Patents Examined by Dalena Tran
  • Patent number: 12715130
    Abstract: A method that can include receiving a three-dimensional (3D) model of the vehicle at a control system, positioning the vehicle within a 3D ground operational space, manipulating a robotic arm to position a sensor at a predetermined distance from a reference location of the vehicle, measuring, via the sensor, a distance from the sensor to the reference location, determining a relative position of the reference location based on a known relative position of the sensor in the 3D ground operational space and the measured distance, establishing an orientation of the 3D model in a virtual 3D space based on the relative position of the reference location, and manipulating the robotic arm to perform a ground operation on the vehicle based on the position of the 3D model in the virtual 3D space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2026
    Assignee: Canrig Robotic Technologies AS
    Inventors: Ørjan Helgaland Larsen, Kenneth Mikalsen
  • Patent number: 12708997
    Abstract: A robot controller acquires positions and orientations of a terminal apparatus in a physical space. The robot controller generates trajectory information indicating a trajectory of an end effector of the robot, the end effector moving to the same positions in the physical space at which the terminal apparatus was positioned, by defining positions and orientations of the end effector based on the acquired positions and orientations of the terminal apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2026
    Assignees: LAUREL BANK MACHINES CO., LTD., LAUREL PRECISION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Nakanishi, Tomohide Handa, Hiroyuki Kojima, Yoshikazu Yamagata
  • Patent number: 12697712
    Abstract: This patent defines a method for making robot programming more intuitive for tasks such as welding. The method further is an enhancement of manual guiding methods of robot positioning and can improve situations in which finer resolution or control of the robot end-effector is required. A motion sensor is mounted in series with the n?1 joint and in parallel with the nth joint, where n is the number of degrees of freedom or number of joints of the serial manipulator. The motion sensor is further mounted directly in-line with the nth joint and becomes part the opposing portion of the nth joint. The motion sensor further is uniquely adapted to apply to non-spherical wrist robots. The motion sensor senses input movements by a robot operator and controls the output tool motion in a controlled manner with resolution defined by user input at the motion sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2026
    Assignee: Robotic Technologies of Tennessee, LLC
    Inventors: James Walter Beard, III, Stephen Lee Canfield, Stephen Giovanni Zuccaro, Nicholas Canfield
  • Patent number: 12697727
    Abstract: A robot has a controller and a sensor. The sensor is communicatively coupled to the controller. The controller includes a contact response system. A safety response of the contact response system is activated for the sensor. A method of operation of the robot includes detecting, by the sensor, a contact between the robot and a human, the contact resulting from a motion of the robot, and determining, by the controller, whether the contact between the robot and the human is an expected or unexpected contact. In response to determining the contact between the robot and the human is an expected contact, the safety response is deactivated for the sensor to allow the robot to proceed with its motion uninterrupted. In response to determining the contact between the robot and the human is an unexpected contact, the contact response system causes the robot to interrupt the motion of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2026
    Assignee: Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Connor Richard Shannon, Kevin Jiaming Wu
  • Patent number: 12697730
    Abstract: A zero calibration method includes: adding, based on a first forward kinematics model of a robotic arm of a robot, zero deviations of each joint to form a second forward kinematics model, and simultaneously solving the second forward kinematics model and the first forward kinematics model to obtain an end deviation function; sending target end pose instructions to the robotic arm in a current zero point situation, and acquiring a spatial deviation of an actual position of an end; inputting position information of each joint angle and the spatial deviation, after each stop of motion of the end, into the end deviation function, and performing phase shifting to obtain an objective optimization function; and solving the objective optimization function to obtain a zero deviation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2024
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2026
    Assignee: CHINA SOUTHERN POWER GRID TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yang Wang, Hui Wu, Xiaoming Mai, Xiaoye Zhang, Peixin Li, Guoying Lin, Hao Wu, Jinghui Song, Qi Zeng, Ximeng Zhu, Qijiang Su, Junjie Guo, Ziyang Li, Jin Tan
  • Patent number: 12678952
    Abstract: A method of programming a manipulator, the method including providing a movement path for execution by the manipulator, the movement path having a plurality of points including a start point and an end point and at least one movement segment between the plurality of points; moving the manipulator to a path modifying position; and modifying the movement path from the start point to the end point based on the path modifying position upon receiving a modification input from a user. A control system for programming a manipulator, and an industrial robot including the manipulator and a control system, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Per Willför, Roger Kulläng, Anders Ekelund
  • Patent number: 12678968
