Patents Examined by Luis A Martinez Borrero
  • Patent number: 9988036
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a traction motor, a clutch, and a controller. The clutch selectively couples the traction motor to wheels. The controller, in response to a torque output by the fraction motor achieving a torque limit while operating to partially satisfy a demand for driveline damping and while the clutch is locked, slips the clutch to completely satisfy the demand for driveline damping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bernard D. Nefcy, Daniel Scott Colvin, Felix Nedorezov
  • Patent number: 9970771
    Abstract: A method or apparatus for performing map updates includes two stages for reducing a size of the update package. A first navigation database having a first set of navigation data records and a first index section and a second navigation database having a second set of navigation data records and a second index section are identified. In a first stage, a first subset of the first set of navigation data records and a corresponding second subset of the second set of navigation data records are identified using a first difference operation. The first subset and second subset correspond to records that have changed between the first and second sets of navigation data records. In a second stage, a second difference operation is performed on the first subset and the second subset. The update package is generated based on a result of the difference operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventor: Martin Pfeifle
  • Patent number: 9964957
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle according to a destination type may promote convenience of a driver by changing a method for controlling a self driving vehicle according to a destination type set by the driver. The method for controlling a vehicle according to a destination type includes: deciding whether or not a destination type selected from a driver is a final destination; and controlling the vehicle to stop in the rightmost lane of a road closest to the final destination after the vehicle arrives at the vicinity of the final destination, when the selected destination type is the final destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Ji Hyun Yoon
  • Patent number: 9964409
    Abstract: A method of creating a local map includes: receiving, at a mobile electronic data processing apparatus, a request from a server to generate a map of a specified destination; sending to the server a message accepting the request to generate the map responsive to receiving, at a user input of the mobile electronic data processing device, a user command indicating acceptance of the request; generating, using a processor, information related to construction of the map; an transmitting, from the mobile electronic data processing apparatus, the information related to construction of the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Flint, Oleg Naroditsky, Andriy Grygorenko, Oriel Bergig
  • Patent number: 9953472
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the subject matter described herein, a system is provided that includes a vehicle that is operating in accordance with the operational settings of a trip plan. The operational settings dictate how the vehicle system is to travel at different locations along the route. A processor of the system may identify differences between the operational settings of the trip plan and the operational settings at which the vehicle actually travels. The processor may further identify whether the differences are caused by a grade error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dibyajyoti Pati, Ashish Anil Paralikar, Mohankumar Nanjegowda, Prakarsh Paritosh
  • Patent number: 9950795
    Abstract: Methods and systems for a transportation vehicle are provided. For example, one method includes generating a request to associate an electronic device with a system of a transportation vehicle; generating a image with a pattern and displaying the image with the pattern on a display device; entering the displayed pattern by a user; verifying that the entered pattern matches with the displayed pattern; and enabling communication from the electronic device to the system of the transportation vehicle for managing one or more seat control functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Avionics Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Perng, Gurmukh Khabrani, Razmik Moradoghli Haftvani, Chin Perng
  • Patent number: 9939283
    Abstract: When an instruction to start a setting operation for a destination is provided by a user during a period in which a navigation server is not available for a mobile device while a navigation function, which uses the navigation server providing distribution function of map data and route search function, of the mobile device is being utilized in a navigation device, the navigation function provided in the navigation device itself is activated and is caused to perform destination setting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 9914445
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle comprising a moveable element and means for outputting a signal indicative of an angle that a wheel of a vehicle should be rotated through, thereby allowing movement of the vehicle, wherein the indicated angle is based on the degree of movement the moveable element is moved through.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: PROTEAN ELECTRIC LIMITED
    Inventor: Angus Rutherford Lyon
  • Patent number: 9915954
    Abstract: A control system for a rotorcraft, which system includes at least one control unit allowing a rotor of a rotorcraft to be driven, with the rotorcraft including at least three independent landing-gear units, with each landing-gear unit including means for detecting a ground reaction force F1, F2, F3 exerted on the landing-gear unit when the rotorcraft is in contact with the ground, and with the control system being suitable for receiving information from the detection means. The invention also relates to the rotorcraft and to a control method corresponding to the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Airbus Helicopters
    Inventors: Jean-Baptiste Vallart, Romeo Byzery
  • Patent number: 9908618
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and systems for adjusting a center of mass of a drone may include a balance track and a repositionable weight. The balance track may be configured to extend outwardly from a central region of the drone. The balance track may include a plurality of weight-balance fixation positions. The repositionable weight may be configured to be secured at any one of the plurality of weight-balance fixation positions. In various embodiments the repositionable weight may include an electronic component. Various embodiments may include a another balance track configured to extend outwardly from the central region along a second axis that is different from a first axis of the other balance track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Brad Lee Vaughn, Charles Wheeler Sweet, Vincent Kemler, Aine Mary Shivnan, Kaustubh Balkrishna Gondkar, James York Wilson, Michael Franco Taveira, Donald Hutson
  • Patent number: 9902291
    Abstract: A sliding feedback control system of a vehicle is provided. The system includes: an electric motor; a power battery; a battery manager connected with the power battery, and configured to obtain a maximum charging power of the power battery; and a motor controller connected with the electric motor, and configured to obtain maximum feedback torque values of the motor controller and the electric motor, to convert the maximum charging power of the power battery into a maximum feedback torque value of the power battery, to determine a minimum of the maximum feedback torque values as a first feedback torque value, to obtain a second feedback torque value, and to determine a final feedback torque value of the electric motor as a minimum of the first and second feedback torque values, such that the electric motor controls the vehicle to perform the sliding feedback operation according to the final feedback torque value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Hua Cheng, Hao Chen, Ou Ruan
