Patents Examined by Shardul Patel
  • Patent number: 8521426
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a weather index mapped to a road segment for a particular time frame includes receiving weather condition information for a plurality of time periods, parsing the weather condition information to determine weather conditions for a road segment defined by a starting point and an ending point for the plurality of time periods, and generating a plurality of weather indices for the road segment. Each weather index is associated with one of the plurality of time periods and is representative of a predicted traffic impact based on historical information of the received weather conditions for the road segment. The plurality of time periods includes at least one future time period and the weather condition information includes forecasted weather information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Weather Central, LP
    Inventors: Terence F. Kelly, Victor W. Marsh, Christopher W. Kelly, Kevin E. Baird
  • Patent number: 8521339
    Abstract: A method of remotely controlling an aerial vehicle within an environment, including providing a control station in communication with the aerial vehicle, providing a map of the environment, receiving target world coordinates for the aerial vehicle within the environment, determining a desired velocity vector to direct the aerial vehicle to the target world coordinates at a speed proportional to the distance between the aerial vehicle and the target world coordinates, and directing the aerial vehicle along the desired velocity vector until the aerial vehicle reaches the target world coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Aeryon Labs Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Gariepy, Dave Kroetsch, Steffen Lindner, Mike Peasgood
  • Patent number: 8509948
    Abstract: Disclosed are a walking robot and a method of controlling the same, in which impedance control and torso tilt control are achieved complementarily such that impedance can be adjusted according to the tilt of a torso or the tilt of the torso can be adjusted according to the impedance. The method includes measuring a moment of a foot; measuring a tilt of a torso; adjusting the scale of the measured moment based on the tilt of the torso, and controlling the foot based on the scale-adjusted moment; and adjusting the scale of the measured tilt based on a ZMP variation amount of the foot, and controlling the tilt of the torso based on the scale-adjusted ZMP variation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang Hyun Roh, Woong Kwon
  • Patent number: 8510011
    Abstract: A system for controlling a vehicle that controls driving force and braking force such that a vehicle speed is maintained at a target vehicle speed. More specifically, when the vehicle speed exceeds the target vehicle speed, the system for controlling a vehicle maintains the driving force at or above a predetermined value, and applies braking force to the vehicle such that the vehicle speed is maintained at the target vehicle speed. This provides the vehicle with sufficient driving force for uphill driving following the downhill driving, and thus to travel uphill without significant speed loss. In other words, the vehicle ascends the uphill road smoothly at an approximately constant speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gen Inoue, Yasuhito Ishida
  • Patent number: 8504224
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring risky atmospheric areas. The invention relates to an onboard device connected to meteorological measurement systems making it possible to calculate danger detection areas in front of the aircraft in order to detect potential areas of penetration of the aircraft into risky atmospheric areas. The areas of intersection between the detection areas and the risky meteorological areas are calculated according to the trajectory of the aircraft stored in the navigation system. The method makes it possible to generate alerts and force the display of the meteorological situation in front of the aircraft in case of danger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Nicolas Marty, Hugues Meunier, Philippe Salmon
  • Patent number: 8494767
    Abstract: Provided is a method and an apparatus for automatically determining practicality of a trip. A mobile device obtains at least one point of interest among a starting location and a finishing location for a trip. In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, for each point of interest, the mobile device automatically determines an indication of practicality for making the point of interest an intermediate location to be visited during the trip based on both the starting location and the finishing location for the trip. By considering both the starting location and the finishing location, the points of interest can be presented to the user in a manner that reflects how practical it is to visit the points of interest given that the user is to end up at the finishing location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Calin Nicolaie Bugnariu
  • Patent number: 8489268
    Abstract: A predefined operating strategy permits a predefined operating mode of the motor vehicle. A first operating variable value of the operating mode and/or one additional variable value, which is independent of the operating mode are sensed and one estimated value is determined depending thereon, which is representative of one expected value of the one first operating variable of a second operating variable of the operating mode. One predicted value is determined depending on the sensed values of the one first operating variable, the one additional variable, and/or the one determined estimated value. The predicted value represents an expected operating state and is compared with one predefined comparison value, which is representative of one predefined operation state. The operating strategy is set as a function of the comparison and of the at least one estimated variable in such a way that the predefined operating state is as far as possible avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Hauptmann, Kai Heesche
  • Patent number: 8483921
    Abstract: [Problem] A two-wheel?four-wheel drive switching for a traction-transmitting part time four-wheel drive vehicle in which a gear clutch for separating one of auxiliary driving wheels from a drive train is equipped can be carried out under a shock reduction. [Means for solving problem] In a case where a two-wheel?four-wheel drive switching request occurs during a traveling of the vehicle (step S11 and step S12), an operation of switching a traction-transmitting transfer from a non-transmitting state to a transmitting state is preceded (step S18 and step S22) and, thereafter, the gear clutch is engaged (step S21 and step S22) when a revolution speed difference ?Vw between main and auxiliary driving wheels is 0<?Vw<? along with an advance of the state switching of the transfer so that large shock and abnormal sound are not generated even if the gear clutch is switched from a released state to an engagement state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eigo Sakagami, Atsuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8473119
    Abstract: For a vehicle having thrusters and control surfaces or other types of effectors having different cost of use and/or effectiveness as a function of vehicle speed, errors in position relative to an asserted control command are apportioned between errors of translational rate and pointing error as a function of speed in the vertical and/or horizontal planes and guidance commands are adjusted accordingly to produce commands that provide an optimal attitude for guidance of the vehicle through an arbitrary maneuver. The commands thus generated are then preferably apportioned between various available effectors to execute the maneuver most efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Joseph Larkin, Eugene Angelo Petrino
  • Patent number: 8467965
    Abstract: A route planning method for a navigation system of a moving object. The method comprises planning and executing a first navigation route; labeling lane entrances in a road corresponding to a substitute navigation route according to a location of the moving object when traffic information is detected, and planning and executing a second navigation route according to the lane entrance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Mitac International Corp.
    Inventor: Chien-Yang Chang
  • Patent number: 8452504
    Abstract: A vehicle drivetrain can include various structures, such as a multi-ratio transmission, a two-speed final drive assembly connected in series with the multi-ratio transmission and including a low speed final drive ratio and a high speed final drive ratio, a pair of front driveshafts driven by the two-speed final drive assembly, a pair of rear driveshafts, a rear differential assembly connected to the two-speed final drive assembly, and a control assembly including. The control assembly can include a controller in electrical communication with portions of the rear differential assembly, such as a variable displacement pump and purge valve. An input array can be in electrical communication with the controller and can include a plurality of sensors, and at least one switch accessible to an operator of the vehicle. Various related methods can also be executed for control and operation of such a drivetrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael Thomas Dickinson, Andrew J. Fox
  • Patent number: 8447475
    Abstract: A method providing assistance with hill starts to a vehicle including a power plant connected to the driven wheels by a clutch and an automatic parking brake. The method generates an instruction to store in a memory a characteristic of a gradient which corresponds to a state in which it is estimated that the user and the vehicle are ready to pull away, on the basis of conditions that given physical parameters of the vehicle must satisfy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Renault S.A.S.
