Patents by Inventor Ming-Feng Jean

Ming-Feng Jean 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).

  • Publication number: 20210018893
    Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Dragan Jurkovic, Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Chang-Chu Liao, Ming-Feng Jean, Kuo-Hung Lee, Yen-Hsi Liu, Hung-Yu Wu
  • Patent number: 10795335
    Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Dragan Jurkovic, Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Chang-Chu Liao, Ming-Feng Jean, Kuo-Hung Lee, Yen-Hsi Liu, Hung-Yu Wu
  • Publication number: 20200229544
    Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Kuo-Hung Lee, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean, Chang-Chu Liao
  • Publication number: 20200215643
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Patent number: 10667581
    Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Kuo-Hung Lee, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean, Chang-Chu Liao
  • Publication number: 20200143091
    Abstract: A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Dragan Jurkovic, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Patent number: 10610958
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, INC.
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Patent number: 10552551
    Abstract: A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Dragan Jurkovic, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Patent number: 10524544
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for collecting three-dimensional surface data of a lasted shoe upper that is mated with a sole that is configured for the lasted upper. The mated three-dimensional data is used with three-dimensional data of the lasted shoe upper in an unmated configuration with the sole to determine a location of an edge defined by the intersection of the lasted upper and the sole when mated. The bite line identifies an edge where the upper and a sole assembly will intersect on a finished shoe, which may represent a bounding line for application of adhesive to the lasted upper for boding the sole thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventors: Dragan Jurkovic, Ming-Feng Jean, Chih-Chi Chang, Chin-Yi Lin
  • Publication number: 20190360797
    Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick C. Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Patent number: 10393512
    Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick C. Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Publication number: 20190210145
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Publication number: 20190133258
    Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Kuo-Hung Lee, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean, Chang-Chu Liao
  • Patent number: 10272518
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Patent number: 10194716
    Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Kuo-Hung Lee, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean, Chang-Chu Liao
  • Publication number: 20180326596
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods of manufacturing an article using electroadhesion technology for the pick-up and release of materials, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Harsha PRAHLAD, Richard J. CASLER, Susan KIM, Matthew LEETTOLA, Jon SMITH, Kenneth TAN, Patrick WANG, John Mathew FARREN, Patrick Conall REGAN, Po Cheng CHEN, Howard FU, Dragan JURKOVIC, Aishwarya VARADHAN, Chang-Chu LIAO, Chih-Chi CHANG, Kuo-Hung LEE, Ming-Feng JEAN
  • Publication number: 20180319019
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods of manufacturing an article using electroadhesion technology, either as a sole modality of handling such materials or in concert with at least one mechanically actuated modality for the pick-up and release of materials, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Harsha PRAHLAD, Richard J. CASLER, Susan KIM, Matthew LEETTOLA, Jon SMITH, Kenneth TAN, Patrick WANG, John Mathew FARREN, Patrick Conall REGAN, Po Cheng CHEN, Howard FU, Honam KO, Dragan JURKOVIC, Aishwarya VARADHAN, Tsung Tai CHIEN, Chang-Chu LIAO, Chih-Chi CHANG, Kuo-Hung LEE, Ming-Feng JEAN, TaeHoun KIM, Qingde CHEN, Greg MILLER
  • Publication number: 20180178315
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean
  • Publication number: 20180129185
    Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by executing various shoe-manufacturing processes in an automated fashion. For example, information describing a shoe part may be determined, such as an identification, an orientation, a color, a surface topography, an alignment, a size, etc. Based on the information describing the shoe part, automated shoe-manufacturing apparatuses may be instructed to apply various shoe-manufacturing processes to the shoe part, such as a pickup and placement of the shoe part with a pickup tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Dragan Jurkovic, Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Chang-Chu Liao, Ming-Feng Jean, Kuo-Hung Lee, Yen-Hsi Liu, Hung-Yu Wu
  • Patent number: 9937585
    Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Conall Regan, Chih-Chi Chang, Kuo-Hung Lee, Ming-Feng Jean