Patents Examined by Truc M Do
  • Patent number: 9859579
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for diagnosing failure of an air supply system of a fuel cell system are provided to accurately and promptly sense various fault states of an air supply system and provide such fault sensing information to a driver in advance to allow the driver to recognize the necessity of fixing the system, thus enhancing driving safety. The apparatus for diagnosing failure of an air supply system of a fuel cell system includes a flow rate sensor installed in an air supply line and configured to measure an air flow rate, a power sensor configured to measure power consumed for driving an air blower, and a controller electrically connected to the flow rate sensor and the power sensor and configured to determine whether the air supply system has a fault by using the air flow rate measured by the flow rate sensor and the power consumption measured by the power sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Sung Gone Yoon
  • Patent number: 9857194
    Abstract: A method performed by a computing system includes, with the computing system, providing a user with directions from a current location of the user to a destination, searching a database for a set of points of interest within a predefined distance from a route between the current location and the destination, the searching accounting for a deviation time value associated with each point of interest and a user received allotted time value, the allotted time value indicating a total amount of time the user has allotted for deviation from the route, the deviation time value indicating an estimated amount of time it takes to visit a corresponding point of interest, and presenting to the user, at least one point of interest with the corresponding visitation time value being less than the time deviation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: RED HAT, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Vecera, Jiri Pechanec
  • Patent number: 9859998
    Abstract: A wireless mobile device for personalizing the control and IVI settings of a connected vehicle according to a seat position of a user of the mobile device. The wireless mobile device is configured to: i) receive a radio signal from each of a plurality of beacons in the vehicle; ii) determine a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value for each received radio signal; iii) apply a seat prediction model M to the RSSI value for each received radio signal to predict a seat position P; and iv) transmit a predicted seat position P to a server. The seat prediction model M is generated by a machine learning process and stored in a server. A beacon array configuration, data collection and generalization procedure optimizes the coverage and accuracy of the model M. The wireless mobile device is further configured to receive an identification (ID) value of the vehicle. The wireless mobile device retrieves the seat prediction model M from the server and caches in memory in the wireless mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhiyun Li, Pei Zheng, Jiaming Liu, Jae Young Lee, Daping Guo
  • Patent number: 9834306
    Abstract: An emergency unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a method for employing a UAV. The method includes storing a digital elevation model (DEM) and associated data including locations of communication networks, updating the locations of communication networks in the associated data via a wireless transceiver, and storing position information determined by a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. The method includes detecting a predetermined condition using electronic sensors, determining whether the UAV is within a communications range of any communication network via the wireless transceiver, and determining a path to a communication network using the DEM and the associated data. The method also includes causing the UAV to become airborne and fly along the path, and transmitting a distress message via the wireless transceiver to the communication network, the distress message including position information corresponding to a location where the UAV detected the predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Inventor: Abdullah Almasoud
  • Patent number: 9834237
    Abstract: Systems and methods for examining a route inject one or more electrical examination signals into a conductive route from onboard a vehicle system traveling along the route, detect one or more electrical characteristics of the route based on the one or more electrical examination signals, apply a filter to the one or more electrical characteristics, and detect a break in conductivity of the route responsive to the one or more electrical characteristics decreasing by more than a designated drop threshold for a time period within a designated drop time period. Feature vectors may be determined for the electrical characteristics and compared to one or more patterns in order to distinguish between breaks in the conductivity of the route and other causes for changes in the electrical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yuri Alexeyevich Plotnikov, Brett Alexander Matthews, Ajith Kuttannair Kumar, Jeffrey Michael Fries, Joseph Forrest Noffsinger, Samhitha Palanganda Poonacha, Tannous Frangieh, Frederick Wilson Wheeler, Brian Lee Staton, Timothy Robert Brown, Gregory Boverman, Majid Nayeri
  • Patent number: 9834177
