Patents Examined by Matthew Ho
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Patent number: 12013693Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for component verification for complex systems. The techniques may include receiving log data, obtaining ground truth data based on the log data and determining an outcome at least in part by simulating a prediction by a prediction component based on the log data and the ground truth data. The techniques may further include simulating a second prediction by the prediction component based on the ground truth data, determining whether the second prediction resulted in the negative outcome of the scenario and determining the disengagement event is attributable to a perception component of the autonomous operation system at least partly in response to determining the second prediction based on the ground truth data did not result in the negative outcome.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2019Date of Patent: June 18, 2024Assignee: Zoox, Inc.Inventors: Jonathan Philip Wai Wah Chan, Kai Zhenyu Wang
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Patent number: 12006656Abstract: A pitch angle acquisition unit is configured to acquire a pitch angle of a vehicle body. A blade position calculation unit is configured to calculate a position of a blade with reference to the vehicle body. A traveling direction specification unit is configured to specify a traveling direction of the vehicle body based on the pitch angle and the position of the blade.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2020Date of Patent: June 11, 2024Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.Inventors: Takaomi Komura, Kazuya Ojiri
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Patent number: 11989036Abstract: Provided is a self-driving vehicle, e.g., a follower vehicle, that engages in communicative behaviors using body dynamics. Also provided is a method of using body dynamics to communicate behaviors in a self-driving vehicle. The vehicle may include a shifting assembly configured to shift and/or tilt a vehicle body to communicate such behaviors, e.g., acceleration, deceleration, and near constant velocity. The shifting and/or tilting of the body in combination with the vehicle's operation communicates those operations to bystanders. With better informed bystanders, improved safety between bystanders and the vehicle may be achieved.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2021Date of Patent: May 21, 2024Assignee: Piaggio Fast Forward Inc.Inventors: Gregory Stewart Lynn, Jeffrey Schnapp
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Patent number: 11945498Abstract: A work vehicle includes a steering wheel on a rear side with respect to a display, in front of a driver seat, and that includes spokes and a ring-shaped portion connected to the spokes. An opening is between the spokes and the ring-shaped portion. The work vehicle further includes a steering controller to change a steering angle of a steerable wheel based on a wheel angle that is a rotation angle of the steering wheel about a wheel rotation shaft, and an adjuster to adjust a relationship between the wheel angle and the steering angle.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2019Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATIONInventor: Hiroki Suga
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Patent number: 11927457Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having sensors advantageously varied in capabilities, advantageously positioned, and advantageously impervious to environmental conditions. A system executing on the autonomous vehicle that can receive a map including, for example, substantially discontinuous surface features along with data from the sensors, create an occupancy grid based upon the map and the data, and change the configuration of the autonomous vehicle based upon the type of surface on which the autonomous vehicle navigates. The device can safely navigate surfaces and surface features, including traversing discontinuous surfaces and other obstacles.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2020Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: DEKA Products Limited PartnershipInventors: Dirk A. Van Der Merwe, Arunabh Mishra, Christopher C. Langenfeld, Michael J. Slate, Christopher J. Principe, Gregory J. Buitkus, Justin M. Whitney, Raajitha Gummadi, Derek G. Kane, Emily A. Carrigg, Patrick Steele, Benjamin V. Hersh, Fnu G Siva Perumal, David Carrigg, Daniel F. Pawlowski, Yashovardhan Chaturvedi, Kartik Khanna
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Patent number: 11919760Abstract: A system for a remotely controllable material handling vehicle switchable between a manual mode and a travel request mode is provided. The system can include a control handle configured to at least control a speed and direction of the material handling vehicle when the material handling vehicle is in the manual mode and a remote control device in communication with the material handling vehicle and configured to provide a request to the material handling vehicle to move forward. The system can also include a mode switch configured to switch the material handling vehicle from the manual mode to the travel request mode and an operator compartment sensor configured to trigger a flag when a weight on a floor of an operator compartment of the material handling vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined weight.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: The Raymond CorporationInventor: Theodore C. Garrison, III
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Patent number: 11919521Abstract: The preview damping control includes an ECU. When the vehicle is traveling within a communications disruption area in which a radio communication device is hard to communicate with a cloud, the ECU uses road surface displacement correlating information that has been stored in an on-board memory device in advance for the communications disruption area so as to perform a preview damping control.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hiroki Furuta
