Patents by Inventor Edwin H. Cho
Edwin H. Cho has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20220331983Abstract: Methods and inspection robots with on body configuration are described. An example inspection robot may have a center body with a plurality of connected drive modules, each drive module having a sensing circuit to measure a drive module operating characteristic, and a visual indicator circuit to output a first visual indicator corresponding to the drive module operating characteristic. The visual indicator circuits of each of the plurality of drive modules are positioned to be simultaneously visible at a point of view.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho
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Publication number: 20220334582Abstract: Inspection robots with configurable interface plates are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing with at least three removable interface plates, each removable interface plate having a coupling interface for an electronic component on a first side, and coupled to at least one of a plurality of electronic boards on a second side. The example inspection robot may further include a drive module configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates, and a payload configured to couple to at least one of the removable interface plates. The example inspection robot may further include a means for operating the inspection robot in response to the drive module coupled to one of the removable interface plates, and the payload coupled to any other one of the removable interface plates.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Michael A. Binger, Katherine Virginia Denner
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Publication number: 20220331986Abstract: Methods and apparatus for verifiable inspection operations are described. An example apparatus may have an inspection description circuit to interpret an inspection definition value and a payload status circuit to provide a payload identification value in response to at least one of a payload specific configuration or signals from a payload. The example apparatus may also have an inspection integrity circuit to determine an inspection description value in response to the inspection definition value and the payload identification value and an inspection reporting circuit to communicate the inspection description value to an external device.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho, Kevin Y. Low, Michael A. Binger
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Publication number: 20220331978Abstract: Inspection robots with removeable interface plates and method for configuring payload interfaces are described. An example robot may include a payload, with at least one sensor, mounted to a housing of the inspection robot. The housing may include a removeable interface plate coupled to the at least one sensor and to an electronic board, the electronic board positioned within the housing. The removeable interface plate may define an electrical coupling interface compatible with the payload, and the electronic board may include an electrical processing configuration compatible with the payload.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Michael A. Binger, Katherine Virginia Denner, Michael Stephen Auda, Kevin Y. Low, Samuel Theodore Westenberg, Alexander R. Cuti, Ignacio J. Cordova, Francesco H. Trogu
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Publication number: 20220331979Abstract: Inspection robots with center encoders are described. An example inspection robot may have a housing, and a drive module, where the drive module has a wheel and a motor and is operatively coupled to the housing., The example inspection robot may also have an encoder to provide a movement value, where the encoder is positioned within a footprint of the housing. The example inspection robot may also have a controller with an encoder conversion circuit to calculate a distance value in response to the movement value, a location circuit to determine at least one of a robot location value or a robot speed value, and a position command circuit to provide a position action command in response to the robot location value or the robot speed value. The drive module may be responsive to the position action command to move the inspection robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Kevin Y. Low
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Publication number: 20220331949Abstract: Systems for reprogrammable inspection robots are described. An example system may include an inspection robot having a housing, a payload interface, a drive module interface, and a tether interface. The system may further include a first electronic board having a primary functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a base station and a second electronic board operationally coupled to the payload interface, the second electronic board having a payload functionality circuit coupled to a selected payload through the payload interface. The example system may further include a third electronic board operationally coupled to the drive module interface, the third electronic board having a drive module functionality circuit communicatively coupled to a selected drive module through the drive module interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2022Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho
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Patent number: 11472032Abstract: An inspection robot, and methods and a controller thereof are disclosed. An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis including a plurality of inspection sensors and coupled to at least one drive module to drive the robot over an inspection surface. The inspection robot may also include a controller including an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection base data, an inspection processing circuit to determine refined inspection data, and an inspection configuration circuit to determine an inspection response value in response to the refined inspection data. The controller may further include an inspection response circuit to, in response to the inspection response value, provide an inspection command value while the inspection robot is interrogating the inspection surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Benjamin A. Guise, Alexander C. Watt, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho, Francesco H. Trogu, Domenic P. Rodriguez
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Patent number: 11472031Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Francesco H. Trogu, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Alexander C. Watt, Michael Stephen Auda, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Samuel Theodore Westenberg, Katherine Virginia Denner, Benjamin A. Guise, Yizhu Gu, Todd Joslin, Mark J. Loosararian, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho
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Patent number: 11472033Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods for providing an inspection map are disclosed. An apparatus for performing an inspection may include an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection data, a robot positioning circuit to interpret position data, and a processed data circuit to link the inspection data with the position data to determine position-based inspection data. The apparatus may further include a user interaction circuit to interpret an inspection visualization request for an inspection map and an inspection visualization circuit to determine the inspection map based on the position-based inspection data, and a provisioning circuit structured to provide the inspection map to a user device.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Benjamin A. Guise, Alexander C. Watt, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Todd Joslin, Yizhu Gu, Mark Cho, Francesco H. Trogu, Edwin H. Cho, Domenic P. Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20220196445Abstract: Inspection robots for horizontal tube inspection are described. An example inspection robot may include a drive module structured to engage a top tube of a vertically arranged layer of tubes, an encoder, at least one telescoping pole, and a lowering mechanism operationally coupled to the at least one telescoping pole and structured to selectively extend or retract the at least one telescoping pole, thereby providing a selected vertical position of a swappable sensor carriage assembly. The swappable sensor carriage assembly may be coupled to the at least one telescoping pole, and structured to accept at least one of a plurality of sensors, including at least one of an ultrasonic sensor, a laser profiler, or a camera and a light.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2022Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: Kevin Low, Edward Bryner, Logan MacKenzie, Joshua Moore, Michael S. Auda, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho
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Patent number: 11307063Abstract: An inspection apparatus for inspecting horizontal tubes in an industrial environment includes a drive module including a pair of wheels to engage a top tube of a vertically arranged layer of tubes, a telescoping pole, a sensor carriage assembly coupled to the telescoping pole, a lowering mechanism operationally coupled to the telescoping pole to selectively extend or retract the telescoping pole providing a selected vertical position of the sensor carriage assembly, and an encoder including a passive wheel, a spring, and a sliding coupler. The spring biases the passive wheel toward the top tube to ensure contact between the passive wheel and a surface of the top tube.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2019Date of Patent: April 19, 2022Assignee: GTC Law Group PC & AffiliatesInventors: Kevin Low, Edward Bryner, Logan MacKenzie, Joshua Moore, Michael S. Auda, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho
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Patent number: 11148292Abstract: Controllers for inspection robots traversing an obstacle are described. In an embodiment a controller may include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by an obstacle sensor of an inspection robot, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The controller may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Mark J. Loosararian, Edwin H. Cho, Katherine Virginia Denner
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Publication number: 20210060783Abstract: Controllers for inspection robots traversing an obstacle are disclosed. An example controller may include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by an obstacle sensor of an inspection robot, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The example controller may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Mark J. Loosararian, Edwin H. Cho, Katherine Virginia Denner
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Publication number: 20200306969Abstract: System and methods for traversing an obstacle with an inspection robot are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot including an obstacle sensor to interrogate an inspection surface. The example may further include an obstacle sensory data circuit to interpret obstacle sensory data provided by the obstacle sensor, an obstacle processing circuit to determine refined obstacle data, and an obstacle notification circuit to generate and provide obstacle notification data to a user interface device. The example system may further include a user interface circuit to interpret a user request value from the user interface device, and to determine an obstacle response command value in response to the user request value; and an obstacle configuration circuit to provide the obstacle response command value to the inspection robot during the interrogating of the inspection surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2020Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Mark J. Loosararian, Edwin H. Cho, Katherine Virginia Denner
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Publication number: 20200262067Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring a robot for inspecting an inspection surface are disclosed. An example system may include an inspection robot having a payload coupled to at least two inspection sensors and a controller. The controller may include a route profile processing circuit to interpret route profile data for the inspection robot, a configuration determining circuit to determine one or more configurations for the inspection robot in response to the route profile data; and a configuration processing circuit to provide configuration data in response to the determined one or more configurations, the configuration data defining, at least in part, one or more inspection characteristics for the inspection robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2020Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho
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Publication number: 20200262261Abstract: An inspection robot includes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2020Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Mark J. Loosararian, Michael A. Binger, Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Alexander R. Cuti, Ignacio J. Cordova, Benjamin A. Guise, Dillon R. Jourde, Kevin Y. Low, Logan A. MacKenzie, Joshua D. Moore, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Francesco H. Trogu, Alex C. Watt, Yizhu Gu, Ian Miller, Todd Joslin, Katherine Virginia Denner, Michael Stephen Auda, Samuel Theodore Westenberg
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Publication number: 20200262072Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for tracking location of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus for tracking inspection data may include an inspection chassis having a plurality of inspection sensors configured to interrogate an inspection surface, a first drive module and a second drive module, both coupled to the inspection chassis. The first and second drive module may each include a passive encoder wheel and a non-contact sensor positioned in proximity to the passive encoder wheel, wherein the non-contact sensor provides a movement value corresponding to the first passive encoder wheel. An inspection position circuit may determine a relative position of the inspection chassis in response to the movement values from the first and second drive modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2020Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20190242728Abstract: An inspection apparatus and methods for inspecting horizontal tubes in an industrial environment are disclosed. The apparatus can include a drive module including a pair of wheels to engage a top tube of a vertically arranged layer of tubes, a telescoping pole, a sensor carriage assembly coupled to the telescoping pole, and a lowering mechanism operationally coupled to the telescoping pole to selectively extend or retract the telescoping pole providing a selected vertical position of the sensor carriage assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 17, 2019Publication date: August 8, 2019Inventors: Kevin Low, Edward Bryner, Logan MacKenzie, Joshua Moore, Michael S. Auda, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho