Patents by Inventor Lawrence Mianzo

Lawrence Mianzo 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: 11869331
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives first image data related to at least one ground engaging tool (GET) of a work machine from one or more sensors at a first time instance in a dig-dump cycle of the work machine. The wear detection system processes the first image data to determine a first wear measurement and first wear level for the at least one GET. The wear detection system determines whether the first wear level is indicative of a GET replacement condition. The wear detection system generates an alert when the first wear level is indicative of the GET replacement condition. The wear detection system receives second image data related to the at least one GET a second time instance different from the first time instance when the first wear level is not indicative of the GET replacement condition and determines a second wear measurement and second wear level for the at least one GET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A Mianzo, Tod A Oblak, Shawn Nainan Mathew, John M Plouzek, Raymond Alan Wise, Daniel Paul Adler
  • Patent number: 11834082
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting buckled rail and for predicting a risk for rail buckling is disclosed. The method may comprise receiving data from a camera mounted on locomotive traveling on the railroad track. The data may include images of the buckled rail and dimensions of the buckled rail when the camera detects the buckled rail. The data may further include images of the ballast and condition of the ballast. The method may further comprise receiving data from a thermal camera mounted to the locomotive indicating the temperature of the rails. The method may further comprise transmitting an alarm signal to a display interface of a remote unit if the dimensions of the buckled rail meet a predetermined threshold, and predicting a risk for rail buckling based at least on the temperature of the rails and the condition of the ballast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation
    Inventors: Marc Miller, Chad A. Moore, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Mike Hoffelder, Darrell Cantrell, Derrill J. Koelz, Narayana G. Nadukuru
  • Patent number: 11821177
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives a left image and a right image of a bucket of a work machine having at least one ground engaging tool (GET). The example system identifies a first region of interest from the left image corresponding to the GET and a second region of interest from the right image corresponding to the GET. The example system also generates a left-edge digital image corresponding to the first region of interest and a right-edge digital image corresponding to the second region of interest. Further, the example system determines a sparse stereo disparity between the left-edge digital image and the right-edge digital image, and also determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the sparse stereo disparity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A Mianzo, Tod A Oblak, John M Plouzek, Shawn Nainan Mathew, Raymond Alan Wise
  • Patent number: 11768289
    Abstract: A work machine, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, and method of reducing false object detections are disclosed. The work machine may include a frame, a power unit, a locomotive device, and the LiDAR system. The LiDAR system may include at least one laser, at least one sensor, a bracket, and a control unit configured to execute an object detection program. The LiDAR system is configured to exclude from its object detection program a plurality of beams emitted toward the work machine through a design of the bracket and/or software methods of the control unit. The method may include storing a database of exclude coordinates and using the database to filter out undesirable data samples from the object detection program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Paving Products Inc.
    Inventors: Todd A. Impola, Siddarth Desikan, Nathaniel Doy, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Mark E. Hartman, Shanmukha Bhumireddy, Sri Sekharan
  • Patent number: 11669956
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives first imaging data from one or more sensors associated with a work machine. The first imaging data comprises data related to at least one ground engaging tool (GET) of the work machine. The example system identifies a region of interest including data of the at least one GET within the first imaging data. Based on the identified region of interest, the example system controls a LiDAR sensor to capture second imaging data capturing the at least one GET that is of higher resolution than the first imaging data. The example system generates a three-dimensional point cloud of the at least one GET based on the second imaging data and determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the three-dimensional point cloud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A Mianzo, Tod A Oblak, John M Plouzek, Raymond Alan Wise, Shawn Nainan Mathew
  • Patent number: 11650147
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. Oblak, Lyle Taylor, James Peterson, Carl Hendricks, John F. Halterman, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Narayana G. Nadukuru
  • Publication number: 20230053154
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives a plurality of images from a plurality of sensors associated with a work machine. Individual sensors of the plurality of sensors have respective fields-of-view different from other sensors of the plurality of sensors. The wear detection system identifies a first region of interest and second region of interest associated with the at least one GET. The wear detection system determines a first set of image points and a second set of images points for the at least one GET based on geometric parameters associated with the GET. The wear detection system determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the GET measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Mianzo, Tod A. Oblak, John M. Plouzek, Raymond Alan Wise, Shawn Nainan Mathew, Daniel Paul Adler
  • Publication number: 20230051843
