Patents by Inventor David Ferguson
David Ferguson 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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Publication number: 20220114645Abstract: An autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles for providing an assortment of items to a customer or a potential customer after such customer or potential customer summons the one or more autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles in an unstructured open or closed environment. Each autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle comprises one or more compartments configured to contain and secure the assortment of the items to be selected once the summoned autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle arrives to a customer or potential customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Applicant: Nuro, Inc.Inventors: David FERGUSON, Jiajun ZHU, Pichayut JIRAPINYO, Nan RANSOHOFF
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Publication number: 20220108377Abstract: Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles coordinated by a fleet management module. Each vehicle may be configured to receive a modular unit, wherein the modular unit is configured to secure a consumer product.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2021Publication date: April 7, 2022Applicant: Nuro, Inc.Inventors: David FERGUSON, Jiajun ZHU, Ben JULIAN, Nan RANSOHOFF
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Publication number: 20220092673Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more items stored at the one more storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2021Publication date: March 24, 2022Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 11279701Abstract: The invention provides a method for stimulating an immune response in an animal with a compound of formula: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R1-R3, Ra, and Rb have any of the values defined herein.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2020Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAInventor: David Ferguson
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Patent number: 11260268Abstract: A scientifically controlled exercise based on a measurement of maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). A mechanical apparatus includes a sensor, an actuator, and a processor. The apparatus receives a mechanical exertion from a user while the processor receives signals from the sensor and sends signals to the actuator to control the mechanical apparatus. The processor measures a MVC exerted by a user and determines a protocol for the exercise based on the measured MVC. The protocol includes a specified exertion to be performed by a user, the specified force and velocity profile governing the exertion, and a specified sequence of repetitions of the exertion, spaced by rest periods. The protocol includes real-time feedback to the user related to compliance with the protocol. The methodology and equipment described herein provides users a safe and effective means of improving muscular strength or endurance and ameliorating various neurological or physiological conditions.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2018Date of Patent: March 1, 2022Assignee: MD Systems, Inc.Inventors: Michael A. Smyser, David Ferguson, Ronald L. Wiley
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Patent number: 11250489Abstract: Provided herein is an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles coordinated by a fleet management module. Each vehicle may be configured to receive a modular unit, wherein the modular unit is configured to secure a consumer product.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2018Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Ben Julian, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 11222378Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more items stored at the one more storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 11210726Abstract: According to one aspect, a platform for providing at least one item to a customer is disclosed. The platform includes an autonomous, semi-autonomous, or fully autonomous vehicle that includes at least one compartment configured to contain a first item ordered by the customer and to contain a second item not ordered by the customer. The platform further includes an application including an ordering module configured to obtain an order from the customer that includes the first item, and a release detection module configured to determine when the first item has been removed from the at least one compartment and configured to determine when the second item has been removed from the at least one compartment. In one embodiment, the second item is predicted using a machine learning algorithm.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2019Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 11200613Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous delivery management are disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous delivery management system to provide a user interface for a customer to enter subscription information, receive subscription information from the user interface where the subscription information includes an item and a time interval for regularly delivering the item to the customer, store the subscription information, determine a handling itinerary for the item that includes delivery of the item in compliance with the time interval, and communicate instructions to an autonomous vehicle based on the handling itinerary.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2018Date of Patent: December 14, 2021Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 11176591Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a land vehicle conveyance system, a sensor system configured to capture information including surrounding environment information and/or vehicle subsystem information, a communication system configured to communicate with a remote human operator management system, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot land vehicle to, autonomously, determine based on the captured information to request a remote human operator, and communicate a request to the remote human operator management system for a remote human operator to assume control of the land vehicle conveyance system, where the request includes at least a portion of the captured information.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2020Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Yi Shen, Calvin Giroud, Qunyan Pu
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Patent number: 11151632Abstract: A delivery control system includes a communication device configured to receive an image of a product from a computing device of a customer, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the delivery control system to perform an image recognition process on the image to identify at least one product based on the image, transmit the identified at least one product to the computing device via the communication device, receive from the computing device a product selected by the customer from among the identified at least one product, and instruct an robot vehicle to deliver the selected product to the customer.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2018Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: NURO, INC.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
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Patent number: 11009868Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems for navigating an autonomous or semi-autonomous fleet comprising a plurality of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles within a plurality of navigable pathways within an unstructured open environment.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2018Date of Patent: May 18, 2021Assignee: Nuro, Inc.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Russell Smith
