Patents by Inventor Frederick D. Hook

Frederick D. Hook 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).

  • Proximity sensing on mobile robots
    Patent number: 8862271
    Abstract: A proximity sensor includes first and second sensors disposed on a sensor body adjacent to one another. The first sensor is one of an emitter and a receiver. The second sensor is the other one of an emitter and a receiver. A third sensor is disposed adjacent the second sensor opposite the first sensor. The third sensor is an emitter if the first sensor is an emitter or a receiver if the first sensor is a receiver. Each sensor is positioned at an angle with respect to the other two sensors. Each sensor has a respective field of view. A first field of view intersects a second field of view defining a first volume that detects a floor surface within a first threshold distance. The second field of view intersects a third field of view defining a second volume that detects a floor surface within a second threshold distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Steven V. Shamlian, Samuel Duffley, Nikolai Romanov, Frederick D. Hook, Mario E. Munich, Dhiraj Goel