Patents Examined by Thomas Black
  • Patent number: 8718926
    Abstract: An electronic direction system accesses navigation data describing at least one instance in which a direction was missed during provision of electronic navigation along a route and tracks instances in which directions have been missed based on the accessed navigation data. The electronic direction system accounts for the tracked instances in which directions have been missed in handling provision of future directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventor: Jason Adam Denise
  • Patent number: 8718924
    Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus and method for road guidance using a mobile terminal. The method for road guidance using a mobile terminal includes receiving a map image created by a users input, setting at least one user-designated location to the map image according to the users input, setting location information of the user-designated location to the user-designated location, comparing the location information of the user-designated location with current location information of the mobile terminal; and notifying of arrival at the user-designated location. A user may arrive at a desired destination according to the present invention without using map data provided by a map data service provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee Won Kim, Yee Eun Yoon, Yu Ran Kim, Jee Yeun Wang, Min Hwa Jung
  • Patent number: 8712644
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus including a braking force applying device of a hydraulic type, capable of applying a braking force to each of a plurality of wheels. A hydraulic pressure controlling device controls a hydraulic pressure of the braking force applying device such that each of the wheels is not locked. A hydraulic pressure increasing or decreasing period changing device changes an increasing or decreasing period of the hydraulic pressure controlled by the hydraulic pressure controlling device. A controlling device controls the hydraulic pressure increasing or decreasing period changing device to change the increasing or decreasing period of the hydraulic pressure corresponding to each of the wheels in contact with a road surface having a high road surface friction coefficient, from that where a left-right braking force difference is not generated, to where the left-right braking force difference is generated by the hydraulic pressure controlling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Fujita, Mitsutaka Tanimoto, Go Inoue
  • Patent number: 8712649
    Abstract: A transmission controller permits a 2-1 shift, in which a gear position of a subtransmission mechanism is changed from a second speed to a first speed, when an accelerator pedal has been depressed to or above a predetermined opening. The gear position of the subtransmission mechanism is changed from the second speed to the first speed when an actual through speed ratio passes a mode switch line from a High side to a Low side while the 2-1 shift is permitted in the subtransmission mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignees: Jatco Ltd, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tateki Jozaki, Hideaki Suzuki, Ryousuke Nonomura, Mamiko Inoue, Seiichiro Takahashi, Tatsuo Ochiai, Masato Koga, Masaaki Uchida, Ryoji Kadono
  • Patent number: 8712613
    Abstract: A control device controlling a hybrid vehicle drive apparatus that includes an internal combustion engine, a rotary electric machine drivingly connected to a wheel and a clutch selectively drivingly connecting the internal combustion engine with the rotary electric machine. The control device performs control such that, when a start request of the internal combustion engine is issued in the state in which the clutch is released and combustion of the internal combustion engine is stopped, a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is raised to a rotational speed of the rotary electric machine by transmitting driving torque of the rotary electric machine to the internal combustion engine by increasing a torque transfer capacity of the clutch, and, after the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine is synchronized with the rotational speed of the rotary electric machine, the combustion of the internal combustion engine is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Yoshida, Yomei Hakumura, Saoto Tsuchiya, Hiroaki Kioka
  • Patent number: 8712619
    Abstract: A vehicle is equipped with a battery configured so as to be rechargeable, a motor generator configured so as to generate the driving force of the vehicle by use of electric power stored in the battery, a switch configured so as to switch between generation of a command for extending the use period of the battery and stop of generation of the command, and an ECU for controlling the state of charge of the battery. The ECU sets the control range of SOC of the battery. When the switch stops generation of the command, the ECU sets the control range to a first range. Meanwhile, when a command is generated by the switch, the ECU sets the control range to a second range narrower than the first range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Kusumi, Sumikazu Syamoto, Kazumasa Arai
  • Patent number: 8712634
    Abstract: The different advantageous embodiments provide an apparatus comprising a number of landing gear components for a vehicle, a number of systems, and a number of processor units. The number of systems is configured to generate data about the number of landing gear components and the vehicle. The number of processor units is configured to monitor the data and manage health of the number of landing gear components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: David A. Followell, Jeanne C. Maggiore, Wayne R. Majkowski