    Inventors: Christophe Desfriches, Alessandro Monti, Richard Pothin
  • Patent number: 8447481
    Abstract: A transmission, such as an automated manual transmission for a motor vehicle, with at least one shift group, such that the shift group or each shift group comprises a shift rail which actuates a shift fork that co-operates with a shift sleeve of the shift group concerned. Associated with the shift rail of the shift group or of each shift group there is a sensor that moves together with the respective shift rail relative to a corresponding measurement receiver such that in the area of at least one shift group, a first relative position between the measurement receiver and the sensor in the actuation direction and a second relative position between the measurement receiver and the sensor perpendicular to the actuation direction of the shift rail concerned can be detected, and from the second relative position, an evaluation device deduces system conditions of the shift group concerned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Reith, Mario Steinborn
  • Patent number: 8442733
    Abstract: A skip shift device performance detecting method used to more accurately enable skip shift diagnostic execution in a manual transmission equipped vehicle where a skip shift has been requested and a transmission clutch remains engaged. Where a skip shift request ceases during clutch engagement, a timed loop is used to monitor if clutch disengagement occurs before the loop times out. Where clutch disengagement occurs before the loop times out, skip shift diagnostic execution is enabled. Where the loop times out before disengagement, skip shift diagnostic execution is disabled. Where the skip shift is requested and the clutch remains engaged, the skip shift request is monitored to determine whether it is withdrawn before clutch disengagement. If it is withdrawn before clutch disengagement, the aforementioned timed monitoring loop is executed. If it is not withdrawn before clutch disengagement, execution of the skip shift diagnostic is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Chrysler Group LLC
    Inventors: Richard A. Kulas, Steve Wante, Joel D. Ball, Gregory L. Ohl
  • Patent number: 8437934
    Abstract: A temperature and/or wear sensor for brake or clutch devices is designed as a thermocouple in which the conductors (20, 22) that are electrically insulated from each other are arranged inside a friction lining (14) and can be connected to each other so as to be electrically conductive by means of a rotatably mounted brake element (12), clutch element or the like, with which the friction lining can be engaged in order to brake or to depress the clutch (FIG. 1). The conductors can be coupled to an electric oscillating circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: TMD Friction Services GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Degenstein
  • Patent number: 8433492
    Abstract: A utility vehicle comprising a cab which houses a steering wheel assembly is provided wherein a steering wheel (22) is rotatably mounted to a support body (24). The support body, or steering console, is mounted on an armrest assembly (40) or control console positioned to one side of a driver's seat (18). By providing an asymmetric mounting arrangement for the steering console, the space underneath is left clear of any supporting structure thus providing improved legroom for the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Shiomi, Shigeyuki Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 8423232
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: an abnormality detecting portion that detects an abnormality in at least part of a shift position detection portion detecting a shift position; a shift-operatoin determining portion that determines, based on a detection signal from the shift position detection portion, whether a shift operating device is shift-operated or not by a driver, and a vehicle movement prevention control portion that, in a case where a movement of a vehicle is prevented by an actuator and in a case where the abnormality in part of the shift position detection portion is detected by the abnormality detecting portion, permits the actuator to release the prevention of the movement of the vehicle if it is determined by the shift-operation determining portion that the shift operating device is shift-operated by the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiko Tsutsumi, Takashi Inoue, Ichiro Kitaori, Kazuo Kawaguchi, Takashi Yuma
  • Patent number: 8417416
    Abstract: An electric auxiliary heating unit for a motor vehicle reliably avoids temperature overshoots of the heated air, especially during acceleration phases of the vehicle. The temperature of adjustment the discharged hot air is adjusted in dependence upon the vehicle speed. This is preferably done via a stored characteristic field via which a plurality of vehicle parameters, such as the vehicle speed, the opening condition of the convertible top, the outside temperature, etc., can easily be taken into account. The temperature of the incoming air can also be derived from temperature values which are already available in the vehicle. This heating can preferably be used locally in the vehicle, e.g. in the vehicle seat or in the rear of the passenger compartment. Temperature fluctuations in the heated air can be avoided reliably and easily even in the case of dynamically varying operating conditions of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Catem GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Franz Bohlender, Michael Zeven, Ulrich Mundt
  • Patent number: 8412414
    Abstract: To provide a coaxial two-wheeled vehicle capable of performing a turning movement with stability and its control method. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the present invention includes drive means to drive two coaxially-arranged wheels, turning reference-input input means to input a turning reference input, and control means to control the drive means according to a turning gain based on a turning reference-input input by the turning reference-input input means to thereby perform a turning movement. The control means preferably brings the turning gain to substantially zero when the coaxial two-wheeled vehicle is in a backward traveling state with a backward speed greater than or equal to a first speed, and sets the turning gain to a value greater than zero when a vehicle speed is substantially zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Susumu Oikawa
  • Patent number: 8412453
    Abstract: A navigation device includes a base unit 10 which is mounted to a body of a vehicle, a front panel unit 14 which is detachably mounted to and connected to the base unit 10, the front panel unit having a navigation function of displaying map data on a front panel and displaying a location of the vehicle on the map data, and an authentication unit 30 which performs authentication to confirm that the base unit 10 and the front panel unit 14 have been connected to each other and, when confirmed, permits operation of an electrical control unit of the vehicle. The navigation device can be used as an antitheft device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Access Corp.
    Inventors: Yukihiko Suzaki, Yoshitaka Terasoma