Patents Examined by Stephen Holwerda
  • Patent number: 10486305
    Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of agents to complete a mission, including deriving a decomposition set of decomposition states in a set of possible states of an automaton, wherein the automaton characterizes the mission, deriving a sequence of actions to be carried out by the plurality of agents depending on the decomposition set, where each action is to be carried out by at most one of the plurality of agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Mathias Buerger, Philipp Christian Schillinger
  • Patent number: 10478369
    Abstract: A motion assist device, comprises a brace (2, 3, 5, 6, 11; 23, 24, 32, 35) configured to be worn by a user, an assist motor (4, 34) provided in association with the brace to assist a prescribed motion of the user, a control unit (10; 40) for controlling an operation of the assist motor, and an attitude detection sensor (8, 18; 38) connected to the control unit for detecting an attitude of the user. The control unit is configured to activate the assist motor when a prescribed attitude of the user is detected by the attitude detection sensor so that loads on parts of the user's body other than the part which is directly assisted can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Ikeuchi
  • Patent number: 10464209
    Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for surgical robotic arm setup. In one aspect, there is provided a system including a first robotic arm configured to manipulate a medical instrument, a processor, and a memory. The processor may be configured to: determine a minimum stroke length of the first robotic arm that allows advancing of the medical instrument by the first robotic arm to reach a target region from an access point via a path, determine a boundary for an initial pose of the first robotic arm based on the minimum stroke length and a mapping stored in the memory, and during an arm setup phase prior to performing a procedure, provide an indication of the boundary during movement of the first robotic arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Auris Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Mingyen Ho, David Paul Noonan, Shu-Yun Chung, Allen Jiang
  • Patent number: 10464211
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for generating a control signal for a tele-presence robot by a computing device based on a movement of an operator, the method includes calculating a direction where at least part of the operator is positioned based on a camera acquiring an image of the at least part of the operator; calculating an orientation where the at least part of the operator points; and generating at least one motion parameters of the tele-presence robot as the control signal based on the direction in combination with the orientation, wherein the direction and the orientation are reflected to the at least one motion parameters differently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kentarou Fukuda, Akihiro Kosugi
  • Patent number: 10460611
    Abstract: Flight path determination for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in which three-dimensional coverage information, corresponding to a wireless network, is used to optimize the flight path to ensure that the UAVs maintain network coverage throughout the flight. The flight path information may be provided as a service to UAV operators. In one implementation, network coverage for a network may be mapped in a three-dimensional manner. That is, the radio signal strength of the network may be mapped at various heights that correspond to heights at which UAVs are likely to fly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Lalit R. Kotecha
  • Patent number: 10456913
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot movement of a robot on the basis of a second trajectory is provided, wherein the second trajectory is calculated on the basis of a viscosity volume model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Hermann Georg Mayer
  • Patent number: 10449999
    Abstract: A method for adapting an actual steering wheel angle of a steering wheel and an actual wheel steering angle of a wheel steering system in a motor vehicle after an automated driving maneuver has been executed. The method includes detecting the actual steering wheel angle by a steering wheel angle-detection device and the actual wheel steering angle by a wheel steering angle-detection device, adapting the actual steering wheel angle by a steering wheel-actuation device and/or the actual wheel steering angle by a wheel steering-actuation device based on a transfer strategy within a predefined transfer time. Also disclosed is an associated device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: VOLKSWAGEN AG
    Inventors: Michael Düring, Kai Franke, Daniel Töpfer, Omar El Mikati
  • Patent number: 10436597
    Abstract: A request for directions for traveling to a destination is received via a user interface of a user device, where a mode of transport is not selected via the user interface. A current geographic context of the user device is determined, and suggested mode of transport for travelling to the destination is determined based on the current geographic context. Directions for travelling to the destination using the suggested mode of transport are obtained and provided via the user interface of the user device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
