Patents Examined by Todd M Melton
  • Patent number: 10351137
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control apparatus and an autonomous driving control method may include an environment detector detecting vehicle information on one or more vehicles running in a target lane and a processor determining whether a possible lane-change area exists based on the vehicle information, determining a largest area among areas between target lane vehicles as a target lane-change area when the possible lane-change area does not exist, indicating an intention to change a lane to the target lane-change area to determine whether a target lane rear vehicle has an yield intention, and attempting to change the lane based on the determined result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Min Yong Shin
  • Patent number: 10351240
    Abstract: Methods and systems for autonomous device reconfiguration are described herein. A system may include aerially-mobile devices each configured to perform a respective end-use function and carry out a portion of a reconfiguration operation, which involves arranging the one or more aerially-mobile devices according to a device configuration. A given device configuration may specify spatial locations within an environment corresponding to the aerially-mobile devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Wing Aviation LLC
    Inventors: Maxwell Andrew Sills, Ian Wetherbee, Robert Samuel Gordon
  • Patent number: 10347135
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium stores a ship track data display program that causes a computer to execute a process including: first extracting particular ship track data for a set of particular ships with a relative distance therebetween being within a predetermined range, from ship track data for a plurality of ships; second extracting a place where a distance between ship tracks thereof is at a local minimum, from the particular ship track data; and associatively displaying, for the place, point data of a ship that previously arrives at the place, in the set of particular ships, and point data of another ship at a point of time when the ship that previously arrives at the place arrives at the place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroko Suzuki, Isamu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10338887
    Abstract: A vehicle service system configured to modify an ongoing vehicle service procedure in response to changes in vehicle wheel alignment angles which alter the vehicle tracking, thrust line, or thrust angle, in a manner which will affect the operation of an onboard vehicle safety system sensor which is aligned or calibrated relative to a selected characteristic of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Hunter Engineering Company
    Inventors: Ryan J. Frisch, Blackford F. Brauer
  • Patent number: 10338595
    Abstract: A method for treating a floor surface is provided using a self-propelled and self-steering floor treating apparatus, wherein the treatment is based on a pattern along which the floor treating apparatus is moved, wherein the pattern has paths in side-by-side relationship to one another, and wherein when the floor treating apparatus travels a path, a respective treatment area is covered and treated. The pattern is adapted to at least one of the size and contour of the floor surface such that boundaries thereof opposite each other each have a path extending therealong with a treatment area adjacent to the boundary and intermediate paths are arranged such that full-coverage treatment of the floor surface is realized, wherein the relative position of at least two paths in side-by-side relationship is such that the treatment areas thereof at least partially overlap. A floor treatment apparatus for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG
    Inventors: Heiko Hoennige, Christian Hofner, Carsten Eckart
  • Patent number: 10322645
    Abstract: A power storage system for a vehicle includes a battery, a temperature sensor, a battery heater, a charger, and a controller. The battery is configured to supply electric power to a motor for traveling of the vehicle, and configured to be charged with external power supplied from an external power supply. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the battery. The battery heater is configured to raise the temperature of the battery. The charger is configured to be connectable with the external power supply, and deliver the external power to the battery and the battery heater, respectively. The controller is configured to perform charge control. The charge control is a control that charges the battery with the external power. The controller is configured to store a map. The map specifies, for each temperature of the battery, a ratio of a temperature-elevating power supplied to the battery heater to a maximum power of the external power at the time when a charging time is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Murata
  • Patent number: 10315504
    Abstract: A displayed rotation speed control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes: a displayed rotation speed controller having a display mode in which a target primary rotation speed stepwisely set is displayed as a driving source rotation speed in the rotation speed display device in the simulated stepwise shift mode, when the mode is switched from the EV mode to the HEV mode to initiate a starting of the engine, and when the mode is switched from the continuous shift mode to the simulated stepwise shift mode while an actual engine speed is smaller than a predetermined rotation speed, the displayed rotation speed controller being configured to display a value obtained by retarding the actual engine speed, during a period from the initiation of the starting of the engine to a rotation speed smaller than a predetermined rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: JATCO Ltd, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Miyaishi, Akito Suzuki, Tetsuya Izumi, Toshiaki Motomura
  • Patent number: 10319158
    Abstract: Systems and methods for reporting data based on monitored emissions levels. An exemplary system automatically provides emissions level data acquired from an engine operating in a roadway vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. Data is made available for vehicle approval by a roadway inspection authority. For example, NOx emissions may be monitored with a sensor positioned in the engine exhaust flow path. Embodiments of the invention provide solutions to reduce time delays associated with inspections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: BMS-Tek, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 10308137
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a geared traction drive system configured to drive a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a driveshaft for transmitting power to the wheel; an electric drive motor for driving the driveshaft, the electric drive motor configured to receive signals from a vehicle dynamic control system to command a required speed; a gear reduction component for reducing the speed of the motor by a predetermined factor to a lower speed suitable for driving the wheel; and a drive electronics component that works with the electric drive motor to drive the wheel to the speed commanded by the vehicle dynamic control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Wrightspeed, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian Wright, Ryan Cash
  • Patent number: 10308116
