Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100228427 | PREDICTIVE SEMI-AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE NAVIGATION SYSTEM - An active safety framework performs trajectory planning, threat assessment, and semi-autonomous control of passenger vehicles in a unified, optimal fashion. The vehicle navigation task is formulated as a constrained optimal control problem. A predictive, model-based controller iteratively plans an optimal or best-case vehicle trajectory through the constrained corridor. This best-case scenario is used to establish the minimum threat posed to the vehicle given its current state, current and past driver inputs/performance, and environmental conditions. Based on this threat assessment, the level of controller intervention required to prevent collisions or instability is calculated and driver/controller inputs are scaled accordingly. This approach minimizes controller intervention while ensuring that the vehicle does not depart from a traversable corridor. It also provides a unified architecture into which various vehicle models, actuation modes, trajectory-planning objectives, driver preferences, and levels of autonomy can be seamlessly integrated without changing the underlying controller structure. | 09-09-2010 |
20120083947 | INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR VEHICLE OPERATOR ASSISTANCE BASED ON A TRAJECTORY AND THREAT ASSESSMENT - Various types and levels of operator assistance are performed within a unified, configurable framework. A model of the device with a model of the environment and the current state of the device and the environment are used to iteratively generate a sequence of optimal device control inputs that, when applied to a model of the device, generate an optimal device trajectory through a constraint-bounded corridor or region within the state space. This optimal trajectory and the sequence of device control inputs that generates it is used to generate a threat assessment metric. An appropriate type and level of operator assistance is generated based on this threat assessment. Operator assistance modes include warnings, decision support, operator feedback, vehicle stability control, and autonomous or semi-autonomous hazard avoidance. The responses generated by each assistance mode are mutually consistent because they are generated using the same optimal trajectory. | 04-05-2012 |
20120109610 | METHODS AND APPARATI FOR PREDICTING AND QUANTIFYING THREAT BEING EXPERIENCED BY A MODELED SYSTEM - A method predicts and quantifies the threat posed to a human-operated device based on an optimal device trajectory through a constraint-bounded corridor. A model of the device together with a model of anticipated hazards and the current state of both the device and the hazards are used to iteratively generate an optimal device trajectory through a constraint-bounded corridor or region within state space. Device dynamics are forward-simulated over a time horizon. A method generates a threat assessment metric from the resulting sequence of optimal vehicle states. This threat assessment may be used to devise various types and levels of operator assistance. The human operator can control the device within a safe corridor or region. Threat assessment is based on the nearness of successive optimal trajectory predictions to limits of safe device handling rather than on deviation from a predefined path. | 05-03-2012 |
20140005874 | RADIO-ENABLED COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM | 01-02-2014 |
20140032017 | INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR VEHICLE OPERATOR ASSISTANCE BASED ON A TRAJECTORY PREDICTION AND THREAT ASSESSMENT - Various types and levels of operator assistance are performed within a unified, configurable framework. A model of the device with a model of the environment and the current state of the device and the environment are used to iteratively generate a sequence of optimal device control inputs that, when applied to a model of the device, generate an optimal device trajectory through a constraint-bounded corridor or region within the state space. This optimal trajectory and the sequence of device control inputs that generates it is used to generate a threat assessment metric. An appropriate type and level of operator assistance is generated based on this threat assessment. Operator assistance modes include warnings, decision support, operator feedback, vehicle stability control, and autonomous or semi-autonomous hazard avoidance. The responses generated by each assistance mode are mutually consistent because they are generated using the same optimal trajectory. | 01-30-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150141756 | CONTINUUM STYLE MANIPULATOR ACTUATED WITH PHASE CHANGE MEDIA - A continuum style manipulator is actuated by jammable media within an envelope of a module, which is also actuated by a tensile element, such as a cable and spooler motor. Multiple modules may be reversibly added. Two or more tensile elements may also be used. Three or more actuated tensile elements can actuate three DOFs of each module, and the terminal module, as well as the entire manipulator. Jammable media may be granular, actuated by a pressure change. Coarsely ground coffee works well. Rather than a jammable media, tensile