Patents Examined by Michael D Lang
  • Patent number: 11562655
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining object location may include a memory and a processor. The processor may be configured to collect seismic data and geophysical data to determine object location. The processor may be configured to determine one or more seismic attributes associated with a plurality types of noises based on the seismic data and the geophysical data using one or more machine learning algorithms. The processor may be configured to eliminate unwanted noises from noise classifications based on the one or more seismic attributes. The processor may be configured to predict the object location by comparing time and velocity data of the object with recorded timing and velocity data. The processor may be configured to validate the object location by comparing the determined noise with image data. The systems and methods may be used in, for example, detecting missing planes such as Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Inventors: Maurice Nessim, Nicolae Moldoveanu
  • Patent number: 11544936
    Abstract: A vehicle can include various sensors to detect objects in an environment. In some cases, the object may be within a planned path of travel of the vehicle. In these cases, leaving the planned path may be dangerous to the passengers so the vehicle may, based on dimensions of the object, dimensions of the vehicle, and semantic information of the object, determine operational parameters associate with passing the object while maintaining a position within the planned path, if possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuanyuan Chen, Janek Hudecek, David Pfeiffer, James William Vaisey Philbin, Zeng Wang
  • Patent number: 11537146
    Abstract: A system including a processor and memory may provide for automatically activating or deactivating a feature of a fleet vehicle. For example, one or more fleet vehicles may include one or more of a global-positioning system, a speed governor, electronically-controlled brakes, an electronically-controlled accelerator, a speed limiter, or an on-board computer with a processor and memory. One or more features may be activated by a local or remote computing device or system. For example, a system may determine one or more recommended routes between two or more locations. The system may track a fleet vehicle's progress along a route, and activate a feature of the fleet vehicle based on the fleet vehicle following or not following the recommended route. For example, the system may cause activation of a speed limiter on the fleet vehicle, disable the fleet vehicle, and/or activate or deactivate autonomous features of the fleet vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Howard Hayes, Surender Kumar
  • Patent number: 11535252
    Abstract: The electronic apparatus includes a sensing unit including at least one sensor, a memory storing one or more instructions, and a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory to identify an object located near the vehicle, by using the at least one sensor, generate risk information of the object, the risk information including a type of the identified object, adjust a size of a bounding box generated to include at least a part of the identified object, based on the risk information of the object, and control a driving operation of the vehicle, based on the adjusted bounding box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosub Park, Seok Namkoong, Boseok Moon
  • Patent number: 11530923
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus for providing aid to people in need of assistance outdoors. The information processing apparatus includes a controller. When a request for a search for a route is received, the controller generates, using a link and a node at which travel by a wheelchair is possible, a section to be included in the route between two locations and that is to be traveled by the wheelchair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Shuhei Aketa, Toru Yanagida, Shin Sakurada, Tae Sugimura, Yasutaka Ujihara
  • Patent number: 11531357
    Abstract: A method for controlling movement of a drone is disclosed. A spatial vector between a flight-capable drone and a reference object is computed. The spatial vector defines a direction and a distance by which the drone is spaced from the reference object. Flightpath attributes based on the computed vector are determined. The flightpath attributes include one or more of a flight direction, a flight distance, and a flight speed. The flight direction is variable as a function of the direction of the spatial vector. The flight distance is variable as a function of the distance of the spatial vector. The flight speed is variable as a function of the distance of the spatial vector. In an automated operation, movement of the drone is controlled according to the determined flightpath attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Snap Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Saito Haagen Nielsen, David Meisenholder
  • Patent number: 11511766
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus is configured to perform an assistance control of assisting in driving a vehicle, when a first condition and a second condition are satisfied, in a situation in which a target is recognized. The driving assistance apparatus is provided with: a determinator configured to determine a state of the assistance control. The determinator is configured (i) to determine that the state of the assistance control is a standby state if a standby condition is satisfied, wherein the standby condition requires that the first condition is satisfied, but the second condition is not satisfied, in the situation in which the target is recognized, and (ii) to determine that the state of the assistance control is an interruption state if an interruption condition is satisfied, wherein the interruption condition requires that the first condition is no longer satisfied while the satisfaction of the standby condition is continued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Tochigi, Shogo Ito, Yuta Ikezawa
  • Patent number: 11507112
    Abstract: A control system for a transportation vehicle comprises a sensor vehicle that has at least one sensor for scanning an environment, wherein the sensor vehicle is configured to move autonomously to the detected transportation vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the transportation vehicle on the basis of sensor data from the at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Alexander Banerjee
  • Patent number: 11505194
    Abstract: A system trigger mode and a driver trigger mode are provided. In the system trigger mode, when a start condition for an automated lane change function of performing a lane change of a vehicle by autonomous travel control is satisfied, lane change information as to whether or not to accept execution of the automated lane change function is presented, and when an acceptance input of accepting the execution of the automated lane change function is detected in response to presentation of the lane change information, the automated lane change function is executed. In the driver trigger mode, the automated lane change function is executed when a lane change instruction operation different from the acceptance input is performed. When the lane change instruction operation is performed after the presentation of the lane change information, the automated lane change function by the driver trigger mode is executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohei Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11487296
    Abstract: A system for deterministic trajectory selection based on uncertainty estimation includes a set of one or more computing systems. A method for deterministic trajectory selection includes receiving a set of inputs; determining a set of outputs; determining uncertainty parameters associated with any or all of the set of inputs and/or any or all of the set of outputs; and evaluating the uncertainty parameters and optionally triggering a process and/or action in response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Gatik AI Inc.
