Patents Examined by Michael Berns
  • Patent number: 11221225
    Abstract: Methods, devices and apparatuses pertaining to routing with U-turn inhibition. A method may include receiving, by a computing device, geographic information of a destination and geographic information of a current location of a vehicle and evaluating feasibility of a U-turn along a path between the current location and the destination using the geographic information. The computing device may further calculate a U-turn cost parameter associated with the U-turn representative of the feasibility, and determine a feasible route between the current location and the destination based on the U-turn cost parameter using a routing algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Victoria Leigh Schein, Jonathan Thomas Mullen
  • Patent number: 11215992
    Abstract: When a subject vehicle reaches a position PNO in a middle of an interflow zone, it is judged whether conditions for automatic interflow are satisfied. When it is judged that the conditions for automatic interflow are not satisfied at the position PNO, a notification for urging manual interflow by a driver is started. Otherwise, the notification for manual interflow is not started. In a case where the notification for manual interflow was not started, when the subject vehicle reaches the position PGU between a distal end of an interflow zone and the position PNO, the notification for manual interflow is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryuta Hashimoto, Hiroki Fukuda, Akira Ito
  • Patent number: 11208062
    Abstract: Methods for extending a range of a vehicle are disclosed and include receiving a first data, the first data being indicative of a distance of the vehicle from a target destination, receiving a second data, the second data being indicative of a level of potential energy of an energy source for a power plant of the vehicle, receiving an operating parameter indicative of estimated future energy usage of the power plant, estimating, by a processor, an expected range of the vehicle based on the second data and the estimated future energy usage of the power plant, and adjusting a performance parameter of the power plant to extend an actual range of the vehicle when the estimated expected range is less than the distance of the vehicle from the target destination are disclosed. Systems for extending the range of the vehicle are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignees: CUMMINS INC., AGILITY FUEL SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory A. Weber, Eric Coupal-Sikes, Todd F. Sloan, Morgan M. Andreae, Jean-Patrick V. Rich
  • Patent number: 11208091
    Abstract: A vehicle control device for a vehicle provides a predetermined control based on the rotational characteristic, the vehicle including a rotation lock mechanism preventing rotation of a coupling portion of the rotating member coupled to the engine on the engine side of the rotating member in at least one direction, the vehicle control device comprising: a characteristic detecting portion detecting the rotational characteristic by applying a torque to the rotating member from the electric motor to measure a twist angle of the rotating member while the rotation of the coupling portion is prevented by the rotation lock mechanism; and a characteristic correspondence control portion setting a control value related to an engine rotation speed based on the rotational characteristic detected by the characteristic detecting portion to provide the predetermined control by using the control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takayuki Nishida, Kenji Gotoda, Hiroki Kuwamoto, Tomoya Takeuchi, Taku Harada, Akira Nakata, Kenji Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 11208146
    Abstract: A vehicle hitching assistance system including a controller determining a trailer target area to a rear of the vehicle. The trailer target area is positioned within left and right lateral vehicle steering limits, defined in a lateral direction between left and right boundaries respectively spaced inwardly of the left and right lateral vehicle steering limits by one of a system perception factor or a vehicle geometry factor, and defined in a longitudinal direction between a minimum movement limit and a maximum perception limit. The controller further identifies a trailer coupler within the trailer target area and outputs a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler during movement of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Kyle Simmons, Li Xu, Douglas Rogan
  • Patent number: 11198435
    Abstract: The optimum headway distance setting method may include determining whether or not to stop the speed adjustment operation for a vehicle by a driver of the vehicle by a control unit in the state detecting a front vehicle 1F which is traveling in front of the vehicle; determining whether or not to be stabilization of a headway distance between the vehicle and the front vehicle by the control unit when the speed adjustment operation for the vehicle is stopped; setting the optimum headway distance configured to set the stabilized headway distance as an optimum headway distance according to a traveling propensity of the driver by the control unit, and stores the optimum headway distance in the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Seung-Jae Yoo, Ja-Chun Han, Chang-Yu Kim, Soo-Lim Han
  • Patent number: 11200757
    Abstract: The system for range predication includes a pattern module, a consumption module, and a prediction module. The pattern module identifies a travel pattern of trips of a vehicle and receives vehicle data for the time period from the computing device of the vehicle. The travel pattern includes a path that is repeatedly traveled between an origin and a destination during a time period. The vehicle data includes historical range estimates for the vehicle along the path. The consumption module calculates energy consumption of the vehicle during the time period based on the vehicle data and determines actual remaining range values based on the energy consumption of the vehicle. The prediction module generates predictive range estimates along the path based on the actual remaining range and provides the predictive range estimates for a current trip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Eri Izumi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11199859
    Abstract: Embodiment includes of a method and a system of network based operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. One system includes a drone user machine, a drone control machine, and a drone control console. The drone control machine is interfaced with the drone user machine through a network, and the drone control machine is interfaced with a drone through the drone control console. The drone control machine operates to receive user commands from the drone user machine through the network, generate drone control commands which are provided to the drone control console for controlling the drone, wherein the drone control commands are generated based on the user commands, receive video from the drone control console that was generated by a camera located on the drone, and communicate the video to the drone user machine over the network, wherein the video is displayed on a display associated with the drone user machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: CAPE MCUAS, INC.
