Failure Detection Initiates Subsequent Vehicle Control Patents (Class 701/29.2)
  • Patent number: 11958590
    Abstract: A system and a method for a battery power management system for an electric aircraft is disclosed. The system includes at least a flight component of an electric aircraft, at least a battery, wherein the at least a battery is configured power the at least a flight component of the electric aircraft, at least a sensor communicatively connected to the at least a battery and a controller communicatively connected to the at least a sensor. The controller is configured to receive sensor data from the at least a sensor, identify a battery status as a function of the sensor data and a battery threshold, and control the power from the at least a battery to the at least a flight component of the electric aircraft as a function of the battery status, further comprising reducing a torque to the at least a flight component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Beta Air, LLC
    Inventors: Stuart Denson Schreiber, Nicholas Moy, Collin Freiheit
  • Patent number: 11926336
    Abstract: An electric suspension control, in a vehicle including an electric suspension apparatus driven with a motor, short-circuits the motor and limits a vehicle speed to a predetermined speed or less, in a case where an abnormality occurs in the electric suspension apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Ohno, Takafumi Kato, Tomoya Toyohira
  • Patent number: 11924731
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of telematics or telecommunication control units (TCUs) modules that includes a TCU and one or more sensor arrays (e.g., mmWave sensors, temperature sensors, ambient light sensors, biometric sensors, cameras, proximity sensors, WiFi, touch sensors, microphones, etc.) for monitoring vehicle interiors (e.g., monitoring health conditions of occupants within a vehicle passenger interior, etc.). In exemplary embodiments, sensors may be combined or integrated with (e.g., embedded within, placed on TCU printed circuit board (PCB), directly connected with, mounted along a bottom or side of, etc.) the TCU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: MOLEX CVS BOCHUM GMBH
    Inventors: Ulrich Möhlmann, Nicola Henseler
  • Patent number: 11897445
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining a rotational speed of at least one wheel of a vehicle, including: a detection device for detecting an angular velocity of the wheel that is correlated to the rotational speed, wherein the detection device is configured to provide an electrical detection signal depending on the angular velocity detected; a first control unit with a first measurement device for measuring the detection signal, wherein the first control unit is electrically joined to the detection device; and a second control unit with a second measurement device for measuring the detection signal, wherein the second control unit is electrically joined to the detection device, wherein the detection device can be electrically switched or is electrically switched between the first measurement device and the second measurement device. Also described is a related method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Kaufmann, Falk Hecker
  • Patent number: 11895127
    Abstract: A vehicle communication device including a processor, wherein the processor: receives first data, and second data that is different from the first data; generates third data based on the received first data and an encryption key; compares the second data and the third data, and authenticates the first data in a case in which the second data and the third data match; and as a result of comparisons that are carried out a plurality of times on receivings that are within a predetermined amount of time after start-up of a vehicle, determines that a case in which the second data and the third data do not match every time is a device abnormal state, and, as a result of the comparisons of the plurality of times, determines that a case that includes matching is a device operating state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masahide Banno
  • Patent number: 11843344
    Abstract: A brushless DC electric (BLDC) motor driver circuit includes: a power stage circuit configured to operably drive a brushless DC electric (BLDC) motor according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal; and an abnormality diagnosis circuit, wherein when a first parameter is under control, the abnormality diagnosis circuit is configured to operably determine a rotation abnormality condition of the BLDC motor according to a second parameter; wherein the first parameter and the second parameter are correlated with the rotation of the BLDC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIION
    Inventor: Wei-Hsu Chang
  • Patent number: 11834056
    Abstract: A calibration and repair system for advanced driver assistance systems (“ADAS”) and features is configured to provide secure, automated workflow management related to the calibration of ADAS. Automated workflows include steps and interfaces to aid in preparation of a vehicle for calibration, local-remote collaboration during calibration, customer interactions, workflow and event notification, user authentication, remote system management, and other tasks. The system is also capable of automatically and dynamically adding new and updated calibration specifications that are usable during local-remote collaboration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Vehicle Service Group, LLC
