Patents by Inventor Michael Barrett Hill

Michael Barrett Hill 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: 11794342
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for robot motion planning using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One of the methods includes determining that a current plan for performing a particular task with a robot requires modification; in response, generating one or more flight plans for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on a robotic operating environment comprising the robot; obtaining, using the UAV in accordance with the one or more flight plans, a new measurement of the robotic operating environment comprising the robot; and generating, based at least on a difference between the new measurement of the robotic operating environment and a previous measurement of the robotic operating environment, a modified plan for performing the particular task with the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC
    Inventors: Michael Barrett Hill, Adam Nicholas Ruxton
  • Publication number: 20220016772
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for robot motion planning using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). One of the methods includes determining that a current plan for performing a particular task with a robot requires modification; in response, generating one or more flight plans for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on a robotic operating environment comprising the robot; obtaining, using the UAV in accordance with the one or more flight plans, a new measurement of the robotic operating environment comprising the robot; and generating, based at least on a difference between the new measurement of the robotic operating environment and a previous measurement of the robotic operating environment, a modified plan for performing the particular task with the robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Michael Barrett Hill, Adam Nicholas Ruxton
  • Patent number: 11203120
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a mobile robotic frame system. In some implementations, a mobile robot includes a motorized frame that is configured to travel to a location. The mobile robot includes a positioning assembly coupled to the motorized frame, a robotic arm having a manipulator, and sensors coupled to the motorized frame. A control system is configured to process data from the sensors and, based on the data from the sensors, provide control data to (i) move the motorized frame, (ii) adjust one or more movable components of the positioning assembly, and (ii) move the robotic arm relative to the motorized frame. The one or more movable components and the robotic arm are operable to position the manipulator at any position in a three-dimensional work volume with 6 degrees of freedom while the motorized frame remains at the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC
    Inventor: Michael Barrett Hill
  • Patent number: 11027871
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a moveable support platform within the container to reduce a distance that items fall into the container when stowed. The support platform is lowered by a movement mechanism as items are placed into the container. The movement mechanism may be a bladder filled with air, a biasing device, a pneumatic device, or a mechanical device. The moveable support may form a bottom portion of the container during transport of the container. In some instances, the movement mechanism may lift items out of the container to empty the container at a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Gardner Garrett, Martin Peter Aalund, Vinay Balan, Michael Barrett Hill, David Bruce McCalib, Jr., Timothy Alan Talda, Toby Ge Xu
  • Publication number: 20190161228
    Abstract: The apparatus includes a moveable support platform within the container to reduce a distance that items fall into the container when stowed. The support platform is lowered by a movement mechanism as items are placed into the container. The movement mechanism may be a bladder filled with air, a biasing device, a pneumatic device, or a mechanical device. The moveable support may form a bottom portion of the container during transport of the container. In some instances, the movement mechanism may lift items out of the container to empty the container at a destination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Samuel Gardner Garrett, Martin Peter Aalund, Vinay Balan, Michael Barrett Hill, David Bruce McCalib, JR., Timothy Alan Talda, Toby Ge Xu
  • Patent number: 10227154
    Abstract: A moveable support platform within a container may reduce a distance that items fall into the container when stowed. The moveable support platform is lowered by a movement mechanism as items are placed into the container. The movement mechanism may be a bladder filled with air, a biasing device, a pneumatic device, or a mechanical device. The moveable support platform may form a bottom portion of the container during transport of the container. In some instances, the movement mechanism may lift items out of the container to empty the container at a destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Gardner Garrett, Martin Peter Aalund, Vinay Balan, Michael Barrett Hill, David Bruce McCalib, Jr., Timothy Alan Talda, Toby Ge Xu
  • Patent number: 9990521
    Abstract: A unique digital identifier of a bundled set of items may be generated based on imaging data or other information captured from the bundled set, stored, and used for any purpose. The imaging data or other information may depict or describe the bundled set after the items have been wrapped or otherwise combined in a unique manner using a binding agent, e.g., a sheet of shrink wrap, a rubber band, or any other materials. Unique digital identifiers of bundled sets of items may be stored in association with information regarding the items. When a bundled set of items is recognized based on its unique digital identifier, information regarding the bundled set may be accessed and used for any purpose, such as to identify a common container for the bundled set based on attributes of any of the items or an order with which the bundled set is associated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Peter Aalund, Jon Stuart Battles, Michael Barrett Hill
  • Publication number: 20180068139
    Abstract: A unique digital identifier of a bundled set of items may be generated based on imaging data or other information captured from the bundled set, stored, and used for any purpose. The imaging data or other information may depict or describe the bundled set after the items have been wrapped or otherwise combined in a unique manner using a binding agent, e.g., a sheet of shrink wrap, a rubber band, or any other materials. Unique digital identifiers of bundled sets of items may be stored in association with information regarding the items. When a bundled set of items is recognized based on its unique digital identifier, information regarding the bundled set may be accessed and used for any purpose, such as to identify a common container for the bundled set based on attributes of any of the items or an order with which the bundled set is associated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Publication date: March 8, 2018
    Inventors: Martin Peter Aalund, Jon Stuart Battles, Michael Barrett Hill