Patents by Inventor Bruce Welty
Bruce Welty 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: 11213950Abstract: Systems and methods for proximate robot object detection and avoidance are provided herein which include a receiver in electronic communication with an autonomous robot and configured to receive a broadcast message from a beacon, a processor, and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to detect, based on the received broadcast message, a proximity of the beacon to the autonomous robot, determine, from the received broadcast message, a beacon status, the beacon status indicating whether the beacon is stationary, approaching the autonomous robot, or withdrawing from the autonomous robot, identify, according to the detected proximity and the determined beacon status, a corresponding proximity operation, and control the autonomous robot to stop an ordinary operation and operate according to the identified proximity operation.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2019Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Bruce Welty
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Patent number: 11078019Abstract: A method for assigning orders to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators. The method includes providing a first robot of the plurality of robots to a be assigned an order set, including one or more orders to be fulfilled and assessing the locations of at least one of the plurality of robots or at least one of the plurality of operators in the warehouse. The method also includes selecting an anchor location in the warehouse and generating an order set for the first robot correlated to the anchor location in the warehouse. The method also includes assigning the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez
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Patent number: 11000953Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving operator performance by robot gamification, the method including parking a robot at a pose location within a navigational space, identifying, by a sensor in electronic communication with an interactive display device, an operator located within a zone proximate the robot for acquiring an item to be picked, receiving, at the interactive display device, operator performance data associated with the acquiring of the item, and rendering, on the interactive display device in response to the received operator performance data, at least one graphic representation of operator achievement within a gamified performance tracking environment.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2019Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Bruce Welty, Karen Leavitt
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Patent number: 10994933Abstract: A method for recommending a tote type for an operator to select for use in robot induction process, wherein the robot operates under the control of a warehouse management system to fulfill orders, each order including one or more items and each item being located in a warehouse. The method includes grouping one or more orders from an order queue to form at least one order set. The method also includes identifying, based on a characteristic of the at least one order set, a preferred tote type to be assigned to the robot to carry the order set on the robot. The method further includes communicating to an operator the preferred tote type to enable the operator to select from a plurality of totes a tote of the preferred tote type to assign to the robot for execution of the order.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2019Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Bruce Welty
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Patent number: 10769716Abstract: A method for customer assisted robot picking includes navigating a robot to a pose location within a retail space in proximity to an item to be picked, the retail space having items for purchase by customers, the robot identifying, by a sensor in communication with the robot, a customer located within a zone proximate the robot, communicating to the customer information identifying the item to be picked, detecting presentation of the item by the customer for identification, and updating customer performance data stored in a customer account to include data corresponding to picking of the item by the customer.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Inventors: Bruce Welty, Michael Charles Johnson, Karen Leavitt
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Publication number: 20200246971Abstract: Systems and methods for proximate robot object detection and avoidance are provided herein which include a receiver in electronic communication with an autonomous robot and configured to receive a broadcast message from a beacon, a processor, and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to detect, based on the received broadcast message, a proximity of the beacon to the autonomous robot, determine, from the received broadcast message, a beacon status, the beacon status indicating whether the beacon is stationary, approaching the autonomous robot, or withdrawing from the autonomous robot, identify, according to the detected proximity and the determined beacon status, a corresponding proximity operation, and control the autonomous robot to stop an ordinary operation and operate according to the identified proximity operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 1, 2019Publication date: August 6, 2020Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Bruce Welty
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Publication number: 20200239232Abstract: A method for assigning orders to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators. The method includes providing a first robot of the plurality of robots to a be assigned an order set, including one or more orders to be fulfilled and assessing the locations of at least one of the plurality of robots or at least one of the plurality of operators in the warehouse. The method also includes selecting an anchor location in the warehouse and generating an order set for the first robot correlated to the anchor location in the warehouse. The method also includes assigning the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2019Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez
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Publication number: 20200239233Abstract: A method for recommending a tote type for an operator to select for use in robot induction process, wherein the robot operates under the control of a warehouse management system to fulfill orders, each order including one or more items and each item being located in a warehouse. The method includes grouping one or more orders from an order queue to form at least one order set. The method also includes identifying, based on a characteristic of the at least one order set, a preferred tote type to be assigned to the robot to carry the order set on the robot. The method further includes communicating to an operator the preferred tote type to enable the operator to select from a plurality of totes a tote of the preferred tote type to assign to the robot for execution of the order.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2019Publication date: July 30, 2020Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Bruce Welty
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Publication number: 20200184542Abstract: A method for customer assisted robot picking includes navigating a robot to a pose location within a retail space in proximity to an item to be picked, the retail space having items for purchase by customers, the robot identifying, by a sensor in communication with the robot, a customer located within a zone proximate the robot, communicating to the customer information identifying the item to be picked, detecting presentation of the item by the customer for identification, and updating customer performance data stored in a customer account to include data corresponding to picking of the item by the customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2018Publication date: June 11, 2020Inventors: Bruce Welty, Michael Charles Johnson, Karen Leavitt
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Patent number: 10572854Abstract: A method for grouping a plurality of orders in an order queue of a warehouse management system, each order including one or more items and each item being associated with a physical location in a warehouse. The method includes determining a physical location in the warehouse of each item in the plurality of orders. For each order, the method also includes establishing at least one cluster region, each cluster region including at least one item from the respective order. The method further includes grouping the plurality of orders based on the physical locations of the cluster regions in the warehouse to form at least one order set.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2017Date of Patent: February 25, 2020Inventors: Ryan Johnson, Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Bruce Welty
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Publication number: 20190217478Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving operator performance by robot gamification, the method including parking a robot at a pose location within a navigational space, identifying, by a sensor in electronic communication with an interactive display device, an operator located within a zone proximate the robot for acquiring an item to be picked, receiving, at the interactive display device, operator performance data associated with the acquiring of the item, and rendering, on the interactive display device in response to the received operator performance data, at least one graphic representation of operator achievement within a gamified performance tracking environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2019Publication date: July 18, 2019Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Bruce Welty, Karen Leavitt
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Patent number: 10354214Abstract: A robot system includes at least one robot configured to interact with a plurality of operators in a warehouse. The robot has a proximity detector configured to detect the presence of an operator of the plurality of operators when they are within a predetermined distance of the at least one robot. There is a processor configured to retrieve from a memory a set of operator interaction preferences for the operator detected. And, there is a display device configured to allow the at least one robot to interact with the detected operator based on the set of operator interaction preferences of the detected operator.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2016Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Bradley Powers, Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez
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Publication number: 20190138978Abstract: A method for grouping a plurality of orders in an order queue of a warehouse management system, each order including one or more items and each item being associated with a physical location in a warehouse. The method includes determining a physical location in the warehouse of each item in the plurality of orders. For each order, the method also includes establishing at least one cluster region, each cluster region including at least one item from the respective order. The method further includes grouping the plurality of orders based on the physical locations of the cluster regions in the warehouse to form at least one order set.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2017Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventors: Ryan Johnson, Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Bruce Welty
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Patent number: 10196210Abstract: A robot capable of autonomously navigating through a warehouse to execute orders on items at locations in the warehouse with the assistance of the human operators. There is a mobile base unit and a display device associated with the mobile base unit having a display area to allow the human operators to interact with the robot. And, there is a processor configured to display on a first portion of the display area information corresponding to an item on which an operator is to assist the robot execute the order at a first location and to display on a second portion of the display area icons representing other robots within a predetermined area surrounding the first location.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2017Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson, Luis Jaquez, Michael Charles Johnson
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Patent number: 10198706Abstract: A system for identifying and tracking performance of operators in a warehouse. The system comprises at least one robot configured to interact with the operators in the warehouse. The at least one robot includes a first transceiver, a proximity detector, and a memory. The first transceiver defines a zone surrounding the robot and the proximity detector is coupled to the first transceiver. The proximity detector is configured to detect entry, into the zone, of an operator and to detect exit of the operator from the zone. The memory contains information identifying said operators who have entered and exited the zone.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2015Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Bradley Powers, Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson
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Publication number: 20180201444Abstract: A robot capable of autonomously navigating through a warehouse to execute orders on items at locations in the warehouse with the assistance of the human operators. There is a mobile base unit and a display device associated with the mobile base unit having a display area to allow the human operators to interact with the robot. And, there is a processor configured to display on a first portion of the display area information corresponding to an item on which an operator is to assist the robot execute the order at a first location and to display on a second portion of the display area icons representing other robots within a predetermined area surrounding the first location.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2017Publication date: July 19, 2018Applicant: Locus Robotics CorporationInventors: Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson, Louis Jaquez, Michael Charles Johnson
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Patent number: 10019015Abstract: A method for performing tasks on items located in a space using a robot, the items being located proximate fiducial markers, each fiducial marker having a fiducial identification. The method includes receiving an order to perform a task on at least one item and determining the fiducial identification associated with the at least one item. The method also includes obtaining, using the fiducial identification of the at least one item, a set of coordinates representing a position of the fiducial marker with the determined fiducial identification, in a coordinate system defined by the space. The method further includes navigating the robot to the coordinates of the fiducial marker associated with said determined fiducial identification.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Bradley Powers, Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson
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Patent number: 9864377Abstract: A method for generating a navigation map of an environment in which a plurality of robots will navigate, includes obtaining an image of the environment defined by a plurality of pixels, each having a cost value. The environment includes an image of a fixed object having a set of pixels corresponding to its location and having a first defined cost value. The method includes obtaining a planned path image for the robots, which include a first set of pixels corresponding to the location of each robot in the environment and a second set of pixels adjacent to the first set of pixels and extending along a planned path of travel toward a destination. The first set of pixels of each robot having the first defined cost value and the second set of pixels having a second defined cost value. The second defined cost value is less than the first defined cost value.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2016Date of Patent: January 9, 2018Assignee: Locus Robotics CorporationInventors: Bruce Welty, Bradley Powers, Eric Tappan
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Publication number: 20170285648Abstract: A method for generating a navigation map of an environment in which a plurality of robots will navigate, includes obtaining an image of the environment defined by a plurality of pixels, each having a cost value. The environment includes an image of a fixed object having a set of pixels corresponding to its location and having a first defined cost value. The method includes obtaining a planned path image for the robots, which include a first set of pixels corresponding to the location of each robot in the environment and a second set of pixels adjacent to the first set of pixels and extending along a planned path of travel toward a destination. The first set of pixels of each robot having the first defined cost value and the second set of pixels having a second defined cost value. The second defined cost value is less than the first defined cost value.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2016Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Bruce Welty, Bradley Powers, Eric Tappan
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Publication number: 20170278047Abstract: A method for executing an order to perform a plurality of tasks on items at locations throughout a warehouse space using a robot includes receiving an order for the robot to execute a plurality of tasks. The order including for each task, a task type and an item associated with each task. The method also includes navigating the robot to the locations in the warehouse space associated with each item and executing at each location, the task type on the associated item. The task types for the order include picking, placing, and at least one inventory control task.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2016Publication date: September 28, 2017Inventors: Bruce Welty, Mike Johnson, Sean Johnson, Albert Arch Dekin, III