Patents Examined by Nga X. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10488209
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to receive a desired departure time and route for upcoming travel, from a vehicle computing system. The processor is also configured to determine a traffic level based on the received time for the received route. The processor is further configured to determine a vehicle charge level and recommend a new route or departure time if the vehicle charge level is projected to be sufficient to achieve travel-completion based on the new route or departure time in accordance with the recommendation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Lei, Allen R. Murray
  • Patent number: 10479353
    Abstract: A vehicle surrounding situation estimation device includes a collision detection unit that detects that a vehicle collides with an object outside the vehicle; a surrounding situation detection unit that detects a situation of a detection area around the vehicle; a surrounding situation estimation unit that estimates a situation of a prediction area around the vehicle at a collision time based on a detection result of the surrounding situation detection unit before the collision detection unit detects the collision; a surrounding situation recording unit that records the situation of the prediction area; and a surrounding situation prediction unit that predicts a situation of a vehicle surrounding area around the vehicle based on the situation of the prediction area after the collision detection unit detects the collision, the situation of the prediction area being recorded by the surrounding situation recording unit before the collision detection unit detects the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Quy Hung Nguyen Van
  • Patent number: 10471960
    Abstract: An adaptive cruise control apparatus includes a sensor device for acquiring information on vehicles around a subject vehicle including information on a distance between a forward vehicle and the subject vehicle, and a controller for calculating an acceleration of the subject vehicle based on the information on vehicles around the subject vehicle, determining a traffic condition around the subject vehicle based on the information on vehicles around the subject vehicle, limiting the acceleration of the subject vehicle according to the determined traffic condition, and controlling a power train of the subject vehicle according to the limited acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Myung Seon Heo, Byung Yong You, Ki Cheol Shin, Young Chul Oh
  • Patent number: 10473038
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating a turboprop engine having a high pressure spool and a low pressure spool rotating independently from one another. Each spool contains at least one compressor stage and the low pressure spool is connected to a propeller. The method comprises determining a target temperature-corrected rotational speed of the low pressure spool for a given set of operating parameters; and controlling a mechanical speed of the low pressure spool to maintain the temperature-corrected rotational speed of the low pressure spool substantially constant throughout at least a portion of a range of a power demand on the turboprop engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Keith Morgan, Ghislain Plante, Tania Fauchon
  • Patent number: 10473467
    Abstract: A method for determining which level a vehicle is at when the vehicle is on a multi-level road system is to be implemented by a vehicle auxiliary system that includes a vehicle equipment unit and a server unit. The method includes the steps of: obtaining visual media data of surroundings of the vehicle generated by an image capturing module of the vehicle equipment unit; receiving reference data associated with surroundings of a vehicle in the multi-level road system from the server unit; and generating a recognition result indicating at which level the vehicle is by performing an image-matching technique on the visual media data and the reference data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventor: Neng Liu
  • Patent number: 10466704
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provided for determining a current position of a vehicle are disclosed. The apparatus includes an autonomous driving system for a vehicle with a positioning system configured to determine a current position of the vehicle between an original point of the vehicle and a horizon point ahead the vehicle. The positioning system is configured to receive map data containing at least one road attribute, receive multiple trajectory points which are located between the original point and the horizon point and determine a trajectory which interconnects the multiple trajectory points, determine an absolute position of the vehicle, determine a projection point from the at least one road attribute onto the trajectory, and determine the current position of the vehicle and compare the current position of the vehicle with a position of the projection point of the road attribute between the original point and the horizon point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Xiaofeng F. Song, Haley M. Dalzell
