Patents Examined by Long T Nguyen
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Patent number: 11672199Abstract: A mapping method of a lawn mower robot may include a first image mapping operation of generating a first travel image of a three-dimensional region based on an aerial image of a work target region, a first map displaying operation of dividing the first travel image into a mowing region and an obstacle region, converting the first travel image into a first travel map, and displaying the first travel map. The mapping method may include a first anchor displaying operation of recommending the number and installation locations of anchors on the first travel map, an anchor location determination operation of determining whether the anchors are installed at the installation locations, and a path generation operation of generating a travel path of the lawn mower robot on the first travel map. The mapping method may improve work efficiency of the lawn mower robot.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Jaekwang Lee, Jeongwoo Ju, Dongki Noh
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Patent number: 11654985Abstract: An example implementation for determining mechanically-timed footsteps may involve a robot having a first foot in contact with a ground surface and a second foot not in contact with the ground surface. The robot may determine a position of its center of mass and center of mass velocity, and based on these, determine a capture point for the robot. The robot may also determine a threshold position for the capture point, where the threshold position is based on a target trajectory for the capture point after the second foot contacts the ground surface. The robot may determine that the capture point has reached this threshold position and based on this determination, and cause the second foot to contact the ground surface.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: BOSTON DYNAMICS, INC.Inventor: Benjamin Stephens
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Patent number: 11653808Abstract: A robot cleaner is provided. The robot cleaner includes a three-dimensional image sensor, an optical sensor, a gyro sensor, and at least one processor configured to control a driving state of the robot cleaner based on image data acquired by the three-dimensional image sensor, optical data acquired by the optical sensor, and angular velocity data acquired by the gyro sensor, wherein the three-dimensional image sensor and the optical sensor are respectively arranged to be tilted by a predetermined tilting angle, and a tilting angle of the three-dimensional image sensor is smaller than a tilting angle of the optical sensor.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Minwoo Ryu, Changho Ha, Jinhee Kim, Shin Kim, Donghun Lee
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Patent number: 11656628Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for controlling a mobile cleaning robot to escape from a stuck state using a learned robot escape behavior model. The model is trained using reinforcement learning at a cloud-computing device or networked devices. A mobile cleaning robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to collect sensor data associated with a detected stuck state, and a controller circuit that can receive the trained robot escape behavior model, and apply the sensor data associated with the detected stuck state to the trained robot escape behavior model to determine an escape policy. The drive system or one or more actuators of the mobile robot can remove the mobile robot from the stuck state according to the determined escape policy.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Laura V. Herlant, Aravindh Kuppusamy, Deepak Sharma, Kshitij Bichave, Shao Zhou, Cheuk Wah Wong
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Patent number: 11635757Abstract: Methods and apparatus for making autonomous vehicle handover decisions are described. A handover decision involves deciding if an autonomous vehicle should be handed off from one worker to another worker. The methods allow for decisions to be made in real or near real time shortly before an autonomous vehicle changes location. Worker time, if a handover is not implemented, is considered including the amount of worker time involved with the worker moving with the autonomous vehicle to the new location as compared to a new worker meeting the autonomous vehicle at the new location or on the way to the new location. Handover decisions can consider worker distribution and/or order priority. Such factors can be used to weight one or more time based cost values with a cost value representation of the cost if a handover is not implemented vs implementing a handover being compared to make the handover decision.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: 6 RIVER SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Christopher Cacioppo, Corey Simons
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Patent number: 11623345Abstract: A modular robot system can be formed by assembling a plurality of cube type unit robots. The modular robot system includes N cube type unit robots, wherein: one of the N cube type unit robots serves as a central control terminal, the cube type unit robot serving as the central control terminal assigns a distinguishable ID number to each of the N cube type unit robots; each robot including a cube-shaped housing, a step motor and a control unit installed inside the housing; the housing has one surface including a mounting groove to allow a rotational body rotating by a rotation shaft of the step motor to be mounted therein, and the other surface including a connection groove in the same shape as the mounting groove; and different cube type unit robots can be connected to each other by means of a connection body mounted in the connection groove.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2019Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: RoboRisen Co., Ltd.Inventors: Sang Bin Yim, Hyun Soo Kim
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Patent number: 11625030Abstract: A method of deriving autonomous control information involves receiving one or more sets of associated environment sensor information and device control instructions. Each set of associated environment sensor information and device control instructions includes environment sensor information representing an environment associated with an operator controllable device and associated device control instructions configured to cause the operator controllable device to simulate at least one action taken by at least one operator experiencing a representation of the environment generated from the environment sensor information.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2018Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: Kindred Systems Inc.Inventors: Suzanne Gildert, George Samuel Rose, Graham William Taylor, James Bergstra
