Patents Examined by Yazan A Soofi
  • Patent number: 11977381
    Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous waste and/or recycling collection by a waste services provider during performance of a waste service activity are provided. In a waste services environment, a waste service vehicle is configured to provide services to customers. The system and method can include, without limitation: a collection station or “hub” at a centralized location in a residential neighborhood; a plurality of autonomous collection vehicles capable of traveling between the collection station and the residences in the neighborhood to collect waste/items and/or containers at the residences and deliver the waste/items and/or containers to the collection station; and a waste service vehicle capable of collecting waste/items from the collection station and transporting the waste/items away from the neighborhood to a landfill or other collection, disposal or processing site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: WM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY HOLDINGS, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Kalpesh Patel, Vu Nguyen, David Tessin, Steven Hamaker
  • Patent number: 11970334
    Abstract: Described herein are devices, systems and methods related to automated waste management. Aspects of the present disclosure include devices, systems, and methods comprising an autonomous waste bin. The autonomous waste bin may include a first and second driving wheels connected to a base of a hollow receptacle. The autonomous waste bin may include a first and second driving motor connected to the first and second driving wheels respectively, the first and second driving motor configured to provide a driving force to the first and second driving wheels. The autonomous waste bin may include at least one controller in communication with the first and second driving motors, the at least one controller configured to control the movement of the autonomous waste bin, via the first and second driving wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Synchronous Technologies & Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Rick Patrick McLaughlin, Jillian Marie Callet
  • Patent number: 11971271
    Abstract: Utilizing existing information of community transportation offerings, the present invention builds customized travel routes to enable independent mobility for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Visual, aural, and sensory prompts are provided based on the location of, and through, a mobile device. Concurrently with providing direction and reassurance to the traveler, the system monitors the location and progress of the traveler along the route. Upon recognition that the mobile device (traveler) is no longer on the initiated route, a caregiver, or the like, is notified to render assistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ABLELINK SMART LIVING TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Daniel K. Davies, Steven E. Stock, Erik J. Mugele, Cameron D. Davies
  • Patent number: 11965312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling and/or configuring construction machines, whose electronic control device can be reconfigured and/or extended by installing a program packet, comprising a central server for providing and/or downloading different program packets, wherein the central server has access to an internal machine data database in which different machine data sets are stored, wherein the central server is designed as an open server platform with different interfaces to different external host servers, wherein a communications module activates an interface to an external machine data database and/or to an external host server according to a construction machine and/or program packet request and according to the machine data sets in the internal machine data database, and wherein the external machine data database that is separate from the central server is designed to provide a program packet of an external host server according to an authorization of the external host server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Bramberger, Martin Kögl
  • Patent number: 11964666
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a plurality of sensors mounted on a seat, an output device, and a controller. The controller is configured to obtain an acceleration in each of a first seat in contact with a driver's back and a second seat in contact with a driver's thigh through the plurality of sensors, to determine a specific frequency in each of the first seat and the second seat, to determine contact pressure information and load information of each of the first seat and the second seat through the plurality of sensors, to determine a human vibration sensitivity using at least one of the specific frequency, the contact pressure information, and the load information, to determine driver's emotional information including positive emotional information and arousal emotional information based on the human vibration sensitivity, and to control the output device according to the driver's emotional information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kichang Kim, Dong Chul Park, Taekun Yun, Jinsung Lee
  • Patent number: 11966227
    Abstract: A method includes constructing a map of an environment based on mapping data produced by an autonomous cleaning robot in the environment during a first cleaning mission. Constructing the map includes providing a label associated with a portion of the mapping data. The method includes causing a remote computing device to present a visual representation of the environment based on the map, and a visual indicator of the label. The method includes causing the autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a behavior associated with the label during a second cleaning mission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Mario Munich, Andreas Kolling, Manjunath Narayana, Philip Fong
  • Patent number: 11965747
