Patents Examined by Shardul D Patel
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Patent number: 10549770Abstract: A method for steering a vehicle, wherein forces for steering wheels are generated by a steering torque. The steering torque is applied by a mechanical steering system and/or a steering actuator. The method includes in the automatic phase: automatic steering of the vehicle, where a control unit calculates an automatic torque and actuates the steering actuator so that the steering torque corresponds to the automatic torque. During the engagement phase when a manual torque applied to the steering wheel by the driver is detected, the method includes maintaining the calculated automatic torque as a steering torque by ignoring or compensating the manual torque until the manual torque has exceeded a defined threshold torque greater than zero. During a transfer phase, the method includes reducing the automatic torque after exceeding the threshold torque, wherein the steering torque corresponds to the sum of the manual torque and automatic torque.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2018Date of Patent: February 4, 2020Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AktiengesellschaftInventors: Johannes Albrecht, Matthias Schoelzel
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Patent number: 10538240Abstract: A road vehicle convoy control method includes applying, on a hinge, a moment, an amplitude of which varies based on measured oscillations to absorb the measured oscillations. The moment is applied on the hinge by controlling an actuator of the hinge and jointly controlling: an electrical machine of a first wheel from a wheel set that belongs to part of a chassis that pivot in relation to another wheel because of the hinge to increase torque of the first wheel; and, simultaneously, an electrical machine of a second wheel from the same wheel set to keep the torque thereof constant or increase the torque of the second wheel less than the torque of the first wheel to apply the moment on the hinge in combination with the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2016Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVESInventors: Valery Cervantes, Jerome Laborde
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Patent number: 10533872Abstract: A system determines a set of POIs that are visible from a location. The system stores a visibility map for each POI. A visibility map includes data about locations or regions from which the associated POI is visible. The data may include information about how visible the POI is from different locations. The system divides a region into road bins (e.g., geofences a route passes through). Each road bin is associated with a set of POIs that are visible from locations within the road bin. When the system receives a request from a user device for information about visible POIs, the system determines a road bin that corresponds to the location of the user device, identifies POIs associated with the road bin, and transmits information about the set of POIs to the user device.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 2017Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Moore, Janice J. Suh, Benjamin Kadlec, Christine Misuye Tao
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Patent number: 10531603Abstract: An agricultural system is disclosed comprising one or more radar sensors configured to acquire radar data representative of crop rows in an agricultural field. The system also comprises a controller configured to determine crop-property-data based on the radar data. The crop property data is representative of one or more properties of crop rows that are in a field.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2017Date of Patent: January 14, 2020Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventors: Luca Ferrari, Trevor Stanhope, Kevin Smith
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Patent number: 10531166Abstract: A system of a machine includes a network of a plurality of sensing/control/identification devices distributed throughout the machine. Each of the sensing/control/identification devices is associated with at least one sub-system component of the machine and operable to communicate through a plurality of electromagnetic signals. Shielding surrounds at least one of the sensing/control/identification devices to contain the electromagnetic signals proximate to the at least one sub-system component. A communication path is integrally formed in a component of the machine to route a portion of the electromagnetic signals through the component. The communication path comprises a material transparent to the electromagnetic signals. The system also includes a remote processing unit operable to communicate with the network of the sensing/control/identification devices through the electromagnetic signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2016Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Joseph V. Mantese, Kurt J. Sobanski
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Patent number: 10521665Abstract: Tracking an object using an unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. A plurality of images showing the object is received from a camera of the unmanned aerial vehicle. A first static characteristic, a second static characteristic, a first dynamic characteristic, and a second dynamic characteristic of the object are determined. The second static characteristic is compared to the first static characteristic, and the second dynamic characteristic is compared to the first dynamic characteristic. It is determined that the second static characteristic is approximately equal to the first static characteristic, and that the second dynamic characteristic is approximately equal to the first dynamic characteristic. Finally, it is determined that the object is moving.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Cloudparc, Inc.Inventors: Steven David Nerayoff, Thompson S. Wong
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Patent number: 10520581Abstract: A variety of methods, controllers and algorithms are described for fusing sensor data obtained from different vehicles for use in the at least partial automatic control of a particular vehicle. The described techniques are well suited for use in conjunction with a variety of different vehicle control applications including platooning, convoying and other connected driving applications including tractor-trailer truck platooning applications.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Peloton Technology, Inc.Inventors: Austin B. Schuh, Stephen M. Erlien, Joshua P. Switkes
