Patents Examined by Sizo B Vilakazi
  • Patent number: 11912167
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating power for a tractor-trailer combination, including: a drop-lift axle coupled to the bottom of the trailer, the drop-lift axle to deploy at least one wheel when a primary brake is applied and the trailer is operating at a predetermined state; at least one regenerative brake retarder coupled to the at least one wheel, the at least one regenerative brake retarder to generate energy when the at least one wheel is deployed, wherein the at least one regenerative brake retarder acts as an auxiliary brake; and an energy storage system configured to store the energy generated by the at least one regenerative brake retarder, the energy storage system to release the stored energy a main battery to power at least one component of the trailer when needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Hyundai Translead
    Inventors: Jong Seog Lee, Humberto Benitez, Oscar E. Montiel Rosales, Alvaro J. Frausto
  • Patent number: 11915115
    Abstract: To selecting a lane in a multi-lane road segment for a vehicle travelling on the road segment, a system determines current traffic information for the road segment including a plurality of lanes and applies the current traffic information to a machine learning (ML) model to generate an indication of one of the plurality of lanes in which the vehicle is to travel. Subsequently to the vehicle selecting the indicated lane, the system determines an amount of time the vehicle took to travel a certain distance following the selection, and provides the determined amount of time to the ML model as a feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Deselaers, Victor Carbune
  • Patent number: 11912092
    Abstract: A system includes: a state module configured to selectively set a present state to a first state; a valve control module configured to determine first target open and closed states for valves of a suspension system based on the present state and to open and close the valves according to the first target open and closed states, respectively; a pump control module configured to, when the valves are in the first target open and closed states, respectively, selectively operate an electric pump in a first direction to increase hydraulic fluid pressure in a first portion of the suspension system; and a leak module configured to selectively diagnose a leak in a first one of the valves associated with the first state based on a first pressure in the first portion of the suspension system while the valves are open and closed according to the first target open and closed states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Bert Vandersmissen, Stein Slootmaekers, Peter Boon
  • Patent number: 11910756
    Abstract: An agricultural system including an agricultural baler and a control unit. The agricultural baler includes a drive system; a bale chamber defined by at least one movable density door; and at least one actuator for moving the at least one density door. The control unit is configured to: receive a routine-trigger-signal; determine an actuator-control-signal for adjusting a speed at which the at least one actuator moves the at least one density door in response to the routine-trigger-signal; and provide the actuator-control-signal to the drive system for driving the at least one actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Sven Monbaliu, Olivier Helewaut, Lynn Derynck, Yves Loosfelt
  • Patent number: 11905902
    Abstract: A method for managing start up of a four-stroke engine, the method being performed by a controller communicatively connected to the engine. The method includes determining, using a crankshaft sensor, an angular orientation of the crankshaft, the crankshaft being rotated by a starter motor prior to ignition of the engine; determining, using the crankshaft sensor, at least one engine speed variation as the crankshaft rotates through at least one measurement window; and identifying a working cycle phase of the crankshaft including in response to an absolute value of the at least one engine speed variation being above a threshold, determining that the crankshaft is in an ignition revolution of a two revolution working cycle of the engine in the measurement window, subsequent ignition of the engine being based on determination of the angular orientation and the working cycle phase of the crankshaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: BRP-ROTAX GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Matthias Hofmair, Richard Winkoff
  • Patent number: 11905906
    Abstract: Provided is a load drive device for controlling a fuel injection device for a vehicle engine and capable of checking an operation of the fuel injection device with high reliability without actually injecting fuel before starting the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukio
  • Patent number: 11905901
    Abstract: In at least some implementations, a system for communicating threshold conditions for use of a powered device to a user, includes an engine, a controller coupled to the engine to control starting of the engine and a first indicator associated with a first threshold condition. The first indicator has a first state when the threshold condition is not satisfied and the first indicator has a second state when the threshold condition is satisfied, and the first indicator is coupled to the controller so that the controller is responsive to a change of the state of the first indicator, and wherein the controller is adapted to provide information for display that is indicative of the state of the first indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Walbro LLC