    Inventors: Sreedhar Patnala, Naor Pinto, Mickey Swartz, Brent Johnson
  • Patent number: 11787435
    Abstract: When a driver is in an abnormal state, a vehicle control device executes a stop control of applying a braking force to a vehicle to stop the vehicle and a stop holding control of holding the vehicle in a stopped state after stopping the vehicle with the stop control. The control device is configured to prohibit the stop holding control from being released, when a first condition that is satisfied when an operation amount of an accelerator operator is larger than a predetermined threshold value is satisfied, while the stop holding control is being executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yusuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11780531
    Abstract: A vehicle may have a seat and front wheel similar to those of a bicycle. However, the vehicle may have two rear wheels. The position of the two rear wheels may be adjustable. When the two rear wheels touch each other, the vehicle may function as a bicycle. When they are moved apart, the vehicle may function as a tricycle. In tricycle mode, the vehicle may travel autonomously without a human rider. In bicycle mode, a human may ride the vehicle like a bicycle. To transition between bicycle and tricycle modes, each rear wheel may rotate about a horizontal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In some cases, a bike chain is connected to only one of the rear wheels. In bicycle mode, motion imparted by the chain to one rear wheel may be transferred to the other by friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Kent Larson, Naroa Coretti Sanchez, Michael Lin
  • Patent number: 11760366
    Abstract: A vehicle control apparatus includes a first control unit and a second control unit each configured to perform travel control of a vehicle based on a recognition result of an external recognition device group configured to obtain external information of the vehicle and a detection result of a vehicle information detection unit configured to obtain state information of an actuator group of the vehicle. In a case in which functional degradation of at least one of the external recognition device group, the actuator group, and the vehicle information detection unit is detected, based on the recognition result and the detection result, the first control unit determines contents of vehicle control in fallback control for restricting a travel control function of the vehicle and determines whether to execute the fallback control by one of the first control unit and the second control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihiko Aoyagi, Kanta Tsuji, Tadahiko Kanoh, Takuyuki Mukai, Jun Ochida, Yasuharu Hashimoto, Yuichi Komori, Takashi Kuboshima
  • Patent number: 11745750
    Abstract: A method may include obtaining input information that describes a driving operation of a vehicle and obtaining a rule that indicates an approved driving operation of the vehicle. The method may include parsing the rule using a domain-specific language to generate rule conditions in which the domain-specific language is a programming language that is specifically designed for analyzing driving operations of vehicles. The method may include representing the input information as observations relating to the vehicle in which each of the observations is comparable to one or more of the rules. The method may include comparing the observations to one or more respective comparable rule conditions and generating a grading summary that evaluates how well the observations satisfy the respective comparable rule conditions based on the comparison. A future driving operation of the vehicle may be adjusted based on the grading summary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: CYNGN, INC.
    Inventors: Biao Ma, Lior Tal
  • Patent number: 11686212
    Abstract: A method of operating a turbine engine that includes shutting down the turbine engine such that a rotational speed of the turbine engine decreases, and actuating a starter motor of the turbine engine at one of as the rotational speed of the turbine engine decreases or at a preset time after the turbine engine receives a full stop command such that residual heat is exhausted from the turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Charles Hon, Amid Ansari, Michael Scott McCambridge, Thomas Earl Gillingham
  • Patent number: 11677931
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for detecting a vehicle with sensors that are not calibrated properly and calibrating such sensor in real-time. In one example, a method may include iteratively capturing sensor data of a road while the vehicle is travelling on the road; monitoring a calibration of the sensors of the vehicle based on the sensor data, determining that the sensors of the vehicle are not calibrated properly based on the monitoring, generating a calibration target of an object on the road based on the sensor data, and adjusting a calibration parameter of the one or more sensors of the vehicle based on the generated calibration target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Embark Trucks Inc.
