Patents Examined by Michael F Whalen
  • Patent number: 11318951
    Abstract: A monitoring system and method determine a consumption metric representative of one or more of an amount of fuel consumed or an amount of energy consumed by a vehicle during travel over a route. The consumption metric is independent of one or more of vehicle load or elevation change over the route. The system and method optionally can determine a route condition metric representative of a condition of a route traveled upon by a vehicle. The route condition metric is based on a comparison between an actual grade of the route at one or more locations along the route and an estimated grade of the route at the one or more locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Craig Mellinger, Henry Todd Young, Jason Daniel Kuttenkuler, Jeffrey John Wolff, Lindsay Short
  • Patent number: 11312402
    Abstract: According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of systems and methods for safety locking of operator control units for remote control locomotives. In an exemplary embodiment, a system includes a machine control unit located on a locomotive to control operation of the locomotive, a primary operator control unit including a primary network interface configured to transmit received input commands to the machine control unit to control motion of the locomotive, and a secondary operation control unit including a secondary network interface and a secondary input interface. The secondary operator control unit is configured to operate in a secondary role that does not include motion control of the locomotive, and the secondary operator control unit is configured to transmit a lock command to the machine control unit to inhibit movement of the locomotive in response to receiving a lock command input at the secondary input interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: CATTRON NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jeremy Jovenall, André Brousseau
  • Patent number: 11313692
    Abstract: Provided is a navigation server or the like capable of promoting enhancement of convenience in traffic of moving bodies with a comprehensive consideration of various factors of each link. There is found a server route R configured by link groups that connect a starting point p1 and a destination point p2 of a navigation client 2 of interest, the server route R having a minimum total value ?C2 of second moving costs C2 in the link groups. The second costs C2 result from first moving costs C1 corrected based on various factors, such as combinations of “static factors” and “dynamic factors”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Aiko Sugawara, Takuro Masuda, Hiroshi Inoue
  • Patent number: 11097597
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling an air conditioning system of a motor vehicle. In one example, a cabin of the vehicle may be heated firstly to a first temperature by flowing coolant to a heat exchanger, coolant may be diverted away from the heat exchanger and toward the engine in order to increase a temperature of the engine, and the coolant may then flow again to the heat exchanger in order to heat the cabin to a second temperature. An amount of fuel savings resulting from heating the engine by diverting coolant away from the heat exchanger may be displayed to an operator of the vehicle via a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hans Guenter Quix, Robert Hoenen
  • Patent number: 11008037
    Abstract: A steering application executing on a vehicle control module receives a steering control input to control a steered wheel of a vehicle and, based on the steering control input, determines a setpoint value for the steered wheel. A diagnostic supervisor receives a measured value of the control attribute and the setpoint value; wherein the first diagnostic supervisor comprises a first model of a steering system of the vehicle. Based on the setpoint value and the first model, the diagnostic supervisor calculates a virtual value of the control attribute and, based on the virtual value and the measured value of the control attribute the first diagnostic supervisor determines an operating condition of the steering system of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Crown Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen T. Mangette, Brent A. Barnhart
  • Patent number: 10990109
    Abstract: The preset invention relates to a system for integrated connectivity of devices to provide dynamic control and real-time routing of a vehicle for item transfer and vehicle performance. The system is configured for constructing a dynamic item file comprising one or more items associated with a user. The system is configured to identify an item collection initiation trigger and transmit an order placement control signal to an entity system of an item entity to initiate item transfer of the one or more items at a predetermined time interval. The system is configured to direct the vehicle to a first parking location associated with the geographic location parameter of the item entity. In addition, using a sensor device of the vehicle such as a weight sensor, an RFID sensor and/or a visual capture device, the system is structured to identify that the one or more items are located in the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark Allan Nelson, Karen Lea MacQueen, Ashish B. Tajpuria, Stephen Philip Selfridge, Steven Michael Twombly
  • Patent number: 10942512
    Abstract: A vehicle operating device includes a portable display unit configured to display a state of a vehicle, a portable input unit configured to receive operation information of the vehicle input thereto on the basis of a displayed content by the display unit, a first information processing unit configured to process first information among input operation information, a second information processing unit configured to process second information, which is different from the first information, among the input operation information, an interlock system configured to enable only the first information to be processed in an operating state and enable the first information and the second information to be processed in a released state, and a portable wireless output unit configured to output an operation signal of the vehicle based only on the first information processed in the operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Kimura, Kenta Masumori, Fujio Shinoki, Satoshi Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 10915308
