Patents Examined by Thomas G. Black
  • Patent number: 11340632
    Abstract: A georeferenced trajectory estimation system receives data generated by vehicle sensors from a fleet of vehicles and identifies sets of sensor measurements for a geographic region taken at different times. The sets of sensor measurements include environment geometry data and unaligned trajectory data in local coordinate frames. The georeferenced trajectory estimation system aligns the environment geometry data between sets of sensor measures, and, based on the alignment of the environment geometry data, transforms the identified corresponding trajectory data into a common coordinate frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Zlot, Ethan Duff Eade, Peter Hansen, David Prasser, Xxx Xinjilefu
  • Patent number: 11334064
    Abstract: A control method for controlling a movable device includes controlling a motion of the movable device based on a plurality of flight commands in a normal mode; and controlling the motion of the movable device based on a plurality of inverse commands in a reverse return flight mode. An execution order of the plurality of inverse commands is reverse of an execution order of the plurality of commands, the plurality of inverse commands are generated based on the plurality of flight commands, and an operation of each of the inverse commands is opposite to an operation of a corresponding flight command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wenzhao Fang, Xiang Teng, Deen Zheng, Xiangzhan Meng
  • Patent number: 11332173
    Abstract: A train control system uses machine learning for implementing handovers between centralized and distributed train control models. A machine learning engine receives training data from a data acquisition hub, receives a centralized train control model from a centralized virtual system modeling engine, and receives an edge-based train control model from an edge-based virtual system modeling engine. The machine learning engine trains a learning system using the training data to enable the machine learning engine to predict when a locomotive of the train will enter a geo-fence where communication between the edge-based computer processing system and the centralized computer processing system will be inhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation
    Inventors: Bradley Howard, John Brand
  • Patent number: 11325640
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an motor-driven power steering (MDPS) may include: a driving information input unit configured to receive driving information; a steering angle position control unit configured to receive a command steering angle and a current motor steering angle of a driving motor, and output an autonomous driving command; and an MDPS control unit configured to drive the driving motor based on the autonomous driving command in an autonomous driving mode, determine whether a driver intervenes in steering, calculate a driver command by the driver's steering according to whether the driver intervenes in steering, and change an operation mode from the autonomous driving mode to a driver mode while driving the driving motor with a compensation output between the driver command and the autonomous driving command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11318961
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a robot provided in a vehicle capable of performing a function related to the vehicle. The robot includes a body, a head positioned above the body, an actuator configured to apply an external force to allow the head to move relative to the body, a camera disposed on the head to capture an image, a communication unit configured to perform communications with one or more devices provided in the vehicle, and a processor configured to control the actuator so that the camera is directed toward an inside or outside of the vehicle based on information received via the communication unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hyongguk Kim, Hyeongjin Im, Yoonjung Hong
  • Patent number: 11321977
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a volatile memory module configured to store vehicle data, and a refrigeration module coupled to the volatile memory module. The refrigeration module includes one or more chambers containing one or more coolant materials. When the one or more chambers are exposed by an exigent situation associated with a vehicle, the one or more chambers are configured to release the one or more coolant materials to lower a temperature of the volatile memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Woven Planet North America, Inc.