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Patent number: 11913797Abstract: Systems and methods for selecting a charging entity based on occupancy status are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a current geo-location and state of charge of a requesting vehicle. A plurality of charging entities that are within a remaining distance of the requesting vehicle are identified. Occupancy statuses for one or more charging entities of the plurality of charging entities are determined. The method also includes estimating charging speeds for the one or more charging entities based on the occupancy statuses. A charging station map user interface that pin points the current geo-location of the requesting vehicle and the one or more charging entities is presented. The one or more charging entities are presented with labels based on the charging speeds. The method further includes reserving a charging station of a selected charging entity of the plurality of charging entities by selecting a label.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Eri Izumi Maeda, David Wong Cun, Richard Pham
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Patent number: 11889787Abstract: One or more information maps are obtained by an agricultural work machine. The one or more information maps map one or more agricultural characteristic values at different geographic locations of a field. An in-situ sensor on the agricultural work machine senses an agricultural characteristic as the agricultural work machine moves through the field. A predictive map generator generates a predictive map that predicts a predictive agricultural characteristic at different locations in the field based on a relationship between the values in the one or more information maps and the agricultural characteristic sensed by the in-situ sensor. The predictive map can be output and used in automated machine control.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Nathan R Vandike, Bhanu Kiran Reddy Palla, Federico Pardina-Malbran, Noel W. Anderson
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Patent number: 11827503Abstract: Operating a materials handling vehicle includes monitoring, by a controller, a first vehicle drive parameter during a first manual operation of the vehicle by an operator; monitoring, by the controller, the first vehicle drive parameter during a second manual operation of the vehicle by the operator; receiving, by the controller after the first manual operation of the vehicle and the second manual operation of the vehicle, a request to implement a semi-automated driving operation; calculating, by the controller, a first weighted average based on the monitored first vehicle drive parameter during the first manual operation of the vehicle and the monitored first vehicle parameter during the second manual operation of the vehicle; and based at least in part on the calculated first weighted average, controlling, by the controller, implementation of the semi-automated driving operation.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Crown Equipment CorporationInventors: Sebastian Theos, Johannes Nachtigal, Andreas Simon
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Patent number: 11808582Abstract: Techniques associated with improving performance and realism of simulation instances associated with simulation testing of autonomous vehicles. In some cases, a simulation system may be configured to run a pre-simulation test to identify and store occlusion data to improve the performance of subsequent simulations associated with a shared scene or route.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2021Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Zoox, Inc.Inventor: James Graham Dolan
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Patent number: 11810376Abstract: A method for detecting small obstacles includes: acquiring a first 3D point cloud corresponding to image data acquired by a cleaning robot; extracting, from the first 3D point cloud, a second 3D point cloud of a ground region; extracting, from the second 3D point cloud, a third 3D point cloud having a height value in a set height range; calculating a ground projection point cloud of the third 3D point cloud; and, determining morphologically-connected regions in the ground projection point cloud, and using a morphologically-connected region having an area less than a preset value as a region where a small obstacle is located. By effectively recognizing the ground, acquiring the ground projection point cloud and processing the point cloud by image processing, accuracy and timeliness of the algorithm can be improved compared with directly processing discrete 3D point clouds.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2020Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yutong Zang
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Patent number: 11761773Abstract: A computer implemented method for reconstructing a path taken by a vehicle using periodically sampled geographical position data is disclosed comprising accessing telemetric data including a plurality of GPS points; ordering the plurality of GPS points sequentially, where in a first GPS point is a starting point; identifying a next GPS point in the sequence; generating an area around the identified next GPS point; determining all street segments located within the area; calculating a distance from the starting point to each of the street segments located within the area; storing the street segments that are the shortest distance from the starting point; setting the endpoints of the stored street segments as the starting points; repeat these until a final GPS point is processed; and determining the shortest path by joining the shortest path from each point starting at the starting point and ending at the final GPS point.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2021Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: Azuga, Inc.Inventors: Ananth Rani, Ashwin Sabapathy
