Patents Examined by Tyler J Lee
  • Patent number: 11796316
    Abstract: A method determines location and orientation of a machine in a worksite. The worksite is equipped with at least one reference point. The method comprises setting a tracking apparatus on the machine, tracking the machine with the tracking apparatus by determining location of at least one reference point in the worksite with respect to the tracking apparatus, transmitting data from the tracking apparatus to a position determination unit regarding the tracking, and determining by the position determination unit based at least in part on the data received from the tracking apparatus the location and orientation of the machine in the worksite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Novatron Oy
    Inventors: Tuomas Kovanen, Antti Kolu, Petri Moisio, Mikko Vesanen, Arto Anttila
  • Patent number: 11787502
    Abstract: A method for controlling an electric motor of an electric bicycle for driving the electric bicycle. The method includes: detecting a longitudinal acceleration of the electric bicycle in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the electric bicycle; and generating a motor torque with the aid of the electric motor as a function of the detected longitudinal acceleration, the motor torque being adapted until a predefined setpoint acceleration is reached or exceeded or undershot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Daniel Baumgaertner, Jana Maria Ickenroth, Matthias Weinmann, Tim Dackermann
  • Patent number: 11788250
    Abstract: A compact utility loader compact utility loader comprising a frame, a first track and a second track positioned on either side of the frame, and a pair of loader arms. The loader arms are configured to couple with an attachment via a hitch plate and a hitch pin. The compact utility loader is configured such that as the loader arms are raised and lowered, the hitch pin follows a path approximately defined by a curve f(x)=4.641e0.34x The value “x” represents a horizontal direction and the function f(x) represents a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Carlson, John Relph, Matthew Shobe, Jeff Welsh
  • Patent number: 11789461
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes obtaining, from an autonomy system, data indicative of a planned trajectory of the autonomous vehicle through a surrounding environment. The method includes determining a region of interest in the surrounding environment based at least in part on the planned trajectory. The method includes controlling one or more first sensors to obtain data indicative of the region of interest. The method includes identifying one or more objects in the region of interest, based at least in part on the data obtained by the one or more first sensors. The method includes controlling the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the one or more objects identified in the region of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: UATC, LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Shaw Wood, William M. Leach, Scott C. Poeppel, Nicholas G. Letwin, Noah Zych
  • Patent number: 11787649
    Abstract: A system and method of determining orientation of a physical location on a cart or end effector located on the cart in an independent cart system receives a feedback signal from a sensor on the cart. A multi-axis device may generate three or more signals corresponding to X, Y, and Z axes orientations. Processing may be performed on the signals to generate a value of yaw, pitch, or roll of the cart. The feedback or processed signals are transmitted from the mover to a remote device external from the track. The real-time orientation information may be used to implement closed-loop control of an actuator mounted on or external to each cart as the cart travels along the track. Power for the devices on the mover may be provided by a battery mounted on the cart or by a wireless power transfer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Shankha S. Seal, Jadav Das, Tracy M. Clark, Michaela R. Kaufmann, Dayin Xu, Xikai Sun, John Floresta
  • Patent number: 11788254
    Abstract: A system controls a work machine that loads materials onto a conveyance vehicle. The system includes a controller and a detection device. The controller controls the work machine in an automatic control mode in which work is performed automatically. The detection device detects a presence of a person in a peripheral region of the work machine. The automatic control mode includes a loading mode in which the work machine is caused to move to perform loading work for loading onto the conveyance vehicle, and an other mode other than the loading mode. The controller causes the automatic control mode to transition from the other mode to the loading mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied. The predetermined transition condition includes non-detection of a person by the detection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Aizawa, Kenjiro Shimada
