Patents Examined by Richard M. Camby
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10759298
    Abstract: Presented are intelligent vehicle systems and control logic for predictive charge planning and powertrain control of electric-drive vehicles, methods for manufacturing/operating such systems, and electric-drive vehicles with smart charge planning and powertrain control capabilities. Systems and methods of AI-based predictive charge planning for smart electric vehicles use machine-learning (ML) driver models that draws on available traffic, location, and roadway map information to estimate vehicle speed and propulsion torque requirements to derive a total energy consumption for a given trip. Systems and methods of AI-based predictive powertrain control for smart hybrid vehicles use ML driver models with deep learning techniques to derive a drive cycle profile defined by a preview route with available traffic, geopositional, geospatial, and map data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Yue-Yun Wang, Junfeng Zhao, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Yiran Hu, Norman K. Bucknor
  • Patent number: 10759388
    Abstract: A smartwatch having at least one controller in communication with an user interface and a transceiver. The transceiver configured to communicate with a nomadic device. The at least one controller configured to, in response to a wireless signal having a unique user identifier received at the nomadic device, receive a control function from an application corresponding to the unique user identifier. The at least one controller may be further configured to configure the user interface based on the control function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Nelson, David Anthony Hatton, Hussein F. Nasrallah
  • Patent number: 10759362
    Abstract: A car includes a factory installed harness and a factory installed data processing component coupled to the factory installed harness. The factory installed harness is configured to receive an assisted driving hardware component in order to allow the assisted driving hardware component to make electrical connection with the data processing component when the assisted driving hardware component is installed by the car's owner or user or dealer. The assisted driving hardware component can be a user installed LIDAR to add to the car's assisted driving functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: BYTON LIMITED
    Inventor: Srini Gowda
  • Patent number: 10755577
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure can determine whether a subject vehicle is in a blind spot of a next-lane vehicle on the basis of the result of sensing a next-lane vehicle and the result of detecting the length of the next-lane vehicle using a plurality of side sensors that senses objects in front-cross, central side, and rear-cross areas of the subject vehicle, and can control the subject vehicle to drive while avoiding the blind spot of the next-lane vehicle, so it can help safe driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: JiYeol Park
  • Patent number: 10750667
    Abstract: A method of mowing an area with an autonomous mowing robot comprises storing, in non-transient memory of the robot, a set of geospatially referenced perimeter data corresponding to positions of the mowing robot as the mowing robot is guided about a perimeter of an area to be mowed, removing from the set of perimeter data one or more data points thereby creating a redacted data set and controlling the mowing robot to autonomously mow an area bounded by a boundary corresponding to the redacted data set, including altering direction of the mowing robot at or near a position corresponding to data in the redacted data set so as to redirect the robot back into the bounded area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Yamauchi, Andrew Beaulieu, Paul C. Balutis
  • Patent number: 10747218
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for mobile device tethering for remote parking assist. An example vehicle includes ultra-wide angle cameras and a processor coupled to memory. The processor generates an interface based on a location of the mobile device including an overhead representation of the vehicle generated using images from the cameras and representations of a position of a mobile device and a boundary around the vehicle. The processor also sends the interface to the mobile device, and when the mobile device is not within the boundary, prevents autonomous parking of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Erick Michael Lavoie, Alyssa Chatten, John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Hamid M. Golgiri
  • Patent number: 10730626
    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: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Inventors: Julio Gil, Jeffrey Cooper, Seth Bruckner, Juan Perez
  • Patent number: 10723361
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus includes a storage unit, a reception unit, a collation information generation unit, and a response unit. The storage unit stores a criterion for determining normality of a frame transmitted from a first electronic device. The reception unit receives the frame from a bus network. The collation information generation unit generates, when the reception unit receives a frame of a first identifier (ID) transmitted from the first electronic device, collation information which is information for collation with the criterion stored in the storage unit, based on the frame. The response unit transmits, when the reception unit receives a frame of a second ID transmitted from the second electronic device, information which is based on the criterion stored in the storage unit and the collation information generated by the collation information generation unit and which enables a check whether the first electronic device is valid, to the second electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Imamoto, Jun Anzai, Masato Tanabe
  • Patent number: 10716371
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for providing directions haptically such that sight and hearing can continue unimpeded. In one exemplary embodiment, a wearable device (such as earphones, ear rings, gloves, glasses, or other wearable objects) configured as disclosed herein receives directions to an intended destination for a user, the directions comprising a movement action and a distance to the movement action. The wearable device has multiple haptic output units and generates, through one of those units, a haptic output based on the directions. This allows the user to receive the directions through touch rather than looking at their mobile device or from audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Inventor: Ryan Thomas Ward
  • Patent number: 10719805