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives first image data related to at least one ground engaging tool (GET) of a work machine from one or more sensors at a first time instance in a dig-dump cycle of the work machine. The wear detection system processes the first image data to determine a first wear measurement and first wear level for the at least one GET. The wear detection system determines whether the first wear level is indicative of a GET replacement condition. The wear detection system generates an alert when the first wear level is indicative of the GET replacement condition. The wear detection system receives second image data related to the at least one GET a second time instance different from the first time instance when the first wear level is not indicative of the GET replacement condition and determines a second wear measurement and second wear level for the at least one GET.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Mianzo, Tod A. Oblak, Shawn Nainan Mathew, John M. Plouzek, Raymond Alan Wise, Daniel Paul Adler
  • Publication number: 20220383469
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives first imaging data from one or more sensors associated with a work machine. The first imaging data comprises data related to at least one ground engaging tool (GET) of the work machine. The example system identifies a region of interest including data of the at least one GET within the first imaging data. Based on the identified region of interest, the example system controls a LiDAR sensor to capture second imaging data capturing the at least one GET that is of higher resolution than the first imaging data. The example system generates a three-dimensional point cloud of the at least one GET based on the second imaging data and determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the three-dimensional point cloud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Mianzo, Tod A. Oblak, John M. Plouzek, Raymond Alan Wise, Shawn Nainan Mathew
  • Publication number: 20220373680
    Abstract: A work machine, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system, and method of reducing false object detections are disclosed. The work machine may include a frame, a power unit, a locomotive device, and the LiDAR system. The LiDAR system may include at least one laser, at least one sensor, a bracket, and a control unit configured to execute an object detection program. The LiDAR system is configured to exclude from its object detection program a plurality of beams emitted toward the work machine through a design of the bracket and/or software methods of the control unit. The method may include storing a database of exclude coordinates and using the database to filter out undesirable data samples from the object detection program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Paving Products lnc.
    Inventors: Todd A. Impola, Siddarth Desikan, Nathaniel Doy, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Mark E. Hartman, Shanmukha Bhumireddy, Sri Sekharan
  • Publication number: 20220307978
    Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for real-time characterization of drilled particles during a drilling operation can be comprised of a light illumination source to output short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light toward the drilled particles as the drilled particles exit a drill hole being drilled by a drilling machine; a sensor to sense reflected short-wave-infrared (SWIR) light reflected from the drilled particles exiting the drill hole; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to at least the sensor. The processing circuitry can be configured to determine a spectrum of the reflected short-wave-infrared light sensed by the sensor, and determine particle characterization for a portion of the drilled particles by performing hyperspectral analysis on the determined spectrum and based on predetermined candidate particle characterizations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. OBLAK, Lyle TAYLOR, James PETERSON, Carl HENDRICKS, John F. HALTERMAN, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Narayana G. Nadukuru
  • Publication number: 20220251807
    Abstract: An example wear detection system receives a left image and a right image of a bucket of a work machine having at least one ground engaging tool (GET). The example system identifies a first region of interest from the left image corresponding to the GET and a second region of interest from the right image corresponding to the GET. The example system also generates a left-edge digital image corresponding to the first region of interest and a right-edge digital image corresponding to the second region of interest. Further, the example system determines a sparse stereo disparity between the left-edge digital image and the right-edge digital image, and also determines a wear level or loss for the at least one GET based on the sparse stereo disparity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence A. Mianzo, Tod A. Oblak, John M. Plouzek, Shawn Nainan Mathew, Raymond Alan Wise
  • Publication number: 20210078622
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting buckled rail and for predicting a risk for rail buckling is disclosed. The method may comprise receiving data from a camera mounted on locomotive traveling on the railroad track. The data may include images of the buckled rail and dimensions of the buckled rail when the camera detects the buckled rail. The data may further include images of the ballast and condition of the ballast. The method may further comprise receiving data from a thermal camera mounted to the locomotive indicating the temperature of the rails. The method may further comprise transmitting an alarm signal to a display interface of a remote unit if the dimensions of the buckled rail meet a predetermined threshold, and predicting a risk for rail buckling based at least on the temperature of the rails and the condition of the ballast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: Progress Rail Services Corporation
    Inventors: Marc Miller, Chad A. Moore, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Mike Hoffelder, Darrell Cantrell, Derrill J. Koelz, Narayana G. Nadukuru
  • Patent number: 10889958
