Patents by Inventor Sarah Graber

Sarah Graber 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: 11556185
    Abstract: A system uses a barometer to determine both a user interface event and a change in elevation. Portable devices are often limited by space to provide a user with features that make a product useful. The system uses the barometer to measure air pressure within a cavity of a housing of a wearable device. The cavity is enclosed by a cover that appears as a physical button. The cover is attached to the housing by a flexible seal that allows the cover to move in response to changes in air pressure or physical touch. If movement of the cover causes a change in air pressure in the cavity beyond a threshold, the change is interpreted to be a user input event. Otherwise, the change in air pressure is determined to be a change in altitude. Using a barometer to determine user input allows for a compact wearable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Douglas W. Moskowitz
  • Patent number: 11349191
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for ring-shaped devices with combined battery and antenna. In one embodiment, an example device may include an inner shell, and an outer shell coupled to the inner shell, where the outer shell and inner shell together form a first side portion, a second side portion, and a lower portion of the ring-shaped device. The device may include an antenna element coupled to the outer shell and the inner shell, where the antenna element forms an upper portion of the ring-shaped device, a battery disposed adjacent to the antenna element, and a flexible printed circuit assembly disposed along the first side portion, wherein the flexible printed circuit assembly is coupled to the antenna element and the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Adrian Napoles, Ulf Jan-Ove Mattsson, Sarah Graber
  • Patent number: 11317036
    Abstract: A mobile calibration room may be used for calibrating one or more sensors used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A system can include folding or collapsible walls to enable the system to be moved between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the deployed position, the system can comprise a calibration room including one or more 2D or 3D targets used to calibrate one or more sensors (e.g., cameras) on a UAV. The system can include a turntable to rotate the UAV about a first axis during calibration. The system can also include a cradle to rotate the UAV around, or translate the UAV along, a second axis. The turntable can include a frame to rotate the UAV around a third axis during calibration. The mobile calibration room can be coupled to a vehicle to enable the mobile calibration room to be moved between locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Martin Koestinger, Barry James O'Brien, Gerald Schweighofer, Mario Sormann, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 11229121
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for ring-shaped devices with voice integration. In one embodiment, an example device may include an antenna element that at least partially forms an outer surface of the ring-shaped device, an outer shell coupled to the antenna element, an inner shell coupled to the outer shell, a curved battery disposed along a first side of the ring-shaped device, and a flexible printed circuit assembly coupled to the curved battery and disposed along a second side of the ring shaped device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Sun Joo Han, Bernhard Wildner, Adrian Napoles, Ulf Jan-Ove Mattsson, Felipe Varela, Albert John Yu Sam Chua, Brad Arnold
  • Patent number: 11172061
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for systems and methods for initiating automated actions using ring-shaped electronic devices. Example methods may include determining, by a ring-shaped electronic device comprising a button, a first user interaction with the button, determining that a first action associated with the first button sequence identifier is to initiate a synchronous communication, determining contact information associated with the first action, and initiating the synchronous communication using the contact information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Brad Arnold, Daniel Borrelli, Samuel Elbert McGowan, Joshua Watson
  • Patent number: 11093043
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for systems and methods for detecting hand gestures using ring-shaped electronic devices. Example methods may include determining, by a ring-shaped electronic device comprising a motion sensor, first motion sensor data using the motion sensor, determining a first hand motion associated with the first motion sensor data, determining a first action associated with the first hand motion, and causing the first action to be implemented at a user device that is in wireless communication with the ring-shaped electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Joshua Watson, Michael Van Gorkom, Ravikant Cherukuri
  • Patent number: 11073829
    Abstract: A system for detecting transparent elements in a vehicle environment are described. In some examples, this may include accessing an image of a scene captured by an image capture device attached to a vehicle. A reflected image present in the image may be detected. The reflected image may include a portion of the vehicle. It may be determined that the scene includes a transparent element based at least in part on detecting the reflected image present in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 10994831
    Abstract: Temperature management systems for aerial vehicles may include heat pipes that are thermally connected to components that generate heat. The heat pipes may be routed through or adjacent to a propeller or propulsion airflow, or within or across a vehicle airflow, to dissipate heat from the components. A heat pipe may be selected from a plurality of heat pipes based on measured temperatures of components that generate heat, operational characteristics of the aerial vehicle and/or one or more propellers, and/or measured temperatures of other components that may be heated. Additional temperature management systems may include cool air ducts and cool air pipes that may be routed from a propeller or propulsion airflow, or a vehicle airflow, to components that generate heat or other components that may be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Benjamin Griffin Novak, Joshua John Watson
  • Patent number: 10922984
    Abstract: Techniques for verifying a location and identification of a landing marker to aid an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to deliver a payload to a location may be provided. For example, upon receiving an indication that a UAV has arrived to a delivery location, a server computer may process one or more images of an area that are provided by the UAV and/or a user interacting with a user device. A landing marker may be identified in the image and a representation of the landing marker along with instructions to guide the UAV to deliver the payload to the landing marker may be transmitted to the UAV and implemented by the UAV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Patrick Boyd, Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Barry James O'Brien, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 10855335
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for ring-shaped devices with combined Bluetooth and NFC antenna assemblies. In one embodiment, an example device may include an inner shell, an outer shell coupled to the inner shell, where the outer shell and inner shell together form a first side portion, a second side portion, and a lower portion of the ring-shaped device, a battery, and an antenna assembly that forms an upper portion of the ring-shaped device. The antenna assembly may include a metal substrate, a ferrite layer disposed on the metal substrate, and a metallic loop structure disposed on the ferrite layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Adrian Napoles, Ulf Jan-Ove Mattsson, Sarah Graber, Jose Escobar
