Patents Examined by Bao Long T Nguyen
-
Patent number: 10011014Abstract: The present embodiments relate to a method for determining a unique spatial relation of a medical device to an object. The medical device includes a registration mechanism with a first determination of the spatial relation of the medical device to the object by the registration mechanism by a first method for determining a relation of this kind, and with a second determination of the spatial relation of the medical device to the object by the registration mechanism by a second method for determining a relation of this kind.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2016Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Robert Divoky, Philip Mewes
-
Patent number: 10011011Abstract: A displaying apparatus includes a virtual environment screen displaying a state of a robot identified, and a parameter setting screen numerically displaying the position and orientation data. When a changing a part of the position and orientation data are performed through the operating input unit, the part of the position and orientation data is changed according to the content of the operation and input. Position and orientation is calculated to identify the position or orientation of each part of the robot, based on the changed part of the position and orientation data, and new position and orientation data is calculated based on the position and orientation calculation. The content of virtual display on the virtual environment screen or numeric value display on the parameter setting screen of the displaying apparatus is updated, based on the changed part of position and orientation data, and the new position and orientation data.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2016Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Satoshi Sugaya
-
Patent number: 10005362Abstract: An electric vehicle control device includes: a plurality of motors capable of transmitting motive power to a wheel of an electric vehicle; an inverter that supplies electric power to drive the motors; and a controller that controls the inverter and compares, when the electric vehicle drives under a certain velocity condition, a q-axis voltage feedforward value VqFF and a q-axis voltage command value Vq* used for controlling driving of the motors, to detect an occurrence of miswire between the motors and the inverter when the following inequation is satisfied: VqFF?1.5·Vq*.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2014Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignees: Central Japan Railway Company, TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventors: Hirokazu Kato, Hiroki Shimoyama, Kei Sakanoue, Toshiyuki Uchida, Tomoyuki Makino, Hiroaki Otani, Manato Mori
-
Patent number: 9984513Abstract: A system and method for determining vehicle component conditions are provided. A function that maps features to door conditions is stored. Motor current measurements are obtained for a door over a predetermined time period. The features of the motor current measurements are determined based on the stored function. The features are then analyzed by mapping the features to one or more door conditions via a predetermined function. At least one condition of the door is determined based on the analyzed features.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2014Date of Patent: May 29, 2018Assignee: Palo Alto Resarch Center IncorporatedInventors: Anurag Ganguli, Rajinderjeet Singh Minhas, Johan de Kleer
-
Patent number: 9974422Abstract: A robot cleaner having a monitoring function and minimizing power consumption and/or securing communication efficiency and a method of controlling a robot cleaner are provided. The robot cleaner may include at least one sound obtaining device; at least one image obtaining device; and a controller configured to determine whether a sound obtained through the at least one sound obtaining device is abnormal, sense a direction in which an abnormal sound is generated, and obtain images in the direction in which the abnormal sound is generated. The robot cleaner may automatically recognize a surrounding situation, and when necessary, the robot cleaner may rotate and/or move in a corresponding direction and/or position to obtain images or transmit the obtained images to a remote terminal, thereby minimizing power consumption of the robot cleaner with limited power.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2014Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.Inventors: Haesoo Lee, Seunghoe Choe, Kangyoul Lee, Weonho Bae, Minjung Kang
-
Patent number: 9937014Abstract: A system and a method of controlling a surgical tool of a robotic system during autonomous movement of the surgical tool are provided. A path of movement for the surgical tool is determined. At least one acceptable orientation of the surgical tool with respect to the path is generated. The surgical tool autonomously moves along the path in the at least one acceptable orientation. Forces applied to the surgical tool are sensed. An altered orientation is identified based on the sensed forces. The surgical tool autonomously moves along the path in response to comparing the altered orientation to the at least one acceptable orientation.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2016Date of Patent: April 10, 2018Assignee: MAKO SURGICAL CORP.Inventors: David Gene Bowling, Patrick Roessler
-
Patent number: 9931749Abstract: A remote presence system includes a robot, a headset, and a computer system. The robot includes a camera mounted on a motorized manipulator and a control system. The headset includes a head position sensor and a display. The computer system configured to perform operations including: receiving head movement data indicative of head movements of a user wearing the headset from the head position sensor; causing, using the head movement data, the control system of the robot to move the motorized manipulator so that the camera mimics the head movements of the user; and establishing a video feed from the camera to the display.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2016Date of Patent: April 3, 2018Inventors: John C. Nappo, Daleroy Sibanda, Emre Tanirgan, Peter A. Zachares
