Patents Examined by Paul Allen
  • Patent number: 11408749
    Abstract: A method and system for providing navigation commands allows users to navigate to a destination by way of haptic feedback. The method and system employ: (1) a processor executed software application, and (2) one or more vibrating nodes worn by a user. Upon providing a destination via an application, the application sends commands to the nodes to vibrate along a specific signature to indicate, through the sense of touch, navigation commands to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Inventor: Stephen Wesley Schad, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11393238
    Abstract: A system for controlling an operation of a vehicle when a passenger is secure in a child car seat can receive data from one or more sensors within a passenger compartment of the vehicle, analyze the data to determine that a passenger is secure in a child car seat within the vehicle, and cause the vehicle to switch from operating in a first mode of operation, such as a bidirectional mode, to a second mode of operation, such as a unidirectional mode. The system may determine a direction of travel for the vehicle based on a pose of the passenger within the vehicle. The system can cause the vehicle to improve the riding experience of the passenger, such as by outputting media content to the passenger or modifying the operational characteristics of the vehicle, for example, by rocking the vehicle from front to back and/or side to side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy David Kentley-Klay
  • Patent number: 11391590
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a map from a plurality of maps having different resolutions for a moving object includes dynamically selecting an appropriate map from maps having different levels of details according to environment information, such that a minimum amount of required map is loaded, thereby effectively improving the data processing efficiency of vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Maximilian Doemling, Sebastian Granzow, Wanli Jiang, Qianshan Li, Jianpeng Li, Shuhan Lv, Hongshan Xu, Tao Xu
  • Patent number: 11391593
    Abstract: A vehicle-mounted device that includes: a memory; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: detect an own vehicle position; transmit position information that indicates the detected own vehicle position to a location outside the own vehicle, together with car model information that indicates a car model of the own vehicle; receive position information of another vehicle of a predetermined specific car model or map information that indicates a position of the other vehicle, from the location outside the own vehicle; and display the position of the other vehicle on a monitor as a map, based on a reception result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamada, Takahiro Suzuki, Yosuke Tokuda, Taiki Nakamura, Miyu Tanaka, Kentaro Otokubo
  • Patent number: 11383727
    Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are described. In one example, a method of controlling a vehicle comprises: receiving, using one or more sensors, a first set of measurements of a set of physical attributes of the vehicle in a motion; determining, based on a motion data model that defines a set of relationships among the set of physical attributes of the vehicle in the motion and based on the first set of measurements, a set of expected measurements of the set of physical attributes; determining whether to use an entirety of the first set of measurements to control an operation of the vehicle based on comparing the first set of measurements and the set of expected measurements; and responsive to determining not to use the entirety of the first set of measurements, controlling the operation of the vehicle based on a second set of measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Urs Niesen, Jubin Jose, Xinzhou Wu
  • Patent number: 11341780
    Abstract: An apparatus for maintenance of an aircraft is provided. The apparatus accesses flight data for a flight of the aircraft and predicts and thereby produces a predicted state of the aircraft for a next flight of the aircraft based on the flight data. The apparatus deploys a similarity detection model to determine similarities between the flight data for the flight and a training set of flight data for previous flights of the aircraft. The similarities determined by the similarity detection model are values of independent variables of a classification model. The apparatus deploys the classification model to predict and thereby produce a predicted state of the aircraft for the next flight of the aircraft based on the values of the independent variables, and generates an alert when the predicted state of the aircraft is a fault state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: John M. Boggio, Eric Nicks
  • Patent number: 11249490
    Abstract: A self-moving device capable of automatically recognizing an object in front is provided. The self-moving device includes a signal transmission module, a gradient determination module, and a control module. The signal transmission module transmits recognition signals propagated along at least two different paths. The gradient determination module obtains, according to the recognition signals, a first determination result indicating whether an object in front is a slope. The control module controls a traveling path of the self-moving device according to the first determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Positec Power Tools (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiang Du, Davide Dalfra, Dong Wang, Bincai Lan
  • Patent number: 11214272
    Abstract: The disclosure provides for a method for determining a pullover spot for a vehicle. The method includes using a computing device to detect information related to a system of the vehicle or an environment surrounding the vehicle using a sensor of a vehicle and determine a local failure of the vehicle based on the information. The computing device may then be used to determine that the vehicle should pullover before completing a current trip related to transporting a passenger or good by comparing vehicle requirements for the trip with the local failure and determine a pullover spot by identifying a first area for the vehicle to park in part based on a second area being available for a second vehicle to pick up the passenger or good. The computing device may operate the vehicle to the pullover spot and transmit a request for a second vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Emily Chi, Ryan Joseph Andrade
  • Patent number: 11181915
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for maneuvering marine vessel are disclosed. In an embodiment, the apparatus is configured to: receive a location command defining a future geographic location; receive an orientation command defining an orientation in the future geographic location; and generate required control data for a steering and propulsion system of the marine vessel based on the future geographic location and the orientation. In another embodiment, the apparatus is configured to: receive control data of a current power and angle of the steering and propulsion system; receive control data of a reference power and angle of the steering and propulsion system; and display simultaneously a current representation of the current power and angle, and a reference representation of the reference power and angle, wherein the current representation and the reference representation are both arranged and positioned co-centrically in relation to a representation of the marine vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Santeri Vanhakartano, Pauli Hemmilä
  • Patent number: 11142073
    Abstract: An analytical device is provided. The analytical device includes a battery condition analysis section configured to detect a state change of a constituent member of a battery based on a change in peak of a relaxation time in a predetermined frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Katayama, Hideki Nakai, Akinori Kita
  • Patent number: 11145197
