Patents Examined by Dalena Tran
  • Patent number: 10593200
    Abstract: An apparatus for indicating a traffic hindrance risk, having a traffic hindrance information generating server that generates traffic hindrance information for links that define a driving route, and a weather information generating server that generates weather information from weather data distributed by a meteorological agency with respect to an area including the driving route. In the apparatus, a tabular data is generated together with congestion degree information by sorting foul weather information into a plurality of level categories in accordance with a degree of traffic hindrance when the weather information includes at least one item of foul weather information, and a traffic hindrance occurrence risk predictive value meaning possibility of traffic hindrance occurrence with respect to the driving route for a predetermined future period is calculated to be viewed by an operator of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., JAPAN WEATHER ASSOCIATION
    Inventors: Takuro Masuda, Kazuhiro Tanji, Shigeyuki Nomura
  • Patent number: 10583563
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining by a first robotic device which portions of data received that is to be transmitted to one or more other robotic devices based on, at least, one or more functions of the data received, and characteristics of the data received. It may further be determined at a first robotic device an advanced communication technique may be executed by a first robotic device and/or one or more other robotic devices to improve communications between robotic devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Inventor: Kevin Loughran
  • Patent number: 10575910
    Abstract: A system and method of maintaining a tool position and orientation for a computer-assisted medical device include a device with an articulated structure including a plurality of joints and a control unit. The articulated structure is configured to support a tool distal to the joints. The control unit is configured to determine an initial position and orientation of the tool prior to movement of a first joint, determine, while the first joint is moving, a current position and orientation of the tool, determine a difference between the current and the initial position and orientation, and drive at least a second joint based on the difference to maintain a position and orientation of the tool at the initial position and orientation. In some embodiments, the position and orientation of the tool are maintained relative to a reference coordinate frame based on a cause of the moving of the first joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Brandon D. Itkowitz, Nitish Swarup, Paul G. Griffiths, Goran Lynch
  • Patent number: 10576636
    Abstract: A robot control system and a method for updating camera calibration is presented. The method comprises the robot control system performing a first camera calibration to determine camera calibration information, and outputting a first movement command based on the camera calibration information for a robot operation. The method further comprises outputting, after the first camera calibration, a second movement command to move a calibration pattern within a camera field of view, receiving one or more calibration images, and adding the one or more calibration images to a captured image set. The method further comprises performing a second camera calibration based on calibration images in the captured image set to determine updated camera calibration information, determining whether a deviation between the camera calibration information and the updated camera calibration information exceeds a defined threshold, and outputting a notification signal if the deviation exceeds the defined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: MUJIN, INC.
    Inventors: Russell Islam, Xutao Ye, Rosen Diankov
  • Patent number: 10568707
    Abstract: A hand controller for enabling a user to perform an activity and method for controlling a robotic arm is provided. The hand controller includes a bar with a grip and a plurality of motors to provide a force feedback to the user in response to the movement of the plurality of mechanical arms. The method involves receiving input corresponding to the manipulation of a bar and providing a force feedback in response to the movement of the plurality of mechanical arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: TITAN MEDICAL INC.
    Inventors: Uwe Schaible, Drazena Brocilo, John Harmen
  • Patent number: 10562177
    Abstract: A system has at least two floor processing fixtures of one or several automatically moving floor processing devices for the automatically controlled processing of a surface. In order to further develop such a system in particular with the aim of having the floor processing fixtures advantageously interact and support each other, the system has a shared database allocated to the floor processing fixtures, which is stored in an external memory designed separately from the floor processing device, and in which operational activities for the floor processing fixtures are planned according to defined rules, as well as a central computing device allocated to the database, which plans operational activities according to defined rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Hackert, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Hendrik Koetz, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Robin Dulinski
  • Patent number: 10565816
    Abstract: Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, devices, software, and methods for kiosk locating and directing. One such method embodiment, as may be performed on a server, includes receiving a notification from a kiosk system of an out-of-service condition and an identifier of the kiosk system from which the notification is received. This method further includes identifying a location of the kiosk system and transmitting the location of the kiosk system to a wayfinding application of a technician.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: NCR Corporation
    Inventor: Rajan Babu Vesangi
  • Patent number: 10562181
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for determining and utilizing human corrections to robot actions. In some implementations, in response to determining a human correction of a robot action, a correction instance is generated that includes sensor data, captured by one or more sensors of the robot, that is relevant to the corrected action. The correction instance can further include determined incorrect parameter(s) utilized in performing the robot action and/or correction information that is based on the human correction. The correction instance can be utilized to generate training example(s) for training one or model(s), such as neural network model(s), corresponding to those used in determining the incorrect parameter(s). In various implementations, the training is based on correction instances from multiple robots. After a revised version of a model is generated, the revised version can thereafter be utilized by one or more of the multiple robots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Nicolas Hudson, Devesh Yamparala
  • Patent number: 10551821
    Abstract: A robot includes a movable part, and the movable part performs an action based on a position of a first marker obtained using first position and attitude of the movable part when a first image containing the first marker is captured by an imaging unit provided in the movable part and second position and attitude of the movable part when a second image containing the first marker is captured by the imaging unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yukihiro Yamaguchi, Taro Ishige, Atsushi Harada
  • Patent number: 10518405
    Abstract: An industrial robot system including a dual arm robot having two arms independently movable in relation to each other, and a hand-held control device for controlling the robot and provided with a visual display unit for displaying information about the arms. The control device is provided with a measuring device for measuring the orientation of the control device, and the control device is configured to display information about one of the arms in a first area on the display unit and to display information about the other arm in a second area on the display unit, and to change the positions of the first and second areas in dependence on the orientation of the control device in relation to the robot so that the positions of the first and second area on the display unit reflects the orientation of the control device in relation to the positions of the arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Adam Henriksson, Jonatan Blom, Susanne Timsjö
  • Patent number: 10520912
    Abstract: A robot controller having a function that simplifies learning and a robot control method. The robot controller includes: a learning section configured to carry out learning of detecting a deviation between a commanded trajectory representing a position of the robot generated according to the command values and an operation trajectory representing an actual position where the robot has moved, and generate a corrected program by adjusting the commanded trajectory; a saving section configured to save the corrected program; and a relearning section configured to carry out relearning on a relearning location, the relearning location being a part of the operation trajectory designated by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaimeng Wang, Shuusuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10513035
    Abstract: A robot-defective-part diagnostic device includes a position measuring unit with a target and a sensor for capturing an image of the target. One of the target and the sensor is attached to the robot and the other is disposed outside the robot. The position measuring unit measures the positions of the target with the sensor for postures of the robot. The device also includes an error calculation unit that calculates the positioning error based on the measured positions of the target. A parameter calculation unit that calculates the mechanical parameters of the respective operation shafts based on the measured positions of the target for the respective postures when the calculated positioning error is larger than a predetermined threshold, and a defective-part identifying unit that identifies the operation shaft where the difference between the calculated mechanical parameters and preset mechanical parameters for achieving the postures is the largest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kyouhei Kokubo
  • Patent number: 10509810
    Abstract: A method for updating a computer generated may including providing tools for a user to draw building outlines on the map, and move icons that are associated with the building to points near on inside the new outline. Thereafter, the update map and icon location are distributed for display on a plurality of computer displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Never-Search, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Kreft
  • Patent number: 10507581
    Abstract: A robot system includes: at least one non-learned robot that has not learned a learning compensation amount of position control based on an operation command; at least one learned robot that has learned the learning compensation amount of the position control based on the operation command; and a storage device that stores the operation command and the learning compensation amount of the learned robot, the non-learned robot comprising a compensation amount estimation unit that compensates the learning compensation amount of the learned robot stored in the storage device based on a difference between the operation command of the learned robot stored in the storage device and an operation command of an own robot, and estimates the compensated learning compensation amount as a learning compensation amount of the own robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Inagaki, Wenjie Chen, Kaimeng Wang
  • Patent number: 10500731
    Abstract: The robot system includes a carriage for supporting a robot. The robot system includes a camera, and a mark disposed in a workspace. The control device includes a position acquisition part that is configured to acquire a position of the mark on the basis of an image captured by the camera, and a determination part configured to determine whether or not the robot is located at a position within a predetermined determination range. When the determination part determines that the position of the robot deviates from the determination range, the display device displays the direction and the movement amount in which the carriage is to be moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichirou Yoshida, Fumikazu Warashina
  • Patent number: 10500717
    Abstract: A method of robotic collaboration comprises designating a first robot a lead robot and assigning a first task in a task area to the lead robot. Broadcasting a work query in the task area seeks the presence of subordinate robots configured to perform tasks. Receiving a work confirmation signal from a subordinate robot in the task area answers the work query with an affirmation that the subordinate robot is in the task area to perform tasks. Transmitting a task command to the subordinate robot in response to the work confirmation signal comprises a directive to perform the first task. Receiving a task confirmation signal informs the lead robot of the subordinate robot electronic characteristics comprising processing capabilities, transmit signal profile, receive signal profile, and storage device capabilities. Processing confirms whether the subordinate robot can collaborate with the lead robot to do the first task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: STILWELL TECHNOLOGY AND ROBOTICS, LLC
    Inventors: Wayne Stilwell, Dillon Dunn, Nicholas Reeves
  • Patent number: 10481607
    Abstract: A robotic garbage unit can include a garbage container, a robotic drive system, and sensors. The robotic garbage unit can determine a travel path and drive along the travel path to get to a garbage pickup location. The robotic garbage unit can detect a garbage pickup event based on garbage sensors. When a garbage pickup event is detected, the robotic garbage unit determines a travel path to a docking station and drives to the docking station. The robotic garbage unit can avoid obstructions while traveling by adjusting a travel path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Inventor: Alan Dumitras
  • Patent number: 10477933
    Abstract: A smart luggage system includes a piece of luggage configured to store items for transport and a handle coupled to the luggage. The handle includes a pull rod coupled to a connecting rod. One or more cameras are disposed in a top portion of the pull rod and configured to take a photograph and/or video. One or more cameras are coupled to the luggage and/or the handle and configured to take a photograph and/or video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: LINGDONG TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Ou Qi, Xudong Guo
  • Patent number: 10471591
    Abstract: An example robotic device may include an arm having a palm and fingers, a depth sensor disposed within the palm, and a control system. The control system may be configured to detect an indication to receive an object from an actor, and in response, cause the robotic device to enter a receive-object mode. When the robotic device is in the receive-object mode, the control system is further configured to: receive, from the depth sensor, depth data indicating a distance between the palm and the object; when the distance is greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, cause the arm to move towards the object; when the distance exceeds the second threshold, maintain the arm in a fixed position; and when the distance drops below the first threshold, cause the two or more fingers to close to grasp the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventor: Paige Hinkle
  • Patent number: 10471601
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a robot arm includes: the robot arm; a calibration board on which calibration marks for self-diagnosis are shown; a distance sensor mounted on the robot arm and configured to measure a distance; an image sensor mounted on the robot arm and configured to obtain an image; and a processor configured to move the robot arm to a position for the self-diagnosis, measure a distance from a predetermined part of the robot arm to the calibration board by using the distance sensor, obtain an image of the calibration board by using the image sensor, and output a signal indicating a malfunction of the robot arm in response to the measured distance being outside a distance error range, and an image measurement value of the obtained image being outside an image error range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: HANWHA PRECISION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Ho Jeong, Young Dong Cha