    Abstract: A robot is provided. The robot includes at least one sensor, a driver, memory storing one or more computer programs, and one or more processors operatively coupled with the at least one sensor, the driver, and the memory, wherein the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the robot to detect the occurrence of an event through the at least one sensor, identify an interaction corresponding to the event, identify user context, identify an interaction parameter based on history information stored in the memory, the interaction, and the user context, control the driver to perform the interaction based on the identified interaction parameter, obtain information on a user's response according to the performed interaction, and update the history information based on information on the identified interaction parameter and the response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junggap Kuk
  • Patent number: 12678937
    Abstract: A teaching system includes a teaching point generator that generates a teaching point of a robot; an operator that is operated by a user; an image generator that generates a VR image in which a virtual robot corresponding to the robot is placed in a VR space; and a display that displays the VR image. The image generator generates the VR image in which the virtual robot moves in accordance with operation to the operator. The teaching point generator generates a teaching point corresponding to a position of the virtual robot in the VR space generated by the image generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsutoshi Asato, Yoshiki Naito, Yuma Ishi, Fumihiro Nakagawa, Shingo Mukai, Takayuki Yoshimura
  • Patent number: 12661784
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a wheel-legged robot are provided. The method includes: controlling a first wheel leg to move from a first step onto a second step, controlling a second wheel leg and an auxiliary wheel leg to be stabilized on the first step; controlling the second wheel leg to move from the first step onto the second step, controlling the first wheel leg to be stabilized on the second step, and controlling the auxiliary wheel leg to be stabilized on the first step; and controlling the auxiliary wheel leg to move from the first step onto the second step, and controlling the first wheel leg and the second wheel leg to be stabilized on the second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited
    Inventors: Shuai Wang, Jingfan Zhang
  • Patent number: 12663809
    Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for real-time autonomous path planning for a robotic device. The method includes receiving data about the robotic device in a three-dimensional workspace, encapsulating objects in the environment of the robotic device including the robotic device, a target, and one or more obstacles in simulated robotic space, calculating a direction of movement for the robotic device according to three virtual forces including a virtual attractive force, a virtual repulsive force, and a virtual tangential force acting at least partially perpendicularly relative to the virtual repulsive force, mapping each virtual force in the three-dimensional workspace into torque vectors in the simulated robotic space at each joint, converting a sum of the torque vectors into one or more commands for the robotic device defining a path to reach the target, and sending the one or more commands to the robotic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2026
    Assignee: MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Magner, Adam Philip, Robert Lucas, Bahareh Ghotbi
  • Patent number: 12658051
    Abstract: A vehicle trajectory may be evaluated based on a relative probability distribution associated with a vehicle and an object in the vehicle environment and/or based on velocities associated with the vehicle and/or the object. The relative probability distribution may be determined based on a vehicle trajectory and/or a predicted object trajectory. A collision probability and/or a collision severity may be determined based on the relative probability distribution and/or the velocities. The collision probability and/or severity may be used to determine whether the vehicle trajectory is safe and/or to inform the driving behavior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Yousef Ali Emam, Joseph Lorenzetti, Shahriar Sefati
  • Patent number: 12649243
    Abstract: A working robot operating system and method are provided. The system includes a plurality of working robots each configured to perform a work process involving deterioration of a working part and a repair process of repairing the deterioration of the working part. The system also includes a control device configured to determine an existing performance schedule in which the repair process of each of the plurality of working robots is performed based on production information of a product and specification information of a working part for each working robot. The control device is also configured to determine an optimal performance schedule of the repair process for each of the plurality of working robots based on the determined existing performance schedule, and to control the plurality of working robots so that the repair process is performed by following the determined optimal performance schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seong Sul Lee, Yeon Woo Song, Seung Ho Lee, Sun Hoon Kim, Yoon Soo Kim, Dae Won Lee
  • Patent number: 12650697
    Abstract: An autonomous driving control system for a vehicle that travels on a road provided with a marker that emits a steady magnetic field or a quasi-steady magnetic field includes: a magnetic sensor array that is equipped on the vehicle and senses magnetism; and an information processing circuit that generates an image showing a magnetic field in a region closer to the marker than the magnetic sensor array, according to a sensing result of the magnetism and a fundamental equation of the steady magnetic field and the quasi-steady magnetic field, and controls travel of the vehicle according to the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: INTEGRAL GEOMETRY SCIENCE INC.
