Patents Examined by Yi-Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 12291213
    Abstract: An information processing device to be mounted on a vehicle includes a processor. The processor is configured to determine, in response to a request for the vehicle, one mode out of a plurality of modes defining behavior of the vehicle, make transition of a status of the vehicle among a plurality of statuses that is based on a state and a sub-mode, and control the vehicle based on the status of the vehicle that has been achieved by the transition. The state and the sub-mode are permitted in the determined mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noritake Mitsutani
  • Patent number: 12286128
    Abstract: Method for determining steering deadband and eliminating starting drag in a vehicle, having at least one steered wheel mechanically connected to an actuator, includes, from a first initial position, wherein the actuator is in a middle position and is biased toward a second direction, the actuator is moved toward a first direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction, until a movement of the steered wheel is detected in a first deadband detection position of the actuator. The actual position of the actuator in the first deadband detection position is stored as a first deadband value ?DB1. After reaching the first deadband detection position, the actuator is moved further in the first direction by a predetermined ?ESD1 first starting drag elimination angle to cause a predetermined movement of the at least one steering wheel and further mechanical parts connected thereto arriving to a first starting drag elimination position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: VIE TECHNOLOGY (EUROPE) KFT.
    Inventors: Tamás Rapp, Tamás Rózsa, Márton Lukács
  • Patent number: 12270303
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to seal assemblies for a turbomachine. The seal assemblies include stationary and rotating components and at least one interface between the stationary and rotating components. The seal assembly further includes a self-lubricating lattice element made of carbon or a carbon-based material. The self-lubricating lattice element may have a porous and compressible microstructure capable of retaining a liquid substance. During engine operation, the self-lubricating lattice element can compress and expel some portion of the liquid substance to form a liquid-containing layer between the rotating and stationary components of the seal assembly. Also described herein are self-lubricating wear sleeves for use in other portions of the turbomachine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Srinivasan Swaminathan, Anand Madihalli Srinivasan, Shalini Thimmegowda, Ravindra Shankar Ganiger
  • Patent number: 12257959
    Abstract: A UTV heat shield assembly having a first side comprising a heat-resistant material and a second side comprising a canvas material, the heat shield being pliable and having a base, rear wall and two opposing side walls such that the heat shield has dimensions configured to receive a seat bottom of a UTV thereon and fit over an opening to an engine bay of the UTV. The rear wall blocks a gap between the seat bottom and a seat back of the UTV and the two opposing side walls block gaps on sides of the seat bottom while the base covers the opening to the engine bay such that when installed the heat shield substantially seals the engine bay off preventing a flow of hot air from the engine bay into a seating area of the UTV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Inventor: Zachary Benson
  • Patent number: 12258002
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling and diagnosing a mechanical vehicle component. In one example, a method may include determining an input device state and an electric machine torque at a diagnostic controller, and identifying a fault condition based on these determinations. Further, the diagnostic controller may trigger an active fault state of the mechanical vehicle component to avoid unintended vehicle acceleration, particularly at low speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Peter Deckmyn, Bjorn Aelvoet, Brecht Fevery
  • Patent number: 12252115
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for vehicle anti-collision control, a computer device, a computer-readable storage medium, and a vehicle, which are applied to the technical field of automobiles. The method includes: receiving information about a rear vehicle status and a relative distance between a vehicle behind and a present vehicle; when the information about the status indicates that there is a vehicle coming from behind and the relative distance between the vehicle behind and the present vehicle is less than a pre-determined distance, calculating an estimated time T for which the present vehicle is to be rear-ended by the vehicle behind; and performing an anti-collision operation for the present vehicle if T<Tthreshold, where Tthreshold is a pre-determined first anti-collision time threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: NIO TECHNOLOGY (ANHUI) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Zelei Zhou, Yang Xu
  • Patent number: 12240432
