Patents Examined by Tiffany P Ohman
  • Patent number: 11110927
    Abstract: A system variably controls braking energy regeneration in a vehicle by reflecting a compensation torque depending on a difference in deceleration based on a road gradient when the vehicle travels over a downhill section or an uphill section of a road. The system includes a longitudinal sensor to receive the road gradient and compare the road gradient to a specific grade, and then compensate for the road gradient using a grade resistance value and a deceleration based value depending on a difference between deceleration manually set by a driver using a paddle shift and an actual vehicle deceleration. The system may include a controller to output a coasting torque as a correction torque that is a sum of the grade resistance value and the deceleration based value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Soo-Lim Han, Woo-Cheol Cho, Seung-Jae Yoo, Jea-Myoung Youn, Ja-Chun Han
  • Patent number: 11070962
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a receiver configured to receive a first piece of position information from a terminal used by a first user, an acquisition unit configured to acquire one or more pieces of second position information posted on social media by a second user having a relationship through the social media with the first user based on the first piece of position information, and a transmitter configured to transmit the second piece of position information acquired by the acquisition unit to the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Xin Jin, Miharu Hanai
  • Patent number: 11066071
    Abstract: A coasting control method based on an overspeed response and an eco-friendly vehicle employing the same are provided. The coasting control method includes performing an active coasting control when an event for a section speed enforcement area is determined while a vehicle is traveling to allow the vehicle to pass through the section speed enforcement area based on a vehicle position at an event occurrence time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Jee-Wook Huh
  • Patent number: 11046454
    Abstract: According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a device and technique for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) impact monitoring includes a UAV having a propulsion system configured to fly the UAV to a destination; a retention mechanism for retaining and releasing a package carried by the UAV; and an indicator reader module configured to determine a status of an impact indicator attached to the package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: ShockWatch, Inc.
    Inventor: Anthony N. Fonk
  • Patent number: 11040721
    Abstract: Methods for management of a powertrain system in a vehicle. The methods receive data or signals from multiple sensors associated with the vehicle. Optimum thresholds for classifications of the sensor data can be changed based injecting signals into the powertrain system and receiving responsive signals. Expected priorities for the sensor signals can be altered based upon attributes of the signals and confirming actual priorities for the signals. Look-up tables for engine management can be modified based upon injecting signals into the powertrain system and measuring a utility of the responsive signals. The methods can thus dynamically alter and modify data for powertrain management, such as look-up tables, during vehicle operation under a wide range of conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Gilles J. Benoit, Brian E. Brooks, Ryan C. Shirk, Michael E. Nelson, Craig R. Schardt
  • Patent number: 11037005
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for identifying a traffic light. An embodiment of the method comprises: zooming a to-be-processed image acquired by an image acquisition device by at least one preset ratio to obtain at least one zoomed image; inputting the at least one zoomed image into a pre-trained convolutional neural network to obtain location information and category information of a traffic light corresponding to each zoomed image of the at least one zoomed image, wherein the convolutional neural network is used for retrieving location information and category information of a traffic light displayed in an image; and analyzing the obtained location information and category information to generate at least one candidate traffic light identification result, and fusing the generated candidate traffic light identification result to generate a traffic light identification result corresponding to the to-be-processed image. The embodiment improves the accuracy in identifying a traffic light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming Li, Tian Xia, Han Gao, Yuqiang Zhai, Shijia Chen
  • Patent number: 11014600
    Abstract: A leaning vehicle includes a body frame, a steered wheel and a non-steered wheel, a motor, a left-right-tilt-angle-detection-section, and a control device that controls the motor to apply a steering force to the steered wheel. The steering force steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle rightward in a case where the body frame tilts rightward, and steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle leftward in a case where the body frame tilts leftward. Alternatively, the steering force steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle leftward in the case where the body frame tilts rightward, and steers the steered wheel to turn the leaning vehicle rightward in the case where the body frame tilts leftward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Nobuo Hara, Yukihide Fukuhara, Takeshi Toyota, Tatsuya Nagata