  • Patent number: 10457277
    Abstract: A driver assistance system for avoiding collisions includes an environmental sensor for detecting the traffic environment of the vehicle and a processing unit configured to assess the traffic environment as to the likelihood of a danger and plan a route avoiding or at least minimizing the danger for the vehicle. The processing unit is further configured to predict a possible control intervention of the driver in reaction to the danger and select a route which is compatible with that control intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: OPEL AUTOMOBILE GMBH
    Inventors: Frank Bonarens, Gerald Schmidt, Heiko Bald
  • Patent number: 10442413
    Abstract: A parking brake control apparatus 20 drives an electric motor 43B to advance a piston 39 according to an application request signal from a parking brake switch 19. The parking brake control apparatus 20 includes a running state detection portion that calculates a running state about whether a vehicle is running or stopped based on a wheel signal from a wheel speed sensor 18. When the running state cannot be calculated by the running state detection portion, the parking brake control apparatus 20 controls the electric motor 43B in such a manner that the thrust force of the piston 39 changes at a lower time rate of change than when the running state can be calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Tanaka, Wataru Yokoyama, Kimio Nishino, Masayoshi Okamiya, Kenichiro Matsubara
  • Patent number: 10444759
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein are directed to performing segmentation on voxels representing three-dimensional data to identify static and dynamic objects. LIDAR data may be captured by a perception system for an autonomous vehicle and represented in a voxel space. Operations may include determining a drivable surface by parsing individual voxels to determine an orientation of a surface normal of a planar approximation of the voxelized data relative to a reference direction. Clustering techniques can be used to grow a ground plane including a plurality of locally flat voxels. Ground plane data can be set aside from the voxel space, and the remaining voxels can be clustered to determine objects. Voxel data can be analyzed over time to determine dynamic objects. Segmentation information associated with ground voxels, static object, and dynamic objects can be provided to a tracker and/or planner in conjunction with operating the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Bertrand Robert Douillard, Subhasis Das, Zeng Wang, Dragomir Dimitrov Anguelov, Jesse Sol Levinson
  • Patent number: 10435016
    Abstract: Motorcycles can become unstable when operating at high speeds and at high cornering levels. For example, they can exhibit an oscillation at the rear wheel commonly known as “weave.” A system and method is provided which utilizes a high-fidelity computer simulation model of a 2- or 3-wheel motorcycle to predict operating states such as yaw rate, lateral acceleration and roll angle for a stable motorcycle at a given speed and steer angle. The operating state of a physical motorcycle can be measured and compared to that of the model at every instant in time to determine if the operating state of the physical motorcycle differs from that of the simulation model in such a way as to indicate loss of stability. The nature of that difference can then be used to intervene in the operation of the motorcycle independent of driver actions by application of brakes, modulating the engine torque or applying torques to urge the steering system in a corrective direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Mechanical Simulation Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Watanabe, Michael Sayers
  • Patent number: 10438495
    Abstract: Boundary information associated with a three-dimensional (3D) flying space is obtained. An input associated with flying an aircraft is received from an input device. Location information associated with the aircraft is received from a location sensor. A control signal is generated for the aircraft based at least in part on the boundary information, the input, and the location information, wherein the control signal is responsive to the input in a manner that would not cause the aircraft to cross a boundary associated with the 3D flying space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Cameron Robertson, Alex Roetter
  • Patent number: 10427678
    Abstract: A method for providing low speed lateral steering control for a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes receiving sensor data corresponding to a road wheel angle, determining a planned vehicle path of travel, defining a road wheel angle search range based on a maximum road wheel angle rate, determining a steering control goal using the road wheel angle that tracks and measures a difference between a current vehicle path and the planned vehicle path, determining an optimal steering control signal using the road wheel angle and the steering control goal and providing the control signal to a steering controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC.