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for variable actuation and release of a vehicle's brake hold mechanism/function. A brake hold device may be implemented as a “tuner” or controller that can connect to and override, e.g., the default functionality of an existing brake hold mechanism of a vehicle. Delays in exiting a brake hold state, repetitive actuation of an accelerator to exit a brake hold state, and other shortcomings associated with the conventional operation of brake hold mechanisms may be avoided by taking into account relevant vehicle operating conditions or environmental/road/traffic conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignees: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yiting Liu, Hirofumi Yamamoto, Chen Bao
  • Patent number: 12234755
    Abstract: A casted unitary metallic oil filter adaptor that has an entirely internal lubricant flow path and threads for connecting associated components directly to the casted adaptor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: RB Distribution, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Setz Kelly, Evan Soda, Gabriel Kovacs, Robert Pisch, Eric Tryson
  • Patent number: 12229687
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an information processing apparatus that efficiently evaluates artificial intelligence for performing virtual automated driving of a virtual vehicle. This information processing apparatus comprises a generator that generates, from driving environment information generated by a driving environment simulator that simulates a virtual driving environment of a virtual vehicle, driving environment information representing a driving environment in which the virtual vehicle is readily put in a dangerous state and to be provided to artificial intelligence for performing automated driving of the virtual vehicle, an acquirer that acquires a virtual driving result obtained by performing the virtual automated driving of the virtual vehicle by the artificial intelligence in the virtual driving environment, and an evaluator that evaluates performance of the artificial intelligence from the virtual driving result of the virtual automated driving by the artificial intelligence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jun Nakayamada
  • Patent number: 12221106
    Abstract: A system for controlling a smart mobility by risk level includes: an information collection unit to collect position and speed information of the smart mobility and camera sensing information including a front traffic sign or object; a front detection unit to detect a front obstacle or inclination using the camera sensing information and to output a detection result; a control unit to change a warning to a user and/or a method of controlling the smart mobility by risk level based on the information collected by the information collection unit and the detection result; and a warning unit to warn the user by changing a method by risk level under the control of the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung Jae Kim
  • Patent number: 12221115
    Abstract: Techniques for updating data operations in a perception system are discussed herein. A vehicle may use a perception system to capture data about an environment proximate to the vehicle. The perception system may output the data about the environment to a system configured to determine positions of objects relative to the perception system over time. The positions of the objects may be used to estimate an object velocity and may be compared against machine learning model outputs in a self-supervised manner to train the machine learning model to output object velocities based on inputs from the perception system. The output of the machine learning model may include a two-dimensional velocity for objects in the environment. The two-dimensional velocity may be used for a vehicle system such that the vehicle can make environmentally aware operational decisions, which may improve reaction time(s) and/or safety outcomes of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Blaes, Jifei Qian
  • Patent number: 12209532
    Abstract: A compression ignition engine provides a main injector and a second pilot injector producing a spray passing over an igniter producing a pilot flame assisting in ignition of the main injector spray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Harsh Darshan Sapra, Sage Kokjohn, Randy Hessel, Eri Amezcua Cuellar, David Rothamer
  • Patent number: 12209546
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a predictive EGR control method and terminal device, and a storage medium. The method includes: calculating, if there is a slowdown section ahead of a vehicle, an engine output torque to be reduced for travelling from a current position to a start position of the slowdown section and/or an engine output torque to be increased for travelling from the start position of the slowdown section to an end position of the slowdown section, and thereby adjusting an EGR rate according to the engine output torque to be reduced or increased. Before the vehicle running at a high load enters the slowdown section, an EGR valve can be opened in advance to increase the EGR rate, thereby reducing harmful gas emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Xiamen Yaxon Zhilian Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yankai Tu, Yuan Chen
  • Patent number: 12202465
