Patents Examined by Richard M. Camby
  • Patent number: 10852148
    Abstract: The approach presented here relates to a method for creating an optimized localization map for a vehicle. The method encompasses a step of furnishing at least one localization map that represents at least one position, read in by a vehicle reading-in unit, of a landmark. The method further encompasses a step of reading in a radar map via an interface, the radar map having or mapping at least one further position, furnished by way of radar measurement by a satellite, of the landmark in the radar map. Lastly, the method encompasses a step of generating and storing an optimized localization map using the localization map and the radar map, such that upon generation of the optimized localization map, the read-in position of the landmark is altered using the further position to yield a modified position of the landmark, and is stored in order to create the optimized localization map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Mielenz, Jan Rohde
  • Patent number: 10852140
    Abstract: Technologies for determining a user's location by a mobile computing device include detecting, based on sensed inertial characteristics of the mobile computing device, that a user of the mobile computing device has taken a physical step in a direction. The mobile computing device determines a directional heading of the mobile computing device in the direction and a variation of an orientation of the mobile computing device relative to a previous orientation of the mobile computing device at a previous physical step of the user based on the sensed inertial characteristics. The mobile computing device further applies a Kalman filter to determine a heading of the user based on the determined directional heading of the mobile computing device and the variation of the orientation and determines an estimated location of the user based on the user's determined heading, an estimated step length of the user, and a previous location of the user at the previous physical step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ke Han, Ke Ding, Jingyi Ma, Yuhuan Huang
  • Patent number: 10837785
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method for updating a digital navigation map comprising a plurality of map segments, in which a back-end system provides a plurality of update packets each associated with a map segment of the digital navigation map and an update packet provided is transferred into a terminal device of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Jihun Hong
  • Patent number: 10830591
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a coarse resolver configured to output coarse position signals indicative of a coarse position of a drive shaft of a motor. The apparatus also includes a fine resolver configured to output fine position signals indicative of a fine position of the drive shaft of the motor. The apparatus further includes a control circuit. The control circuit is configured to receive the coarse position signals from the coarse resolver and the fine position signals from the fine resolver and generate an initial position output, based on the coarse position signals, that indicates an initial position of the drive shaft. The control circuit is further configured to generate a subsequent position output, based on the fine position signals, that indicates a subsequent position of the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Douglas C. Cameron, Dwayne C. Merna, Manu Sharma
  • Patent number: 10825264
    Abstract: A computer device is provided. The computer device includes at least one memory and at least one processor in communication with the at least one memory. The at least one processor is programmed to receive a plurality of aircraft flight data associated with a plurality of aircraft and determine one or more non-operational gaps for each aircraft. The non-operational gap represents a series of consecutive non-operating days for the aircraft. The at least one processor is also programmed to compare the one or more non-operational gaps for the plurality of aircraft based on each aircraft's corresponding in-service date, detect a plurality of anchors in the plurality of aircraft flight leg data, compare the one or more non-operational gaps for the plurality of aircraft to the plurality of anchors, and determine a future maintenance event for a first aircraft based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Shervin Beygi, Brandi E. Fleming, Darren B. Macer
  • Patent number: 10825344
    Abstract: Methods and systems for forming a fleet and positioning vehicles in the fleet are disclosed. The system comprises a data transmission interface and a data processing unit. The data processing unit sends data to and receives data from the data transmission interface. The data processing unit determines an itinerary of each of a group of vehicles requesting to join a fleet. The data processing unit compares the itinerary of all vehicles of the group of vehicles. The data processing unit determines a second vehicle to form a fleet with a first vehicle from the group of vehicles. The data transmission interface communicates to the first vehicle a proposal to form a fleet with the second vehicle. The data processing unit determines if the first vehicle accepts the proposal, and if yes, determines instructions for the first vehicle how to join the fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Rohit Belapurkar, Nathan A. Wilmot
  • Patent number: 10815714
    Abstract: An opening/closing member driving device includes a motor that opens and closes an opening/closing member and a controller configured to perform an abnormality determination process and a masking process. The abnormality determination process determines occurrence of a foreign object being entrapped or caught by comparing driving information corresponding to a driving status of the motor to a predetermined threshold value. The masking process invalidates the abnormality determination process over a predetermined masking period when the motor is activated. The controller includes a correction unit. The correction unit corrects at least one of the masking period or the threshold value when the motor is activated in a direction opposite to that of a preceding operation in a state in which the opening/closing member is in a high-load range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Aoshima
  • Patent number: 10816984
    Abstract: In one embodiment, sensor data are collected from one or more sensors mounted on an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) while the ADV is moving within a region of interest (ROI) that includes a number of obstacles. The collected sensor data are operated on to obtain obstacle data associated with the obstacles, location data, and a number of timestamps that correspond to the obstacle data and the location data. For each of the timestamps, positions of the obstacles are mapped to some of the obstacle data that correspond to the timestamp based on the location data, thereby generating mapped information of the obstacles. The mapped information is automatically labelled to generate labelled data, where the labelled data is utilized to subsequently train a machine learning algorithm to recognize obstacles during autonomous driving of an ADV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Liangliang Zhang, Dong Li, Jiangtao Hu, Jiaming Tao, Yifei Jiang
  • Patent number: 10815866
    Abstract: A method for ascertaining a control-caused behavior of a valve installed in a vehicle for adjusting a flow of a medium. Operating a pump, which has an electric motor and at least one pump element for conveying the medium, so that the medium is conveyed by the pump in that the pump element is driven by means of the electric motor. Controlling the valve by an electronic computing device of the vehicle. The control of the valve is varied by the electronic computing device. While the medium is conveyed by the pump, and while the control of the valve is varied: sensing at least one parameter characterizing the operation of the pump. Determining the behavior of the valve as a function of the sensed parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Stefan Ammler
  • Patent number: 10810894
    Abstract: An aircraft defining an upright orientation and an inverted orientation, a ground station; and a control system for remotely controlling the flight of the aircraft. The ground station has an auto-land function that causes the aircraft to invert, stall, and controllably land in the inverted orientation to protect a payload and a rudder extending down from the aircraft. In the upright orientation, the ground station depicts the view from a first aircraft camera. When switching to the inverted orientation: (1) the ground station depicts the view from a second aircraft camera, (2) the aircraft switches the colors of red and green wing lights, extends the ailerons to act as inverted flaps, and (3) the control system adapts a ground station controller for the inverted orientation. The aircraft landing gear is an expanded polypropylene pad located above the wing when the aircraft is in the upright orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Fisher, Thomas Robert Szarek, Justin B. McAllister, Pavel Belik
  • Patent number: 10809083
    Abstract: Systems and methods of using sensor data for coordinate prediction are disclosed herein. In some example embodiments, for a place, a computer system accesses corresponding service data comprising pick-up data and drop-off data for requests, and accesses corresponding sensor data indicating at least one path of mobile devices of the requesters of the requests, with the at least one path comprising at least one of a pick-up path ending at the pick-up location indicated by the pick-up data and a drop-off path beginning at the drop-off location indicated by the drop-off data. In some example embodiments, the computer system generates at least one predicted geographic location using the paths indicated by the sensor data, and stores the at least one predicted geographic location in a database in association with an identification of the place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shivendra Pratap Singh, Upamanyu Madhow, Vikram Saxena, Livia Zarnescu Yanez, Chandan Prakash Sheth, Sheng Yang, Alvin AuYoung
  • Patent number: 10809734
    Abstract: An example system includes a computing system configured to identify an event in an area between a first location and a second location and to adjust, based on the event, content of a cost map containing a representation of one or more routes between the first location and the second location. The system also includes an autonomous device configured to move between the first location and the second location based on the cost map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Mobile Industrial Robots A/S
    Inventor: Lourenço Barbosa De Castro
  • Patent number: 10802507
    Abstract: A method for turning an aerial vehicle such as a drone-type vehicle is provided, according to one embodiment. The method provides for receiving a turning input and detecting a current momentum of the aerial vehicle. The method provides for converting the turning input into a yaw command and calculating a change in yaw associated with the turning input. The method provides for calculating a roll command based on the current momentum of the aerial vehicle and based on the change in yaw associated with the turning input. Further, the method provides for executing the yaw command and the roll command in synchrony, wherein the executing the yaw command and the roll command in synchrony causes the aerial vehicle to perform a turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Inventor: Ansel Misfeldt