  • Patent number: 8712677
    Abstract: Navigation devices, methods, and programs acquire a reference position related to the traveling of a host vehicle and acquire a host vehicle condition at the reference position. The devices, methods, and programs accesses a travel information storage unit that stores travel sequences. The stored data for each travel sequences includes at least one position along the travel sequence, operation information that specifies a vehicle operation at each stored position, and vehicle condition information that specifies a vehicle condition at each stored position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Miura, Junichi Nonomura
  • Patent number: 8712653
    Abstract: A transmission control system for regulating operation of an automatic transmission of a vehicle includes a first module that provides a predetermined shift schedule including upshift and downshift lines and a second module that offsets each of the upshift and downshift lines by an offset amount to provide modified upshift and downshift lines when a deceleration of the vehicle exceeds a threshold deceleration. A third module regulates operation of the automatic transmission based on the modified upshift and downshift lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventors: Jayson S. Schwalm, David W. Wright, Christopher A. Spangler, Andriy Nikitin
  • Patent number: 8712633
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle data providing apparatus supporting to easily generate vehicle internal communication data at the development stage of a product to perform a test. According to an aspect, there is provided a vehicle data providing apparatus including: a vehicle data analyzer configured to analyze a vehicle data file that is used in a vehicle, and to provide a reference data graph about reference data included in the vehicle data file; a vehicle data changing unit configured to receive a user input signal for changing the reference data, and to change related data associated with the reference data based on the reference data graph; and a test data file generator configured to generate a vehicle data file for test, including the changed reference data and the changed related data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Dong-Myung Sul, Byung-Yun Lee, Young-Ii Choi, Byung-Sun Lee
  • Patent number: 8712609
    Abstract: A method is provided for displaying information on a display device of an aircraft. The method comprises determining graphics data for visual aids that represent missed approach data; incorporating the graphics data into a user interface that is in perspective view; and generating the user interface for display on the display device of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Navin Kadavil, Anil Kumar Songa, Prashant Prabhu, Ravindra Jayaprakash, Sadguni Venkataswamy
  • Patent number: 8712618
    Abstract: To include a power converter that drives an induction machine and a control unit that controls the, power converter. The control unit includes a drive stopping unit. The drive stopping unit includes a secondary-resistance-temperature detecting unit that detects temperature rise of a secondary resistance of the induction machine based on a current (a d-axis-current detection value and a q-axis-current detection value, or a d-axis current command and a q-axis current command) detected by the induction machine, an inverter angular frequency calculated based on the current, and speed information of an electric vehicle detected by an external-speed-information detecting unit, and the drive stopping unit also includes a drive-stopping-signal output unit that outputs a drive stopping signal for stopping a driving operation of the power converter based on the speed information ?train of an electric vehicle and an output (deviation) from the secondary-resistance-temperature detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kono, Hideo Okayama
  • Patent number: 8712665
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for providing unchoked control of gas turbine fuel control valves. According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for active control of a gas flow control valve. The method may include receiving a desired fuel command and an inlet pressure parameter, and determining a gas flow gain based at least in part on the inlet pressure parameter. The method may also include determining a valve flow coefficient based at least in part on the desired fuel command and the gas flow gain, and controlling the gas flow control valve based at least in part on the valve flow coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott William Szepek, Michael John Mariani, Robert Loeven
  • Patent number: 8712632
    Abstract: An approach is provided for complementing various devices and/or instruments by utilizing augmented reality and providing an adaptive user interface to a user at a user device. A user device determines one or more information items associated with at least one instrument panel of at least one vehicle. Then the user device determines one or more representations of the one or more information items and causes, at least in part, a presentation of the one or more information items at the user device, wherein the user device may complement and/or may be substituted for the at least one instrument panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: NAVTEQ B.V.