    Inventors: Nikolai K. Moshchuk, Shih-ken Chen
  • Patent number: 10409288
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to locating an object within an image and projecting the object into a map. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to identifying a nearby vehicle in an image of an external environment surrounding a scanning vehicle, determining a relative location of the nearby vehicle in relation to the scanning vehicle using the image. The method includes projecting the nearby vehicle into a map according to at least the relative location determined from the image. The method includes controlling the scanning vehicle according to the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kanzawa, Kuan-Hui Lee
  • Patent number: 10399600
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle having an automated driving system configured to control vehicle steering includes determining a commanded vehicle path. The method additionally includes calculating a steering command to satisfy the commanded vehicle path. The method also includes controlling vehicle steering, via the automated driving system, according to the steering command. The method further controls detecting a difference between an actual vehicle path and the commanded vehicle path, and, in response to the detected difference, controlling the vehicle according to a secondary mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Matthew G. Adams, Dean C. Degazio, Kelvin Chen Chih Peng
  • Patent number: 10394233
    Abstract: A ride-on vehicle is provided that has optional remote control capabilities. The ride-on vehicle comprises front and rear wheels, a steering wheel, a steering motor, a drive motor, an accelerator, a parent override switch and a main controller for controlling the drive motor and the steering motor based on input signals. A remote control is also provided to send signals to the main controller. The main controller provides for three modes of operation of the ride-on vehicle, including a child only drive mode, a partial child and partial remote drive mode, and a full remote drive mode, and wherein the main controller switches between the three modes of operation in real time based on signals received from the remote control and the parent override switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Radio Flyer Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew E. Young, Daniel R. Greenberg
  • Patent number: 10377356
    Abstract: A method for adjusting brake pressures at pneumatically actuated wheel brakes of a vehicle includes, after an external braking demand, continuously ascertaining, by a brake control unit, in a pressure control mode, at least one differential slip value from measuring signals supplied by speed sensors of the wheels, as the difference between the slip of two axles of the vehicle before releasing the control signals; evaluating the differential slip value with consideration for a predefined or adjustable setpoint differential slip value; and depending on the evaluation, bringing the differential slip value closer to the setpoint differential slip value by adapting at least one control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: WABCO GMBH
    Inventor: Horst Eckert
  • Patent number: 10363871
    Abstract: A vehicle notification apparatus is equipped to a subject vehicle having a notification portion for providing a notification to an occupant, and outputs, to the notification portion, a notification signal for providing the notification about a non-subject vehicle. The vehicle notification apparatus includes a determination portion determining whether the subject vehicle is travelling on a road where a lane change is allowed, and a notification determination portion determining whether to output the notification signal to the notification portion according to a distance between the subject vehicle and the non-subject vehicle and a relative speed of the non-subject vehicle with respect to the subject vehicle when the determination portion determines that the subject vehicle is travelling on the road where the lane change is allowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Sasano, Takahira Katoh
  • Patent number: 10353390
    Abstract: Techniques for generating and executing trajectories to guide autonomous vehicles are described. In an example, a first computer system associated with an autonomous vehicle can generate, at a first operational frequency, a route to guide the autonomous vehicle from a current location to a target location. The first computer system can further determine, at a second operational frequency, an instruction for guiding the autonomous vehicle along the route and can generate, at a third operational frequency, a trajectory based at least partly on the instruction and real-time processed sensor data. A second computer system that is associated with the autonomous vehicle and is in communication with the first computer system can execute, at a fourth operational frequency, the trajectory to cause the autonomous vehicle to travel along the route. The separation of the first computer system and the second computer system can provide enhanced safety, redundancy, and optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Linscott, Robert Edward Somers, Joona Markus Petteri Kiiski, Marin Kobilarov, Timothy Caldwell, Jacob Lee Askeland, Ashutosh Gajanan Rege, Joseph Funke
  • Patent number: 10343633
    Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to access a schedule of vehicle start times. The processor is also configured to select a scheduled key-on time, when a current time is within a tunable proximity to the scheduled key-on time. Further, the processor is configured to determine if a present vehicle-related temperature warrants vehicle preconditioning and precondition the vehicle until preset preconditioning settings are established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Fling Tseng, Hsin-hsiang Yang, Aed M. Dudar, Dimitar Petrov Filev, Johannes Geir Kristinsson
  • Patent number: 10344516
    Abstract: In an aspect, a vehicle door control system for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a vehicle door is provided, and includes a check arm having an end that is mounted to one of the vehicle body and the vehicle door, a check arm holder at least a portion of which is mounted to the other of the vehicle body and the vehicle door, and a controller. The check arm holder is configured to apply at least three different amounts of braking force to the check arm. The controller is programmed to control the operation of the check arm holder based on input from at least one sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: Warren Industries Ltd.
    Inventors: Sven Sauerwein, Douglas Broadhead, Markus Hetzler, Gareth Kenworthy, Mitchell English, Pasit Banjongpanith