Steering Control Patents (Class 701/41)
  • Patent number: 11964563
    Abstract: A vehicle display control device includes a processor configured to execute computer-readable instructions to perform. The processor is configured to recognizing road markings of a road on which a host vehicle travels based on at least an output of a detection device that detects target objects present in a traveling direction of the host vehicle; causing a display device to display a surrounding situation display image including a host vehicle icon representing the host vehicle and an image of the road markings representing the road; determining positions of the road markings based on information of center positions of a traveling lane obtained by representing the center positions in a point sequence for each prescribed first distance with respect to a first direction; and generating the surrounding situation display image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoko Yokochi, Yuta Murayama
  • Patent number: 11967098
    Abstract: A vehicular trailer angle detection system includes a camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle. The system determines, via processing of frames of image data captured by the camera, features of a trailer present rearward of the vehicle and hitched to the vehicle by determining features that have similar position changes between a current frame of image data captured by the camera and a previous frame of image data captured by the camera. Responsive to movement of the trailer relative to the vehicle, and via processing of captured frames of image data, the system tracks determined features over multiple captured frames of image data for different positions of the trailer relative to the vehicle. The system determines angle of the trailer relative to the vehicle based at least in part on tracking of determined features of the trailer over multiple captured frames of image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Horst D. Diessner, Jyothi P. Gali, Nikhil Gupta, Hilda Faraji, Galina Okouneva, Akinyele O. Ikuseru
  • Patent number: 11965501
    Abstract: A system and technique for determining functionality of a hydraulic system including first and second motors mutually coupled in driving relation with a pump, a sensor generating a signal representative of a monitored condition, and a controller configured to selectively control activation and deactivation of the motors. Fitness detection logic stored in memory of the controller is executable by a processor to: determine, based on the signal while the first motor is activated and second motor is deactivated during a first test interval, whether the monitored condition meets a predefined threshold prior to expiration of the first test interval; determine, based on the signal while the second motor is activated and first motor is deactivated during a second test interval, whether the monitored condition meets the predefined threshold prior to expiration of the second test interval; and generate a readiness signal representative of the determined functionality of the hydraulic system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Michael S. Ramsey, Michael A. Holland, Nathanael K. Rehn, Jacob M. Kongs, Jordan Tagtow
  • Patent number: 11964713
    Abstract: A vehicle steering device capable of stabilizing behavior of a vehicle when traveling backward. The device includes a reaction force device configured to apply steering reaction force to a wheel, a drive device configured to turn tires in accordance with steering of the wheel, and a control unit configured to control the reaction force device and the drive device. The control unit includes a turning ratio map unit configured to set a turning ratio gain in accordance with the vehicle speed of a vehicle, and a target turning angle generation unit configured to generate a target turning angle by multiplying the steering angle of the wheel by the turning ratio gain. The turning ratio gain at backward traveling of the vehicle is equal to or larger than the turning ratio gain at forward traveling of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Mori, Sakiya Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11958473
    Abstract: A system and method for using human driving patterns to detect and correct abnormal driving behaviors of autonomous vehicles are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: generating data corresponding to a normal driving behavior safe zone; receiving a proposed vehicle control command; comparing the proposed vehicle control command with the normal driving behavior safe zone; and issuing a warning alert if the proposed vehicle control command is outside of the normal driving behavior safe zone. Another embodiment includes modifying the proposed vehicle control command to produce a modified and validated vehicle control command if the proposed vehicle control command is outside of the normal driving behavior safe zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TUSIMPLE, INC.
