Patents Examined by Mark L Greene
  • Patent number: 12384216
    Abstract: Proposed are an apparatus for and a method of controlling a vehicle suspension. The apparatus includes a sensor configured to acquire at least one of information on a road surface in front of a vehicle and state information of the vehicle; and a processor configured to predict a vehicular behavior based on the information acquired through the sensor and actuator information and to control at least one of a ride height of the vehicle, stiffness of an air spring, and a damping force of a damper based on the predicted vehicular behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2025
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD., SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Cheol Joong Kim, Kyong Su Yi, Ja Yu Kim
  • Patent number: 12377698
    Abstract: A method for adapting a system air volume in an air suspension system of a motor vehicle, wherein a setpoint system air volume is determined on the basis of a vehicle body weight of the motor vehicle, wherein the setpoint system air volume is set as discretely or variably increasing in relation to the vehicle body weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2025
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Mölle, Andreas Kind
  • Patent number: 12371081
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of vision-based systems and methods for locomotive control and/or location determination. In exemplary embodiments, a system includes at least one camera positionable onboard a locomotive for capturing one or more images of trackside signage including location data corresponding with location(s) along a track. The system also includes at least one processor configured for communication with the at least one camera for receiving the one or more images of the trackside signage captured by the at least one camera. The at least one processor is configured to analyze the one or more images and visually recognize the location data of the trackside signage in the one or more images captured by the at least one camera, thereby enabling the system to identify the locomotive's location along the track via the at least one processor's visual recognition of the location data of the trackside signage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2025
    Assignee: Cattron North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Jovenall, Brian Fette, Larry Foore
  • Patent number: 12365318
    Abstract: A method controls a brake system of a vehicle combination. The switching valve in the second setting (anti-jackknifing braking function active) outputs a reservoir pressure into a trailer pressure line to actuate the trailer service brakes dependent on the anti-jackknifing braking demand. When service braking demand and anti-jackknifing braking demand are simultaneously present, an anti-jackknifing and a service braking ratio value are determined, a switchover criterion is checked dependent on the ratio values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: ZF CV Systems Global GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Schwagmeyer, Henrik Wiechert
  • Patent number: 12365336
    Abstract: A method and a device are disclosed for assisting with the lateral positioning of a vehicle, said vehicle being able to be driven by a driver in an automated manner along a reference path in a traffic lane, said traffic lane being bounded by two edges. The method comprises steps of detecting an upcoming split in the traffic lane, determining a widened area in the traffic lane, and determining a plurality of reference paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Inventors: Matthieu Varnier, David Giraud, Zoubida Lahlou
  • Patent number: 12365211
    Abstract: A system configured to raise and lower a chassis of a vehicle. The system includes a damper with a first end connected to the chassis and a second end that is opposite to the first end. An actuation assembly includes a rotatable arm and a motor configured to rotate the rotatable arm, the rotatable arm is connected to both the second end of the damper and a control arm of the vehicle. Rotation of the rotatable arm by the motor moves the damper between a raised position to raise the chassis and a lowered position to lower the chassis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: George Floarea, David Akl, Eric B. Hoyer
  • Patent number: 12358334
    Abstract: A method to control an active shock absorber of a road vehicle. The active shock absorber is part of a suspension connecting a frame of the road vehicle to a hub of a wheel and has: a first element, which defines an end of the active shock absorber, a second element, which defines another end of the active shock absorber and is mounted so as to slide relative to the first element; and an actuator, which is configured to generate a force, which is applied between the two elements. The control method comprises the steps of: determining a vertical acceleration of the hub; determining a speed of translation between the two elements of the active shock absorber; determining a target force for the actuator of the active shock absorber based on the vertical acceleration of the hub and based on the speed of translation between the two elements of the active shock absorber; and controlling the actuator (10) of the active shock absorber so as to pursue the target force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Federico Favalli, Alessandro Flumeri, Francesca Mincigrucci, Stefano Varisco
  • Patent number: 12344339
    Abstract: An active rear steer (ARS) system for a vehicle includes: a rear wheel steering actuator; and an ARS module. The ARS module is configured to operate in a preemptive active rear steer (PARS) wheel yaw control mode and i) receive signal data from first sensors, ii) determine a target PARS wheel angle based on the signal data, iii) determine a target ramp-in rate for the target PARS wheel angle, and iv) preemptively at least one of prevent and mitigate an oversteer event or an understeer event of the vehicle including controlling the rear wheel steering actuator to preemptively adjust a rear wheel angle of the vehicle based on the target PARS wheel angle and the target ramp-in rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jason Lee Thelen, John Anthony Agrusa
  • Patent number: 12337642
    Abstract: A controller controls a suspension apparatus including a variable damper that adjusts a force between a vehicle body and a wheel of a vehicle. The controller includes a first instruction calculation portion and a control instruction output portion. The first instruction calculation portion outputs a first instruction value of a damping force, which corresponds to a first target amount, using a learning result acquired from machine learning in advance by inputting a plurality of different pieces of information. The control instruction output portion limits the first instruction value and outputs it as a control instruction in a case where the first instruction value works in a direction leading to a greater vehicle state amount than a predetermined amount due to control of the variable damper based on the first instruction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Matsuura, Ryusuke Hirao
  • Patent number: 12337896
    Abstract: A driving assistance ECU acquires, as a lateral margin distance, a larger distance out of a distance of a space formed between an object and a left lane marking in a track width direction and a distance of a space formed between the object and a right side lane marking in the track width direction when the object is present in front of the host vehicle. The ECU determines whether the probability that a host vehicle deviates from a track when the host vehicle passes by a side of the object is high, based on the lateral margin distance, and moves a deviation regulation line on a side on which the host vehicle is expected to cross out of a left side deviation regulation line and a right side deviation regulation line to an outside of the track by a predetermined offset distance when the probability is high.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahiro Fujita
  • Patent number: 12333298
    Abstract: The embodiments relate to a steering control device and method. Specifically, a steering control device according to an embodiment may include a first steering control module configured to delete a stored first code flash and store an update file according to an over-the-air (OTA) update when receiving an OTA update request, and a second steering control module to which a control right is transitioned from the first steering control module if the first steering control module receives the OTA update request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Manjae Yoo
  • Patent number: 12330573
    Abstract: A driving assistance device for assisting driving by a driver of a vehicle is provided. The driving assistance device includes a recognition unit configured to recognize an environment around the vehicle, a travel wheel detection unit configured to detect a travel wheel included in the environment around the vehicle, an operation determination unit configured to determine whether the travel wheel satisfies an operation condition of a safety device of the vehicle, and an operation unit configured to operate the safety device in a case where it is determined that the travel wheel satisfies the operation condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenji Komori
  • Patent number: 12330464
    Abstract: A system for determining a displacement velocity signal for controlling an active wheel suspension of a land vehicle by open-loop and/or closed-loop control includes at least one Kalman filter, and at least one acceleration sensor arranged on a sprung mass of the land vehicle to sense a vertical acceleration of the sprung mass and to generate a corresponding acceleration signal supplied to the Kalman filter. The Kalman filter includes a mathematical motion model of the sprung mass, and input states of the Kalman filter include a vertical acceleration of the sprung mass, a vertical displacement velocity of the sprung mass, and a vertical displacement distance of the sprung mass. A displacement measurement signal having a value 0 is supplied continuously to the Kalman filter to determine the displacement velocity signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Shi Yan
  • Patent number: 12330616
    Abstract: A vehicle braking control system includes a vehicle microphone, two front wheels and two rear wheels of a vehicle, two front brakes and two rear brakes, and an electronic brake pressure control module configured to selectively control an amount of brake pressure applied to the front brakes and the rear brakes. The vehicle control module is configured to detect, via the at least one vehicle microphone, a brake noise value in response to brake pressure applied to the front brakes and the rear brakes, determine whether the brake noise value exceeds a specified brake noise threshold, identify which of the front brakes and the rear brakes are generating a greater noise value in response to the brake noise value exceeding the specified brake noise threshold, and reduce brake pressure applied to the identified one of the front brakes and the rear brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Seokju Yong, Bongbum Back
  • Patent number: 12330462
    Abstract: A vehicle-height control system of an independent corner module, includes a suspension link connected to a wheel and configured to be rotated according to upward-downward displace of the wheel, a gear unit connected to a vehicle body and a rotational center portion of the suspension link and configured to receive a rotation force from the suspension link, a control torsion bar, a first end portion thereof being connected to the gear unit and the second end portion thereof being connected to a torsion variation unit, the torsion variation unit applying a drive force to adjust a height of the control torsion bar and to maintain the adjusted height, and a controller connected to the torsion variation unit and adjusting the height of the control torsion bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Sehyun Chang, Sang Woo Hwang, Min Jun Kim, Youngil Sohn
  • Patent number: 12330608
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electromechanical brake system. The method comprises measuring a voltage of a motor, measuring a current of the motor, and estimating a position of a component of the electromechanical brake system based on the voltage and the current. The method comprises estimating a force imposed by the component based on the voltage and the current, and estimating a hydraulic pressure associated with a hydraulic brake system. In an apply operation, the force of the component is corrected based on the hydraulic pressure. In a release operation, the position of the component is corrected based on the hydraulic pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: George Douglas Ritter, Keqin Xu, Jason Sun
  • Patent number: 12331705
    Abstract: An off-road vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a supercharger, an intercooler, an intake tank, a throttle body, first injectors, and at least one second injector. The engine includes cylinders. The supercharger supplies intake air to the engine. The intercooler is provided at an intake conduit provided between the supercharger and the engine. The intake tank is provided at the intake conduit and defines an intake chamber inside the intake tank. The throttle body is provided at the intake conduit, and includes intake conduits and throttle valves. The intake conduits are respectively connected to intake ports of the cylinders. The throttle valves are respectively provided in the intake conduits. The plurality of first injectors are provided at the throttle body and inject fuel to the respective intake conduits. The at least one second injector is provided at the intake tank and injects fuel to the intake chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Kengo Shimatani
  • Patent number: 12330463
    Abstract: A vehicle suspension system includes: a road surface sensor provided in a vehicle body portion ahead of a front wheel to detect an unevenness of a road surface; an electromagnetic damper that applies a damping force and a propulsive force along a stroke direction to a vehicle body and the front wheel with the aid of a motor element; and an ECU. The road surface sensor includes: a first road surface sensor; and a second road surface sensor that overlaps the first road surface sensor in a vehicle width direction and is provided at a position behind the first road surface sensor. The ECU includes: a road surface height calculation unit that calculates a road surface height based on detection values from the road surface sensors and a movement amount of the vehicle; and a damper control unit that controls the motor element based on the calculated road surface height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryosuke Yamazaki, Kazuya Konada, Takashi Yanagi
  • Patent number: 12332664
    Abstract: A display system according to the present disclosure includes a camera that captures a traveling image of a vehicle in a traveling direction, a display device, one or more storage devices that store a reference deceleration indicating a predetermined deceleration, and one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute a process of acquiring a vehicle speed of the vehicle, a process of an estimated stop position indicating a stop position when braking is applied at the reference deceleration from the vehicle speed, and a process of displaying the estimated stop position to be superimposed on the traveling image on the display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kosuke Akatsuka, Rio Suda, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 12330726
    Abstract: During execution of steering reaction force control, when a lane change of a host vehicle is made, a vehicle control device sets a steering reaction force given to a steering operation in the direction of the lane change of the host vehicle to a reaction force of a smaller value than a reaction force of a standard value. Further, when a vehicle approach condition that another vehicle traveling in a lane on a side to which the lane of the host vehicle is to be changed is approaching the host vehicle from behind is met at the time when a lane change of the host vehicle is made, the vehicle control device does not set the steering reaction force given to the steering operation in the direction of the lane change of the host vehicle to a reaction force of a value smaller than the standard value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Kimura, Takahiro Adachi, Yu Sakai