    Inventors: George James Hansel, Yi Lu
  • Patent number: 11312373
    Abstract: A computer is programmed to identify a target vehicle to be monitored and to identify first and second virtual boundaries on a roadway based on a position of the target vehicle. The computer is further programmed to determine a first constraint value based on (1) a first boundary approach velocity and (2) a first boundary approach acceleration and a second constraint value based on (1) a second boundary approach velocity and (2) a second boundary approach acceleration. The computer is further programmed to identify a maneuver of the target vehicle based on whether the first and second constraint values violate respective thresholds or a position of the target vehicle relative to the first and second virtual boundaries violates a threshold and to adjust a path of a host vehicle according to the identified maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yousaf Rahman, Mrdjan J. Jankovic, Mario Anthony Santillo
  • Patent number: 11307577
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control device is capable of starting an autonomous driving control without an operation of a driver and reducing a possibility that the driver can not start manual driving. An autonomous driving control is switched to manual driving when a determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a first threshold, before a predetermined time elapses since the autonomous driving control is automatically started. An autonomous driving control is switched to a manual driving when the determination section determines that the amount of operation by the driver is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, after the predetermined time elapses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Bunyo Okumura, Maiko Hirano
  • Patent number: 11308813
    Abstract: There is provided a flight management system for managing a flight plan of flying objects that fly among ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignees: The University of Tokyo, BLUE INNOVATION Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Christopher Thomas Raabe, Shinji Suzuki, Takeshi Tsuchiya, Masayuki Kumada, Kazuya Sakai, Takashi Matsuo, Tsuyoshi Chiba
  • Patent number: 11308741
    Abstract: A vehicle forensics analytics (“VFA”) computing device is configured to: (1) determine a time and a location of a traffic collision; (2) retrieve map data and contextual data associated with the time and the location of the traffic collision; (3) receive speech data, the speech data corresponding to a statement given by a witness of the traffic collision; (4) parse the speech data for phrases describing the traffic collision; (5) determine, based upon the parsed speech data, for each of a plurality of moments in time during the traffic collision, a position and an orientation of a vehicle involved in the traffic collision; (6) generate a simulation including a representation of the vehicle involved in the traffic collision based upon the map data, the contextual data, and the determined position and orientation for each of the plurality of moments in time; and (7) display the simulation to reconstruct the collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Alexander Cardona, Jerome Scott Trayer, An Ho
  • Patent number: 11302199
    Abstract: A device for determining a region of impact of an aircraft on the surface of the Earth in the event of an emergency is configured to compare weather forecasts from the past with the weather conditions that are actually occurring and to determine therefrom an uncertainty of the weather forecasts using statistical means. This uncertainty of the weather forecasts is used in addition to position data and state information of the aircraft in order to determine a probable region of impact of the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventors: Fabian Klüßendorf, Paul Stevens, Steve Tate
  • Patent number: 11299868
    Abstract: A hybrid work machine is configured with an engine 41, a hydraulic pump 51, a hydraulic actuator, a generator motor 61 coupled to the engine 41, an electric storage device 62 that transmits and receives electric power to and from the generator motor 61, an engine controller 42 that controls the engine 41 based on a target engine revolution speed, a power controller 63 that controls action of the generator motor 61, a controller 72 that controls the engine controller 42 and the power controller 63, and a target engine revolution speed change instructing device that give instructions on a change in the target engine revolution speed. The controller 72 controls the engine controller 42 and the power controller 63 to act the generator motor 61 as a generator until an actual revolution speed of the engine 41 is reduced to a revolution speed corresponding to a target engine revolution speed after change if the target engine revolution speed has been changed to be lower while the engine 41 is in an unloaded state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Takigawa, Kentaro Itoga
  • Patent number: 11295621
    Abstract: Methods and associated systems and apparatus for generating a three-dimensional (3D) flight path for a moveable platform such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are disclosed herein. The method includes receiving a set of 3D information associated with a virtual reality environment and receiving a plurality of virtual locations in the virtual reality environment. For individual virtual locations, the system receives a corresponding action item. The system then generates a 3D path based on at least one of the set of 3D information, the plurality of virtual locations, and the plurality of action items. The system then generates a set of images associated with the 3D path and then visually presents the same to an operator via a virtual reality device. The system enables the operator to adjust the 3D path via the virtual reality device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuewen Ma, Kaiyong Zhao, Shizhen Zheng, Chihui Pan
  • Patent number: 11294385
    Abstract: A method includes obtaining an occupancy grid. The method includes generating a reference, such as a ray, on the occupancy grid. The ray originates from a location of a vehicle and extends in a direction that corresponds to a driving direction of the vehicle. The method includes identifying markers along the ray. The markers include transition markers, which indicate a first type of transition or a second type of transition. The first type of transition is from an unoccupied zone to an occupied zone. The second type of transition is from the occupied zone to the unoccupied zone. The method includes generating a representation of drivable space in real-time based on computations involving sections that are associated with the first type of transition and the second type of transition. The method includes providing guidance to the vehicle based on the representation of drivable space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Aghapi Mordovanakis, Krishna Chinni, Rajani Janardhana, Miklos Halasz
