Patents Examined by Tamara Weber
  • Patent number: 9480534
    Abstract: A navigation system for use with a surgical manipulator operable in manual or semi-autonomous modes and a method for removing a volume of tissue from a patient. The navigation system includes a tracker for attaching to the patient and a localizer to receive signals from the tracker or transmit signals to the tracker. The navigation system includes a navigation processor that runs a plurality of software modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Gene Bowling, John Michael Stuart, Jerry A. Culp, Donald W. Malackowski, Jose Luis Moctezuma de la Barrera, Patrick Roessler, Joel N. Beer
  • Patent number: 9475459
    Abstract: A self-powered wireless fuse switch is disclosed that is a plug-in replacement for a fuse found in the electrical system of vehicles. The self-powered wireless fuse adds remote-controlled switching capabilities for short and long-range control of power to subsystems of a vehicle electrical system. The wireless fuse switch includes an internal transceiver that receives commands from a remote control unit and controls the position of an internal relay. The wireless control module interfaces with a fuse socket of the vehicle to selectively allow or interrupt power from the vehicle to the subsystem of the vehicle electrical system. The wireless fuse switch includes either a two-blade or three-blade harness assembly that allows the wireless fuse switch to be received within the fuse socket of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Tieman Vehicle Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Craig A. Tieman
  • Patent number: 9475484
    Abstract: A vehicle status is judged with respect to whether the following conditions are met: the shift position of a shift lever 4 is F or R (condition 1); the brakes are inactive (condition 2); the vehicle stands still (condition 3); the accelerator pedal is depressed equal to or less than ? (condition 4); and the rotational speed of the engine is equal to or less than a medium rotational speed (condition 5). The engine is controlled such that the rotational speed is set to a minimum if conditions 1, 2, and 4 are met and condition 3 is not met or if condition 1 is met and condition 2 is not met; and the rotational speed is set to the medium rotational speed if conditions 1, 2, 3, and 5 are met or if conditions 1, 2, and 5 are met and conditions 3 and 4 are not met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Michio Fushiki, Naokazu Oda, Katsuhiko Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9469176
    Abstract: A safety system and a method configured to determine whether a passenger compartment of a vehicle is occupied whether the temperature of the passenger compartment is outside an acceptable temperature range, and to take a safety countermeasure if needed. An occupant is detected by sounds received by an audio transducer within the passenger compartment connected to an infotainment system. The temperature is detected by a temperature sensor connected to the heating, ventilation and air condition system of the vehicle. Example safety countermeasures include activating the horn, transmitting a wireless signal indicating that an unattended occupant is in the vehicle to a remote wireless receiver, and/or at least partially opening a vehicle window. A pair of high frequency speakers connected to the infotainment system may be used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals so that an occupant may be detected using ultrasonic motion detection techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Boyer, John F. Heffron
  • Patent number: 9466219
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for implementing multi-mission tracking and re-tasking for a plurality of unmanned vehicles from a central location to provide mission deconfliction and mission modification in an operating environment, including an evolving and moving operating environment, to effectively employ the plurality of locally-operated unmanned vehicles. A mission controller, operating from a centralized location, takes a provided graphical situational awareness a step further in creating, modifying, or deleting/suspending missions for one or multiple unmanned vehicles to carry out, and then to transmit the proposed mission changes to the deployed unmanned vehicle operators for validation, acceptance, and execution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Rolf R. Stefani, James Gary Cooper, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9466209
    Abstract: Locations for traffic sensors can be determined by a computer system that identifies a particular segment of a travel path. Traffic flow data from other segments of travel path are accessed based on traffic flow characteristics of the particular path. Using the traffic flow data, parameters for a traffic incident symptom propagation model are generated, and a location of a traffic incident along the segment of the path is determined. Using time-to-detection limits and the incident model, upstream and downstream distances are determined, and the locations of two sensors are identified based on the distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sebastien Blandin, Saif Eddin Jabari, Laura Wynter
  • Patent number: 9452779
    Abstract: A power steering system includes a first steering device which controls the steering of the first wheels of the vehicle according to a first steering angle ?1 and includes a first actuator capable of providing a steering assistance effort, a second steering device including a second actuator controlled by a controller as a function of a parameter related to the steering wheel movement, and controlling the steering of the second wheels, according to a second steering angle ?2. In normal operation of the power steering system, ?2 is set according to a first rule depending on the first steering angle ?1. In case the steering wheel torque is greater than a predetermined threshold, the second steering device is operated in a forced mode by setting the second steering angle according to a rule depending on the first steering angle and taking into account at least one different or additional data, in order to cause an offset-oversteering of the second wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Blond, Jean-Baptiste Doray