    Inventors: Gautam Narang, Apeksha Kumavat, Arjun Narang, Kinh Tieu, Michael Smart, Marko Ilievski
  • Patent number: 11479358
    Abstract: A light-based measurement system is capable of directing a light beam to a cooperative target used in conjunction with an aerial robot to accurately control the position of the end effector within a large volume working environment defined by a single coordinate system. By measuring the end effector while the device is in operation, the aerial robot control system can be adjusted in real time to correct for errors that are introduced through the design of the robot itself providing accuracy in the tens or hundreds of micron range. A separate coordination computer runs control software that communicates with both the laser tracker and the aerial robot. An action plan file is loaded by the software that defines the coordinate system of the working volume, the locations where actions need to be performed by the aerial robot, and the actions to be taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TVS Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: John M. Hoffer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11465778
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for managing pumps in an aircraft. Flight information about an operation of the pumps in a pump package in the aircraft is received by a computer system. The flight information is received from the aircraft. A number of times that an abnormal switching occurred for the pumps within a window of consecutive flights is determined by the computer system when the abnormal switching is identified from the flight information. A set of actions is performed by the computer system when the abnormal switching occurred a number of times for the pumps within the window of consecutive flights that exceeds a set of thresholds for the abnormal switching that is considered healthy for the pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Chetan B. Megchiani, Robert Leitch, Yikan Wang
  • Patent number: 11460305
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus for providing aid to people in need of assistance outdoors. The information processing apparatus includes a controller. When a request for a search for a route is received, the controller generates, using a link and a node at which travel by a wheelchair is possible, a section to be included in the route between two locations and that is to be traveled by the wheelchair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Hara, Shuhei Aketa, Toru Yanagida, Shin Sakurada, Tae Sugimura, Yasutaka Ujihara
  • Patent number: 11453310
    Abstract: A display device includes: a display unit configured to display an index corresponding to a deterioration state of a secondary battery and an EV travelable distance; and a control unit configured to control display of the display unit such that a first decreasing amount by which the EV travelable distance displayed on the display unit decreases with the elapse of time until a predetermined condition has been satisfied is less than a second decreasing amount by which the EV travelable distance displayed on the display unit decreases with the elapse of time after the predetermined condition has been satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuki Kubo, Junta Izumi, Yoshihiro Uchida, Masaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 11447139
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus includes: a driving assister that assists driving by a driver of a vehicle, by way of driving assistance functions; and a controller that obtains inattentive state information indicating an inattentive state of the driver, and reduces or deactivates at least one driving assistance function among the driving assistance functions, by controlling the driving assister based on the inattentive state information obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mikio Yagi
  • Patent number: 11439058
    Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and controlling operation of an autonomous robot. In one aspect, the autonomous robot is a lawnmower and the system comprises: an autonomous robot lawnmower comprising a housing, a transceiver, and a central processing unit; an external device in operable communication with the autonomous robot lawnmower, the external device having a transceiver for sending signals to the autonomous robot lawnmower and a display; and wherein in response to user input, the external device is configured to modify settings related to operation of the autonomous robot lawnmower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FUTUREGEN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventor: Michael Todd Letsky
  • Patent number: 11442450
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, in response to determining that an obstacle blocks at least a portion of a current lane in which an ADV is driving, an obstacle boundary of the obstacle is determined based on the size and shape of the obstacle. A lane configuration is determined based on map data of a map corresponding to a road associated with the lanes. A passing lane boundary that can be utilized by the ADV is determined based on the lane configuration of the road and the obstacle boundary of the obstacle. A passable area is calculated within the passing lane boundary based on a size of the ADV. The passable area is utilized by the ADV to pass the obstacle without collision. Thereafter, a trajectory is planned within the passable area boundary to control the ADV to pass the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignees: BAIDU USA LLC, BAIDU.COM TIMES TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dongchun Yao, Fan Zhu, Leibing Lv, Xin Xu, Ning Yu
  • Patent number: 11427191
    Abstract: A vehicle can traverse an environment along a first region and detect an obstacle impeding progress of the vehicle. The vehicle can determine a second region that is adjacent to the first region and associated with a direction of travel opposite the first region. A cost can be determined based on an action (e.g., an oncoming action) to utilize the second region to overtake the obstacle. By comparing the cost to a cost threshold and/or to a cost associated with another action (e.g., a “stay in lane” action), the vehicle can determine a target trajectory that traverses through the second region. The vehicle can traverse the environment based on the target trajectory to avoid, for example, the obstacle in the environment while maintaining a safe distance from the obstacle and/or other entities in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Max Gier, William Anthony Silva
  • Patent number: 11415989
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to determine a trajectory of a moving target based on data from one or more vehicle sensors. The computer is programmed to deploy an aerial drone from the vehicle to track the moving target based on the determined trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Brian Bennie, Cynthia M. Neubecker, Brad Alan Ignaczak, Somak Datta Gupta
  • Patent number: 11417225
    Abstract: A system for digital communication of a flight maneuver. The system includes a computing device. The computing device is configured to receive at least a flight datum from an aircraft, generate a traffic rendition as a function of the at least a flight datum, identify a flight maneuver as a function of the traffic rendition and a traffic landscape, and transmit the flight maneuver to the aircraft. A method for digital communication of a flight maneuver is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: BETA AIR, LLC
    Inventor: Vincent Moeykens