    Abstract: A display system for displaying image data of an environment of a machine includes an imaging device. The imaging device generates image data of the environment of the machine. The imaging device stores the image data in an uncompressed form. The imaging device compresses the image data and generates signals indicative of the compressed image data. The display system further includes a display screen communicably coupled to the imaging device. The display screen receives the signals indicative of the compressed image data from the imaging device and displays the compressed image data on the display screen. The imaging device and the display screen identify whether a region of interest exists in the image data. The display screen displays the image data corresponding to the region of interest in the uncompressed form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. Oblak, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Jeffrey T. Stringer
  • Patent number: 10519631
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the movement of a work tool of a machine using a work tool vision a comprises sensing data related to the image of a work tool, selecting a template of an image of a work tool, and displaying the sensed image of the work tool after modifying the sensed image of the work tool by at least zooming on a portion of the sensed data of the image if the sensed data of the image of a work tool matches the template of an image of a work tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joe E. Forcash, Michael Hoffelder, Robert C. McCall, Lawrence A. Mianzo
  • Patent number: 10250812
    Abstract: A display system for displaying image data of an environment of a machine includes a display screen and a plurality of imaging devices communicably coupled to the display screen. Each of the plurality of imaging devices generates image data of the environment of the machine and has an associated operating parameter. The plurality of imaging devices stores the image data in an uncompressed form. The plurality of imaging devices compresses the image data and generates signals indicative of the compressed image data. The plurality of imaging devices receives the operating parameter associated with at least one another imaging device. The plurality of imaging devices transmits the compressed image data to the display screen based on the associated operating parameter and the received parameter of the at least one another imaging device. The plurality of imaging devices displays an image on the display screen based on the transmitted image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. Oblak, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Jeffrey T. Stringer
  • Publication number: 20190093320
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the movement of a work tool of a machine using a work tool vision a comprises sensing data related to the image of a work tool, selecting a template of an image of a work tool, and displaying the sensed image of the work tool after modifying the sensed image of the work tool by at least zooming on a portion of the sensed data of the image if the sensed data of the image of a work tool matches the template of an image of a work tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Joe E. Forcash, Michael Hoffelder, Robert C. McCall, Lawrence A. Mianzo
  • Publication number: 20180352162
    Abstract: A display system for displaying image data of an environment of a machine includes an imaging device. The imaging device generates image data of the environment of the machine. The imaging device stores the image data in an uncompressed form. The imaging device compresses the image data and generates signals indicative of the compressed image data. The display system further includes a display screen communicably coupled to the imaging device. The display screen receives the signals indicative of the compressed image data from the imaging device and displays the compressed image data on the display screen. The imaging device and the display screen identify whether a region of interest exists in the image data. The display screen displays the image data corresponding to the region of interest in the uncompressed form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. Oblak, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Jeffrey T. Stringer
  • Publication number: 20180338087
    Abstract: A display system for displaying image data of an environment of a machine includes a display screen and a plurality of imaging devices communicably coupled to the display screen. Each of the plurality of imaging devices generates image data of the environment of the machine and has an associated operating parameter. The plurality of imaging devices stores the image data in an uncompressed form. The plurality of imaging devices compresses the image data and generates signals indicative of the compressed image data. The plurality of imaging devices receives the operating parameter associated with at least one another imaging device. The plurality of imaging devices transmits the compressed image data to the display screen based on the associated operating parameter and the received parameter of the at least one another imaging device. The plurality of imaging devices displays an image on the display screen based on the transmitted image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Tod A. Oblak, Lawrence A. Mianzo, Jeffrey T. Stringer
  • Patent number: 6711489
    Abstract: A method for real time estimation of air charge, residual gas, and backflow in an engine cylinder, i.e., in-cylinder variables, by estimating total mass flow into and out of the cylinders. These estimations are then integrated based on starting and ending times for induction strokes of each cylinder to calculate air charge and residual gas for each cylinder. The method uses intake and exhaust manifold pressure measurements to estimate the in-cylinder variables. The intake and exhaust manifold pressure measurements are processed through the ideal gas law to dynamically determine the net change in the amount of gas inside the manifolds in order to estimate the in-cylinder variables on-line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ibrahim Haskara, Lawrence A. Mianzo