Patents Examined by Thu V. Nguyen
-
Patent number: 7239946Abstract: A method for diagnosis of a vehicle includes monitoring a first plurality of distributed sensor signals input to a first control unit, monitoring a second plurality of distributed sensor signals input to a second control unit, determining a first diagnostic trouble code (first DTC) at a first instant of time, determining a second DTC at a second instant of time, storing a first dataset in a first storage media and storing the second DTC in the first dataset. The second instant of time is within a predetermined time of the first instant of time. The first dataset corresponds to the first instant in time, and the stored first dataset is transferred to a remote fault-diagnostic module at a later instant of time. The first dataset includes the first DTC, a predetermined first group of sensor signals associated with either the first or second control unit, and the second DTC.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2004Date of Patent: July 3, 2007Assignee: General Motors CorporationInventor: Michael A. Sowa
-
Patent number: 7239947Abstract: Operation equipment for a vehicle includes a display having a touch switch with a touch sensor for detecting an operation of a passenger or a driver of the vehicle; an electronic control unit; and a driving sensor for detecting the vehicle moving or stopping. The display displays the touch switch corresponding to a predetermined function. The electronic control unit determines that the predetermined function is allowed to perform when the driving sensor detects the vehicle stopping. The electronic control unit determines that the predetermined function is allowed to perform when the touch sensor detects the operation of the passenger.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2004Date of Patent: July 3, 2007Assignee: DENSO CorporationInventor: Isamu Suzuki
-
Patent number: 7236880Abstract: A method for determining the position and/or orientation of a creature (3) relative to an environment by connecting the creature (3) to a locating member (4) including a transducer (5) so that the relative positions and/or orientations of the creature (3) and the transducer (5) are arranged to be within a limited interval. The transducer determines its position and/or orientation relative to the environment by receiving incident signals from the signal sources (9) in the environment, and the position and/or orientation of the creature (3) is determined by the position and/or orientation determined for the transducer (5).Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2003Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Inventors: Jan G. Fager, Klas Jacobson, Monica Schofield
-
Patent number: 7233845Abstract: A method of managing the saturation level of a vapor collection canister for an on-board fuel vapor emission control system. The method includes flowing the fuel vapor through a canister flow path between a first port and a second port of the vapor collection canister, and signaling with a sensor the temperature of an adsorbent disposed in the canister flow path, the sensor being exposed to the adsorbent.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2004Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Siemens Canada LimitedInventor: Andre Veinotte
-
Patent number: 7215344Abstract: A geometry and lighting graphics accelerator with an improved clipping process. Clipping is performed prior to any calculation or evaluation of primitives for lighting, texture, fog, or color. Barycentric coordinates are used to define all vertices: original, intermediate, and final intersection points. Use of barycentric coordinates results in less storage space. A circular buffer is used during the clipping process to store input and output polygons. Use of the circular buffer also results is reduced storage requirements.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 1998Date of Patent: May 8, 2007Assignee: 3DLabs, Inc. LtdInventor: David Robert Baldwin
-
Patent number: 7216034Abstract: A system and method for providing an interactive, multi-modal interface used to generate a route drawing. A mobile terminal display initially displays map data indicative of a user's region of interest. Through a series of audible, visual, and tactile excitations, the user interacts with the route drawing system to generate a desired route to be superimposed upon the user's region of interest. User preferences are used by the system to intelligently aid the user in selection of each segment of the route to be drawn. An analysis of each segment, as well as an analysis of the final route, is performed so that the attributes of the route, along with the graphical representation of the route itself, may be stored either locally within the mobile terminal or remotely within a map server.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2003Date of Patent: May 8, 2007Assignee: Nokia CorporationInventors: Timo Vitikainen, Panu Korhonen
-
Patent number: 7212902Abstract: System for detecting stability/instability of behavior of a motor vehicle upon occurrence of tire slip or lock. State of the motor vehicle is determined on the basis of an alignment torque (Ta) applied from a road and a side slip angle (?). By taking advantage of such torque/slip-angle characteristic that although the alignment torque is proportional to a side slip angle when the latter is small, the alignment torque becomes smaller as the side slip angle increases, a normal value is determined from a straight line slope and the side slip angle in a region where the latter is small. Unstable behavior of the motor vehicle is determined when deviation of actual measured value from the normal value increases. Further, unstable state is determined when the slope of the alignment torque for the slip angle departs significantly from that of approximate straight line slope.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2005Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Fujioka, Takanori Matsunaga, Takashi Maeda, Toshinori Matsui, Masahiko Kurishige, Hideyuki Tanaka
-