-
Patent number: 9925668Abstract: A robot includes: an arm; and a controller that operates the arm, the controller generating a pathway according to a relative position and a relative orientation of: a first object that moves together with the arm; and a second object and according to a first position of the first object.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2016Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation, Tohoku UniversityInventors: Takashi Nammoto, Kazuhiro Kosuge, Abhilasha Saksena
-
Patent number: 9921583Abstract: Described embodiments include a system, method, and apparatus. A system includes package management system for operating a robotic vehicle configured to transport consumer items selected by a human shopper from a consumer shopping environment and placed in the robotic vehicle. The package management system includes circuitry for receiving data indicative of a transportation departure point accommodating a transfer of a consumer item from the robotic vehicle to a conveyance configured to transport the consumer item away from the consumer shopping environment. The package management system includes circuitry for routing the robotic vehicle to the departure point. In an embodiment, the package management system includes circuitry for managing a transfer of a consumer item acquired by the individual human shopper in the consumer shopping environment from the robotic vehicle to the conveyance at the departure point.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2016Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Inventors: Alistair K. Chan, Jesse R. Cheatham, III, Hon Wah Chin, William David Duncan, Roderick A. Hyde, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
-
Patent number: 9914214Abstract: A robotic gripping device with a preshaper is provided. The robotic gripping device includes two opposable fingers, each finger having a deformable gripping surface, a base, and a fingertip. The robotic gripping device also includes an actuator coupled to the base of each of the fingers, wherein the actuator is configured to move the fingers toward and away from each other. The robotic gripping device also includes a preshaper component positionable between the fingers, wherein when the fingers are moved toward each other by the actuator and the deformable gripping surface of each finger contacts the preshaper component, the deformable gripping surface of each finger is deformed by the preshaper component such that the fingertips of each finger are curled inward toward each other.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2016Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: X Development LLCInventors: Marc Strauss, David Youmans
-
Patent number: 9914217Abstract: An integrated intelligent system includes a first intelligent electronic device, a second intelligent electronic device, a transferable intelligent control device (TICD) and a cross product bus. The first intelligent electronic device performs a first function and the second intelligent electronic device performs a second function. The cross product bus couples the first intelligent electronic device to the transferable intelligent control device. The TICD partially controls behaviors of the intelligent electronic device by sending commands over the cross product bus to the first intelligent electronic device and the TICD partially controls behaviors of the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function. The TICD is first attached to the first intelligent electronic device to partially control the behaviors of the first electronic device, then detached from the first electronic device, and then attached to the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2016Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Assignee: iRobot CorporationInventors: Michael Dooley, Nikolai Romanov, Paolo Pirjanian
-
Patent number: 9916700Abstract: Network buses in vehicles and other assets are monitored in order to obtain information and calculate alternate values of parameters relating to components connected to the bus and to send them to a management server. The device includes main code, which is common to the different vehicles or assets in a group, and a script, which is specific to each type of vehicle or asset. The script, which may be customizable, is responsible for defining the parameters to obtain and for defining how the values of the parameters are to be calculated. The script compensates for differences in the way different buses and components operate in different assets, which means that the values of like parameters obtained from different sources are all in conformance with each other. The script can be updated without interrupting the operation of the main code and the monitoring of the bus.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: March 13, 2018Inventor: Alireza Nematollahi
-
Patent number: 9903947Abstract: A boundary signal detection system distinguishes a valid boundary signal for a target region from an extraneous boundary signal for a neighboring region. The system includes electronics that convert the candidate signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to identify at least one embedded frequency in the candidate, that compare the at least one embedded frequency in the candidate signal to at least one predetermined embedded frequency of the valid boundary signal, and that identify the candidate signal as the valid boundary signal based upon the comparison.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: Deere & CompanyInventors: Colin E. Das, Brent R. Trenhaile
-
Patent number: 9902059Abstract: A robot teaching apparatus for teaching an operation of a robot measures a state of an action of a mechanism on a target object while the mechanism is acting on the target object. The mechanism has a shape or a function corresponding to a hand unit of the robot. The robot teaching apparatus generates an operation instruction for the robot based on the measured state, and records the generated operation instruction.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tetsuri Sonoda
-
