Patents Examined by Mahmoud Ismail
  • Patent number: 9918424
    Abstract: A method for lifting wing tool bars of an agricultural implement includes receiving a fluid at an input port of a fluid control system. The fluid is configured to induce raising a central tool bar of the agricultural implement using a first actuator extending between the central tool bar and a main frame of the agricultural implement, and then to induce rotating a first wing tool bar relative to the central tool bar using a second actuator extending between the first wing tool bar and the central tool bar after the central tool bar is raised. The method also includes detecting an angle between the first wing tool bar and the central tool bar using a switch. The method further includes controlling fluid flow to the second actuator based on the detected angle via a solenoid controlled valve electrically coupled to the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Timothy R. Blunier, Timothy Allen Olson
  • Patent number: 9880013
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving urea fluid usage on a vehicle. Based on when a urea tank needs to be refilled relative to when a fuel tank needs to be refilled during a vehicle journey, one or more alternate driving routes are suggested based on the range of the fluid getting depleted. The suggested driving routes include refilling stations where the depleting fluid can be refilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Giullian de Sousa e Nobrega
  • Patent number: 9873432
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry calculates a target torque such that the greater the amount of brake operation is, the smaller the target torque becomes. The processing circuitry controls the drive motor such that the creep torque is smaller when brake operation is being performed by the driver than when the brake operation is not being performed by the driver. The control circuitry controls the brake device such that, when the brake operation is being performed by the driver, the brake torque approaches a target brake torque. The processing circuitry sets a decrease gradient of the creep torque to be smaller than a decrease gradient of the target torque when the brake operation amount is increased under a condition in which the creep torque is being output by the drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignees: ADVICS CO., LTD., DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Naito, Tomokazu Kato, Kousuke Baba, Hiroaki Niino, Masayoshi Ooishi
  • Patent number: 9846053
    Abstract: A method of creating map data for enhancing a digital map having a plurality of navigable segments representing a network of navigable segments by applying point locations to the map which correspond to individual events on the network; generating a heat map representing the concentrations of events according to a selected distribution function; applying a threshold calculation to the heat map to identify one or more zones, on the network having a high concentration of events; and associating the or each zone with at least one segment in the digital map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: TOMTOM TRAFFIC B.V.
    Inventors: Gunnar Schmidt, Antoine Carl van der Laan
  • Patent number: 9832272
    Abstract: To efficiently generate geographic content for display on client devices, a method includes determining a current status of a client device and determining a current status of a network connection between the client device and a network server. The method includes determining, based at least on one of (i) the determined current status of the client device or (ii) the determined current status of the network connection, whether a task related to generating geographic content for display on the client device should be executed on the client device or on the network server. The method also includes causing either the client device or the network server to execute the task, in accordance with the determination of where the task should be executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: David Robert Gordon
  • Patent number: 9827999
    Abstract: This application discusses various ways to adjust the performance of a variable input control in accordance with previous use data. In some embodiments, the previous use data can be associated with particular users of the variable input control. In this way, a response provided by the user input control can be adjusted to accommodate particular patterns of use on a user by user basis. In some embodiments, the variable input control can take the form of an accelerator pedal of a vehicle. Performance of the accelerator pedal can be adjusted by changing an amount of engine power provided for a particular accelerator pedal position. The adjustment can arrange commonly utilized power settings in the middle of the accelerator pedal range of motion to make manipulation of the accelerator pedal more comfortable and convenient for each user of the accelerator pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: THUNDER POWER NEW ENERGY VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventor: Sheng-Fu Lai
  • Patent number: 9827935
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a center component defining a center chamber therein and first and second side components defining first and second chambers therein, respectively. The first and second side components are coupled to opposing ends of the center component with the first and second chambers in fluid communication with the center chamber. The center, first side and second side components are configured to extend substantially across a width of a vehicle. The apparatus further includes first, second and third pressure sensors in communication with the first, second and center chambers, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jialiang Le, Manoharprasad K. Rao, David James Tippy
  • Patent number: 9809076
    Abstract: A suspension control apparatus includes a damping force adjustable shock absorber disposed between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle and capable of adjusting a damping force to be generated, a vertical movement detection device configured to detect a state regarding a vertical movement of a vehicle, and a controller including: a target damping force calculation section configured to calculate a target damping force based on a detection result of the vertical movement detection device, a correction section configured to calculate a corrected damping force, which is acquired by reducing the target damping force when a relative speed is a low speed between a sprung side and an unsprung side of the damping force adjustable shock absorber, and a control signal output section configured to output the control signal corresponding to the corrected damping force to the damping force adjustable shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Ryusuke Hirao
  • Patent number: 9811090
    Abstract: A traveling schedule of a guided vehicle is generated for use in a guided vehicle system for transporting articles between load ports by a plurality of guided vehicles traveling with articles carried thereon along a predetermined traveling route. A traveling schedule is created separately for each guided vehicle, disregarding interferences with other guided vehicles, the traveling schedules including a string of velocity control points representing positions and times at which guided vehicles accelerate or decelerate on the traveling route. For both newly created traveling schedules and traveling schedules from which interferences have been eliminated, interferences between the guided vehicles are detected from relative positions between the guided vehicles at the velocity control points. The traveling schedules of following guided vehicles are modified to eliminate the detected interferences, and the schedules are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hisato Yoneda
  • Patent number: 9802613