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Patent number: 11761779Abstract: A navigation method is provided. The method includes obtaining a navigation destination of a first navigation application of a mobile terminal. Once the navigation destination is sent from the mobile terminal to a vehicle-mounted device, a second navigation application of the vehicle-mounted device is controlled to navigate based on the navigation destination.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2020Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: Mobile Drive Netherlands B.V.Inventor: Ri-Wen Zhao
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Patent number: 11733696Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide for determining whether a vehicle is in a loop for an autonomous vehicle. For instance, a route from a current location of the vehicle to a destination for a trip may be generated. Locations traversed by the vehicle during the trip may be tracked. Locations of the route may be compared to the tracked locations to determine an overlap value. Whether the vehicle is in a loop may be determined based on the overlap value.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2020Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Carl Yang, Jialiu Lin, Austin Abrams, Vishay Nihalani
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Patent number: 11733714Abstract: There is disclosed in one example an inner loop controller for an aircraft flight computer, including: a stall protection circuit to compute, for an attitude angle ?, an attitude limit ?max as a function of a flight path angle (?) and an angle of attack limit (?max); a transfer function circuit to convert ? to an attitude rate {dot over (?)}, wherein {dot over (?)} is a time derivative of ?; and a load protector circuit to compute a limit on {dot over (?)} ({dot over (?)}max) as a function of a load factor limit (Nz,max) and a true airspeed (v).Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2021Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC.Inventors: Steven G. Hagerott, Jonathan Andrew Toth
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Employing Wi-Fi communications to activate an operation of an autonomous vehicle at a scheduled time
Patent number: 11724719Abstract: The disclosure generally pertains to minimizing battery power consumption while employing local wireless communication to activate an operation of an autonomous vehicle. In an example implementation, a vehicle controller of an autonomous vehicle transitions to a powered-down state after the autonomous vehicle is parked at a parking spot that lacks cellular communication coverage. The vehicle controller may transition to a powered-up state at a scheduled time to execute an autonomous operation based on a directive stored in a cloud-based device. In no directive has been stored, the vehicle controller wakes up periodically in a partially powered-up state and transmits a query in a local wireless communications format to the cloud-based device to check for a directive. If no directive is present, the vehicle controller transitions back to the powered-down state. If a directive is present, the vehicle controller transitions to a fully powered-up state to execute the autonomous operation.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2020Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLCInventors: Hamid M. Golgiri, Yangho Kim, Luke Niewiadomski -
Patent number: 11720123Abstract: A yaw control system for a helicopter having an airframe that includes a tailboom includes one or more tail rotors rotatably coupled to the tailboom and a flight control computer implementing an airframe protection module. The airframe protection module includes an airframe protection monitoring module configured to monitor one or more flight parameters of the helicopter and an airframe protection command module configured to modify one or more operating parameters of the one or more tail rotors based on the one or more flight parameters of the helicopter, thereby protecting the airframe of the helicopter.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.Inventors: Marc Ouellet, Guillaume Biron, Alexis Dugré
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Patent number: 11703337Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for anonymizing the trajectory of a vehicle. Methods may include: receiving a sequence of probe data points defining a trajectory; for a subset of the sequence of probe data points defining the trajectory beginning at an origin: updating a counter value at each probe data point, where the counter value is updated based, at least in part, on properties of a number of road links emanating from each junction through which the trajectory passed to reach a location associated with the respective probe data point; in response to the counter value satisfying a predetermined value after an update relative to a given probe data point, removing probe data points before the given probe data point in the sequence of probe data points to obtain origin-obscured probe data points; and creating a cropped trajectory including the origin-obscured probe data points.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: HERE GLOBAL B.V.Inventors: Stefano Bennati, Aleksandra Kovacevic, Elena Vidyakina
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Patent number: 11693429Abstract: A method of controlling a multi-rotor aircraft (1) including at least five, preferably at least six, lifting rotors (2; R1-R6), each having a first rotation axis which is essentially parallel to a yaw axis (z) of the aircraft (1), and at least one forward propulsion device (3), preferably two forward propulsion devices (P1, P2), the at least one forward propulsion device having at least two rotors (P1_R1, P1_R2, P2_R1, P2_R2) that are arranged coaxially with a second rotation axis which is essentially parallel to a roll axis (x) of the aircraft. The at least one or each of the forward propulsion devices (3, P1, P2) being arranged at a respective distance (+y, ?y) from said roll axis (x). The method further includes: using at least one of the rotors of the at least one forward propulsion device to control the aircraft's moment about the yaw and/or roll axes independently from each other.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2021Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: Volocopter GmbHInventors: Sebastian Mores, Krishna Rajput