Patents Examined by Thomas Black
  • Patent number: 8751066
    Abstract: Flexible remote control systems and methods avoiding customized control schemes for industrial vehicles are disclosed. The industrial vehicle has a base station and at least one auxiliary system to be remotely controlled by an operator using at least one of a plurality of different control input devices. The remote control system includes a processor-based remote control unit having a plurality of substantially identical connector interface ports each configured to receive associated ones of the plurality of different control input devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: Kevin Towers, Andrew Dueckman, Ray Sewlochan
  • Patent number: 8751106
    Abstract: A directional horn may include at least one group of a plurality of speakers or audio emitters. The audio emitters may each emit and audio signal at a same frequency. A processor may control a relative phase difference and relative gain difference between each audio signal, based on a determined direction. The directional horn may be positioned on a vehicle. The determined direction may be based on a direction indicated by a driver controlling the vehicle, external environmental factors, vehicle dynamics, or other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Guy Raz, Eli Tzirkel-Hancock
  • Patent number: 8751151
    Abstract: A system and method for recognizing features for location correction in Simultaneous Localization And Mapping operations, thus facilitating longer duration navigation, is provided. The system may detect features from magnetic, inertial, GPS, light sensors, and/or other sensors that can be associated with a location and recognized when revisited. Feature detection may be implemented on a generally portable tracking system, which may facilitate the use of higher sample rate data for more precise localization of features, improved tracking when network communications are unavailable, and improved ability of the tracking system to act as a smart standalone positioning system to provide rich input to higher level navigation algorithms/systems. The system may detect a transition from structured (such as indoors, in caves, etc.) to unstructured (such as outdoor) environments and from pedestrian motion to travel in a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: TRX Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin E. Funk, Jared Napora, Kamiar Kordari, Ruchika Verma, Amrit Bandyopadhyay, Carole Teolis
  • Patent number: 8751098
    Abstract: The specification and drawing figures describe and show a method and system of monitoring CANbus information across an integrated wireless equipment management system and a mobile wireless communications system. The CANbus, mounted in a vehicle, provides communication and diagnostic information among vehicle components that, because the CANbus also is operatively connectable to the integrated wireless equipment management system, may be transmitted across that system. The CANbus includes one or more original parameters associated with sensors that are converted into virtual sensors to provide selective vehicle information to a terminal of the integrated wireless equipment management system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Omnitracs, LLC
    Inventors: Juan Faus, Satish Ram
  • Patent number: 8744674
    Abstract: A method of configuring infotainment applications in a motor vehicle is provided. A control unit is configurable via a configuration interface such that the functional scope and/or a basic setting of the infotainment application is changed based on first configuration data from a first configuration data server. A service center stationarily arranged at a distance from the motor vehicle has a second configuration data server and a second configuration data bank. The service center has a first modification interface by which configuration data of the second configuration data bank is modifiable using first access rights and a second Internet-based modification interface by which the configuration data is modifiable using second access rights differing from the first. Modifications of the configuration data are recognized and the configuration data of the first configuration data bank is changed by using the configuration data from the second configuration data bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Sebastian Zimmermann, Mikhail Smirnov
  • Patent number: 8744624
    Abstract: A substrate loading system, having a vision system adapted to view a substrate and provide position signals indicative of substrate position. A controller receives the position signals from the vision system, determines the substrate position, and sends transport signals to a robot arm. The robot arm engages the substrate in a beginning location and a beginning position and transports the substrate to a desired location and a desired position, based at least in part on the transport signals received from the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Corporation
    Inventors: Farro Kaveh, Martin P. Aalund
  • Patent number: 8744657
    Abstract: A hybrid drive system including a rotating electric machine; an input member drive-coupled to an internal combustion engine and the rotating electric machine; an output member drive-coupled to a wheel; a speed change device with a plurality of switchable shift speeds changes the rotational speed of the input member and transmits the changed rotational speed to the output member; and a control device that controls the rotating electric machine. The control device corrects the output torque of the rotating electric machine so as to cancel out a torque fluctuation of the input member that accompanies an initial explosion of the internal combustion engine; and, when the initial explosion of the internal combustion engine occurs during a shift operation of the speed change device, modifies the torque correction amount in a direction that suppresses a change in the rotational speed of the input member that advances the shift operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masakazu Kaifuku, Tooru Matsubara
