Patents by Inventor Michael Charles Johnson

Michael Charles Johnson 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: 20180370728
    Abstract: A method for queuing robots destined for one or more processing stations in an environment includes determining when each robot of a plurality of robots destined for the one or more processing stations have entered a predefined target zone proximate the one or more processing stations. The method also includes assigning each of the robots to one of a plurality of queue positions based on an assigned priority and directing each of the robots from its assigned queue position to a processing position of one of the processing stations. Each of the processing stations includes at least two processing positions for a like number of robots to occupy for processing by an operator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Kaitlin Margaret Gallagher, Sean Johnson, Michael Charles Johnson, Luis Jaquez
  • Publication number: 20180201444
    Abstract: A robot capable of autonomously navigating through a warehouse to execute orders on items at locations in the warehouse with the assistance of the human operators. There is a mobile base unit and a display device associated with the mobile base unit having a display area to allow the human operators to interact with the robot. And, there is a processor configured to display on a first portion of the display area information corresponding to an item on which an operator is to assist the robot execute the order at a first location and to display on a second portion of the display area icons representing other robots within a predetermined area surrounding the first location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicant: Locus Robotics Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson, Louis Jaquez, Michael Charles Johnson
  • Patent number: 10019015
    Abstract: A method for performing tasks on items located in a space using a robot, the items being located proximate fiducial markers, each fiducial marker having a fiducial identification. The method includes receiving an order to perform a task on at least one item and determining the fiducial identification associated with the at least one item. The method also includes obtaining, using the fiducial identification of the at least one item, a set of coordinates representing a position of the fiducial marker with the determined fiducial identification, in a coordinate system defined by the space. The method further includes navigating the robot to the coordinates of the fiducial marker associated with said determined fiducial identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Bradley Powers, Bruce Welty, Sean Johnson
  • Patent number: 10001768
    Abstract: A method for executing orders by at least one robot on a plurality of items stored at locations throughout a warehouse including reading a bar code affixed to an item storage array disposed on said at least one robot. The item storage array includes a plurality of interconnected containers each for storing items associated with an order. The method also includes using the read bar code to retrieve information about at least one characteristic of the item storage array and assigning an order associated to each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array. The orders are based in part on the at least one characteristic of the item storage array. The method further includes navigating the at least one robot to locations throughout the warehouse to execute the orders associated with each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Ryan Johnson, Luis Jaquez
  • Publication number: 20180043533
    Abstract: A method for queuing robots destined for one or more target locations in an environment, includes determining if a plurality of robots destined for the one or more target locations have entered a predefined target zone proximate the one or more target locations. The method also includes assigning each of the robots to either its target location or one of a plurality of queue locations based on an assigned priority. The plurality of queue locations are grouped into one or more queue groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson, Sean Johnson, Bradley Powers, Kaitlin Margaret Gallagher