Patents Examined by Sze-Hon Kong
  • Patent number: 11485349
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicle includes a catalyst temperature raising control part configured to perform catalyst temperature raising control raising a temperature of an exhaust purification catalyst of an internal combustion engine while driving in an EV mode on an EV section of a driving route when driving over the driving route in accordance with a driving plan when, while driving on the EV section: (i) the temperature of the exhaust purification catalyst is less than a predetermined temperature raising reference temperature that is higher than an activation temperature at which an exhaust purification function of the exhaust purification catalyst is activated, (ii) the exhaust purification catalyst was previously heated while driving on the driving route, and (iii) there is a CS section to be driven on while in a CS mode in a remaining driving section of the driving route after the EV section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Sui Kurihashi
  • Patent number: 11483960
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system for monitoring seedbed conditions within a field may include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a seedbed sensing assembly supported thereon. The sensing assembly may, in turn, include a plurality of pins configured to be extended relative to the body such that each pin penetrates a top surface of the field. Furthermore, a plurality of position sensors may be configured to capture data indicative of a position of a given pin of the plurality of pins relative to the body of the UAV. Additionally, a plurality of force sensors may be configured to capture data indicative of a force being applied to a given pin of the plurality of pins. As such, the data captured by the position sensors and the force sensors may be indicative of at least one of the seedbed surface profile or the seedbed floor profile of the field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nicholas Nahuel Andrejuk, James W. Henry
  • Patent number: 11479240
    Abstract: A collision avoidance assist apparatus starts an autonomous steering control to autonomously steer and turn an own vehicle to orient the own vehicle in a laterally extending direction of an obstacle to avoid a collision of the own vehicle with the obstacle when the own vehicle potentially collides with the obstacle. The apparatus sets a first condition as a control termination condition used to determine whether to terminate the autonomous steering control, based on a laterally extending direction of the obstacle relative to the own vehicle when starting the autonomous steering control. The apparatus terminates the autonomous steering control when the obstacle is tracked, and a second condition different from the first condition becomes satisfied. The apparatus terminates the autonomous steering control when the obstacle is not tracked, and the first condition becomes satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuto Shimbo, Tsunekazu Yasoshima, Masataka Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 11459101
    Abstract: A method of analyzing a propeller status of a wireless aerial robot can include measuring status information related to the propeller status by a sensor of a propeller; determining whether an operation of the propeller is abnormal based on the status information; transmitting the status information and operation information regarding whether an operation of the propeller is abnormal to a control unit using short range wireless communication; and analyzing, by the control unit, a flight status of the wireless aerial robot based on the status information and the operation information regarding whether the operation of the propeller is abnormal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Sungmin Moon, Nakyeong Kim, Sanghak Lee, Jeongkyo Seo
  • Patent number: 11462019
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle having observational sensors and a computing system. The computing system may have a processor and memory having computer-executable instructions that may cause the processor to determine, based upon a profile of a user, an average amount of time it takes the user to enter or exit the autonomous vehicle. The processor may then cause the observational sensors to detect and observe obstacles around the locations. The processor may also determined, based upon detected objects around the autonomous vehicle and the average amount of time it takes the user to enter or exit the autonomous vehicle, a location to stop to allow the user to enter or exit the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: GM Cruise Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Stephanie Olivia Engle, Soleil Phan
  • Patent number: 11446996
    Abstract: A powertrain for a vehicle may include a vehicle chassis, a rotatable vehicle drive axle, at least one selectively movable electric propulsion motor having a rotatable motor shaft rotatable about an axis defined by the rotatable vehicle drive axle, a motor actuator connected to the at least one selectively movable electric propulsion motor, and a control system in communication with the motor actuator. The control system may include a memory device in communication with the control system having instructions that when executed by the control system causes the control system to receive at least one input from at least one sensor and instruct the motor actuator to rotate the at least one selectively movable electric propulsion motor based on the at least one input from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Geoffrey David Gaither, Robert C. MacArthur
  • Patent number: 11442456
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a lane change path of an autonomous vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a learning device configured to learn lane change paths corresponding to a lane change strategy of the autonomous vehicle, and a controller configured to interwork with the learning device to extract at least two lane change paths corresponding to the lane change strategy among a plurality of lane change paths in a drivable area of the autonomous vehicle and determine a final lane change path based on properties of the extracted lane change paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Tae Dong Oh
