Patents Examined by Todd M Melton
  • Patent number: 10571283
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for calculating a risk index for one or more areas (e.g., roads, intersections, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure). For instance, high risk intersections may be identified and mapped from historic auto insurance claim data. High risk intersections may be identified because of an excessive number of vehicle collisions there, and/or an amount and extent of vehicle damage, personal injuries, and/or insurance liability expenses associated with, or resulting from, the vehicle collisions at those locations. Risk indices for various areas may be compared to one another, enabling comparison of the relative riskiness of the areas. In some embodiments, a risk map may be generated to visually depict one or more risk indices for areas within a depicted region. The risk map may be used to quickly identify the riskiest area(s) in the region, and to notify government bodies to facilitate repairs and improve road safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: John A. Nepomuceno, Rajiv C. Shah
  • Patent number: 10573174
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for judging a highway abnormal event, which can determine the traffic jam phenomenon in the target road segment based on the trajectory data of each sample vehicle of the target road segment. The solution of the present invention has the following beneficial effects of 1. comprehensively considering the vehicle speed information of the sample vehicles to judge the traffic jam event; 2. determining the overall traffic jam event of the target road segment; 3. more accurately judging the traffic jam event of the target road segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignees: SHANDONG PROVINCIAL COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING AND DESIGN INSTITUTE, TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kai Zhao, Yufeng Bi, Yong Li, Wei Liu, Depeng Jin, Weiling Wu, Pengfei Zhou, Li Su, Zhen Tu, Tao Mu, Peiyang Fang, Huajun Pang, Chuanyi Ma
  • Patent number: 10571278
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein for tracking carts in a shopping space. A system for tracking carts in a shopping space comprises: a sound sensor array, a cart location database storing location information and sound profiles associated with a plurality of shopping cart identifiers, and a control circuit configured to: identify a cart sound made by a movement of a shopping cart traveling in the shopping space, determine a current location of the shopping cart based on the cart sound, match the shopping cart to a shopping cart identifier in the cart location database, update the location information associated the shopping cart identifier in the cart location database based on the current location of the shopping cart; and update the sound profile of the shopping cart identifier based on the cart sound captured by the sound sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron J. Vasgaard, Matthew A. Jones, Nicholaus A. Jones, Robert J. Taylor
  • Patent number: 10557716
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to providing an audible route sequence for guiding a user along a route. A user apparatus determines a user location, distance and directional aspects for one or more waypoint of the route, and a cadence. A distance aspect of a waypoint is a distance between the waypoint and the user location. A directional aspect of a waypoint is the angle between a reference heading and straight line connecting the waypoint to the user location. The cadence is determined based on the distance between consecutive waypoints. The user apparatus determines a route sequence based on the distance and directional aspects for the waypoints and the cadence. The route sequence comprises a sequence of audible pitches that each correspond to a waypoint of the route. The user apparatus causes the route sequence to by audibly provided via a sound device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: HERE Global B.V.
