Patents Examined by Sara Nelson
  • Patent number: 8781672
    Abstract: A system and a method of generating a reliability prediction for components of a vehicle. The system and the method include implementing importance sampling in dynamic vehicle systems when the vehicle is subjected to time-dependent random terrain input. Alternatively, simulation data may be implemented. The system and the method include determining a decorrelation length, scaling up the standard deviation of white noise, and calculation of a likelihood ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Amandeep Singh, Efstratios Nikolaidis, Zissimos P. Mourelatos
  • Patent number: 8774990
    Abstract: A method for demanding safety reactions for a rail vehicle having a plurality of appliances each able to demand a safety reaction when required, namely a braking process or a traction inhibit or both for the rail vehicle, includes: a) identification of a state in which one of the safety reactions should be carried out by one of the appliances, b) demanding the safety reaction by the appliance through a data bus, and c) feeding back information to the demanding appliance that the safety reaction has been carried out or intervening in a safety loop to initiate the desired safety reaction, if the safety reaction is not carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wilhelm Burg, Norbert Werkmeister
  • Patent number: 8775077
    Abstract: One or more markers are dispensed on ground, pavement or other surface in a dig area to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, so as to provide a visual indication of a presence or an absence of one or more underground utilities in the dig area. One or more signals are wirelessly transmitted in response to the dispensing of the one or more markers, wherein the signal(s) represent(s) first data relating to a location at which the marker(s) is/are dispensed, and/or one or more characteristics of the dispensed marker(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: CertusView Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Nielsen, Curtis Chambers, Jeffrey Farr
  • Patent number: 8768541
    Abstract: A display system in a flight deck includes at least one screen adapted for displaying several different applications and at least one cursor associated with the applications, an interaction device includes means for activation of the cursor configurable automatically according to the application displayed, and the interaction device includes a touch-sensitive screen adapted for displaying a visual representation of a control panel of a real physical system of the flight-deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations S.A.S.
    Inventors: Gregory Detouillon, Yannick Deleris
  • Patent number: 8761979
    Abstract: The present invention protects a high voltage battery in a hybrid electric vehicle. More particularly, it makes it possible to prevent a battery from being overcharged when a motor or an inverter system breaks, with the hybrid vehicle traveling. The technique for protecting a high voltage battery in a hybrid electric vehicle illustratively comprises: checking whether a motor functions properly; setting a virtual acceleration pedal value and keeping a present desired shifting map, when the motor breaks; determining a desired shifting stage according to the present desired shifting map based on the virtual acceleration pedal value; and, in certain embodiments, switching or keeping the engine control mode by comparing a value of a predetermined maximum engine speed region with the present engine speed in order to prevent high-speed rotation of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Seok Young Yun
  • Patent number: 8762024
    Abstract: A system for automatically managing engine control modes of a multi-engine aircraft is disclosed. The system (1) can comprise means (5, 7, 8, 9, 10) for automatically switching all the controlling units (2) of the engines of the aircraft to an alternative controlling mode, as soon as one of such controlling units (2) is brought to such an alternative controlling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (SAS)
    Inventor: Brice Fernandez
  • Patent number: 8744674
    Abstract: A method of configuring infotainment applications in a motor vehicle is provided. A control unit is configurable via a configuration interface such that the functional scope and/or a basic setting of the infotainment application is changed based on first configuration data from a first configuration data server. A service center stationarily arranged at a distance from the motor vehicle has a second configuration data server and a second configuration data bank. The service center has a first modification interface by which configuration data of the second configuration data bank is modifiable using first access rights and a second Internet-based modification interface by which the configuration data is modifiable using second access rights differing from the first. Modifications of the configuration data are recognized and the configuration data of the first configuration data bank is changed by using the configuration data from the second configuration data bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sebastian Zimmermann, Mikhail Smirnov
  • Patent number: 8738212
    Abstract: The disclosure herein provides systems for a versatile electric bicycle that is configured to be easily adapted to accommodate various needs and requirements. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may provide features and/or models that are configured to be easily adapted to accommodate parts of varying dimensions, different seating configurations, and/or particular laws and regulations of different jurisdictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Civilized Cycles Incorporated
    Inventor: Zachary Schieffelin
  • Patent number: 8738259
