Patents by Inventor James Whitfield, Jr.
James Whitfield, Jr. has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11892836Abstract: The present application comprises a system for controlling a plurality of autonomous vehicles on a mine site, the system comprising: a centralized platform configured to store an inventory list of vehicles travelling on the mine site and comprising a first communication interface configured to communicate missions to the vehicles; a plurality of autonomous vehicles, the autonomous vehicles comprising: a first communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the centralized platform for receiving a predetermined mission, a trajectory control system configured to autonomously control the autonomous vehicle according to the predetermined mission; and at least one portable device, the portable device comprising a second communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a second communication interface of the plurality of vehicles from the mine site.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2020Date of Patent: February 6, 2024Assignee: LIEBHERR MINING EQUIPMENT NEWPORT NEWS CO.Inventors: James Whitfield, Jr., Bryan Harper
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Patent number: 11860643Abstract: A system for controlling a plurality of autonomous vehicles on a mine site comprises a centralized platform configured to store an inventory list of vehicles travelling on the mine site and configured to determine and communicate missions to the vehicles of a plurality of autonomous vehicles. The autonomous vehicles may comprise an interface configured to communicate with the centralized platform for receiving a predetermined mission, a trajectory control system configured to autonomously control the autonomous vehicle according to the predetermined mission, a detection system configured to detect other vehicles by evaluating sensor information received from at least one sensor of the vehicle, a collision prediction system configured to predict collisions with the other vehicles detected by the detection system, and a V2V communication interface for directly communicating with a V2V communication interface of at least one of the other vehicles on the mine site for exchanging information between the vehicles.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2019Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: LIEBHERR MINING EQUIPMENT NEWPORT NEWS CO.Inventors: James Whitfield, Jr., Bryan Harper, Jason Altice
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Patent number: 11703859Abstract: The present application provides a method for autonomously controlling a vehicle performed by a control system of the vehicle on the basis of a mission received from a mission controller, the method comprising: receiving a mission comprising a set of instructions from the mission controller; validating the mission by checking whether the mission meets a first set of requirements; executing the mission if the mission meets the first set of requirements and rejecting the mission if the mission does not meet the first set of requirements.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: LIEBHERR MINING EQUIPMENT NEWPORT NEWS CO.Inventors: James Whitfield, Jr., Jason Altice
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Patent number: 11242067Abstract: The present application relates to a vehicle comprising a vehicle control system, the vehicle control system being configured to operate the vehicle in an autonomous mode and in a manual mode, the vehicle control system comprising: a first selector switch for switching between said autonomous mode and said manual mode; a second selector switch for switching between said autonomous mode and said manual mode; and an interlock circuit configured to deactivate propulsion of the machine when the first and the second selector switch are switched to different modes.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: LIEBHERR MINING EQUIPMENT NEWPORT NEWS CO.Inventors: James Whitfield, Jr., Bryan Harper
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Patent number: 11230273Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for autonomously controlling a vehicle performed by a vehicle control system, the vehicle control system comprising a zone control system, a collision prediction system and a braking control system, the method comprising the steps of: defining in the zone control system at least a first zone and a second zone relative to a vehicle position, predicting a collision with an obstacle with the prediction system, autonomously braking the vehicle with the braking control system in a first braking mode if the collision is predicted to occur in the first zone and braking the vehicle with the braking control system in a second braking mode if the collision is predicted to occur in the second zone.Type: GrantFiled: May 2, 2019Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: LIEBHERR MINING EQUIPMENT NEWPORT NEWS CO.Inventor: James Whitfield, Jr.
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Publication number: 20210232137Abstract: The present application comprises a system for controlling a plurality of autonomous vehicles on a mine site, the system comprising: a centralized platform configured to store an inventory list of vehicles travelling on the mine site and comprising a first communication interface configured to communicate missions to the vehicles; a plurality of autonomous vehicles, the autonomous vehicles comprising: a first communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with the centralized platform for receiving a predetermined mission, a trajectory control system configured to autonomously control the autonomous vehicle according to the predetermined mission; and at least one portable device, the portable device comprising a second communication interface configured to wirelessly communicate with a second communication interface of the plurality of vehicles from the mine site.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2020Publication date: July 29, 2021Inventors: James WHITFIELD, Jr., Bryan HARPER
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Publication number: 20210004004Abstract: The present application provides a method for autonomously controlling a vehicle performed by a control system of the vehicle on the basis of a mission received from a mission controller, the method comprising: receiving a mission comprising a set of instructions from the mission controller; validating the mission by checking whether the mission meets a first set of requirements; executing the mission if the mission meets the first set of requirements and rejecting the mission if the mission does not meet the first set of requirements.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2019Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: James WHITFIELD, JR., Jason ALTICE
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Publication number: 20210004024Abstract: The present application provides a system for controlling a plurality of autonomous vehicles on a mine site, the system comprising: a centralized platform configured to store an inventory list of vehicles travelling on the mine site and configured to determine and communicate missions to the vehicles; a plurality of autonomous vehicles, the autonomous vehicles comprising: an interface configured to communicate with the centralized platform for receiving a predetermined mission, a trajectory control system configured to autonomously control the autonomous vehicle according to the predetermined mission, a detection system configured to detect other vehicles by evaluating sensor information received from at least one sensor of the vehicle, a collision prediction system configured to predict collisions with the other vehicles detected by the detection system; a V2V communication interface for directly communicating with a V2V communication interface of at least one of the other vehicles on the mine site forType: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2019Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: James WHITFIELD, JR., Bryan HARPER, Jason ALTICE
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Publication number: 20200361481Abstract: The present application relates to a vehicle comprising a vehicle control system, the vehicle control system being configured to operate the vehicle in an autonomous mode and in a manual mode, the vehicle control system comprising: a first selector switch for switching between said autonomous mode and said manual mode; a second selector switch for switching between said autonomous mode and said manual mode; and an interlock circuit configured to deactivate propulsion of the machine when the first and the second selector switch are switched to different modes.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2019Publication date: November 19, 2020Inventors: James WHITFIELD, JR., Bryan HARPER
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Publication number: 20200346628Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for autonomously controlling a vehicle performed by a vehicle control system, the vehicle control system comprising a zone control system, a collision prediction system and a braking control system, the method comprising the steps of: defining in the zone control system at least a first zone and a second zone relative to a vehicle position, predicting a collision with an obstacle with the prediction system, autonomously braking the vehicle with the braking control system in a first braking mode if the collision is predicted to occur in the first zone and braking the vehicle with the braking control system in a second braking mode if the collision is predicted to occur in the second zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2019Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventor: James WHITFIELD, JR.
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Patent number: 4364762Abstract: A method for producing fibers from molten mineral material in which the heat sink provided by air induced to flow in the direction of the bushing by the moving fibers is replaced during a period of fiber forming interruption by a secondary flow of air directed toward the bushing during the interruption.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 1981Date of Patent: December 21, 1982Assignee: Owens-Corning Fiberglas CorporationInventors: Timothy A. Sullivan, James Whitfield, Jr.