    Abstract: A system for a mobile secure locker in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes processor(s) and memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the system to provide a user interface for a user to rent a mobile secure locker in an autonomous robot vehicle, receive information through the user interface from the user where the information includes a first destination, a second destination, and a time associated with the second destination, communicate instructions to the autonomous robot vehicle to travel to the first destination to receive the item, receive an indication from the autonomous robot vehicle that the item has been received, communicate instructions to the autonomous robot vehicle to travel to the second destination to deliver the item to the user at the time associated with the second destination, and receive from the autonomous robot vehicle an indication the item is retrieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
  • Patent number: 10717502
    Abstract: Wakeboat hull control systems are provided that can include a first accelerometer operatively associated with the hull of the wakeboat to measure the acceleration of the hull along a first axis; a second accelerometer operatively associated with the hull of the wakeboat to measure the acceleration of the hull along a second axis, the first axis being non-parallel to the second axis; and processing circuitry calculating the rotation of the hull of the wakeboat about a third axis based on the acquired measurements. Wakeboat hull control methods are provided that can include using the processing circuitry to calculate the rotation of the hull of the wakeboat about a third axis based on the acquired measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Skier's Choice, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard L. Hartman
  • Patent number: 10710502
    Abstract: An in-vehicle alert apparatus includes an object information acquiring unit, a vehicle status information acquiring unit, a display unit, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit determines whether or not an alert target exists outside a field of view of a driver, and displays, as an alert screen, a single display screen when one alert target is selected, a whole display screen when two alert targets are selected and all of the two alert targets are determined to exist within the field of view of the driver, and an individual display screen when two alert targets are selected and an alert target having the highest alert degree is determined to exist outside the field of view of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Teppei Ohta
  • Patent number: 10710575
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for diagnostics of an exhaust tuning valve during vehicle-off conditions. In one example, the engine may be reverse rotated, unfueled while the position of the exhaust is varied and an intake air flow is estimated at each position of the exhaust tuning valve. The exhaust tuning valve may be diagnosed based on a change in air flow with the variation in the position of the exhaust tuning valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aed M. Dudar
  • Patent number: 10713950
    Abstract: Autonomous vehicles may avoid collisions, or minimize the harm of an unavoidable collision, with the assistance of a land-based supercomputer. Upon detecting an imminent collision, the vehicle may transmit a wireless message to a land-based access point using high-speed low-latency communication technology. The message may include data about the imminent collision such as the positions and velocities of the vehicles and may demand an uncontested communication channel for fast data transfer. The land-based access point can then transfer the data to a supercomputer configured to analyze the data and calculate a sequence of actions to avoid, or at least minimize, the collision. The recommended sequence of actions can then be transmitted back to the initiating vehicle in a wireless response message. In this way, the full computational power of a supercomputer can be made available to save lives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: AUTONOMOUS ROADWAY INTELLIGENCE, LLC
    Inventors: David E. Newman, R. Kemp Massengill
  • Patent number: 10703435
    Abstract: A control system and method for a powertrain unit of a pedal assisted electrical bicycle, the powertrain unit including an electrical motor, a DC/AC converter to supply the motor from a battery wherein the following steps are taken: starting the electrical machine in order to rotate the rotor; estimating a back electromotive force produced by the electrical machine; estimating the angular position of the rotor with respect to the stator winding starting from the estimation of the back electromotive force; controlling the DC/AC converter based on said estimated angular position in order to make it supply the stator winding so that said electrical machine delivers a torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: PIAGGIO & C. S.P.A.
    Inventor: Paolo Capozzella
  • Patent number: 10696171
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a charging method and a charging apparatus of a cleaning robot. With the method, position information of a plurality of charging ports available for the cleaning robot is obtained; when it is determined that the cleaning robot needs to be charged, current position information of the cleaning robot is obtained; a closest charging port from the plurality of charging ports which is the closest to a current position of the cleaning robot is determined according to the position information of the plurality of charging ports and the current position information of the cleaning robot; and the cleaning robot is controlled to move to the closest charging port according to the position information of the closest charging port. With the technical solution, the cleaning robot may be charged nearby, thereby reducing power consumption of the cleaning robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yongfeng Xia, Ke Wu
  • Patent number: 10694656
    Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to a method for detecting agricultural field work performed by a vehicle, comprising: a) carrying a satellite navigation receiver on the vehicle and recording a sequence of position fixes and associated time stamps; b) for a position fix: determining a group of position fixes that lie in a region; c) dividing the group into sub-groups on the basis of a minimum time interval; d) determining trajectory sections on the basis of the sub-groups; e) determining an attribute vector for the considered position fix comprising at least an angle between two trajectory sections; and, f) if the attribute vector satisfies a specified threshold criterion, detecting the position fix as a location of field work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: FARMDOK GMBH
    Inventor: Johann Prankl