  • Patent number: 8744708
    Abstract: Surplus pressure is obtained from a difference between a hydraulic pressure value detected by a hydraulic pressure sensor and a target supplied hydraulic pressure. A determination is made about whether or not a possible hydraulic pressure in a prescribed time will become lower than a minimum required hydraulic pressure based on a current surplus pressure and a changing rate of the surplus pressure. If the possible hydraulic pressure is lower than the minimum required hydraulic pressure, correction is conducted to increase supplied hydraulic pressure. Accordingly, control is conducted so that the regularly required surplus pressure can be reduced to a minimum required amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohiko Totsuka, Hitoshi Takayama
  • Patent number: 8744646
    Abstract: A system for controlling construction site vehicles has a plurality of construction site vehicles and a control room. Data can be transmitted on communication channels between the control room and the construction site vehicles. In the control room, at least one digital map is stored in which at least one additional piece of information is stored for individual road sections, in addition to the route of the respective road section. A navigation module is provided and designed to generate, with reference to the at least one digital map, navigation recommendations for the construction site vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Joseph Vogele AG
    Inventors: Martin Buschmann, Ralf Weiser, Achim Eul, Arnold Rutz
  • Patent number: 8744739
    Abstract: A method of initializing the mass of a motor vehicle after a restart, for controlling a starting process of the motor vehicle a from a standstill. During operation of the motor vehicle, its mass is computed and the determined mass values are stored and, from the stored mass values, a vehicle-specific maximum mass value and/or a vehicle-specific minimum mass value is determined. The vehicle-specific maximum mass value and/or the vehicle-specific minimum mass value, determined in this manner, is subsequently used for initializing the mass of the motor vehicle after restarting the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Maik Wurthner, Peter Herter, Ingo Sauter, Joachim Staudinger, Johannes Kemler
  • Patent number: 8744754
    Abstract: A visitor can receive guidance (e.g., movement directions) through a portable electronic device. The visitor can read an information-containing tag with the electronic device to input location information into the device. With the electronic device, the visitor can then select one or more destinations. The device then provides directions to the visitor for the one or more destinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventors: Markus Kappeler, Paul Friedli
  • Patent number: 8744625
    Abstract: In the control of a multi-joint robot main body, it is necessary to execute intricate track calculations and synchronous operations in parallel, even if the track calculations are intricate and times required for the calculations are indefinite. For this purpose, a robot controlling device of the present invention includes a shared memory, and first and second processing units connected to the shared memory. The first processing unit performs track calculation processing which includes calculating operation command data indicating a series of command values to be output to arm motors, based on a command to operate the multi-joint robot main body to a desired position posture, and storing the calculated operation command data in the shared memory. The second processing unit performs synchronous processing which includes acquiring the operation command data stored in the shared memory, and synchronously outputting the command values to the arm motors at predetermined time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mahito Negishi
  • Patent number: 8744762
    Abstract: When a user enters, initializes, or otherwise starts using a navigation function, such as a navigation function on a mobile phone or a stand-alone device, a current location is automatically estimated, prior to or in the absence of a GPS fix, for use as an origin in route determination. The estimation of current location is performed using a database of GPS fixes that are mapped to cell tower identifiers. For example, the database can include one or more fixes associated with each cell tower that the mobile device has used. Thus, when navigation on the device is begun, one or more cell towers to which the device can communicate are identified. If any has a GPS fix in the database, then a location derived from such GPS fix(es) can be used as an origin for navigation functions. Such navigation functions can include estimating a time of arrival at a destination, producing a route to the destination, and checking for traffic updates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Dash Navigation, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick James Coleman, Gennady Dagman
  • Patent number: 8738212