    Inventor: Marko Tapio Tuukkanen
  • Patent number: 8712625
    Abstract: An automatic search system and a method for assisting a mobile apparatus to search for a matching device are provided. The automatic search method includes the following steps. First, N sets of consecutive images are captured at N time points respectively when the mobile apparatus moves along a first direction. The N is a positive integer greater than 1. Next, the N sets of consecutive images are received, and several image features of the N sets of images are compared, so as to determine accordingly whether the matching device exists in the first direction. If it is determined that the matching device exists, a route signal and an adjustment signal are generated. Next, according to the route signal, the mobile apparatus is controlled to move to an adjacent position of the matching device. Also, according to the adjustment signal, the mobile apparatus is controlled to be combined with the matching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: National Tsing Hua University
    Inventors: Hung-Yin Tsai, Ming-Hwei Perng, Yen-Wen Huang, Yen-Po Lin
  • Patent number: 8706349
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed for altering permitted settings of a vehicle according to a driver identified through short range wireless communication. The vehicle captures a unique identifier from a wireless communication device of the driver of the vehicle. This unique identifier is used to reference a database to determine the identity of the driver as well as settings for the driver created by a controlling authority. The controlling authority may be, for instance, a parent or employer of the driver. The settings may limit certain devices within the vehicle and/or the vehicle itself. Speed control settings, radio settings, wireless communication device settings, and various other settings are all possible to limit distractions to the driver. Further, the settings may be influenced by the number or identities of passengers within the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC
    Inventors: Jay Daryl Rector, John Potts Davis, III, Justin Michael Anthony McNamara
  • Patent number: 8706344
    Abstract: A system for identifying an object impacting a vehicle bumper during a collision. The system receives acceleration values from each of a plurality of sensors and calculates a center strength value based on the acceleration values. The center strength value is indicative of the amount of force that is applied to the center of the vehicle bumper. The system then determines a preliminary impact location on the vehicle bumper based at least in part on the acceleration values. A normalized intrusion value is calculated based on the center strength value, the impact location, and a bumper stiffness factor. The bumper stiffness factor is indicative of the stiffness of the bumper at the impact location. The system then identifies the object impacting the vehicle bumper based at least in part on the normalized intrusion value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Seo-Wook Park
  • Patent number: 8706320
    Abstract: A measuring device for an aircraft is provided in order to determine physical properties of aerosol particles in real time. The device includes a heating device that separates volatile and solid aerosol particles, and a particle sensor that measures acquired data. The physical properties of the solid aerosol particles are determined with an analyzer. The determined analytical data is forwarded to other internal aircraft systems via a communication interface. Due to the formation of a measuring data or analytical data network with several airliners equipped with the measuring device, accurate and up-to-date information on the particle pollution, for example, along flight paths, can be obtained and used for defining no-fly zones, if so required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Roland Kelm
  • Patent number: 8706346
    Abstract: A method to control a powertrain having an electric motor includes monitoring a torque command to the motor, predicting a motor torque for the motor based upon the torque command, monitoring an actual motor torque of the motor, comparing the actual motor torque to the predicted torque, and indicating a motor fault when the actual motor torque and the predicted torque differ by more than a calibratable threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wei D. Wang, Brian A. Welchko, Kevin P. Houle, Darren Crewes
  • Patent number: 8706339
    Abstract: A robotic mower boundary sensing system includes a boundary driving circuit on a charging station transmitting an encoded signal on a boundary wire, a boundary sensor on a robotic mower and including an inductor receiving the encoded signal, and a vehicle control unit on the robotic mower receiving the encoded signal from the boundary sensor and decoding the signal and cross correlating the received signal to determine the distance of the boundary sensor from the boundary wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Thompson, Craig E Rupp