    Abstract: A hydraulic shovel includes a control device including: a vehicle controller for storing a program and configured to execute rewriting processing of rewriting the program by an update program, and a communication controller configured to store the update program received from the server; and a rewriting determination part to detect whether or not the hydraulic shovel is in an electric power supply state in which electric power is supplied to an electrical component. The control device starts transfer of the update program from the communication controller to the vehicle controller when the rewriting determination part detects that the hydraulic shovel is not in an electric power supply state, and suspends transfer of the update program when the rewriting determination part detects that the hydraulic shovel is in an electric power supply state after the transfer is started and before the transfer is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hisanobu Mori
  • Patent number: 10906548
    Abstract: Methods and devices for detecting traffic signals and their associated states are disclosed. In one embodiment, an example method includes a scanning a target area using one or more sensors of a vehicle to obtain target area information. The vehicle may be configured to operate in an autonomous mode, and the target area may be a type of area where traffic signals are typically located. The method may also include detecting a traffic signal in the target area information, determining a location of the traffic signal, and determining a state of the traffic signal. Also, a confidence in the traffic signal may be determined. For example, the location of the traffic signal may be compared to known locations of traffic signals. Based on the state of the traffic signal and the confidence in the traffic signal, the vehicle may be controlled in the autonomous mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: David I. Ferguson, Nathaniel Fairfield, Anthony Levandowski
  • Patent number: 10777024
    Abstract: A driving analysis server may be configured to receive vehicle operation data from vehicle sensors and telematics devices of a first vehicle, and may use the data to identify a potentially high-risk or unsafe driving behavior by the first vehicle. The driving analysis server also may retrieve corresponding vehicle operation data from one or more other vehicles, and may compare the potentially high-risk or unsafe driving behavior of the first vehicle to corresponding driving behaviors in the other vehicles. A driver score for the first vehicle may be calculated or adjusted based on the comparison of the driving behavior in the first vehicle to the corresponding driving behaviors in the other vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Allstate Insurance Company
    Inventors: Margaret A. Brinkmann, Daniel Kraft, Nathan M. Bryer, Eric D. Huls, Thomas Michael Warden
  • Patent number: 10772295
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle for determining geolocation foraging zones for animals, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a processor-based monitoring device to monitor a plurality of geolocations, an identification device to identify an animal and to track a position of the animal in relation to the plurality of geolocations, a risk analysis device to evaluate a level of risk associated with each of the plurality of geolocations, and a mapping device coupled to the monitoring device to select a geolocation foraging zone when the level of risk associated with the geolocation foraging zone is below a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Vittorio Castelli, Ashish Kundu, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 10723227
    Abstract: A brake system (100) and a brake method for a four-wheel drive electric vehicle and a four-wheel drive electric vehicle, in the system, according to a brake mode of the electric vehicle, a state of charge of a battery pack (4) and a vehicle speed, a first brake control unit controls a motor (6) to brake a wheel (9) through a motor controller (2) and a second brake control unit controls a brake actuator (12) to brake the wheels (9). The first brake control unit further determines whether a brake torque of the brake actuator (12) on the wheels (9) fails. If yes, the first brake control unit controls the motor (6) to brake the corresponding wheel (9) through the motor controller (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yubo Lian, Heping Ling, Fanliang Meng, Yanfei Xiong, Weiqiang Chen
  • Patent number: 10710582
    Abstract: An electric power steering device includes: a steering torque sensor that detects a steering torque; a current command value calculation unit that calculates a current command value based on the steering torque; an electric motor that generates a steering assist torque; a motor control unit that controls and drives the electric motor based on the current command value; a navigation controller and a GPS receiver that detects position information of a vehicle; and an operation assist unit that stores, in a map database, the steering torque detected by the steering torque sensor and the position information of the vehicle upon detection of the steering torque in association with each other and executes operation assist processing for assisting the driver in operating the steering wheel based on a past steering torque corresponding to current position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Masaya Ooba
  • Patent number: 10684182
