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).

  • Patent number: 10332065
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system, a navigation system, a communication system configured to communicate with a food delivery management system, one or more storage modules including a storage compartment or a storage sub-compartment configured to store food items, one or more preparation modules including a preparation compartment or a preparation sub-compartment configured to prepare the food items, processor(s), and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot vehicle to, autonomously, receive via the communication system a food order for a destination, determine a travel route that includes the destination, control the conveyance system to travel the travel route to reach the destination, and prepare the food item while traveling on the travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff, Pichayut Jirapinyo
  • Patent number: 10331124
    Abstract: Provided herein is a platform for distributing and navigating an autonomous or semi-autonomous fleet throughout a plurality of pathways. The platform may employ demand distribution prediction algorithms, and interim repositioning algorithms to distribute the autonomous or semi-autonomous fleet for performing orders and tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold, Pichayut Jirapinyo
  • Publication number: 20190180097
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments relate systems, methods and computer readable medium for automatically processing and classifying regulatory reports. An example system includes an image processing module, an image segmentation module, a segment filtering module, a classification module and a validation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Saba Beyene, Darren Shadduck, Srinivas Talluri
  • Publication number: 20190179889
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Saba Beyene, Srinivas Talluri, Christopher Davis
  • Publication number: 20190180246
    Abstract: An system and a method for the detection and visualization of reported ethics cases is disclosed. The system receives a set of digital records corresponding to a reported ethics violations. 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 inputs each deconstructed uniform text structure into a binary machine learning data model. The system inputs each deconstructed uniform text structure into a multiclass machine learning data model. The system inputs the determined value and the label to an ensemble machine learning data model. The system prioritizes reported ethics violations into one or more lists based on the determination of the possible class and transmits the list to a user interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Saba Beyene, Bin Liu
  • Publication number: 20190180095
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Saba Beyene, Jay Howell, John Purma
  • Publication number: 20190073631
    Abstract: An autonomous robotic vehicle includes a conveyance system, a securable compartment configured to autonomously lock and unlock, a customer identification reader, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the autonomous robotic vehicle to, autonomously: travel to a destination location of a customer; capture, by the customer identification reader at the destination location, a customer identification object; determine that the captured customer identification object matches an identity of the customer; unlock the securable compartment based on the determination; capture, by the product identification reader, a product identifier; and accept a product to be returned by locking the securable compartment. The securable compartment contains a product identification reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold, Pichayut Jirapinyo
  • Publication number: 20190064847
    Abstract: In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, an autonomous robot vehicle is disclosed. In various embodiments, the autonomous robot vehicle includes a first land conveyance system configured to travel on vehicle roadways, a navigation system configured to navigate to a destination location, an exterior housing, and a sub-robot vehicle carried within the exterior housing while the first land conveyance system autonomously travels on the vehicle roadways to the destination location. The sub-robot vehicle includes a second land conveyance system configured to travel on pedestrian terrain, one or more modules configured to store customer items where the module(s) include one or more compartments or sub-compartments, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the sub-robot vehicle to autonomously control the second land conveyance system to exit the exterior housing and travel the pedestrian terrain to a customer pickup location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu
  • Patent number: 10218784
    Abstract: A social networking system selects a set of groups for presentation to a user of the social networking system. To select groups, the social networking system determining scores for various groups representing a likelihood of the user interacting with the groups. When determining a score for a group, the social networking system accounts for a likelihood of the user providing content to the group as well as the user accessing or viewing content associated with the group. Based on the scores, one or more groups are selected and presented to the user. Additionally, the social networking system may apply one or more diversity rules so that the selected groups have a variety of characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Li Ju, David Ferguson, Jun Sun, Jireh Yiwei Tan, Bradley Ray Green, Kyle Philip Meyer, Xun Gong, Pooja Jain
  • Publication number: 20190054876
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nick Vines, Russell Smith
  • Publication number: 20190056751
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system, a navigation system, a communication system configured to communicate with a food delivery management system, one or more storage modules including a storage compartment or a storage sub-compartment configured to store food items, one or more preparation modules including a preparation compartment or a preparation sub-compartment configured to prepare the food items, processor(s), and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot vehicle to, autonomously, receive via the communication system a food order for a destination, determine a travel route that includes the destination, control the conveyance system to travel the travel route to reach the destination, and prepare the food item while traveling on the travel route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff, Pichayut Jirapinyo
