Patents Examined by Thomas Ingram
  • Patent number: 11295558
    Abstract: A device for verifying vehicle-scrapping information may include a communication terminal configured to receive scrapping instruction from a diagnostor to enter a scrapping mode, and transmit end-of-use information according to the scrapping instruction to a management server, and an airbag controller configured to receive the scrapping instruction from the diagnostor and transmit an airbag deployment signal to the communication terminal, wherein the communication terminal ignores all interrupt signals when entering the scrapping mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Chang-Sik Hwang
  • Patent number: 11294376
    Abstract: A moving body control device expands an autonomously movable region, appropriately determines reliability of the expanded region, and realizes stable autonomous movement at low cost. The device includes: an external map acquisition unit acquiring an external map; a sensor acquiring external environment information around the moving body; a movement information acquisition unit acquiring movement information indicating a position or an advancing angle of the moving body; an autonomous movement range management unit generating an autonomous movement map based on the external information or the movement information; and a control unit controlling movement of the moving body based on the autonomous movement map, the external environment information, or the movement information, the autonomous movement range management unit comparing the autonomous movement map with the external map, the control unit controlling the moving body based on a comparison result in the autonomous movement range management unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenta Maeda, Junya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11285896
    Abstract: A method, a system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for vehicle sharing are provided. The method includes receiving a user request via a ride share agent. The ride share agent is communicatively coupled to a server. The method further includes identifying a vehicle from one of ride share providers based on the user request, retrieving one or more settings associated with one or more systems of the identified vehicle from the server, determining a setting of a system of the identified vehicle based on at least one physical characteristic of the user when the setting of the system is not stored in the server, and implementing the one or more settings on the identified vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Scott A. Friedman, Prince R. Remegio, Tim Uwe Falkenmayer, Roger Akira Kyle, Ryoma Kakimi, Luke D. Heide, Nishikant Narayan Puranik
  • Patent number: 11287280
    Abstract: An approach is provided for recommending a vehicle parking or stopping location at a current destination based on a next destination. The approach, for example, involves determining the next destination that follows the current destination. The approach also involves processing map data representing a road network within a proximity threshold of the current destination to determine the recommended parking or stopping location based on minimizing a travel time, a travel distance, or a combination thereof between the recommended parking or stopping location and the next destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventor: Jerome Beaurepaire
  • Patent number: 11279353
    Abstract: A lane departure prevention apparatus (17) has: a departure preventing device (172) for preventing a vehicle (1) from departing from a driving lane by controlling at least one of a steering apparatus (142) and a braking apparatus (13) selected on the basis of a state of the vehicle, when it is determined that the vehicle may depart from the driving lane; and a determining device for determining whether or not an abnormality condition that it is difficult for a person to normally drive the vehicle is satisfied, the departure preventing device prevents the vehicle from departing from the driving lane by controlling the braking apparatus even if the state of the vehicle is not a predetermined state in which the departure preventing device should prevent the vehicle from departing from the driving lane by controlling the braking apparatus, when it is determined that the abnormality condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Ikeda, Ryo Inomata, Akira Nagae, Hironori Ito
  • Patent number: 11279329
    Abstract: An emergency braking system according to an embodiment of the present invention, which performs emergency braking and brake release according to a position of an object detected while a vehicle moves backward, comprises a processor deriving a position of the object by processing data detected by a sensor, and a controller controlling emergency braking and brake release using the derived position of the object, wherein the controller releases a brake through different operation according to an area in which the position of the object is included after emergency braking of a plurality of areas into which a detecting area of the sensor is divided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Mando Mobility Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: NAC Dong Kim
  • Patent number: 11275172
    Abstract: A target detection device includes an analysis section, a direction estimating section, a received waveform forming section, and a distance calculating section. The received waveform forming section forms a received waveform for each of the frequencies of the continuous waves by weighting beat signals corresponding to received waves received by each of receiving antennas, so as to have directivity in one of arrival directions estimated by the direction estimating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takayuki Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11261649
