Patents Examined by Thu V. Nguyen
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Patent number: 7283895Abstract: A method and device for calculating a target speed of an aircraft may include a flight point time determining section that determines when the aircraft actually gets to a particular flight point, taking account of the aircraft's current target speed. A time interval calculating section calculates a time interval between the predetermined time at which the aircraft must get to the particular flight point and the determined actual time. A speed updating section updates the target speed and applies the updated target speed to the aircraft if the calculated time interval is greater than a duration of comparison, which is variable and depends on the actual distance so as to decrease when the actual distance decreases.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2005Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignee: Airbus FranceInventor: Christophe Bouchet
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Patent number: 7280902Abstract: If a driver of a vehicle has slowed-down the vehicle, a deceleration controller does not apply deceleration to the vehicle within a specified time after the driver has finished slowing-down of the vehicle. The deceleration controller is a device that automatically decelerates the vehicle if a distance between the vehicle and another vehicle running in front of the vehicle is less than a specific distance to avoid collision of the two vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2005Date of Patent: October 9, 2007Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Masato Seki
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Patent number: 7277786Abstract: A method for controlling a braking system of a vehicle is described, in which the braking system has at least a first control unit for controlling a first braking force on at least one wheel brake of a wheel of the vehicle, and an accumulator for receiving a pressurized medium, the method including generating the first braking force by at least one of a first hydraulic component and a first pneumatic component, filling the accumulator with the medium independently of the at least one of the first hydraulic component and the first pneumatic components via a relative movement between at least one wheel and a vehicle body, and generating a second braking force at predefinable times on the at least one wheel brake as a function of the filling of the accumulator.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2004Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Hans-Peter Stumpp, Ansgar Traechtler, Sylvia Futterer, Willi Nagel, Armin Verhagen, Klaus-Michael Mayer, Peter Dominke
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Patent number: 7277783Abstract: A motor vehicle control system has at least two separate control units, which are interconnected via a bus system, each control unit controlling respective individual vehicle components. The control system effectively uses the memory location and computing time resources that exist within a combination of control units, thus assuring processing of the routines that can take place in real time. Use of the existing resources is assured without additional hardware expenditure.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2002Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: IAV GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft Auto und VerkehrInventor: Oliver Predelli
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Patent number: 7277794Abstract: PDA systems, devices and methods are provided to account for insignificant route segments to enhance a route guidance experience. A PDA is provided according to one aspect. The PDA includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and memory are adapted to cooperate to provide route guidance that accounts for insignificant route segments. According to various embodiments, insignificant route segments are accounted for by nullifying and/or modifying route guidance maneuvers associated with the insignificant route segments. Other aspects are provided herein.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2004Date of Patent: October 2, 2007Assignee: Garmin Ltd.Inventors: Michael E. Childs, Darin J. Beesley
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Patent number: 7272472Abstract: An aircraft formation positioning system lead aircraft transmits a continuous RF signal and a periodic data burst with lead aircraft position. A follower aircraft receives the continuous RF signal and the periodic data burst. A follower aircraft resolver determines bearing, distance and elevation relative to the lead aircraft from the continuous RF signal. The follower aircraft transmits an intermittent RF signal and a periodic data burst with its relative position determined from the continuous RF signal. The lead aircraft receives the intermittent RF signal and the periodic data burst from the follower aircraft. A lead aircraft resolver performs an independent measurement of the lead aircraft position relative to the follower aircraft from the intermittent RF signal. A lead aircraft Kalman filter connected to the lead aircraft resolver and receiver correlates the independent measurement of the lead aircraft position relative to the follower aircraft with the received periodic data burst.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2004Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.Inventor: Kenneth W. McElreath
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Patent number: 7272489Abstract: A navigation method and system for extracting point of interest (POI) data from a map data source and sorting the POIs by distance from a current user position to display the same at high speed without requiring a large memory. The navigation system aligns the cells each having specified POI in an cell array and classifies the cells into a plurality of different levels based on distance (first sorting operation) from the current user position, or positions of the cells in the cell array relative to the cell closest to the user position. The navigation system extracts the POIs from the cells in the specified level, sorts the POIs by distance (second sorting operation), and displays the POIs. During each process, the navigation system retrieves and processes only a small amount of POIs sufficient for the current display screen and immediate scrolls of few pages.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2002Date of Patent: September 18, 2007Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.Inventor: Ihung S. Tu