    Inventors: Wutu Lin, Liu Liu, Xing Sun
  • Patent number: 11958477
    Abstract: The invention relates to a driver assistance system (11) for an at least partially automatically driving motor vehicle (10), wherein the driver assistance system (11) comprises at least one environment detection means (13) which is designed to detect at least one area of an environment (U) of the motor vehicle (10), an evaluation device (14) which is designed to determine a target trajectory (T) to be traveled by the motor vehicle (10) according to the detected at least one area of the environment (U), and a control device (18) which is designed to adjust the target trajectory (T) determined by the evaluation device (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Jens Hoedt, Ulrich Hofmann
  • Patent number: 11958542
    Abstract: Disclosed are a clutch mechanism, a steering system, and an automobile. The clutch mechanism includes a slidable block and a driving component. The slidable block can be accommodated in a radial spacing between a first end shaft and a second end shaft that are coaxially arranged and radially spaced apart from each other, and is configured to translate along an axial direction of the first end shaft and the second end shaft to realize decoupling or coupling between the first end shaft and the second end shaft. The driving component is configured to drive the slidable block to translate along the axial direction of the first end shaft and the second end shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Min Zhao, Chong Sun, Guanjia Xiao
  • Patent number: 11951966
    Abstract: A steering control system for a commercial vehicle having a braking system to brake dissymmetrically wheels. The steering control system, including a sensor unit and a control module, is configured to detect a braking request or deceleration of the vehicle and/or to detect a lateral offset and to generate a brake indication signal and/or steering demand. The control module is configured to receive the brake indication signal and/or steering demand. If the steering demand is below a predetermined threshold value, the control module is configured to generate the steering signal only if the brake indication signal indicates a braking request. If the steering demand exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the control module is configured to generate the steering signal even if the brake indication signal indicates no braking request. The control module provides the steering signal to the braking system to brake the vehicle dissymmetrically to steer the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBH
    Inventors: Levente Balogh, Markus Klein, Tamas Rozsa
  • Patent number: 11952059
    Abstract: A steering control device is configured to control a steering system including a turning mechanism that includes a motor configured to generate a motor torque that serves as power for moving a turning shaft to turn turning wheels of a vehicle. The steering control device includes a control unit configured to control a target control value serving as a target of a control value for controlling the motor torque of the motor. The control unit is configured to perform compensation for the target control value; acquire an offset value; and change the target control value such that the acquired offset value decreases gradually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Otsuka, Takashi Kodera, Toru Takashima
  • Patent number: 11952247
    Abstract: An electric pallet jack can be configured to include logic controllers that are connected to a drive system and a steering system of the electric pallet jack. The logic controllers can be in communication with one or more sensors that enable determinations of pallet jack velocity, pallet jack acceleration, and a rate of turning for the electric pallet jack. The logic controllers can be configured to provide maximum velocity, maximum acceleration, maximum deceleration, and maximum rate of turning limitations to maintain control over an object transported by the electric pallet jack. The logic controllers can determine whether the maximum thresholds of the electric pallet jack are exceeded by an operating variable and can modulate the amount of power provided by the drive system to reduce the operating variable below the associated threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Patrick Dwyer, Robert Matthew Gruendel, Eli Douglas Girod
  • Patent number: 11945501
    Abstract: A method for operating a lane guidance system involves determining a time period from the time of a request from the lane guidance system to a vehicle user to touch the steering handle until the occurrence of a sensor signal caused by a touch of the steering handle in the sensor region and comparing it with a predetermined time window. An activation option of the lane guidance system is blocked in the event that the determined time duration is greater than the predetermined time window. In the event of a first request to touch the steering handle after an idle state, an activation option of the lane guidance system is disabled until a subsequent idle state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
    Inventors: Constantin Herget, Markus Dick, Ralph Klingel
  • Patent number: 11945474
    Abstract: A driving assistance apparatus configured to support a driving of a vehicle at a time of pulling out of the vehicle, the driving assistance apparatus including: a control section configured to determine a movement path from a parking space to a predetermined position of a road region, and run the vehicle along the movement path on a basis of surroundings information of the vehicle when pulling out the vehicle from the parking space to the road region, wherein the control section leaves an accelerator operation for the vehicle to a user while automatically controlling a steering operation for the vehicle at least in a section in the movement path, and switches from an automated driving mode to a manual driving mode in response to the steering operation that is performed by the user when the vehicle travels in the section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehito Sato, Atsushi Nojiri, Satoshi Fukumoto, Yoshimasa Okabe
  • Patent number: 11940790
    Abstract: Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses may determine whether a human driver, or an autonomous driving system, should be in control of a vehicle in response to a detection of an unexpected event. A decision may be made to pass control from the autonomous driving system to the human driver, if it is determined that the human driver can handle the unexpected event more safely than the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY
    Inventors: Juan Carlos Aragon, Regina Madigan
  • Patent number: 11938951
    Abstract: A vehicle motion control method controls a motion state of a vehicle during a vehicle transient motion in which an acceleration in a lateral direction is generated in the vehicle. The vehicle motion control method includes: setting a corrected longitudinal acceleration for correcting a basic longitudinal acceleration determined in accordance with a required driving force for traveling of the vehicle; and determining a target longitudinal acceleration from the basic longitudinal acceleration and the corrected longitudinal acceleration, and operating a traveling actuator of the vehicle based on the target longitudinal acceleration. A direction and a magnitude of the corrected longitudinal acceleration are determined from a viewpoint of suppressing a change in a posture of an occupant of the vehicle in a roll direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Makita, Atsushi Takamatsu
  • Patent number: 11938929
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, and the memory stores instructions executable by the processor to receive sensor data indicating an obstacle, formulate a first control barrier function for a vehicle based on the sensor data, formulate a second control barrier function for a trailer hitched to the vehicle based on the sensor data, determine a control input based on the first and second control barrier functions, and actuate a component of the vehicle according to the control input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mohit Srinivasan, Hongtei Eric Tseng, Li Xu, Craig Philip Angold-Stephens
  • Patent number: 11939015
    Abstract: By an offset amount being calculated based on a lateral position deviation from a target travel path at a forward point-of-gaze of a host vehicle at a time of a driver steering state, a series of vehicle control operations until switching back from the driver steering state to an automatic steering control, and traveling along an offset travel path, becomes smoother, whereby comfort when riding in a vehicle is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yu Takeuchi, Shuuhei Nakatsuji, Fumiaki Kadoya, Kazuo Hitosugi, Yuki Yoshida, Kazushi Maeda
  • Patent number: 11934191
    Abstract: Methods and systems for predictive control of an autonomous vehicle are described. Predictions of lane centeredness and road angle are generated based on data collected by sensors on the autonomous vehicle and are combined to determine a state of the vehicle that are then used to generate vehicle actions for steering control and speed control of the autonomous vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Daniel Mark Graves
  • Patent number: 11932230
    Abstract: A motor vehicle for operation by a driver has a frame with wheels and a motor connected to the frame. A steering control is connected to the wheels to establish a steering angle. A controller is operably connected to the steering control, to the motor, and to the wheels, and is operable to selectably drive the wheels in a forward direction in a drive mode and in a rearward direction in a reverse mode. The controller is operable to select a direction for driving the wheels in response to a pattern of steering angle movements, without operator indication of a direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventor: Bennet Langlotz
  • Patent number: 11921504
    Abstract: Techniques for generating simulations to evaluate an update to a controller. The controller may be configured to control one or more functionalities of an autonomous and/or a semi-autonomous vehicle. A simulation computing system may receive a request to evaluate a first controller. The simulation computing system may generate a simulation based on data associated with a previous operation of the vehicle in an environment, the previous operation being controlled by a second controller (e.g., standard for evaluation, control version, etc.). The simulation computing device may cause the first controller to control a simulated vehicle in the simulation and may determine whether to validate the update to the controller based on a difference between first metrics associated with a control of the simulated vehicle by the first controller and second metrics associated with a control of the vehicle by the second controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Yan Tin Chu, Robert Jonathan Crane, John Connelly Kegelman, Deepan Subrahmanian Palguna, Prateek Chandresh Shah, Xiaosi Zeng, Wentao Zhong
  • Patent number: 11919517
    Abstract: A vehicular control system is presented where the contact patches of the vehicle have reduced impact on an environment. Vehicular control systems include force sensors and terrain sensors that provide real-time or near real-time information about the operating environment of a vehicle. The force sensor data may be used to derive one or more forces which can be used to infer the nature of the vehicles contact patches. As the vehicular control system detects changes in a terrain attribute from the terrain sensors, the vehicular control system determines what the contact patches should be to address the terrain change and determines the necessary forces to give rise to the target contact patches. The vehicular control systems may then adjust the operational parameter values of the vehicle to generate the target contact patches to thereby reduce the impact on the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Ayro, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas M. Wittenschlaeger
  • Patent number: 11919514
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to perform operations comprising obtaining, by a computing system, a lane-keeping safe set associated with constraints on lateral movement of a vehicle traveling on a road, generating, by the computing system, a lane-keeping safe set with preview based on the lane-keeping safe set and preview data, the preview data associated with characteristics of the road ahead of the vehicle, receiving, by the computing system, a steer command to control the lateral movement of the vehicle, and generating, by the computing system, a safe steer command by modifying the steer command based on the lane-keeping safe set with preview.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: PlusAI, Inc.