    Abstract: A vehicle window control system is provided. The vehicle window control system includes a window switch that generates a first signal, a first computer that reads a state of the window switch and generates a second signal, and a second computer that controls movement of the vehicle window based on either the first signal or the second signal. The second computer receives the second signal from the first computer through serial communication and the first signal from the switch portion through a hardwire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric E. Helligrath, David G. Peterson, Kentaro Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 11247659
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus is applied to a vehicle so as to control driving of an electric motor of the vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a frequency calculation unit configured to calculate an engine pulsation frequency; a damping control content switching unit configured to switch a damping control content; a gain calculation unit configured to calculate a gain, used for a torque command for driving the electric motor; a torque calculation unit configured to calculate the torque command by multiplying the calculated gain by at least one of a torsion torque reduction component and a motor torque reduction component; a command torque determination unit configured to determine a damping control torque command; and a drive control unit configured to control the driving of the electric motor based on the damping control torque command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takatomo Asai, Hirotaka Mizuguchi
  • Patent number: 11243084
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improved data integration in augmented reality devices. The systems and methods include obtaining contextual information associated with an individual and device information associated with an augmented reality device associated with the individual from the augmented reality device, obtaining a plurality of data sets associated with the individual or augmented reality device from a plurality of data sources, determining a subset of information from the data sets that is relevant to the individual or the augmented reality device wherein the relevancy of the subset of information is based on an analysis of the contextual information and the device information, generating display data based on the determined subset of information, providing the display data to the augmented reality device for display on the augmented reality device wherein a graphical overlay representative of the display data is displayed in front of the individual's field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: NAVITAIRE LLC
    Inventors: Raelynn Anderson Sink, Justin Wilde
  • Patent number: 11243535
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode. For instance, a first location corresponding to a location where the vehicle is to pick up or drop off a passenger is received. A first cost for the vehicle to reach the first location is determined. A second location based on the first location is identified, and a second cost is determined based on a cost for the vehicle to reach the second location and a cost for the passenger to reach the second location. The first cost is compared to the second cost, and a notification is sent based on the notification. In response to sending the notification, instructions to proceed to the second location are received, and in response to receiving the instructions, the vehicle is controlled in the autonomous driving mode to the second location to pick up or drop off the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Seth Herbach, Michael Epstein, Mishika Vora, Guillaume Dupre, Kevin Rawlings
  • Patent number: 11244566
    Abstract: A surrounding information obtaining unit determines whether a first vehicle has traveled on a different road than a road on which a host vehicle travels, on the basis of information indicating roads and a facility present around the host vehicle and a travel state of the first vehicle. A difference checking unit checks whether a target road determined to have been traveled by the first vehicle is included in host vehicle map information. A wireless communication unit inquires whether an unknown target road confirmed not to be included in the host vehicle map information is included in master map information in a server device. When the unknown target road is included in the master map information, the wireless communication unit receives updating map information including the unknown target road from the server device. A map updating unit updates the host vehicle map information using the updating map information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nozomi Yamada, Yoshihiro Nakai
  • Patent number: 11225248
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus comprises a setting unit that sets a target position within a lane currently being traveled, and a steering controller that carries out steering control based on the target position. The steering controller can accept a steering input resulting from a manual operation, even when steering control is being carried out, generates a counterforce against the manual operation, and controls steering counterforce characteristics so that when the target position is distanced, in a width direction, from a first reference position near the center of the lane, the steering counterforce against a manual operation in a first direction from the target position toward the first reference position is lower than the steering counterforce against a manual operation in a second direction different from the first direction with respect to a manual operation at a given steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanta Tsuji, Atsushi Ishioka, Daiki Nishida