    Inventor: Alex Faaborg
  • Patent number: 10434648
    Abstract: Provided is a task planning device including a simulator that is configured to simulate operation of a robot system including a plurality of devices by using models of the plurality of devices allocated in a virtual space, a system state acquisition unit that is configured to acquire a state of the robot system, and a task plan generation unit that is configured to dynamically generate a task plan to be executed by the robot system by operating the simulator based on the state acquired by the system state acquisition unit and content of a task instructed by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiya Takeda
  • Patent number: 10434641
    Abstract: Systems and methods for in situ gap inspection in a machine, such as a generator, an electric motor, or a turbomachine are described. A robotic crawler has multidirectional traction modules, an expandable body, and sensor modules. A control system communicates with the robotic crawler to provide a control signal to navigate an inspection path within an annular gap of the machine. The inspection path includes axial and radial movements to inspect the annular gap using the sensor modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Selim Akin, Thomas James Batzinger, Airton Rosa da Silva, Jr., Selami Haydar Icli, Christopher Paul Markman, Paulo Cesar Debenest, Michele Guarnieri, Shigeo Hirose
  • Patent number: 10423165
    Abstract: A system (SC) is intended to control a maneuver of a vehicle (V) via the establishment of two-way wireless communication between a communication module (MC1) of the vehicle (V) and a remote control unit (BC), following the actuation of the latter. This system (SC) includes components designed to determine, over a duration corresponding to a chosen main number (NP) of successive connection events in their respective frequency channels, where the chosen main number (NP) is greater than 2, a first number of failed connection events, and then to compare this first number with a first chosen value and to modify the activated automatic maneuver in a chosen way if the first number is greater than or equal to this first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: VALEO SECURITE HABITACLE
    Inventors: Eric Menard, Laurent Petel, Fabienne Masson
  • Patent number: 10421370
    Abstract: A coordinated control method for a distribution network with DER and EV and coordinated control system thereof includes acquiring information from at least one DER controller, at least one EV controller and/or at least one load controller; calculating P/Q references and/or circuit breaker control commands for the DER, the EV and the load based on active/reactive power balance, voltage and/or frequency requirement; allocating the references and/or the control commands to the DER, the EV and the load based on their locations and available capacity; and outputting the allocated references and/or control commands to the DER, the EV and the load. The solutions minimize negative impacts from DER and EVs and maintain a controllable voltage and frequency stabilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Zhao Wang, Yao Chen, Hector Zelaya De La Parra
  • Patent number: 10399222
    Abstract: A robot includes a first arm that rotates around the first axis, a second arm that rotates around a second axis in a direction different from the first axis, a third arm that rotates around a third axis parallel to the second axis, a first inertia sensor that is installed at the first arm, a second (a) inertia sensor that is installed at the third arm, first to third angle sensors, a posture detection unit that detects the posture of the third arm with the second arm as a reference and derives a feedback gain, and a second drive source control unit that feeds back a second correction component, which is obtained by multiplying a value, which is obtained by subtracting the angular velocity ?A2m and the angular velocity ?A3m from the angular velocity ?A3, by the feedback gain, and controls the second drive source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Gomi, Masaki Motoyoshi, Shunsuke Toshimitsu
  • Patent number: 10395448
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for managing data of a remote system includes receiving, at a processor on the remote system, fundamental data from a monitored subsystem of the remote system and/or at least one associated subsystem of the remote system as specified by a diagnostic protocol for the monitored subsystem and wirelessly transmitting the fundamental data to a remote support center that is separate from the remote system. The remote system applies additional, non-certified, logic to determine if augmented diagnostic data is desired. The method also includes wirelessly receiving a signal from the remote support center including at least one of a request for augmented data or a diagnostic protocol change command. The method also includes receiving the augmented data from the monitored subsystem and/or the at least one associated subsystem and/or at least one other subsystem of the remote system, and transmitting the augmented data to the remote support center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Krenz, Kurt L. Kittleson
  • Patent number: 10383497