    Inventors: Siva Bhargav Ravella, Muhammad Waqas
  • Patent number: 11919498
    Abstract: A method for determining unstable behavior of a trailer of a vehicle combination, the vehicle combination having N members, one of the members being a tractor vehicle and at least one further member being the trailer, the unstable behavior of the trailer being determined depending on a driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable of the tractor vehicle, includes: determining at least one driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable of the trailer, the at least one driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable characterizing a current driving-dynamics state of the trailer and following from a measurement by at least one sensor in the trailer; and determining at least one driving-dynamics target characteristic variable of the trailer, the at least one driving-dynamics target characteristic variable following from the at least one driving-dynamics actual characteristic variable of the tractor vehicle by using a kinematic model depending on geometric characteristic variables of the vehicle combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
    Inventors: Klaus Plaehn, Benjamin Bieber
  • Patent number: 11919581
    Abstract: A steering control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to perform end contact relaxation control for correcting a current command value such that a decrease of an end separation angle indicating a distance of an absolute steering angle from an end-position-corresponding angle is limited when the end separation angle is equal to or less than a predetermined angle and to perform partial release control for decreasing a correction value of the current command value due to execution of the end contact relaxation control based on a steering torque which is input to a steering system when a vehicle is intended to travel while turning at the time of execution of the end contact relaxation control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Yamaguchi, Takahiro Toko, Nobuaki Kataoka, Shingo Nitta, Yukinobu Ezaki
  • Patent number: 11912300
    Abstract: Systems and methods to perform behavioral planning in an autonomous vehicle from a reference state involve generating a set of actions of a fixed size and fixed order according to a predefined methodology. Each action is a semantic instruction for a next motion of the vehicle. A set of trajectories is generated from the set of actions as an instruction indicating a path and a velocity profile to generate steering angles and accelerations for implementation by the vehicle. A trajectory filter is applied to filter the set of trajectories such that unfiltered trajectories are candidate trajectories. Applying the trajectory filter includes assessing the path and velocity profile indicated by each of the set of trajectories. A selected trajectory is used to control the vehicle or the action that corresponds to the selected trajectory is used in trajectory planning to generate a final trajectory that is used to control the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Roi Reshef
  • Patent number: 11915590
    Abstract: A warning system for a vehicle may comprise at least one imager disposed to capture image data from a scene in a blind spot of a vehicle; a processor associated with the imager and configured to process the image data and determine whether there may be an obstruction in the blind spot; and a controller in communication with the processor. The processor may be configured to determine whether the obstruction in the blind spot may be a person and, upon a determination that the obstruction is a person, sends an appropriate input to the controller. The controller may be configured to, upon receipt of the input indicating that there may be a person in the blind spot, cause an alert to be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GENTEX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eric P. Bigoness, Bradley A. Bosma, Jeremy A. Schut
  • Patent number: 11912266
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle assistance or control system with a vehicle and with an offboard obstacle recognition sensor for recognizing obstacles for the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes an onboard obstacle recognition sensor for recognizing obstacles to the vehicle, wherein a first grid map is generated relative to the offboard obstacle recognition sensor, a second grid map relative to the onboard obstacle recognition sensor, or respectively relative to the vehicle, and wherein a consolidated grid map is generated depending on the first grid map and the second grid map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Volker Patricio Schomerus
  • Patent number: 11904936