    Inventors: Francesco Grani, Sven Krome
  • Patent number: 10556481
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing heating and cooling to a cabin of an autonomous or semiautonomous electric vehicle. A system includes one or more autonomous or semiautonomous electric vehicle components generating thermal energy as a byproduct of operation, a radiator fluidly coupled to the one or more vehicle components and positioned downstream from the one or more vehicle components such that the radiator receives at least a portion of the thermal energy, a thermoelectric cooler thermally coupled to and located downstream from the radiator, and one or more bypass valves that control fluid flow from the radiator such that fluid flows directly to a cabin of the vehicle or flows through the thermoelectric cooler before flowing into the cabin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Tianzhu Fan, Shailesh N. Joshi, Ercan Mehmet Dede
  • Patent number: 10549625
    Abstract: A method for controlling an active air flap (AAF) based on an aerodynamic force gain may include an AAF optimization cooling-related mode in which the AAF is configured to be controlled to operate in an AAF open state or an AAF close state to match a detected ambient temperature and a detected vehicle speed when an operation of a heating device is detected by a controller during vehicle traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jeong-Yeop Woo, Kyu-Beom Ko
  • Patent number: 10543758
    Abstract: Embodiments for reducing unwanted motion experienced by an occupant of a vehicle by a processor. In response to an anticipated movement of the vehicle, a motion of a seating surface of the vehicle is caused to at least partially compensate for the anticipated movement of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher J. Hardee, Maharaj Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 10547070
    Abstract: A system for determining desired control paths for controlling operation of a fuel cell circuit includes a memory to store a model of the fuel cell circuit and an input device to receive system requirements. The system also includes a model processor designed to select sets of time-series actuator states corresponding to time-series control of an actuator of the fuel cell circuit and to perform simulations of the model using the multiple sets of time-series actuator states as controls for the actuator. The model processor is also performs an analysis of results of the simulations to determine whether the results for each of the multiple sets of time-series actuator states satisfy the system requirements and how far the results are from the system requirements, and selects a final set of time-series actuator states that satisfy the system requirements based on the analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jyotirmoy V. Deshmukh, Xiaoqing Jin, Jared Farnsworth, Shigeki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 10542859
    Abstract: Disclosed is a cleaning robot for creating a 3Dimensional (3D) obstacle map including information about a height of an object existing on an area to be cleaned, and cleaning the area to be cleaned based on the 3D obstacle map, and a method of controlling the cleaning robot. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided. The cleaning robot includes a main body, a moving portion configured to move the main body, an obstacle sensor configured to sense a height of an obstacle, and a controller configured to create an obstacle map including information about the height of the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong Hyun Lee, In Joo Kim, Dong Min Shin, Jeong Ki Yoo, Dong Hun Lee, Ji Won Chun
  • Patent number: 10543829
    Abstract: A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a first motor, a planetary gear mechanism, a second motor, a battery, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: set a shift stage based on a depression amount of an accelerator and a vehicle speed or a driver's operation; set a base driving force based on the degree of the depression amount of the accelerator, the vehicle speed, and a target rotation speed; set a correction driving force such that the correction driving force increases with an increase in elapsed time after upshifting or an increase in the vehicle speed after upshifting when the shift stage upshifts; and control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that a driving force obtained by correcting the base driving force using the correction driving force is output to the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunya Kato, Masaya Sugai
  • Patent number: 10544013
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a power transmission control method and device for a crane and the crane. The method includes: setting the maximum working displacement of a secondary element corresponding to each gear of the crane; determining the current gear state and specific gear of the crane; determining the working mode of the secondary element from the gear state, and setting the maximum allowable displacement of the secondary element as the maximum working displacement corresponding to the specific gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Xuzhou Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zenghai Shan, Quan Dong, Shuai Wang, Yunbo Xiao, Zhende Zhang, Jie Kong, Jing Zhao
  • Patent number: 10538236
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid construction machine includes an engine, a motor generator driven by the engine and capable of generating electric power, a hydraulic pump driven by total torque of the engine and the motor generator, a power storage device, an inverter, a filter that collects a particulate material in exhaust gas of the engine, and a control section outputting a command signal for controlling powering operation or regeneration operation of the motor generator. The control apparatus further includes a powering operation limitation section that inputs thereto an ordinary torque command calculated by a torque command value calculation section and a demand signal for regeneration of the filter decided by a filter regeneration decision section and calculates the command signal in response to the input signals. When a filter regeneration demand signal is available, a command signal for limiting the powering operation of the motor generator is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Ishihara, Masatoshi Hoshino
