Patents by Inventor Charles Christopher

Charles Christopher 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).

  • Publication number: 20240158171
    Abstract: A material handling system has a vertical lift two vertically aligned carriages that are independently positionable on a vertical support structure by respective drive systems. A processor subsystem selects one of the two carriages to move an article from at least one in-feed conveyor to a selected level of an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). The processor subsystem concurrently positions the other carriage to avoid a collision.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Inventors: Douglas K. SCHACK, Ralf BUERKLE, Jonathon CLEARY, Charles Christopher LINGAMFELTER
  • Patent number: 11984621
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20240087738
    Abstract: A telepresence robot may include a drive system, a control system, an imaging system, and a mapping module. The mapping module may access a plan view map of an area and tags associated with the area. In various embodiments, each tag may include tag coordinates and tag information, which may include a tag annotation. A tag identification system may identify tags within a predetermined range of the current position and the control system may execute an action based on an identified tag whose tag information comprises a telepresence robot action modifier. The telepresence robot may rotate an upper portion independent from a lower portion. A remote terminal may allow an operator to control the telepresence robot using any combination of control methods, including by selecting a destination in a live video feed, by selecting a destination on a plan view map, or by using a joystick or other peripheral device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Charles S. Jordan, Tim Wright, Michael Chan, Marco Pinter, Kevin Hanrahan, Daniel Sanchez, James Ballantyne, Cody Herzog, Blair Whitney, Fuji Lai, Kelton Temby, Eben Christopher Rauhut, Justin H. Kearns, Cheuk Wah Wong, Timothy Sturtevant Farlow
  • Publication number: 20240072383
    Abstract: A battery interconnect may include a desired current capacity, integrated fusible links, and be manufacturable using cost effective techniques. In some embodiments, a battery interconnect includes a busbar and relatively thinner links. A busbar carries larger currents and accordingly its cross-sectional areas are relatively larger to reduce ohmic losses. A link carries a much smaller current, and a fusible link is configured to break the circuit when the current is above a threshold, thus requiring a relatively small cross-sectional area. These sometime disparate length scales are addressed using several techniques such as layering a busbar and a foil sheet and pressing portions of a busbar to form the links. The links can be affixed to a plurality of battery cells to connect the cells in parallel or series.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Nathaniel Christopher Wynn, Kyle William Butterfield, Tyler David Collins, Charles Ed Chang
  • Publication number: 20240068092
    Abstract: Methods for depositing a molybdenum nitride film on a surface of a substrate are disclosed. The methods may include: providing a substrate into a reaction chamber; and depositing a molybdenum nitride film directly on the surface of the substrate by performing one or more unit deposition cycles of cyclical deposition process, wherein a unit deposition cycle may include, contacting the substrate with a first vapor phase reactant comprising a molybdenum halide precursor, and contacting the substrate with a second vapor phase reactant comprising a nitrogen precursor. Semiconductor device structures including a molybdenum nitride film are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Eric Christopher Stevens, Bhushan Zope, Shankar Swaminathan, Charles Dezelah, Qi Xie, Giuseppe Alessio Verni
  • Patent number: 11880598
    Abstract: Techniques for managing sequencing requests for storage node operations based on types of operations being sequenced. The techniques manage sequencing requests for different types of operations, such as backup and recovery operations, replication operations, migration operations, and so on, in a manner that avoids overwhelming storage node capacity. The techniques include receiving a sequencing request for an operation of a specified operation type at a request manager of a storage node and determining whether a capacity of the storage node is available for running the operation by a capacity manager for the specified operation type, in which the capacity manager is provided by a storage client and implemented on the storage node separate from the request manager. In this way, throttling, limiting, and/or prioritization requirements of the operation of the specified operation type can be defined by the storage client in a manner agnostic to the request manager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: EMC IP Holding Company LLC
    Inventors: Peerapat Luxsuwong, Sathya Krishna Murthy, Charles Christopher Bailey
  • Patent number: 11873163
    Abstract: A material handling system has a vertical lift two vertically aligned carriages that are independently positionable on a vertical support structure by respective drive systems. A processor subsystem selects one of the two carriages to move an article from at least one in-feed conveyor to a selected level of an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS). The processor subsystem concurrently positions the other carriage to avoid a collision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: INTELLIGRATED HEADQUARTERS, LLC
    Inventors: Douglas K Schack, Ralf Buerkle, Jonathon Cleary, Charles Christopher Lingamfelter
  • Publication number: 20230394691
