Patents Examined by Robert Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9989372
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for re-ranking trips from a journey planner using real traveler preferences. A trip request is received that includes an origin, a destination and a departure time. An associated journey planner retrieves a list of candidate trips that correspond to the request. A ranking function, ascertained from actual trips that match the trip request and from which are determined real-world traveler preferences, is applied to the list of candidate trips output by the journey planner, thereby re-ranking the list of candidate trips to reflect real-world traveler's experiences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventor: Boris Chidlovskii
  • Patent number: 9931011
    Abstract: A cleaning robot includes a main body; a plurality of pad assemblies mounted on the bottom of the main body for doing cleaning; a drive assembly for applying drive power for each of the plurality of pad assemblies; and a detection unit for detecting an obstacle. The drive assembly adjusts slopes of the plurality of pad assemblies individually based on the height of the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: In Joo Kim, Jeong Ki Yoo, Dong Hyun Lee, Dong Hun Lee, Jin Sung Kim
  • Patent number: 9915539
    Abstract: A method of vehicle navigation guidance includes: receiving at least three satellite positioning data; receiving road marking data from a driver assistance device; calculating a first position of a vehicle according to the at least three satellite positioning data and according to the road marking data; determining a turning action of the vehicle according to the road marking data; determining an acceleration force of the vehicle according to the road marking data; and calculating a second position of the vehicle according to the first position, according to the turning action, and according to the acceleration force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Wei Ming Dan Chia, Chuan Hock Lim, Bee Ching Kong
  • Patent number: 9895809
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for visually annotating rendered multi-dimensional representations of robot environments. In various implementations, an entity may be identified that is present with a telepresence robot in an environment. A measure of potential interest of a user in the entity may be calculated based on a record of one or more interactions between the user and one or more computing devices. In some implementations, the one or more interactions may be for purposes other than directly operating the telepresence robot. In various implementations, a multi-dimensional representation of the environment may be rendered as part of a graphical user interface operable by the user to control the telepresence robot. In various implementations, a visual annotation may be selectively rendered within the multi-dimensional representation of the environment in association with the entity based on the measure of potential interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: Kyle Moore, Vincent Dureau, Nareshkumar Rajkumar
  • Patent number: 9844880
    Abstract: A robotic applique assembly for incorporation into a manually controlled vehicle to provide unmanned operational capability to the vehicle includes an assembly body configured to be positioned into the vehicle in substantially the same area occupied by a user of the vehicle. The assembly body can have a series of segments including a torso segment, a bench segment and a leg segment. The segments are pivotally coupled one to another to allow adjustment of position of the segments relative to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: KAIROS AUTONOMI, INC.
    Inventor: George A. Takach
  • Patent number: 9842443
    Abstract: In general, aspects of this disclosure are directed towards techniques for using a computing device to perform the functionality of a vehicle key, so that the computing device may be used to automatically unlock the doors of a vehicle and/or to activate a previously-deactivated keyless ignition system. The computing device may be associated with a vehicle, including sending an identifier associated with the computing device to the vehicle via short-range communication. The computing device may also send to the vehicle, via short-range communication, at least one unlock door signal including an access code verifiable by the vehicle, and wherein receipt of the at least one unlock door signal by the vehicle enables the vehicle to unlock one or more of its doors without further user intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Zhi Weng, Lantian Zheng
  • Patent number: 9814534
    Abstract: A remote workstation for the control of percutaneous intervention devices is provided. The remote workstation includes a control system for remotely and independently controlling at least two percutaneous intervention devices. The control system includes at least one input device to control the percutaneous intervention devices. The control system controls movement of at least one of the percutaneous intervention devices along at least two degrees of freedom. The remote workstation also includes a graphical user interface for displaying icons representative of the operational status of each of the percutaneous intervention devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: CORINDUS, INC.
    Inventors: Tal Wenderow, Thomas Bromander, David Handler
  • Patent number: 9796377
    Abstract: A method includes detecting a fault of a component of a vehicle. The method also includes providing a plurality of modes of operation for the vehicle including an engine only mode, an electric only mode, a hybrid mode, a partial engine only mode, a partial electric only mode and a partial hybrid mode. At least two of the plurality of modes of operation that avoid use of the faulty component are displayed on a display screen, and a selection of one of the at least two of the plurality of modes of operation that are displayed on the display screen is received. The method includes activating at least one electric, mechanical or software isolator to isolate or disengage at least one component associated with electric propulsion of the vehicle or at least one component associated with combustion engine propulsion of the vehicle that includes the faulty component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuo Uehara, Danil Prokhorov
  • Patent number: 9782898
    Abstract: A robot controller having a function for mitigating damage to a robot when the robot is brought to an emergency stop, and for facilitating restoration of the robot from the emergency stop. The robot controller has a controlling part which controls a motion of a robot based on a predetermined robot program; a first detecting part which detects a predetermined abnormality which does not require the robot to be immediately stopped; a stopping condition judging part which judges as to whether or not a predetermined stopping condition is satisfied when the first detecting part detects the abnormality; and a stopping process executing part which executes a stopping process of the robot when the stopping condition is satisfied, and does not execute the stopping process when the stopping condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shougo Inagaki, Soichi Arita
  • Patent number: 9783064
    Abstract: A method for operating a recuperation brake of a motor vehicle is disclosed. First, a future operating intensity of the recuperation brake is estimated for a section of route to be travelled on by the motor vehicle based on an input which characterizes the driving style of the section of route to be travelled on. In addition, a maximum slip-free vehicle braking power for the section of route is estimated as a function of the input. In addition, the braking power of the recuperation brake is set to a setpoint braking power which is not greater than the maximum vehicle braking power for the section of route, and finally the recuperation brake is activated on the section of route to be travelled on with the setpoint braking power. In addition, a recuperation brake for carrying out the method is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Johannes Moritz Maiterth, Michael Wegerer