  • Patent number: 10518834
    Abstract: A method for controlling a self-balancing vehicle, includes: acquiring a state of a parameter input from a user through a pedal of the self-balancing vehicle; and when the state of the parameter indicates that a change has occurred in the parameter, controlling operation of the self-balancing vehicle according to the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaolin Ha, Xing Yong, Xiaotong Zhang, Shangquan Lin
  • Patent number: 10507898
    Abstract: An electromechanical lockout device for a remote control on a marine vessel includes an electric actuator and a locking pin having an engagement end and a second end. The locking pin is arranged with respect to a control lever such that the locking pin is positionable in a locked position, where the engagement end of the locking pin prevents rotation of the control lever into a reverse position, and in a retracted position, where the engagement end of the locking pin allows rotation of the control lever into the reverse position. A method of controlling lockout for a remote control includes sensing a position of a control lever, calculating a rate of change of the position, and engaging a lockout to prevent a gear system from shifting into reverse gear if the rate of change exceeds a threshold rate of change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Belter, Jeffrey J. Broman, Eric S. Mueller
  • Patent number: 10501033
    Abstract: A vehicular data correlation system includes a first network access device (NAD) of a first vehicle; and a database server having processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to cross-reference a first driver settings dataset in a driver settings database to a first vehicle dataset in a vehicle database to form a first enhanced data packet, cross-reference a first vehicle conditions dataset in a vehicle conditions database to a first driver dataset in a driver database to form a second enhanced data packet, correlate the first enhanced data packet with the second enhanced data packet, download the first enhanced data packet to the first NAD, download the second enhanced data packet to the first NAD, and transmit a first initiation signal to implement the first driver settings dataset and to display the first vehicle conditions dataset on the first vehicle, via the first NAD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Wilson-Boon Siang Khoo, Ming Michael Meng
  • Patent number: 10493937
    Abstract: A method for developing restraint device deployment timings includes selecting a first restraint device as a reference device, determining a deployment time range for the first restraint device, selecting a second restraint device, and determining a deployment time range for the second restraint device relative to the deployment time range of the first restraint device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Kirk David Arthurs, Todd N. Clark, Edward Joseph Abramoski
  • Patent number: 10495477
    Abstract: A method for generating driving instructions for the driver of an electrically driven vehicle includes the following steps: (a) acquire route information for at least one route section of a driving route lying ahead of the vehicle, (b) determine temperature information, acting in a temperature-varying fashion on at least one drive component, for the at least one route section on the basis of the route information, and (c) output a driving instruction to the driver on the basis of the temperature information for the at least one route section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengsellschaft
    Inventor: Tobias Engelhardt
  • Patent number: 10497822
    Abstract: An apparatus wherein, in plane view, a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type overlaps at least a portion of a third semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region overlaps at least a portion of a fourth semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, a height of a potential of the third semiconductor region with respect to an electric charge of the first conductivity type is lower than that of the fourth semiconductor region, and a difference between a height of a potential of the first semiconductor region and that of the third semiconductor region is larger than a difference between a height of a potential of the second semiconductor region and that of the fourth semiconductor region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Morimoto, Mahito Shinohara
  • Patent number: 10492654
    Abstract: A method and corresponding arrangement are provided for controlling a mobile cleaning robot for cleaning of a building. A cleaning program with cleaning tasks is loaded into a control unit of the cleaning robot, the current position of the cleaning robot in the building is determined, the respective cleaning tasks are carried out taking into account the current position of the cleaning robot, and based on the current position of the cleaning robot and the cleaning task to be performed at the respective position, at the request of the control unit a building management system activates facilities located at the respective position, so that a corresponding cleaning task is able to be carried out for the cleaning robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventor: Christian Frey
  • Patent number: 10490789
    Abstract: An electric storage device is provided. The electric storage device includes a case, first and second terminals, a conduction state switch, an electronic component and a cover member including a connecting portion. The case has a first opening and a second opening on a first surface of the case and is configured to house a battery unit including a first terminal portion and a second terminal portion. The conduction state switch is provided between the first terminal portion of the battery unit and the first terminal of the case. The conduction state switch is in a conducting state when the connecting portion of the cover member is connected with the conduction state switch and the cover member is attached to the first surface of the case and covers the first opening, the second opening, the first terminal and the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naotake Yoshida, Tatsuya Adachi, Hiroaki Ono, Yasuhiro Watanabe