Patents by Inventor Mary Ellen Sparrow
Mary Ellen Sparrow 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: 20220185585Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot including frame defining a payload holding area with a payload seating surface, and having a wheeled traverse system dependent from the frame for substantially free unrestricted roving of the autonomous mobile robot on a riding surface in a facility space, at least one drive section connected to the frame, and at least one motor defining at least one independent degree of freedom; and an articulated pick arm dependent from the frame, the articulated pick arm having an end effector configured so as to stably hold a container therewith, and being operably connected to the at least one motor so that the at least one independent degree of freedom extends and retracts, and raises and lowers the articulated pick arm defining a range of motion of the end effector spanning from an elevation below a lowermost level of the payload seating surface onto the payload seating surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2020Publication date: June 16, 2022Inventors: Stephen Toebes, Mary Ellen Sparrow
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Patent number: 11292667Abstract: An automated guided vehicle includes a frame forming a payload area, a vacuum case transfer mechanism having one or more degrees of freedom and configured to vacuum-couple with a case, and a friction case transfer mechanism that is configured to grip the case and at least cooperate with the vacuum case transfer mechanism to effect transfer of the case to the payload area.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 5, 2022Assignee: Jasci Robotics, LLC.Inventors: Stephen Toebes, Mary Ellen Sparrow
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Patent number: 10703567Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2019Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: NEXTSHIFT ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Charles Grinnell, Joe Jones, John Kawola, Mary Ellen Sparrow, Stephen C. Toebes, Clara Vu, Matthew Aprea
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Publication number: 20200055671Abstract: An automated guided vehicle includes a frame forming a payload area, a vacuum case transfer mechanism having one or more degrees of freedom and configured to vacuum-couple with a case, and a friction case transfer mechanism that is configured to grip the case and at least cooperate with the vacuum case transfer mechanism to effect transfer of the case to the payload area.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2019Publication date: February 20, 2020Inventors: Stephen Toebes, Mary Ellen Sparrow
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Publication number: 20190389659Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2019Publication date: December 26, 2019Inventors: Charles GRINNELL, Joe JONES, John KAWOLA, Mary Ellen SPARROW, Stephen C. TOEBES, Clara VU, Matthew APREA
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Patent number: 10399777Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2018Date of Patent: September 3, 2019Assignee: Nextshift Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Charles Grinnell, Joe Jones, John Kawola, Mary Ellen Sparrow, Stephen C. Toebes, Clara Vu, Matthew Aprea
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Publication number: 20180346246Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Charles GRINNELL, Joe JONES, John KAWOLA, Mary Ellen SPARROW, Stephen C. TOEBES, Clara VU, Matthew APREA
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Patent number: 10040630Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload, the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Nextshift Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Charles Grinnell, Joe Jones, John Kawola, Mary Ellen Sparrow, Stephen C. Toebes, Clara Vu, Matthew Aprea
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Publication number: 20170297820Abstract: An autonomous transport robot for transporting a payload the autonomous transport robot includes a payload bed having at least one reference datum surface and at least one payload justification device, the at least one payload justification device being configured to position a payload on the payload bed in substantial contact with the at least one reference datum surface to place the payload in a predetermined position on the payload bed.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2017Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Charles GRINNELL, Joe JONES, John KAWOLA, Mary Ellen SPARROW, Stephen C. TOEBES, Clara VU, Matthew APREA
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Patent number: 9694977Abstract: A storage fill and retrieval system includes fixed storage locations distributed in a storage space and defining at least one human pick zone having at least one collection tote location, at least one autonomous mobile robot configured for holding and transporting a tote within the storage space and having an end effector arranged for autonomous transfer of the tote between the at least one robot and a tote holding station and a collection tote location, and a storage management system communicably connected to the at least one robot and configured to associate each robot with a human pick zone, wherein the at least one robot is configured to transport the tote to the collection tote location of each associated human pick zone, and wherein each collection tote location is arranged for human picker access and defines an interface between a human picker and the at least one robot.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2015Date of Patent: July 4, 2017Assignee: NEXTSHIFT ROBOTICS, INC.Inventors: Matthew Aprea, Charles Grinnell, Joe Jones, John Kawola, Mary Ellen Sparrow, Stephen C. Toebes, Clara Vu
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Publication number: 20160101940Abstract: A storage fill and retrieval system includes fixed storage locations distributed in a storage space and defining at least one human pick zone having at least one collection tote location, at least one autonomous mobile robot configured for holding and transporting a tote within the storage space and having an end effector arranged for autonomous transfer of the tote between the at least one robot and a tote holding station and a collection tote location, and a storage management system communicably connected to the at least one robot and configured to associate each robot with a human pick zone, wherein the at least one robot is configured to transport the tote to the collection tote location of each associated human pick zone, and wherein each collection tote location is arranged for human picker access and defines an interface between a human picker and the at least one robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2015Publication date: April 14, 2016Inventors: Charles GRINNELL, Joe Jones, John KAWOLA, Mary Ellen SPARROW, Stephen C. TOEBES, Clara VU, Matthew APREA
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Patent number: 6285951Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for dynamically routing a material transport vehicle using traffic based parameters. A controller directed to allocate a material transport vehicle to a particular node, selects the material transport vehicle that is physically closest to the particular node. The controller calculates an optimal route by identifying the possible routes between the initial node of the material transport vehicle and the destination node, and analyzing each of the nodes within each identified route according to a metric function by calculating a metric function value for each identified route. The controller then selects the route for the material transport vehicle having the smallest metric function value. The metric function may include parameters associated with each of the nodes in the material transport system including a node-to-node distance parameter, a node crossing parameter, and the number of material transport vehicles in a queue at each node within the route.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2000Date of Patent: September 4, 2001Assignee: PRI Automation, Inc.Inventors: Robert Gaskins, Thomas Mariano, Mary Ellen Sparrow