  • Patent number: 10721375
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting contamination on a sensor cover. In an example, an image sensor of a vehicle may be used to capture an image of an environment of the vehicle. A sensor cover may be positioned outwardly from the image sensor and may form a covered volume around at least a sensing surface of the image sensor. A light source may be positioned in the covered volume. A management module may be coupled with the image sensor. The management module may be configured to receive test image data of the environment generated by the image sensor while the light source is on, compare the test image data to baseline image data generated while the light source is off, and detect whether contamination exists on a surface of the sensor cover based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Patrick Boyd, Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Joshua John Watson
  • Patent number: 10681818
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for ring-shaped devices with voice integration. In one embodiment, an example device may include an antenna element that at least partially forms an outer surface of the ring-shaped device, an outer shell coupled to the antenna element, an inner shell coupled to the outer shell, a curved battery disposed along a first side of the ring-shaped device, and a flexible printed circuit assembly coupled to the curved battery and disposed along a second side of the ring shaped device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Sun Joo Han, Bernhard Wildner, Adrian Napoles, Ulf Jan-Ove Mattsson, Felipe Varela, Albert John Yu Sam Chua, Brad Arnold
  • Publication number: 20200178395
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for ring-shaped devices with voice integration. In one embodiment, an example device may include an antenna element that at least partially forms an outer surface of the ring-shaped device, an outer shell coupled to the antenna element, an inner shell coupled to the outer shell, a curved battery disposed along a first side of the ring-shaped device, and a flexible printed circuit assembly coupled to the curved battery and disposed along a second side of the ring shaped device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Sun Joo Han, Bernhard Wildner, Adrian Napoles, Ulf Jan-Ove Mattsson, Felipe Varela, Albert John Yu Sam Chua, Brad Arnold
  • Patent number: 10642271
    Abstract: A guidance camera deployed on a vehicle may be equipped with a zoom lens configured to change a zoom level of the guidance camera. The zoom level may be changed in response to a scenario performed by a vehicle equipped with the guidance camera, vehicle controls issued by a vehicle controller, and/or based on identification of objects in imagery captured by the guidance camera. The zoom lens may be implemented as a lens array that includes different lenses, as a wheel lens array that includes different lenses, or by a light direction device that guides light from a specific lens of different lenses into the guidance camera. Stereo cameras may be configured with the zoom lenses, and may be repositioned to ensure suitable overlap in a field of view to enable calculation of a distance of objects captured in the imagery of the stereo camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Joshua John Watson
  • Patent number: 10543906
    Abstract: Temperature management systems for aerial vehicles may include heat pipes that are thermally connected to components that generate heat. The heat pipes may be routed through or adjacent to a propeller or propulsion airflow, or within or across a vehicle airflow, to dissipate heat from the components. A heat pipe may be selected from a plurality of heat pipes based on measured temperatures of components that generate heat, operational characteristics of the aerial vehicle and/or one or more propellers, and/or measured temperatures of other components that may be heated. Additional temperature management systems may include cool air ducts and cool air pipes that may be routed from a propeller or propulsion airflow, or a vehicle airflow, to components that generate heat or other components that may be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Benjamin Griffin Novak, Joshua John Watson
  • Patent number: 10482775
    Abstract: A location marker that may be used to provide information to a vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The location marker may include a plurality of retroreflectors that may form a pattern readable by a vehicle or other device. The pattern may be read to extract an identifier of a location, such as an address or an identifier of a person. A global positioning system (GPS) device may transmit a general location of the location marker to the vehicle, while the location marker may provide a unique visual location identifier to a device within visual range of the location marker. In some embodiments, the location marker may also include lights that may be individually sequenced on and off at different times to create a time domain signal sequence that is readable by the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Patrick Boyd, Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Barry James O'Brien, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 10397495
    Abstract: A mobile calibration room may be used for calibrating one or more sensors used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A system can include folding or collapsible walls to enable the system to be moved between a stowed position and a deployed position. In the deployed position, the system can comprise a calibration room including one or more 2D or 3D targets used to calibrate one or more sensors (e.g., cameras) on a UAV. The system can include a turntable to rotate the UAV about a first axis during calibration. The system can also include a cradle to rotate the UAV around, or translate the UAV along, a second axis. The turntable can include a frame to rotate the UAV around a third axis during calibration. The mobile calibration room can be coupled to a vehicle to enable the mobile calibration room to be moved between locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Martin Koestinger, Barry James O'Brien, Gerald Schweighofer, Mario Sormann, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 10388172
    Abstract: Techniques for providing an object awareness guidance to clear a landing space may be provided. For example, during delivery an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may capture an image of a potential landing zone and identify one or more objects in the image that may impede or obstruct delivery of the item in the potential landing zone. The UAV may be configured to generate and provide instructions to a user device to move or remove the identified one or more objects from the potential landing zone thereby creating a safe and unobstructed landing zone to deliver the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott Patrick Boyd, Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Barry James O'Brien, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: 10281916
    Abstract: A method, device, and system for detecting transparent elements in a vehicle environment are described. In some examples, this may include accessing an image of a scene captured by an image capture device attached to a vehicle. A reflected image present in the image may be detected. The reflected image may include a portion of the vehicle. It may be determined that the scene includes a transparent element based at least in part on detecting the reflected image present in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chengwu Cui, Sarah Graber, Joshua John Watson, Scott Michael Wilcox
  • Patent number: D961582
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Sarah Graber, Sun Joo Han, Bernhard Wildner, Adrian Napoles, Ulf Jan-Ove Mattsson, Felipe A. Varela, Albert John Yu Sam Chua