  • Patent number: 10796269
    Abstract: Systems and methods include UAVs that serve to assist carrier personnel by reducing the physical demands of the transportation and delivery process. A UAV generally includes a UAV chassis including an upper portion, a plurality of propulsion members configured to provide lift to the UAV chassis, and a parcel carrier configured for being selectively coupled to and removed from the UAV chassis. UAV support mechanisms are utilized to load and unload parcel carriers to the UAV chassis, and the UAV lands on and takes off from the UAV support mechanism to deliver parcels to a serviceable point. The UAV includes computing entities that interface with different systems and computing entities to send and receive various types of information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Julio Gil, Jeffrey Cooper
  • Patent number: 10787170
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a timing setter that sets an activation timing indicative of whether to activate the safety device based on a comparison between the activation timing and a time to collision, and a determination zone setter setting determination zones located diagonally ahead of the own vehicle in the travelling direction and separated in the lateral direction. The apparatus includes a corrector that performs, based on a zone-to-zone movement history of the recognized target object among the determination zones, a correction task including at least one of a first changing task of changing the width of an activation region, and a second changing task of changing the activation timing. The apparatus includes an activation determiner that activates a safety device upon determining that a position of the recognized target object is within the activation region and that the time to collision is smaller than the activation timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akitoshi Minemura
  • Patent number: 10782701
    Abstract: Provided is a method including monitoring an event occurring on a path along which an autonomous vehicle is currently travelling by using information obtained while the autonomous vehicle is travelling and determining whether to travel along a detour path when the event is detected. In particular, the method includes determining whether to travel along the detour path according to a cost incurred when the autonomous vehicle travels along the detour path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: John Cronin, Dylan Jonathan Wilson
  • Patent number: 10773781
    Abstract: A paddle assistance and propulsion system for use with personal watercraft is disclosed. The paddle assistance and propulsion system may include different mounting techniques that allow a propulsion device (e.g., a motor) to be coupled to various types of personal watercraft. Some mounting techniques may include the use of magnets to couple a motor-side mount to a boat-side mount. The paddle assistance and propulsion system may also utilize a variety of sensors in combination with control systems to provide various types of paddle assistance and different types of paddle assistance modes for the user of the personal watercraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Detekt Biomedical, LLC.
    Inventors: Damon Vincent Borich, Karen Borich, Andrea Grbavac, Zwckxally Obregon
  • Patent number: 10766474
    Abstract: A method and a system are disclosed for validating operation of a secondary braking system (SBS) of a vehicle having a plurality of brakes. The method may involve generating a predetermined braking pressure for at least one brake of the plurality of brakes and calculating, via an electronic control unit (ECU), an estimate of a pump output pressure based upon a counter electromagnetic force generated by a motor within the SBS. The method may further involve comparing an expected pump output pressure to the estimate, wherein the expected pump output pressure corresponds to the predetermined braking pressure and determining whether the SBS is operating properly based upon the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Veoneer-Nissin Brake Systems Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alexandru Versin, Arnie Spieker
  • Patent number: 10766492
    Abstract: A driving assistance method detects a behavior of a moving object causing a blind spot area around a host vehicle, predicts a probability of action that the moving object takes when an obstacle is present in the blind spot area, according to a road structure around the host vehicle, and compares the behavior of the moving object with the probability of action that the moving object takes, so as to predict an action of the moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuya Nanri, Fang Fang
  • Patent number: 10759507
    Abstract: Wakeboat hull control systems and methods are provided to monitor the orientation of the wakeboat hull in the surrounding water, and to automatically control wakeboat ballast components to achieve or maintain desired hull orientations. Systems and methods are provided to measure, store, and recall hull orientation. Systems and methods are also provided to enable automated action to improve the safety, automation, performance, convenience, and marketing advantage of wakeboat ballast systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: SKIER'S CHOICE, INC.
    Inventor: Richard L. Hartman