Patent number: 7212904Abstract: A constant speed control method for a vehicle on an inclined road allows a constant speed control allowance to be one mile per hour on a flat road and two miles per hour on an inclined surface. If the vehicle speed decelerates two or more times of 1.5 miles per hour or more compared to the preset speed, the vehicle is assumed to be on a slope. A control system is performed by changing the constant speed control allowance from one mile per hour to two miles per hour. If the vehicle speed is within the allowance for 20 seconds, the control system on the inclined road is released. Thus, engine noise according to the frequent change of the T.P.S. value is prevented in advance and frequent gearshifts due to the rapid increment of the T.P.S. value is also prevented, resulting in a stable constant driving speed.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2004Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Kia Motors CorporationInventor: Kil-Young Jung
-
Patent number: 7212903Abstract: A vehicle motion control apparatus is provided with an anti-skid control device and a steering angle adjusting device, which adjusts the steering angle of at least one of the front and rear wheels to cancel a yaw deviation between a desired yaw factor and an actual yaw factor, to be substantially zero. An incompatibility between the devices is determined on the basis of a state of the wheel adjusted by the steering angle adjusting device to cancel the yaw deviation. And, a predetermined parameter provided between a vehicle stability directive parameter and a brake directive parameter is set on the basis of the incompatibility. Then, the anti-skid control device controls the braking force applied to each wheel of the vehicle on the basis of the predetermined parameter. Consequently, the anti-skid control giving importance to the braking force can be performed, as long as the steering angle adjusting device is operative.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2004Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignees: Advics Co., Ltd., Toyoda Koki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroaki Niino, Hiroaki Aizawa, Minekazu Momiyama, Hiroaki Kato
-
Patent number: 7212894Abstract: An occupant detecting device comprises plural cells provided at a seating part of a vehicle seat and defined by an array of rows in a width direction of the vehicle seat and columns in a cross direction of the vehicle seat for detecting partial pressures of the seating part, a total pressure value calculating means for obtaining a total pressure value by summing up the detected partial pressures, a determining means for determining a condition of the vehicle seat on which an adult passenger is sitting based on a comparison result between the obtained total pressure value and a determining value threshold, a temperature sensor for detecting temperature, and a correcting means for correcting at least one of either the total pressure value calculated based on the detected temperature or the determining value threshold.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2004Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Katsu Hattori, Toshiro Maeda, Yasuaki Hiraki, Yukihiro Yamamoto
-
Patent number: 7209820Abstract: The invention provides a working unit control apparatus of an excavating and loading machine which can always judge a start of an excavation control at a proper timing. The working unit control apparatus has excavating state detecting means (43, 44) detecting an excavating state of a vehicle, and a controller (25) has a load judging portion (48) judging on the basis of a detecting amount, and automatic excavation control means (51) setting and outputting an automatic excavation command value to each of control valves on the basis of the judgement of said load judging portion, and an automatic excavation control is started when a boom lever is operated and it is judged that a vehicle is under excavation.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2006Date of Patent: April 24, 2007Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.Inventor: Masanori Ikari
-
Patent number: 7209813Abstract: The present invention is directed toward a cellular phone that connects to an existing vehicle data link to perform the functions of an off-board device, such as a scan tool, for displaying diagnostic information relating to vehicles. In addition, the cellular phone connects to a starter/charger system and/or a battery to perform the functions of a starter/charger/battery testing device. Such a device allows a user to connect the cellular phone to a data link connector located in a vehicle, download software to either an adaptor or the cellular phone, retrieve information relating to diagnostic tests on the vehicle and view the results on the cellular phone display, and/or communicate the results to another person or device.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2003Date of Patent: April 24, 2007Assignee: SPX CorporationInventor: Hamid Namaky
-
Patent number: 7206678Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a pre-safe system, which contains at least one vehicle periphery detection device and a suspension and shock absorber unit. The suspension and shock absorber unit is arranged between a chassis and a vehicle body and can be activated as a function of signals that are detected by the vehicle periphery detection device and evaluated in a data evaluation device. The data evaluation unit of the vehicle periphery detection device is connected to a control device of an active chassis control system, which activates the suspension and shock absorber unit, to perform a vehicle level adjustment that is predefined for the respective impact situation.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2004Date of Patent: April 17, 2007Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AGInventors: Senol Arduc, Rainer Justen, Thomas Unselt
-
Patent number: 7200480Abstract: A method and an arrangement for controlling the driving speed of a vehicle are suggested wherein at least two functions are provided which influence the vehicle speed. To avoid conflict between these functions, at least one base value for the input quantities of the functions is formed which is considered in the formation of the input quantities.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2002Date of Patent: April 3, 2007Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventor: Mario Kustosch
