Patents Examined by Thomas E Worden
  • Patent number: 12654688
    Abstract: A method and system include receiving a request for autonomous parking of a vehicle; upon receiving the request, obtaining information as to a plurality of potential parking spots, including as to their respective effects on a temperature of the vehicle; selecting, via a processor of the vehicle, one of the plurality of potential parking spots as a selected parking spot for the vehicle, based on the information, including the respective effects on the temperature of the vehicle; and autonomously parking the vehicle in the selected parking spot, in accordance with instructions provided by the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Samuel B. Kupfer, Mayssaa El Rifai
  • Patent number: 12650702
    Abstract: A mobile vehicle includes a controller, the controller executing program instructions to implement operations including moving the mobile vehicle from an exterior of a target to an interior of the target in response to determining that the mobile vehicle is separated from a second mobile vehicle; driving a transportation component of the mobile vehicle to receive a first cargo from the second mobile vehicle, wherein the second mobile vehicle is located at an exterior of the target; and moving the mobile vehicle away from the interior of the target so that the first cargo is placed in the interior of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: VISIONNAV ROBOTICS USA INC.
    Inventors: Wei Lu, Mu Fang
  • Patent number: 12630163
    Abstract: A driving assistance method for a vehicle comprises: suspending autonomous lane change control when a driver's steering operation input during execution of the autonomous lane change control satisfies a predetermined suspension condition; executing first autonomous lane change control, which is executed regardless of an indication of the driver's intention, without confirming the indication of the driver's intention; executing second autonomous lane change control, which is executed due to the indication of the driver's intention, when the indication of the driver's intention can be confirmed; and setting the predetermined suspension condition for the first autonomous lane change control to a condition under which the autonomous lane change control is more readily suspended than under the predetermined suspension condition for the second autonomous lane change control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuhisa Hayakawa
  • Patent number: 12632068
    Abstract: A management system includes multiple autonomous moving bodies existing in a predetermined area, and a management device configured to manage the multiple autonomous moving bodies, in which each of the multiple autonomous moving bodies is configured to communicate with both the management device and other autonomous moving bodies, the management device is configured to attempt to transmit a specific instruction for a first autonomous moving body to each of the multiple autonomous moving bodies, when a second autonomous moving body receives the specific instruction from the management device, transmit an instruction corresponding to the specific instruction received from the management device to the first autonomous moving body, and when receiving the instruction corresponding to the specific instruction from the second autonomous moving body, the first autonomous moving executes processing according to the instruction corresponding to the specific instruction received from the second autonomous moving body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takuya Oda
  • Patent number: 12629836
    Abstract: The present applicant discloses a robot suspension judgment method based on laser points, a map update method, and a chip. The method comprises: laser beams emitted by the laser sensor are controlled to scan an area to be detected, so as to obtain a laser beam simulation line segment; at the same time, a pre-built grid map is obtained; according to the number of obstacle grids passed by the laser beam simulation line segment within the allowable range of the ranging error, a laser beam simulation line segment with judgment function is obtained, and the laser beam simulation line segment with judgment function is counted; and according to a ratio of the number of laser beam simulation line segments with judgment function to the number of all laser beam simulation line segments, it is judged whether the mobile robot is in a suspended state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: AMICRO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming Sun, Hewen Zhou, Huibao Huang, Zhuobiao Chen, Songzhou Xu, Kun Xiong
  • Patent number: 12623844
    Abstract: The embodiments of the present application provide a method, apparatus, and device for adjusting a material handling apparatus of a robot. The method includes: acquiring a first detection image through an image acquisition apparatus when the robot moves to a target ground identifier corresponding to a target storage location; determining a pose position relationship between the target storage location and the image acquisition apparatus based on preset key points in the first detection image; and adjusting the material handling apparatus of the robot to be aligned with the target storage location based on the pose position relationship, so that an insert plate of the material handling apparatus is placed between a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion. In this way, the material handling apparatus is calibrated before goods are retrieved or stored, which avoids collisions during goods retrieval and storage and improves operation safety of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: HAI ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ying Zhao
  • Patent number: 12623352
    Abstract: The invention relates to an automatic massage method and device. A massage trajectory is generated on a typical human body surface model in surface coordinates. A target human body surface model is generated by adjusting its parameters to measurement results of a surface of a patient body. The patient body is placed in a posture close to a recommended posture and its surface is measured using a three-dimensional camera. The target human body surface model is further adjusted to the measured surface of the patient body. The massage trajectory is transferred from the surface coordinates into spatial coordinates, and a motion trajectory of a massage tool is calculated in coordinates of a robotic manipulator. Next, the patient body is massaged by moving the massage tool along the motion trajectory. The massage trajectory is re-calculated continuously to correct the motion trajectory when changing the position and posture of the patient body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Inventors: Denis Ledenkov, Maxim Gladilov
  • Patent number: 12620305
    Abstract: A method for generating data regarding closure of a stretch of navigable elements, includes: identifying source navigable elements and destination navigable elements in a region around the stretch; generating traffic flow indicators, each being based on a comparison of a reference measure and a closure measure. The reference measure indicates a number of first journeys relative to a number of second journeys during a reference period. The closure measure indicates a number of first journeys relative to a number of second journeys during a test period. Each first journey includes movement of a respective client from a respective source navigable element to a navigable element of the stretch and then to a respective destination navigable element. Each second journey includes movement of a respective client from a respective source navigable element to a respective destination navigable element without a stretch navigable element. The data is generated based on the indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: TomTom Traffic B.V.