    Abstract: A driving support device for a vehicle includes a separation line recognizer configured to recognize pairs of right and left separation lines ahead of the vehicle on vehicle's traveling roads, a target route setting unit configured to set a target route along center lines of lanes defined with respective centers of each of the pairs of the separation lines, a steering controller configured to perform steering control for driving the vehicle along the target route, and a target route corrector configured to correct the target route when an intersecting road is on the target route and an angle between a center line of the vehicle's current traveling road before the intersecting road and a center line on the intersecting road is a set angle or less, set a route correction section, calculate a arc tangent to the two center lines, and correct the target route based on the calculated arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ryosuke Namba
  • Patent number: 11901146
    Abstract: A relay drive control device is configured to control drive of a relay for connecting a battery mounted on a vehicle and an external power supply. The relay drive control device includes a controller configured to, when driving the relay, supply an output voltage of the battery to the relay after increasing the output voltage to a voltage value at which the relay is drivable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro Narematsu, Akira Umemoto, Takuya Itoh, Yasuyuki Morishita, Yu Shimizu, Fumiyoshi Kuribara, Ippei Takesue, Daiki Takayama, Tomoya Aoki, Daisuke Kamikihara
  • Patent number: 11897551
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for controlling a feedback torque actuator in a steering system. The steering system comprises a steering assistance actuator (140) with a torsion bar (128) and a feedback torque actuator (130) with an Electric Control Unit, ECU, for giving feedback to a driver, a steering wheel (120) to which the driver applies a driver torque, TD. Only the torsion bar of the steering assistance actuator (140) comprises a torsion-bar torque sensor, and a target torque for the feedback torque actuator (130) is a target steering feel torque compensated for torque sensed in the torsion bar (128).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SENTIENT IP AB
    Inventors: Johan Hultén, Jochen Pohl
  • Patent number: 11901854
    Abstract: An arrangement for detecting a direction of rotation of a multi-phase electric motor includes a plurality of single-phase converters. Each single-phase converter of the plurality of single-phase converters supplies one phase of the multi-phase electric motor with current. The arrangement also includes two sensor units that are configured to determine actual values of the phase currents of the multi-phase electric motor and to transmit the actual values to the plurality of single-phase converters. The arrangement also includes a monitoring and control unit in each converter of the plurality of single-phase converters. The monitoring and control unit is configured and programmed to determine the direction of rotation and a speed of rotation of the multi-phase electric motor from the actual values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG
    Inventor: Marco Bohlländer
  • Patent number: 11897520
    Abstract: A method for transferring control of a vehicle from automated vehicle control by a control unit to manual vehicle control by a driver by a control lever, wherein the control lever is used at least to accelerate, brake, and steer the vehicle, wherein there is also at least one first display screen for displaying driving information, including at least an actual speed and an actual trajectory of the vehicle and a speed and a trajectory based on the actual position of the control lever, and wherein automated vehicle control is transferred to manual vehicle control when the actual speed of the vehicle corresponds graphically to the speed based on the actual position of the control lever and the actual trajectory of the vehicle corresponds graphically to the trajectory based on the actual position of the control lever on the first display screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Faurecia Innenraum Systeme GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Jung, Andreas Kramme, Maximilian Haverkamp, Jan Bavendiek, Lutz Eckstein, Alexander Tenbrock, Gert-Dieter Tuzar, Markus Uhlig, Thomas Sulzbach
  • Patent number: 11897454
    Abstract: This application provides a method for determining an automatic parking strategy. The method includes: determining, a target parking action corresponding to a current parking stage performing the target parking action; obtaining feedback information, where the feedback information is used to indicate whether a result of performing the target parking action reaches a predetermined objective, and the predetermined objective is a predetermined position of the vehicle relative to a target parking spot, and/or the predetermined objective is a status of the vehicle in the parking process; and updating the automatic parking strategy based on the feedback information. In the foregoing method, the entire parking process is divided into several parking stages, and a control strategy is obtained by using a different method at each stage. This can increase a success rate of automatic parking in a complex parking scenario.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuzheng Zhuang, Qiang Gu, Wulong Liu
  • Patent number: 11891048