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for depth estimation from monocular images using a depth model with sparse range sensor data and uncertainty in the range sensor as inputs thereto. According to some embodiments, the methods and systems comprise receiving an image captured by an image sensor, where the image represents a scene of an environment. The method and systems also comprise deriving a point cloud representative of the scene of the environment from range sensor data, and deriving range sensor uncertainty from the range sensor data. Then a depth map can be derived for the image based on the point cloud and the range sensor uncertainty as one or more inputs into a depth model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Vitor Guizilini, Jie Li, Charles Christopher Ochoa
  • Publication number: 20230351767
    Abstract: A method for generating a dense light detection and ranging (LiDAR) representation by a vision system includes receiving, at a sparse depth network, one or more sparse representations of an environment. The method also includes generating a depth estimate of the environment depicted in an image captured by an image capturing sensor. The method further includes generating, via the sparse depth network, one or more sparse depth estimates based on receiving the one or more sparse representations. The method also includes fusing the depth estimate and the one or more sparse depth estimates to generate a dense depth estimate. The method further includes generating the dense LiDAR representation based on the dense depth estimate and controlling an action of the vehicle based on identifying a three-dimensional object in the dense LiDAR representation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Arjun BHARGAVA, Chao FANG, Charles Christopher OCHOA, Kun-Hsin CHEN, Kuan-Hui LEE, Vitor GUIZILINI
  • Publication number: 20230351739
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a multi-task model that integrates recurrent models to improve handling of multi-sweep inputs. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring sensor data from multiple modalities. The method includes separately encoding respective segments of the sensor data according to an associated one of the different modalities to form encoded features using separate encoders of a network. The method includes accumulating, in a detector, sparse features associated with sparse sensor inputs of the multiple modalities to densify the sparse features into dense features. The method includes providing observations according to the encoded features and the sparse features using the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kuan-Hui Lee, Charles Christopher Ochoa, Arjun Bhargava, Chao Fang, Kun-Hsin Chen
  • Publication number: 20230351773
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to detection of traffic lights corresponding to a driving lane from views captured by multiple cameras. In one embodiment, a method includes estimating, by a first model using images from multiple cameras, positions and state confidences of traffic lights corresponding to a driving lane of a vehicle. The method also includes aggregating, by a second model, the state confidences and a multi-view stereo composition from geometric representations associated with the positions of the traffic lights. The method also includes assigning, by the second model according to the aggregating, a relevancy score computed for a candidate traffic light of the traffic lights to the driving lane. The method also includes executing a task by the vehicle according to the relevancy score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kun-Hsin Chen, Kuan-Hui Lee, Chao Fang, Charles Christopher Ochoa
  • Publication number: 20230351774
    Abstract: A method for controlling an ego vehicle in an environment includes associating, by a velocity model, one or more objects within the environment with a respective velocity instance label. The method also includes selectively, by a recurrent network of the taillight recognition system, focusing on a selected region of the sequence of images according to a spatial attention model for a vehicle taillight recognition task. The method further includes concatenating the selected region with the respective velocity instance label of each object of the one or more objects within the environment to generate a concatenated region label. The method still further planning a trajectory of the ego vehicle based on inferring, at a classifier of the taillight recognition system, an intent of each object of the one or more objects according to a respective taillight state of each object, as determined based on the concatenated region label.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kuan-Hui LEE, Charles Christopher OCHOA, Arjun BHARGAVA, Chao FANG
  • Publication number: 20230351244
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to a manner of generating and relating frames that improves the retrieval of sensor and agent data for processing by different vehicle tasks. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring sensor data by a vehicle. The method also includes generating a frame including the sensor data and agent perceptions determined from the sensor data at a timestamp, the agent perceptions including multi-dimensional data that describes features for surrounding vehicles of the vehicle. The method also includes relating the frame to other frames of the vehicle by track, the other frames having processed data from various times and the track having a predetermined window of scene information associated with an agent. The method also includes training a learning model using the agent perceptions accessed from the track.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chao Fang, Charles Christopher Ochoa, Kuan-Hui Lee, Kun-Hsin Chen, Visak Kumar
  • Publication number: 20230351886
