Patents Examined by Harry Y Oh
  • Patent number: 11312029
    Abstract: A three-dimensional measuring apparatus includes a projection unit that projects a first pattern light and a second pattern light by a laser beam on a region containing an object, an imaging unit that images a captured image of the region, a vibration information receiving part that receives vibration information on a vibration of the projection unit or the imaging unit, and a measuring unit that measures a three-dimensional shape of the object based on the captured image, wherein the region on which the first pattern light having a first period is projected is imaged by the imaging unit when the vibration information is equal to or smaller than a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shuichi Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11312025
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed toward a robotic system that includes a robotic arm, a robotic end-effector, a lock, and a control system. The robotic end-effector is detachably coupled to the robotic arm and includes a locomotion device to move the robotic end-effector independent of the robotic arm. The lock is disposed with the robotic arm and robotic end-effector, and is operable to detach and attach the robotic arm and the robotic end-effector. The control system is configured to control the robotic arm and the robotic end-effector, and to operate the lock to detach and attach the robotic arm and the robotic end-effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Raj Sohmshetty, David Jeffeory Berels, Anthony Mario D'Amato, Jianbo Lu
  • Patent number: 11312030
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include automated guided vehicles (AGVs) having a steerable camera for target-tracking. In one embodiment, the AGV includes a body having one or more motorized wheels, the body having a first end and a second end opposing the first end, a console coupled in an upright position to the first end of the body, and a first camera coupled to the console, the first camera providing one or more axes of rotation and is operable to follow an object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: LINGDONG TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO. LTD
    Inventor: Jie Tang
  • Patent number: 11305414
    Abstract: A manipulating device is provided, which includes a first parallel linkage mechanism having a pair of first links and a pair of second links, a second parallel linkage mechanism having a pair of third links and a pair of fourth links, and a support member supporting one of the third links. The first parallel linkage mechanism and the second parallel linkage mechanism commonly use one of the second links and one of the fourth links and an armrest member to which a manipulating member is attached at a tip-end part thereof is disposed in a lower-end part of the first parallel linkage mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayuki Kamon, Kenji Kitani
  • Patent number: 11305432
    Abstract: A work machine includes a pickup member configured to pick up a component; a storage device configured to store positional information on multiple pickup positions where the pickup member can pick up the component; a recognition device configured to optically recognize a multiple of the component including the pickup target; and a control device configured to select, from the multiple pickup positions of the pickup target component, one pickup position which is less likely to interfere with other components based on the positional information and a recognition result from the recognition device, and cause the pick member to pick up the pickup target component at the one selected pickup position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuo Oishi, Kazuaki Mori
  • Patent number: 11294389
    Abstract: A recharge station for a mobile robot and method for navigating to a recharge station. Two signal emitters on the recharge station emit uniquely identifiable signals in two separate ranges. A mobile robot is configured to look for the signals with two signal receivers, a left receiver looking for the signals of the left emitter and a right receiver looking for the signals of the right receiver. Upon sensing the left emitter signals with the left receiver and the right emitter signals with the right receiver, the mobile robot is aligned with the recharge station. The mobile robot is configured to then drive forward until charging contacts on the mobile robot make contact with charging contacts on the recharge station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi
  • Patent number: 11292133
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to train interdependent autonomous machines are disclosed. An example method includes performing an action of a first sub-task of a collaborative task with a first collaborative robot in a robotic cell while a second collaborative robot operates in the robotic cell according to a first recorded action of the second collaborative robot, the first recorded action of the second collaborative robot recorded while a second robot controller associated with the second collaborative robot is trained to control the second collaborative robot to perform a second sub-task of the collaborative task, and training a first robot controller associated with the first collaborative robot based at least on a sensing of an interaction of the first collaborative robot with the second collaborative robot while the action of the first sub-task is performed by the first collaborative robot and the second collaborative robot operates according to the first recorded action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Rita H. Wouhaybi, Shekoufeh Qawami, Hassnaa Moustafa, Chaitanya Sreerama, Nadine L. Dabby
  • Patent number: 11292594
    Abstract: A vehicle is described having an aerodynamically contoured lifting body comprising a plurality of cooperating body modules, wherein at least two of the modules are displaceably secured to each other. The modules include a thrust vectoring module operatively coupled to a propulsive mechanism. The thrust vectoring module is dynamically controlled to affect positioning and actuation of the propulsive mechanism to attain a desired positioning of the vehicle and at least one of a plurality of modes of operation thereof. The thrust vectoring module includes a nacelle module carrying the propulsive mechanism thereon and rotatably displaceable about one or more axes extending from the lifting body. The propulsive mechanism is positioned externally, internally, or in combinations thereof of the nacelle module and is tiltably displaceable about one or more axes of the nacelle module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Airgility, Inc.