  • Patent number: 11781286
    Abstract: An aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for calculating the mass of material in an excavating machine bucket including receiving, by a controller, distance data. The distance data is the distance between a distance sensor mounted on the excavating machine and a target positioned on an arm of the excavating machine. Moreover, the method includes receiving torque data for a rotating hoist drive shaft in the excavating machine. The torque data is generated by a torque sensor positioned about the shaft. Furthermore, the method includes calculating frontend geometry of the excavating machine. The excavating machine includes at least one rope. Additionally, the method includes calculating a rope force in the at least one rope using the torque data and calculating the mass of material in the excavating machine bucket using the calculated frontend geometry and the rope force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventor: Charles Constancon
  • Patent number: 11780471
    Abstract: Techniques associated with predicting behaviors and states of objects in a physical environment using thermal data.. In some cases, the system may be configured to determine heat signatures of individual features of an object and based on a combination of heat signatures determine a predicted behavior and/or a state of the object. The system may also utilize the thermal data to determine a confidence associated with predicted behavior and/or states of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasser Beilouni
  • Patent number: 11781290
    Abstract: A shovel includes a lower traveling body, an upper turning body turnably mounted on the lower traveling body, a cab provided on the upper turning body, an orientation detector configured to detect the relative relationship between the orientation of the upper turning body and the orientation of the lower traveling body, and an alarm device configured to output an alarm when a backward travel operation is performed while it is detected by the orientation detector that the orientation of the upper turning body and the orientation of the lower traveling body are in a predetermined relationship. The backward travel operation is an operation to cause the lower traveling body to travel in the backward direction of the upper turning body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoki Kurokawa, Hiroyuki Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 11781292
    Abstract: A work machine includes: a work implement including a bucket; a bucket position obtaining unit that obtains a position of the bucket; a distance calculating unit that calculates a distance between the position of the bucket obtained by the bucket position obtaining unit and a design topography of an execution object; and a recording unit that records existing topography data corresponding to the position of the bucket, based on the distance calculated by the distance calculating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Minetaka Nishimura
  • Patent number: 11774242
    Abstract: A work machine includes a work implement and a vehicle body including a first vehicle body portion, a mount attached to the first vehicle body portion, and a second vehicle body portion supported on the first vehicle body portion via the mount. A control system for the work machine includes a vehicle body positional sensor, a work implement positional sensor, and a controller. The vehicle body positional sensor is attached to the second vehicle body portion and outputs vehicle body position data indicative of a position of the second vehicle body portion. The work implement positional sensor is attached to the second vehicle body portion and outputs work implement position data indicative of a relative position of the work implement with respect to the second vehicle body portion. The controller calculates a position of the work implement based on the vehicle body position data and the work implement position data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KOMATSU LTD.
    Inventor: Eiji Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11776411
    Abstract: A ship navigation assisting device includes: an area setter 304 that sets, for a target ship, a polygonal safe navigation area defined by a plurality of vertices and surrounding the target ship; a collision point calculator 305 that calculates, based on a speed of the own ship, a relative position between the own ship and the target ship, and a velocity vector of the target ship, collision points between each of the plurality of vertices constituting the safe navigation area and the own ship; and a collision danger area calculator 306 that connects the plurality of collision points calculated by the collision point calculator 305 to calculate a collision danger area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Keiki Inc.
