Patents by Inventor Robert Scott McFARLAND

Robert Scott McFARLAND 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: 11361543
    Abstract: An object detection system may include an imager configured to generate image data indicative of an environment in which a machine is present, and a sensor configured to generate sensor data indicative of the environment in which the machine is present. The object detection system may further include an object detection controller including one or more object detection processors configured to receive an image signal indicative of the image data, identify an object associated with the image data, and determine a first location of the object relative to the position of the imager. The one or more object detection processors may also be configured to receive a sensor signal indicative of the sensor data, and determine, based at least in part on the sensor signal, the presence or absence of the object at the first location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Charles Maley, Pranay Kumar Reddy Kontham, Robert Scott McFarland, Vamsi Krishna Pannala, Peter Joseph Petrany
  • Publication number: 20210174088
    Abstract: An object detection system may include an imager configured to generate image data indicative of an environment in which a machine is present, and a sensor configured to generate sensor data indicative of the environment in which the machine is present. The object detection system may further include an object detection controller including one or more object detection processors configured to receive an image signal indicative of the image data, identify an object associated with the image data, and determine a first location of the object relative to the position of the imager. The one or more object detection processors may also be configured to receive a sensor signal indicative of the sensor data, and determine, based at least in part on the sensor signal, the presence or absence of the object at the first location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jacob Charles Maley, Pranay Kumar Reddy Kontham, Robert Scott McFarland, Vamsi Krishna Pannala, Peter Joseph Petrany
  • Patent number: 10949685
    Abstract: A controller may process a plurality of video frames to determine an apparent motion of each pixel of one or more pixels or each group of pixels of one or more groups of pixels of each video frame of the plurality of video frames. The controller may select one or more processed video frames, of the plurality of processed video frames, that correspond to a duration of time and may generate a composite video frame based on the one or more processed video frames. The controller may generate a video frame mask based on the composite video frame and may obtain additional video data that includes at least one additional video frame. The controller may cause the video frame mask to be applied to the at least one additional video frame and may cause the at least one additional video frame to be processed using an object detection technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Petrany, Jacob C. Maley, Vamsi Pannala, Robert Scott McFarland
  • Publication number: 20210027072
    Abstract: A controller may process a plurality of video frames to determine an apparent motion of each pixel of one or more pixels or each group of pixels of one or more groups of pixels of each video frame of the plurality of video frames. The controller may select one or more processed video frames, of the plurality of processed video frames, that correspond to a duration of time and may generate a composite video frame based on the one or more processed video frames. The controller may generate a video frame mask based on the composite video frame and may obtain additional video data that includes at least one additional video frame. The controller may cause the video frame mask to be applied to the at least one additional video frame and may cause the at least one additional video frame to be processed using an object detection technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Peter PETRANY, Jacob C. MALEY, Vamsi PANNALA, Robert Scott McFARLAND