    Inventors: Evandro Gurgel do Amaral Valente, Eduardo Gurgel do Amaral Valente, Tanner Ray Miller, Bryan Phillip Jensen
  • Patent number: 11292123
    Abstract: To provide a technology of reducing a difference with respect to a target position of a curvable portion of a continuum robot which is to move forward substantially along a trajectory including a branched trajectory and a space. A continuum robot includes a plurality of curvable portions separately driven by wires, and control units which control positions of a plurality of curvable portions in accordance with a kinematic model. A modification value for modifying the kinematic model based on a target position and a measured position about each of the cases in which the plurality of curvable portions take a plurality of positions having at least one intersection is calculated. Modification uses a modification result in at least one of the plurality of positions as an initial value to modify the kinematic model in another position, and synthesizes the plurality of modification values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Takagi
  • Patent number: 11287264
    Abstract: ABSTRACT METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING AND USING LOCALISATION REFERENCE DATA 5 Methods and systems for improved positioning accuracy relative to a digital map are disclosed, and which are preferably used for highly and fully automated driving applications, and which may use localisation reference data associated with a digital map. The invention further extends to methods and systems for the generation of localisation reference data associated with a digital map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOMTOM INTERNATIONAL B.V.
    Inventors: Krzysztof Kudrynski, Krzysztof Miksa, Rafal Jan Gliszczynski, Blazej Kubiak
  • Patent number: 11267127
    Abstract: A system for determining a discrete number of flexible, non-rigid workpiece items loaded onto a robotic carrier. The system includes a robotic carrier capable of traveling to multiple workstations, at least one of which is a weigh station. A loading mechanism is functional to load one or more workpieces onto the robotic carrier which weighed by the weigh station. By comparing the weight of the loaded items with a predetermined weight range of a single workpiece, the number of discrete workpieces loaded onto the robotic carrier can be determined. In addition, a method can be provided for determine position error of a mobile robot based on a detected center of gravity of the mobile robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: CREATEME TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Gopi V. Avvari, Hossein Mousavi Hondori, Weixin Yang
  • Patent number: 11260742
    Abstract: One axle of a hybrid vehicle is powered by an electric motor while a second axle of the vehicle is powered by a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine. The electrically driven axle can be controlled in a speed control mode or in a torque control mode based on a driver demanded torque. The speed control mode is used when slip is detected at the electrically driven axle. The torque control mode is used when the electrically driven axle has traction. During a transition between these modes, the rate of change of torque is controlled to a predetermined level to mitigate noise, vibration, and harshness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jose Velazquez Alcantar, Joe Jay Torres, Peter James Barrette, Richard David Bruns, Corwin Stout, Rajit Johri
  • Patent number: 11259886
    Abstract: Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for controlling movement of a robotic surgical system are provided. In general, a plurality of surgical instruments can be simultaneously in use during performance of a surgical procedure. One or more of the plurality of instruments can be coupled to a robotic surgical system, which can be configured to control movement of the one or more of the plurality of instruments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventor: Michael P. Weir
  • Patent number: 11253997
    Abstract: A method for tracking multiple target objects, moving objects to be tracked being projected onto a grid map having grid cells, the method including the following tasks to be executed in each time: computing the velocity distribution for the next time step with the aid of a transition velocity distribution, which indicates how the objects associated with a grid cell in question move from one time step to the next, based on the preceding velocity distribution; for each grid cell, calculating a transitional probability information item, which indicates, for objects in each grid cell, probabilities of the objects in question reaching possible, further grid cells, as a function of the velocity distribution; calculating an occupancy probability for each grid cell for a subsequent time, based on the transitional probability information item; operating a system as a function of the occupancy probabilities for the grid cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Spies, Johannes Maximilian Doellinger, Liangcheng Fu
