Patents by Inventor Noe Esparza
Noe Esparza 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: 20220300043Abstract: A system for cooking a food product may include a base, a hub, a plurality of cooking plates, a plurality of wipers, a spatula assembly, a backstop, an infrared (IR) sensor, and a proximity sensor. The hub may rotate relative to the base. The cooking plates are rotatable with the hub among a plurality of cooking stations. The wipers extend outward from a periphery of the hub. The backstop may be fixed relative to the base and may include one or more additional wipers contacting one or more of the cooking plates. The spatula assembly may cooperate with the backstop to pick up the food product from the one of the cooking stations. The IR sensor may measure a temperature of the food product on one of the cooking plates. The proximity sensor may detect a position of the food product on one of the cooking plates.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2022Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Michael BALSAMO, Steven FREHN, Alexandros VARDAKOSTAS, Noe ESPARZA, Andrew STULC, Matthew WILLIAMS
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Patent number: 11375849Abstract: A system for cooking a food product may include a base, a hub, a plurality of cooking plates, a plurality of wipers, a spatula assembly, a backstop, an infrared (IR) sensor, and a proximity sensor. The hub may rotate relative to the base. The cooking plates are rotatable with the hub among a plurality of cooking stations. The wipers extend outward from a periphery of the hub. The backstop may be fixed relative to the base and may include one or more additional wipers contacting one or more of the cooking plates. The spatula assembly may cooperate with the backstop to pick up the food product from the one of the cooking stations. The IR sensor may measure a temperature of the food product on one of the cooking plates. The proximity sensor may detect a position of the food product on one of the cooking plates.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2019Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: Creator, Inc.Inventors: Michael Balsamo, Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Noe Esparza, Andrew Stulc, Matthew Williams
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Publication number: 20220193690Abstract: A system includes a food dispenser, a cooking surface, and an arm assembly. The arm assembly is configured to receive a food product from the food dispenser and transport the food product to the cooking surface. The arm assembly includes an arm portion, an actuator, a cylinder, and a piston. The actuator drives rotation of the arm portion about a first rotational axis. The cylinder is attached to the arm portion and is rotatable relative to the arm portion about a second rotational axis. The piston is axially movable within the cylinder. The piston includes multiple stages. At least one of the stages is movable axially relative to another of the stages between a first position and a second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 14, 2022Publication date: June 23, 2022Inventors: James BRINKMAN, Steven FREHN, Alexandros VARDAKOSTAS, Michael BALSAMO, Noe ESPARZA
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Patent number: 11350794Abstract: A tray apparatus includes an elongated platform and a tray mechanism. The tray mechanism includes a plate disposed onto the platform and an arm assembly coupled to the plate and including a post and an arm. The post is coupled to the plate and extends upwardly therefrom. The arm is rotatably coupled to the post between a first position and a second position. The plate receives a box containing foodstuffs from a conveyance apparatus. The plate moves in a first direction when moving from a first state toward a second state. The arm is configured to contact the box and rotate from the first position toward the second position when the plate is moving in the first direction. The arm is configured to contact and move the box in a second direction opposite the first along the platform when the plate moves from the second state toward the first state.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2019Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Creator, Inc.Inventors: Noe Esparza, James Brinkman, Jaylyn Daugherty, Abigail Soong
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Publication number: 20220124881Abstract: A temperature sensing device for a heating surface for food products includes a temperature probe configured to be coupled to the heating surface and to generate an electrical signal indicative of a temperature of the heating surface. The device includes a controller in electrical communication with the temperature probe. The device includes a wireless transmitter in electrical communication with the controller. The controller is configured to read the electrical signal from the temperature probe and to provide an output signal to the wireless transmitter. The wireless transmitter is configured to wirelessly transmit a temperature signal to a transceiver based on the output signal. The wireless transmitter is configured to wirelessly receive energy. The controller is configured to be powered by the received energy from the wireless transmitter.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2021Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: Michael BALSAMO, Cameron BENNETT, Jeff C. JENSEN, Noe ESPARZA, Steven FREHN, Wayne GROUT, Maxwell GOODMAN, Molly HOELPER, Andrew STULC, Larry G. KISER, Leo AMAR
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Patent number: 11278910Abstract: A system includes a food dispenser, a cooking surface, and an arm assembly. The arm assembly is configured to receive a food product from the food dispenser and transport the food product to the cooking surface. The arm assembly includes an arm portion, an actuator, a cylinder, and a piston. The actuator drives rotation of the arm portion about a first rotational axis. The cylinder is attached to the arm portion and is rotatable relative to the arm portion about a second rotational axis. The piston is axially movable within the cylinder. The piston includes multiple stages. At least one of the stages is movable axially relative to another of the stages between a first position and a second position.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2019Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: Creator, Inc.Inventors: James Brinkman, Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Michael Balsamo, Noe Esparza