    Inventors: Sören Sven Sonnenburg, Przemyslaw Polewski, Lucian Ionescu, Gijs Peters, Yucel Kenan Ozturk
  • Patent number: 12617418
    Abstract: A device may receive road facing camera (RFC) video data, driver facing camera (DFC) video data, and idling events data associated with a vehicle, and may receive traffic data associated with the vehicle. The device may determine that an idling event of the idling events data is an idling event trigger, and may process the idling event and the DFC video data, based on the idling event being an idling event trigger and with a first machine learning model, to determine a behavior of a driver of the vehicle. The device may process the behavior of the driver, the RFC video data, and the traffic data, with a second machine learning model, to determine a score for the idling event, and may determine a classification for the idling event based on the score and a score threshold. The device may perform one or more actions based on the classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Francesco De Felice, Filippo Valente, Giovanni Pini, Tommaso Mugnai
  • Patent number: 12606264
    Abstract: A method for plausibilizing a sensor signal of a single-track vehicle. The method includes: estimating gear ratios between a wheel speed of a wheel and a pedaling frequency of a pedal of a pedal unit and/or a drive speed of a drive of the single-track vehicle at multiple points in time; ascertaining a value of a reliability indicator based on the estimated gear ratios, the value of the reliability indicator being ascertained with the aid of a statistical parameter, in particular a variance, of the estimated gear ratios and/or a histogram of the estimated gear ratios; and plausibilizing the sensor signal based on a comparison of the value of the reliability indicator with a threshold value, the threshold value corresponding to a maximally permissible value of the reliability indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Jan Schnee, Jo Pletinckx
  • Patent number: 12605846
    Abstract: According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a cooking robot system may include a first kettle, a multi-joint robot, and a controller, and wherein the controller, when controlling a movement of the multi-joint robot to grip a cooking utensil, determines whether to rotate a gripper unit coupled to the multi-joint robot according to a kind of the cooking utensil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2025
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: HANKOOKROBOTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chong Young Woo
  • Patent number: 12594967
    Abstract: A system for addressing failure in an autonomous agent includes a driving subsystem, a control subsystem, a central computing subsystem, and an autonomous vehicle (AV) sensor subsystem. The system can optionally additionally include a power subsystem, a vehicle chassis subsystem, a communication subsystem, a distributed computing and/or processing subsystem, a supplementary sensor subsystem, and/or any other components. A method for addressing failure can include any or all of: detecting and responding to a failure; and operating the vehicle. Additionally or alternatively, the method 200 can include any other processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: Gatik AI Inc.