    Abstract: A robot and a controlling method thereof are provided. The robot includes a driver unit configured to move a location of the robot, a sensor unit configured to sense an environment around the robot, and a controller configured to, in response to the location of the robot being changed by a user, check a current location of the robot by using the environment of the changed location sensed by the sensor unit and pre-stored map information, determine a task to be performed, based on the checked location and the environment of the changed location, and control the driver unit according to the determined task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-beom Han, Myung-sik Kim, Jong-hoon Lim
  • Patent number: 10378426
    Abstract: A system for determining a remaining useful life of a cooling component operatively connected to a prime mover. A controller performs a thermal strain analysis that includes determining the power output of the prime mover based upon sensor signals, determining a temperature output of the prime mover based upon the power output, determining a temperature at each of the plurality of analysis locations based upon the temperature output, determining a temperature difference based upon the temperature at each respective one of the plurality of analysis locations, and determining a thermal strain based upon the temperature difference. The controller repeats the thermal strain analysis at time intervals over a period of time, determines an accumulated damage for the cooling component based upon the thermal strain from each thermal strain analysis, and determines a remaining useful life of the cooling component based upon the material characteristics and the accumulated damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Dongming Tan, Doug A. Long, Neil Terry, Anthony L. Deluca, Jianlong Xu, Rohit K. Paramatmuni, Joseph L. Kennedy, Michael J. Campagna
  • Patent number: 10369708
    Abstract: A robot including an end-effector and a robot arm having a proximal link, a distal link, and a joint assembly for controlling the relative position of the two links. The joint assembly includes an actuated linkage joint including a pair of stops and a passive linkage joint including a mechanical positioner for the end-effector located between the stops. The pair of stops are configured to constrain movement of the mechanical positioner to thereby constrain the ability of a user to manipulate the end-effector outside a predetermined range of motion and permit movement of the end-effector within the predetermined range of motion. The drive mechanism is configured to control a location of at least one stop of the pair of stops based on a position of a virtual object in a virtual space. The joint assembly is one of a prismatic joint assembly and a revolute joint assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventor: Hyosig Kang
  • Patent number: 10369857
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to control vehicle tilt are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a plurality of actuators of a vehicle, where each actuator is to be length adjustable, and a controller communicatively coupled to the actuators, where the controller to vary a height of at least one of the actuators to adjust a tilt of the vehicle to facilitate loading or removal of an object relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies
    Inventor: Erick Michael Lavoie
  • Patent number: 10285765
    Abstract: A system for use in surgery includes a central body, a visualization system operably connected to the central body, a video rendering system, a head-mounted display for displaying images from the video rendering system, a sensor system, and a robotic device operably connected to the central body. The visualization system includes at least one camera and a pan system and/or a tilt system. The sensor system tracks the position and/or orientation in space of the head-mounted display relative to a reference point. The pan system and/or the tilt system are configured to adjust the field of view of the camera in response to information from the sensor system about changes in at least one of position and orientation in space of the head-mounted display relative to the reference point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: VICARIOUS SURGICAL INC.
    Inventors: Adam Sachs, Sammy Khalifa, Barry Stuart Greene
  • Patent number: 10259555
    Abstract: A method for controlling movement of a marine vessel near an object includes accepting a signal representing a desired movement of the marine vessel from a joystick. A sensor senses a shortest distance between the object and the marine vessel and a direction of the object with respect to the marine vessel. A controller compares the desired movement of the marine vessel with the shortest distance and the direction. Based on the comparison, the controller selects whether to command the marine propulsion system to generate thrust to achieve the desired movement, or alternatively whether to command the marine propulsion system to generate thrust to achieve a modified movement that ensures the marine vessel maintains at least a predetermined range from the object. The marine propulsion system then generates thrust to achieve the desired movement or the modified movement, as commanded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Brunswick Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron J. Ward, Michael J. Lemancik