-
Patent number: 7197379Abstract: A anti-theft system is provided which prevents a vehicle equipped with the system from being driven away more than a predetermined distance. The system includes a first electronic control device which is mounted in the vehicle which control continued operation of the vehicle after the vehicle is started, e.g., controls opening of the ignition or fuel injection circuits. A second electronic control device, adapted to be worn by a person authorized to use the vehicle, receives a characteristic signal from the first device and transmits a return signal in response thereto. A control circuit of the first device calculates the distance between the two devices based on the returned signal and disables vehicle operation when the distance is greater than the predetermined distance.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2004Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Inventor: Donald Wayne Jackson
-
Patent number: 7197389Abstract: System for detecting stability/instability of behavior of a motor vehicle upon occurrence of tire slip or lock. State of the motor vehicle is determined on the basis of an alignment torque (Ta) applied from a road and a side slip angle (?). By taking advantage of such torque/slip-angle characteristic that although the alignment torque is proportional to a side slip angle when the latter is small, the alignment torque becomes smaller as the side slip angle increases, a normal value is determined from a straight line slope and the side slip angle in a region where the latter is small. Unstable behavior of the motor vehicle is determined when deviation of actual measured value from the normal value increases. Further, unstable state is determined when the slope of the alignment torque for the slip angle departs significantly from that of approximate straight line slope.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2005Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Hiroshi Fujioka, Takanori Matsunaga, Takashi Maeda, Toshinori Matsui, Masahiko Kurishige, Hideyuki Tanaka
-
Patent number: 7194350Abstract: A torque transfer system for transferring torque between a first rotary member and a second rotary member includes a clutch pack that is operably disposed between the first rotary member and the second rotary member to regulate torque transfer therebetween and a clutch actuator for regulating engagement of the clutch pack. A controller generates a dithered control signal by superimposing a dithering signal onto a digital control signal. The controller determines a time averaged duty cycle DCavg of the dithered control signal, determines an amplitude AMP of the dithered control signal, determines a wave function WF that describes a wave shape of the dithered control signal and calculates a pulse duty cycle PDC for each pulse of the dithered control signal using the average duty cycle, amplitude, and wave function.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2004Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Magna Powertrain USA, Inc.Inventors: Eric A. Bansbach, William E. Smith
-
Patent number: 7194346Abstract: A universal, compartment-wide system identifies the presence and position of occupants of a multi-place vehicle by utilizing the occupants to conduct and radiate place-specific radio frequency signals that are received at various locations in the passenger compartment. The place-specific radio frequency signals are developed by low power transmitters disposed in the various seat/place locations, and a receiver disposed at a central location that is remote from the transmitters receives and decodes the signals radiated by the occupants to determine the number and location of the occupants. Additional receivers may be installed in specified regions to detect occupant intrusion into such regions, and in various control panels to assess driver distraction and to tailor the functional content and capability depending on whether a driver or non-driver is interacting with the control panel.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2003Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Dennis P. Griffin, William W. Fultz
-
Patent number: 7194356Abstract: A navigation system comprises a storage device which stores link data of each of links constituting roads on a map. As for a carpool link defined as a link allowing only a vehicle in which a plurality of persons are riding to pass through, the link data contains information indicative thereof. The navigation system searches for a recommended route from a departure place to a destination by use of the link data. If the links constituting the recommended route includes a carpool link, the navigation system receives an input of the number of person-on-board. The navigation system searches for a recommended route once again by use of the link data, from the departure place to the destination comprising the links passable with the number of person-on-board received by the receive step.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2004Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Xanavi Informatics CorporationInventor: Katsumi Sano
-
Patent number: 7188016Abstract: A method and an arrangement are disclosed for modeling a mechatronic system in a motor vehicle in the context of an object-based ordering concept as a mapping in the unified modeling language. The elements of the CARTRONIC® with components and envelopes as their classes or objects and orders (with feedback), inquiries (with hint) and requests as their communication relationship are presented based on examples together with the essential rules from the overall control rules. A mapping requirement in the UML elements is shown for these modeling elements.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2001Date of Patent: March 6, 2007Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Pio Torre Flores, Juergen Schirmer, Michael Walther, Holger Huelser, Torsten Bertram, Marc Heckes, Joerg Petersen