    Inventors: Apeksha Kumavat, Brian McLean, Siddharth Ram, Arjun Narang, Gautam Narang
  • Patent number: 12583445
    Abstract: A vehicle controller includes a processor configured to sense trouble with a first sensor among sensors that are capable of detecting objects around a host vehicle and whose sensing areas at least partially overlap, detect another vehicle traveling in an area around the host vehicle, based on sensor signals from the respective sensors, and decelerate the host vehicle at first deceleration in the case where trouble with the first sensor is sensed and where the other vehicle is detected on the basis of a sensor signal from a second sensor having lower priority than the first sensor in sensing the other vehicle cutting in front of the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryusuke Kuroda, Kenichiro Aoki, Tadashi Okubo
  • Patent number: 12568363
    Abstract: A communication system includes a first communication device located onboard a first vehicle in a vehicle system formed from the first vehicle and at least a second vehicle, a second communication device located onboard the second vehicle in the vehicle system, and a first communication path extending between the first and second communication devices and established using a first communication medium. The first and second communication devices may share a security credential via the first communication path. The first and second communication devices also may establish a secure second communication path between the first and second communication devices using the security credential that is shared via the first communication path. The second communication path established by the first and second communication devices uses a different, second communication medium extending between the first and second communication devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2026
    Assignee: Transportation IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Elliott Loch
  • Patent number: 12535829
    Abstract: An information processing device of the present disclosure includes a ranger that detects a distance to an end part of a stage and detects a predetermined pattern provided on the stage, with infrared light, and an estimator that estimates a self-location on the basis of a detection result of the ranger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2026
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventor: IshwarPrakash Hebbar
  • Patent number: 12528190
    Abstract: Systems and methods for manipulating deformable objects using air are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for manipulating a deformable object, the system includes a first robot arm having a first gripper, a second robot arm having a second gripper, a blower robot arm having an air pump, and one or more processors programmed to control the first robot arm and the second robot arm to grasp the deformable object using the first gripper and the second gripper, respectively, and to control the blower robot arm to perform a plurality of blowing actions onto the deformable object until an objective is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2026
    Assignees: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Zhenjia Xu, Cheng Chi, Benjamin Burchfiel, Eric Cousineau, Siyuan Feng, Shuran Song
  • Patent number: 12528448
    Abstract: An energy management technique for an electrified vehicle controls an electrified powertrain to maintain a fuel reserve in a fuel tank, wherein the fuel reserve is a threshold amount above a minimum amount of fuel that is kept in the fuel tank while indicating that the fuel tank is fully depleted, detects an operating condition of the electrified vehicle when (i) the fuel tank is depleted down to the fuel reserve and (ii) a battery system state of charge (SOC) is at or below a minimum SOC propulsion threshold and, in response to detecting the electrified vehicle operating condition, temporarily powers the engine using the fuel reserve in the fuel tank and utilize the engine to support a heating system of the electrified vehicle configured for at least window heating and/or defrosting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2026
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventor: Cornelius N Opris
  • Patent number: 12528470
    Abstract: A vehicle guidance system provides a driving function for automated longitudinal guidance of a vehicle. The vehicle guidance system is configured to determine that the vehicle is carrying out a driving-off process at a first signaling unit. Furthermore, the vehicle guidance system is configured to detect, on the basis of surroundings data, a second signaling unit subsequent to the first signaling unit, which second signaling unit is arranged ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel on a roadway on which the vehicle is travelling. The vehicle guidance system is also configured to check whether or not one or more driving-off process conditions in relation to the driving-off process are met, and depending thereon, the second signaling unit is configured to consider, during automated longitudinal guidance of the vehicle, whether or not the one or more driving-off process conditions are met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2026
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Bartono Adiprasito, Helena Dolinaj, Maximilian Guenther, Frank Herchet, Martin Jaensch, Markus Kraemer, Julius Schulz, Muhammed Yildiz
  • Patent number: 12523277
    Abstract: An electromechanical front gear changer for a bicycle is provided, the bicycle having a chain, including a base member attachable to the bicycle. A linkage is movably coupled to the base member. A chain guide is movably coupled to the linkage for contacting the chain. A motor is supported by the base member. A gear transmission is driven by the motor to move the linkage. A CPU is provided for controlling the motor and a power supply is supported by the base member to power the motor and the CPU. A manually operated device is disposed on the electromechanical front gear changer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Shipman, Brian Jordan, Mark Santurbane
  • Patent number: 12517063
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an automatic cleaner for cleaning a surface. The automatic cleaner comprises: a light emitting device, configured to emit first light, wherein a first angle exists between a first emitting direction of the first light and the surface when the automatic cleaner is located on the surface, wherein the first angle is larger than 0° and smaller than 90°; an optical sensor, configured to detect first optical data generated based on the first light; and a processing circuit, configured to determine if the liquid or the colloid exists in a predetermined range of the automatic cleaner based on the first optical data. The processing circuit further determines a location of the automatic cleaner on the surface according to navigation optical data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2026
    Assignee: PixArt Imaging Inc.
    Inventors: Guo-Zhen Wang, Hung-Ching Lai