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system for providing implement-based speed control for a work vehicle may include a planter controller provided in operative association with a planter towed by the work vehicle and a vehicle controller provided in operative association with the work vehicle. The planter controller may be configured to access an input associated with at least one predetermined threshold value for an operating parameter of the planter and monitor the operating parameter relative to the predetermined threshold value(s) as the planter is being towed at a current ground speed of the work vehicle. In addition, when the operating parameter differs from the predetermined threshold value(s), the planter controller may be configured to adjust a speed control request transmitted to the vehicle controller to cause the current ground speed of the work vehicle to be automatically increased or decreased between predetermined maximum and minimum speed values set for the work vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Jason T. Czapka, Kevin D. McKee, Kevin M. Smith, Robert J. Longua, Keith W. Wendte, Marvin A. Prickel
  • Patent number: 10306959
    Abstract: A motorized, weighted base for outdoor patio umbrellas that can be controlled by a smartphone via Bluetooth, is solar powered to not need recharging, and moves the umbrella automatically to keep the user in the shade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Inventor: August Rosedale
  • Patent number: 10302447
    Abstract: Navigation applications may utilize various input data to determine various navigation routes. One example method of operating may include providing at least one navigation instruction to a navigation device via a navigation application, detecting the at least one instruction via a detection application, obtaining an image of a physical object, performing a holo-acoustic object manipulation of the physical object, and providing a visual display of the holo-acoustic manipulation as an additional navigation instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: OPEN INVENTION NETWORK LLC
    Inventor: David Gerard Ledet
  • Patent number: 10301031
    Abstract: Methods and related apparatus for improving synchronization of two or more engines on an aircraft are disclosed. Such method may be used where each engine comprises a first spool and a second spool, and, where a rotational speed of a first spool of a first engine has been substantially synchronized with a rotational speed of a first spool of a second engine. An exemplary method comprises receiving a value of a sensed parameter useful in controlling the first engine; adding a bias to the value; and using the biased value for controlling the first engine to cause a change in rotational speed of the second spool of the first engine in relation to the rotational speed of the first spool of the first engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: BOMBARDIER INC.
    Inventors: Stephen Colavincenzo, Andre Brodeur, Alexis Caron L'Ecuyer, Mirel Bogdan, Dragan Jovicic
  • Patent number: 10301860
    Abstract: A boundary position, which determines the range of the positions of the window within which trap prevention control is disabled, is set according to the sum of a first amount of rotation and a second amount of rotation. The first amount of rotation approximates a change, in a reference amount of rotation, that corresponds to a change in a detected voltage from a reference voltage. The second amount of rotation is set to a value that is smaller than the difference between a specific amount of rotation at a stop and the reference amount of rotation and is larger than the amount of variations in the reference amount of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinichi Endo, Satoshi Hayasaka, Takuya Sugita
  • Patent number: 10304262
    Abstract: A method of data collection and reporting for a vehicle fleet includes defining a master reporting template at an original equipment manufacturer. The master reporting template includes one or more original equipment manufacturer report structures for original equipment manufacturer use. The master reporting template is communicated from the original equipment manufacturer to one or more vehicle operators. An inherited reporting template is defined at the vehicle operator including the one or more original equipment manufacturer report structures and one or more vehicle operator report structures for vehicle operator use. Data is collected from one or more vehicles of the vehicle fleet at a data hub via a data port at the one or more vehicles. The data collection is based on the contents of the inherited reporting template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Paul Raymond Scheid
  • Patent number: 10293826
    Abstract: Systems and methods use cameras to provide autonomous navigation features. In one implementation, a method for navigating a user vehicle may include acquiring, using at least one image capture device, a plurality of images of an area in a vicinity of the user vehicle; determining from the plurality of images a first lane constraint on a first side of the user vehicle and a second lane constraint on a second side of the user vehicle opposite to the first side of the user vehicle; enabling the user vehicle to pass a target vehicle if the target vehicle is determined to be in a lane different from the lane in which the user vehicle is traveling; and causing the user vehicle to abort the pass before completion of the pass, if the target vehicle is determined to be entering the lane in which the user vehicle is traveling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: MOBILEYE VISION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventors: Anna Clarke, Eyal Bagon
  • Patent number: 10289922
    Abstract: A maintenance system can be used with a self-driving vehicle. The maintenance system can include a camera system coupled to an interior of the vehicle and a vehicle management system configured to autonomously drive the vehicle to a first location to remove an item left in the vehicle by a rider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Inventors: Eric John Wengreen, Wesley Edward Schwie
  • Patent number: 10281920
    Abstract: Among other things, a world model is maintained of an environment of a vehicle. A hypothetical object in the environment that cannot be perceived by sensors of the vehicle is included in the world model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: nuTonomy Inc.
    Inventors: Emilio Frazzoli, Baoxing Qin
  • Patent number: 10280590
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for inhibiting the bridging of a work vehicle. A method adjusts a position of an implement of a work vehicle to inhibit a bridging of the work vehicle. The method includes: receiving, by a processor associated with the work vehicle, a chassis pitch angle associated with a chassis of the work vehicle from the Grade Control System; determining, by the processor, whether the chassis pitch angle is greater than a predefined threshold; receiving, by the processor, a current height of the implement relative to a grade from the Grade Control System; determining, by the processor, an offset to move the implement to a height above the grade based on the current height of the implement; and outputting, by the processor, the offset to the Grade Control System to move the implement to inhibit the bridging of the work vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: DEERE & COMPANY
    Inventors: Christopher R. Benson, Jeffery Dobchuk, Carl J. Koenig
  • Patent number: 10281916
    Abstract: A method, device, and system for detecting transparent elements in a vehicle environment are described. In some examples, this may include accessing an image of a scene captured by an image capture device attached to a vehicle. A reflected image present in the image may be detected. The reflected image may include a portion of the vehicle. It may be determined that the scene includes a transparent element based at least in part on detecting the reflected image present in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox