Patents by Inventor Mark A. Foresman

Mark A. Foresman 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: 11832582
    Abstract: A leg (205) detection system comprising: a robotic arm (200) comprising a gripping portion (208) for holding a teat cup (203, 210) for attaching to a teat (1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 203S, 203) of a dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); an imaging system coupled to the robotic arm (200) and configured to capture a first three-dimensional (3D) image (138, 2400, 2500) of a rearview of the dairy livestock (200, 202, 203) in a stall (402), the imaging system comprising a 3D camera (136, 138) or a laser (132), wherein each pixel of the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) is associated with a depth value; one or more memory (104) devices configured to store a reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) of the stall (402) without any dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); and a processor (102) communicatively coupled to the imaging system and the one or more memory (104) devices, the processor (102) configured to: access the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) and the reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); subtract the first 3D image
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost, Marijn Van Aart, Peter Willem van der Sluis, Alireza Janani
  • Publication number: 20200344972
    Abstract: A leg (205) detection system comprising: a robotic arm (200) comprising a gripping portion (208) for holding a teat cup (203, 210) for attaching to a teat (1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 203S, 203) of a dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); an imaging system coupled to the robotic arm (200) and configured to capture a first three-dimensional (3D) image (138, 2400, 2500) of a rearview of the dairy livestock (200, 202, 203) in a stall (402), the imaging system comprising a 3D camera (136, 138) or a laser (132), wherein each pixel of the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) is associated with a depth value; one or more memory (104) devices configured to store a reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) of the stall (402) without any dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); and a processor (102) communicatively coupled to the imaging system and the one or more memory (104) devices, the processor (102) configured to: access the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) and the reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); subtract the first 3D image
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2017
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost, Marijn Van Aart, Peter Willem Van Der Sluis, Alireza Janani
  • Patent number: 10817970
    Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to acquire a 3D image and identify a teat of the dairy livestock within the 3D image. The processor is further configured to determine a distance between a portion of a robotic arm and an approach vector for the teat, to compare the distance between the portion of the robotic arm and the approach vector for the teat and the attachment range threshold value, and to send instructions to the robotic arm based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Richard B. Voigt
  • Patent number: 10653101
    Abstract: A system that includes a robotic arm, a laser, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to position the laser adjacent to a dairy livestock and to modify teat location information for one or more teats of the dairy livestock based on a robot position offset between the dairy livestock and the robotic arm. The processor is further configured to generate a teat position associated with an unknown teat based on a scan of the dairy livestock and to determine a position distances between the teat position and teats of the dairy livestock. The processor is further configured to identify a teat of the dairy livestock with the smallest position distance, to associate a teat identifier for the unknown teat with the identified teat, and to store the association in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost, Marinus P. Van Aart
  • Patent number: 10595498
    Abstract: A system that includes a robotic arm, a laser, a three-dimensional (3D) camera, and a processor. The processor is configured to send instructions to position the robotic arm adjacent to a dairy livestock, to send a signal that initiates scanning a portion of the dairy livestock, and to generate teat candidate position information based on the scan of the dairy livestock. The processor is further configured receive target teat information, identify a teat candidate within a teat location range of the target teat, and link the identified teat candidate with a teat identifier. The processor is further configured to send instructions to the robotic arm to move at least a portion of the robotic arm toward the target teat based on the teat candidate position information for the identified teat candidate that is linked with the teat identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost
  • Patent number: 10558855
    Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to position the robotic arm adjacent to the dairy livestock and acquire a 3D image using the 3D camera. The processor is further configured to identify a set of teat candidates within the 3D image and to filter the set of teat candidates based on one or more filtering rules. The processor is further configured to determine an aggregate teat candidate score for the consolidated set of teat candidates, compare the aggregate teat candidate score to a score threshold value, and update teat location information for the dairy livestock in response to determining the aggregate teat candidate score is greater than or equal to the score threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Richard B. Voigt
  • Patent number: 10499607
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine whether a distance between a left and right teat of a dairy livestock is less than or equal to a predetermined distance, and if so, command the robotic arm to move to a scan location that is between the left and right teats. The processor is further configured to command the laser to perform a scan of the teats after the robotic arm is at the scan location and to determine whether the left and right teats are found in the scan. If both the left and right teats are found in the scan, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach a teat cup to either the left or right teat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Marijn Van Anart, Peter Willem van der Sluis
  • Patent number: 10499609
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine whether a first teat of a diary livestock is found in a first scan of the dairy livestock by the laser, and if so, command the robotic arm to move to a location corresponding to the location of the first teat. The processor is further configured to increment a counter associated with the first teat and then determine whether the counter equals a predetermined number. If the counter equals the predetermined number, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach a teat cup to the first teat. If the counter does not equal the predetermined number, the processor determines whether the first teat is found in a second scan by the laser. If the first teat is found in the second scan, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach the teat cup to the first teat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Marijn Van Anart, Peter Willem van der Sluis
  • Patent number: 10499608
    Abstract: A system that includes a laser configured to generate a profile signal of at least a portion of a dairy livestock and a processor. The processor is configured to obtain the profile signal and detect one or more edge pair candidates in the profile signal, compare the complementary distance gradients of each of the one or more edge pair candidates to a minimum distance gradient length to be considered an edge pair, and identify an edge pair from among the one or more edge pair candidates as a teat candidate based on the comparison. The processor is further configured to determine position information for the teat candidate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost
  • Patent number: 10477827
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to determine that a teat cup is to be attached to a front teat of a dairy livestock, and in response, determine an amount of separation between the front teat and a rear teat. The processor is further configured to calculate, if the amount of separation between the front and rear teats is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, an updated front teat position based on the amount of separation between the front and rear teats and command the robotic arm to move to the updated front teat position. The processor is further configure to determine whether the front teat is found in a scan of the dairy livestock by the laser, and if so, command the robotic arm to attach the teat cup to the front teat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Alireza Janani, Peter Willem van der Sluis, Robert J. Godfrey
  • Patent number: 10383305
    Abstract: A leg (205) detection system comprising: a robotic arm (200) comprising a gripping portion (208) for holding a teat cup (203, 210) for attaching to a teat (1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 2038, 203) of a diary livestock (200, 202, 203); an imaging system coupled to the robotic arm (200) and configured to capture a first three-dimensional (3D) image (138, 2400, 2500) of a rearview of the dairy livestock (200, 202, 203) in a stall (402), the imaging system comprising a 3D camera (136, 138) or a laser (132), wherein each pixel of the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) is associated with a depth value; one or more memory (104) devices configured to store a reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) of the stall (402) without any dairy livestock (200, 202, 203); and a processor (102) communicatively coupled to the imaging system and the one or more memory (104) devices, the processor (102) configured to: access the first 3D image (138, 2400, 2500) and the reference (3D) 3D image (138, 2400, 2500); subtract the first 3D image
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost, Marijn Van Aart, Peter Willem van der Sluis, Alireza Janani
  • Patent number: 10349614
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to access first and second success counters stored in the memory. The first success counter is associated with a first attach algorithm and the second success counter is associated with a second attach algorithm. The processor is further configured to determine whether the first success counter is greater than the second success counter. The processor is further configured to execute the first attach algorithm if the first success counter is greater than the second success counter, and to execute the second attach algorithm if the first success counter is not greater than the second success counter. The processor is further configured to increment the first success counter if the first attach algorithm is successful, and to increment the second success counter if the second attach algorithm is successful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Marijn Van Anart
  • Patent number: 10354388
    Abstract: A system that includes a three-dimensional (3D) camera configured to capture a 3D image of a rearview of a dairy livestock in a stall and a processor. The processor is configured to obtain the 3D image, identify one or more regions within the 3D image comprising depth values greater than a depth value threshold, and s to identify a thigh gap region from the one or more regions. The processor is further configured to demarcate an access region within the thigh gap region and demarcate a tail detection region. The processor is further configured to identify one or more tail candidates within the tail detection region, to identify a tail candidate that corresponds with a tail model as the tail, and to determine position information for the tail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost
  • Patent number: 10349613
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to command the robotic arm to move to a first location corresponding to an expected teat position of a first teat. The processor is further configured to determine whether the first teat is found in a first scan by the laser, and if so, command the robotic arm to move to a second location corresponding to the location in the scan. The processor is further configured to determine whether the first teat is found in a second scan by the laser, and if so, determine whether the first teat is within a predetermined distance from a current location of the robotic arm. If the first teat is within the predetermined distance from the current location of the robotic arm, the processor commands the robotic arm to attach a teat cup to the first teat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Marijn Van Anart
  • Patent number: 10349615
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, a laser, and a processor. The processor is configured to command the robotic arm to move to a location of an expected teat position of a dairy livestock and to command the laser to perform two scans of the dairy livestock. The processor is further configured to determine whether a first teat is found in both of the scans, and if so, determine whether locations of the first teat in the two scans are within a predetermined distance of each other. The processor is further configured to, in response to determining that locations of the first teat in the two scans are within the predetermined distance of each other, command the robotic arm to move to a location corresponding to the location of the first teat and to command the robotic arm to attach a teat cup to the first teat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost
  • Publication number: 20190188820
    Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to acquire a 3D image and identify a teat of the dairy livestock within the 3D image. The processor is further configured to determine a distance between a portion of a robotic arm and an approach vector for the teat, to compare the distance between the portion of the robotic arm and the approach vector for the teat and the attachment range threshold value, and to send instructions to the robotic arm based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2019
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Richard B. Voigt
  • Publication number: 20190180092
    Abstract: A vision system that includes a robotic arm and a three-dimensional (3D) camera operably coupled to a processor. The processor is configured to position the robotic arm adjacent to the dairy livestock and acquire a 3D image using the 3D camera. The processor is further configured to identify a set of teat candidates within the 3D image and to filter the set of teat candidates based on one or more filtering rules. The processor is further configured to determine an aggregate teat candidate score for the consolidated set of teat candidates, compare the aggregate teat candidate score to a score threshold value, and update teat location information for the dairy livestock in response to determining the aggregate teat candidate score is greater than or equal to the score threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Richard B. Voigt
  • Patent number: 10306863
    Abstract: A robotic arm maneuvers a teat preparation cup and executes instructions from a robotic arm controller. The controller comprises an interface, a memory, and a processor. The processor instructs the sensor to perform a first scan. If the first scan discovers a first set of teats, the processor moves the robotic arm a first distance and instructs the sensor to perform a second scan. If the second scan discovers a second set of teats, the processor moves the robotic arm to a location under the first teat, and instructs the sensor to perform a third scan. The processor determines if the third scan discovers a third set of teats. If each of the first set, second set, and third set of discovered teats comprises the first teat, the processor instructs the robotic arm to attach the preparation cup to the first teat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost
  • Publication number: 20190110429
    Abstract: A system that includes a laser configured to generate a profile signal of at least a portion of a dairy livestock and a processor. The processor is configured to obtain the profile signal and detect one or more edge pair candidates in the profile signal, compare the complementary distance gradients of each of the one or more edge pair candidates to a minimum distance gradient length to be considered an edge pair, and identify an edge pair from among the one or more edge pair candidates as a teat candidate based on the comparison. The processor is further configured to determine position information for the teat candidate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Bradley J. Prevost
  • Patent number: 10154645
    Abstract: A system includes a robotic arm, an imaging device coupled to the robotic arm, a board coupled to the robotic arm, and a processor. The imaging device captures imaging data of a rearview of a dairy livestock through a field of view of the imaging device. The board is able to pivot from a down position to an up position and has an aperture through which the imaging device can pass through when the board lowers from the up position to the down position. The processor is coupled to both the imaging device and the board and is configured to identify a tail of the dairy livestock within the imaging data captured by the imaging device and send one or more instructions to raise the board from the down position to the up position, thereby moving the tail out of the field of view of the imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Technologies Holdings Corp.
    Inventors: Mark A. Foresman, Peter Willem van der Sluis, Robert J. Godfrey