    Abstract: The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for a mobile device including transmitting a request by the mobile device for a route that considers transportation modalities and route conditions, the request including location data of the mobile device, receiving a recommended route, the recommended route based on low energy hardware based classification of conditions associated with a plurality of available routes, and receiving a recommended transport modality vehicle and a list of known vehicle identifiers associated with the location data. Low energy wireless signals are received by the mobile device with low energy hardware based classifiers from a mobility vehicle including dedicated hardware including a being a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and/or hardware supporting a spiking neural network (SNN), the hardware receiving camera and microphone inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Omar Makke, Jeremy Lerner
  • Patent number: 11960285
    Abstract: A method includes: detecting, through a sensor, a location and a movement direction of the user and an object around the user; specifying the type and the location of the detected object; if the object is a dangerous object and is located in the movement direction of the user, setting a relative position where the robot is to be located relative to the user to a lead position ahead of the user and in a direction different from the movement direction; driving at least one pair of legs or wheels of the robot to cause the robot to move to the lead position; and driving the at least one pair of legs or wheels to cause the robot to accompany the user in the lead position and induce a change in the movement direction of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Yahata
  • Patent number: 11951988
    Abstract: When a vehicle control interface receives information indicating “Forward” from a VP, the vehicle control interface sets a value 0 in a signal indicating a rotation direction of a wheel. When the vehicle control interface receives information indicating “Reverse” from the VP, the vehicle control interface sets a value 1 in the signal indicating the rotation direction of the wheel. When the vehicle control interface receives information indicating “Invalid value” from the VP, the vehicle control interface sets a value 3 in the signal indicating the rotation direction of the wheel. The vehicle control interface provides the signal indicating the rotation direction of the wheel to an ADK.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ikuma Suzuki, Yuta Ohashi
  • Patent number: 11951877
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an anti-pinch control system. The anti-pinch control system includes a motor configured to generate driving force for moving a seat of a vehicle, a current measurement sensor configured to measure a value of the current generated by the motor, a database unit configured to store the values of current measured by the current measurement sensor, and a controller configured to vary an anti-pinch value of the seat based on an average of a plurality of values of current measured every preset measurement period for a predetermined time, stored in the database unit, wherein the plurality of values of current is values of current measured before the predetermined time based on a current time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI TRANSYS INC.
    Inventors: Sang Kyung Koh, Jae Kwon Son, Won Ho Jung
  • Patent number: 11953332
    Abstract: Transportation-based service share systems and methods are disclosed herein. An example method can include receiving a request from a service provider to reserve a ridehail vehicle for a ridehail having a time frame, the request specifying a service provided by the service provider; determining the ridehail vehicle for the service provider based on the service; and dispatching the ridehail vehicle, the service provider rendering the service during the ridehail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xingping Chen, Jeremy Lerner, Danielle Rosenblatt, Scott Huggins, Taylor Hawley, Ali Abdallah
  • Patent number: 11954743
    Abstract: A system comprises a first portable electronic device associated with an agricultural harvester and a second portable electronic device associated with a crop transport vehicle. At least one of the first portable electronic device and the second portable electronic device is configured to receive a geographic position of the other portable electronic device and, using only the first geographic position and the second geographic position, identify a harvesting operation performed by the agricultural harvester; determine a harvesting distance, a harvesting duration of time, or both of the harvesting operation; and estimate a current fill level of the crop transport vehicle based on the harvesting distance, the harvesting duration of time, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: AGCO International GmbH
    Inventor: Florian Hanrieder
  • Patent number: 11946228
    Abstract: A safety apparatus of a work machine includes: obstacle sensors provided in the upper revolving body; a revolving angle detector; an upper-side coordinate position calculation section that calculates an upper-side coordinate position of the obstacle in the upper-side coordinate system using the upper revolving body as a reference; a lower-side judgment area setting section that sets a lower-side judgment area in the lower-side coordinate system using the lower traveling body as a reference; a coordinate transformation section that transforms one of the upper-side coordinate position and the position of the lower-side judgment area into the other coordinate system to unify the coordinate system; a lower-side approach judgment section that judges whether an obstacle exists within the lower-side judgment area in the unified coordinate system; and a safety operation command section that outputs a safety operation command based on the judgment result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sho Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11945453