Patent number: 9889564Abstract: Technologies are generally described for grasp point selection for robotic grippers through machine vision and ultrasound beam based deformation. The grasp point selection may aim to increase a probability that the grasp points on an object behave in a substantially similar way when a robotic gripper executes a corresponding grasp on the object. According to some examples, an outline of an object may be extracted from a three-dimensional (3D) image of the object and a set of points may be selected as candidate grasp points from the outline based on the candidate grasp points' potential to achieve force closure. One or more ultrasound transducers may be used to exert a local force on the candidate grasp points through an ultrasound beam and resulting local deformations may be recorded. Final grasp points may be selected based on having similar response to the force applied by the ultrasound transducers.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2015Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: EMPIRE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT LLCInventor: Harm Stefan Cronie
-
Patent number: 9878631Abstract: A system and method for management of an energy storage system for a vehicle is disclosed. The energy storage system may comprise a battery system for a vehicle such as an electric vehicle or hybrid-electric vehicle. Vehicles may be in a group of fleet. The management system may be configured to use data and information available from data sources over a network or by instrumentation/sensors for vehicle systems. Data and information could be used in a system to manage the configuration and operation of the energy storage system and components, manage/control inventory and use/life-cycle of components, and/or aggregated/analyzed in analytics function for systems and components. Predictive control of the battery system may be implemented through a management system using data sources external to the vehicle. Inventive concepts and features of the systems and methods are indicated in the specification and FIGURES.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2014Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: Elwha LLCInventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, David B. Tuckerman, Thomas Allan Weaver, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
-
Patent number: 9881498Abstract: The invention concerns a method for assessment of abnormal driving behavior to improve driving safety of a vehicle travelling on a road, using position information and motion information about said vehicle and/or at least one neighboring vehicle travelling in the proximity of said vehicle on said road. The method comprises a step of obtaining and memorizing (40, 42) a plurality of position information items and motion information items, each information item corresponding to a measuring time instant of an observation time interval and a step of obtaining (44) at least one estimate of the reference value for said vehicle and/or its at least one neighboring vehicles travelling on said road during the observation time interval.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2014Date of Patent: January 30, 2018Assignee: INRIA INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN INFORMATIOInventors: Igor Evguenyevitch Paromtchik, Christian Laugier
-
Patent number: 9862093Abstract: Example methods and systems for determining 3D scene geometry by projecting patterns of light onto a scene are provided. In an example method, a first projector may project a first random texture pattern having a first wavelength and a second projector may project a second random texture pattern having a second wavelength. A computing device may receive sensor data that is indicative of an environment as perceived from a first viewpoint of a first optical sensor and a second viewpoint of a second optical sensor. Based on the received sensor data, the computing device may determine corresponding features between sensor data associated with the first viewpoint and sensor data associated with the second viewpoint. And based on the determined corresponding features, the computing device may determine an output including a virtual representation of the environment that includes depth measurements indicative of distances to at least one object.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2015Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: X Development LLCInventors: Gary Bradski, Kurt Konolige, Ethan Rublee
-
Patent number: 9855657Abstract: A method and system for planning and optimizing the movement of a robotic device comprises establishing a plurality of spatial locations where the device can possibly be positioned and establishing rule sets for constraining movement of the robotic device between the locations. Once a start and end point have been determined, the method of the invention calculates all possible routes for the device to move, via the established locations and following the constraints of the rule sets. The calculated routes are then compared to a criteria, such as minimizing time, and an optimum route, meeting the desired criteria is determined. The calculated routes may also be cached for future access. The invention also provides for an error recovery method for allowing a robotic device to recover should it encounter an error.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2004Date of Patent: January 2, 2018Assignee: Thermo CRS Ltd.Inventors: Daniel Curtis McCrackin, Stephen Wayne Johnson
-
Patent number: 9844847Abstract: A machine tool can prevent cutting fluid or the like, which has occurred within a cover, from leaking out through an opening when a door provided in the cover is open. The machine tool includes a door for opening and closing an opening provided in a cover for defining a work space, and a partition member which is attached, as a member separated from the door, to the cover and which shields a part of the opening to define a small opening smaller than the opening.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2016Date of Patent: December 19, 2017Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventor: Ryuuji Suzuki