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Patent number: 10518801Abstract: Examples of techniques for estimating stability margins in a steer-by-wire system are disclosed. In one example implementation, a method for open-loop steer-by-wire (SbW) system linearization includes linearizing, by a processing device, an open-loop SbW system at different operating points. The method further includes determining, by the processing device, an open-loop transfer function of the op en-loop SbW system. The method further includes estimating, by the processing device, margins of stability for the open-loop SbW system. The method further includes implementing the margins of stability into a vehicle to reduce instability in a steering system of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLCInventors: Bo Yu, Ibrahim A. Badiru, Scott R. Kloess
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Patent number: 10513273Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a transition between a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode of a vehicle. For instance, one or more processors of one or more control computing devices may control the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode. While controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode and decelerating at a given rate, the processors may receive at a user input of the vehicle input requesting a transition from the autonomous driving mode to the manual driving mode. In response to the input, the processors may transition the vehicle to the manual driving mode. After transitioning the vehicle to the manual driving mode, the processors may send deceleration signals to a deceleration actuator thereby causing the vehicle to continue to decelerate at the given rate.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2017Date of Patent: December 24, 2019Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Ethan Stark, Daniel Trawick Egnor, Ryan Cash, Andrew Schultz
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Patent number: 10509408Abstract: A drive planning processor plans a driving operation plan for a subject vehicle traveling on a route. The drive planning processor determines an action for each of a plurality of events which the subject vehicle encounters in a time-series manner when traveling on a first route and plans a series of driving operation plan for a scene which the subject vehicle encounters using content of each action determined for each of the plurality of events.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2015Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Motonobu Aoki, Noriaki Fujiki, Susumu Fujita, Hikaru Nishira
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Patent number: 10501113Abstract: To provide a motor drive control device, an electric power steering device, and a vehicle which can individually diagnose abnormalities of magnetic detection elements, designed in a multisystem configuration to include at least two systems, for each system. A motor drive control device includes two systems of first and second rotation information detection function units. The first and second rotation information detection function units include first and second rotation position information detection units and first and second rotation information detection units. The first and second rotation information detection units individually diagnose their own abnormalities based on first and second motor rotation position signals detected by the first and second rotation position information detection units.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: NSK Ltd.Inventors: Masaki Kuwahara, Shigeyuki Uematsu
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Patent number: 10486640Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more grocery storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more grocery items stored at the one more grocery storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more grocery items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more grocery storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2018Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 10486823Abstract: An aircraft is provided that includes a fuel storage tank for aviation fuel, and avionics systems interconnected by an avionics bus. The fuel storage tank receives aviation fuel during a fuel uplift for a flight according to a flight plan that includes and depends on a predicted fuel burn determined based on a reference lower heating value (LHV) of the aviation fuel. The avionics systems include temperature and density sensors, and a flight management system (FMS). The temperature and density sensors measure respectively the temperature and density of the aviation fuel. The FMS receives the measurements, estimates an actual LHV that is different from the reference LHV based on the measurements, and determines an adjusted predicted fuel burn for the flight based on the predicted fuel burn and the actual LHV. The FMS displays the adjusted predicted fuel burn and enable adjustment of the flight plan based thereon.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2017Date of Patent: November 26, 2019Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Jose A. Fregnani, James D. Kinder, Onofre Andrade
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Patent number: 10482685Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a system that may facilitate communications so that parents or other superiors may monitor driving behavior of a vehicle carrying children or other subordinates. The system may allow communications to be sent from a parent computing device to a particular child computing device to set conditions for notifying the parent or superior of the driving behavior of a vehicle. Child computing devices may collect drive data (e.g., vehicle telematics data) for the system to evaluate and determine whether conditions are met (e.g., whether parental restrictions, like a geo-fence, are violated). Further, the system may send notifications to child computing devices and parent computing devices indicating whether the drive data meets the conditions of an agreement between a parent and teen. The system may also provide a web portal for use in forming the agreement between parents and their teens.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2017Date of Patent: November 19, 2019Assignee: Arity International LimitedInventors: Imran Iqbal, Srinath Gopalan, Yuval Saban
