Patents Examined by Thomas Ingram
  • Patent number: 11023836
    Abstract: A server includes a unit obtaining a position of a registered vehicle, a unit obtaining a vehicle dispatch position, a unit determining a candidate vehicle based on the vehicle dispatch position and the position of the registered vehicle, a unit transmitting information regarding an autonomous driving function of the candidate vehicle to a user device, a unit receiving information for identifying a dispatch vehicle, and a unit transmitting a vehicle dispatch position to the dispatch vehicle. The user device includes a unit receiving the information regarding the autonomous driving function of the candidate vehicle, a unit displaying the information regarding the autonomous driving function of the candidate vehicle, an unit accepting a user operation for selecting the dispatch vehicle, and a unit transmitting the information for identifying the dispatch vehicle to the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Junya Watanabe, Yuji Sasaki, Seiji Arakawa, Naotoshi Kadotani, Masafumi Hayakawa, Takashi Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11016483
    Abstract: A system and method for operating an indoor/outdoor drone in a training mode that limits the maximum altitude during flight, restricts the ability to perform rapid maneuvers, and also may disable the ability to conduct aerial stunts. The system includes a flight controller that may select between the training mode, a normal mode, and a stunt mode. In the training mode, the flight controller restricts an increase in altitude of the drone beyond an altitude threshold, and also restricts an increase in one or more movement parameters of the drone beyond respective movement parameter thresholds. The selection of the training mode may disable the ability for the user to select the stunt mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: MerchSource, LLC
    Inventors: Kirk McLean, Lisa Nguyen, Michael Gerstner
  • Patent number: 11009868
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems for navigating an autonomous or semi-autonomous fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles within a plurality of navigable pathways within an unstructured open environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Russell Smith
  • Patent number: 10996670
    Abstract: An electric unmanned aerial vehicle includes a position sensor, a memory, and a controller in communication with the position sensor and the memory. The position sensor is configured to obtain coordinate information of a present position of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle in real-time. The coordinate information includes a plane coordinate on a horizontal plane and a height coordinate in a vertical direction. The memory stores coordinate information of a preset position of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle. The controller is configured to calculate a safety electricity amount needed by the electric unmanned aerial vehicle to perform a safety protection command based on the plane coordinate and the height coordinate, compare the safety electricity amount with a present remaining electricity amount of a battery of the electric unmanned aerial vehicle, and perform a safety protection command if the present remaining electricity amount is not greater than the safety electricity amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Renli Shi, Jianyu Song, Xi Chen
  • Patent number: 10984654
    Abstract: Approaches presented herein enable cooperative traffic flow optimization. More specifically, a current position and route information for a plurality of vehicles traveling on a road segment are obtained. Common routes between the vehicles are determined and a first longest common route between two first vehicles is identified. A first vehicle chain navigation instruction based on the identified route is generated and sent to the two first vehicles, instructing the two vehicles to form a first vehicle chain. Further common routes are determined among the vehicles and the vehicle chain using the route information and a second longest common route is identified between a second vehicle and: another vehicle or the first vehicle chain. A second vehicle chain navigation instruction is generated instructing the second vehicle to form a second vehicle chain with the other vehicle or to join the first vehicle chain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David T. Britt, Thorsten Busch, Angela Boone
  • Patent number: 10983215
    Abstract: An advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) and method for a vehicle utilize a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system configured to emit laser light pulses and capture reflected laser light pulses collectively forming three-dimensional (3D) LIDAR point cloud data and a controller configured to receive the 3D LIDAR point cloud data, convert the 3D LIDAR point cloud data to a two-dimensional (2D) birdview projection, obtain a template image for object detection, the template image being representative of a specific object, blur the 2D birdview projection and the template image to obtain a blurred 2D birdview projection and a blurred template image, and detect the specific object by matching a portion of the blurred 2D birdview projection to the blurred template image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Dalong Li, Alex M Smith, Stephen Horton
  • Patent number: 10967847
    Abstract: A method for controlling revolutions per minute (RPM) flare, in which an RPM of a transmission increases due to clutch slip, for a hybrid vehicle can include: determining whether gear-shifting is performed in a transmission of the hybrid vehicle; detecting whether RPM flare of the transmission occurs when it is determined that the gear-shifting is performed; and controlling a torque of a motor of the hybrid vehicle so as to reduce the RPM flare of the transmission by reducing the torque of the motor when the RPM flare of the transmission is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Won Woo Seo, Young Kwan Ko, Hoon Han, Jae Young Choi
  • Patent number: 10967880
    Abstract: A system and method for disabling a function of a feature of a vehicle based on a validation request to a centralized validation authority, prior to a use of the feature includes determining that a condition is met as part of a startup sequence of the vehicle, transmitting the validation request to the centralized validation authority, in response to determining the condition is met, wherein the validation request is part of the startup sequence of the vehicle, receiving a validation decision from the centralized validation authority, and disabling the feature of the vehicle as a function of the receiving the validation decision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cesar Augusto Rodriguez Bravo, Gregory J. Boss, Rick A. Hamilton, II
  • Patent number: 10940836
    Abstract: A method is provided to adjust an activating braking pressure threshold value of an automatic vehicle brake holding system of a vehicle. If a braking pressure that is generated through actuation of a vehicle brake of the vehicle exceeds an activating braking pressure threshold value while the vehicle is at a standstill, a brake holding state of the vehicle brake holding system is activated and a procedure for ascertaining time is started. A vehicle movement is ascertained during an activated brake holding state within a monitoring procedure period of time since starting the procedure to ascertain time. If a movement occurs within the monitoring procedure period of time, a value of a number of ascertained movements is increased. If this value exceeds a movement threshold value, the activating braking pressure threshold value is increased and the value of the number of ascertained movements is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Christoph Henel, Tom Ramakers, Tadeusz Bularz
  • Patent number: 10942277
    Abstract: A LIDAR system includes a laser source configured to output a first beam and a polygon scanner. The polygon scanner includes a plurality of facets. Each facet of the plurality of facets is configured to transmit a second beam responsive to the first beam. The plurality of facets include a first facet having a first field of view over which the first facet transmits the second beam and a second facet having a second field of view over which the second facet transmits the second beam. The first field of view is greater than the second field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: AURORA INNOVATION, INC.
