Patents Examined by Tamara Weber
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Patent number: 9250157Abstract: A method for detecting rotational speed/torque fluctuations, in particular patterns of such fluctuations, of a drive device, in particular in a motor vehicle, includes the following steps: detecting a critical rotational speed situation by comparing a measured actual rotational speed with specified characteristic rotational speeds; detecting a local rotational speed minimum and a local rotational speed maximum (local rotational speed variables); analyzing the local rotational speed variables by generating local rotational speed characteristic values, such as a local amplitude and a local frequency preferably; directly or indirectly determining the duration of a local vibration time period, wherein substantially constant local rotational speed characteristic values are present within the time period; and describing a local vibration pattern, the pattern exhibiting at least the local amplitude, local frequency, or the local vibration time period.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2012Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignees: AUDI AG, AVL DEUTSCHLAND GMBHInventors: Mathias Felber, Jürgen Pfeiffer
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Patent number: 9242637Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: a power unit including an electric rotary machine; an electric coolant pump configured to circulate a coolant that cools the electric rotary machine; and a control unit configured to operate the electric coolant pump based on a condition that a temperature of the electric rotary machine is equal to or higher than a predetermined operation threshold temperature, and a condition that an output of the electric rotary machine is equal to or higher than a predetermined operation threshold output.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN AW CO., LTD.Inventors: Tomohiko Miyamoto, Noriyuki Yagi, Shigeru Matsumura, Kenjiro Nagata, Masatoshi Sugimoto
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Patent number: 9234378Abstract: A power tailgate system for a vehicle includes an actuator for moving a tailgate of the vehicle between an open position and a closed position. The power tailgate system also includes a spring spaced apart from the actuator for counter-balancing a weight of the tailgate and a coupler assembly for removably coupling the tailgate to the power tailgate system.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: STRATTEC POWER ACCESS LLCInventor: Eric R. Hansen
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Patent number: 9226796Abstract: A method is provided for detecting a disturbance as an energy applicator of a surgical instrument traverses a cutting path. The method includes determining actual torques for each active joint of an actuated arm mechanism and calculating expected torques for each active joint of the actuated arm mechanism, wherein the expected torques are calculated based on an angular position of each active joint and a commanded joint angle for each active joint. The method further determines estimated backdrive torques based on the expected torques and the actual torques, wherein the estimated backdrive torques indicate a disturbance along the cutting path.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2014Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATIONInventors: David Gene Bowling, John Michael Stuart, Jerry A. Culp, Donald W. Malackowski, Patrick Roessler, Joel N. Beer, John Ketchel, José Luis Moctezuma de la Barrera
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Patent number: 9211884Abstract: A battery information display apparatus is provided. The battery information display apparatus includes a data storage unit storing battery capacity information according to temperature and current of a battery of an electric vehicle, an integrated power control unit providing power for charging the battery and driving a motor, a sensor measuring the temperature and current of the battery, and a display unit displaying a battery remnant. The integrated power control unit calculates the battery remnant from the battery temperature and current measured by the sensor on the basis of the battery capacity information according to the battery temperature and current stored in the data storage unit and provides the calculated battery remnant to the display unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: LSIS Co., Ltd.Inventors: Byung Woon Jang, Hong Tae Park, Jae Hoon Jang, Yong Jin Kang
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Patent number: 9211873Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a state quantity detection device and a friction brake orientation control device. The state quantity detection device is configured to detect a state quantity indicating a vehicle body orientation. The friction brake orientation control device is configured to minimize pitching motion in the vehicle body orientation by applying braking torque from a friction brake at least to a front wheel, and minimize bouncing motion in the vehicle body orientation by applying braking torque from the friction brake to four wheels. The friction brake orientation control device is configured to prioritize minimizing the pitching motion over minimizing the bouncing motion.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2013Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hironobu Kikuchi, Katsuhiko Hirayama
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Patent number: 9199376Abstract: A system includes a robotic gripper and a grasp controller. The gripper, which has a sensory matrix that includes a plurality of sensors, executes selected grasp poses with respect to a component in the corresponding method to thereby grasp the component in response to a grasp command signal from the controller. The controller has a touch-screen or other interactive graphical user interface (GUI) which generates a jog signal in response to an input from a user. Sensory maps provide calibrated limits for each sensor contained in the sensory matrix for the selected grasp pose. The controller transmits the grasp command signal to the gripper in response to receipt of the jog signal from the GUI. The GUI may display a jog wheel having icons, including a hub corresponding to a neutral pose of the robotic gripper and icons corresponding to grasp poses arranged around a circumference of the jog wheel.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 1, 2015Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLCInventors: James W. Wells, Roland J. Menassa, Omer Einav, Noam Perlis