    Abstract: An onboard device configured to communicate with one or more other onboard devices in an onboard network, and configured to execute processing for updating of software of an own device while communicating with the other onboard devices, the onboard device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to generate, when not performing the processing, information to transmit to the other onboard devices by executing the software, as first information, and generate, when performing the processing, information to transmit to the other onboard devices without executing the software, as second information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoyasu Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 11946918
    Abstract: A method for calibrating at least one sensor by use of at least one calibration sensor, the method comprising: obtaining information indicative of a proximity time period when the at least one sensor and the at least one calibration sensor are in a predefined proximity zone of each other for a time period which is sufficient for calibration; obtaining information about a refractory time period for at least one of the at least one sensor and the at least one calibration sensor; calibrating the at least one sensor by a sensor reading of the at least one sensor and a sensor reading of the at least one calibration sensor, which sensor readings are taken when they are in the predefined proximity zone, wherein the refractory time period for the at least one of the at least one sensor and the at least one calibration sensor is considered by delaying its sensor reading such that it is ensured that the sensor readings of the at least one sensor and the at least one calibration sensor are spatially and temporally align
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Joshua Shire
  • Patent number: 11938945
    Abstract: An information processing system includes one or more vehicles, and a server communicable with the one or more vehicles. The vehicle acquires an image obtained by imaging a road on which a host vehicle is located. The vehicle or the server determines a degree of difficulty in traveling on the road due to snow cover from the image. The server stores the degree of difficulty in traveling for each of one or more roads, and provides information to a client by using the stored degree of difficulty in traveling for each of one or more roads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Eiichi Kusama, Masatoshi Hayashi, Hisanori Mitsumoto, Kuniaki Jinnai, Makoto Akahane, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Daisuke Kato
  • Patent number: 11941991
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a platooning operation system organizes a platoon by making a plurality of vehicles cooperate. The platooning operation system includes an application acceptance processor and a platoon organization processor. The application acceptance processor accepts an application of a vehicle for admission to the platoon. The platoon organization processor which selects a platoon to which the vehicle is to be admitted or determines possibility of admission of the vehicle to the platoon, based on at least one of information on a driver driving the vehicle and information on the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHIBA DIGITAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Megumi Kobayashi, Yasuto Hatafuku, Hideki Kubo, Motokazu Iwasaki, Yoko Ikeda, Shinsuke Iuchi, Kiyoshi Takemoto, Kaori Kitami, Keishi Higashi, Tatsuki Shiraishi, Michiyo Sato, Masaru Watabiki
  • Patent number: 11934203
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot is provided. The method includes the steps of: acquiring information on a sound associated with a robot call in a serving place; determining a call target robot associated with the sound, among a plurality of robots in the serving place, on the basis of the acquired information; and providing feedback associated with the sound by the call target robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Bear Robotics, Inc.
    Inventor: John Jungwoo Ha
  • Patent number: 11932139
    Abstract: A device for controlling a vehicle includes a first sensor that senses boarding of a driver, a second sensor that senses alcohol contained in exhalation of the driver, and a controller that sets a location of a seat such that a distance from the second sensor to the driver becomes a predetermined distance. The vehicle control device may control the seat location such that a distance between the driver and a sensing device is maintained to be equal to or less than the predetermined distance when measuring the alcohol to allow the alcoholic ingredient of the driver to be accurately measured, and may arouse awareness of the driver of the alcohol measurement as the seat location is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gyun Ha Kim
  • Patent number: 11933902
    Abstract: Determining classification(s) for object(s) in an environment of autonomous vehicle, and controlling the vehicle based on the determined classification(s). For example, autonomous steering, acceleration, and/or deceleration of the vehicle can be controlled based on determined pose(s) and/or classification(s) for objects in the environment. The control can be based on the pose(s) and/or classification(s) directly, and/or based on movement parameter(s), for the object(s), determined based on the pose(s) and/or classification(s). In many implementations, pose(s) and/or classification(s) of environmental object(s) are determined based on data from a phase coherent Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) component of the vehicle, such as a phase coherent LIDAR monopulse component and/or a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LIDAR component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: AURORA OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Warren Smith, Ethan Eade, Sterling J. Anderson, James Andrew Bagnell, Bartholomeus C. Nabbe, Christopher Paul Urmson