Patents Examined by Ian Jen
  • Patent number: 12161437
    Abstract: A surgical robot includes robot arms, an arm base, and a control device. Each of the robot arms includes a base portion, a tip portion that can hold a medical instrument, and links. The link adjacent to the base portion is connected to the base portion through a rotational joint. The control device controls the robot arm having at least seven degrees of freedom among the robot arms such that when viewed from a direction parallel to an axial direction of a rotation axis of the rotational joint, a first portion of a first link is located between a second portion of the base portion and a third portion of the tip portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Tojo, Nobuyasu Shimomura, Tetsuo Ichii
  • Patent number: 12162166
    Abstract: A method for operating a robotic system includes determining a discretized object model based on source sensor data; comparing the discretized object model to a packing plan or to master data; determining a discretized platform model based on destination sensor data; determining height measures based on the destination sensor data; comparing the discretized platform model and/or the height measures to an expected platform model and/or expected height measures; and determining one or more errors by (i) determining at least one source matching error by identifying one or more disparities between (a) the discretized object model and (b) the packing plan or the master data or (ii) determining at least one destination matching error by identifying one or more disparities between (a) the discretized platform model or the height measures and (b) the expected platform model or the expected height measures, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: MUJIN, Inc.
    Inventors: Rosen Nikolaev Diankov, Denys Kanunikov
  • Patent number: 12162149
    Abstract: A transition method of locomotion gait of a robot includes: executing a deployment procedure multiple times, each execution includes: randomly selecting a source policy and a destination policy, simulating a transition operation from the source policy to the destination policy, and recording a transition configuration and a transition result to a transition database, where each policy is a neural network model, and a latent state in the transition configuration is a hidden layer of the neural network model of the source policy. The method further includes: training a transition-net according to the transition database, and performing the following steps by a meta-controller disposed on the robot: selecting two gait policies as an active policy and a queued policy, executing the active policy, inputting the two policies to the transition-net to obtain a success probability, and when the success probability is greater than a threshold, executing the queued policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignees: Inventec (Pudong) Technology Corporation, Inventec Corporation
    Inventors: Guilherme Henrique Galelli Christmann, Jonathan Hans Soeseno, Ying-sheng Luo, Wei-Chao Chen
  • Patent number: 12150721
    Abstract: A control system for controlling manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device at a remote surgeon's console, the surgical instrument being supported by a surgical robot arm, the surgical instrument comprising an end effector connected to a distal end of a shaft by an articulated coupling, the articulated coupling comprising one or more joints enabling the end effector to adopt a range of attitudes relative to the distal end of the shaft, the control system configured to: receive a command from an input actuated by a user to straighten the surgical instrument; and in response to the received command, to command driving forces to be applied to joint(s) of the articulated coupling to drive the instrument to adopt a predetermined configuration in which the profile of the end effector is most closely aligned with the profile of the distal end of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: CMR SURGICAL LIMITED
    Inventors: Luke David Ronald Hares, Gordon Thomas Deane, Edward James Wildin Tucker, Graham John Veitch
  • Patent number: 12151382
    Abstract: A remote operation system, a remote operation method, and a remote operation program capable of preventing the burden on one remote operator when this person remotely operates a plurality of robots in parallel from increasing are provided. In a remote operation system, a remote operator remotely operates a plurality of robots, and a service can be provided as a result of execution of a plurality of tasks for a service receiver. The remote operation system includes a task allocation unit configured to allocate a plurality of tasks to the plurality of respective robots and a remote operation condition granting unit configured to grant, to the plurality of respective robots, remote operation conditions in accordance with the content of the plurality of tasks that have been allocated to the plurality of respective robots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yuka Hashiguchi
  • Patent number: 12145584
    Abstract: A driving assistance method for performing a lane change of an own vehicle by autonomous travel control includes: calculating a target route along which the own vehicle is caused to travel to a destination; determining whether or not multiple lane changes are required to be performed successively for the own vehicle to travel in accordance with the target route; determining whether or not the lane change is performed by the autonomous travel control; and when a determination that, in a second or later lane changes among the multiple lane changes, a lane change is not performed by the autonomous travel control is included, not performing a first lane change by the autonomous travel control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohei Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 12148303
    Abstract: A sensing device senses an object present in a blind spot in the surrounding environment of a moving body. The sensing device is provided with a detection unit, a distance measurement unit, and a control unit. The detection unit radiates a physical signal from the moving body to the surrounding environment, and detects a reflection signal which is a reflection of the radiated physical signal. The distance measurement unit detects distance information indicating the distance from the moving body to the surrounding environment. The control unit analyzes the result of the detection by the detection unit. The control unit: senses, on the basis of the distance information, a blind spot region indicating a blind spot in the surrounding environment, and another moving body travelling in front of the moving body towards the blind spot region; and senses an object in the blind spot region on the basis of a reflected signal reflected by the other moving body, in the result of the detection by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Yoshitake, Keiki Matsuura, Yoshitaka Tsurukame
  • Patent number: 12149116
    Abstract: A system and method for energy management of hybrid power generation systems is provided. In some implementations, an energy power management system (EPMS) may receive information indicating a health event for a hybrid power generation system comprising a battery. The EPMS may modify a battery charging condition based on the information indicating the health event. Further, the EPMS may direct the hybrid power generation system to charge the battery based on a state of charge (SOC) of the battery and the modified battery charging condition. Also, the EPMS may direct the hybrid power generation system to modify one or more system parameters based on the modified battery charging condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Cummins Inc.