  • Patent number: 11293766
    Abstract: A system and method for cognitive journey monitoring are presented. Embodiments comprise journey prediction, parsing of data sources, risk assessment and mitigation, and natural-language user interaction by a cognitive processor. Data is gathered from a plurality of data sources and analyzed in the context of one or more of the user's intention(s). A dialogue with the user, in natural language, aims to provide and select one or more suggestions relating to the one or more user intention(s) such that the risk(s) relating to the one or more user's intention(s) is reduced. During the dialogue, cognitive reasoning may be performed, wherein the cognitive reasoning includes the ability to justify each suggestion and the ability to infer information from the interaction such as, for example, data obtained in a dialogue may inform subsequent inferences. The embodiments may use speech synthesis and speech recognition in an interactive spoken dialogue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Epperlein, Claudio Gambella, Wynita M. Griggs, Yassine Lassoued, Jakub Marecek, Martin Mevissen, Julien Monteil, Rodrigo H. Ordonez-Hurtado, Giovanni Russo, Robert Shorten
  • Patent number: 11292497
    Abstract: A communication system includes a data manager unit, a private interface, and an open interface. The data manager unit is configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and to manage a transmission of data from a control system of the vehicle to a plurality of applications. The private interface is configured to communicably couple the data manager unit to the control system of the vehicle, and to limit communication with the control system via a connection protocol, wherein the connection protocol is configured to prevent direct communication between the data manager unit and an application that does not use the connection protocol. The open interface is configured to communicably couple the data manager unit and the plurality of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Todd Goodermuth, Richard Hooker
  • Patent number: 11292510
    Abstract: A steering control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit controls operation of a steering-side motor so as to apply a steering reaction force that resists a steering operation input to the steering wheel. The electronic control unit computes an obstruction strike reaction force for regulating a steering operation that steers a steered wheel toward an obstruction. The electronic control unit generates determination information indicating that the steered wheel is struck by an obstruction. The determination information includes first determination information indicating that the left side of the steered wheel is struck by an obstruction, and second determination information indicating that the right side of the steered wheel is struck by an obstruction. The electronic control unit sets a direction in which the obstruction strike reaction force is applied based on the generated determination information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: JTKEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Anraku, Isao Namikawa, Yusuke Kakimoto, Yoshio Kudo
  • Patent number: 11285943
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes an automated driving control unit for controlling, based on surrounding environment information of a vehicle, driving, braking, and/or steering of the vehicle without depending on a driving operation of a driver; and a driving support control unit for supporting driving of the vehicle by the driver by controlling driving, braking, and/or steering of the vehicle. The control units are communicably connected. The driving support control unit can control, depending on a reception result of a signal received from the automated driving control unit, steering, and driving and/or braking of the vehicle based on the surrounding environment information without depending on the driving operation of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD
    Inventors: Jun Ochida, Mahito Shikama, Takuji Hiroma, Tadahiko Kanoh, Kanta Tsuji, Takuyuki Mukai
  • Patent number: 11287826
    Abstract: A method for terrain and constraint planning a step plan includes receiving, at data processing hardware of a robot, image data of an environment about the robot from at least one image sensor. The robot includes a body and legs. The method also includes generating, by the data processing hardware, a body-obstacle map, a ground height map, and a step-obstacle map based on the image data and generating, by the data processing hardware, a body path for movement of the body of the robot while maneuvering in the environment based on the body-obstacle map. The method also includes generating, by the data processing hardware, a step path for the legs of the robot while maneuvering in the environment based on the body path, the body-obstacle map, the ground height map, and the step-obstacle map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Whitman, Gina Christine Fay
  • Patent number: 11288900
    Abstract: A method and system of diagnosing and suggesting least probable faults for an exhibited vehicle failure. The method includes initiating a vehicle health management (VHM) algorithm to monitor a state of health (SOH) for at least one vehicle component at each vehicle operating event over a predetermined time period. The VHM algorithm determines at least one of a Green SOH, a Yellow SOH, and a Red SOH designation with a confidence level for the at least one vehicle component; calculating a number of Green SOH designations (Ncalculated) over the predetermined time period; and upon an exhibited vehicle failure, providing a least probable cause indication for the at least one component when a set of conditions are met. The set of conditions includes (i) Ncalculated is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of Green SOH designations and (ii) no Yellow SOH and Red SOH designations are present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Shengbing Jiang, Xinyu Du, Yilu Zhang, Varsha K Sadekar, Joshua J Sanchez, Paul E Krajewski