    Abstract: A method for determining a mass of an implement includes providing a rear powerlift having at least one upper link and at least one lower link and a support structure disposed at the rear of a utility vehicle. The method includes defining an angle (?) between the upper link and a vehicle horizontal line, an angle (?) between the lower link and the vehicle horizontal line, an angle of inclination (?) of a vehicle horizontal line relative to a terrestrial horizontal line, a path (LV) representative of a connection along the lower link between the support structure and the implement, and a force (FU) impinging on a connection between the upper link and the implement and acting along the upper link. The mass is determined by at least one of the angle (?), the angle (?), the angle of inclination (?), the path (LV), and the force (FU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Michael Meid, Sebastian Traut
  • Patent number: 10606229
    Abstract: An electronic control unit for vehicle capable of receiving a program by communication expands the received program in a volatile memory and executes the expanded program. As an example of this program, there is a program for changing a communication environment for communicating with another unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Abe, Koji Yuasa, Toshihisa Arai
  • Patent number: 10403151
    Abstract: A traffic system is disclosed for use with a plurality of mobile machines. The traffic system may have a locating device configured to generate a location signal indicative of a location of each of the plurality of mobile machines, and an onboard controller configured to regulate operation of each of the plurality of mobile machines based on the location signal. The traffic system may also have a communication device, and a worksite controller in communication with the locating device and onboard controller via the communication device. The worksite controller may be configured to calculate a directed graph of the worksite based on the location signal and known routes for each of the plurality of mobile machines. The worksite controller may also be configured to determine a congestion metric based on the directed graph, and to selectively command the onboard controller to implement a responsive operation based on the congestion metric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Dean G. Povey
  • Patent number: 10393532
    Abstract: In an approach for determining navigation routes, a computer identifies an emergency situation and a corresponding location. The computer identifies an emergency service based on the identified emergency situation and the corresponding location. The computer identifies an emergency treatment provider based on the identified emergency situation and the corresponding location. The computer determines a navigation route based on respective locations of the identified emergency situation, the identified emergency service, and the identified emergency treatment provider. The computer identifies one or more incoming devices on the determined navigation route. The computer determines an alternate navigation route for the identified one or more incoming devices, wherein the determined alternate navigation route reduces travel on the determined navigation route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Eric A. Foreman, Sudeep Mandal
  • Patent number: 10395438
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention include a vehicle telematics system including a telematics device and a remote server system, wherein the telematics device obtains sensor data from at least one sensor installed in a vehicle, calculates peak resultant data based on the sensor data, generates crash score data based on the peak resultant data and a set of crash curve data for the vehicle, and provides the obtained sensor data when the crash score data exceeds a crash threshold to the remote server system and the remote server system obtains vehicle sensor data and vehicle identification data from the vehicle telematics device, calculates resultant change data and absolute speed change data based on the obtained sensor data and/or the vehicle identification data, and generates crash occurred data when the resultant change data exceeds a first threshold value and when the absolute speed change data is below a second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: CalAmp Corp.
    Inventors: Jeff Jenkins, Greg Bayley, Peter Byrne, Gallin Chen
  • Patent number: 10303415
    Abstract: A plurality of UAVs may be operated in a fleet, each of the UAVs in the fleet being configured to work collectively to achieve one or more functions, such as to create a display or implement an antenna array. The fleet of UAVs may operate individually and/or may be coupled to one another to operate as a collective unit. In some embodiments, one or more UAVs in the fleet may operate individually, while two or more UAVs in the fleet may be connected to one another. In such embodiments, the individual UAVs and the connected UAVs may together comprise the fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peruvemba Ranganathan Sai Ananthanarayanan, Danny Chan, Anuj Dron, Adrian Napoles, Rohit Sammeta, Steven James Wilkins
  • Patent number: 10293842
    Abstract: An on-board device is loaded in a moving vehicle and includes a control device configured to control the traveling of the moving vehicle. In the control device, an in-field traveling instructing section determines whether a blockade moving vehicle exists to hinder the traveling of the moving vehicle on a traveling route to an inspection field in a railyard, based on different moving vehicle related data in the railyard when the moving vehicle is an inspection waiting vehicle. A traveling route securing section requests securement of the traveling route to a railyard interface device that controls branching on the traveling route when there is not the blockade moving vehicle on the traveling route. A traveling permission section permits the traveling of the moving vehicle on the secured route based on traveling route state data from the railyard interface device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Miyajima, Takahiro Maruyama