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Patent number: 10963688Abstract: Systems, methods, and machine readable media are provided for classifying customer feedback. In exemplary embodiments, text is captured from at least one source relating to at least one product. The text is scanned and a score is produced for sentiment for the at least one product. The text is filtered into parts of speech and key words to produce filtered text. The filtered text is transformed into a term-document matrix. A risk score is calculated and prioritized based on the term-document matrix and the sentiment score. The product and the associated risk score are reported to a subject matter expert (SME), where a determination is made whether the product is reportable or non-reportable.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLCInventors: David Ferguson, Saba Beyene, Jay Howell, John Purma
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Publication number: 20210046897Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle includes a front side and an energy absorbing system. The front side includes a front bumper and a front face including a frame defining a cavity. The energy absorbing system includes an energy absorbing member mounted in the cavity of the frame, and an inflatable airbag. The energy absorbing member is configured to reduce impact on an object struck by the autonomous robot vehicle. The inflatable airbag is mounted on the front side of the autonomous robot vehicle such that when the inflatable airbag is deployed, the inflatable airbag is external to the autonomous robot vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2020Publication date: February 18, 2021Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nick Vines, Russell Smith
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Publication number: 20210039585Abstract: A managing apparatus for positioning rental vehicles includes a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the managing apparatus to access model information and location information for a plurality of autonomous vehicles, receive a request including a delivery location and a chosen model for renting, select an autonomous vehicle of the chosen model from among the plurality of autonomous vehicles based on the model information, the location information, and the delivery location, instruct the selected autonomous vehicle to fully-autonomously or semi-autonomously travel to the delivery location, and instruct the selected autonomous vehicle to switch to manual operation mode at the delivery location for manual operation by a vehicle rental customer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold
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Patent number: 10882488Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle includes a front side and an energy absorbing system. The front side includes a front bumper and a front face including a frame defining a cavity. The energy absorbing system includes an energy absorbing member mounted in the cavity of the frame, and an inflatable airbag. The energy absorbing member is configured to reduce impact on an object struck by the autonomous robot vehicle. The inflatable airbag is mounted on the front side of the autonomous robot vehicle such that when the inflatable airbag is deployed, the inflatable airbag is external to the autonomous robot vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2018Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: Nuro, Inc.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nick Vines, Russell Smith
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Patent number: 10886024Abstract: Systems, methods, beds, supports surfaces and machine readable medium for associating beds and support surface of a healthcare facility are disclosed. A surface association system for a healthcare facility may comprise a plurality of beds. The system may further comprise a computing device and a plurality of support surfaces to be placed upon beds of the plurality of beds. The computing device may associate a support surface of the plurality of support surfaces with a bed of the plurality of beds. The computing device may make the association based upon status data received from the plurality of beds and the plurality of support surfaces. The support surface and/or bed to be associated may initiate a surface association request. The computing device, in response to the surface association request, may request performance of one or more actions on the bed and/or support surface to be associated to identify the bed and/or support surface from the beds and support surfaces of the healthcare facility.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2020Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: Hill-Rom Services, Inc.Inventors: Craig A. McNeely, Carl W. Riley, Keith A. Huster, Irvin J. Vanderpohl, III, Patricia A. Glidewell, David Ferguson, Simeon Zhao, Daleep Bhatia
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Patent number: 10878194Abstract: An system and a method for the detection and reporting of occupational safety incidents are disclosed. The system receives a set of digital records corresponding to reported occupational safety incidents. The system converts each of the digital records from the set of digital records into a common digital format. The system deconstructs the uniform text structure of each digital recorded by a natural language processing module to lemmatize words, remove punctuation, and remove stop words. The system creates a feature vector based on the received deconstructed uniform text structure. The system inputs each feature vector to an ensemble machine learning data model, returning a determination of a possible class or characteristic of occupational safety incident. The system applies a threshold based on a probability to the determination of a possible class. The system submits a subset of the reported occupational safety incidents to a third party system.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2018Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLCInventors: David Ferguson, Saba Beyene, Srinivas Talluri, Christopher Davis
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Patent number: 10864885Abstract: An autonomous system for loading or unloading an autonomous vehicle, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, includes one or more module(s) that include at least one of a compartment or a sub-compartment where the module(s) are located in an autonomous vehicle, a robotic movement apparatus configured to autonomously move items to or from the module(s), one or more processors, and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous system to autonomously move an item, using the robotic movement apparatus, to or from the at least one module of the autonomous vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2018Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: Nuro, Inc.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu
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Patent number: 10860015Abstract: A managing apparatus for positioning rental vehicles includes a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the managing apparatus to access model information and location information for a plurality of autonomous vehicles, receive a request including a delivery location and a chosen model for renting, select an autonomous vehicle of the chosen model from among the plurality of autonomous vehicles based on the model information, the location information, and the delivery location, instruct the selected autonomous vehicle to fully-autonomously or semi-autonomously travel to the delivery location, and instruct the selected autonomous vehicle to switch to manual operation mode at the delivery location for manual operation by a vehicle rental customer.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2018Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: Nuro, Inc.Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold