Patents by Inventor Douglas Ferrer

Douglas Ferrer 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: 11467599
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for localizing and recognizing an object in an environment. In an example, a mobile cleaning robot comprises a drive system to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment, an imaging sensor to take images of an object in the environment from different perspectives. The multiple observations include images of the object that is at least partially occluded by an obstacle. A controller circuit of the mobile robot can, for multiple different locations in a map of the environment, calculate respective fractional visibility values using the plurality of images. The fractional visibility values each represent a probability of the object being visible through the corresponding location. The controller circuit can localize and recognize the object based on the fractional visibility values at the multiple locations on the map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas Ferrer, Stefan Zickler, Sung-Yee Guo, Danielle O'Connor Dean
  • Publication number: 20220083074
    Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for localizing and recognizing an object in an environment. In an example, a mobile cleaning robot comprises a drive system to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment, an imaging sensor to take images of an object in the environment from different perspectives. The multiple observations include images of the object that is at least partially occluded by an obstacle. A controller circuit of the mobile robot can, for multiple different locations in a map of the environment, calculate respective fractional visibility values using the plurality of images. The fractional visibility values each represent a probability of the object being visible through the corresponding location. The controller circuit can localize and recognize the object based on the fractional visibility values at the multiple locations on the map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Douglas Ferrer, Stefan Zickler, Sung-Yee Guo, Danielle O'Connor Dean