  • Patent number: 10989547
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of systems and methods described in this disclosure generally pertain to a ride service that includes an autonomous vehicle configured to execute various functions autonomously for assisting customers. An exemplary autonomous vehicle of the ride service may be configured to autonomously execute one or more functions such as identifying a customer upon arriving at a pick-up location, finding a suitable parking spot close to the customer, guiding the customer (such as a visually impaired customer) to the autonomous vehicle, positioning a particular door of the autonomous vehicle to facilitate entry into the autonomous vehicle by the customer, and/or providing an assigned seat to the customer upon entry into the autonomous vehicle. In at least some cases, the customer may be a physically handicapped individual in need of certain types of assistance offered by the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Kathryn Hamilton, Michael Awad Alla
  • Patent number: 10988142
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle includes applying torque to a set of tires to cause the vehicle to move along a surface, reducing an amount of downward force applied to the surface by a first tire from the set of tires using an active suspension component, and actuating the first tire to control the dynamic response of the first tire relative to the surface. The method also includes determining a traction force of the first tire relative to the surface at each of multiple values for the dynamic response of the first tire relative to the surface, and determining a maximum available traction force based on the multiple values of the dynamic response and the corresponding values for the traction force. The method also includes determining a friction parameter based on the maximum available traction force, and controlling an operation of the vehicle based on the friction parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Prateek Mehrotra, Christopher D. Gadda
  • Patent number: 10976174
    Abstract: An investigation assist device includes a processor and a storage that records information on a road map including a plurality of intersections and captured videos of a plurality of cameras in correlation with a capturing time, camera information, and intersection information. The processor retrieves at least one vehicle satisfying a retrieval condition and extracts a traveling direction of the vehicle when passing through each of the plurality of intersections based on the captured videos of the plurality of cameras in response to a designation of the retrieval condition including information on time when an incident occurs and feature information on a vehicle causing the incident. The processor superimposes a traveling route of the vehicle on the road map based on the traveling direction extracted for each of the intersections and outputs the traveling route to an output unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Panasonic I-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuumi Miyake, Takahiro Yoshimura, Kazuya Ozawa, Takamitsu Arai, Takeshi Wakako
  • Patent number: 10964218
    Abstract: A method for assigning control rights for an autonomous vehicle is provided. The method includes acquiring, via a network, identification information for identifying a user or a terminal of the user, and dispatch request information that indicates a dispatch request for an autonomous vehicle issued by the user. The method further includes selecting the autonomous vehicle to be dispatched to the user from among a plurality of autonomous vehicles, based on the dispatch request information. Thereafter, the method assigns a control right for the selected autonomous vehicle, to the user or the terminal, based on the identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CORPORATION OF AMERICA
    Inventor: Shunsuke Kuhara
  • Patent number: 10960810
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an adaptive drive beam mode vehicle headlamp of a subject vehicle travelling a road includes a headlamp driver adapted to drive the vehicle headlamp, a preceding vehicle determining section adapted to determine whether or not a preceding vehicle is travelling ahead of the subject vehicle, a road state determining section adapted to determine whether a state of the road is straight or curved, and a curved-mode illumination intensity pattern outputting section adapted to output a curved-mode illumination intensity pattern to the headlamp driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Waragaya, Mitsuhiro Uchida
  • Patent number: 10957195
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include receiving, by a transportation requestor device, progress information that indicates progress of a transportation provider toward a request location, presenting, via a graphical user interface of the transportation requestor device, the progress of the transportation provider toward the request location with a graphical representation of the transportation provider according to the progress information, receiving, by the transportation requestor device, contextual information from a server that explains the progress of the transportation provider as indicated by the progress information, and changing, via the graphical user interface of the transportation requestor device, the graphical representation of the transportation provider with a graphical representation of the contextual information. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Lyft, Inc.