    Inventor: Phillip James Haeusler
  • Patent number: 11642915
    Abstract: A person support apparatus includes a base frame with a plurality of caster wheel assemblies, each of the caster wheel assemblies including a caster brake actuator movable between a total braking position and a non-braking position. A linkage system is coupled to the caster brake actuators for controlling the caster brake actuators and is operable to move the caster brake actuators between their total braking positions and their non-braking positions. The linkage system is configured to compensate for tolerances in the linkage system wherein the linkage system can control the caster brake actuators to simultaneously move between their total braking positions and their non-braking positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Stryker Corporation
    Inventors: Jacob Paul Kloss, Charles Louis Crouch, Anish Paul
  • Patent number: 11628744
    Abstract: A vehicle control device includes a main control device, a sub-control device, and a temperature detection unit. The main control device includes a recognition unit that recognizes a peripheral situation of a vehicle, a driving control unit that controls steering and acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle independently from an operation of a driver, and a mode determination unit that determines a driving mode of the vehicle. The sub-control device is capable of controlling the vehicle in place of the main control device. The temperature detection unit detects a temperature of a second battery that is different from a first battery supplying power to the main control device and supplies power to the sub-control device. The mode determination unit changes the driving mode of the vehicle from the second driving mode to the first driving mode when a temperature of the second battery is lower than a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hayahito Ukai, Takashi Tsujioka, Takehiro Horigome
  • Patent number: 11603104
    Abstract: [Solution] A driver abnormality determination system includes circuitry configured to detect a driving operation of a driver, detect behavior of the driver's head and motion of eyeballs and/or movement of a sightline of the driver, recognize a driving scene in which the vehicle is driven; a memory that stores a sensor table of a relationship between the driving scene and detected values to be used to determine a driver abnormality; and determine the driver abnormality based on the sensor table, the driving scene, the driving operation and the behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Iwase, Makoto Yoshida, Junichiro Kuwahara, Yohei Iwashita
  • Patent number: 11541758
    Abstract: A power distribution system is provided that ensures that a car is able to operate safely in an autonomous mode. The system includes multiple power rails, including a pair of safety critical power rails. Associated with each safety critical power rail is a safety switch, vehicle sensors (e.g., vehicle location and obstacle sensors), vehicle actuators (e.g., braking and steering actuators) and an autonomous control unit. If a fault is detected during vehicle initialization or general operation, the safety switch which detected the fault opens and that particular power rail is decoupled from the general purpose power rail as well as the remaining safety critical power rail. The remaining safety critical power rail is then able to provide power to a sufficient number of sensors, actuators and controllers to allow the car to safely and autonomously complete an emergency stop on the side of the road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Gauthier, Richard Biskup, Thomas Joel Huber
  • Patent number: 11535251
    Abstract: A full speed range adaptive cruise control system for a host vehicle includes a plurality of sensors that each generate a signal, a memory that includes executable instructions and a processor that executes the executable instructions. The executable instructions enable the processor to detect a target vehicle as being stopped along a route based upon the signals from the plurality of sensors, cause the host vehicle to stop at a distance from the target vehicle, detect the target vehicle moving along the route after the host vehicle has stopped based upon the signals from the plurality of sensors, determine whether a first predetermined period of time has elapsed since the host vehicle has stopped, determine whether a first predetermined condition is satisfied if the first predetermined period of time has elapsed, and cause the host vehicle to move if the system determines that the first predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Amanpal S. Grewal, Dmitriy Feldman, Robert C. Baraszu, Chinar Dhamija
  • Patent number: 11529877
    Abstract: A control method of vehicle handling includes determining that a driving state of a vehicle is an understeer state from an electronic stability control, determining a position of an accelerator from an accelerator position sensor in response to determining that the driving state of the vehicle is the understeer state, and controlling a motor torque of a front wheel side of the vehicle to be smaller than a motor torque of a rear wheel side of the vehicle according to the position of the accelerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ho Wook Lee, Sangwook Han, Jae Chang Kook
  • Patent number: 11513477
    Abstract: A cloud-based industrial controller that controls devices, processes, and other assets of an industrial automation system via control algorithms that execute on a cloud platform is presented. A cloud-based collection component collects information from the industrial automation system via cloud gateways associated with the industrial automation system or extrinsic data sources. The cloud-based industrial controller can monitor and analyze the information, generate control instructions based on the analysis results, and communicate the control instructions to the devices, processes, and/or other assets of the industrial automation system to control operation of the industrial automation system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John Strohmenger, Jessica L. Korpela, Matthew W. Fordenwalt, Jan Pingel, Stephen L. Hickox, Douglas B. Weber
  • Patent number: 11505173