    Inventors: Tadashige Hakoyama, Osamu Yagi
  • Patent number: 11772946
    Abstract: A center of gravity estimation device includes a tilt cylinder pressure sensor detecting a pressure on a rod side of the tilt cylinder, a tilt cylinder pressure sensor detecting a pressure on a bottom side of the tilt cylinder, a lift cylinder pressure sensor detecting a pressure of a lift cylinder, and an electronic control unit performing estimation calculation of a center of gravity of a cargo W loaded on a fork using the pressure on the rod side of the tilt cylinder, the pressure on the bottom side of the tilt cylinder, the pressure of the lift cylinder, and data on a structure of a cargo handling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventor: Tatsuya Hattori
  • Patent number: 11774593
    Abstract: A method of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is provided to position a target object. Each of detected tracked objects in a surrounding environment of the target object is classified into a moving object or a static object based on data detected at different time points. The target object is then positioned without considering any of the tracked objects that are classified into a moving object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH & TESTING CENTER
    Inventors: Yu-Fang Wang, Yi-Shueh Tsai
  • Patent number: 11773569
    Abstract: A power mode recommendation system for a construction machine including a hydraulic system driven by working fluid supplied by a hydraulic pump. A controller configured to analyze engine torque, flow rates of working fluid in use, amounts of fuel consumption of the plurality of power modes and to recommend a power mode indicating lowest fuel consumption, from among the plurality of power modes, using the analysis. A human-machine interface (HMI) device displays the power mode recommended by the controller to an operator. The system recommends an efficiency power mode to an operator by analyzing not only the amount of fuel consumed by the construction machine, but also flow rates of working fluid in use and operating speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AB
    Inventors: Sanghee Lee, Chunhan Lee, Okjin Suk, Miok Kim, Sanggyun Shin
  • Patent number: 11776277
    Abstract: An apparatus for identifying the state of an object inputs time series images into a first classifier to detect an object region including a predetermined object from each image, determines whether the region of each image is in a mixed state in which the region includes another object other than the object, chronologically inputs characteristics obtained from pixel values of the region of each image into a second classifier having a recursive structure, and applies a recursively used internal state of the second classifier stored in a memory to the second classifier, identifying the state of the object involving time-varying changes in outward appearance. The apparatus rejects the latest internal state when the region of each image is in the mixed state. The apparatus updates the internal state stored in the memory with this latest internal state when the region is not in the mixed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Daisuke Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11772948
    Abstract: A controller for use with a working machine includes a machine body and a load handling apparatus coupled to the machine body and moveable by a lift actuator and a sway actuator. The controller receives a signal representative of the position of the load handling apparatus and a signal representative of a stability of the working machine. The controller determines a movement range of the load handling apparatus about the sway axis and issues a signal for use by an element of the working machine. The controller restricts or prevents movement of the load handling apparatus outside of the permissible movement range relative to the lateral reference orientation, the permissible range being dependent on the signal representative of the position of the load handling apparatus with respect to the machine body or longitudinal reference orientation and the signal representative of the stability of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventor: Jonathan Kenred Bailey
  • Patent number: 11766936
    Abstract: Provided is a control device comprising: a motor output decision unit configured to decide a magnitude of an output of the motor, based on a magnitude of a requested output that is an output requested to be supplied to drive wheels; a first rotation number decision unit configured to decide a first target value of a rotation number of the motor, based on the magnitude of the output of the motor decided by the motor output decision unit; and a display control unit configured to change a display method of the power indicator in a case where the motor supplies power to the drive wheels in a first mode and in a case where the motor supplies power to the drive wheels in a second mode different from the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ohshima, Naoki Yui, Kazuhiro Saito, Yoshiharu Saito, Takuya Iwata
  • Patent number: 11760212
    Abstract: Systems and methods of generating, storing and/or distributing electric power are disclosed. The system may include two or more direct current supercapacitor subsystems, a direct current motor/alternating current generator combination, an electric power distribution network, and supercapacitor recharging elements. One supercapacitor subsystem may power an alternating current generator while the other supercapacitor subsystem charges using a portion of the generated power. Excess power may service other electric loads. The roles of the supercapacitor subsystems may be switched periodically between charging and powering, repeatedly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: ENERGY PRODUCING SYSTEMS OF AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Featherly, Rudolph M. Toncich, Jay Cholost
  • Patent number: 11760614
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle, comprising a vehicle floor, three vehicle wheels and a surroundings monitoring device comprising a plurality of surroundings sensor units, in particular laser scanners, each of which has a continuous monitoring angle range in a horizontal plane below the vehicle floor, wherein the surroundings monitoring device comprises two surroundings sensor units which are arranged under the vehicle floor, within the plan view contour of the vehicle, such that the monitoring angle ranges thereof overlap one another in part and define a common horizontal scanning region in which gaps or shadowing in the monitoring angle range of a particular surroundings sensor unit, within the plan view of the vehicle, are captured by the monitoring angle range of the other surroundings sensor unit, such that the surroundings monitoring device offers 360° all-around monitoring around the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: JUNGHEINRICH AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Robert Hämmerl