    Inventor: Bradley J. Roche
  • Patent number: 11905915
    Abstract: Provided is a canister including at least one chamber and a resin member. The resin member is arranged in an object chamber, which is any of the at least one chamber. An adsorbent arranged in the object chamber is formed as a plurality of granular bodies. The resin member is an integrally formed member of resin, and includes a coupling member and at least one rod-shaped unit. The at least one rod-shaped unit includes a plurality of rod-shaped portions extending from the coupling member in a direction substantially parallel to a direction intersecting a gas flow direction in the object chamber at an angle of 45° or more and 90° or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Futaba Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 11900466
    Abstract: Method and system for generating a hybrid epoch score for a user. In some examples, a computer-implemented method includes: receiving, from at least one of a mobile device associated with the user and a server, prior telematics data indicative of the operation of a vehicle by the user during one or more prior trips in a prior epoch; receiving, from the mobile device, recent telematics data indicative of the operation of the vehicle by the user during one or more recent trips in a current epoch; generating a prior epoch score based at least in part upon the prior telematics data; generating a partial current epoch score based at least in part upon the recent telematics data; and generating a hybrid current epoch score based at least in part upon the prior epoch score and the partial current epoch score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: BlueOwl, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth Jason Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11897311
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a controller configured to execute: receiving a remote signal containing a target temperature in a cabin and an expected traveling start time of a vehicle; performing preheating of the cabin in a second air-conditioning mode in which the preheating is performed by using an electric heat pump when a temperature in the cabin is predicted to be increasable to the target temperature in the second air-conditioning mode before the expected traveling start time, the preheating being based on a remote operation; and performing the preheating of the cabin in a first air-conditioning mode in which the preheating is performed by using exhaust heat generated when an internal combustion engine operates when the temperature in the cabin is predicted not to be increasable to the target temperature in the second air-conditioning mode before the expected traveling start time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Hadano, Takaaki Inokuchi, Tatsunori Katoh, Asuka Marumo
  • Patent number: 11898512
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cold starting an internal combustion engine are described. In one example, fuel is delivered in four equal amounts into a cylinder during a cycle of the cylinder. The fuel is injected so as to reduce cylinder wall wetting, raise combustion stability, and increase exhaust system heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaogang Zhang, Steven Wooldridge, Gary Coulson, David Bruce Reiche
  • Patent number: 11896949
    Abstract: An adsorbent to be packed into a canister, at least containing activated carbon and an additive material that has a higher heat capacity than the activated carbon. The adsorbent has first pores derived from the activated carbon that are less than 100 nm and second pores derived from meltable cores that are 1 ?m or more. The adsorbent is in the form of a hollow molded body having an outer diameter of more than 6 mm and not more than 50 mm and including a cylindrical wall and honeycomb walls each having a thickness of not less than 0.2 mm and not more than 1 mm. The adsorbent has a volumetric specific heat of 0.08 kcal/L·° C. or more. The ratio of the volume of the second pores to the volume of the first pores is not less than 10% and not more than 200%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Mahle International GmbH
    Inventors: Kenji Seki, Takayuki Hamase, Koji Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 11897470
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for controlling a powertrain of an autonomous vehicle. The apparatus includes an autonomous driving controller that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle and a transmission controller that determines whether the vehicle satisfies a pulse and glide (P&G) driving condition during the autonomous driving. The transmission controller alternately performs pulse driving and coasting in conjunction with the autonomous driving controller when the vehicle satisfies the P&G driving condition. The transmission controller causes a transmission to remain in a neutral state during the coasting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Byeong Wook Jeon, Min Jae Chai, Yong Uk Shin, Dong Hoon Jeong
  • Patent number: 11873786
    Abstract: An axisymmetric injector hold-down load ring includes an annular body and an odd numbered plurality of resilient arms integrally extending from the annular body. Each resilient arm has a curvature concentric with the annular body and extends in a first circumferential direction along an outer periphery of the annular body an equal circumferential distance from a connection with the annular body to a free end. The free end of each resilient arm includes a contact surface facing axially opposite a first surface of the annular body, the contact surface of each resilient arm is axially offset from the first surface of the annular body an equal axial distance. This configuration positions the connections and contact surfaces in radial alignment so that force is transmitted along the resilient arms between the circumferentially spaced connections and contact surfaces when the load ring is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Stanadyne Operating Company LLC