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Patent number: 9193478Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a flight recorder, having a memory, a control device, which is coupled to the memory and which is configured to record flight data during the flight of an aircraft and to store said flight data in the memory, a transceiver device, which is coupled to the control device and which is configured to accept stored flight data signals from the control device and to convert them into acoustic signals, and an acoustic transducer, which is coupled to the transceiver device and which is configured to emit the acoustic signals of the transceiver device into a body of water, the control device being configured to receive control signals via the transceiver device and, depending on the control signals, to retrieve partial data areas of the stored flight data from the memory and to transfer them to the transceiver device.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2014Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbHInventors: Maurice Girod, Uwe Bartels
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Patent number: 9174340Abstract: A robot system according to an aspect of embodiments includes a terminal part, a robot control unit, and a duplex signal line. The terminal part includes a connection terminal to which one or more external devices that output a plurality of signals can be connected. The robot control unit controls an operation of the robot in accordance with the signals from the external device(s). The duplex signal line connects the terminal part to the robot control unit and transmits the plurality of signals, input from the external device(s) into the terminal part, to the robot control unit via two routes. Moreover, the duplex signal line includes the two routes each of which collects the plurality of signals and transmits the signals with a signal line.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKIInventors: Fumihiko Takemoto, Keita Ogoh
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Patent number: 9173816Abstract: A robotic intravenous automation system, including a robotically controlled holder configured to manipulate an intravenous (IV) bag and a closed system transfer device (CSTD). The controller includes a processor configured to control the holder. The IV bag includes a first fluid port and a second fluid port, and the CSTD includes a CSTD port, a spike adapter that is fluidically separated from the CSTD port, and a flexible member connecting the CSTD port to the spike adapter.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2013Date of Patent: November 3, 2015Assignee: Intelligent Hospital Systems, Inc.Inventors: Alex H. Reinhardt, Ronald H. Rob
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Patent number: 9168893Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for disabling and/or enabling a vehicle. In one embodiment, the invention can be a method for disabling and/or enabling a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving, with an electronic apparatus, a disable starter command, the electronic apparatus operably coupled to a starter circuit of the vehicle to enable and/or disable the starter circuit; the electronic apparatus disabling the starter circuit of the vehicle in response to the disable starter command; the electronic apparatus sending a test signal via a wireless network to a remote server when the vehicle is in a parked state and the starter circuit is disabled; and upon the electronic apparatus determining that the test signal was not successfully sent to the remote server, the electronic apparatus enabling the starter circuit of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2014Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Inventor: Meir Schwartz
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Patent number: 9149930Abstract: A control system includes a force sensor that has a mechanical mechanism (e.g., an end effector) and N (N is an integer equal to or more than two) triaxial force sensor units, acquires unit output values to which values resulting from the mechanical mechanism have been added from the respective triaxial force sensor units of the N triaxial force sensor units, and outputs force sense values based on the unit output values, a force sense value corrector that corrects the force sense values based on the force sense values output by the force sensor, and a controller that performs control of mechanical equipment (e.g., a robot) including the mechanical mechanism based on the force sense values corrected in the force sense value corrector.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2013Date of Patent: October 6, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Mitsuhiro Inazumi
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Patent number: 9145169Abstract: A steering apparatus of an in-wheel motor-driven electric vehicle capable of steering the vehicle by controlling torques applied to in-wheel motors mounted in road wheels. The steering apparatus of an in-wheel motor-driven vehicle includes a rigid tie rod having both ends rotatably connected to the in-wheel motors of the left and right wheels through hinge pins; a steering information detecting sensor for detecting a steering operation angle and torque according to user's steering operation; and a controller for calculating torque outputs to be applied to the in-wheel motor of the left wheel and the in-wheel motor of the right wheel based on information on the steering operation angle and torque detected by the steering information detecting sensor and vehicle speed information and controlling operation of the in-wheel motor of the left wheel and the in-wheel motor of the right wheel.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2014Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYInventors: In Soo Suh, Min Young Lee