    Abstract: A method generates a setpoint for controlling a steering system and a differential braking system of a motor vehicle. The method includes: acquiring a value relating to a total yawing moment to be applied to the motor vehicle such that it follows a required path, and the speed of the motor vehicle, calculating, as a function of the speed, at least one threshold relating to the maximum proportion of the total yawing moment that the steering system or that the differential braking system can provide, determining, as a function of the threshold, a distribution rate relating to the proportion of the total yawing moment that the steering system or that the differential braking system must provide, and generating a setpoint for controlling the steering system and the differential braking system as a function of the distribution rate and of the value relating to the total yawing moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: Renault s.a.s., NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anh Lam Do, Alain Haddad, Geoffrey Bruno, Khoa Duc Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11884289
    Abstract: A vehicle-behavior notification device includes a yaw rate detector and a notifier. The yaw rate detector is configured to detect a yaw rate of a vehicle body of a vehicle. The notifier is configured to notify a driver who drives the vehicle of the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takeru Shinohara
  • Patent number: 11884273
    Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle control device configured to obtain a distribution between first-order follow-up control and second-order follow-up control based on information on a road curvature of a road on which a preceding vehicle traveling forward of a vehicle has traveled and information on a relative position between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the first-order follow-up control causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle through use of a first-order trajectory, the second-order follow-up control causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle through use of a second-order trajectory, and to output an instruction relating to steering of the vehicle for achieving the obtained first-order follow-up control and second-order follow-up control to a steering actuator unit relating to the steering of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Uemura, Taku Takahama
  • Patent number: 11886187
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to controlling a vehicle in an autonomous driving mode using trajectories. For instance, a trajectory may be received by one or more first computing devices from one or more second computing devices. While the first computing devices are controlling the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode based on the trajectory, an error may be generated by second computing devices. Whether the error is a recoverable error may be determined, and if so, the second computing devices attempt to generate a new trajectory. When the second computing devices generate the new trajectory, the vehicle may be controlled by the first computing devices according to the new trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Waymo LLC
    Inventor: Ioan-Alexandru Sucan
  • Patent number: 11884317
    Abstract: A method for positioning a steering wheel of a motor vehicle in a rest position and/or an easy-entry position. The steering wheel has an operative connection to an adjustment means via which the steering wheel can be moved in a steering wheel adjustment field. A most recently set steering wheel position is established as the current steering wheel position. A target position in the steering wheel adjustment field, which represents the maximum increase in space for a driver in relation to the currently set steering wheel position, is determined. This target position is established as a rest position and/or as an easy-entry position. The steering wheel is moved into the established rest position and/or easy-entry position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Sebastian Loos, Richard Schroeder
  • Patent number: 11884321
    Abstract: A vehicular self-diagnosis device includes first to third sensors that detect parameters to be used in steering control of a vehicle, first to third turn estimators that respectively estimate turn statuses of the vehicle based on a steering angle detected by the first sensor, vehicle behavior detected by the second sensor, and a lane curvature and a vehicle-versus-lane yaw angle of the vehicle relative to the lane curvature detected by the third sensor, an offset extractor that extracts first to third offset components respectively from signals indicating the estimated turn statuses, an offset-divergence-amount calculator that calculates a maximum divergence amount based on maximum and minimum values of the first to third offset components, and a comparison unit that compares the maximum divergence amount with a predetermined threshold value and determines that inconsistency exists among the first to third sensors if the maximum divergence amount exceeds the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Omikawa
  • Patent number: 11887317
    Abstract: A plurality of agent locations can be determined at a plurality of time steps by inputting a plurality of images to a perception algorithm that inputs the plurality of images and outputs agent labels and the agent locations. A plurality of first uncertainties corresponding to the agent locations can be determined at the plurality of time steps by inputting the plurality of agent locations to a filter algorithm that inputs the agent locations and outputs the plurality of first uncertainties corresponding to the plurality of agent locations. A plurality of predicted agent trajectories and potential trajectories corresponding to the predicted agent trajectories can be determined by inputting the plurality of agent locations at the plurality of time steps and the first uncertainties corresponding to the agent locations at the plurality of time steps to a variational autoencoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC, The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Boris Ivanovic, Yifeng Lin, Shubham Shrivastava, Punarjay Chakravarty, Marco Pavone
  • Patent number: 11884304
    Abstract: Provided are autonomous vehicles (AV), computer program products, and methods for maneuvering an AV in a roadway, including receiving forecast information associated with predicted trajectories of one or more actors in a roadway, determining a relevant trajectory of an actor based on correlating a forecast for predicted trajectories of the actor with the trajectory of the AV, regenerate a distance table for the relevant trajectory previously generated for processing constraints, generate a plurality of margins for the AV to evaluate, the margins based on a plurality of margin types for providing information about risks and effects on passenger comfort associated with a future proximity of the AV to the actor, classifying an interaction between the AV and the actor based on a plurality of margins, and generating continuous scores for each candidate trajectory that is also within the margin of the actor generated for the relevant trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Arek Viko Sredzki, Mark Ollis, Christopher Cunningham, Neal Andrew Seegmiller, Patrick Stirling Barone
  • Patent number: 11884341
    Abstract: A method of controlling operation of an electric machine includes: calculating a voltage-based torque limit based on a voltage constraint of a direct current (DC) bus supplying power to an inverter for powering the electric machine; calculating a current-based torque limit based on a motor current limit; determining a final torque limit based on the voltage-based torque limit and the current-based torque limit; determining a limited command torque based on a torque command and the final torque limit; and generating at least one current command based on, at least, the limited command torque. A control system for controlling operation of an electric machine is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Krishna M P K Namburi, Nakul Shah
  • Patent number: 11878604
    Abstract: A propulsion system for an electric vehicle comprising a high voltage battery unit having a first high voltage battery connected in series with a second high voltage battery, which may also be referred to as a first and second battery bank, and one or more power inverters arranged to connect the battery banks to one or more electric machines. The one or more power inverters and the one or more electric machines are configured to form a first and a second three-phase system. The described architecture incorporating dual battery banks, and dual and/or multiphase inverters and electric machines can provide enhanced redundancy and limp home functionality in cases where a fault or error occurs in the inverter and/or in the electric machine so that a faulty three-phase system can be operated in a safe-state mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Eriksson, Nikitas Sidiropoulos
  • Patent number: 11873042
    Abstract: A method and a system for vehicle steering control by controlling a feedback torque actuator (130) in series with an angle overlay actuator (140) in a vehicle steering system (100) to provide a target feedback torque and a target overlay angle. The feedback torque actuator (130) is arranged above the angle overlay actuator (140). The angle overlay actuator (140) is controlled so that a variable steering ratio and an additional overlay angle are provided, and the feedback torque actuator (130) is controlled using a reference generator so that the torque is controlled to provide a target steering feel, resulting in the angle overlay being controlled at the same time as the steering-wheel torque being controlled whereby a target overlay angle and a good steering feel are achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: SENTIENT IP AB
    Inventors: Johan Hultén, Jochen Pohl, Henrik Weiefors, Ulf Löfqvist
  • Patent number: 11872982
    Abstract: A parking assistance device performs parking assistance control including steering angle control for changing a steering angle of a vehicle, driving force control for controlling a driving force of the vehicle, and braking force control for controlling a braking force of the vehicle. The parking assistance device notifies an occupant of a driving operation to be performed by the occupant, including a moving operation on a shift lever and an operation on a brake pedal when the vehicle reaches a switching position where a traveling direction of the vehicle is to be switched during performing the parking assistance control. When the driving operation is performed by the occupant, the parking assistance device restarts the parking assistance control at a timing when the occupant stops the operation on the brake pedal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kota Inoue, Yuki Minase, Takuya Nakagawa, Hiroyuki Tachibana, Norio Imai, Nozomu Maeda