  • Patent number: 11247328
    Abstract: In order to provide an improved method and device to facilitate the teach-in of gripper positions, it is suggested that the positions be automatically detected. The procedure shall include: starting a teach-in process, detecting the position and the direction of movement of the actuating element on its path with a sensor, performing gripping movements from one position to another and stopping the gripper in each of the positions, storing the position of the actuating element when the gripper stops and storing the direction of movement from which this position was approached as the associated direction of movement, stopping the teach-in process when as many different positions with the associated movement directions have been stored as there are gripper positions, assigning of the gripper positions to the three positions from the stored positions and the stored, associated movement directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventor: Thomas Bludau
  • Patent number: 11250702
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a device for assisting in controlling automatic driving of a vehicle, a medium, and a system. The method for assisting in controlling automatic driving of a vehicle may include: acquiring sensing information related to environment collected by a sensor, the sensor being disposed in the environment and independent of the vehicle; determining an environment sensing result related to the environment by processing the acquired sensing information, the environment sensing result indicating relevant information about a plurality of objects including the vehicle in the environment; and providing the environment sensing result to a vehicle-side control device associated with the vehicle for assisting in controlling a driving behavior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Apollo Intelligent Driving Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji Tao, Tian Xia, Xing Hu
  • Patent number: 11247768
    Abstract: A flight control system for an aircraft comprises a set of actuators for controlling the aircraft and a set of flight control computers only made up of a set of duplex type main computers and of at least one backup computer. All the main computers are configured to implement auto-pilot laws for the aircraft. The set of main computers comprises two computers from a first hardware type, configured to control actuators of the set of actuators as per a first tolerance level and two computers from a second hardware type, different from the first hardware type, configured to control actuators of the set of actuators as per a second tolerance level, less stringent than the first tolerance level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventor: Marc Fervel
  • Patent number: 11242134
    Abstract: Processes for real-time drag optimization control for aeroelastic wing structures are disclosed. Adaptive reconfiguration of aircraft control surfaces by an online real-time drag optimization control approach to reduce or minimize drag may reduce the amount of fuel that is consumed by the aircraft during flight. The input data may be obtained from sensor information pertaining to the wing deflection and aircraft state information. The optimization approach may compute an optimal solution of the distributed flight control surface deflections that are integrated in a flight path angle flight control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of NASA
    Inventors: Nhan Thanh Nguyen, Eric Bi-Wen Ting
  • Patent number: 11241795
    Abstract: A soft package includes a package body made of a soft deformable material, and a plurality of rigid gripping components disposed at periphery or corners of the package body. Each of the rigid gripping components includes a rigid ring structure configured to be gripped by a robot device. A robot system may be used to process the soft package, by controlling a computer vision system of the robot system to capture images of the soft package, processing the images of the soft package to recognize the locations of the rigid gripping components, and controlling the robot devices of the robot system to grasp the rigid gripping components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignees: Beijing Jingdong Shangke Information Technology Co., Ltd., JD.com American Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Wei Xi
  • Patent number: 11243083
    Abstract: A method, system and computer program product are provided for implementing route generation with augmented reality. A crowd or event is analyzed and escape routes are intelligently distributed by attendee profile type or ability. Augmented Reality (AR) projections are used representing different subsets of an event population to convey the profile-specific escape routes for people to follow. The AR behavior is changed as an event situation changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jim C. Chen, Brittany A. Duffy, Elizabeth Held, Bryant G. Ly