Patents Examined by John F Hobbs, III
  • Patent number: 11560139
    Abstract: A hybrid drive device has an internal combustion engine, a clutch transmission which has at least one free partial transmission and a partial transmission connected to an electric machine with in each case a clutch, and at least one electric machine. In order to start the internal combustion engine, pulse energy is provided from an inertia of the clutch associated with the free partial transmission and/or a rotation in the free partial transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Friedrich
  • Patent number: 11491641
    Abstract: Methods are described that perform a dispatched inventory operation related to an inventory item within a modular autonomous bot apparatus assembly and a dispatch server. modular mobile autonomy control module (MAM) receives an inventory dispatch command from the dispatch server and a modular cargo storage system (CSS) receives the inventory item at an inventory hub location. The MAM autonomously causes the assembly to then move to a remote business facility as a destination location, receive authentication input from an authorized delivery recipient, coordinates with the CSS to provide selective access to the inventory item, detects when the inventory item has been removed from within the CSS, and autonomously causes the assembly to move on a return route back to the inventory hub location after removal of the inventory item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FEDEX CORPORATE SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Ole-Petter Skaaksrud, Frank Mayfield, Daniel Gates
  • Patent number: 11440197
    Abstract: A robot system includes a gripping section configured to grip a storing section, a first arm in which the gripping section is provided, the first arm drawing out the storing section from a shelf in which the storing section is housed, a force detecting section provided in the first arm and configured to detect force applied to the gripping section, an imaging section configured to image the storing section, and a control section configured to control the gripping section and the first arm. The control section performs control for drawing out the storing section from the shelf with the first arm and thereafter tilting the storing section with respect to the shelf with the gripping section or the first arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventor: Fumiaki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11416003
    Abstract: A method of constrained mobility mapping includes receiving from at least one sensor of a robot at least one original set of sensor data and a current set of sensor data. Here, each of the at least one original set of sensor data and the current set of sensor data corresponds to an environment about the robot. The method further includes generating a voxel map including a plurality of voxels based on the at least one original set of sensor data. The plurality of voxels includes at least one ground voxel and at least one obstacle voxel. The method also includes generating a spherical depth map based on the current set of sensor data and determining that a change has occurred to an obstacle represented by the voxel map based on a comparison between the voxel map and the spherical depth map. The method additional includes updating the voxel map to reflect the change to the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Whitman, Gina Christine Fay, Alex Khripin, Max Bajracharya, Matthew Malchano, Adam Komoroski, Christopher Stathis