    Inventors: Michael Hornby, James Bennardi
  • Patent number: 11873774
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for maintaining efficiency of a catalyst that is positioned in an exhaust system downstream of an internal combustion engine. In one example, the catalyst may be heated via supplying fuel to a cylinder that does not combust the fuel. The fuel may be oxidized at the catalyst via excess oxygen in the exhaust system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Chris Glugla
  • Patent number: 11873769
    Abstract: An engine-equipped vehicle capable of preventing gear noise and gear wear when the engine is started is provided. A multicylinder engine, a gear transmission that shifts power from the multicylinder engine by a shift operation, a centrifugal clutch arranged in a power transmission path from the multicylinder engine to the gear transmission, and an electronic control device that controls an operation of the multicylinder engine are included and the engine is configured to be started with a partial cylinder operation start where under control of the electronic control device, only some cylinders are operated and an operation of other cylinders is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michisuke Iga, Masaharu Ono
  • Patent number: 11869286
    Abstract: A system for determining a condition of an asset such as a vehicle or a machine tool includes a diagnostic tool. The diagnostic tool for determining a condition of a vehicle includes an inspection unit having a scanner, a camera, a laser pointer, and a thermometer, a communication unit having a transceiver, a wireless and a Bluetooth, and a user interface unit having a microphone, LED lights and a speaker. The diagnostic tool acquires a vehicle identification number (VIN), transmits the VIN information, and receives basic information including an inspection procedure provided from a manufacturer of the vehicle and history information of the vehicle associated with the acquired VIN for providing a new health condition of the vehicle under inspection. A method for determining a condition of an asset is also performed by the system including the diagnostic tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: INSPECTRON, INC.
    Inventors: Gaetan Woitrin, Jonathan Marlow
  • Patent number: 11867133
    Abstract: A HST system for use in traveling of a vehicle includes a controller that controls a pump regulator that changes a displacement of a pump and a motor regulator that changes a displacement of a motor. The controller determines whether or not a particular downhill travel condition is satisfied based on a result of detection by a vehicle speed detector that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle and a result of detection by a rotation number detector that detects a number of rotations of an engine per unit time. In a case where a depression amount of an accelerator pedal, which is detected by a depression amount detector, is zero and the particular downhill travel condition is satisfied, the controller controls the motor regulator to increase the displacement of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akihiro Kondo, Ryosuke Kusumoto, Yuki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 11867132
    Abstract: An internal combustion engine includes: a fuel injection valve injecting fuel; an intake timing varying mechanism controlling the opening/closing of an intake valve provided at an intake port; and an exhaust timing varying mechanism controlling the opening/closing of an exhaust valve provided at an exhaust port. When a request has been made to reduce a fuel wet amount, which is a quantity of fuel adhering to a wall surface of the internal combustion engine facing to an injection field where fuel is injected, in the startup of the internal combustion engine, the control device executes wet reduction control. In the wet reduction control, at least one of the intake timing varying mechanism or the exhaust timing varying mechanism is controlled so as to reduce the fuel wet amount by a counterflow blowing back toward the intake port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Ayukawa, Shinichi Hiraoka, Daigo Itou
  • Patent number: 11859569
    Abstract: Systems and methods for mitigating exhaust gas emissions via cylinder deactivation are provided. A system includes a controller coupled to an internal combustion engine and an electric motive device. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instruction that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller to: receive a power request less than a current power output from the internal combustion engine; command the electric motive device to provide a supplemental power output based on the received power request; command the internal combustion engine to operate in a cylinder deactivation mode whereby at least one cylinder of a plurality of cylinders of the internal combustion engine is deactivated; responsive to determining that a power output of the internal combustion engine is substantially equivalent to the power request after commanding the internal combustion engine to operate in the cylinder deactivation mode, deactivate the electric motive device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: Cummins Inc., Tula Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Steven Kolhouse, Avra Brahma