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Patent number: 7269508Abstract: Systems, devices and methods are provided to account for insignificant route segments to enhance a route guidance experience. An electronic navigational aid device is provided according to one aspect. The device includes a processor and a memory adapted to communicate with the processor. The processor and memory are adapted to cooperate to provide route guidance that accounts for insignificant route segments. According to various embodiments, insignificant route segments are accounted for by nullifying and/or modifying route guidance maneuvers associated with the insignificant route segments. Other aspects are provided herein.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2004Date of Patent: September 11, 2007Assignee: Garmin Ltd.Inventors: Michael Childs, Darin J. Beesley
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Patent number: 7266454Abstract: In obstacle detection apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, an image fetching section fetches a situation of a forward detection zone in a form of an image, a noticeable object outputting section outputs a positional information of an object to be noticeable for the vehicle, and an image processing section performs an image processing for a region of the image fetching section on the basis of an output of the noticeable object outputting section to detect the object, the image processing section including a first technique mainly to detect the position of the object and a second technique mainly to track the object, the second technique detecting the object when the object detection by means of the first technique becomes not enabled to be carried out.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2004Date of Patent: September 4, 2007Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Taku Takahama, Takeshi Kimura
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Patent number: 7263436Abstract: A method and the associated device for ascertaining the center-of-gravity height of a motor vehicle, in which a variable representing the rolling motion of the vehicle about its roll axis oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction is ascertained, a variable representing the lateral acceleration of the vehicle is ascertained, the center-of-gravity height is ascertained from the variable representing the rolling motion and the variable representing the lateral acceleration, the center-of-gravity height is ascertained only in predefined driving conditions, the change in the roll rate per unit of time entering into the ascertainment of the predefined driving conditions.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2003Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Armin Verhagen, Dietmar Arndt
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Patent number: 7263420Abstract: A vehicle backward movement assist device includes an image capturing means for capturing an image of an outside area in back of a vehicle, a parking mode judging means for judging whether a parking mode by reversing of the vehicle is a back-in parking or a parallel parking, a target parking position inputting means for setting a target parking position where the vehicle is parked based on the parking mode determined by the parking mode judging means, and a displaying means for displaying the image captured by the image capturing means and superimposedly displaying the target parking position set by the target parking position inputting means on the captured image so as to guide the vehicle to the target parking position.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2004Date of Patent: August 28, 2007Assignees: Aisin Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yuu Tanaka, Yoshifumi Iwata, Hisashi Satonaka, Tomohiko Endo, Yuichi Kubota, Akira Matsui, Hideyuki Iwakiri, Toru Sugiyama, Seiji Kawakami, Katsuhiko Iwazaki, Hiroaki Kataoka
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Patent number: 7260459Abstract: A turning motion control system for a vehicle includes an actuator, and an actuator control device for controlling the actuator so that an actual turning motion state of the vehicle becomes close to a target turning motion state. The actuator control device is designed so that its control-permitted state and its control-stopped state can be switched from one to another through a switching device operated by a driver. When an air-pressure decreased state detecting device has detected an air-pressure decreased state, the actuator control device carries out the control of the operation of the actuator, irrespective of a switching mode of the switching device. Thus, even if an air-pressure decrease or an abnormality is generated in any of wheels in a state in which the turning motion control by the actuator has been stopped, the stability of the vehicle can be ensured.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 2004Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Nobuyuki Imaizumi, Yoshihiro Iwagama, Susumu Ohta, Kazunari Okada, Hironobu Kiryu, Kazuya Sakurai, Masakazu Shiraishi, Tomoaki Sugano, Toshio Yahagi
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Patent number: 7260455Abstract: A system for operating an aircraft includes a navigation computer and a flight control computer. The navigation computer receives guidance instructions and guidance parameters, and outputs automatic pilot instructions. The flight control computer receives control instructions and the automatic pilot instructions, and generates operating commands based on the automatic pilot instructions in an automatic pilot mode.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2003Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Airbus France S.A.S.Inventor: Francois Kubica
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Patent number: 7260464Abstract: A device for controlling a braking force of the vehicle has a braking force boosting control portion that increases the braking force in response to a detection of a possibility of a collision with an obstacle in the driving course of the vehicle, and a boost-reducing control portion that controls the boosting control portion so as to reduce the braking force when a steering operation is executed by a driver of the vehicle as compared to a braking force to be generated when no steering operation is executed. The braking forces on individual wheels are reduced depending upon the lateral force on the corresponding wheel. In the device, the precrash safety braking operation does not interfere with the steering operation of the driver so that the steering controllability may be ensured while the vehicle is slowed down.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2003Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Fujinami, Shiro Monzaki