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for motor vehicles, having a velocity regulation function for regulating the velocity of the subject vehicle to a nominal velocity, and having an adjacent-lane monitoring function, characterized by a turning assistance function which, when the velocity regulation function is active and an incoming signal indicates an imminent turning process that requires crossing an adjacent lane, monitors the traffic in the adjacent lane with the aid of the adjacent-lane monitoring function, and, as a function of locations and velocities of traffic participants in the adjacent lane, determines a spatial and temporal window for moving into the adjacent lane and adapts the nominal velocity to this window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Fuehrer
  • Patent number: 9806522
    Abstract: A method for controlled connection of a plurality of on-board power system branches is disclosed, wherein electrical power is exchanged between first and third on-board power system branches if an uncritical supply state is present and electrical power is exchanged between second and the third on-board power system branches if a critical supply state is present in the first or third on-board power system branch. In a critical supply state, the first on-board power system branch is disconnected from the third on-board power system branch by opening a first switching device, and the second on-board power system branch is then connected to the third on-board power system branch via a second switching device. A second actuation device that actuates the second switching device receives a switch state signal from the first actuation device and closes the second switching device only if the received signal signals an open first switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Reichow, Peter Völkl, Tobias Galli
  • Patent number: 9805521
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to a systems and methods for assessing turns made by one or more vehicles. According to various embodiments, the system is configured to identify, based telematics data captured from the vehicles, turns executed by the vehicle during a particular time period. The system is further configured to analyze the identified turns to determine and display various turn segment attributes to a user in order to provide an indication of turns having an abnormal or excessive duration and/or to provide overall efficiency-indicative information relating to the vehicle turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark J. Davidson
  • Patent number: 9796283
    Abstract: An apparatus for pre-conditioning a vehicle comprises a battery in the vehicle configured to store and supply electric power; a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive electric power from an external power supply device; a power controller configured to transfer the electric power received at the wireless power receiver to the battery and to control charging and discharging of the battery; and a pre-conditioner connected to the battery and configured to pre-condition a device which needs to be operated before the vehicle is operated by using off-board energy of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin Fink, Allan Lewis
  • Patent number: 9796407
    Abstract: A steering angle detecting apparatus for vehicles includes a vernier calculating section that performs vernier calculation based on a steering shaft angle and a motor angle, a neutral period specifying section that specifies a neutral period including a neutral point based on a reference angle calculated by the vernier calculation in the vernier calculating section, and a neutral point specifying section that specifies the neutral point from the neutral period and a stored neutral point value, and outputs a steering angle the neutral point of which is specified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Sugawara, Ryo Minaki, Hideki Sawada
  • Patent number: 9796380
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling un-parking of a vehicle includes: a sensor module configured to include at least one sensor that receives an un-parking request signal for a parked vehicle and determines whether a first object around the vehicle is present; and a control module configured to determine a position of a second object based on the un-parking request signal and determine whether the vehicle is un-parked depending on positions of the first object and of the second object to control the un-parking of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Young Bin Kim, Jin Ho Park, Joo Woong Yang
  • Patent number: 9796277
    Abstract: A number of variations may include a product comprising: an extended range battery system for an electric bicycle comprising a first battery system and a second battery system, and wherein direct current biasing is utilized between the first battery system and the second battery system to extend the range of the extended range battery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Steven L. Hayslett, Constantin C. Stancu, Jorge G. Cintron-Rivera
  • Patent number: 9791863
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and control system for gathering material is described. One or more vehicles may include an intake mechanism for material and a location-tracking system. A current orientation of the intake mechanism is identified based upon location information from the tracking system. A current orientation of the material is determined based upon historical location information for the material. A target orientation of the intake mechanisms is determined based upon the current orientation of the material. Movement of the intake mechanism is thus directed toward the determined target orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Daniel E. Derscheid, Jacob D. Kappelman
  • Patent number: 9789859
    Abstract: Disclosed are a railway vehicle braking system and method. The railway vehicle braking system includes a braking command generating unit generating a braking command to stop a railway vehicle, a comparison unit determining whether the braking command has been changed, a delay unit delaying and outputting the braking command depending upon a determination result from the comparison unit, and a digital-to-analog converter converting the braking command, which has been delayed by the delay unit, into an analog signal and inputting the analog signal to an actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Korea Railroad Research Institute
    Inventors: Jung Tai Kim, Jai Sung Hong, Kyeong Jun Ko, Moo Sun Kim
  • Patent number: 9786184
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the secure transmission of an aircraft trajectory that is to be flown or that has been flown. A ground-referenced description of the trajectory of the aircraft expressed in ground-referenced parameters is converted, using a description of an imaginary atmospheric model describing imaginary atmospheric conditions along the trajectory, into an air-referenced description of the aircraft trajectory expressed in air-referenced parameters. For decryption, knowledge of the imaginary atmospheric conditions allows the air-referenced description of the aircraft trajectory to be converted back into the ground-referenced description of the aircraft trajectory. Thus, the ground-referenced trajectory may be though of as the plain text, the imaginary atmospheric model as the cipher key and the air-referenced trajectory as the cipher text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Marco La Civita, Miguel Vilaplana, Nicolas Pena Ortiz
  • Patent number: 9787812
    Abstract: One or more embodiments of techniques or systems for privacy management are provided herein. In one or more embodiments, privacy management may be provided by adjusting the way a system provides notifications, handles communications, or executes applications based on the presence or positioning of one or more occupants within a vehicle. In other words, a vehicle may provide notifications in a first manner when merely a driver is present but provide notifications in a second manner (e.g., different than the first manner) when an additional occupant is detected. Sensors may be utilized to detect the presence or positioning of occupants and communications or applications may be managed accordingly. In this manner, privacy management is provided, thus enhancing security of applications or communications utilized by occupants of a vehicle, such as a driver, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Steven Feit, Ross Miller, Michael Smith, Matt Conway, Sophie Milton, Churu Yun