    Abstract: A method for programming a wiper system for operating a vehicle windscreen wiper where a wiper module on the driver's side is programmed as a master module and a wiper module on the passenger's side is programmed as a slave module. The wiper modules include a reversing motor, a gear, a holder, and a control. A program sequence, vehicle-specific characteristic data and data for the operation of the wiper module as master or slave module are stored in the control. The wiper module on the driver's side is connected via an on-board wiring system interface and a first data communication line with a vehicle control unit. Provision is made that before the activation of the wiper module on the driver's side via the first data communication line in its control the wiper module is defined or respectively pre-programmed neither as master module nor as slave module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventors: Eberhard Högler, Sebastian Wagner
  • Patent number: 9836717
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a passive entry system that unlocks the vehicle upon authenticating a fob in a vicinity of the vehicle. The passive entry system further recognizes the vehicle is approaching a restrictive geographic location within which at least one proscribed item is prohibited, receives item data indicative of items located within the vehicle, and provides output indicating whether any of the items is a proscribed item for the restrictive geographic location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Michael Hrecznyj, David Paul Kaminski, Robert Bruce Kleve
  • Patent number: 9827965
    Abstract: A method for operating a regenerative braking system of a vehicle includes: applying control to at least one valve of a brake circuit, before and/or during operation of a generator of the braking system, so that brake fluid is displaced out of a brake master cylinder and/or out of the at least one brake circuit into at least one reservoir volume; defining a target force difference variable regarding a booster force exerted by a brake booster in consideration of at least one of a generator braking torque information item, a brake master cylinder pressure variable, and an evaluation variable derived from at least the generator braking torque information item or the brake master cylinder pressure variable; and controlling the brake booster in consideration of the defined target force difference variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Jens Kolarsky, Michael Kunz, Stefan Strengert, Herbert Vollert
  • Patent number: 9824600
    Abstract: The device object of the present invention consists in two sets of photoelectric cells installed at front and rear of trucks and automobiles and in general moving vehicles. The photoelectric cells are attached to a Magnetic breaking system. In a separate preferred embodiment of the present invention the Photoelectric cells further controls the regular breaking system of the vehicle. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Inventor: Mario Placido Portela
  • Patent number: 9824506
    Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus, system and method for transmitting and indicating a fault in a combination vehicle are disclosed. A first towed vehicle controller comprises a processor with control logic capable of receiving fault messages and status messages on an associated vehicle communications bus; determining the status and faults of the first towed vehicle; and transmitting fault messages and status messages on the associated vehicle communications bus. When the control logic receives a fault message from an associated second towed vehicle controller on the associated vehicle communications bus at a second period in time, the control logic transmits the fault message of the associated second towed vehicle controller to the associated vehicle communications bus at a first period in time, different than the second period in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC
    Inventor: Daniel P. Zula
  • Patent number: 9826297
    Abstract: In some cases, a method may include receiving information at a media device that is associated with movement of an accessory device. The accessory device is communicatively coupled to the media device via a media interface of the media device (e.g., a mini-phone jack of the media device). The method includes determining, at the media device, whether the accessory device satisfies accessory device orientation criteria based on the information. In response to determining that the accessory device does not satisfy the accessory device orientation criteria, the method includes generating a signal. The signal may be communicated from the media device to the accessory device via the media interface. In some cases, the signal may include accessory device re-orientation information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Benzaia, Lakshminarashimhan Naidu, Bernard S. Ku
  • Patent number: 9810541
    Abstract: A method for obtaining updated travel condition data at a vehicle is provided. The method identifies a subset of a predetermined travel route that is ahead of the vehicle, based on a selected distance quantity and a current position of the vehicle during traveling; and requests a set of data for the subset, the updated travel condition data comprising the set of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Jiri Vasek, Zdenek Eichler, Matej Dusik, Jan Bilek
  • Patent number: 9809306