    Abstract: A method for brake health monitoring may include sending, by a brake control unit (BCU), a brake command signal to initiate a braking maneuver, and receiving a first wheel speed signal and a second wheel speed signal corresponding to the speed of first and second wheels, respectively, during the braking maneuver. The BCU may detect that the speed of the first wheel is greater than the speed of the second wheel by a predetermined threshold, and, in response thereto, post an alert indicating a failure in a brake control component associated with the first wheel based upon the detection of the speed of the first wheel being greater than the speed of the second wheel by the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Marc Georgin, Paul R. Burte
  • Patent number: 11472450
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a critical driving situation of at least one wheel of a rail vehicle, wherein a characteristic value of a fluctuation strength of a raw speed signal of at least one wheel is determined, and wherein, for the purpose of evaluating the driving situation, said characteristic value is compared with criteria which describe a critical driving situation. Upon detection of a critical driving situation, the method provides that an action is triggered in the rail vehicle, wherein the method is designed in such a way that it can be combined with or make use of a sensor system and processing devices as found in a modern rail vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventors: Andrea Etzbach, Ulf Friesen, Norman Kreisel
  • Patent number: 11453408
    Abstract: In one example, a method for resolving sensor conflicts in autonomous vehicles includes monitoring conditions around the autonomous vehicle by analyzing data received from a plurality of sensors, detecting a conflict in the data received from two sensors of the plurality of sensors, sending a first instruction to an auxiliary sensor of the autonomous vehicle that is not one of the plurality of sensors, wherein the first instruction instructs the auxiliary sensor to gather additional data about the conditions around the autonomous vehicle, receiving the additional data from the auxiliary sensor, and making a decision regarding operation of the autonomous vehicle, wherein the decision is based at least in part on the additional data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Joseph Soryal
  • Patent number: 11441480
    Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine with a motor, having a moving machine part and at least one machine element which retains the moving machine part and is subject to wear, such as, for example, a supporting, sealing, guiding or the like retaining machine element that is subject to wear during operation relative to the moving machine part, which machine element, because of the wear, is service-life-limiting for the operation of the internal combustion engine, wherein—for the operation of the internal combustion engine, a service-life-limiting time interval until the next maintenance of the internal combustion engine is specified, and—the internal combustion engine has a number of service-life-limiting machine elements, wherein for the at least one service-life-limiting machine element a remaining service life is forecast and the service-life-limiting time interval is determined therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: MTU FRIEDRICHSHAFEN GMBH
    Inventors: Rolf Pfeifer, Ion Madan, Vadzim Khakholka, Dietmar Ackermann, Patrick Stoeckle
  • Patent number: 11400890
    Abstract: A system, the system including one or more sensors arranged to detect an area in a proximity of a vehicle and a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors. The controller is configured to determine that an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, determine that a user within the proximity of the vehicle based on data from the one or more sensors, determine that an object is approaching the vehicle based on the data, and alert the user of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apeksha Nayak, Isaac Broyles, Tiffany Carter, Magnus Lassi, Oscar Paramo, James Graham, Jackson Brown, Karthikeyan Vellaichamy
  • Patent number: 11396303
    Abstract: In a case where a first control device performs traveling control, an abnormality occurs in a first control target, and an abnormality further occurs in a first control target or a second control target, a vehicle control system executes the following processes: (A) in a case where no abnormality occurs in a first control target required for the traveling control, the first control device continues the traveling control; (B) in a case where an abnormality occurs in the first control target required for the traveling control and no abnormality occurs in the second control target required for the traveling control, the second control device executes the traveling control; and (C) in a case where an abnormality occurs in the first control target required for the traveling control and an abnormality occurs in the second control target required for the traveling control, the traveling control is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanta Tsuji, Seiji Watanabe, Akihiko Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 11383685
    Abstract: A method for operating an assistance system of a motor vehicle, with a first control unit and with a second control unit, wherein a first rotational speed sensor is connected to the first control unit for recording a rotational speed of a first wheel, wherein a second rotational speed sensor is connected to the second control unit for recording a rotational speed of a second wheel, and wherein the first control unit is coupled to the second control unit using signal technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Herbert Ernst
  • Patent number: 11361600
    Abstract: A method for authenticating at least one diagnostic trouble code (DTC) generated by a motor vehicle system of a vehicle. The method generates a DTC by a fault detection algorithm, stores the DTC in a volatile fault memory, generates an identity marker denoting the fault detection algorithm at the time of generation of the DTC, stores the identity marker in NVM, stores the DTC in the NVM when an ignition-off request signal is present, loads the DTC from the NVM into the volatile memory when an ignition-on request signal is present, and authenticates the DTC by the authentication data record by, initially by determining the fault detection algorithm by which the fault event was detected, subsequently this fault detection algorithm being compared with the fault detection algorithm indicated by the identity marker, and an absence of concordance resulting in a manipulation of the DTC being indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventors: Scott F. Ross, Michael Gerhard Schneider
  • Patent number: 11313421
    Abstract: A vehicle drive device includes: an electric motor; a multi-plate clutch including a plurality of clutch plates; a pressing mechanism configured to press the multi-plate clutch; an output rotary member to which a drive force of the electric motor is transferred through the multi-plate clutch; and a control device configured to control the electric motor and the pressing mechanism. The control device is configured to control the pressing mechanism using information on the result of test operation performed while the vehicle is stationary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru Hirata, Tetsuya Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11314661
    Abstract: An electronic control unit (ECU) for vehicles is described, including memory to store encrypted data and unencrypted data; a main control unit operatively connected to memory to access unencrypted data; and a hardware encryption-decryption device operatively connected to memory to access encrypted/decrypted data for decryption using a hardware algorithm and for encryption using a hardware algorithm. Data in the memory is decrypted by the hardware encryption-decryption device using the hardware algorithm and stored in memory for use by the main control unit. Data in memory is encrypted by the hardware encryption-decryption device using the hardware algorithm for storage in memory. The main control unit and the hardware encryption-decryption device are separate integrate circuits on a same substrate or and are connected by a bus and can process data in parallel. An external bus can communicate encrypted information with the ECU to allow encrypt/decrypt at run time (on-the-fly) and wire-speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: LEAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Francisco Fons, Mariano Fons, Jose Gabriel Fernandez Banares
  • Patent number: 11292481
    Abstract: The present application relates to a method and apparatus for multi vehicle sensor suite diagnosis in a motor vehicle including a receiver operative to receive a remote vehicle sensor data indicative of a location of a target, a sensor operative to collect a host vehicle sensor data indicative of the location of the target, a processor operative to generate a sensor confidence score in response to a comparison of the first remote vehicle sensor data and the host vehicle sensor data, the processor being further operative to perform an assisted driving operation in response to the sensor confidence score, and a transmitter for transmitting the host vehicle sensor data and the sensor confidence score to a first remote vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bronson D. Patychuk, Matthew G. Adams
  • Patent number: 11279340
    Abstract: A method for controlling an automatic hybrid transmission of the motor vehicle is disclosed, wherein the hybrid transmission has at least two engageable gear stages with different transmission ratios, and wherein at least one variable driving range, i.e., at least one specific dynamic powertrain path is engageable such that the entire output torque of the output shaft is formed from the respective drive torque of the internal combustion machine and the electric machine. Losses of comfort to the driver and/or the danger of component damage and the associated costs are reduced by checking during a stopping process, and/or during a deceleration process of the motor vehicle and a downshifting that is requested in this context whether there is a specific operating situation, and the variable driving range is engaged in the event that a specific operating situation exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Oliver Ludwig, Hendrik Schröder, Christian Meissner
  • Patent number: 11275127
    Abstract: According to aspects of the disclosure, an apparatus is disclosed comprising: a controller; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) coupled to the controller, the ADC including an input terminal for receiving a sensor signal from a transducer; and a diagnostic circuit coupled to the input terminal of the ADC and to the controller, the diagnostic circuit being configured to: generate a diagnostic signal that indicates whether a voltage at the input terminal of the ADC meets a first threshold, and provide the diagnostic signal to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to: receive a data sample from the ADC, detect whether the data sample meets a second threshold, and transition the apparatus into a safe state when: (i) the diagnostic signal indicates that the voltage at the input terminal does not meet the first threshold, and (ii) the data sample meets the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Jay M. Towne, Peter Tengstrand, Devon Fernandez
  • Patent number: 11272143
    Abstract: A method of monitoring and verifying weather information using a weather condition detection system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving weather information by a computing device within the vehicle. The weather information is verified locally at the vehicle using the computing device. Verifying the weather information includes optically verifying the weather information using a vehicle video system of the vehicle comprising a camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Sergei I Gage, Arata Sato
  • Patent number: 11193810