    Inventors: Gabriel Charalambides, Richard Stephen Pasetto, Thomas Finsterbusch, Andrej Finsterbusch, John David Stockford, Alexander Loo, Anthony Rizk
  • Patent number: 11194399
    Abstract: Systems and methods for assisting a user to hail a vehicle using a gesture or application. In one aspect, when a vehicle detects a user hails it with a gesture, it calculates a route and moves to the user autonomously. In another aspect, after a vehicle receives a message from a remote facility, it starts searching for a user nearby and moves to the user autonomously when the user hails it via a gesture or application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Inventor: Chian Chiu Li
  • Patent number: 11195353
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to communicating autonomous-vehicle status. In particular, the methods, devices, and systems of the present disclosure can: determine one or more maintenance statuses of one or more of multiple different systems of an autonomous vehicle; and depict at least one of the status(es) via a display device affixed to an exterior of the autonomous vehicle and configured to display information associated with the multiple different systems such that the information is visible to an observer located outside the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Molly Castle Nix, Sean Chin, Eric James Hanson, Philipp Haban, Richard Brian Donnelly, David Patrick Rice, Thomas Jeffery Watson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11193788
    Abstract: In some implementations, a computing device can provide a map application providing a representation of a physical structure of venues (e.g., shopping centers, airports) identified by the application. In addition, the application can provide a unique venue directory, providing an easy and visual mechanism to search for categories of points of interest (e.g., clothes, food, restrooms) or specific items within the venue. Search results can be presented on a map of a floor within the venue as well as a listing providing all search results located within the venue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan D. Shelby, Megan M. Frost, YunJae Kim, Sean P. O'Brien, Brett L. Lareau, Ryan W. Apuy, Jae Woo Chang
  • Patent number: 11192562
    Abstract: A device to be controlled used for an operation of a vehicle, a determination device used for controlling the device, and a control information management device different from the determination device are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takuro Mori, Mitsuhiro Kitani, Hiroshi Mine
  • Patent number: 11186277
    Abstract: An energy-optimal vehicle control system for at least one vehicle including a roadway data source configured for providing traffic and map data including at least one drive segment of the at least one vehicle, and an electrical processing system operably coupled with the roadway data source. The electrical processing system includes an optimizer for generating an energy-optimal speed profile for the at least one drive segment, and the electrical processing system is configured for controlling the speed of the at least one vehicle in accordance with the energy-optimal speed profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Inventors: Peter H. Bauer, Eduardo F. Mello, Stephen F. Bauer
  • Patent number: 11186311
    Abstract: A control circuit connected to a control device configured to control a motor connected to a rotation shaft that is convertible into a turning angle of a turning wheel, the control circuit includes a main circuit configured to calculates a rotation number indicating a rotational state of the rotation shaft based on a detection signal from a rotation angle sensor configured to detect a rotation angle of the motor as a relative angle, a detection result communication unit configured to detect whether or not there is an abnormality in the main circuit and output a detection result to the control device, and a pseudo abnormality generating unit configured to set the detection result to be abnormal based on a pseudo abnormal signal from the control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato Oda, Kenichi Kozuka, Hiromasa Suzuki, Masashi Oki
  • Patent number: 11180904
    Abstract: An engine on an excavator provides power to a hydraulic pump that pumps hydraulic fluid under pressure to a hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic actuator is controlled to place a load on the engine. Engine response to the load placed on it by the hydraulic actuator is detected and logged. The logged engine response data can be accessed to identify engine response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Amy K. Jones, Kristen Dawn Cadman, Erik W. McWethy, Jaccob Bruce Eichinger