    Abstract: A driver controller of a hybrid vehicle driven by using an electric motor and an engine that is an internal combustion engine. The drive controller can include a storage unit, a temperature detection unit, an environment information acquiring unit, a power consumption calculation unit, and a vehicle control unit. The storage unit can include a power consumption rate map and a power consumption difference threshold map. The environment information acquiring unit can refer to the power consumption difference threshold map to determine power consumption difference thresholds. The power consumption calculation unit can refer to the power consumption rate map to calculate power consumption of the electric motor. The power consumption difference threshold can be a criterion for changing a drive ratio of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Takuma
  • Patent number: 12202466
    Abstract: A control method for a hybrid vehicle is provided. The hybrid vehicle includes: a generator configured to charge a battery by using power of an engine; an electric motor configured to drive a driving wheel by electric power of the battery; and a particulate filter configured to collect particulate matter contained in exhaust gas from the engine. In the control method, the engine is driven to raise a temperature of the particulate filter when a first temperature rise condition is satisfied in which a first predetermined amount or more of the particulate matter is accumulated in the particulate filter and the temperature of the particulate filter is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature. Drive of the engine is prohibited, when a predetermined first condition that a driver does not intend to drive the engine is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Hoshi, Kenichi Gotou, Azusa Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 12202475
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for assisting driving of a vehicle including a camera provided in the vehicle, a lidar sensor provided in the vehicle, and a controller configured to control the vehicle to prevent to deviate from a lane based on lane information obtained by the camera and the lidar sensor, wherein the controller excludes the lane information obtained by the camera and controls the vehicle to prevent to deviate from the lane based on the lane information obtained by the lidar sensor, when the vehicle enters a tunnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: HL Klemove Corp.
    Inventor: Bonill Koo
  • Patent number: 12205421
    Abstract: A method for operating a vehicle includes obtaining personal data associated with a user of the vehicle, obtaining operating data for the vehicle, determining a driver behavior recommendation to reduce emissions of the vehicle based at least in part on the personal data and the operating data, and presenting the driver behavior recommendation on an interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Gahl Berkooz, Greg Yezersky, Lev Levine, Iris Maria Weiss
  • Patent number: 12195067
    Abstract: A method of controlling one or more locomotives in a train includes using a machine learning engine and a virtual system modeling engine to model and classify sections of track along which the train is traveling according to the tractive power needs for the train traversing each section of track as a function of an effective weight profile for the train in the section and an effective friction profile for the train in the section of track. The method includes using the results of the effective weight profile, the effective friction profile, and an effective power availability profile to train the virtual system modeling engine using the machine learning engine to model designated areas of the track where the total tractive effort force or dynamic braking force applied by all of the locomotives in the train is less than a tractive effort force or dynamic braking force, respectively, that can be provided by a subset of the available locomotives in the train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation
    Inventors: Keith Wesley Wait, Marcos Blanco Fernandes
  • Patent number: 12195026
    Abstract: A system is disclosed that may selectively illuminate a first peripheral portion of a vehicle windshield from a plurality of peripheral portions. The first peripheral portion may correspond to part of a periphery of a first area portion of the windshield. The first area portion may be one of a plurality of area portions of the windshield. Further, the first area portion may be determined based on a substantial alignment with a driver's view of an object. Accordingly, a periphery portion of the windshield may be illuminated to draw the driver's attention to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: GENTEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric P. Bigoness, Nathan T. Overmyer
  • Patent number: 12187130
    Abstract: To provide an electric vehicle capable of reducing heat generation of the switching elements while achieving energy saving, the electric vehicle includes: an engine 11; a first generator 12 driven by the engine; a first rectifier circuit 14 connected to the output of the first generator; a first DC line 16 to receive the DC output of the first rectifier circuit; a driving motor 10 connected to the first DC line; a power converter 20 configured to convert voltage of the first DC line; a second DC line 34 to receive the DC output subjected to voltage conversion by the power converter; an auxiliary device 33 connected to the second DC line; and a controller 40 configured to control the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Kadota, Masatsugu Arai, Atsushi Kitaguchi, Naoki Fukuda