Density Determines Split Patents (Class 340/920)
  • Patent number: 11597396
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a first detection unit that detects a traveling state of a host vehicle; a merging detection unit that detects that the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined area of a merging point when the host vehicle travels on the merging road toward the merging point at which a main road joins with the merging road; a second detection unit that detects a speed of a lane flow by another vehicle that travels on the main road toward the merging point; a position detection unit that obtains a position of a pre-merging point as a virtual point on the main road reaching the merging point when the host vehicle reaches the merging point; and a display control unit that controls a display device to display the position of the host vehicle and the pre-merging point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Sugiura, Shota Nojiri, Yuusaku Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11043120
    Abstract: A preferential control cancel unit includes: a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a vehicle approaching an intersection is an execution target of preferential control for preferential passage through the intersection; and a control unit configured to cause execution of the preferential control to be canceled in a case where the vehicle is determined to be the execution target and a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeki Umehara
  • Patent number: 10913462
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes: a first detection unit that detects a traveling state of a host vehicle; a merging detection unit that detects that the host vehicle approaches within a predetermined area of a merging point when the host vehicle travels on the merging road toward the merging point at which a main road joins with the merging road; a second detection unit that detects a speed of a lane flow by another vehicle that travels on the main road toward the merging point; a position detection unit that obtains a position of a pre-merging point as a virtual point on the main road reaching the merging point when the host vehicle reaches the merging point; and a display control unit that controls a display device to display the position of the host vehicle and the pre-merging point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Sugiura, Shota Nojiri, Yuusaku Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10642037
    Abstract: A head-up display device includes a housing, a projection unit projecting light representing an image, and an optical unit leading the light projected from the projection unit to a windshield of a vehicle. The optical unit includes a magnifying optical unit attached to the housing and reflecting the light toward the windshield, a screen attached to the housing and reflecting or transmitting the light toward the magnifying optical unit, and an incident angle changing unit changing an incident angle of the light that goes incident on the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Takazawa, Hiroshi Ando, Makoto Sakai
  • Patent number: 10546493
    Abstract: A self-learning cycle timer is disclosed. A wait time is measured between a first indication, associated with a stop, and a second indication, associated with movement following the stop, each indication received from a smart device. A geolocation is received from the smart device and a traffic signal identified at the geolocation. The traffic signal's area of influence is determined. The wait time is determined to have occurred inside the area of influence. An average cycle time and a reference time associated with the traffic signal are retrieved from a database. A cycle time associated with the traffic signal is calculated according to the wait time and the reference time. The average cycle time is updated according to the calculated cycle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Internationl Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Diego P. R. Franco, Fernando A. Cavalcanti, Marcos C. Sylos
  • Patent number: 10302953
    Abstract: An adjustable head-up display (HUD) arrangement for a vehicle is provided that may be, for example, suitable for tuning a perceived distance to projected information based on a current speed and application type of the vehicle. A corresponding method for operating the HUD and to a related computer program product are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Roberson Oliveira, Eric Dutt, Christian Larsson
  • Patent number: 9953526
    Abstract: A system for controlling activation of a traffic warning sign. The system receives a signal generated from a local sensor indicating presence of an automobile and sends an activate signal command in response. The system will activate a local interface logic controller in response to receiving the activate signal command. The system further generates a Wi-Fi connect request with an SSID in response to activating the interface logic controller. The system sends the Wi-Fi connect request to a remote system. The system further determines if the traffic warning sign should be activated and if a positive determination is made, activate the traffic warning sign. Determination is made by determining if a Wi-Fi remote connect request is received. If it is determined a remote connect request has been received, a traffic warning message is generated and sent to a terminal for display or activation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Inventor: Charlotte Arnold
  • Patent number: 9921585
    Abstract: A computer-readable detailed map format is disclosed. The map format can be used in the operation of an autonomous vehicle. The detailed map format includes a plurality of lane segments and a plurality of lane links. Each of the lane links can extend between two lane segments across a traffic intersection. Each of the lane links can also be associated with one of a plurality of traffic signals. A transition rule is associated with a first lane link and based on information associated with the one of the plurality of traffic signals associated with the first lane link. An interlock rule can be based on information associated with the one of the plurality of traffic signals associated with a second lane link. The first lane link and second lane link can be associated with different traffic signals and can extend between different lane segments across the traffic intersection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kentaro Ichikawa, Michael J. Delp