    Abstract: Methods and systems for validating a fluid level sensor having a floating element are provided. First readings are acquired from the fluid level sensor indicative of fluid levels sensed via the floating element during a first period of operation of the fluid level sensor. A validated range of fluid levels for the fluid level sensor is determined based on the first readings. At least one second reading is acquired from the fluid level sensor during a second period of operation, subsequent to the first period of operation. A starting position of the floating element for the second period of operation is determined based on the at least one second reading. When the starting position of the floating element is within the validated range, validating the at least one second reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Benjamin Bregani, Sean McCarthy
  • Patent number: 11192499
    Abstract: A system configured to avoid a rear-cross traffic collision includes an obstacle detection unit detecting a position of an obstacle by receiving electromagnetic waves reflected off a reflection point of the obstacle; a direction estimation unit estimating a traveling direction of the obstacle on the basis of the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit; and a collision determination unit determining possibility of a collision with the obstacle on the basis of the traveling direction of the obstacle estimated by the direction estimation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eun Seok Kang
  • Patent number: 11180186
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for disturbance feedforward compensation technique for improving the disturbance rejection properties of a closed loop position control system. According to one or more embodiments, a steering system includes a position controller that generates a torque command based on an input rack-position command and a measured position command. Further, a disturbance estimator that estimates a rack force acting on a rack, and an adder generates an adjusted torque command by adding the rack force that is estimated into the torque command. The steering system further includes an actuator that positions the rack according to the adjusted torque command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Kai Zheng, Mariam Swetha George, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Patent number: 11169521
    Abstract: Provided are a safety control system and method for an autonomous vehicle. The safety control system includes a sensor installed in a vehicle and including at least a camera and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a main domain control unit (DCU) configured to control autonomous driving from an origin to a destination on the basis of various kinds of information transferred through communication with the sensor, and a redundancy DCU configured to ensure safety of the vehicle by performing a safety function when an event occurs in the autonomous driving due to a fault of the main DCU. According to this configuration, the main DCU and the redundancy DCU are provided, and thus it is possible to simultaneously ensure a fully autonomous driving function and a system safety control function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mando Corporation
    Inventor: Min Woo Park
  • Patent number: 11163309
    Abstract: One variation of a method for autonomous navigation includes, at an autonomous vehicle: recording a first image via a first sensor and a second image via a second sensor during a scan cycle; calculating a first field of view of the first sensor and a second field of view of the second sensor during the scan cycle based on surfaces represented in the first and second images; characterizing a spatial redundancy between the first sensor and the second sensor based on an overlap of the first and second fields of view; in response to the spatial redundancy remaining below a threshold redundancy, disabling execution of a first navigational action—action informed by presence of external objects within a first region of a scene around the autonomous vehicle spanning the overlap—by the autonomous vehicle; and autonomously executing navigational actions, excluding the first navigational action, following the scan cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Inventors: Kah Seng Tay, Joel Pazhayampallil, Brody Huval
  • Patent number: 11150652
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a driver assistance system of a motor vehicle, wherein the motor vehicle is initially operated in a piloted or fully autonomous driving mode by a driver assistance device. Piloting data is provided by a control device of the motor vehicle, which describes at least one operating parameter of a motor vehicle system of the motor vehicle or the surroundings of the motor vehicle, and are navigation data. It is checked whether a totality of the provided piloting data meets a piloting condition, which stipulates a minimum requirement for the totality of the provided piloting data for implementing the piloted or fully autonomous driving mode. Upon failure to meet the piloting condition, an abort of the driving mode is determined and a driving situation signal is generated, which describes the piloting data and this signal is transmitted to a communication unit of a motor vehicle-external server device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Nicholas Schmitt, Stefan Maiwald
  • Patent number: 11145144
    Abstract: Disclosed is a work vehicle management system including: a battery work information generation unit that generates battery work information indicating a use state of a battery during work of a work vehicle; a battery deterioration information generation unit that chronologically diagnoses the battery work information to generate battery deterioration information that indicates a deterioration trend of the battery that is unique to the work vehicle; and a notification unit that performs notification of the battery deterioration information to a manager of the work vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Manji, Hirokazu Ito
  • Patent number: 11061400
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle makes the vehicle travel without depending on operation of a shift operation apparatus by a driver, even in a case where a detection abnormality by which a shift operation position of the shift operation apparatus becomes indefinite has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koki Ueno
  • Patent number: 11010148
