Patents by Inventor Brian Highfill
Brian Highfill 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).
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Patent number: 11927965Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a robot, including: capturing images of a workspace; capturing movement data indicative of movement of the robot; capturing LIDAR data as the robot performs work within the workspace; comparing at least one object from the captured images to objects in an object dictionary; identifying a class to which the at least one object belongs; generating a first iteration of a map of the workspace based on the LIDAR data; generating additional iterations of the map based on newly captured LIDAR data and newly captured movement data; actuating the robot to drive along a trajectory that follows along a planned path by providing pulses to one or more electric motors of wheels of the robot; and localizing the robot within an iteration of the map by estimating a position of the robot based on the movement data, slippage, and sensor errors.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2021Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Andrew Fitzgerald, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11829148Abstract: Some embodiments include a robot, including: a chassis; a set of wheels coupled to the chassis; at least one encoder coupled to a wheel with a resolution of at least one count for every ninety degree rotation of the wheel; a trailing arm suspension coupled to each drive wheel for overcoming surface transitions and obstacles, wherein a first suspension arm is positioned on a right side of a right drive wheel and a second suspension arm is positioned on a left side of a left drive wheel; a roller brush; a collection bin; a fan with multiple blades for creating a negative pressure resulting in suction of dust and debris; a network card for wireless communication with at least one of: a computing device, a charging station, and another robot; a plurality of sensors; a processor; and a media storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates robotic operations.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2019Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Shahin Fathi Djalali, Lukas Fath, Brian Highfill
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Publication number: 20230367324Abstract: Provided is a robot, including: a chassis; a set of wheels coupled to the chassis; a plurality of sensors; a processor; and a non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: establishing, with the processor, a wireless connection with at least one of a computing device, a charging station, and a second robot; capturing, with at least one sensor, spatial data of an environment of the robot; generating or updating, with the processor, a map of the environment based on at least a portion of the spatial data; dividing, with the processor, the map into two or more rooms; storing, with the processor, the map in a memory accessible to the processor during a subsequent work session; and transmitting, with the processor, the map to an application of the computing device, wherein the application is configured to display the map.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2023Publication date: November 16, 2023Applicant: Al IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Shahin Fathi Djalali, Lukas Robinson, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11768504Abstract: Some aspects include a method for operating a cleaning robot, including: capturing LIDAR data; generating a first iteration of a map of the environment in real time; capturing sensor data from different positions within the environment; capturing movement data indicative of movement of the cleaning robot; aligning and integrating newly captured LIDAR data with previously captured LIDAR data at overlapping points; generating additional iterations of the map based on the newly captured LIDAR data and at least some of the newly captured sensor data; localizing the cleaning robot; planning a path of the cleaning robot; and actuating the cleaning robot to drive along a trajectory that follows along the planned path by providing pulses to one or more electric motors of wheels of the cleaning robot.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Andrew Fitzgerald, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11747819Abstract: Provided is provide a robotic device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a control system; a battery; one or more sensors; a processor; a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with the one or more sensors, data of an environment of the robotic device and data indicative of movement of the robotic device; generating or updating, with the processor, a map of the environment based on at least a portion of the captured data; and generating or updating, with the processor, a movement path of the robotic device based on at least the map of the environment.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Robinson, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11726490Abstract: A robotic device, including a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with the camera, one or more images of an environment of the robotic device; capturing, with the plurality of sensors, sensor data of the environment; generating or updating, with the processor, a map of the environment; identifying, with the processor, one or more rooms in the map; receiving, with the processor, one or more multidimensional arrays including at least one parameter that is used to identify a feature included in the one or more images; determining, with the processor, a position and orientation of the robotic device relative to the feature; and transmitting, with the processor, a signal to the processor of the controller to adjust a heading of the robotic device.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2020Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
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Publication number: 20230085608Abstract: Provided is a robot including a chassis; a set of wheels coupled to the chassis; a plurality of sensors; a processor; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations. The operations include capturing, with an image sensor disposed on the robot, a plurality of images of an environment of the robot as the robot navigates within the environment; identifying, with the processor, an obstacle type of an obstacle captured in an image based on a comparison between features of the obstacle and features of obstacles with different obstacles types stored in a database; and determining, with the processor, an action of the robot based on the obstacle type of the obstacle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2022Publication date: March 16, 2023Applicant: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Robinson, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi
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Patent number: 11576543Abstract: A robotic surface cleaning device is provided, including a casing, a chassis, a set of wheels coupled to the chassis to drive the robotic surface cleaning device, a control system to instruct movement of the set of wheels, a battery to provide power to the robotic surface cleaning device, one or more sensors, a processor, rotating assembly, including a plate supported by a base of the casing, rotating mechanism to rotate the plate; and one or more cleaning apparatuses mounted to a first side of the plate.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2019Date of Patent: February 14, 2023Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia, Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11548159Abstract: Provided is a robot including: a chassis; wheels; electric motors; a network card; sensors; a processor; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with at least one exteroceptive sensor, a first image and a second image; determining, with the processor, an overlapping area of the first image and the second image by comparing the raw pixel intensity values of the first image to the raw pixel intensity values of the second image; combining, with the processor, the first image and the second image at the overlapping area to generate a digital spatial representation of the environment; and estimating, with the processor using a statistical ensemble of simulated positions of the robot, a corrected position of the robot to replace a last known position of the robot within the digital spatial representation of the environment.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi
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Patent number: 11449064Abstract: Provided is provide a robotic device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a control system; a battery; one or more sensors; a processor; a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with the one or more sensors, data of an environment of the robotic device and data indicative of movement of the robotic device; generating or updating, with the processor, a map of the environment based on at least a portion of the captured data; inferring, with the one or more processors of the robotic device, a current location of the robotic device, and generating or updating, with the processor, a movement path of the robotic device based on at least the map of the environment, at least a portion of the captured data, and the inferred current location of the robotic device.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2019Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
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Publication number: 20220187841Abstract: Some aspects include a method for operating a wheeled device, including: capturing, by a primary sensor coupled to the wheeled device, primary sensor data indicative of a plurality of radial distances to objects; transforming, by a processor of the wheeled device, the plurality of radial distances from a perspective of the primary sensor to a perspective of the wheeled device; generating, by the processor, a partial map of visible areas in real-time at a first position of the wheeled device based on the primary sensor data and some secondary sensor data, wherein: the partial map is a bird's eye view; and the processor iteratively completes a full map of the environment based on new sensor data captured by sensors as the wheeled device performs work within the environment and new areas become visible to the sensors; and executing, by the wheeled device, a movement path to a second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2021Publication date: June 16, 2022Applicant: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Andrew Fitzgerald, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Brian Highfill, Masih Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Nema Link
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Patent number: 11340079Abstract: Provided is a wheeled device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels coupled to the chassis; one or more electric motors to rotate the set of wheels; a network card for wireless connection to the internet; a plurality of sensors; a processor electronically coupled to the plurality of sensors; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with at least one exteroceptive sensor, measurement readings of the environment; and estimating, with the processor using a statistical ensemble of simulated positions of the wheeled device and the measurement readings, a corrected position of the wheeled device to replace a last known position of the wheeled device.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2019Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi
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Publication number: 20220066456Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a robot, including: capturing images of a workspace; capturing movement data indicative of movement of the robot; capturing LIDAR data as the robot performs work within the workspace; comparing at least one object from the captured images to objects in an object dictionary; identifying a class to which the at least one object belongs; generating a first iteration of a map of the workspace based on the LIDAR data; generating additional iterations of the map based on newly captured LIDAR data and newly captured movement data; actuating the robot to drive along a trajectory that follows along a planned path by providing pulses to one or more electric motors of wheels of the robot; and localizing the robot within an iteration of the map by estimating a position of the robot based on the movement data, slippage, and sensor errors.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Applicant: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Andrew Fitzgerald, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11241791Abstract: Provided is a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing visual readings to objects within an environment; capturing readings of wheel rotation; capturing readings of a driving surface; capturing distances to obstacles; determining displacement of the robotic device in two dimensions based on sensor readings of the driving surface; estimating, with the processor, a corrected position of the robotic device to replace a last known position of the robotic device; determining a most feasible element in an ensemble based on the visual readings; and determining a most feasible position of the robotic device as the corrected position based on the most feasible element in the ensemble and the visual readings.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
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Publication number: 20220026920Abstract: Some aspects include a method for operating a cleaning robot, including: capturing LIDAR data; generating a first iteration of a map of the environment in real time; capturing sensor data from different positions within the environment; capturing movement data indicative of movement of the cleaning robot; aligning and integrating newly captured LIDAR data with previously captured LIDAR data at overlapping points; generating additional iterations of the map based on the newly captured LIDAR data and at least some of the newly captured sensor data; localizing the cleaning robot; planning a path of the cleaning robot; and actuating the cleaning robot to drive along a trajectory that follows along the planned path by providing pulses to one or more electric motors of wheels of the cleaning robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Inventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Andrew Fitzgerald, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Brian Highfill
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Patent number: 11199853Abstract: Provided is a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with at least one exteroceptive sensor, readings of an environment and capturing, with at least one proprioceptive sensor, readings indicative of displacement of a wheeled device; estimating, with the processor using an ensemble of simulated positions of possible new locations of the wheeled device, the readings of the environment, and the readings indicative of displacement, a corrected position of the wheeled device to replace a last known position of the wheeled device; determining, by the processor using the readings of the exteroceptive sensor, a most feasible position of the wheeled device as the corrected position; and, transmitting, by the processor, status information of tasks performed by the wheeled device to an external processor, wherein the status information initiates a second wheeled device to perform a second task.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2019Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill, Amin Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Shahin Fathi Djalali, Masih Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli
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Patent number: 10901431Abstract: A tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by an image processor effectuates operations including: causing the camera to capture one or more images of an environment of the robotic device; receiving, with the image processor, one or more multidimensional arrays including at least one parameter that describes a feature included in the one or more images, wherein values of the at least one parameter correspond with pixels of a corresponding one or more images of the feature; determining, with the image processor, an amount of asymmetry of the feature in the one or more images based on at least a portion of the values of the at least one parameter; and, transmitting, with the image processor, a signal to the processor of the controller to adjust a heading of the robotic device by an amount proportional to the amount of asymmetry of the feature.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill
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Publication number: 20200069134Abstract: A robotic surface cleaning device is provided, including a casing, a chassis, a set of wheels coupled to the chassis to drive the robotic surface cleaning device, a control system to instruct movement of the set of wheels, a battery to provide power to the robotic surface cleaning device, one or more sensors, a processor, rotating assembly, including a plate supported by a base of the casing, rotating mechanism to rotate the plate; and one or more cleaning apparatuses mounted to a first side of the plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 6, 2019Publication date: March 5, 2020Applicant: AI IncorporatedInventors: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia, Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli, Lukas Fath, Chen Zhang, Brian Highfill