  • Patent number: 9449517
    Abstract: There is provided a driving support device includes a communication unit configured to perform communication with another vehicle; a storage unit configured to store reference information including information regarding positional relationship of the another vehicle with respect to an own-vehicle, information regarding a direction of relative displacement of the another vehicle with respect to the own-vehicle, and a control threshold value, each associated with one another; and a control unit configured to perform predetermined safety control based on whether or not information derived from running information on the another vehicle received by the communication unit and running information on the own-vehicle correspond to the reference information stored by the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Chiba, Toru Saito
  • Patent number: 9440556
    Abstract: An anti-slip control device for a vehicle having an electromotive drive system includes one or more electric driving motors. In order to limit wheel slip, the rotational speed of the driving wheels is regulated by controlling the rotational speed of the rotary field generated in at least one electric driving motor, each electric driving motor being fed by a controllable converter associated therewith. In order to control the rotational speed, the anti-slip control device constantly informs each converter about the maximum allowed rotational speed of the driving motor or driving wheel associated with the respective converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Loos, Dirk Hirschmann, Bodo Kleickmann
  • Patent number: 9430498
    Abstract: Systems and methods of creating a tour on a digital celebrity map are disclosed, including steps to receive a user geolocation; determine a map area around the user geolocation; retrieve, from a data repository, celebrity geolocations within the map area, wherein each celebrity geolocation is associated with at least one named celebrity, and wherein each of the celebrity geolocations is associated with a celebrity geolocation type selected from the group consisting of celebrity real estate property, celebrity sighting location, and celebrity hotspot; transmit the celebrity geolocations to the computing appliance, for display on the digital celebrity map; receive a request to generate a tour to the celebrity geolocations, wherein the tour starts from the user geolocation; and in response to the user request, generate for display on the digital celebrity map, the tour to the celebrity geolocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Velvet Ropes, Inc.
    Inventors: Aleksandr Sergeyevich Drogobetski, Aaron Tucker Simmons
  • Patent number: 9393939
    Abstract: It is determined whether or not there is a “wheel to be subject to the vehicle stability control, in which a braking force is decreased with respect to a braking force corresponding to the pressing force of the brake pad due to fade or the like” (reduced braking force wheel) during vehicle stability control. When there is a reduced braking force wheel, a “wheel with a highest order of priority determined in advance for wheels for which a braking force needs to be generated in order to enhance the travel stability in the vehicle stability control” (first braking force allocated wheel) is identified among wheels excluding the reduced braking force wheel, and the pressing force of the brake pad of the first braking force allocated wheel is increased based on a lack of the braking force in the reduced braking force wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsuto Hirota
  • Patent number: 9393995
    Abstract: It is determined whether or not a vehicle is in a first vehicle state based on a detected steering torque and a detected yaw rate (step S1), one-side pull is decided if the yaw rate is within a range from 2 deg/sec to 10 deg/sec (step S4) for 1 second which is a first predetermined time (step S3) since an absolute value of the steering torque becomes 20 Nm or larger in the first vehicle state (step S2), then a target current value (one-side response) is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Banno, Norifumi Tamura, Yuki Endo, Shoji Hamada
  • Patent number: 9381961
    Abstract: Disclosed are robotic systems, methods, bipedal robot devices, and computer-readable mediums. For example, a robotic system may include a robotic body having an axis; a sensor connected to the robotic body, where the sensor is configured to receive information within a scanning area; two or more robotic legs connected to the robotic body, where the two or more robotic legs are configured to operate in a starting position and a use position, where in the starting position the robotic system is substantially stationary; and one or more protrusions connected to the robotic body, where the one or more protrusions extend from the robotic body at a non-perpendicular angle from the axis of the robotic body and are located outside of the scanning area of the sensor, and where in the starting position the one or more protrusions are configured to support the robotic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kataoka, Yuto Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9368036