    Inventors: Ramya vyas Arvind, Patrick J. Shook
  • Patent number: 12137625
    Abstract: A control system for a work vehicle that performs auto-steer driving includes a storage to store a target path for the work vehicle, and a controller configured or programmed to control steering of the work vehicle so that the work vehicle travels along the target path based on a position of the work vehicle identified by a position identifier and the target path stored in the storage. The target path includes parallel main paths and one or more turning paths interconnecting the plurality of main paths. When the work vehicle is turning along one of the turning paths via automatic steering, if the position of the work vehicle becomes deviated from the turning path by more than a reference distance, the controller is configured or programmed to cause an alarm generator to output an alarm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junichi Yuasa, Ryo Kurata, Hiroaki Sasaki, Yuji Okuyama
  • Patent number: 12138799
    Abstract: A robot control system includes robot controller circuitry that controls a robot, and host controller circuitry that communicates with the robot controller circuitry. The host controller circuitry further executes a control program, and transmits a command according to an execution result of the control program to the robot controller circuitry, and the robot controller circuitry further receives the command from the host controller circuitry, and executes pre-processing according to the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventor: Takahiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 12138800
    Abstract: A program generation device includes a display; at least one memory configured to store an operation symbol including information in relation to an operation command of a robot, and an auxiliary symbol including information in relation to a control command for adding an operation of the robot or for correcting the operation of the robot defined by at least one operation symbol; and at least one processor configured to obtain information in relation to setting of at least one of the operation symbol or the auxiliary symbol, and cause the display to display the operation symbol and the auxiliary symbol so as to align the operation symbol and the auxiliary symbol in order of operations of the robot based on the obtained information in relation to setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuusuke Kurihara, Gou Inaba
  • Patent number: 12138809
    Abstract: In a method of operation of a robot, the robot identifies a set of candidate actions that may be performed by the robot, and collects, for each candidate action of the set of candidate actions, a respective set of ancillary data. The robot transmits a request for instructions to a tele-operation system that is communicatively coupled to the robot. The request for instructions includes each candidate action and each respective set of ancillary data. The robot receives, and executes, the instructions from the tele-operation system. The robot updates a control model, based at least in part on each candidate action, each respective set of ancillary data, and the instructions, to increase a level of autonomy of the robot. The robot may transmit the request for instructions to the tele-operation system in response to determining the robot is unable to select a candidate action to perform in furtherance of an objective.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corporation
    Inventor: Geordie Rose
  • Patent number: 12136349
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), the UAV includes an electronic speed controller and a flight controller. The electric speed controller is interfaced with thrust motors of the UAV. The flight controller configured to: determine a geographic location and a velocity of the UAV, the velocity includes a first component and a second component. The flight controller is configured to determine a distance between the geographic location of the UAV and a closest segment of a no-fly zone. The flight controller is configured to determine a zone of deceleration, the zone of deceleration comprising: a distal section and a proximal section. The flight controller in response to the UAV crossing a switch point, located at an intersection of the distal section and the proximal section, changing a deceleration rate of the UAV from a first deceleration rate to a second deceleration rate by adjusting the electric speed controller and the thrust motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Skydio, Inc.