    Abstract: A system jointly controls vehicles according to traffic configuration of a zone of intersection of a first road and a second road. The intersection zone includes a sequencing zone and a control zone covering sections of the first and the second road in proximity to the intersection. The system groups vehicles traveling within the sequencing zone on the first and the second roads into a set of groups of the vehicles and prevents the vehicles of different groups to travel concurrently in the control zone such that the first vehicle of the following group cannot pass the last vehicle of the preceding group. The system determines motion trajectories for the vehicles of the same group traveling in the control zone on the first and the second roads to pass the intersection and transmits the motion trajectories to the corresponding vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianlin Guo, Fei Ye, Kyeong Jin Kim, Philip Orlik, Heejin Ahn, Stefano Di Cairano
  • Patent number: 11104285
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of predicting a crash are provided. The method includes detecting coordinates of a target obstacle based on first coordinate information of a radar sensor and second coordinate information of an ultrasonic sensor, translating the second coordinate information to the coordinate system of the first coordinate information and generating translated coordinate information, estimating a position, speed, and acceleration of a vehicle if the vehicle is a predetermined distance from the target obstacle based on the translated coordinate information, determining a potential crash type between the vehicle and the target obstacle based on the estimated position, speed and acceleration of the vehicle, determining a three-dimensional movement trajectory based on the estimated position, speed and acceleration of the vehicle and the determined crash type, and predicting a crash point of the vehicle, a crash point of the target object and a crash time based on the three-dimensional movement trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Keunwoo Lee, Kihong Park
  • Patent number: 11001251
    Abstract: During a hybrid drive, a hybrid vehicle sets an engine required power based on a driving required power and controls an engine to output the engine required power, while controlling a motor to drive the hybrid vehicle with the driving required power. When a catalyst temperature of an exhaust emission control device is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature that requires warming up, in the state that an output upper limit power which a power storage device is allowed to output is equal to or larger than a predetermined power, the hybrid vehicle sets a power calculated by subtracting the output upper limit power from the driving required power, to the engine required power. In the state that the output upper limit power is smaller than the predetermined power, the hybrid vehicle sets the driving required power to the engine required power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kamatani, Kazuma Aoki, Koji Hokoi
  • Patent number: 10995472
    Abstract: An earthmoving system includes a blade, a controller, and a blade control system configured to control the positioning of the blade. While grading, the earthmoving system is configured to simultaneously position the blade according to each of a fixed slope grading mode, a design driven control grading mode, and an fixed load grading mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignees: Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies LLC, Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce J. Wiewel, Tony R. Metzger, Robert L. Powers, Richard R. Evenson
  • Patent number: 10981598
    Abstract: A control apparatus calculates an axial force deviation, which is a difference between an ideal axial force and an estimated axial force. The ideal axial force is based on a target pinion angle of a pinion shaft configured to rotate in association with a turning operation of steered wheels. The estimated axial force is based on a state variable (such as a current value of a steering operation motor) that reflects vehicle behavior or a road condition. The control apparatus changes a command value for a reaction motor in response to the axial force deviation. For example, the control apparatus includes a basic control circuit configured to calculate a basic control amount, which is a fundamental component of the command value. The basic control circuit changes the basic control amount in response to the axial force deviation. The command value based on the basic control amount reflects the road condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kodera
  • Patent number: 10968598
    Abstract: A controller is configured to acquire current terrain information indicating the current terrain in the travel direction of a work vehicle. The controller is configured to generate an inclined virtual surface extending from the current position of the work vehicle. The controller is configured to decide the soil volume of the current terrain located above the virtual surface. The controller is configured to set the virtual surface in which the soil volume of the current terrain becomes a predetermined target soil volume to be a virtual design surface. The controller is configured to generate a command signal to a work implement of the work vehicle to move the work implement along the virtual design surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Hashimoto, Kenjiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 10921374
    Abstract: A diagnosis device diagnoses current cutoff devices connected in parallel and disposed on an energization path to an energy storage device mounted on a vehicle. The diagnosis device performs switch processing of switching one of the current cutoff devices to be diagnosed from an opened state to a closed state or from the closed state to the opened state and closing the other current cutoff device while an engine of the vehicle is stopped. The diagnosis device detects end-to-end voltage of the current cutoff device when current larger than a threshold flows through the current cutoff device after the switch processing, and diagnoses the current cutoff device based on the detected end-to-end voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoya Wada, Takeyuki Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 10889351
    Abstract: A bicycle controller is provided that performs control in accordance with a riding condition of a bicycle. The bicycle controller includes an electronic control unit that controls a motor. The motor assists human power that is inputted to a bicycle. Upon determining a gear changer that changes a gear ratio of the bicycle is operated, the electronic control unit switches a control state of the motor from a first control state to a second control state based on a rotation phase of a crank of the bicycle and changes a timing at which the control state of the motor is switched from the first control state to the second control state based on an inclination of the bicycle in a front-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Tsuchizawa, Hiroshi Matsuda, Tomohiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 10889189
    Abstract: A braking force control apparatus for a vehicle has a friction braking device, a regenerative braking device, and a control unit for controlling the friction braking device and the regenerative braking device. The control unit is configured to calculate a target pitch gain of the vehicle so that a pitch gain of the vehicle gradually changes in accordance with a difference between a target braking force of the vehicle and a regenerative braking force when the target braking force of the vehicle exceeds a maximum regenerative braking force and changes within a range larger than the maximum regenerative braking force, and to control a front-rear wheel distribution ratio of a friction braking force so that the pitch gain of the vehicle becomes the target pitch gain and the friction braking force becomes the difference between the target braking force of the vehicle and the maximum regenerative braking force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kazuaki Yoshida
  • Patent number: D909346
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Baoqing Wang