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Patent number: 7260466Abstract: A turbine mechanical output computation device computes a gas turbine mechanical output P from the following equation P = Pe + J × g × ( 2 ? ? 60 ) 2 × N × ? N ? t where Pe represents a generator effective power measured by a generator effective power wattmeter, N represents the rotational speed of a gas turbine measured by a gas turbine tachometer, J represents the moment of inertia of the gas turbine, and g represents gravitational acceleration. A combustion air amount controller controls the amount of combustion air based on the gas turbine mechanical output P.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2004Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventor: Fuminori Fujii
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Patent number: 7260473Abstract: A method of and mobile station for route guidance for a user including a processor and a directional indicator which provides a reference direction, with the mobile station connecting to an on-line service with an electronic database containing geographic information and mobile position. Local position and destination is transmitted to the on-line service to request route guidance data. The on-line service processes the data as a function of branching of a total route to the user's destination as route sections and transmits a specification of direction and destination name for each route section destination to the mobile station. The processor processes the specification of direction and reference direction to define a target direction of a current route section destination and displays the target direction and route guidance data of the current route section destination and guidance data of at least one upcoming stage of the route.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2001Date of Patent: August 21, 2007Assignee: Nokia CorporationInventors: Lutz Abe, Lutz Schneider
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Patent number: 7257475Abstract: A vehicle control system is provided for a vehicle that is steered by steer-by-wire, the system including a battery mounted in the vehicle, a steer-by-wire steering system that turns wheels by an electric motor that is operated by electric power supplied from the battery, a steering controller for controlling the operation of the steer-by-wire steering system, and an engine controller for controlling, by electric power supplied from the battery, the operation of an engine for making the vehicle travel. A booster circuit boosts the voltage applied to the steering controller so that, when the voltage of the battery decreases, the voltage applied to the engine controller falls below its minimum operating voltage before the voltage applied to the steering controller falls below its minimum operating voltage. With this arrangement, it is possible to provide fail-safe operation when there is a decrease in the voltage of the battery which supplies electricity to the steering controller.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2004Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hisao Asaumi, Masaaki Kawano, Osamu Tsurumiya
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Patent number: 7257467Abstract: A method for estimating the effective volumetric capacity of a truck body is provided. The method includes the step of establishing a side-to-side profile of a generic load model. A front-to-rear profile of the generic load model is also established. Load plateau lines having predetermined dimensions are established in the front-to-rear and side-to-side profiles and the height of the plateau lines are determined. A top profile of the generic load is then created and the shape of the load plateau is adjusted into a closed curve shape. The front, rear and side load lines below the final outer boundary of the load plateau are then contoured into a generally conical shaped surface. The final three-dimensional generic load model is formed by where this generally conical shaped surface intersects the sides walls, front and floor of the truck body. The volume of the final three-dimensional generic load model can then be calculated.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2002Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Inventor: LeRoy G. Hagenbuch
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Patent number: 7254467Abstract: A system for automatically detecting the presence of a train located within a detection or surveillance area of a railroad track associated with a railroad grade crossing. The system includes a transmitter unit that transmits a detection signal. The system also includes a receiver that receives a detection signal. A receiver unit receives one or more signals. A processor coupled to the receiver unit is configured to process the received signals and determine the presence, absence or movement of a train or signal within the detection or surveillance area. The processor unit is configured to initiate an action when the processor determines the presence or the absence of the train or one or more detection signals. The current invention also includes a method for automatically detecting the presence of the train located within a surveillance area associated with a railroad grade crossing area.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2003Date of Patent: August 7, 2007Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Jeff Fries, Roger Fitz, Robert M. Morris
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Patent number: 7243008Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system for automating mission related tasks in a tactical environment. The system includes a receiver component configured to receive intelligence data. The intelligence data describes the tactical environment in real-time, or in near real-time. A computer is coupled to the receiver component. The computer is programmed to process the intelligence data, identify mission adjustments based on the processed intelligence data, and to effect the mission adjustments by automatically implementing the mission related tasks. A display component is coupled to the computer. The display component is configured to display at least a portion of the tactical environment and provide at least one visual indicator corresponding to the mission adjustments and/or the mission related tasks.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2003Date of Patent: July 10, 2007Assignee: Lockheed MartinInventors: Sandra Erich Stockdale, Chris A. Bodenhorn, Mark P. Botzenhart