    Inventors: Eliot Landis Wertime Walker, Christopher John Selin, Meghan Newell, Seven Shurygin
  • Patent number: 10957207
    Abstract: Systems and methods for associating critical flight reference data with a flight path vector symbol are provided. The system displays a continuously updated image with a symbol for a flight path vector. The system displays a first readout arrangement, in which the airspeed indicator and the altitude indicator are (i) each located in relationship to boundary edges of the display device, and (ii) their locations are substantially static. The system detects a deviation between the flight path vector and the heading, and when the deviation exceeds a threshold, the system toggles to a second readout arrangement, in which the airspeed indicator and the altitude indicator are (i) each located a distance measured from the flight path vector, and (ii) dynamically change location responsive to movement of the flight path vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Thea L. Feyereisen, Gang He
  • Patent number: 10945502
    Abstract: A self-propelling item of luggage, for example a suitcase, includes at least a storage area, a drive, a camera, and a data processing device which is designed to recognize an authorized user in a predefined distance range by means of at least one image captured with the camera and on the basis of at least one visual feature extracted from the image, and to actuate the drive so that the item of luggage follows the authorized user in a self-propelling manner at a distance, where the at least one visual feature is characteristic of at least one item of clothing of the authorized user. A method for operating such a self-propelling item of luggage is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventor: Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 10948926
    Abstract: Systems and methods of the present disclosure address the capacity constrained vehicle routing (CVRP) problem that may be applied to a warehouse scenario wherein multi-robot task allocation is required. Conventional methods can solve CVRP instances up to 100 nodes. In the present disclosure, a nearest-neighbor based Clustering And Routing (nCAR) approach is provided that makes the systems and methods of the present disclosure scalable wherein the number of nodes can be in the range of several hundreds to several thousands within an order wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Tata Consultancy Services Limited
    Inventors: Chayan Sarkar, Himadri Sekhar Paul, Arindam Pal, Arijit Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 10946897
    Abstract: A vehicle system comprises a hitch ball mounted on a vehicle and a steering system configured to steer the vehicle. The system further comprises a controller configured to identify a coupler position of a trailer and control a motion of the vehicle at a rate aligning the hitch ball with the coupler position. In response to the rate below a speed threshold, the controller activates a standstill mode suspending a steering control of the steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10935789
    Abstract: An image display apparatus having a display part that is arranged on a mount body which is mounted on the head of a user includes a detection part and a control part. The detection part detects a tilt of the head of the user. The control part sets a virtual horizon based on the tilt which is detected by the detection part and sets a non-display region having a band shape that is parallel to the set virtual horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Katagiri, Shiro Fukano, Tetsuro Hosoda
  • Patent number: 10933710
    Abstract: A modular electronic damping control system is described and includes a damping component located at a vehicle suspension location. The modular electronic damping control system also includes a control system configured to control the damping component, and determine the type of damping component present. Also, the control system is configured to automatically tune a vehicle's suspension based on the type of damping component present, and automatically monitor the damping component and determine when a change has been made to the damping component so that the control system can then automatically re-tune the vehicle's suspension based on the change to the damping component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan Tong
  • Patent number: 10919524
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant computer system (FTCS) for generating safe trajectories for a vehicle. The FTCS includes: a sensor part (SENSE), a primary part (PRIM), a secondary part (SEC), a tertiary part (TER), and a decide part (DECIDE). The PRIM and TER are configured to produce trajectories by interpreting information of the real world as perceived by the SENSE. The SEC is configured to produce a safe space estimate (FSE) by interpreting information of the real world as perceived by SENSE. The DECIDE and/or SEC are configured to execute correctness checks that take trajectories and FSE as inputs, and qualify a trajectory (TRJ) as safe when said TRJ is inside the FSE, and qualify a trajectory (UTRJ) as unsafe when said UTRJ is not inside the FSE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TTTECH AUTO AG
    Inventors: Stefan Poledna, Eric Schmidt, Georg Niedrist, Stefan Traxler, Hermann Kopetz