Patents Examined by Majdi Alsomiri
  • Patent number: 8781730
    Abstract: Techniques are described that may be implemented in a mobile electronic device providing navigation functionality to facilitate selection of a route to a destination from multiple route options. In one or more implementations, route selection information is displayed on a display of the mobile electronic device to facilitate selection of a route to a destination. The route selection information describes one or more routes to the destination and includes one or more metrics, associated with each route, that identify a characteristic of the route (e.g., a difficulty rating, topography, total climb distance, number of turns, and so on). A map may then be displayed on the display to furnish navigation information for the selected route to facilitate navigation to the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH
    Inventors: David J. Downey, Choy Wai Lee, Kenneth A. Carlson
  • Patent number: 8781666
    Abstract: A vehicle includes: an engine; an electric motor connected to the engine via a gear; and a controller configured to perform control that includes at least one of increasing a rotational speed of the engine to a value that is equal to or higher than a given value and changing an output torque of the electric motor to a value that is out of a given range including zero, provided that a target output torque of the electric motor is within the given range including zero and a target rotational speed of the engine is lower than the given value, during deceleration accompanied by motoring of the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kamijo
  • Patent number: 8775017
    Abstract: A method for wear control of vehicle tires, includes: detecting deformation of an inner surface of a first tire by means of a first sensor; determining a first level of wear of the first tire; detecting a deformation of an inner surface of a second tire by means of a second sensor; determining a second level of wear of the second tire; comparing the first and second levels of wear with each other; and generating a notification signal representative of the comparison. Also disclosed is a system for wear control of vehicle tires, a method of determining the wear of a tire and a system for determining the wear of a tire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Pirelli Tyre, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Brusarosco, Federico Mancosu
  • Patent number: 8768564
    Abstract: A device and a corresponding method including a vehicle data recording section having a plurality of vehicle operating characteristic sensors, a main system controller, and an event data recorder subservient to the main system controller. Also included in the device is a driver action recording section including at least one driver action sensor, a driver action system controller not subservient to the main system controller, and a driver action recorder. The at least one driver action sensor obtains information regarding actions of a driver of the vehicle concurrently with at least one of the plurality of vehicle operating characteristic sensors such that sensor data corresponding to an event is obtained independently by each of the vehicle data recording section and the driver action recording section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Danil V. Prokhorov, Yasuo Uehara
  • Patent number: 8755980
    Abstract: A vehicle with a transmission having a crankshaft and an output shaft. A clutch located between the output shaft and a drive wheel is engaged and disengaged according to a rotational speed of the output shaft. An idle speed control device performs idle speed control to adjust an idle rotational speed of an engine. An electronic control unit (ECU) suppresses or stops the idle speed control when the clutch is engaged, or when an abnormality in the transmission is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yuichiro Sawada
  • Patent number: 8751079
    Abstract: A method and a device are provided for controlling a battery pulse heating mode of a traction battery of a hybrid vehicle. The method includes detecting a traction battery temperature (T) upon start-up of the hybrid vehicle. The method then includes determining a dependency of fuel consumption (V) during a battery pulse heating mode on the distance (W) travelled for at least one predefined road type at the detected traction battery temperature (T). The method continues by displaying the determined dependency on a display device (50), using an input device (60) to select whether a battery pulse heating mode should be carried out; and controlling the battery pulse heating mode as a function of the selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Matthias Lederer, Martin Roth, Marco Fleckner
  • Patent number: 8700303
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, computer program and user interface wherein the method comprises: a controller configured to determine locations of interest within a predetermined distance of a first location; a display configured to simultaneously present a map, a first bounded area of the map and a list of the determined locations of interest within the first bounded area; a user input device configured to enable a user to make a user input, wherein; the controller is configured to detect a user input and, in response to the detection of the user input, control the display to present a second bounded area of the map and update the list of the determined locations of interest so that locations of interest within the second bounded area are presented in the list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Jussi Severi Uusitalo
  • Patent number: 8666568
    Abstract: A method of performing a health check of at least one turbine engine (3). During a development step (STP0), the installation losses (1) are quantified for a plurality of test values for a reduced speed of rotation (Ng?) of a gas generator (4) of the engine. During an acquisition step (STP1), the speed of rotation of said gas generator (4) is increased until said engine develops a maximum power, and then the speed of rotation of the gas generator (4) is decreased until the reduced speed of rotation (Ng?) reaches a test value. The aircraft is stabilized and at least one monitoring value is acquired. During an evaluation step (STP2) of evaluating the health check, at least one operating margin is determined by using a monitoring value and the effects of mounting the engine in an airplane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventor: Emmanuel Camhi
  • Patent number: 8660765
    Abstract: In an idle stop system for an engine mounted in a vehicle, when it is determined predetermined stop conditions are met, the engine is automatically stopped. During the engine stop, when it is determined that predetermined restart conditions are met, the engine is automatically restarted. Further, it is determined whether or not a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the restart of the engine. When it is determined that the predetermined period of time has elapsed, the clutch mechanism is controlled into the connection thereof at and after a time instant when it is determined that the predetermined period of time has elapsed. Hence, the connected state of the clutch mechanism is realized after a controlled delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Tomura, Takashi Senda
  • Patent number: 8655511
    Abstract: An inertial system measures the attitude of an aircraft consisting at least in determining the angle of pitch and/or the angle of heading and/or the angle of roll of the aircraft, each of the said angles of attitude being determined by successive double integration of their second derivative. A pair of accelerometers to determine the angle of pitch being are disposed on either side of the centre of gravity along an axis substantially merged with the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. A pair of accelerometers to determine the angle of heading are disposed on either side of the centre of gravity along an axis substantially merged with the transverse axis of the aircraft. A pair of accelerometers to determine the angle of roll are disposed on either side of the centre of gravity along a vertical axis perpendicular to the plane formed by the other axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Marc Revol, Jacques Mandle, Alain Bibaut, Jacques Coatantiec
  • Patent number: 8634987
    Abstract: A creep travel capability of an electric vehicle is secured when an abnormality occurs in a brake sensor. When an accelerator operation amount reaches 0% in a low vehicle speed region, a target creep torque is set, whereupon a motor-generator is controlled toward the target creep torque. The target creep torque is reduced as a brake pedal is depressed in order to suppress heat generation and the like in the motor-generator during vehicle braking. Hence, in an electric vehicle in which the target creep torque is varied in accordance with the brake operation amount, when an abnormality occurs (step S11) in a brake sensor for detecting a brake operation amount, a preset prescribed creep torque is employed as the target creep torque regardless of the brake operation amount (step S15). The prescribed creep torque is set at a required magnitude for securing the creep travel capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Itaru Seta, Yosuke Ohtomo
  • Patent number: 8626388
    Abstract: A sprung mass damping control system of a vehicle, which suppresses sprung mass vibration generated in a vehicle body by adjusting a driving control amount of a drive source (the second motor-generator), includes a spring vibration control amount calculating device that sets a sprung mass damping control amount for suppressing the sprung mass vibration, a drive source control device (a motor-generator control device) that executes sprung mass damping control by controlling the driving control amount of the drive source to realize the sprung mass damping control amount, and a sprung mass damping control amount adjusting apparatus (a sprung mass damping control amount responsiveness compensating portion) that adjusts the phase of a sprung mass damping control signal related to the sprung mass damping control amount according to the situation. A vehicle is provided with this sprung mass damping control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Oikawa
  • Patent number: 8620513
    Abstract: An actuator arrangement for a motor vehicle drive train has a control device, an electric actuator and a drive circuit for the actuator. The drive circuit receives at least one nominal signal relating to an actuator from the control device and converts it into a drive signal for the actuator. The control device is checked for faults by means of a monitoring device. The drive circuit and/or a power stage which is arranged between the drive circuit and the motor receives a reset signal when such a fault occurs. Further, the control device is configured to check the function of the drive circuit and to generate a reset signal for the drive circuit and/or for the power stage if a malfunction occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: GETRAG Getriebe- und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG
    Inventors: Martin Seufert, Michael Gerhard Ludwig, Volker Naegele
  • Patent number: 8612066
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a control system for a machine with traction devices. The control system may have a sensor configured to sense an ambient temperature. The control system may also have a controller in communication with the sensor. The controller may be configured to determine a load limit of a machine based on an expected speed of the machine and the ambient temperature. The controller may further be configured to enforce the load limit of the machine during loading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Wayne O'Neal
  • Patent number: 8612088
    Abstract: A system for determining if a tire of a vehicle is improperly inflated. The system includes a radar, a wheel speed sensor, and a controller. The radar is configured to emit a signal to detect a reflection of the signal off of an object positioned perpendicular to the vehicle, and to output an indication of a speed of the vehicle. The wheel speed sensor is configured to sense a speed of a wheel of the vehicle. The controller is configured to receive the indication of the speed of the vehicle from the radar, to calculate a speed of the vehicle based on the sensed speed of the wheel, and to determine a tire of the wheel is improperly inflated when the speed of the vehicle calculated using the wheel speed sensor varies by more than a predetermined amount from the speed of the vehicle determined using the radar signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Kenneth Milburn
  • Patent number: 8594871
    Abstract: A vehicle battery diagnosis system diagnoses the state of use of a battery of a vehicle, and includes: an information accumulation portion that accumulates diagnostic information that includes a use condition regarding the battery; a control plan presentation portion that presents a plurality of control plans about the vehicle for increasing the service life of the battery on the basis of the diagnostic information; and an information changing portion that changes control information regarding the control of the vehicle which is retained in a vehicle-mounted ECU of the vehicle so that the control information corresponds to a control plan selected from the plurality of control plans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masatoshi Uchida
  • Patent number: 8583321
    Abstract: An electric control unit is used to generate control signals for the alternator-starter assembly on the basis of first information signals representative of a state of the vehicle and a control unit is used to generate control signals for power circuits on the basis of diagnosis signals representative of the state of the alternator-starter assembly. The control signals are generated using the electronic control unit also on the basis of at least one first diagnosis signal, and control signals are generated using the control circuit also on the basis of second information signals from a data communication bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Valeo Equipments Electriqyues Moteur
    Inventors: Marc Ranier, Brice Lecole, Regis Gubian
  • Patent number: 8583309
    Abstract: When the gearshift position SP is the N position and the accumulated charge ratio SOC of the battery is less than or equal to the threshold value Slow (step S120), the engine is cranked by a first motor (the motor MG1) and started in the case that the vehicle stop is held (steps S140 and s150). After the engine is started, the shutoff of the inverter for driving the motor MG1 is performed and the self-sustained operation of the engine is performed at the rotation speed N1 at which the back electromotive force generated on the motor MG1 is more than the voltage applied to the inverters (steps S180 to S200).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Keiji Kaita, Takahiko Hirasawa
  • Patent number: 8571748
    Abstract: A method is provided for estimating a propulsion-related operating parameter of a vehicle for a road segment, and for determining routes based on the estimate. The method may be employed, for example, in a vehicle navigation system. In one example method, at least one operating parameter of the vehicle is estimated for the road segment based on information corresponding to the road segment. The propulsion-related operating parameter is estimated for the road segment using the at least one estimated operating parameter and at least one vehicle specific parameter. The at least one vehicle specific parameter is determined by acquiring driving data to determine a plurality of vehicle operating parameters while the vehicle is in operation. At least two of the determined vehicle operating parameters are used in a predetermined relationship that includes the at least one vehicle specific parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Kluge, Alexey Pryakhin, Peter Kunath
  • Patent number: 8527136
    Abstract: When anomalous vehicle actions occur in a vehicle multiple times, it is determined whether each action data is included in a series of action data sets that are closely related mutually or an irrelevant independent action data set. When it is included in the series of action data sets, the ECUs record the series of action data sets in respective own memories according to a predetermined recording order. In contrast, when it is included in the independent action data set, an earliest ECU that is earliest in the recording order records the action data by overwriting its own memory. In this case, the earliest ECU transmits an instruction to other ECUs to delete all past action data that are recorded in own memories of the other ECUs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Ryuki Kusano