  • Patent number: 9783061
    Abstract: The present teachings provide a method for controlling transmission of power to a set of wheels of a vehicle. The method can include providing a drive module configured to provide an amount of drive torque for powering the set of vehicle wheels. The method can include determining a yaw rate of the vehicle and a first set of vehicle parameters. The method can include determining a reference yaw rate of the vehicle based on the first set of vehicle parameters. The method can include calculating a yaw rate error based on the yaw rate and the reference yaw rate. The method can include reducing the amount of drive torque provided by the drive module to the vehicle wheels based on the yaw rate error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: e-AAM Driveline Systems AB
    Inventors: Gabriel Trönnberg, Emil K. Gavling
  • Patent number: 9776328
    Abstract: A robot control apparatus comprises a contact detection unit which judges whether or not a robot is in contact with an object other than the robot, and an operation direction monitor unit which detects an operation direction of the robot after the robot comes in contact with the object and monitors operation of the robot. After the robot comes in contact with the object, the operation direction monitor unit permits operation of the robot being within a permissible range and inhibits operation of the robot falling outside the permissible range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Naitou, Soichi Arita
  • Patent number: 9737989
    Abstract: A human cooperation robot system includes: an external force detecting unit that detects an external force acting on a robot; a retreat operation commanding unit that commands a retreat operation for causing the robot to be moved in a direction such that the external force is decreased when the external force detected by the external force detecting unit is larger than a first threshold value; a position acquiring unit that a current position of the robot; and a retreat operation stopping unit that stops the retreat operation when the current position of the robot acquired by the position acquiring unit departs from a retreat area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Naitou, Soichi Arita, Hiromitsu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9730815
    Abstract: A method for operating a grasping device and grasping devices therefrom are provided. The grasping device is configured to use a plurality of parallel, bi-directional state flow maps each defining a sequence of poses for a plurality of joints in the grasping device. The method include receiving at least one control signal, determining a current pose of the grasping device within the one of the plurality of state flow maps currently selected for the grasping device, and selectively actuating the plurality of joints to traverse the sequence of poses, where a direction for traversing the sequence of poses is based on the at least one control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Michael Goldfarb, Skyler A. Dalley, Huseyin Atakan Varol
  • Patent number: 9731701
    Abstract: A maximum output line during HV backward running accompanying actuation of an engine is on a side of lower torque than a maximum output line in EV backward running in an engine stop state. Reverse drive torque during EV backward running is set in accordance with the sum of base torque suppressed within a range not higher than maximum output torque during HV backward running and correction torque added at the time when a reverse drive torque request from a driver is great in accordance with a running state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shunya Kato
  • Patent number: 9724827
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a kinematically redundant robot includes detecting joint forces acting in the joints of the robot, determining an external work force between a robot-permanent reference point and an environment based on the detected joint forces, determining a further monitoring variable that is at least substantially independent of an external force acting on the robot-permanent reference point based on the detected joint forces, and monitoring the determined external work force and the determined further monitoring variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Marc-Walter Ueberle
  • Patent number: 9725112
    Abstract: [Problem] An object of the present invention is to provide an electric power steering apparatus that is capable of positively returning a steering wheel to a neutral point in such a running state as to return to a going straight state by calculating a return control current corresponding to a steering angle and a steering speed and compensating a current command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kitazume
  • Patent number: 9725880
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for controlling a cascaded hybrid construction machine system and a method therefor, which apparatus includes: a control part for controlling an electric motor for driving an actuator differently according to whether or not the actuator performs a recovery action and whether or not an energy storage device can be recharged; and a motor driver for driving or stopping the electric motor by switching under the control of the control unit, wherein when the actuator performs a recovery action for both the overcharged state and the failure state of the energy storage device, the motor for driving the actuator is temporarily stopped by the switching of the motor driver so as to restrain the recovery energy generated, thus protecting the hybrid power source system and keeping the operator safe as well as resolving the problem of the working time being increased due to the system's shutting off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AB
    Inventor: Chong-Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 9718471
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product automatically provide spatial separation between self-driving vehicles (SDVs) operating in an autonomous mode and vehicles being operating in a manual mode on a roadway. A first SDV operating on the roadway is operating in autonomous mode. A second vehicle may be operating in the autonomous mode or a manual mode, in which a driver is controlling the second vehicle. Processor(s) issue spatial separation instructions to the first SDV, which direct SDV control mechanisms controller on the first SDV to direct a set of SDV vehicular physical control mechanisms on the first SDV to provide a predetermined amount of spatial separation between the first SDV and the second vehicle, based on whether the second vehicle is being operated in the manual mode or in the autonomous mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Gordon, James R. Kozloski, Ashish Kundu, Peter K. Malkin, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 9694793
    Abstract: A vehicle braking control device includes: a mode switch for making a switching request for braking force characteristics of a vehicle; a motor cylinder device for generating braking force characteristics based on the switching request made by the mode switch; a brake fluid pressure sensor for detecting operation of the brake pedal; and an ECU for prohibiting the braking force characteristics of the motor cylinder device from being changed in a case where the mode switch is operated while the operation of the brake pedal is detected by the brake fluid pressure sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keisuke Ishino, Shuichi Okada