  • Patent number: 11440540
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and method for preventing a vehicle collision. The apparatus includes a communication unit wirelessly communicating with a surrounding vehicle, a sensing unit detecting the surrounding vehicle and a lane, a traveling control module configured to control steering or braking of an ego vehicle, and a controller configured to determine whether the ego vehicle can perform steering avoidance driving toward a neighboring lane, through the sensing unit, based on information on a driving mode of a vehicle ahead received through the communication unit, if it is checked through the communication unit that a vehicle ahead of the vehicle ahead is in a stop state and to control the ego vehicle to perform the steering avoidance driving toward the neighboring lane or to urgently brake through the traveling control module, based on a result of the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyung Myung Lee
  • Patent number: 11433899
    Abstract: Provided are a method, apparatus and system for detecting obstacle collision in an automatic parking path. The method includes: geometrically performing an obstacle collision detection in a circular arc path and/or an obstacle collision detection in a straight line path by using a path contour, a vehicle contour and an obstacle contour. The system includes a collision detection module for geometrically performing detection of obstacle collision in a circular arc path and/or detection of obstacle collision in a straight line path by using a path contour, a vehicle contour and an obstacle contour. The apparatus includes: a memory and a processor configured for geometrically performing detection of obstacle collision in a circular arc path and/or detection of obstacle collision in a straight line path by using a path contour, a vehicle contour and an obstacle contour.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: GUANGZHOU XIAOPENG MOTORS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhiguang Xiao, Jianming Lai, Qiang Tu, Shengjun Chen, Heng Xia
  • Patent number: 11435745
    Abstract: A robot and a map update method using the same are disclosed. The robot includes: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image; a first indication lamp disposed at a first location; a second indication lamp disposed apart from the first location; an image determination module configured to compare an image learned and stored in the robot with the image acquired through the image acquisition unit; and an indication lamp determination module configured to compare operation information of each of the first and second indication lamps with the image acquired through the image acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Seung Won Lee
  • Patent number: 11435741
    Abstract: A modular vehicle management system is described, comprising a controller module configured to control different types of carrier modules. The controller module includes a computer system and optionally one or more sensors. The computer system is configured to perform operations comprising detecting whether a carrier module is connected to the controller module. If the carrier module is connected to the controller module, the carrier module is authenticated. If the authentication fails, operation of the vehicle is inhibited. The control module is configured to determine carrier module capabilities including information regarding a navigation processing device, and/or a radio modem. The controller adapts to the capabilities of the controller module. Using information from the sensors and the navigation processing device, the vehicle management system navigates the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Downey, Bernard J. Michini
  • Patent number: 11433921
    Abstract: A parking assist system includes: a control device configured to control a vehicle, a vehicle position detecting device configured to detect a position of the vehicle; a shift device configured to be operated for changing a shift position; and a brake input member configured to be operated for driving a brake device. In a case where the vehicle is stopped at a position other than a target position and a switching position, the control device changes the shift position to a parking position or a neutral position unless a shift maintenance condition is satisfied. The shift maintenance condition includes at least one of condition (i) that the vehicle is stopped at a position out of a prescribed range according to an operation of the brake input member and a condition (ii) that a cause for which the vehicle has been stopped is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Hara, Yuki Nakada, Yasushi Shoda, Hiroshi Yamanaka, Miki Tsujino, Hiroki Nishimura, Hikaru Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 11433883
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle (AV) is described herein. The AV is configured to identify an occluded region where a portion of a field of view of a sensor is occluded by an object. The AV is further configured to hypothesize that an object exists in the occluded region and is moving in the occluded region. The AV is still further configured to perform a driving maneuver based upon the hypothesized object existing in the occluded region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: GM CRUISE HOLDINGS LLC
    Inventors: Shiva Ghose, Daniel Chen, Ted Nitz, Christophe Philippona, Curt Harrington, Christopher Daily-Diamond, Mason Swofford, Ryan Holben, Eric Lujan, Benjamin Greer, Francesco Capodieci
  • Patent number: 11433812
    Abstract: Upon initiation of trailer-hitching, an image is obtained of an area behind and in a horizontal plane with respect to a vehicle, the area including a rearwardly extending trailer hitch, with a hitch ball mounted thereto, mounted to the vehicle. The hitch ball is located in the image. An overshoot zone, having a length extending from a vehicle rear bumper to a nearest point on the vehicle hitch ball and having a width that is a sum of a diameter of the hitch and two times a lateral offset, is defined within the area, as is a misaligned zone having a border extending from the vehicle rear bumper to a line tangent to a rearmost point of the hitch ball. A vehicle action is caused upon determining that the trailer coupling is detected in the overshoot zone or the misaligned zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Xue Iuan Wong, Vidya Nariyambut murali, Shannon Brooks-Lehnert, Lihui Chen
