Patents by Inventor Ethan Shen

Ethan Shen 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: 20180108120
    Abstract: A store profile generation system includes a mobile base and an image capture assembly mounted on the base. The assembly includes at least one image capture device for acquiring images of product display units in a retail environment. A control unit acquires the images captured by the at least one image capture device at a sequence of locations of the mobile base in the retail environment. The control unit extracts product-related data from the acquired images and generates a store profile indicating locations of products and their associated tags throughout the retail environment, based on the extracted product-related data. The store profile can be used for generating new product labels for a sale in an appropriate order for a person to match to the appropriate locations in a single pass through the store.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis L. Venable, Wencheng Wu, Thomas F. Wade, Ethan Shen, Charles D. Rizzolo
  • Publication number: 20180108134
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a retail environment robotic system including a vertically oriented/scanning LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) unit mounted to a mobile base which travels along the aisles of a retail environment such as a store. According to an exemplary embodiment, the LIDAR unit vertically scans product display units along the aisles to generate a depth map associated with detected objects which is further processed to detect missing products, product/shelving tags, shelves, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: Conduent Business Services, LLC
    Inventors: Dennis L. Venable, Wencheng Wu, Charles D. Rizzolo, Thomas F. Wade, Ethan Shen, Graham Pennington, Lee Anne Williams, Daniel S. Hann
  • Publication number: 20170261993
    Abstract: Direction and speed of robotic data acquisition systems engaged in acquiring data in mapped or route-planned environments, and/or environments having reference features (e.g., shelves, walls, curbs or other structure) enabling additional guidance and control, are disclosed. A mobile base can include wheels adapted to navigate an environment. At least one sensor (e.g., imaging camera, acoustic, passive infrared, etc.) can be mounted on the mobile base and acquires data (e.g., images) of items associated with or located along fixed structures defining the pathways within the environment. A computer can control mobile base movement and orientation with respect to the at least one structure utilizing range sensors and PID controllers, track mobile base location, and organize acquired data. Range sensors under the control of the at least one computer can be adapted to control mobile base movement in a straight line and at a constant speed with respect to a fixed structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Dennis L. Venable, Wencheng Wu, Thomas F. Wade, Ethan Shen, Charles D. Rizzolo
  • Publication number: 20170032311
    Abstract: A store profile generation system includes a mobile base and an image capture assembly mounted on the base. The assembly includes at least one image capture device for acquiring images of product display units in a retail environment. A control unit acquires the images captured by the at least one image capture device at a sequence of locations of the mobile base in the retail environment. The control unit extracts product-related data from the acquired images and generates a store profile indicating locations of products and their associated tags throughout the retail environment, based on the extracted product-related data. The store profile can be used for generating new product labels for a sale in an appropriate order for a person to match to the appropriate locations in a single pass through the store.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Charles D. Rizzolo, Dennis L. Venable, Wencheng Wu, Thomas F. Wade, Peter Paul, Ethan Shen, Lee Anne S. Williams, Daniel S. Hann