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Publication number: 20220048660Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a single container for containing foodstuffs includes a housing, a lift subassembly, and a transfer subassembly. The housing at least partially defines an inner area. The lift subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The lift subassembly includes a nest configured to support a plurality of containers disposed in a stack and translate with respect to the housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. The transfer subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The transfer subassembly includes a end effector. The end effector is configured to operatively engage a first container of the plurality of containers to remove the first container from the stack and move the first container outside of the inner area.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2021Publication date: February 17, 2022Inventors: Maxwell GOODMAN, Jaylyn DAUGHERTY, Noe ESPARZA, Abigail SOONG
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Patent number: 11161639Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a single box for containing foodstuffs includes a housing, a lift subassembly, and a transfer subassembly. The housing at least partially defines an inner area. The lift subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The lift subassembly includes a nest configured to support a plurality of boxes disposed in a stack and translate with respect to the housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. The transfer subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The transfer subassembly includes a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup is configured to operatively engage a first box of the plurality of boxes to remove the first box from the stack and pivot the first box about a rotational axis to a surface outside of the inner area.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Creator, Inc.Inventors: Maxwell Goodman, Jaylyn Daugherty, Noe Esparza, Abigail Soong
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Publication number: 20210269186Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a single box for containing foodstuffs includes a housing, a lift subassembly, and a transfer subassembly. The housing at least partially defines an inner area. The lift subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The lift subassembly includes a nest configured to support a plurality of boxes disposed in a stack and translate with respect to the housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. The transfer subassembly is coupled to the housing and disposed at least partially within the inner area. The transfer subassembly includes a vacuum suction cup. The vacuum suction cup is configured to operatively engage a first box of the plurality of boxes to remove the first box from the stack and pivot the first box about a rotational axis to a surface outside of the inner area.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2019Publication date: September 2, 2021Inventors: Maxwell GOODMAN, Jaylyn DAUGHERTY, Noe ESPARZA, Abigail SOONG
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Publication number: 20200397192Abstract: A tray apparatus includes an elongated platform and a tray mechanism. The tray mechanism includes a plate disposed onto the platform and an arm assembly coupled to the plate and including a post and an arm. The post is coupled to the plate and extends upwardly therefrom. The arm is rotatably coupled to the post between a first position and a second position. The plate receives a box containing foodstuffs from a conveyance apparatus. The plate moves in a first direction when moving from a first state toward a second state. The arm is configured to contact the box and rotate from the first position toward the second position when the plate is moving in the first direction. The arm is configured to contact and move the box in a second direction opposite the first along the platform when the plate moves from the second state toward the first state.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2019Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Noe ESPARZA, James BRINKMAN, Jaylyn DAUGHERTY, Abigail SOONG
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Patent number: 10743710Abstract: One variation of a system for cooking food includes: a griddle module including a lower plate configured to receive a food product and an upper plate arranged over the lower plate and configured to contact the food product; a set of induction stations, each induction station including a lower coil configured to inductively couple to the lower plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station and an upper coil configured to inductively couple to the upper plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station; a hub configured to support the lower plate and the upper plate between the upper and lower coils of the induction stations and to sequentially position the griddle module through the set of induction stations; and a controller configured to drive the upper and lower coils to heat the food product between the lower plate and the upper plate.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2017Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Creator, Inc.Inventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Michael Balsamo, Noe Esparza, Matthew Williams
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Publication number: 20200101469Abstract: A system includes a food dispenser, a cooking surface, and an arm assembly. The arm assembly is configured to receive a food product from the food dispenser and transport the food product to the cooking surface. The arm assembly includes an arm portion, an actuator, a cylinder, and a piston. The actuator drives rotation of the arm portion about a first rotational axis. The cylinder is attached to the arm portion and is rotatable relative to the arm portion about a second rotational axis. The piston is axially movable within the cylinder. The piston includes multiple stages. At least one of the stages is movable axially relative to another of the stages between a first position and a second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2019Publication date: April 2, 2020Inventors: James BRINKMAN, Steven FREHN, Alexandros VARDAKOSTAS, Michael BALSAMO, Noe ESPARZA
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Publication number: 20190298104Abstract: A system for cooking a food product may include a base, a hub, a plurality of cooking plates, a plurality of wipers, a spatula assembly, a backstop, an infrared (IR) sensor, and a proximity sensor. The hub may rotate relative to the base. The cooking plates are rotatable with the hub among a plurality of cooking stations. The wipers extend outward from a periphery of the hub. The backstop may be fixed relative to the base and may include one or more additional wipers contacting one or more of the cooking plates. The spatula assembly may cooperate with the backstop to pick up the food product from the one of the cooking stations. The IR sensor may measure a temperature of the food product on one of the cooking plates. The proximity sensor may detect a position of the food product on one of the cooking plates.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Inventors: Michael BALSAMO, Steven FREHN, Alexandros VARDAKOSTAS, Noe ESPARZA, Andrew STULC, Matthew WILLIAMS
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Publication number: 20180035843Abstract: One variation of a system for cooking food includes: a griddle module including a lower plate configured to receive a food product and an upper plate arranged over the lower plate and configured to contact the food product; a set of induction stations, each induction station including a lower coil configured to inductively couple to the lower plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station and an upper coil configured to inductively couple to the upper plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station; a hub configured to support the lower plate and the upper plate between the upper and lower coils of the induction stations and to sequentially position the griddle module through the set of induction stations; and a controller configured to drive the upper and lower coils to heat the food product between the lower plate and the upper plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2017Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Steven FREHN, Alexandros VARDAKOSTAS, Michael BALSAMO, Noe ESPARZA, Matthew WILLIAMS
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Patent number: 9788687Abstract: One variation of a system for cooking food includes: a griddle module including a lower plate configured to receive a food product and an upper plate arranged over the lower plate and configured to contact the food product; a set of induction stations, each induction station including a lower coil configured to inductively couple to the lower plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station and an upper coil configured to inductively couple to the upper plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station; a hub configured to support the lower plate and the upper plate between the upper and lower coils of the induction stations and to sequentially position the griddle module through the set of induction stations; and a controller configured to drive the upper and lower coils to heat the food product between the lower plate and the upper plate.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Michael Balsamo, Noe Esparza, Matthew Williams
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Publication number: 20160331176Abstract: One variation of a system for cooking food includes: a griddle module including a lower plate configured to receive a food product and an upper plate arranged over the lower plate and configured to contact the food product; a set of induction stations, each induction station including a lower coil configured to inductively couple to the lower plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station and an upper coil configured to inductively couple to the upper plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station; a hub configured to support the lower plate and the upper plate between the upper and lower coils of the induction stations and to sequentially position the griddle module through the set of induction stations; and a controller configured to drive the upper and lower coils to heat the food product between the lower plate and the upper plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Michael Balsamo, Noe Esparza, Matt Williams
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Patent number: 9494341Abstract: The present invention relates to a highly-available and fault-tolerant solar tracking system and the process required to manage such a system. A fleet of multiple, redundant mobile robots managed by a task coordinator is deployed to track solar panels in a solar farm in alignment with the sun. Each robot has a control unit for engaging with a coupler connected to one or multiple solar panels and adjusting their orientation, as well as communicating with the task coordinator to receive tasks. The task coordinator senses various events such as robot failure/deterioration, as well as various environmental conditions, and sends tasks reconciled with event types. The system is highly-available and fault-tolerant as it remains operational as long as there is one operational robot. The task coordinator assigns tasks to the mobile robots so as to optimize battery life or other factors, such as, e.g., overall maintenance costs across the fleet.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2013Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: SolarCity CorporationInventors: Salomon J. Trujillo, Vayardo L. Ruiz, Noe Esparza, Jessica A. Riley, Kevin C. Chu, Wasiq Bokhari
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Publication number: 20150073594Abstract: The present invention relates to a highly-available and fault-tolerant solar tracking system and the process required to manage such a system. A fleet of multiple, redundant mobile robots managed by a task coordinator is deployed to track solar panels in a solar farm in alignment with the sun. Each robot has a control unit for engaging with a coupler connected to one or multiple solar panels and adjusting their orientation, as well as communicating with the task coordinator to receive tasks. The task coordinator senses various events such as robot failure/deterioration, as well as various environmental conditions, and sends tasks reconciled with event types. The system is highly-available and fault-tolerant as it remains operational as long as there is one operational robot. The task coordinator assigns tasks to the mobile robots so as to optimize battery life or other factors, such as, e.g., overall maintenance costs across the fleet.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2013Publication date: March 12, 2015Inventors: Salomon J. Trujillo, Vayardo L. Ruiz, Noe Esparza, Jessica A. Rlley, Kevin C. Chu, Wasiq Bokhari