  • Patent number: 9897451
    Abstract: Accuracy of a positioning device may be determined without requiring the device to be at any specific location, such as a test location. Instead of comparing the reported location and directional data to a known location and directional data, the present technology may use multiple discrete location and directional reports for comparison with the reported data at multiple locations. The multiple comparisons are used to assess the relative accuracy of the positional telematics system. The reported location may be a GPS location or from another positioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SPEEDGAUGE, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Hubbard, Christopher A. Kantarjiev
  • Patent number: 9884616
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling a hybrid vehicle equipped with an air control valve are provided. The method includes collecting road information and determining a number of conversions between an engine operation mode and a motor driving mode based on the collected road information. Further, a degree of flap closing of the air control valve is restricted from being corrected when the predicted number of conversion is less than a predetermined threshold. The air control valve is adjusted for flap displacement upon closing of the flap when the predicted number of conversion is greater than the predetermined threshold and in which the degree of flap closing of the air control valve is corrected based on the detected flap displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Hwa Yong Jang
  • Patent number: 9857195
    Abstract: A request for geographic content is received from a client device. The request includes (i) an indication that a user invoked the digital mapping service in a vehicle and (ii) an identifier of the user. In response to the request, profile data for the user is automatically retrieved. The profile data includes indications of previous interactions of the user with a digital mapping service. Geographic content then is generated based on the indications of previous interactions in view of relevance of the previous interactions to an automotive context. The generated geographic content is provided to the client device for presentation in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Andrew Foster, Nicholas Julian Pelly, Michael Graham Woodward
  • Patent number: 9850832
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for performing fuel vapor canister purging operations during engine off conditions. In one example, a method may include, responsive to an indication of breakthrough of vapors from a fuel vapor canister during engine-off conditions, configuring a first cylinder with both intake and exhaust valves open, opening a canister purge valve, and applying air pressure to the vapor canister such that desorbed canister vapors may be routed to an exhaust catalyst, the exhaust catalyst temperature maintained above a light off temperature. In this way, during engine-off conditions, including conditions wherein a vehicle is powered solely by battery, bleedthrough emissions may be reliably reduced by purging the vapor canister to the exhaust catalyst without requiring turning on the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 9849852
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to deploying safety mechanisms in an autonomous vehicle. As an example, the situational information identifying a potential impact target corresponding to an object with which the autonomous vehicle is predicted to have a collision within a predetermined period of time may be received. This situational information may also include an estimated time when the second computing device will receive an update for the potential impact target from the first computing device. The estimated time may be used to determine when to deploy a set of active safety mechanisms for the potential impact target. Each active safety mechanism may be configured to reduce a likelihood of damage to an object external to the autonomous vehicle caused by a collision. A signal is then sent to activate the set of active safety mechanisms prior to an impact with the object corresponding to the identified potential impact target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Lynn Larner, Atul Gupta, Felix Jose Alvarez Rivera, Thomas Daniel
  • Patent number: 9842437
    Abstract: One or more devices in a data analysis computing system may be configured to receive and analyze movement data and driving data, and determine driving trips and associated drivers based on the received data. Movement data may be collected by one or more mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablet computers, and on-board vehicle systems. Drivers associated with driving trips may be identified based on the movement data collected by the mobile devices, such as speed data, acceleration data, or distance data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventor: Edward A. Biemer
  • Patent number: 9836052
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to determining whether a feature of map information. For example, data identifying an object detected in a vehicle's environment and including location coordinates is received. This information is used to identify a corresponding feature from pre-stored map information based on a map location of the corresponding feature. The corresponding feature is defined as a curve and associated with a tag identifying a type of the corresponding feature. A tolerance constraint is identified based on the tag. The curve is divided into two or more line segments. Each line segment has a first position. The first position of a line segment is changed in order to determine a second position based on the location coordinates and the tolerance constraint. A value is determined based on a comparison of the first position to the second position. This value indicates a likelihood that the corresponding feature has changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: David Harrison Silver, David I. Ferguson
  • Patent number: 9834159
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to control a vehicle with less delay. A control system 100 according to the present invention includes: an estimating unit 103 that estimates a factor and a required time until encountering the factor based on a result of an observation of a periphery of a vehicle; and a deciding unit 104 that decides control contents of the vehicle based on data stored in a first storage unit 101 when the required time is longer than a threshold and that decides control contents of the vehicle based on data stored in a second storage unit 102 which can be accessed at a higher speed than the first storage unit 101 when the required time is equal to or shorter than the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Yuki Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 9827835
    Abstract: A device for assisting in the driving of a motor vehicle, comprising a screen with variable transmission intended to be arranged between a road scene in front of the vehicle and a driver of the vehicle, the device comprising a number of sensors suitable for recovering data representative of the environment in which the vehicle is located, the device being configured to drive a transmission coefficient of the screen with variable transmission, wherein the device is configured to take into account the data recovered by the sensors and to compute the transmission coefficient by combining the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Hafid El Idrissi, Kostadin Beev, David Hue, Steed Gratien, Marc Rocklinger