  • Publication number: 20190057342
    Abstract: A system for fulfilling peer-to-peer transactions by autonomous robot vehicles includes processor(s) and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor(s), cause the system to: receive information on a peer-to-peer transaction between a seller and a buyer for an item, communicate instructions to an autonomous vehicle to travel to a first destination and receive the item, receive an indication that the item has been received, communicate instructions to the autonomous vehicle to travel to a second destination to deliver the item to the buyer, receive a signal indicating that buyer funds are in escrow, and receive a signal indicating that the item is accepted or rejected by the buyer. In a case where the item is accepted, the system communicates a release of the funds from the escrow to the seller. In a case the item is rejected, the system determines a handling itinerary for the item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Cosimo Leipold
  • Publication number: 20190056729
    Abstract: An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a land vehicle conveyance system, a communication system configured to communicate with a remote human operator system, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot vehicle to receive via the communication system control instructions from the remote human operator system for controlling the land vehicle conveyance system, control the land vehicle conveyance system in accordance with the control instructions to perform travel, and autonomously control the land vehicle conveyance system in coordination with the control instructions from the remote human operator system to semi-autonomously perform travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Yi Shen
  • Publication number: 20190056733
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: Nuro, Inc.
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Yi Shen, Calvin Giroud, Qunyan Pu
  • Publication number: 20190050790
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
  • Publication number: 20190047515
    Abstract: In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, an autonomous robot vehicle is disclosed. In various embodiments, the autonomous robot vehicle includes a conveyance system, a securable compartment configured to autonomously lock and unlock where the securable compartment contains an item for delivery to a particular individual, a personal identification reader, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the autonomous robot vehicle to, autonomously, travel to a destination location of the particular individual, capture by the personal identification reader at the destination location a personal identification object, determine that the captured personal identification object matches an identity of the particular individual, and unlock the securable compartment based on the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
  • Publication number: 20190047356
    Abstract: 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 grocery storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more grocery items stored at the one more grocery 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 grocery items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more grocery storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Nan Ransohoff
  • Publication number: 20190049995
    Abstract: A system for a mobile secure locker in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes processor(s) and memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the system to provide a user interface for a user to rent a mobile secure locker in an autonomous robot vehicle, receive information through the user interface from the user where the information includes a first destination, a second destination, and a time associated with the second destination, communicate instructions to the autonomous robot vehicle to travel to the first destination to receive the item, receive an indication from the autonomous robot vehicle that the item has been received, communicate instructions to the autonomous robot vehicle to travel to the second destination to deliver the item to the user at the time associated with the second destination, and receive from the autonomous robot vehicle an indication the item is retrieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff
  • Publication number: 20190050807
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing transportation or delivery services using a fleet of mixed vehicles. A computer-implemented method of providing services using a fleet of mixed vehicles includes receiving at a server a request for a service, determining parameters for the service, selecting by the server a vehicle from a fleet of mixed vehicles to perform at least a portion of the service based on the determined parameters, and transmitting a message to the selected vehicle to perform the at least a portion of the service. The fleet of mixed vehicles includes at least two of: a semi-autonomous vehicle, a fully-autonomous vehicle, a vehicle remotely operated by a human, or a human driven vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Cosimo Leipold, Pichayut Jirapinyo
  • Publication number: 20190050808
    Abstract: A delivery system includes a database configured to store information of a customer where the information includes a default payment method, a communication system configured to communicate with an autonomous vehicle and with a device of the customer, where the device includes a display screen having a button to summon an autonomous vehicle, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the delivery system to receive an indication via the communication system that the button on the device of the customer has been clicked, and instruct the autonomous vehicle to travel to a location of the customer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: David Ferguson, Jiajun Zhu, Pichayut Jirapinyo, Nan Ransohoff