    Abstract: A method for calculating a flight plan used by a flight management system of an aircraft in a runway approach phase comprises: loading an initial procedure ending at a first end point not corresponding to a threshold of the runway and a first associated missed approach procedure; determining an additional procedure and a second associated missed approach procedure; concatenating the initial procedure and the additional procedure in order to generate a continuous concatenated flight plan comprising the initial procedure, the first missed approach procedure, the additional procedure and the second missed approach procedure; loading the concatenated flight plan into an active flight plan; selecting a second procedure from a set comprising the first missed approach procedure and the additional procedure; activating the selected second procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: François Coulmeau, Jérôme Sacle, Emmanuel Dewas
  • Patent number: 9358075
    Abstract: A surgical robot system for a single port surgery includes: a first robot arm in which a joint-type instrument is installed and providing a motion displacement to the joint-type instrument with respect to a remote center of motion (RCM); and a second robot arm pairing the first robot arm, in which a non-joint-type instrument is installed and providing a motion displacement to the non-joint-type instrument with respect to the RCM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-joo Kim, Yo-an Lim
  • Patent number: 9360326
    Abstract: A turning progress display apparatus is provided. The turning progress display apparatus includes an azimuth information acquiring module configured to acquire azimuth information that is at least one of information of an orientation of a movable body, information of a traveling direction of the movable body, and information that changes cooperating with a change of the orientation of the movable body, a progress calculating module configured to calculate a progress of the turn based on the azimuth information acquired by the azimuth information acquiring module and a target value of the azimuth information, and a display unit configured to display the turning progress calculated by the progress calculating module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Furuno Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tenpei Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 9336684
    Abstract: A ground controller in a travelling vehicle system stores travel permissions for a curved section that are provided to travelling vehicles, and deletes the travel permissions when the travelling vehicles leave the curved section. When a request for a permission to travel in the curved section is received from a travelling vehicle, the ground controller references the memory, provides a first travel permission if a permission to travel has not been provided to another travelling vehicle, and provides a low-order travel permission that permits travel with a lower speed than the first travel permission if a permission to travel has been provided to another travelling vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Murata Machinery, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazumi Harasaki
  • Patent number: 9327724
    Abstract: A separation controller for motor vehicles, having a localization device for measuring separations from preceding vehicles, an actuator system for intervention in the longitudinal guidance of the own vehicle, and an electronic control device for applying control to the actuator system and for regulating to a target separation the separation from a preceding vehicle in the own lane, wherein the control device has an adjacent-lane mode in which the target separation is modified as a function of a measured separation from a vehicle driving in an adjacent lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventor: Simon Roth
  • Patent number: 9310411
    Abstract: A diagnostic device is provided for a multi-voltage electrical system of a motor vehicle which has a first subnetwork acted on by a first voltage and a second subnetwork acted on by a second voltage, the first voltage being higher than the second voltage, and the first and the second subnetwork having a shared ground connection. The diagnostic device includes a second ground connection, a measuring unit configured to measure a current flow via the second ground connection, and a diagnostic unit configured to diagnose a disturbance in the shared ground connection and/or in the second ground connection on the basis of the measured current flow via the second ground connection as a function of at least one operating state of the vehicle electrical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Paul Mehringer, Marc Eschenhagen, Michael Merkle
  • Patent number: 9298187
    Abstract: A collision avoidance ECU sets a target relative deceleration to a first target value when a brake control starting condition is satisfied, and carries out a first brake control for bringing a relative deceleration closer to the target relative deceleration. When a reference relative deceleration with reference to the relative deceleration at a first point in time has reached a specified relative deceleration, the collision avoidance ECU determines a greater value for a second target value when the amount of change in deceleration, which is the amount of change in the reference relative deceleration at the point in time, is small than when the amount of change in deceleration is large. The collision avoidance ECU then sets the target relative deceleration to the second target value, and carries out a second brake control for bringing the relative deceleration closer to the target relative deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: ADVICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Shiota, Yosuke Ohmori, Yukio Mori, Masayoshi Takeda