    Abstract: A movable body according to the present invention detects an operation state including attitude information of the movable body by using an operation state detector, generates a drive velocity command based on the detected attitude information and an attitude information command to be input, generates a torque command of the drive device based on the generated drive velocity command and a drive velocity detected by a drive velocity detector, and drives the drive device in accordance with the torque command generated by a velocity controller, to thereby move. In the movable body, the velocity controller performs velocity control so that the drive velocity detected by the drive velocity detector follows the drive velocity command generated by an attitude controller, and the attitude controller performs attitude control so that the attitude information detected by the operation state detector follows the attitude information command to be input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kosaka
  • Patent number: 8731791
    Abstract: When an internal combustion engine is cranked up from a stopped position of a piston in a restart-time first ignition cylinder which is scheduled to start a combustion at the time of an automatic restart of the engine under an automatic stop of the engine during an idling-stop control, a restart-time ignition time interval between a time point when the cranking of the engine is started and a time point when the restart-time first ignition cylinder is initially ignited is calculated. A drive-start timing of a starter motor is delayed according to this restart-time ignition time interval. Thereby, the cranking of the engine is carried out by the starter motor under a state where the hydraulic pressure supplied from the electric oil pump has increased. Thus, the slip in the clutch of the CVT can be suppressed when the gas mixture in the restart-time first ignition cylinder is initially ignited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shouta Hamane, Takayuki Iwasaki, Yoshikazu Hirato
  • Patent number: 8731784
    Abstract: A blade control system of the present invention includes an angle obtaining part, an open ratio setting part and a lift cylinder controlling part. The angle obtaining part is configured to obtain an angle of a lift frame with respect to a designed surface. The open ratio setting part is configured to set an open ratio based on the angle. The lift cylinder controlling part is configured to open a proportional control valve at the open ratio for elevating the blade when a distance between the designed surface and an edge of a blade is determined to be less than or equal to a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Hayashi, Kenjiro Shimada, Kenji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 8731771
    Abstract: A tire inflation pressure obtaining unit obtains tire inflation pressure. An inflation pressure storing unit stores a tire inflation pressure after start of travel of a vehicle as an after-travel inflation pressure. A pressure reduction determining unit determines reduction in the tire inflation pressure based on the tire inflation pressure obtained. A reference pressure setting unit sets larger one of the after-travel inflation pressure and a predetermined lowest reference pressure as a reference pressure of tire inflation pressure determination when reduction in the tire inflation pressure is determined, and sets the lowest reference pressure as a reference pressure of tire inflation pressure determination when reduction in the tire inflation pressure is not determined. An alarm unit generates an alarm when the tire inflation pressure becomes below an alarm pressure threshold which is determined from the reference pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kusunoki, Hideki Ohashi
  • Patent number: 8725376
    Abstract: A vehicle can be operated in a first drive mode in which a front differential is set to a non-driven state and a rear differential is set to a differential state, a second drive mode in which the front differential is set to a non-driven state and the rear differential is set to a differential locked state, a third drive mode in which the front differential is set to a differential state and the rear differential is set to a differential locked state, and a fourth drive mode in which the front differential is set to a differential locked state and the rear differential is set to a differential locked state. Transition is allowed only between adjacent drive modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Murota, Hiroyuki Fujimoto, Hiroshi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8718927
    Abstract: Repairing GPS data is disclosed. Repairing GPS data includes repairing an effort, comprising determining that the effort includes inaccurate GPS data; and adjusting the effort using a repaired base map. Repairing GPs data includes repairing a segment, comprising determining an inaccurate shape data in the segment; and adjusting shape data for the segment based on a repaired base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Strava, Inc.
    Inventors: Davis Kitchel, Brian Riordan
  • Patent number: 8706366
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling engine using height information capable of preventing an engine from stopping according to a position of a vehicle. An apparatus for controlling an engine of a vehicle using height information includes: a height information management unit storing a plurality of height information; and an idling controller that extracts one or more height information according to a position of the vehicle from the height information management unit to determine a slope of the vehicle and controls the idling of the vehicle according to the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jae-Chul Kim, Seong-Ho Lee, Yoon-Seop Chang, Jae-Jun Yoo, Sun-Rae Park
  • Patent number: 8682503
    Abstract: A mobile interface for controlling a plurality of vehicle functions in a motor vehicle using a controller connected to the vehicle, having a wireless data interchange with a controller, an input apparatus, and an energy store. By virtue of the wireless data interchange being connected to a data processing unit integrated in the mobile interface and which is designed to apply at least one cryptological method, a greater scope of functions becomes possible that can also include control of safety-relevant vehicle functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Bosch, Gerhard Rombach