    Abstract: An application installation device, which is connected to a plurality of electronic control units, receives (i) a first application to be installed and (ii) application usage information indicating a second application used by the first application, while storing existing application information indicating an existing application installed in each of the plurality of electronic control units. In response to determining that the second application is included as the existing application based on the existing application information, a determined electronic control unit in which the first application and the second application are enabled to be installed is determined as an installation destination of the first application among the plurality of electronic control units. The first application is transmitted to the determined electronic control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Dosho
  • Patent number: 10963357
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a control device for a vehicle with an internal fault monitoring circuit comprising: a safe computing unit executing a monitoring function for monitoring the safe computing unit and the monitoring function; and an unsafe computing unit executing the monitoring function. Monitoring the monitoring function of the safe computing unit changing the operation of the monitoring function of the safe computing unit to induce faults in the monitoring function of the unsafe computing unit. The monitoring function of the unsafe computing unit detects the induced faults in the operation of the monitoring function of the safe computing unit and reports the induced faults to the monitoring of the monitoring function of the safe computing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: VITESCO TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventor: Frank Reichenbach
  • Patent number: 10946867
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system such that functions of a vehicle control system can be quickly reconfigured. The present invention is a processing device connected to at least one processing device, wherein during a period in which the one processing device executes a control operation on the basis of a control program installed in the one processing device, the processing device acquires a substitute program for the control program. In another aspect, the present invention is an on-board control system equipped with multiple processing devices, wherein during a period in which one processing device among the multiple processing devices executes a control operation on the basis of a control program installed in the one processing device, another processing device acquires a substitute program for the program in the one processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Otsuka, Kohei Sakurai, Tasuku Ishigooka
  • Patent number: 10932870
    Abstract: A method of verifying torque measurements of a reaction torque transducer of an instrument drive unit includes a controller receiving a verification signal, generating an acceptable range of torques, receiving a torque signal, comparing the torque signal to the acceptable range of torques, and stopping a motor if the torque applied by the motor is outside of the acceptable range of torques. The verification signal is indicative of the current drawn by the motor and the torque signal is indicative of torque applied by the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: COVIDIEN LP
    Inventors: Brock Kopp, Philip Irka, Mark MacLeod
  • Patent number: 10850742
    Abstract: A safety stoppage device for an autonomous road vehicle having at least one control network and sensor, and an autonomous drive-control unit for processing sensor and communication signals and providing control signals for lateral and longitudinal control. A primary brake-control unit is configured to monitor the longitudinal control signals for faults and, upon determination of a fault, execute a longitudinal control profile, stored independent from the autonomous drive-control unit, to perform braking to a stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonas Nilsson, Mathias Westlund
  • Patent number: 10821881
    Abstract: A method to operate a motor vehicle having a number of wheels is described. The method determines a steering angle for an automotive application. A steering angle ? is estimated using a yaw rate ?, a revolution rate of at least one wheel, a wheelbase L and a characteristic speed of the vehicle vch based on a single-track model. Preferably, the steering angle is calculated using the yaw rate ?, the selected gear i, the wheelbase L, the speed v and the characteristic speed of the vehicle vch according to the formula ?=[?*i*L*(1+v2/vch2)]/v. An application, such as adaptive light control during turns, that requires knowledge of the steering angle of the motor vehicle is carried out based on an estimated steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Sebastian Siegling, Sebastian Leitermann
  • Patent number: 10804195
    Abstract: A device that includes a die and a substrate coupled to the die. The substrate includes a dielectric layer and a plurality of embedded interconnects. Each embedded interconnect located through a first planar surface of the substrate such that a first portion of the embedded interconnect is located within the dielectric layer and a second portion of the embedded interconnect is external of the dielectric layer. In some implementations, the substrate includes a core layer. In some implementations, the dielectric layer and the plurality of embedded interconnects may be part of a build up layer of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Kuiwon Kang, Marcus Hsu, Brigham Navaja, Houssam Jomaa
  • Patent number: 10780962
    Abstract: System for emergency ventilation of an underwater environment (dry); the system includes a supply device to supply air; a capsule to be immersed in water to a depth of at least 60 meters; a duct to fluidically connect the power device to the capsule; a duct in order to fluidically connect the capsule to the underwater environment; a duct to fluidically connect the underwater environment to the capsule; a compressor to discharge the gas, arriving in the capsule from the underwater environment, in water at a depth of at least 60 meters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Inventors: Sergio Cappelletti, Sergio Carlini