    Inventor: Edward Joseph Angus
  • Patent number: 10926641
    Abstract: Various embodiments may include a control apparatus for an energy storage unit of a motor vehicle comprising: a non-volatile memory storing a first initial configuration for a first energy storage unit and a second initial configuration for a second energy storage unit. The memory is connected to a further memory having a first adaptation configuration for the first energy storage unit and a second adaptation configuration for the second energy storage unit. The non-volatile memory comprises a first memory part storing the first initial configuration and a second memory part electrically decoupled from the first memory part storing the second initial configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Reichow, Peter Voilkl, Michael Scheurer
  • Patent number: 10919163
    Abstract: A charging system for an autonomous data machine may be provided. The system may comprise: a charging station, wherein the charging station has a low profile allowing the autonomous data machine to drive over to charge a power supply of the autonomous data machine automatically; and one or more processors of the autonomous data machine configured to make charging decisions to effect charging operations of the autonomous data machine that include charging time, charging location, and operations to be performed during charging. In some instances, the charging decision are based on at least one of the following: location of charging station, availability of charging station, mission parameters, locations of other autonomous data machines, and/or charging requirements and/or availability of charging stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Knightscope, Inc.
    Inventors: William Santana Li, Stacy Dean Stephens, Mercedes Soria-Li, Aaron J. Lehnhardt, Dominic A. Villa, Phillip Wong, Arne Stoschek
  • Patent number: 10914112
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle liftgate control for cargo management. An example vehicle includes a liftgate with a sensor on an inner surface and a processor. The liftgate provides access to a cargo area. The processor, when an object is in the cargo area, detect when the object is banked against the liftgate using measurements from the sensor, and when the object is banked and a command to open the liftgate is received, autonomously opens the liftgate to an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Brian Bennie
  • Patent number: 10913352
    Abstract: A method, computer program, and devices for the remote control of a transportation vehicle via a mobile device. The method includes determining a proposal for triggering a functionality of the transportation vehicle; outputting the proposal via an output device; detecting a reaction of a user of the mobile device, wherein the reaction consists of an input via the input device or of the absence of an input; and transmitting a triggering signal for the functionality from the mobile device to the transportation vehicle in response to the input being absent within a period of time or in response to the event not corresponding to a termination of the proposal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Inventors: Fabian Hüger, Asisa Asseily
  • Patent number: 10907976
    Abstract: A network system evaluates candidate GPS routes with respect to map routes that are based on ground truth map data to identify defects in the ground truth map data. Defects in the ground truth map data may include inconsistencies between various attributes of the map data and the actual road network represented by the candidate GPS routes under evaluation. The network system corrects the identified feedback to ensure that the ground truth map data accurately reflects the attributes of the actual road network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jialin Jiao, Berk Gurakan, Vikram Saxena, Haider Ali Razvi
  • Patent number: 10908402
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including an optical system and an image pickup element. The optical system includes a first refractive surface disposed closest to an object, a first reflection surface, and a second reflection surface. A light receiving surface of the image pickup element is disposed at only one side with respect to the optical axis and at a position closer to the optical axis than an intersection between a straight line connecting an intersection on the first refractive surface and an intersection on an imaginary extension surface of the second reflection surface and an imaginary extension surface of the light receiving surface. Expression 1.5?L2/L1?6.5 is satisfied where L1 is an interval between the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface, and L2 is an interval between the first reflection surface and the light receiving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Maezawa
  • Patent number: 10908613
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method, apparatus, and system for planning a trajectory for an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventor: Yajia Zhang
  • Patent number: 10906426
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a battery. The vehicle includes a controller configured to inhibit battery charge. The charge inhibition is responsive to state of charge (SOC) of the battery achieving a cascading ceiling threshold during grid charge that decreases each day of a multiday period such that each day an SOC increase during the grid charge to achieve the ceiling threshold is same and the SOC achieves a floor threshold upon completion of a final day drive cycle of the multiday period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Phillip Morris, Nayaz Khalid Ahmed, Jimmy Kapadia, Daniel Lewis Boston
  • Patent number: 10908051
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a testing method and apparatus applicable to a driverless vehicle. In some embodiments, the method comprises: sending, by a terminal, position information to the driverless vehicle at a test site; sending, to the driverless vehicle, environment perception information of a preset test event corresponding to a preset position when a position in a real driving environment corresponding to the driverless vehicle is the preset position, obtaining output information of a functional module, determining whether the functional module is normal based on a comparison result between the output information and preset information corresponding to the functional module. At the test site, one can test whether each functional module is normal when the driverless vehicle encounters various kinds of events in the real driving environment, thus avoiding the safety risk of the test in the real driving environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Guang Yang
  • Patent number: 10900788
    Abstract: Described herein is a system for providing range and navigation information for visually impaired persons using range finders, image recognition, and non-visual sensual signals. The system provides information about the identity and distance of objects and potential obstacles in the vicinity of the user in a non-visual form that can be perceived by a visually impaired person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Inventor: Sidharth Anantha