  • Patent number: 11876540
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to an ADAS sensor data processing unit, to an ADAS sensor system and to an ADAS sensor data evaluation method for use in driver assistance systems or systems for the automated driving of a vehicle. The ADAS sensor data processing unit includes an input interface, a decompression module, a processing unit and an output unit. The input interface is designed to receive data of an ADAS sensor that have been subjected to lossy compression by a compression module. The decompression module is designed to decompress the compressed data of the ADAS sensor. The processing unit is designed to process the decompressed data (IdSD) of the ADAS sensor, information relevant to an ADAS/AD function being ascertained from the decompressed sensor data. The output unit is designed to output the ascertained information relevant to the ADAS function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Elias Strigel, Stefan Heinrich, Dieter Krökel, Thomas Fechner, Martin Pfitzer, Robert Thiel
  • Patent number: 11866066
    Abstract: Systems and methods to perform behavioral planning in an autonomous vehicle from a reference state involve generating a set of actions of a fixed size and fixed order according to a predefined methodology. Each action is a semantic instruction for a next motion of the vehicle. A set of trajectories is generated from the set of actions as an instruction indicating a path and a velocity profile to generate steering angles and accelerations for implementation by the vehicle. A trajectory filter is applied to filter the set of trajectories such that unfiltered trajectories are candidate trajectories. Applying the trajectory filter includes assessing the path and velocity profile indicated by each of the set of trajectories. A selected trajectory is used to control the vehicle or the action that corresponds to the selected trajectory is used in trajectory planning to generate a final trajectory that is used to control the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Roi Reshef
  • Patent number: 11859571
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for estimation of a road roughness index (RRI) and adjusting vehicle operation based on the metric. In one example, a method may include estimating the RRI as a function of a pitch energy and a roll energy of the vehicle travelling on the road. In response to the RRI being higher than a threshold, engine operation such as EGR flow rate may be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John E. Rollinger, Adam Richards, Robert Grant, Steven Lin, Matthew Gerow
  • Patent number: 11858525
    Abstract: Disclosed are a drive-by-wire chassis cyber-physical system under an intelligent traffic environment and a control method. The system includes: an SoS-level CPS, a system-level CPS, and a unit-level CPS, data transmission is realized between a plurality of unit-level CPSs and one system-level CPS, and data transmission is realized between a plurality of system-level CPSs and one SoS-level CPS. The system integrates a hub motor with a suspension, cancels traditional structures such as an engine and a clutch, and simplifies the structure of a chassis. A motor directly drives a vehicle to run, and different driving, braking or torque is applied to different wheels through four hub motors, so as to meet independent control of the wheels and improve active safety and operational stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NANJING UNIVERSITY OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
    Inventors: Wanzhong Zhao, Xiaochuan Zhou, Chunyan Wang, Zhongkai Luan, Ziyu Zhang, Yixin Zhong, Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: 11858549
    Abstract: A method for generating a steering command for controlling a vehicle is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Amir Takhmar, Joshua M. Levin, Jimmy Zhong Yan Lu, Jayant Sachdev, Reza Zarringhalam
  • Patent number: 11851085
    Abstract: A system for vehicle navigation is provided. The system includes at least one processing circuitry programmed to receive via a data interface one or more images captured by one or more cameras representative of an environment of a vehicle, identify, based on analysis of the one or more images, at least one direction of at least one directional arrow on a road surface in the one or more images, determine a direction of travel for the vehicle based on the at least one direction of the at least one directional arrow on the road surface, determine at least one navigational action for the vehicle based on the determined direction of travel for the vehicle, and cause one or more actuator systems of the vehicle to implement the determined at least one navigational action for the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd.
    Inventors: Avigdor Eldar, Eli Peker, Matan Sulami