    Inventors: Shogo Suzuki, Yuki Mima, Yutaro Nishimura, Seiju Matsuda, Kenjiro Kimura, Noriaki Kimura
  • Patent number: 12630154
    Abstract: A method for handling operational for an autonomous vehicle driving from a first work area to a second work area via a predefined path is provided. The operations of the autonomous vehicle are constrained by the operational requirements. The method comprises detecting that the autonomous vehicle is initiating driving in the predefined path. The method further comprises when detected that the autonomous vehicle is initiating driving in the predefined path, triggering a relaxation of the operational requirements. The method further comprises, when the autonomous vehicle is driving in the predefined path, detecting whether the autonomous vehicle turns towards the first work area. When detecting that the autonomous vehicle turns towards the first work area, the method further comprises triggering a preventive action for preventing the autonomous vehicle from driving towards the first work area using the relaxed operational requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2026
    Assignee: Volvo Autonomous Solutions AB
    Inventors: Linus Hagvall, Stefan Bergquist, Petter Wirfält, Fredrik Sandblom, Ian Macisaac, Robert Hult, Marcus Kreku
  • Patent number: 12617088
    Abstract: A robot includes: at least one sensor; a driver configured to move the robot; a memory configured to store at least one instruction; and a processor configured to execute the at least one instruction to: identify sub spaces of a traveling space of the robot, obtain navigability information corresponding to the respective sub spaces based on sensing data obtained by the at least one sensor while the robot is traveling, obtain time information on time required for passing through the respective sub spaces based on a traveling map, the traveling map being obtained based on the navigability information, identify a moving path of the robot based on the time information, and control the driver based on the moving path, wherein the navigability information includes at least one of region information associated with a sub space, information associated with at least one other robot, and information associated with a dynamic object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dohoon Kim, Hyunki Hong
  • Patent number: 12617098
    Abstract: A robotic system for operating a machine includes an arm, an actuator coupled to the arm and configured to indicate a change in an interactive medium of the machine when the actuator physically interfaces with the interactive medium, a visual source configured to provide an image of the machine in a field of view; and a processor coupled to the arm and the visual source. Images obtained from the field of view can be used to extract information about the machine and that information can be used to operate the arm to actuate the interactive medium of machine and perform the physical task using the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2026
    Assignee: Y SOFT CORPORATION, A.S.
    Inventors: Ondrej Krajicek, Aleš Pernikář, Václav Notvotný, Jiří Kyzlink, Jakub Pavlák, Barbora Koudarová, Oto Dušek, Lukáš Valek
  • Patent number: 12613510
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improved generation and selection of robot sensor data for manual annotation and/or use in training machine learning models used to operate robots. An on-robot controller can operate to determine a cross-modal inconsistency, that a temporally proximate target task was failed, and/or that a confidence in a model output indicate that particular sensor data should be transmitted to a remote system for human annotation and/or use in updating the machine learning model(s) of the robot. Embedding vector(s) representing such selected sensor data (e.g., representing common aspects across a population of sets of sensor data) could also be determined and transmitted to the robot. The robot could then determine embeddings for sensor data and, if the embeddings are similar enough to the transmitted embedding(s), the sensor data could be transmitted to the remote system for annotation and/or model updating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Assignee: GDM Holding LLC
    Inventors: Sarah Najmark, Ammar Husain
  • Patent number: 12600031
    Abstract: A wearable device may include an article configured to be worn by a user and a sensor array coupled with the article. The sensor array may be configured to obtain force data, among other data. A system can receive information generated by the wearable device utilized to perform a task. The information may include motion data indicating a motion of the wearable device and the force data indicating a force applied to the wearable device. The force data may be obtained from the sensor array generating digital outputs. The system can control a robotic device to perform a robotic motion based on the motion data and apply a robotic force based on the force data to repeat the task. The robotic device may include a sensor array to determine a force applied to the robotic device for controlling the robotic force. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: Tacta Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Dariusz Golda, Nahid Harjee, Vikram Pavate, David Weisberg, Andreas Bibl
  • Patent number: 12594664
    Abstract: A terminal device includes a coordinate-system setting portion which sets a user coordinate system on the basis of a marker included in an image, photographed by a photographing portion, including an industrial robot and a work space of the industrial robot, a coordinate giving portion which gives a coordinate of the user coordinate system to point-group data obtained by a distance measuring portion which measures a distance to an object included in the image, a region specifying portion which specifies a robot region on the user coordinate system corresponding to the industrial robot on the basis of shape size information of the industrial robot corresponding to a type of the industrial robot and attitude information of the industrial robot, and a point-group creating portion for avoidance which creates point-group data for interference avoidance by removing the point-group data included in the robot region from the point-group data obtained by the distance measuring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventor: Sho Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 12569980
    Abstract: This robot system comprises: a display control unit which controls an image to be displayed in a display region of a display unit; and a reference direction setting unit which sets a reference direction for determining the orientation of an image. On the basis of the axial positions of respective joint shafts of the robot and the reference direction, the display control unit controls the orientation of an image shown on the display unit so as to perform display that represents a prescribed postural relation with respect to the reference direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takahiro Iwatake