Patents by Inventor Ian H. Bernstein

Ian H. Bernstein 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).

  • Patent number: 11460837
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Patent number: 11454963
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is disclosed that includes a center of mass drive system. The self-propelled device includes a substantially cylindrical body and wheels, with each wheel having a diameter substantially equivalent to the body. The self-propelled device may further include an internal drive system with a center of mass below a rotational axis of the wheels. Operation and maneuvering of the self-propelled device may be performed via active displacement of the center of mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ross MacGregor, Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Publication number: 20220244723
    Abstract: A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Chun Kong, Ross MacGregor
  • Patent number: 11249472
    Abstract: A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system. The self-propelled device can further include an internal structure having a magnet holder that holds a first set of magnets and an external accessory comprising a second set of magnets to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Chun Kong, Ross MacGregor
  • Publication number: 20210165403
    Abstract: A self-propelled device determines an orientation for its movement based on a pre-determined reference frame. A controller device is operable by a user to control the self-propelled device. The controller device includes a user interface for controlling at least a direction of movement of the self-propelled device. The self-propelled device is configured to signal the controller device information that indicates the orientation of the self-propelled device. The controller device is configured to orient the user interface, based on the information signaled from the self-propelled device, to reflect the orientation of the self-propelled device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Brian Keith Smith
  • Publication number: 20210124346
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Patent number: 10845795
    Abstract: A self-propelled device determines an orientation for its movement based on a pre-determined reference frame. A controller device is operable by a user to control the self-propelled device. The controller device includes a user interface for controlling at least a direction of movement of the self-propelled device. The self-propelled device is configured to signal the controller device information that indicates the orientation of the self-propelled device. The controller device is configured to orient the user interface, based on the information signaled from the self-propelled device, to reflect the orientation of the self-propelled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Brian Keith Smith
  • Publication number: 20200264601
    Abstract: A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Chun Kong, Ross MacGregor
  • Publication number: 20200257283
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is disclosed that includes a center of mass drive system. The self-propelled device includes a substantially cylindrical body and wheels, with each wheel having a diameter substantially equivalent to the body. The self-propelled device may further include an internal drive system with a center of mass below a rotational axis of the wheels. Operation and maneuvering of the self-propelled device may be performed via active displacement of the center of mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Ross MacGregor, Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Patent number: 10678235
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Patent number: 10620622
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is disclosed that includes a center of mass drive system. The self-propelled device includes a substantially cylindrical body and wheels, with each wheel having a diameter substantially equivalent to the body. The self-propelled device may further include an internal drive system with a center of mass below a rotational axis of the wheels. Operation and maneuvering of the self-propelled device may be performed via active displacement of the center of mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross MacGregor, Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Patent number: 10423155
    Abstract: A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system. The self-propelled device can further include an internal structure having a magnet holder that holds a first set of magnets and an external accessory comprising a second set of magnets to magnetically interact, through the spherical housing, with the first set magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Chun Kong, Ross MacGregor
  • Patent number: 10275036
    Abstract: A wearable device can be worn by a user, and can include one or more sensors to detect user gestures performed by the user. The wearable device can further include a wireless communication module to establish a communication link with a self-propelled device, and a controller that can generate control commands based on the user gestures. The control commands may be executable to accelerate and maneuver the self-propelled device. The controller may then transmit the control commands to the self-propelled device over the communication link for execution by the self-propelled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hygh, Jeffrey Wiencrot, Ian H. Bernstein
  • Publication number: 20180364699
    Abstract: A self-propelled device includes a spherical housing and an internal drive system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Chun Kong, Ross MacGregor
  • Publication number: 20180299879
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is disclosed that includes a center of mass drive system. The self-propelled device includes a substantially cylindrical body and wheels, with each wheel having a diameter substantially equivalent to the body. The self-propelled device may further include an internal drive system with a center of mass below a rotational axis of the wheels. Operation and maneuvering of the self-propelled device may be performed via active displacement of the center of mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ross MacGregor, Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Publication number: 20180224845
    Abstract: A self-propelled device is provided including a drive system, a spherical housing, and a biasing mechanism. The drive system includes one or more motors that are contained within the spherical housing. The biasing mechanism actively forces the drive system to continuously engage an interior of the spherical housing in order to cause the spherical housing to move.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson
  • Patent number: 10022643
    Abstract: A system comprising a self-propelled device and an accessory device. The self-propelled device includes a spherical housing, and a drive system provided within the spherical housing to cause the self-propelled device to roll. When the self-propelled device rolls, the self-propelled device and the accessory device magnetically interact to maintain the accessory device in contact with a top position of the spherical housing relative to an underlying surface on which the spherical housing is rolling on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Chun Kong
  • Patent number: 10012985
    Abstract: A self-propelled device operates to interpret an input corresponding to a set of actions that are performed on a controller device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Brian Keith Smith, Jonathan Carroll
  • Publication number: 20180113449
    Abstract: A self-propelled device determines an orientation for its movement based on a pre-determined reference frame. A controller device is operable by a user to control the self-propelled device. The controller device includes a user interface for controlling at least a direction of movement of the self-propelled device. The self-propelled device is configured to signal the controller device information that indicates the orientation of the self-propelled device. The controller device is configured to orient the user interface, based on the information signaled from the self-propelled device, to reflect the orientation of the self-propelled device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: Sphero, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, Brian Keith Smith
  • Patent number: 9952590
    Abstract: A self-propelled device can determine an initial reference frame of the self-propelled device in three-dimensional space, receive control inputs from a controller device, where the control inputs can be inputted by a user on a steering mechanism of the controller device. The self-propelled device can interpret the control inputs as control commands to maneuver the self-propelled device, and implement the control commands on an internal drive system of the self-propelled device to maneuver the self-propelled device based on the control inputs. While maneuvering, the self-propelled device can determine an orientation of the internal drive system within a spherical housing of the self-propelled device in relation to the initial reference frame, and transmit feedback to the controller device based on the orientation of the internal drive system in order to calibrate an orientation of the steering mechanism with the orientation of the internal drive system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SPHERO, INC.
    Inventors: Ian H. Bernstein, Adam Wilson, David E. Hygh