elements may alternatively be used with other phase change media, such as magnetorheological and electrorheological media. A high friction angle of the granular media is desirable, and has been achieved with a particle size dispersion including both small and relatively larger particles. Applications include endoscopes, proctoscopes, laparoscopic instruments, manufacturing and medical manipulators. Methods of actuating include unjamming all modules, positioning the manipulator with tensile elements or otherwise, jamming the base-most module, and then repositioning remaining, not-jammed modules, followed by jamming the base-most not-jammed module, and so on, until all modules are positioned and jammed. | 05-21-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130213940 | ON-CHIP ALKALI DISPENSER - Embodiments described herein provide for an on-chip alkali dispenser. The on-chip alkali dispenser includes a monolithic semiconductor substrate defining a trench therein, and an evaporable metal material disposed in the trench. A heating element is disposed proximate the evaporable metal material and configured to provide heat to the evaporable metal material. A getter material is disposed to sorb unwanted materials released from the evaporable metal material. | 08-22-2013 |
20130265112 | LOW POWER REDUCTION OF BIASES IN A MICRO PRIMARY FREQUENCY STANDARD - A method for reducing or eliminating clock bias in an atomic clock is provided. The method comprises cooling a population of atoms collected in the atomic clock using a laser locked at a predetermined frequency, turning off the laser, performing atomic clock spectroscopy, turning on the laser after the atomic clock spectroscopy, and relocking the frequency of the laser to an external reference cell. The population of atoms that are in each of two ground hyperfine levels is then probed using laser light that is on or near-resonant with a selected atomic transition. | 10-10-2013 |
20130270434 | MEASURING THE POPULATIONS IN EACH HYPERFINE GROUND STATE OF ALKALI ATOMS IN A VAPOR CELL WHILE LIMITING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE BACKGROUND VAPOR - A method for measuring the population of atoms in a vapor cell comprises collecting a sample of atoms, applying radio frequency (RF) spectroscopy to the sample such that a first portion of the atoms are in an upper ground state and a second portion of the atoms are in a lower ground state, and applying light to the sample to produce a first fluorescence such that all atoms are left in the lower ground state. The method further comprises measuring a population of the atoms in the upper ground state based on the first fluorescence, applying an RF pulse to the sample to transfer the atoms in the lower ground state to the upper ground state, and applying light to the sample after the RF pulse is applied to produce a second fluorescence. A population of all the atoms in the sample is then measured based on the second fluorescence. | 10-17-2013 |
20140022534 | CLOSED LOOP ATOMIC INERTIAL SENSOR - An apparatus for inertial sensing is provided. The apparatus comprises at least one atomic inertial sensor, and one or more micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors operatively coupled to the atomic inertial sensor. The atomic inertial sensor and the MEMS inertial sensors operatively communicate with each other in a closed feedback loop. | 01-23-2014 |
20140096607 | ATOMIC SENSOR PHYSICS PACKAGE WITH METAL FRAME - One embodiment is directed towards a physics package of an atomic sensor. The physics package includes a frame composed of metal and including a plurality of slender support members extending between one another in a three dimensional structure. The support members define boundaries between adjacent apertures defined in the frame. The plurality of support members include a plurality of mounting surfaces adjacent to the apertures. The physics package also includes a plurality of panes attached to the mounting surfaces of the frame. The plurality of panes cover the apertures such that the frame and the plurality of panes define a vacuum chamber and provide three light paths that cross within the vacuum chamber at 90 degree angles with respect to one another. The physics package also includes a chamber evacuation structure for evacuating the vacuum chamber. | 04-10-2014 |
20150022273 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A COLD ATOM FREQUENCY STANDARD - Systems and methods for a cold atom frequency standard are provided herein. In certain embodiments, a cold atom microwave frequency standard includes a vacuum cell, the vacuum cell comprising a central cylinder, the central cylinder being hollow and having a first open end and a second open end; a first end portion joined to the first open end; and a second end portion joined to the second open end, wherein the first end portion, the central cylinder, and the second end portion enclose a hollow volume containing atoms, the first end portion and the second end portion configured to allow light to enter into the hollow volume. The cold atom microwave frequency standard also includes a cylindrically symmetric resonator encircling the central cylinder, wherein the resonator generates a microwave field in the hollow volume at the resonant frequency of the atoms. | 01-22-2015 |