Patents by Inventor Michael O. Harpster, Jr.

Michael O. Harpster, 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).

  • Patent number: 9857189
    Abstract: A navigation system for an electric vehicle includes an electrical energy storing device having a currently-available energy and a controller. The electric vehicle is at least partially operated by a driver. An off-board control module is operatively connected to a remote server and configured to communicate with the controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of determining a preferred route for travelling from a start location to an end location. The controller is programmed to obtain respective energy consumption for each of a plurality of routes based at least partially on a driving style profile of the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Peggy Wang, Michael O. Harpster, Jr., Wenjing Yang, Eric Chen
  • Publication number: 20170227369
    Abstract: A navigation system for an electric vehicle includes an electrical energy storing device having a currently-available energy and a controller. The electric vehicle is at least partially operated by a driver. An off-board control module is operatively connected to a remote server and configured to communicate with the controller. The controller has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of determining a preferred route for travelling from a start location to an end location. The controller is programmed to obtain respective energy consumption for each of a plurality of routes based at least partially on a driving style profile of the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Peggy Wang, Michael O. Harpster, JR., Wenjing Yang, Eric Chen
  • Patent number: 9291468
    Abstract: A system for selecting a route from a starting location to a predetermined destination includes a vehicle having a battery, a data storage medium, and a processor. The data storage medium stores a map database that describes a road network defining a plurality of possible routes from the starting location to the predetermined destination. The processor is configured to determine whether any of the possible routes belong to a set of routes the vehicle can complete using only the energy in the battery. The processor is configured to select, of the routes belonging to the set, that route having an optimized value for the attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Edward D. Tate, Jr., Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8813896
    Abstract: A vehicle including a vehicle body is disclosed. A transmission casing includes a plurality of walls extending outwardly to a distal edge. One of the walls defines a first side and another one of the walls defines a second side. A power inverter module is coupled to the transmission casing to define a unit disposed in a first position when the unit is stationary relative to a first end of the vehicle body and a second position when the unit moves toward a second end of the vehicle body. The power inverter module slopes downwardly from the first side toward the second side to define a module angle relative to a longitudinal axis such that the power inverter module defines an angular position. The angular position of the power inverter module minimizes engagement of the power inverter module with a component when the unit is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Ralph Littlefield, Anthony P. Tata, Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140202280
    Abstract: A vehicle including a vehicle body is disclosed. A transmission casing includes a plurality of walls extending outwardly to a distal edge. One of the walls defines a first side and another one of the walls defines a second side. A power inverter module is coupled to the transmission casing to define a unit disposed in a first position when the unit is stationary relative to a first end of the vehicle body and a second position when the unit moves toward a second end of the vehicle body. The power inverter module slopes downwardly from the first side toward the second side to define a module angle relative to a longitudinal axis such that the power inverter module defines an angular position. The angular position of the power inverter module minimizes engagement of the power inverter module with a component when the unit is in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Ralph Littlefield, Anthony P. Tata, Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7867124
    Abstract: An electrically-variable transmission is provided with input member and output member, first and second motor/generators, a first planetary gear set and a final drive gearset. Two or three torque-transmitting mechanisms that are selectively engagable alone or in different combinations to establish at least one forward electric-only operating mode including a series mode, an output split mode, and at least one neutral mode including a purely neutral mode and a neutral battery charge mode. The transmission optionally includes a one-way clutch selected from the group of friction clutch and dog clutch, or is a lockable one-way clutch, for enabling low loss forward operation, regenerative braking functionality, and/or reverse vehicle operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Brendan M. Conlon, Peter J. Savagian, Alan G. Holmes, Michael O. Harpster, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20100286909
    Abstract: A system for selecting a route from a starting location to a predetermined destination includes a vehicle having a battery, a data storage medium, and a processor. The data storage medium stores a map database that describes a road network defining a plurality of possible routes from the starting location to the predetermined destination. The processor is configured to determine whether any of the possible routes belong to a set of routes the vehicle can complete using only the energy in the battery. The processor is configured to select, of the routes belonging to the set, that route having an optimized value for the attribute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Edward D. Tate, JR., Michael O. Harpster, JR.
  • Publication number: 20090082171
    Abstract: An electrically-variable transmission is provided with input member and output member, first and second motor/generators, a first planetary gear set and a final drive gearset. Two or three torque-transmitting mechanisms that are selectively engagable alone or in different combinations to establish at least one forward electric-only operating mode including a series mode, an output split mode, and at least one neutral mode including a purely neutral mode and a neutral battery charge mode. The transmission optionally includes a one-way clutch selected from the group of friction clutch and dog clutch, or is a lockable one-way clutch, for enabling low loss forward operation, regenerative braking functionality, and/or reverse vehicle operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Brendan M. Conlon, Peter J. Savagian, Alan G. Holmes, Michael O. Harpster, JR.