Patents Examined by Richard Camby
  • Patent number: 9404751
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for providing a three Dimensional (3D) map showing an area of interest in real time are disclosed. The method includes receiving terminal view information of a plurality of terminals, determining an object of interest on a 3D map based on the received terminal view information; and reconfiguring a 3D map including the object of interest. Position information on an area receiving a lot attention from the public, path information by which the user moves to the area, and a preview image of the area in real time may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Kyu Shin, Ik-Hwan Cho, Sung-Hwan Baek, Tae-Hwan Son, Gong-Wook Lee, Kyu-Sung Cho
  • Patent number: 9399450
    Abstract: A method and system for promoting a uniform driving style. A longitudinal speed of a motor vehicle and a route section curvature radius lying ahead of the vehicle are determined when the vehicle approaches the route section. An expected lateral acceleration is determined from the curvature radius and longitudinal speed as the route section is driven through. The lateral acceleration is compared with a permanently predefined lateral acceleration limiting value which can be predefined by the driver. In the event the expected lateral acceleration is greater than at least one of the lateral acceleration limiting values, the longitudinal speed is lowered by an optical, acoustic and/or haptic request to the driver and/or by autonomous braking intervention. If the expected lateral acceleration is smaller than or equal to the lower of the two lateral acceleration limiting values the lowering of the longitudinal speed is reduced by decreasing the engine drag torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Thomas Raste, Peter Lauer, Alfred Eckert
  • Patent number: 9393931
    Abstract: An occupant protection apparatus for a vehicle includes a door sensor that detects a defamation of a side door in a side collision and an occupant position detection sensor that detects a lumbar position of the occupant. A pretensioner is activated when it is determined from detection by the door sensor and the occupant position detection sensor that an intruding-object collision rear-end position in the side door is located in front of the lumbar position, and the pretensioner is prohibited from activation when it is determined that the intruding-object collision rear-end position is not located in front of the lumbar position. When there is a possibility that a clearance between the lumbar of the occupant and the deformed side door is insufficient, the pretensioner is prohibited from activation to allow the occupant to move at the early stage of a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: FUJI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Keita Onishi, Tadashi Tsuneyoshi, Takao Kondo, Shinya Motomura, Junichi Orai
  • Patent number: 9393845
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus and method for configuring a tire pressure monitoring system are disclosed. One method comprises rotating a first tire of a plurality of tires on a vehicle and receiving a signal indicative of the speed of rotation of the first tire from a wheel speed sensor associated with the first tire. A controller associates the first tire with a wheel location in response to receiving the signal from the wheel speed sensor. A tire pressure sensor in the first tire generates a tire characteristic signal in response to the rotation of the first tire. The controller receives the tire characteristic signal and associates the tire characteristic signal with the wheel location in response to receiving the tire characteristic signal within a predetermined time period from receiving the signal indicative of the speed of rotation of the first wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Bendix Commerical Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventors: Shawn D Lammers, Jon D Intagliata, Joseph M Macnamara, Sharon A Seitz, Daniel P Zula
  • Patent number: 9390567
    Abstract: System, method, and computer program product to perform an operation, by, responsive to receiving a vehicle event notification by a computing system in a vehicle, switching the computing system from a sleep mode to an active mode, sending, to a user, a user notification generated responsive to the vehicle event notification, and returning the computing system to the sleep mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Seonman Kim, Rajesh Khandelwal, Donald Butts
  • Patent number: 9387842
    Abstract: Disclosed is a control method of an electro-mechanical brake, including: a first step of operating a brake to stop a vehicle and generating a target pressure value of the brake; a second step of calculating an electrical angle of a three-phase motor and preparing movement of the electrical angle when the vehicle stops; a third step of checking errors of requested current and pressure; a fourth step of setting a range of the electrical angle when the current and the pressure are normal; and a fifth step of forcibly moving an actual position of the electrical angle to an adjacent electrical angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Do Kun Kim
  • Patent number: 9380741
    Abstract: A riding yard maintenance vehicle may include a positioning module. The positioning module may be configured to store position information indicative of a position history of the vehicle responsive to operation of the vehicle defining a route. The positioning module may include a user interface, a memory for storing data received via one or more sensors, and processing circuitry in communication with the user interface and the memory. The processing circuitry may be configured to control operation of the positioning module and generate feedback via the user interface. The feedback may be provided to an operator based on the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Bernard Drew, Sean Dwyer
  • Patent number: 9358968
    Abstract: A method of starting a vehicle may include providing power to a motor to spin the motor at a speed at least equal to a target engine cranking speed while a clutch configured to couple an engine and motor is open. The method may also include cutting power to the motor in response to the motor achieving the speed, and locking the clutch to couple the rotating inertias of the motor and a transmission with the engine to start the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Felix Nedorezov, Kenneth Jahr, Steven Anatole Frait, Hong Jiang
  • Patent number: 9358910
    Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of an active suspension system for a motor vehicle passenger seat, where the active suspension system comprises an actuator that is constructed and arranged to place force on the seat in a first degree of freedom and a control system that is responsive to a sensor system that detects motor vehicle accelerations in at least the first degree of freedom, where the sensor system comprises an accident detection system that detects motor vehicle accident conditions, where the control system provides control signals that cause the actuator to exert a force on the seat in the first degree of freedom, wherein in normal active suspension operation mode the actuator is controlled to output forces that reduce acceleration of the seat so as to counteract motions of the seat in the first degree of freedom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventor: Damian Howard
  • Patent number: 9363324
    Abstract: Methods and computer readable medium for collaborating on geographical maps between two or more computers are disclosed. In particular, sharing a geographical location on a map between two or more computers and co-navigating a map between two or more computers are disclosed. With respect to sharing a geographical location, the geographical location is retrieved to the first computer. The geographical location is added to the map being rendered at the first computer and is sent to a second computer. A map including the geographical location is rendered at the second computer. With respect to co-navigating, a map is displayed from a map perspective at the first computer. The map perspective is sent to the second computer. A map from the same map perspective being displayed at the first computer is rendered at the second computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: VID SCALE, INC.
