of the steering wheel with respect to a correct rotational position corresponding to a turning position of the turning wheels decreases when a power supply of the vehicle is turned on and the rotational position of the steering wheel is different from the correct rotational position. The control unit is configured to perform the correction process when the displacement is equal to or greater than a predetermined permissible value and not to perform the correction process when the displacement is less than the permissible value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Kakimoto, Yoshiyuki Uchino, Kenji Shibata, Takafumi Sato
  • Patent number: 11827296
    Abstract: A steering control device in a seer-by-wire system calculates a current limit presentation command value so as to convey an output-limited state of a turning device to a driver, calculates a steering torque command value on a basis of a physical quantity corresponding to an output torque of the turning device, and calculates a basic reaction force torque command value being a basic value of a reaction force torque command value so that a detection value of a torque sensor follows a target value that is based on the steering torque command value. The control device controls a current flowing to a reaction-force-use rotary electric machine on a basis of the basic reaction force torque command value and the end presentation command value, and increases an absolute value of the current limit presentation command value when the turning device is in the output-limited state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11827233
    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: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventor: Aaron Scott Chan