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Patent number: 10474699Abstract: A relative atlas may be used to lay out elements in a digital map used in the control of an autonomous vehicle. A vehicle pose for the autonomous vehicle within a geographical area may be determined, and the relative atlas may be accessed to identify elements in the geographical area and to determine relative poses between those elements. The elements may then be laid out within the digital map using the determined relative poses, e.g., for use in planning vehicle trajectories, for estimating the states of traffic controls, or for tracking and/or identifying dynamic objects, among other purposes.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2019Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: Aurora Innovation, Inc.Inventors: Ethan Eade, Michael Bode, James Andrew Bagnell
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Patent number: 10472037Abstract: Disclosed is a method of decreasing pressure fluctuation induced on a surface of a hull due to propeller cavitation by adjusting a relative rotation angle of propellers of a twin-propeller ship.Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2017Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF OCEAN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYInventors: Cheol Soo Park, Gun Do Kim, Youngha Park
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Patent number: 10464547Abstract: A vehicle includes drive wheels, an energy source having an available energy, a torque-generating device powered by the energy source to provide an input torque, a transmission configured to receive the input torque and deliver an output torque to the set of drive wheels, and a controller. The controller, as part of a programmed method, predicts consumption of the available energy along a predetermined travel route using onboard data, offboard data, and a first logic block, and also corrects the predicted energy consumption using the onboard data, offboard data, and an error correction loop between a second logic block and the first logic block. The controller also executes a control action with respect to the vehicle using the corrected energy consumption, including changing a logic state of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2017Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: David S. Park, Kevin J. Smith, Terence L. Meehan, Todd P. Lindemann, Richard B. Weinberg, James B. Nicholson, Chia-Hsiang Liu, Andrew M. Zettel, Ramon A. Alonso
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Patent number: 10457264Abstract: An abnormality detection device includes a control target hydraulic pressure calculating portion that calculates a control target hydraulic pressure according to an operation state of a brake pedal, the hydraulic pressure obtaining portion that obtains the hydraulic pressure of the operating fluid controlled to become the control target hydraulic pressure calculated by the control target hydraulic pressure calculating portion from the pressure sensor; a second determination threshold value changing portion that changes a threshold value to be closer to the control target hydraulic pressure calculated by the control target hydraulic pressure calculating portion in a stepwise manner when a state determining portion determines that the control target hydraulic pressure is in a maintaining state, and the abnormality determining portion that determines the hydraulic pressure braking force generating device is abnormal when the hydraulic pressure obtained by the hydraulic pressure obtaining portion deviates from thType: GrantFiled: August 25, 2016Date of Patent: October 29, 2019Assignees: ADVICS CO., LTD., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Tatsushi Kobayashi, Takahiro Okano
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Patent number: 10451433Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to generating and providing route options for an autonomous vehicle. For example, a user may identify a destination, and in response the vehicle's computer may provide routing options to the user. The routing options may be based on typical navigating considerations such as the total travel time, travel distance, fuel economy, etc. Each routing option may include not only an estimated total time, but also information regarding whether and which portions of the route may be maneuvered under the control of the vehicle alone (fully autonomous), a combination of the vehicle and the driver (semiautonomous), or the driver alone. The time of the longest stretch of driving associated with the autonomous mode as well as map information indicating portions of the routes associated with the type of maneuvering control may also be provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2018Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Waymo LLCInventors: Nicholas Kenneth Hobbs, Lawrence Burns, Brian Cullinane
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Patent number: 10452078Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for autonomous robotic localization. In one example, the method includes receiving ranging measurements from a plurality of fixed anchor nodes that each have a fixed position and height with respect to the asset, receiving another ranging measurement from an aerial anchor node attached to an unmanned robot having a dynamically adjustable position and height different than the fixed position and height of each of the plurality of anchor nodes, and determining a location of the autonomous robot with respect to the asset based on the ranging measurements received from the fixed anchor nodes and the aerial anchor node, and autonomously moving the autonomous robot about the asset based on the determined location.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2017Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Yang Zhao, Mauricio Castillo-Effen, Ghulam Ali Baloch, Huan Tan, Douglas Forman