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Patent number: 11625043Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for controlling a robot cleaner including a travel operation in which the robot cleaner travels, a recognition operation in which when the robot cleaner contacts an obstacle during the travel, the robot cleaner determines whether the obstacle is pushed by the robot cleaner and slides, and an obstacle bypass operation in which upon determination that the obstacle is the pushed-and-sliding obstacle, the robot cleaner stops the travel and then bypasses the pushed-and-sliding obstacle.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2020Date of Patent: April 11, 2023Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Wonkeun Yang, Junghwan Kim, Minho Lee, Jeongwoo Ju, Dongki Noh
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Patent number: 11589931Abstract: A robotic surgical system and method are disclosed for transitioning control to a secondary robotic arm controller. In one embodiment, a robotic surgical system comprises a user console comprising a display device and a user input device; a robotic arm configured to be coupled to an operating table; a primary robotic arm controller configured to move the robotic arm in response to a signal received from the user input device at the user console; and a secondary robotic arm controller configured to move the robotic arm in response to a signal received from a user input device remote from the user console. Control over movement of the robotic arm is transitioned from the primary robotic arm controller to the secondary robotic arm controller in response to a failure in the primary robotic arm controller. Other embodiments are provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Verb Surgical Inc.Inventor: Jignesh Desai
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Patent number: 11579622Abstract: Described are systems and methods to utilize images to determine the position and/or orientation of a vehicle (e.g., an autonomous ground vehicle) operating in an unstructured environment (e.g., environments such as sidewalks which are typically absent lane markings, road markings, etc.). The described systems and methods can determine the vehicle's position and orientation based on an alignment of annotated images captured during operation of the vehicle with a known annotated reference map. The translation and rotation applied to obtain alignment of the annotated images with the known annotated reference map can provide the position and the orientation of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2020Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: John Alan Atherton, Aziz Umit Batur, Kishor Dilip Bhalerao, Haresh Karnan, Harshavardhan Shirolkar
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Patent number: 11579618Abstract: Systems and techniques for generating a set of connected segments for a device or system to traverse in order to reach every point of the region (a coverage plan). Nodes defining the region to be traversed define a polygon. The polygon is decomposed into a mesh and a graph of the mesh is generated. The graph may be used to determine a longest funneled path which, in turn, may be used to either optimize for a longest path or to divide the polygon for eroding sides. The longest path and/or erosions are used to define a set of segments. The segments are connected, which in some examples is done via an optimization to minimize an amount of time or energy to traverse all segments and connections. The resultant coverage plan is sent to a system configured to receive the plan and traverse the region.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2020Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Assignee: Scythe Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Marc Christopher Alban, Zachary Austin Goins, Kristopher Charles Kozak, John Gordon Morrison
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Patent number: 11561275Abstract: A moving robot has a body and at least one wheel for moving the main body. The moving robot has a transceiver to communicate with a plurality of location information transmitters located within an area. The moving robot also has a memory storing coordinate information regarding positions of the location information transmitters. Further, the moving robot has a controller that sets a virtual boundary based on location information determined using signals transmitted by the location information transmitters. The controller controls the wheel so that the main body is prevented from traveling outside the virtual boundary. The controller sets a reference location information transmitter and corrects the stored coordinate information by correcting height errors based on height differences between the reference location information transmitter and the other location information transmitters. The controller also corrects a current position of the main body based on the corrected stored coordinate information.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2019Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Kyoungsuk Ko, Sungwook Lee, Hyungsub Lee, Koh Choi
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Patent number: 11561550Abstract: A robotic cleaner may include a body, one or more driven wheels configured to urge the body across a surface to be cleaned, one or more distance sensors disposed at least partially within the body such that the one or more distance sensors face the surface to be cleaned and a processor. The one or more distance sensors may be configured to output a measure of a detection distance that extends in a direction of the surface to be cleaned. The processor may be configured to determine whether an abnormality has been detected based, at least in part, on the measure of the detection distance and may be configured to determine a first velocity estimate based, at least in part, on the detection of the abnormality.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2019Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLCInventor: Adam Leech
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Patent number: 11554502Abstract: A component installation system includes an engagement clamp having a circular shape coupled to a robotic arm, being configured to engage an annular component. The component installation system further includes an actuator coupled to the engagement clamp and operable to cause the engagement clamp to engage and disengage the annular component, and a heating element coupled to the engagement clamp and arranged to heat the annular component engaged within the engagement clamp. The component installation system further includes a controller in communication with the robotic arm, the actuator and the heating element.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2020Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventor: Wen Jiang
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Patent number: 11550328Abstract: An AI apparatus and an operating method are provided, the AI apparatus includes a communication interface to receive 3D sensor data and bumper sensor data from a first cleaner, a processor to generate surrounding situation map data based on the 3D sensor data and the bumper sensor data, and a learning processor to generate learning data by labeling area classification data for representing whether the surrounding situation map data corresponds to the stuck area, and to train a stuck area classification model based on the learning data. The processor transmits the trained stuck area classification model to a second cleaner through the communication interface.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Kamin Lee, Kokeun Kim, Suyeon Kim, Seungah Chae
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Patent number: 11537141Abstract: A system dynamically generates a cleaning coverage pattern of an area using waypoints and sensor data from one or more sensor modalities. To do this, a robotic cleaning device moves through an area to be cleaned, identifies consecutive waypoints through the area, and stores the waypoints in a memory. At least one sensor of the robotic cleaning device collects sensor data about a portion of the area as the device moves between the consecutive waypoints. A temporary map of the portion of the area between the consecutive waypoints is generated based on the collected sensor data, and a cleaning coverage pattern is generated using the temporary map. The area is then cleaned by moving the robotic cleaning device according to the cleaning coverage pattern. In certain embodiments, upon completing the cleaning, the consecutive waypoints are retained in the memory, while the temporary map may not be retained.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Diversey, Inc.Inventors: David M. Knuth, Jr., Aurle Y. Gagne, Erick Frack, Daniel M. Daly
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Patent number: 11500391Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for positioning on the basis of vision information and a robot implementing the method. The method for positioning on the basis of vision information, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: generating, by a control unit of a robot, first vision information by using image information of an object sensed by controlling a vision sensing unit of a sensor module of the robot; generating, by the control unit of the robot, a vision-based candidate position by matching the first vision information with second vision information stored in a vision information storage unit of a map storage unit; and generating, by the control unit, the vision-based candidate position as the position information of the robot when there is one vision-based candidate position.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2018Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Byungkon Sohn, Jungmin Shim, Kyuchun Choi
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Patent number: 11498214Abstract: A teaching device constructs, in a virtual space, a virtual robot system in which a virtual 3D model of a robot and a virtual 3D model of a peripheral structure of the robot are arranged, and teaches a moving path of the robot. The teaching device includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information about a geometric error between the virtual 3D models, and a correction unit configured to correct the moving path of the robot in accordance with the information acquired by the acquisition unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2020Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yasusato Fujieda, Hisashi Matsumoto
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Patent number: 11435747Abstract: A system is comprised of a floor processing device, an object located in the environment of the floor processing device, which has a partial object area and a displacement device for automatically displacing the partial object area, a detection device, which is suitable for detecting a presence of the floor processing device in a detection area of the detection device, and a control device for generating a control command for the displacement device as a function of the detection result of the detection device. In order to prevent a collision with the floor processing device given automatic displacement devices of objects, the control command is suitable for deactivating the displacement device, thereby preventing a displacement of the partial object area even if the floor processing device is present in the detection area.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2020Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbHInventor: Roman Ortmann
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Patent number: 11427986Abstract: An interlock system for a work vehicle includes a controller configured to output instructions to a first actuator assembly to control a first implement positioned rearward of a chassis of the work vehicle. The controller is configured to instruct the first actuator assembly to block movement of the first implement while an access door of the chassis is in an open state, in which the access door is positioned on a rear portion of the chassis, longitudinally opposite a cab ingress/egress door positioned proximate to a forward portion of the chassis, and the controller is configured to output instructions to a second actuator assembly to control a second implement positioned forward of the chassis.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2020Date of Patent: August 30, 2022Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLCInventor: Cory Robert Pitts