    Abstract: A system for flock-based control of a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The system includes UAVs each including a processor executing a local control module and memory accessible by the processor for use by the local control module. The system includes a ground station system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs. The flight plans are stored on the UAVs, and, during flight operations, each of the local control modules independently controls the corresponding UAV to execute its flight plan without ongoing control from the fleet manager module. The fleet manager module is operable to initiate flight operations by concurrently triggering initiation of the flight plans by the multiple UAVs. Further, the local control modules monitor front and back end communication channels and, when a channel is lost, operate the UAV in a safe mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventors: James Alexander Stark, Clifford Wong, Robert Scott Trowbridge
  • Patent number: 9809219
    Abstract: A collision avoidance system for a vehicle includes an electronic brake system capable of applying wheel brakes to decelerate the vehicle, a steering system capable of changing a steering angle for the vehicle, and a controller. The controller instructions for performing a pedestrian avoidance maneuver including at least one of steering the vehicle to the maximum available separation distance and braking the vehicle to the maximum safe speed while the vehicle is passing the pedestrian.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: David Leslie Agnew, Graham Lanier Fletcher
  • Patent number: 9802606
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, driveline oscillations are reduced during engine air-fuel ratio modulation. The driveline oscillations may be reduced via adjusting torque of a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Craig Reed, Robert Wright, Daniel Colvin, Jeffrey Allen Doering
  • Patent number: 9805523
    Abstract: A diagnostic method for vehicles from a group of vehicles wherein data relating to at least one vehicle from the group of vehicles are acquired from a social medium. Complaints relating to a criticized characteristic of the at least one vehicle are determined depending on the acquired data. Diagnostic information is generated for at least one vehicle depending on the complaints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Tetiana Zinchenko, Andreas Sasse, Sergio Di Martino, Simon Kwoczek, Felix Richter
  • Patent number: 9805520
    Abstract: A vehicle security service provision method in a vehicle gateway to provide communication in a vehicle includes determining whether or not an external device has been connected, transmitting an external device connection-informing message to a vehicle telematics unit through the in-vehicle communication when it is determined that the external device has been connected, receiving an external device connection acceptance message from the vehicle telematics unit, and processing a diagnosis request message received from the external device in response to the received external device connection acceptance message. In accordance with the disclosed method, connection of an external device to the vehicle is sensed in real time. Sensed results are informed to a user terminal, for execution of a user approval procedure. Accordingly, an effective vehicle security service can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Soon Chul Park
  • Patent number: 9802631
    Abstract: Systems for examining a route inject one or more electrical examination signals into a conductive route from onboard a vehicle system traveling along the route, detect one or more electrical characteristics of the route based on the one or more electrical examination signals, and detect a break in conductivity of the route responsive to the one or more electrical characteristics decreasing by more than a designated drop threshold for a time period within a designated drop time period. Feature vectors may be determined for the electrical characteristics and compared to one or more patterns in order to distinguish between breaks in the conductivity of the route and other causes for changes in the electrical characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Brett Alexander Matthews, Gregory Boverman, Yuri Alexeyevich Plotnikov, Frederick Wilson Wheeler, Majid Nayeri, Jeffrey Michael Fries
  • Patent number: 9796414
    Abstract: In order to suppress an electric power steering device from generating a contact noise due to operation of a mechanical stopper and a rack stopper, there is provided a control unit in which a command signal Io applied to an electric motor used for assisting the steering power is calculated taking into consideration both a rack stopper side damping correction represented by a rack side damping correction signal Dr calculated in a rack side damping correction amount calculation part 21 and a mechanical stopper side damping correction represented by a mechanical side damping correction signal Dm calculated in a mechanical side damping correction amount calculation part 23.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS STEERING, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhito Nakakuki, Kazuya Yamano
  • Patent number: 9800492
    Abstract: A communication system of a vehicle receives data in wireless vehicle-to-surroundings. The communication system includes multiple control devices. A receiving control device receives data from objects located in the surroundings of the vehicle, and a communication stack is processed during reception. In order for the data to be expediently and effectively acquired, the received data is sorted into at least two classes of relevance and is further processed in the communication stack according to the class of relevance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Stählin, Marc Menzel, Richard Scherping