Patents Examined by Laura E Linhardt
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Patent number: 11827233Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 9, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANYInventor: Aaron Scott Chan
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Patent number: 11818975Abstract: The present invention relates to the planning and implementation of agricultural measures using remote sensing data and local field data. Using remote sensors, the total required amount and partial-area-specific required amounts of plant protection agents and/or nutrients and/or seeds and/or the like can be determined, and based on this information, the use of an application device can be planned. Using local field sensors, the current local required amounts in the field are determined so that the application device can apply the corresponding amounts as required.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2017Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: BASF Agro Trademarks GmbHInventors: Ole Peters, Holger Hoffmann, Gang Zhao, Subhashree Das
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Patent number: 11794811Abstract: Techniques for using ball joint sensor data to determine conditions relevant to a vehicle are described in this disclosure. For example, in one example, the ball joint sensor data may be used to determine estimated steering data. The estimated steering data may be directly used to navigate through an environment, such as by the vehicle relying on the estimated steering data when planning, tracking, or executing a driving maneuver. Also, the estimated steering data may be used to verify the reliability of other steering sensor data used to navigate through the environment.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: Zoox, Inc.Inventors: Ahditya Melkote, Vishveshwar Ramanathan Subramanian
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Patent number: 11794806Abstract: A control apparatus for a steering system includes control circuitry configured to perform an angle control process for controlling, to an angle command value, a convertible angle that is convertible into a rotational angle of the electric motor, a predetermined component calculation process for calculating a predetermined component containing at least one of two components that are a viscosity component and a friction component of the steering system, while using a value of a variable regarding a control quantity of the electric motor as an input, and a relationship change process for changing a relationship of an output from a control unit for the steering system to an input to the control unit, based on the predetermined component calculated through the predetermined component calculation process.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventor: Takashi Kodera
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Patent number: 11787464Abstract: A vehicle steering system provided for a vehicle whose driving state is switchable between a manual driving state and an automatic driving state, the vehicle steering system including a coupling mechanism configured to couple a steering operation member operated by a driver and at least one steerable wheel of the vehicle, wherein, when the driving state of the vehicle is switched from the manual driving state to the automatic driving state, the coupling mechanism is switched from a mechanically coupling state in which the coupling mechanism mechanically couples the steering operation member and the at least one steerable wheel to each other to a mechanically decoupling state in which the coupling mechanism mechanically decouples the steering operation member and the at least one steerable wheel from each other.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Takafumi Iizawa
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Patent number: 11787393Abstract: Techniques for using ball joint sensor data to determine conditions relevant to a vehicle are described in this disclosure. For example, in one example, the ball joint sensor data may be used to determine a ride height at a portion of the vehicle, which may be used to determine roll data and/or pitch data. The ride height, roll data, and/or pitch data may be directly used to navigate through an environment, such as by the vehicle relying on the data when interpreting sensor data or planning driving operations. Also, the ride height, roll data, and/or pitch data may be used to verify the reliability of other sensor data used to navigate through the environment.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Zoox, Inc.Inventors: Ahditya Melkote, Vishveshwar Ramanathan Subramanian
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Patent number: 11778938Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: October 10, 2023Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Qiang R. Liu, Patrick C. Dougherty, Michael R. Moody, Ajit Thankappan Pillai
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Patent number: 11760411Abstract: Methods for controlling a steer-by-wire steering system including a steering actuator controlled via a steering request and brings about movement of a steering rack to steer vehicle wheels. A feedback actuator transmits reactions of the road to a steering wheel via an aligning torque. A setpoint position of the steering rack is determined in a signal processing unit based on a steering wheel steering angle. The setpoint position is transmitted with an actual position of the steering rack or with a measured wheel steering angle as an actual value to a control unit which calculates a setpoint torque of an electric motor of the steering actuator. The method includes monitoring the power of the motor required to reach the determined setpoint position. When the required power exceeds the maximum power of the motor the motor is operated at maximum power torque present at the steering wheel is increased.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 2019Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AGInventors: Kristof Polmans, Manuel Rohrmoser
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Patent number: 11748824Abstract: One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for identifying traversability of a site. Site conditions of a target site affecting traversability can be identified using real-time or historical data. Soil conditions, weather conditions, moisture levels, and other factors may be used to determine whether a target site is traversable by a target piece of equipment. The traversability information can be identified for a target area, that comprises a target site, and a traversability map can be generated for the site. Target equipment specifications can be used to determine whether the target equipment may effectively traverse the target site based on the traversability map. Further, a traversability path may be generated for a piece of target equipment based on the traversability map, site conditions, and the equipment specifications. Additionally, site management may be enhanced using the site condition data to plan traversability of target equipment at the target site.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2020Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Sebastian Blank, Dohn W. Pfeiffer, Curtis R. Hammer
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Patent number: 11731694Abstract: In a steering control apparatus, a reaction force torque command value is calculated so that a detection value of a torque sensor follows a target value obtained by adding at least a viscosity command value and a return command value to a steering torque command value, and an electric current that flows to a reaction force rotary electric machine is controlled based on the reaction force torque command value. Whether a steering state is a turning state or a returning state is determined by comparing a physical quantity corresponding to an output torque of a reaction force device and the detection value of the torque sensor. Characteristics of one or more of a reaction force amount operation, a viscosity amount operation, and a return amount operation are made differ between the turning state and the returning state.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2020Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Takashi Suzuki
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Patent number: 11713071Abstract: A vehicle includes first and second steering drivers that steer first and second wheel pairs, a lock that locks the first wheel pair to be non-steerable, a first steering controller that controls the first steering driver in accordance with a first steering angle, and a second steering controller that controls the second steering driver in accordance with a second steering angle. The first steering controller controls the lock to lock the steering of the first wheel pair upon detecting anomaly in the steering of the first wheel pair from the steering angle and a steering detection angle of the first wheel pair. The second steering controller controls the second steering driver in accordance with a second corrected steering angle, if the steering of the first wheel pair exhibits anomaly.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2017Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: AISIN CORPORATIONInventors: Seiji Hidaka, Shin Kunieda
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Patent number: 11708076Abstract: A method for identifying a cause of blockage in a sequence of images provided by a camera of a vehicle, the method comprising iteratively: S10) acquiring an image of the camera; successively acquired images forming a sequence of images; S20) detecting a blockage in last images of the sequence of images; S60) determining whether it is day-time or night-time based on time information; if it is determined that it is night-time: S82) determining whether toggling front light(s) of the vehicle on/off causes a change in images acquired by the camera; and S84) in this case, determining that for the current iteration, the cause of the blockage is presumably the road being dark. A computer program for performing said method, a computer-readable recording medium containing such computer program, a driving assistance system capable of executing said method.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2017Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR EUROPEInventors: Guillaume Fent, Christophe Gillet, Hideaki Hayashi
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Patent number: 11702133Abstract: A yaw stability control system is provided for a motor vehicle. The system includes one or more cameras, a plurality of wheel speed sensors, a yaw angle sensor, and a steering angle sensor. The system further includes an electric motor connected to a reaction wheel. The system further includes a processor and a memory including instructions such that the processor is programmed to: determine a desired yaw angle of the motor vehicle based on a video signal, speed signals, a yaw signal, and a steering signal. The processor is further programmed to generate an actuation signal associated with the desired yaw angle. The electric motor angularly rotates the reaction wheel at a predetermined angular rate in a predetermined rotational direction to produce a counter-acting torque that rotates the motor vehicle to the desired yaw angle, in response to the electric motor receiving the actuation signal from the processor.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Insu Chang, Jun-mo Kang, SeungHwan Keum
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Patent number: 11685433Abstract: A system for detecting hands-on or off of a steering wheel and a method thereof, include a direct sensor configured for detecting a hands-on sense value depending on a grip area of the steering wheel; an indirect sensor configured for detecting a hands-on sense value depending on a magnitude of a torque for rotating the steering wheel; and a controller connected to the first sensor and the second sensor and combining a direct hands-on sense value detected by the direct sensor and an indirect hands-on sense value detected by the indirect sensor to each other to determine a grip state of the steering wheel depending on a combined hands-on sense condition, and then to display and warn a result of determining the grip state of the steering wheel through an output unit.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2019Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Hyoung Jun Ahn, Hong Joo Jung
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Patent number: 11674407Abstract: A system for controlling blade tip clearances in a gas turbine engine may comprise an active clearance control system and a controller in operable communication with the active clearance control system. The controller may be configured to identify a cruise condition, reduce a thrust limit of the gas turbine engine to a de-rated maximum climb thrust, determine a first target tip clearance based on the de-rated maximum climb thrust, and send a command signal correlating to the first target tip clearance to the active clearance control system.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2022Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Raytheon Technologies CorporationInventor: Matthew R. Feulner
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Patent number: 11667289Abstract: An apparatus for a vehicle includes: a first collection unit configured to collect a plurality of consecutive forward image frames captured by a camera during forward driving of the vehicle; and a driving route generation unit configured to derive a forward driving trajectory during the forward driving of the vehicle, based on matching of common feature points present in the plurality of consecutive forward image frames, and generate the derived forward driving trajectory as a backward driving prediction route.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.Inventor: Jeong Ku Kim
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Patent number: 11660925Abstract: An autonomous tilting three-wheeled vehicle comprises a pair of front wheels coupled to a tiltable chassis by a mechanical linkage, such that the pair of wheels and the chassis are configured to tilt in unison with respect to a roll axis of the chassis. An electronic controller of the autonomous vehicle controls a tilt actuator to selectively tilt the chassis. Optionally, a steering actuator is coupled to the front wheels and controlled by the electronic controller to selectively steer the wheels. A sensor configured to measure orientation-dependent information may be coupled to the chassis by a gimbal configured to compensate for vehicle tilt. In some examples, the autonomous vehicle comprises an autonomous delivery robot.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2022Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Sway Motorsports LLCInventors: Kyle Jonathan Doerksen, Joseph Wilcox
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Patent number: 11661106Abstract: A steering system includes a rotary shaft to which an operation member is coupled; a first actuator; a second actuator; a control unit; and a moving unit configured to move the operation member between a normal position and a storage area. The control unit is configured to switch between a manual drive mode and an autonomous drive mode. The control unit is configured to, when moving the operation member from the storage area to the normal position, start synchronous control when the operation member satisfies a predetermined condition before the operation member reaches the normal position, the synchronous control being control in which the control unit controls the first actuator to change a rotation angle of the rotary shaft to an angle corresponding to a steered angle of steered wheels driven by the second actuator.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATIONInventors: Takeshi Watanabe, Yasuyuki Nozawa
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Patent number: 11650586Abstract: The present teaching relates to method, system, medium, and implementation of automatic motion planning for an autonomous driving vehicle. Information is obtained with respect to a current location of the autonomous driving vehicle operating in a current vehicle motion, wherein the information is to be used to estimate the operational capability of the autonomous driving vehicle with respect to the current location. Sensor data are obtained, via one or more sensors in one or more media types. A reaction of a passenger present in the vehicle with respect to a current vehicle motion is estimated based on the sensor data. Motion planning is performed based on the information with respect to the current location and the reaction of the passenger to the current vehicle motion.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: PlusAI, Inc.Inventors: Hao Zheng, David Wanqian Liu, Timothy Patrick Daly, Jr.
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Patent number: 11650585Abstract: Technologies are provided for detecting anomalous data at runtime in an autonomous vehicle component that is indicative of a byzantine fault, and providing real-time remediation. Input and output data streams of the vehicle component can be analyzed to generate a normal operational model for the vehicle component. Using the model, deviations from a known steady state of operation of the vehicle component can be detected and flagged as potential faults. The vehicle component can then be isolated and/or restarted. Additionally or alternatively, a specification can be defined that specifies allowed component interactions in the autonomous vehicle system. The specification can be used to generate tests that can be used to validate the functional correctness of the vehicle components. The specification can be used at run-time to detect component interactions that are not allowed. Such a disallowed component interaction can be detected using the specification and flagged as a potential fault.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2019Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: VAY TECHNOLOGY GMBHInventors: Nathan Aschbacher, Joshua John Hartung