    Inventor: Andreas Jäger
  • Patent number: 12134452
    Abstract: An electric marine propulsion system for a marine vessel is provided. The system includes a power storage system, an electric motor powered by the power storage system and configured to rotate a propulsor to propel the marine vessel, and a control system configured to operate the electric motor in a speed control mode to generate a variable propulsion output so as not to exceed a rated operation value and an open loop parameter control mode such that the electric motor is operated to exceed the rated operation value to generate a maximum propulsion output. The control system is further configured to receive an operator demand to accelerate the marine vessel; determine whether the operator demand exceeds a predetermined acceleration threshold; and operate the electric motor in the open loop parameter control mode to generate the maximum propulsion output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Jared D. Kalnins, Mitchell J. Baer, Daniel A. Roske
  • Patent number: 12133624
    Abstract: Disclosed is a robot cleaner. The robot cleaner of the present disclosure comprise: a gas sensor which is disposed inside the robot cleaner and senses suctioned air; and a processor which identifies contaminants on the basis of a sensing value of the gas sensor, and controls the robot cleaner so that the robot cleaner travels while avoiding the identified contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jangpyo Park, Seonghwan Kim, Yongwon Jeong
  • Patent number: 12129016
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of controlling an aircraft, the aircraft including a plurality of actuators, a plurality of actuator control units, and a plurality of flight control systems for generating control signals. The method comprises, at each of the plurality of actuator control units: (a) from each of the plurality of flight control systems, obtaining a respective control signal for controlling an actuator associated with the actuator control unit, the actuator being one of the plurality of actuators; and (b) providing an actuator control signal to the associated actuator, wherein the actuator control signal is based on an analysis of the obtained control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: WINDRACERS LIMITED
    Inventors: James Scanlan, Joe Roberts, Tom Reed
  • Patent number: 12128568
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating communication between a control server and robotic devices are provided. An integration engine of the system identifies protocol schemes and message schemes that are supported by the control server and robotic devices. When the protocol schemes and message schemes of the control server and the robotic devices are same, the integration engine facilitates transmission and reception of instructions between the control server and the robotic devices through identified communication interfaces. When the protocol schemes and message schemes of the control server and the robotic devices are different, the integration engine translates the protocol schemes and message schemes that are received from one of the control server and the robotic devices to facilitate communication between the control server and the robotic devices through identified communication interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Grey Orange Incorporated
    Inventors: Siddharth Malhotra, Mohit Kumar, Jai Thakkar, Sumit Kumar Tiwary
  • Patent number: 12129051
    Abstract: For model predictive control for a spacecraft formation, a method calculates a virtual point that represents a plurality of spacecraft orbiting in a spacecraft formation. The method calculates an outer polytope boundary and an inner polytope boundary relative to the virtual point for a given spacecraft of the plurality of spacecraft. The method maneuvers the given spacecraft to within the inner polytope boundary using model predictive control (MPC) to minimize fuel consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Utah State Unviersity Space Dynamics Laboratory
    Inventors: Tyson Smith, John Akagi, Greg Droge
  • Patent number: 12128882
    Abstract: A vehicle 1 as a host vehicle includes: detection unit that detects a translationally-moving two-wheeled vehicle 9 traveling in front of or alongside the host vehicle; an on-board communication device capable of communicating with a communication device mounted on the vehicle 9; an ECU that determines whether the host vehicle is at either one of blind spots BR and BL of the vehicle 9, based on a detection result of the detection unit, and that transmits a warning notification from the on-board communication device to the communication device mounted on the vehicle 9 when determining that the host vehicle is at the blind spot BR or BL. In this case, it is preferable that the ECU changes an actuation condition so that an automatic operation according to contact avoidance control is started more promptly than when the host vehicle is determined to be outside the blind spots BR, BL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Tanaka, Makoto Katayama, Osamu Ito, Hideo Kadowaki
  • Patent number: 12128971
    Abstract: Systems and methods for estimating a length of at least a portion of a trailer that is carried by a tractor. The tractor has a fifth wheel coupling that is configured to be connected to a kingpin of the trailer. The height of the fifth wheel coupling is adjustable by adjustment of an angle of a boom that carries the fifth wheel coupling. The angle of the boom is determined by a sensor. The angle of the trailer is determined by a sensor. The length of at least a portion of the trailer is calculated based on the boom length, the determined boom angle, and the determined trailer angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: ISEE, Inc
    Inventors: Zachary Peters, Gregory J. Paraskos