    Abstract: A method for vehicle prediction, planning, and control is described. The method includes separately encoding traffic state information at an intersection into corresponding traffic state latent spaces. The method also includes aggregating the corresponding traffic state latent spaces to form a generalized traffic geometry latent space. The method further includes interpreting the generalized traffic geometry latent space to form a traffic flow map including current and future vehicle trajectories. The method also includes decoding the generalized traffic geometry latent space to predict a vehicle behavior according to the traffic flow map based on the current and future vehicle trajectories.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kuan-Hui LEE, Charles Christopher OCHOA, Arjun BHARGAVA, Chao FANG, Kun-Hsin CHEN
  • Publication number: 20230351766
    Abstract: A method controlling an ego vehicle in an environment includes determining, via a flow model of a parked vehicle recognition system, a flow between a first representation of the environment and a second representation of the environment. The method also includes determining, via a velocity model of the parked vehicle recognition system, a velocity of a vehicle in the environment based on the flow. The method further includes determining, via a parked vehicle classification model of the parked vehicle recognition system, the vehicle is parked based on the velocity of the vehicle and one or more of features associated with the vehicle and/or the environment. The method still further includes planning a trajectory of the ego vehicle based on determining the vehicle is parked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kuan-Hui LEE, Charles Christopher OCHOA, Arjun BHARGAVA, Chao FANG
  • Publication number: 20230350050
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to methods for gathering radar measurements, wherein the radar measurements includes one or more angular uncertainties, generating a two dimensional radar uncertainty cloud, wherein the radar uncertainty cloud includes one or more shaded regions that each represent an angular uncertainty, capturing image data, wherein the image data includes one or more targets within a region of interest, and fusing the two dimensional radar uncertainty cloud with the image data to overlay the one or more regions of uncertainty over a target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicants: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC., TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Charles Christopher Ochoa, Arjun Bhargava, Chao Fang, Kun-Hsin Chen, Kuan-Hui Lee
  • Publication number: 20230343109
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving the detection of traffic lights associated with a driving lane using a camera instead of map data. In one embodiment, a method includes estimating, from an image using a first model, depth and orientation information of traffic lights relative to a driving lane of a vehicle. The method also includes computing, using a second model, relevancy scores for the traffic lights according to geometric inferences between the depth and the orientation information. The method also includes assigning, using the second model, a primary relevancy score for a light of the traffic lights associated with the driving lane according to the depth and the orientation information. The method also includes executing a control task by the vehicle according to the primary relevancy score and a state confidence, computed by the first model, for the light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicants: Toyota Research Institute, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kun-Hsin Chen, Kuan-Hui Lee, Chao Fang, Charles Christopher Ochoa
  • Patent number: 11793185
    Abstract: A real time fish movement and location guide system and method provides an output to an angler of a real time adjusted active fish depth range based upon a set of environmental conditions. Input data relating to the environmental conditions is received from the angler through a user interface and from Internet sources. In some embodiments, the input data is also used to provide outputs indicating weather fronts that will affect movement and location, and to provide lure recommendations and notifications that a change in lure is appropriate in view of changing conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Inventor: Charles Christopher Gierke
  • Publication number: 20230334873
    Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to accurately distinguishing a traffic light from other illuminated objects in the traffic scene and detecting states using hierarchical modeling. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting, using a machine learning (ML) model, two-dimensional (2D) coordinates of illuminated objects identified from a monocular image of a traffic scene for control adaptation by a control model. The method also includes assigning, using the ML model, computed probabilities to the illuminated objects for categories within a hierarchical ontology of environmental lights associated with the traffic scene, wherein one of the probabilities indicates existence of a traffic light instead of a brake light in the traffic scene. The method also includes executing a task by the control model for a vehicle according to the 2D coordinates and the computed probabilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Kun-Hsin Chen, Kuan-Hui Lee, Chao Fang, Charles Christopher Ochoa
  • Publication number: 20230232870
    Abstract: A device for creating reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species comprising: a plasma generator comprising at least one electrode positioned within an open-ended chamber and a centrifugal mixing chamber in fluid communication with the plasma generator, said centrifugal mixing chamber comprising a mixing chamber side wall and a blade, said blade oriented to allow passage of air in a circular motion around a central post of said centrifugal mixing chamber, and an exit nozzle on an opposing end of said centrifugal mixing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Gregory Fridman, Randy Richard Cox, Charles Christopher Bailey, III