Patents Examined by Dylan M Katz
  • Patent number: 11412648
    Abstract: A component mounting device is capable of mounting a component having a feature portion on an upper surface, on a board. The component mounting device picks up a component by a pickup member and loads the picked-up component on a temporary loading stand at an angle substantially equal to a target mounting angle to the board. Subsequently, the component mounting device images the upper surface of the loaded component by an upper imaging device and picks up again the loaded component. Then, the component mounting device mounts the component picked up again at the target mounting angle at the target mounting position corrected based on the positional deviation amount of the feature portion recognized by the upper surface image of the imaged upper surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidenori Goto, Ryohei Kamio, Kota Niwa, Kohei Sugihara
  • Patent number: 11407114
    Abstract: An article conveying system includes a tray that is disposed on a floor surface and on which an article to be conveyed is mounted, a robot provided with a force sensor that detects an external force, a frictional force reduction device provided in at least one of the floor surface or the tray, to adjust a frictional force between the floor surface and the tray, and a controller that controls the robot to apply a lateral load to the tray and thereby slide the tray on the floor surface, and controls the frictional force reduction device based on a magnitude of the external force in a direction of the lateral load that is detected by the force sensor when the lateral load is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitake Furuya, Keisuke Suga
  • Patent number: 11403956
    Abstract: Passenger drone air traffic control and monitoring systems and methods implemented by a consolidated system include communicating with an Air Traffic Control (ATC) system which is executed on a plurality of servers, wherein the ATC system is configured to communicate with a plurality of passenger drones in a geographic or zone coverage; consolidating data from the plurality of servers to provide a visualization of a larger geography comprising a plurality of geographic or zone coverages; providing the visualization via a Graphical User Interface (GUI); and performing one or more functions via the GUI for air traffic control and monitoring at any of a high-level and an individual passenger drone level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Metal Raptor, LLC
    Inventor: Lee Priest
  • Patent number: 11396099
    Abstract: Various embodiments for enforcing safe operation of machinery performing an activity in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace includes computationally generating a 3D spatial representation of the workspace; computationally mapping 3D regions of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery and a human; and based thereon, restricting operation of the machinery in accordance with a safety protocol during physical performance of the activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Veo Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Marek Wartenberg, Paul Jakob Schroeder, Brad C. Mello, Clara Vu, Scott Denenberg, Nicole Aucoin, Alberto Moel
  • Patent number: 11389969
    Abstract: The automatic machine includes a movable member driven by a motor, a tool that is attached to the movable member and includes a movable mechanism that operates independently of the movable member, a sensor that is attached to the movable mechanism and measures a location of the movable mechanism, and a processor configured to detect, based on a location of the movable mechanism measured by the sensor when the motor is controlled in accordance with a command to move the tool to a target location and on an amount of movement of the movable mechanism from a reference point, detects a first location in a case in which the movable mechanism is virtually fixed to the reference point, and calculate a correction amount for a control amount of the motor in such a way as to decrease a difference between the target location and the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hajime Suzuki, Nobuaki Yamaoka, Kouichirou Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11389959
    Abstract: A robot system including a robot and a control device that controls the robot. The robot includes a first member, a second member that is rotationally driven around a predetermined first axis relative to the first member, and a first torque detector that detects a torque around the first axis. The control device includes an external-force upper-limit-value estimator that estimates an external-force upper limit value serving as an assumable upper limit value for an external force acting on the second member based on the torque detected by the first torque detector, and controls the robot to avoid an increase in the external force when the estimated external-force upper limit value is larger than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akifumi Furuichi, Kazutaka Nakayama, Kuniyasu Matsumoto, Yasuhiro Naitou
  • Patent number: 11380200
    Abstract: A server device includes a storage unit configured to store vehicle information including vehicle behavior information and position information, a region specifying unit configured to specify a warning road region where a sudden stop of a vehicle occurs a plurality of times based on the stored vehicle information, and a notification unit configured to, when the sudden stop of the vehicle occurs in the specified warning road region, notify terminal devices that correspond to vehicles located in the warning road region and in a vicinity of the warning road region of information regarding the warning road region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Oe, Kazuya Nishimura, Hirofumi Kamimaru
  • Patent number: 11370460
    Abstract: A method for assisting in the driving of a vehicle comprises receiving and processing data originating from an actuation module via the first network and in response to the detection of a failure in the first network, further comprising steps of: triggering a phase of manual control recovery by a driver of the vehicle, and receiving and processing the data originating from the actuation module via a second network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: PSA AUTOMOBILES SA
    Inventors: Alban Le Chaffotec, Laurent Legras, Xavier Oudin, Barbara Cervelle
  • Patent number: 11364084
    Abstract: A robotic manipulator is attachable to a proximal end of a medical instrument. A processor linked to the manipulator transmits control signals to the manipulator to cause the manipulator to displace the medical instrument to achieve a desired position and orientation of the medical instrument. A contact force sensor is disposed on the medical instrument and linked to the processor. The control signals are issued by the processor responsively to force indications received from the contact force sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd.
    Inventors: Assaf Govari, Andres Claudio Altmann, Vadim Gliner, Yehuda Algawi
  • Patent number: 11345033
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a control method of a moving body and a control system of a moving body, which allow a control part to calculate a fragment of a moving path between the moving body and a target according to position information of the moving body and the target, and transmit the fragment to the moving body. The above steps are repeatedly executed in sequence until the moving body reaches the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chun-Hsien Liu, Bo Yi Li, Sheng-Jen Chen, Chih-Hsiang Chen, Yung-Chih Pan, Chi-Ying Lee
  • Patent number: 11347238
    Abstract: A robot performs simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) using a particle filter to process sensor measurements of movements of the robot in an environment and occupied locations in the environment to produce a set of particles. Each particle includes a map of the environment and a pose of the robot in the environment to represent a probability that the environment has the map oriented with respect to the pose of the robot. The robot receives a set of particles of a neighboring robot and, in response to receiving the set of particles of the neighboring robot, updates maps of probabilistically sampled particles of the robot with maps of probabilistically sampled particles of the neighboring robot. The update includes merging a map of the sampled particle of the robot with a map of the sampled particle of the neighboring robot roto-translated based on a relative pose between the robots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Milutin Pajovic, Nathaniel Moore Glaser, Philip Orlik
  • Patent number: 11318611
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot to perform a complex assembly task such as insertion of a component with multiple pins or pegs into a structure with multiple holes. The method uses an impedance controller including multiple reference centers with one set of gain factors. Only translational gain factors are used—one for a spring force and one for a damping force—and no rotational gains. The method computes spring-damping forces from reference center positions and velocities using the gain values, and measures contact force and torque with a sensor coupled between the robot arm and the component being manipulated. The computed spring-damping forces are then summed with the measured contact force and torque, to provide a resultant force and torque at the center of gravity of the component. A new component pose is then computed based on the resultant force and torque using impedance controller calculations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Zhao, Tetsuaki Kato
  • Patent number: 11292135
    Abstract: A sensor system includes a first member extending along a rotational axis and having a surface disposed circumferentially about the axis. The sensor system further includes a conductive element fixed to the first member and disposed on the surface and about the rotational axis and a second member extending along the axis. A rotational position between the first member and the second member is adjustable. The sensor system further includes a target mounted to and rotatable with the second member and being movable relative to the second member between first and second positions. The target is spaced apart from the conductive element in both the first and second positions and is closer to the conductive element in the second position compared to the first position. The conductive element is configured to sense the target in the second position for any rotational position between the first member and the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: James E. Flatt, Philip Robert Woods, Cory J. Welch, Mark A. Wasserman
  • Patent number: 11292131
    Abstract: This application relates to the field of visual navigation technology, and discloses a localization method, apparatus, robot and computer storage medium. The localization method is applied to a robot having an autonomous location and navigation function. The localization method includes: determining that localization through an image of surrounding environment fails in a process of driving to a preset distance, and controlling the robot to decelerate and perform localization through an image of surrounding environment in a process of deceleration until the localization succeeds. The localization method enables the robot to reasonably adjust its running velocity in accordance with the environment during driving, thereby accurately localizing the location where the robot is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Cloudminds Robotics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lianzhong Li, William Xiao-Qing Huang, Shenhua Xu, Jian Zhang, Shenglin Qiu
  • Patent number: 11285609
    Abstract: A work robot includes a multi-joint type robot arm and an actuator configured to drive each joint of the robot arm, and corrects a designated target position by a correction parameter to operate the robot arm. The correction of the target position is performed by setting multiple work points in a movable area of the robot, setting a correction parameter in which a spatial coordinate value and a correction value are associated with respect to the set multiple work points, and reflecting the set correction parameter on the target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masatoshi Fujita, Masato Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11279041
    Abstract: A companion robot is disclosed. In some embodiments, the companion robot may include a head having a facemask and a projector configured to project facial images onto the facemask; a facial camera; a microphone configured to receive audio signals from the environment; a speaker configured to output audio signals; and a processor electrically coupled with the projector, the facial camera, the microphone, and the speaker. In some embodiments, the processor may be configured to receive facial images from the facial camera; receive speech input from the microphone; determine an audio output based on the facial images and/or the speech input; determine a facial projection output based the facial images and/or the speech input; output the audio output via the speaker; and project the facial projection output on the facemask via the projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Dream Face Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad H. Mahoor, Joshua T. Lane, Hojjat Abdollahi Pourhaghighi, Eshrat S. Emamian
  • Patent number: 11267130
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to robot technology, and particularly to a robot localization method as well as an apparatus and a robot using the same. The method includes: obtaining a set of particles for localizing the robot; updating a position of each particle in the set of particles based on a preset motion model to obtain the updated position of the particle; obtaining laser measurement data and UWB measurement data; calculating a matching probability of each particle based on the laser measurement data, the UWB measurement data, and the updated position of the particle; and localizing the robot based on the matching probability of each particle. In such a manner, the UWB measurement data is applied to the traditional particle filtering localization algorithm based on laser measurement data so as to enhance the localization precision in large indoor scenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP LTD
    Inventors: Hongjian Liu, Zhichao Liu, Jian Zhang, Simin Zhang, Zhanjia Bi, Youjun Xiong
  • Patent number: 11267465
    Abstract: A computer includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to, in a host vehicle, determine a threat number for a first target vehicle based on data received from the first target vehicle indicating at least one of a position, speed, or route history of the first target vehicle, identify a second target vehicle based on data collected with one or more host vehicle sensors when the threat number of the first target vehicle exceeds a threshold, determine that the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle are not a same vehicle, and, then, upon determining that the first target vehicle and the second target vehicle are not the same vehicle and that at least one of (a) a barrier is detected between the host vehicle and the first target vehicle or (b) that a threat number of the second target vehicle exceeds a second threshold, suppress a collision avoidance action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron L. Mills, Rebecca Lynne Seiler, Alex Maurice Miller, Gopichandra Surnilla, Alekhya Ratnala, Hao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11260527
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot includes applying a setpoint force to a contact point; measuring a contact stiffness at the contact point; and slowing down the moving robot using its drives and/or braking the robot to apply the setpoint force to the contact point by the slowing down and/or slowed down robot depending on the measured contact stiffness, wherein the robot is slowed down before the setpoint force is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Yevgen Kogan
  • Patent number: 11260880
    Abstract: In one embodiment, instead of using map data, a relative coordinate system is utilized to assist perception of the driving environment surrounding an ADV for some driving situations. One of such driving situations is driving on a highway. Typically, a highway has fewer intersections and exits. The relative coordinate system is utilized based on the relative lane configuration and relative obstacle information to control the ADV to simply follow the lane and avoid potential collision with any obstacles discovered within the road, without having to use map data. Once the relative lane configuration and obstacle information have been determined, regular path and speed planning and optimization can be performed to generate a trajectory to drive the ADV. Such a perception system is referred to as a relative perception system based on a relative coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: BAIDU USA LLC, BAIDU.COM TIMES TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fan Zhu, Qi Kong, Yuchang Pan, Feiyi Jiang, Xin Xu, Xiaoxin Fu, Zhongpu Xia, Chunming Zhao, Liangliang Zhang, Weicheng Zhu, Li Zhuang, Haoyang Fan, Hui Jiang, Jiaming Tao