  • Patent number: 11184084
    Abstract: A system described herein may generate a map of ground stations and associated antenna beams along a flight path. Such map generation may include assigning a unique identifier to each antenna beam and associating an absolute or relative location to each beam. As an aircraft traverses the flight path, the map may be utilized to identify candidate serving ground stations and/or candidate antenna beams, whereby a likelihood of selection may be generated for each adjacent beam to a serving beam. The likelihood of selection may be calculated based on one or more predicted flight paths and associated confidence levels of the predicted flight paths. Flight paths may be predicted based on serving beam history, pre-defined flight path, and/or other relevant factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Jignesh S. Panchal, Michael Kondratiuk
  • Patent number: 11181617
    Abstract: A radar sensor includes: a transmitter configured to transmit radar via a transmit antenna; a receiver configured to receive signals reflected back to the radar sensor via a receive antenna; a profile module configured to generate an energy profile including a plurality of points for a plurality of distances from the radar sensor, respectively, each of the points including an energy of the signals reflected back to the radar sensor for that one of the plurality of distances; a minimums module configured to identify ones of the plurality of points having local minimums of energy; and a curve module configured to, based on the plurality of points having local minimums of energy, generate an equation representative of a curve fit to the plurality of points having local minimums of energy, the equation relating distance from the radar sensor to baseline energy of the signals reflected back to the radar sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Eyal Rittberg, Arye Lerner
  • Patent number: 11173953
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to calibrating a steering wheel in a steering system of a vehicle. In one embodiment, the disclosed calibration system detects an object in front of the vehicle based on first data generated by one or more front sensors of the vehicle, detects the object to the rear of the vehicle based on second data generated by one or more rear sensors of the vehicle, determines a trajectory of the object based on the first data and output data from a steering wheel sensor, determines an estimate position of the object based on the trajectory, determines that the second data indicates a difference exists between the estimate position of the object and an actual position of the object, and determines a correction offset adjustment to apply to the output data from the steering wheel sensor based on the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Coh L. Yoshizaki, Akio Kimura
  • Patent number: 11173891
    Abstract: Torque distribution control systems and methods for through-the-road electrified vehicles having distinct first and second torque generating systems for distinct first and second axles, respectively, utilize existing vehicle sensors to (i) obtain measured wheel rotational speeds and a measured steering wheel angle, (ii) estimate virtual yaw rates of the first and second axles using these measured values and other known vehicle parameters, (ii) predict whether oversteer or understeer of the vehicle is likely to occur based on the estimated first and second axle virtual yaw rates, and (iv) when oversteer or understeer of the vehicle is predicted to occur, adjust a torque distribution between the first and second torque generating systems to prevent the oversteer or understeer from occurring and to keep the vehicle on a constant turn path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Jiamu Hu, Konstantinos Siokos, Sandeep Makam, Lurun Zhong
  • Patent number: 11142184
    Abstract: A method for operating a hybrid drive apparatus for a motor vehicle, having an exhaust-gas-producing internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The internal combustion engine and the electric motor, respectively alone or at least sometimes jointly, provide a drive torque, wherein, when a start threshold value is exceeded by a demand variable. The internal combustion engine is started and the drive torque is at least partially generated by the internal combustion engine, and, when a stop threshold value is not met by the demand variable, the internal combustion engine is stopped and the drive torque is generated solely by means of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Boris Blasinski, Florian Zink, René Schimmel