  • Patent number: 9198265
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus which comprises a timing module, a control module and a first power conversion module and can be automatically adjusted with time is provided. The timing module sets the time into N sessions, and generates an ith timing signal according to the ith session corresponding to the current time, wherein i and N are natural numbers and i?N. The control module reads the ith timing signal from the timing module, and outputs an ith control signal. The first power conversion module, coupled to an AC power supply, the control module and a first light source, converts the AC power supply signal into a DC power signal and outputs the DC power signal to the control module, and outputs an ith DC driving signal to drive the first light source to emit light of the ith situation after receiving the ith control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: LEXTAR ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: En-Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 8471728
    Abstract: A traffic management system and method are provided that determine and present a target speed for a vehicle to travel from a first position to a second position when a signaling device at the second position is in a desired phase. The target average speed can be presented via a variety of output devices, such as a display and/or speaker. The output device could, for example, be stationary, at a fixed distance from the signaling device, such as a roadside display. The output device could be a mobile device, carried in a vehicle or by a user, e.g., a cell phone, GPS navigation system, or personal digital assistant. The system can include a signal timing processor that determines a target average speed of travel between the first and second positions, which can be based on, or calculated from, timing information of the signals and a distance between the two positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Michael Flaherty
  • Patent number: 8253592
    Abstract: An external adaptive control system and method control a traffic signal controller assembly. The external adaptive control system determines a non-linear schedule with one or more states corresponding to one or more individual phases with each state having a start time and a duration. The external adaptive control system generates presence data for reception by the controller assembly for each state and its associated duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Rhythm Engineering, LLC
    Inventors: Reggie J. Chandra, James W. Bley, Stephen S. Penrod, Arthur S. Parker
  • Patent number: 8237589
    Abstract: An adjusting system for traffic lights includes a number of image capture units, a processing unit, and a storage system. The number image capture units capture a number of car images. The storage system examines the number of car images to find license plates in each car image, counts the number of the cars, obtains the status of the traffic lights according to the number of the cars, and manages status of the traffic lights correspondingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hou-Hsien Lee, Chang-Jung Lee, Chih-Ping Lo
  • Patent number: 8212688
    Abstract: A method of controlling traffic signals at a road intersection, which has a plurality of signal groups, each of which controls at least one direction of traffic within the intersection. The method comprises the steps of obtaining and utilizing traffic data to calculate a current traffic state and the rate of change in the traffic state. The method further comprises formulating at least one action and the duration of the action in response to these calculations. Each action comprises switching at least one traffic signal. One or more policies based on the calculations and the action are resolved. A continuous decision making process is applied to evaluate a reward for the policies resolved and a policy that maximizes the reward is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Morioka, Eric Enyang Huang, Bernhard Hengst
  • Patent number: 7663505
    Abstract: A smart traffic control device transmits information to approaching vehicles regarding its current and future state enabling vehicles to control their speed to avoid arriving at the traffic control device until it permits the passage of traffic, thus avoiding stopping, idling and reaccelerating when reaching the traffic control device. In other embodiments the traffic control device or systems receives information from vehicles, transmitting it to other vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Inventor: Mark W. Publicover
  • Patent number: 6587779
    Abstract: In a method for monitoring and controlling traffic states in a road traffic system current or predicted traffic states are determined for one or more points and a distinction is made between the three types of traffic states: free-flowing traffic, slow-moving traffic and stationary traffic. Vehicle inflow into the traffic system is then controlled as a function of the detected traffic states. The state monitoring method is configured to detect phase transitions between free-flowing and slow-moving traffic and/or stationary traffic states, which can be detected or predicted by means of specified criteria. Furthermore, according to the invention the vehicle inflow into the monitored traffic system section is controlled as a function of detected phase transitions between free-flowing and slow-moving traffic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2003
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Boris Kerner, Hubert Rehborn