Patents by Inventor Brandon Northcutt

Brandon Northcutt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11919160
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device includes observing a first object associated with an object type at one or more first locations in an environment over a period of time prior to a current time. The method also includes generating a probability distribution associated with the one or more first locations based on observing the first object over the period of time. The method further includes observing, at the current time, a second object associated with the object type at a second location in the environment. The method still further includes determining a probability of the second object being at the second location based on observing the second object at the second location. The probability is based on the probability distribution associated with the one or more first locations. The method also includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action based on the probability being less than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Astrid Jackson, Brandon Northcutt
  • Patent number: 11752637
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device based on observed object locations includes obtaining a group of observations of an object type in an environment based on identifying one or more first objects associated with the object type over a period of time in the environment. The method also includes localizing the object type in the environment based on a location cluster comprising a group of nodes. Each node in the group of nodes associated with one observation of the group of observations. The method further includes generating a cost map indicating a probability distribution of the object type in relation to the localized object type in the environment. The method still further includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action in the environment based on the cost map and a map of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventor: Brandon Northcutt
  • Publication number: 20230283925
    Abstract: A method for training an object detection system includes estimating a location of a first object in an environment based on a density cluster map generated from a plurality of images of the environment. The method also includes generating one or more negative training samples of the first object in the environment based on the plurality of images, each of the one or more negative training samples corresponding to a second object at a location in the environment that is different than the estimated location of the first object. The method further includes generating positive training samples from a set of images of the first object. The method also includes training the object detection system to detect the first object based on the positive training samples and the negative training sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Brandon NORTHCUTT, Katarina BOUMA, Kevin STONE, Konstantine MUSHEGIAN
  • Patent number: 11610080
    Abstract: A method for generating positive and negative training samples is presented. The method includes identifying false positive images of an object based on multiple images of an environment. The method also includes generating positive training samples from a set of images of the object. The method further includes generating a negative training sample from the false positive image. The method still further includes training an object detection system based on the positive training samples and the negative training sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Brandon Northcutt, Katarina Bouma, Kevin Stone, Konstantine Mushegian
  • Publication number: 20220262109
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device based on observed object locations includes obtaining a group of observations of an object type in an environment based on identifying one or more first objects associated with the object type over a period of time in the environment. The method also includes localizing the object type in the environment based on a location cluster comprising a group of nodes. Each node in the group of nodes associated with one observation of the group of observations. The method further includes generating a cost map indicating a probability distribution of the object type in relation to the localized object type in the environment. The method still further includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action in the environment based on the cost map and a map of the environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Brandon NORTHCUTT
  • Patent number: 11348332
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device based on observed object locations is presented. The method includes observing objects in an environment. The method also includes generating a probability distribution for locations of the observed objects. The method further includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action in the environment based on the generated probability distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventor: Brandon Northcutt
  • Publication number: 20220165056
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device includes observing a first object associated with an object type at one or more first locations in an environment over a period of time prior to a current time. The method also includes generating a probability distribution associated with the one or more first locations based on observing the first object over the period of time. The method further includes observing, at the current time, a second object associated with the object type at a second location in the environment. The method still further includes determining a probability of the second object being at the second location based on observing the second object at the second location. The probability is based on the probability distribution associated with the one or more first locations. The method also includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action based on the probability being less than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Astrid JACKSON, Brandon NORTHCUTT
  • Patent number: 11288509
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device based on observed object locations is presented. The method includes observing objects in an environment. The method also includes generating a probability distribution for locations of the observed objects. The method further includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action when an object is at a location in the environment with a location probability that is less than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Astrid Jackson, Brandon Northcutt
  • Publication number: 20210326651
    Abstract: A method for generating positive and negative training samples is presented. The method includes identifying false positive images of an object based on multiple images of an environment. The method also includes generating positive training samples from a set of images of the object. The method further includes generating a negative training sample from the false positive image. The method still further includes training an object detection system based on the positive training samples and the negative training sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Brandon NORTHCUTT, Katarina BOUMA, Kevin STONE, Konstantine MUSHEGIAN
  • Publication number: 20210142057
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device based on observed object locations is presented. The method includes observing objects in an environment. The method also includes generating a probability distribution for locations of the observed objects. The method further includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action when an object is at a location in the environment with a location probability that is less than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Astrid JACKSON, Brandon NORTHCUTT
  • Publication number: 20210086358
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robotic device based on observed object locations is presented. The method includes observing objects in an environment. The method also includes generating a probability distribution for locations of the observed objects. The method further includes controlling the robotic device to perform an action in the environment based on the generated probability distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventor: Brandon NORTHCUTT
  • Patent number: 10607079
    Abstract: Systems, robots, and methods for generating three-dimensional skeleton representations of people are disclosed. A method includes generating, from a two-dimensional image, a two-dimensional skeleton representation of a person present in the two-dimensional image. The two-dimensional skeleton representation includes a plurality of joints and a plurality of links between individual joints of the plurality of joints. The method further includes positioning a cone around one or more links of the plurality of links, and identifying points of a depth cloud that intersect with the cone positioned around the one or more links of the two-dimensional skeleton. The points of the depth cloud are generated by a depth sensor and each point provides depth information. The method also includes projecting the two-dimensional skeleton representation into three-dimensional space using the depth information of the points that intersect with the cone, thereby generating the three-dimensional skeleton representation of the person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Toyota Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Northcutt, Kevin Stone, Konstantine Mushegian, Katarina Bouma, Kazuto Murase, Akiyoshi Ochiai
  • Publication number: 20190095711
    Abstract: Systems, robots, and methods for generating three-dimensional skeleton representations of people are disclosed. A method includes generating, from a two-dimensional image, a two-dimensional skeleton representation of a person present in the two-dimensional image. The two-dimensional skeleton representation includes a plurality of joints and a plurality of links between individual joints of the plurality of joints. The method further includes positioning a cone around one or more links of the plurality of links, and identifying points of a depth cloud that intersect with the cone positioned around the one or more links of the two-dimensional skeleton. The points of the depth cloud are generated by a depth sensor and each point provides depth information. The method also includes projecting the two-dimensional skeleton representation into three-dimensional space using the depth information of the points that intersect with the cone, thereby generating the three-dimensional skeleton representation of the person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Brandon Northcutt, Kevin Stone, Konstantine Mushegian, Katarina Bouma, Kazuto Murase, Akiyoshi Ochiai