  • Patent number: 11225285
    Abstract: A vehicle control method and a vehicle control system are provided. A lateral distance between a vehicle and a tunnel wall of a tunnel is obtained through a lidar sensor when the vehicle is moving in a lane in the tunnel. A lateral offset parameter between the vehicle and a lane centerline is obtained based on the lateral distance. A moving direction of the vehicle is controlled according to the lateral offset parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventor: Liang-Yu Ke
  • Patent number: 11225377
    Abstract: A method and a controller for controlling movements of a robot from a start to a stop position, where the robot has pairs of wheels having drivers that are controlled by local controllers. Based on a current speed and an angular position of each wheel and a position of the robot relative to the frame structure, a master controller sets up individual speed driving sequences for the pair of wheels based on the current speed and angular position of each wheel, current global position of the robot, and the start and stop positions of the robot. The speed driving sequence is transmitted to the local controllers controlling the pair of wheels, thereby controlling acceleration and deceleration of each wheel via the individual drivers. The local controllers ensure that pairs of wheels are kept synchronised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Autostore Technology AS
    Inventors: Ingvar Hognaland, Ivar Fjeldheim, Jørgen Djuve Heggebø
  • Patent number: 11208084
    Abstract: A brake assistance apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The brake assistance apparatus includes a detecting unit and a brake assistance control unit. The detecting unit detects a state surrounding an own vehicle. The brake assistance control unit performs brake assistance to brake the own vehicle at a first brake timing, based on the detected state surrounding the own vehicle. In response to the own vehicle being determined to be advancing at an intersection based on the detected state surrounding the own vehicle, the brake assistance control unit performs the brake assistance at a second brake timing that is later than the first brake timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Kamiya, Yosuke Ito, Takaharu Oguri, Takahiro Baba, Ryo Takaki
  • Patent number: 11209453
    Abstract: According to one implementation of the present disclosure, a method for determining airspeed for an unpowered vehicle is disclosed. The method includes: during flight, determining, by an accelerometer disposed on the unpowered vehicle, first and second accelerometer outputs, where the first and second accelerometer outputs correspond to respective first and second body-fixed load factor measurements; determining an angle-of-attack parameter; determining a body Z-force coefficient based on the angle-of-attack parameter; and determining an airspeed value based on the second body-fixed load factor measurement and the second body-fixed coefficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Kip Gregory Campbell
  • Patent number: 11199846
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a learning-based dynamic modeling method is provided for use with an autonomous driving vehicle. A control module in the ADV can generate current states of the ADV and control commands for a first driving cycle, and send the current states and control commands to a dynamic model implemented using a trained neural network model. Based on the current states and the control commands, the dynamic model generates expected future states for a second driving cycle, during which the control module generates actual future states. The ADV compares the expected future states and the actual future states to generate a comparison result, for use in evaluating one or more of a decision module, a planning module and a control module in the ADV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Qi Luo, Jiaxuan Xu, Kecheng Xu, Xiangquan Xiao, Siyang Yu, Jinghao Miao, Jiangtao Hu
  • Patent number: 11194324
    Abstract: A monitor ECU 10 performs a support control based on a camera image photographed through a protection window by a camera 21. The ECU determines that a protection window state is an entire dirt state, when a first area index value calculated based on edge strength of pixels in a first area including a center of the camera image is smaller than a threshold dirt value. The ECU determines that the entire dirt state ends, when at least one of a first condition or a second condition is established. The first condition is established when the first area index value is equal to or greater than a first threshold end value. The second condition is established when a second area index value calculated based on the edge strength in a second area except the first area is equal to or greater than a second threshold end value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Kida, Tomoyuki Tsurube, Nobuyuki Hirose
  • Patent number: 11194326
    Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a first detection unit configured to detect an operation of a driving operation element by an occupant, a second detection unit configured to detect a direction of a face or a line of sight of the occupant, and a switching control unit configured to switch an automatic driving mode executed by an automatic driving control unit to one of a plurality of automatic driving modes including a first automatic driving mode and a second automatic driving mode. The switching control unit sets a condition for executing the first automatic driving mode, and sets a condition for executing the second automatic driving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Nakamura, Toshiyuki Kaji