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Patent number: 9145151Abstract: A method for operating a switching hump yard, wherein in a first operating mode a lower master retarder is controlled in such a manner that cuts in the form of descending cars or groups of cars reach a classification track retarder of a classification track at a speed that is lower than a first threshold, a switch is made from the first operating mode into a second operating mode if a target for a cut is found in or in front of the classification track retarder of the classification track, and in the second operating mode the master retarder is controlled in such a manner that the cut reaches the determined target in or in front of the classification track retarder at a speed that is lower than a second threshold. We also describe a controller for controlling such a switching hump yard.Type: GrantFiled: July 4, 2012Date of Patent: September 29, 2015Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Gerhard Dierkes, Mario Huster, Martin Jung
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Patent number: 9126606Abstract: In a method for operating a switching hump yard, at least one value for an entry speed into a first retarder is ascertained for the respective cuts in the form of rolling cars or car groups for the first retarder on the basis of a target release speed from the first retarder. At least one value for a release speed from a second retarder that lies uphill relative to the first retarder is determined for the second retarder on the basis of the ascertained at least one value for the entry speed into the first retarder. The second retarder is controlled taking into account the determined at least one value for the release speed. I also describe a control device for controlling a hump yard.Type: GrantFiled: July 4, 2012Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Peter Kuehs
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Patent number: 9129531Abstract: A vehicle control system includes: an anti-collision safety control unit executing anti-collision safety control for avoiding or alleviating a collision with an object including a reflection point on the basis of positional information about the reflection point, output from a positional information output unit; and a cancellation unit calculating an index value that increases with a duration of a state where a variation in a position of the reflection point in a direction perpendicular to a vehicle travelling direction is smaller than a predetermined amount and that, when the index value exceeds a threshold, issues a command such that the anti-collision safety control unit does not execute anti-collision safety control over the reflection point. When it is determined that the vehicle is travelling near a curve entrance, the cancellation unit increases the threshold as compared with when it is determined that the vehicle is not travelling near a curve entrance.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2012Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Hideaki Hayashi
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Patent number: 9120513Abstract: A method of controlling the gait of a wearable robot using foot sensors of the robot. Whether or not the robot is walking is determined. When the robot is walking, whether the robot is supported on both feet or one foot using the foot sensors is determined. When the robot is walking and is supported on both feet, posture-maintaining control is carried out. When the robot is walking and is supported on one foot, support control is carried out over a supporting leg based on gravity compensation and load compensation. When the robot is walking and is supported on one foot, an imaginary repulsive force by which a swinging leg swings is generated.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANYInventors: Seok Won Lee, Woo Sung Yang
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Patent number: 9119655Abstract: A surgical manipulator for manipulating a surgical instrument and an energy applicator extending from the surgical instrument. The surgical manipulator further includes a switch and at least one controller configured to control operation of the surgical manipulator in a first operating mode or a second operating mode. The at least one controller is also configured to determine a commanded pose to which the energy applicator is advanced based on a summation of a plurality of input forces and torques and transition between the operating modes by adjusting the plurality of input forces and torques in response to actuation of the switch.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2013Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: STRYKER CORPORATIONInventors: David Gene Bowling, John Michael Stuart, Jerry A. Culp, Donald W. Malackowski, Jose Luis Moctezuma de la Barrera, Patrick Roessler, Joel N. Beer, John Ketchel
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Patent number: 9111264Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for estimating a diagnosis of a vehicle in need of repair in advance of performing any diagnostic tests on the vehicle. The invention further estimates the costs for a repair to a vehicle in need of repair in advance of performing any diagnostic tests to the vehicle. The system is particularly useful at a point-of-sale system in a vehicle repair center or in a off-site customer access tool.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2014Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: PRECISION AUTO REPAIR CENTER OF STAMFORD, LLCInventor: Christopher C. Coard
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Patent number: 9080644Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a continuously variable transmission, a transmission ratio, an input shaft rotational speed and an input torque, etc., are detected, an axial thrusts of the drive and driven pulleys are detected therefrom, an inter-shaft force is detected, a friction coefficient of the driven pulley including at least a radial component of the friction coefficient ?RDN is calculated in accordance with predetermined relational equations, a target axial thrust of the driven pulley is calculated based on at least the friction coefficient and the axial thrust of the driven pulley is controlled based on the calculated target axial thrust.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2013Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventor: Shigeru Kanehara