    Inventors: Gabriel Coch, David Mark Smith, Graham Knight
  • Patent number: 9353668
    Abstract: A regeneration device burns particulate matter trapped in a filter in an exhaust gas purifying device to execute regeneration treatment of the filter. The regeneration device performs a determination whether or not the regeneration treatment is executed using a first estimated trapping quantity (H1) estimated based upon a differential pressure (?P=P1?P2) as a difference between pressure (P1) in an inlet side and pressure (P2) in an outlet side of the filter and a second estimated trapping quantity (H2) estimated based upon a rotational speed (N) of an engine, a fuel injection quantity (F) and an exhaust gas temperature (GT). In this case, the determination whether or not the regeneration treatment is executed is performed using only the second estimated trapping quantity (H2) when the engine is in a predetermined low rotational condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuuhei Noguchi, Hajime Yoshida
  • Patent number: 9352752
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure relate switching between autonomous and manual driving modes. In order to do so, the vehicle's computer may conduct a series of environmental, system, and driver checks to identify certain conditions. The computer may correct some of these conditions and also provide a driver with a checklist of tasks for completion. Once the tasks have been completed and the conditions are changed, the computer may allow the driver to switch from the manual to the autonomous driving mode. The computer may also make a determination, under certain conditions, that it would be detrimental to the driver's safety or comfort to make a switch from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Douglas Cullinane, Philip Nemec, Manuel Christian Clement, Robertus Christianus Elisabeth Mariet, Lilli Ing-Marie Jonsson
  • Patent number: 9346452
    Abstract: An example method of controlling an electric vehicle includes altering operation of an electric vehicle in response to a predicted energy consumption rate. The method includes adjusting the predicted energy consumption in response to variations in past energy consumption rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Shiqi Qiu, Jason Meyer, Fling Tseng, Sangeetha Sangameswaran
  • Patent number: 9340120
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a battery pack supplying power to propel a vehicle are disclosed. One example method comprises, adjusting a battery pack state of charge window in response to vehicle mass. Adjusting the battery pack state of charge window in response to vehicle mass may allow the battery pack to provide an increased amount of energy to a motor so that the motor may provide torque to a driveline for a longer period of time and/or absorb more vehicle generator produced power during vehicle operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoguang Chang, Chuan He, Xu Wang
  • Patent number: 9340203
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, compensation for a driveline disconnect clutch is provided. The approaches may reduce driveline torque disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alex O'Connor Gibson, Felix Nedorezov, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Hong Jiang
  • Patent number: 9333873
    Abstract: In an electric motor vehicle management system according to the present invention, a portable terminal that is owned by a user and is located in an electric motor vehicle transmits vehicle condition information of the electric motor vehicle including position information of the portable terminal that has been detected by a position detector of the portable terminal to a vehicle condition receiver of an energy management system (EMS) installed in a customer. A battery charging-and-discharging plan creating unit of the EMS creates a charging and discharging plan for a battery through the use of the vehicle condition information of the electric motor vehicle. A charging and discharging device performs at least one of charging and discharging of the battery of the electric motor vehicle in accordance with the battery charging-and-discharging plan for the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Mori, Hiroshi Fujioka, Akinobu Sugiyama, Takanori Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 9335121
    Abstract: A method includes receiving location data corresponding to a physical location of a user at a computing device and receiving prey data corresponding to a relative position of an animal at the computing device from a gun scope. The method further includes determining a location of the animal relative to the computing device based on the location data and the prey data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: TRACKINGPOINT, INC.
    Inventors: John Francis McHale, John Hancock Lupher
  • Patent number: 9335163
    Abstract: A vehicle system for estimating a trailer length is disclosed and includes a first sensor for measuring a wheel steer angle and a second sensor for measuring a hitch angle. A processor is in communication with the first and second sensors and is operable to determine a wheel steer angle change and a hitch angle change. The processor performs a first computation if the wheel steer angle change and the hitch angle change satisfy a threshold requirement and performs a second computation if at least one of the wheel steer angle change and the hitch angle change does not satisfy the threshold requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Christos Kyrtsos
  • Patent number: 9321457
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, application of a driveline disconnect clutch to start an engine is described. The approach applies the driveline disconnect clutch to rotate an engine and at least partially disengages the driveline disconnect clutch to reduce the possibility of a reduction in torque applied to vehicle wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander O'Connor Gibson, Felix Nedorezov, Jeffrey Allen Doering, Hong Jiang, Seung-Hoon Lee, James William Loch McCallum, Gregory Michael Pietron, Yuji Fujii
  • Patent number: 9315196
    Abstract: A method for controlling a functional unit of a vehicle involves detecting a gesture of a vehicle passenger and controlling the functional unit depending on the detected gesture, if a first predetermined condition is fulfilled. The first predetermined condition is that a movement sequence of a detected gesture coincides with a predetermined movement pattern that is similar to a movement of a functional unit to be controlled or is analogous to a manipulation of the functional unit to be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventor: Paul Heisterkamp