  • Patent number: 11420678
    Abstract: A traction assist apparatus includes a memory and a hardware processor coupled to the memory. The hardware processor is configured to: acquire first coupling information representing a current coupling posture of a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle and acquire second coupling information representing a future coupling posture of the towed vehicle where the towing vehicle moves backward at a current steering angle; and display a first indicator and a second indicator on a display device in a comparable mode, the first indicator indicating the towed vehicle corresponding to the first coupling information, the second indicator indicating the towed vehicle corresponding to the second coupling information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Maruoka, Kazuya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11420758
    Abstract: A method of reducing noise generated by a tilt-rotor aircraft includes transitioning the tilt-rotor aircraft into an airplane mode from a helicopter mode, and reducing a speed of a first pair of fans of the tilt-rotor aircraft to be less than a speed of a second pair of fans that are positioned in-line with the first pair of fans. A flight control system configured to reduce a noise level of a tilt-rotor aircraft includes a flight control computer comprising a processor, a propulsion system communicatively coupled to the flight control computer, a first pair of fans and a second pair of fans communicatively coupled with the flight control computer and the propulsion system. The processor is operable to implement a method that includes transitioning the tilt-rotor aircraft into an airplane mode from a helicopter mode, and reducing a speed of the first pair of fans to be less than a speed of the second pair of fans that are positioned in-line with the first pair of fans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Royce Wayne Snider
  • Patent number: 11420735
    Abstract: A method of reducing noise generated by a tilt-rotor aircraft includes transitioning the tilt-rotor aircraft into an airplane mode from a helicopter mode, and reducing a speed of a plurality of rotor blades of a first pair of rotors of the tilt-rotor aircraft to be less than a speed of a plurality of rotor blades of a second pair of rotors that are positioned forward of and in-line with the first pair of rotors. A flight control system configured to reduce a noise level of a tilt-rotor aircraft includes a flight control computer comprising a processor, a propulsion system communicatively coupled to the flight control computer, a first pair of rotors and a second pair of rotors communicatively coupled with the flight control computer and the propulsion system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Royce Wayne Snider
  • Patent number: 11414102
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to addressing inconsistencies between a trajectory plan and a communication from an occupant of an autonomously operated vehicle. A method of resolving inconsistent communication includes obtaining a trajectory plan for the vehicle, detecting, using one or more internal sensors, body language of the occupant, analyzing sensor data from the one or more internal sensors to determine a verbal or non-verbal communication indication by the occupant, and detecting an inconsistency between the verbal or non-verbal communication indication and the trajectory plan and: 1) modifying the trajectory plan to form a modified trajectory plan aligned with the verbal or non-verbal communication indication, or 2) transmitting a notification to the occupant prompting the occupant to adjust the verbal or non-verbal communication indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua E. Domeyer, Benjamin P. Austin, John K. Lenneman
  • Patent number: 11410559
    Abstract: Systems and techniques to facilitate intelligent unmanned aerial vehicle traffic management via an infrastructure network are presented. In an example, a traffic management system can include a data collection component, a flight path component, and a communication component. The data collection component receives navigation data and parameter data associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle. The navigation data is associated with a starting point and destination for the unmanned aerial vehicle. The parameter data is indicative of information associated with the unmanned aerial vehicle. The flight path component generates flight path data for the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the navigation data, the parameter data and infrastructure network data received from an intelligent sensor node network. The communication component transmits the flight path data to the unmanned aerial vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC
    Inventors: Biju Nanukuttan, Avichandra Yallapalli, Vigneshwaran Venugopalan
  • Patent number: 11400955
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for generating a reference line for operating an autonomous driving vehicle includes determining a first ending reference point having a smallest curvature among a plurality of points within a first defined distance along a path, generating a first reference line based on a first initial reference point and the first ending reference point, determining a second ending reference point having a smallest curvature among a plurality of points within a second defined distance along the path, generating a second reference line based on the first and second ending reference points and an end section of the first reference line, connecting the first and second reference lines, and controlling the autonomous driving vehicle along the connected first reference line and the second reference line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignees: BAIDU USA LLC, BAIDU.COM TIMES TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Fan Zhu, Lin Ma, Xin Xu, Jingao Wang