    Abstract: The disclosure herein provides systems for a versatile electric bicycle that is configured to be easily adapted to accommodate various needs and requirements. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may provide features and/or models that are configured to be easily adapted to accommodate parts of varying dimensions, different seating configurations, and/or particular laws and regulations of different jurisdictions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Civilized Cycles Incorporated
    Inventor: Zachary Schieffelin
  • Patent number: 8738208
    Abstract: In a configuration in which an auxiliary power supply is connected to an intermediate link circuit of a main conversion unit, intermediate link voltage as input voltage of the auxiliary power supply is set at higher voltage depending on the main conversion unit as a main unit, and loss generated in a main circuit element of the auxiliary power supply increases; therefore, a problem has occurred that a cooling unit has to be increased in size. The main conversion unit recognizes a low-speed and stop state by monitoring a vehicle speed, and varies the intermediate link voltage corresponding to the vehicle speed; thereby, the loss generated in the main circuit element of the auxiliary power supply is reduced at the low-speed and stop state where cooling ability is decreased; as a result, small sizing and light weighting of the cooling unit is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Takeo Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8738197
    Abstract: A vehicle controller includes a communications unit for performing data communications with local servers; a local path generation unit for generating, in response to an automatic vehicle guidance service request, a local path based on a driving control command and sensing information received from the local servers via the communications unit; a path-following control unit for generating actuator control signals for controlling actuators of a vehicle to drive the vehicle along the local path; and a vehicle driving unit for driving the actuators according to the actuator control signals. Each local server pre-processes and merges sensor data received from the infra-sensor to generate the sensing information. A global server generates the driving control command based on the sensing information and transmits the driving control command to the local servers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Kyoung Hwan An, Sung Won Sohn, Jong-Hyun Park, Ju Wan Kim, Seong Ik Cho, Jeong Dan Choi, Do Hyun Kim, Kyung Bok Sung, Jungsook Kim, Byung Tae Jang
  • Patent number: 8738263
    Abstract: A method of detecting a vehicle speed is disclosed in the present invention. The method includes outputting a detecting wave, receiving a reflecting wave from an external object when the external object passes through a covering range of the detecting wave, calculating a variation between the detecting wave and the reflecting wave, and reading a table for executing an application program according to information of the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Wistron Corporation
    Inventors: Tung-Ming Wu, Meng-Kai Lin
  • Patent number: 8738235
    Abstract: A detection method, system and device for a motor vehicle (V1). The method, system and device uses at least one camera which has a predetermined field of vision. The method includes the following steps: receiving information which is representative of a driving state associated with the vehicle; and modifying the field of vision of the camera, and in particular its orientation, according to the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Anne Laliron, Caroline Robert
  • Patent number: 8738279
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for locating connections/contacts of a user of social networking websites based on an intended travel destination of the user. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention will analyze a set of online resources (e.g., travel websites, social networking services, calendaring programs, etc.) to identify one or more travel profiles (e.g., reservations) associated with the user. Based on one or more intended destinations set forth in the travel profile(s), social networking websites associated with the user may be analyzed to identify and locate contacts/connections of the user that are located within a predetermined proximity of the intended destination(s). Once such contacts have been identified, the user may be provided with a notification that identifies the contact and provides the contact's location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Rajesh Radhakrishnan
  • Patent number: 8738259
    Abstract: A movable body according to the present invention detects an operation state including attitude information of the movable body by using an operation state detector, generates a drive velocity command based on the detected attitude information and an attitude information command to be input, generates a torque command of the drive device based on the generated drive velocity command and a drive velocity detected by a drive velocity detector, and drives the drive device in accordance with the torque command generated by a velocity controller, to thereby move. In the movable body, the velocity controller performs velocity control so that the drive velocity detected by the drive velocity detector follows the drive velocity command generated by an attitude controller, and the attitude controller performs attitude control so that the attitude information detected by the operation state detector follows the attitude information command to be input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kosaka