Patents by Inventor Norbert Stoeffler
Norbert Stoeffler 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: 20220118621Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods for improving the safety of a robot. The safety system may determine a safety envelope of a robot based on a planned movement of the robot and based on state information about a load carried by a robot. The state information may include a dynamic status of the load. The safety system may also determine a safety risk based on a detected object with respect to the safety envelope. The safety system may also generate a mitigating action to the planned movement if the safety risk exceeds a threshold value.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2021Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: Michael PAULITSCH, Florian GEISSLER, Ralf GRAEFE, Tze Ming HAU, Neslihan KOSE CIHANGIR, Ying Wei LIEW, Fabian Oboril, Yang PENG, Rafael ROSALES, Kay-Ulrich SCHOLL, Norbert STOEFFLER, Say Chuan TAN, Wei Seng YEAP, Chien Chern YEW
-
Publication number: 20220111532Abstract: A device may include a processor. The processor may receive sensor data representative of an environment comprising a robot. The processor may extract features from the sensor data to generate an extracted feature set indicating an observation of the robot within the environment. The processor may generate a feature set indicating an expected observation of the robot within the environment based on pre-defined parameters of the robot. The processor may determine a difference between the observation and the expected observation of the robot. The processor may determine a systemic failure based on the difference between the observation and the expected observation of the robot exceeding a threshold value. The processor may instruct the robot to transition to a non-operative state responsive to the systemic failure being determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Norbert STOEFFLER, Yang PENG
-
Publication number: 20220111528Abstract: A computing device, including: a memory configured to store computer-readable instructions; and unintended human motion detection processing circuitry configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to cause the computing device to: interpret a human action; receive autonomous mobile robot (AMR) sensor data from an AMR sensor; and detect whether the human action is intended or unintended, wherein the detection is based on a predicted human action, a current human emotional or physical state, the interpreted human action, and the AMR sensor data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2021Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Akash Dhamasia, Florian Geissler, Ralf Graefe, Neslihan Kose Cihangir, Michael Paulitsch, Rafael Rosales, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Publication number: 20220105633Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, devices, and methods for efficiently checking the integrity of a robot system. The integrity-checking system may generate a predefined motion instruction for a robot, where the predefined motion instruction instructs the robot to perform a random movement at a test time. The random movement may be associated with an expected observation at the test time. The integrity-checking system may also determine a systematic failure based on a difference between the expected observation and a current observation of the robot at the test time. The current observation may be determined from received sensor data, and if the integrity-checking system detects a failure, it may stop the robot's motion or other mitigating instructions.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 17, 2021Publication date: April 7, 2022Inventors: Norbert STOEFFLER, Kay-Ulrich SCHOLL, Fabian OBORIL, Yang PENG
-
Publication number: 20220075975Abstract: A device may include an image sensor, configured to generate image sensor data representing a vicinity of the device; an image processor, configured to generate a first code from the image sensor data using a code generation protocol; an input validity checker, configured to compare the first code to a second code; and if a similarity of the first code and the second code is within a predetermined range, operate according to a first operational mode; and if the similarity of the first code and the second code is not within the predetermined range, operate according to a second operational mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Yang PENG, Norbert STOEFFLER, Michael PAULITSCH
-
Publication number: 20210110706Abstract: Various systems and methods for pedestrian traffic management are described herein, comprising segmenting a pedestrian route into at least one pedestrian walking segment using location information of transportation resources, and determining estimated transit times for the at least one pedestrian walking segment and an estimated wait time for the first transportation resource using received status information of the first transportation resource and the determined estimated transit time for the first pedestrian walking segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2020Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Ralf Graefe, Michael Paulitsch, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Patent number: 9818045Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a feature in an image includes an image input section for receiving at least part of the image in the form of image data having a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels comprising a plurality of non-border pixels, a feature detection module adapted to attribute a feature probability value to each of the pixels of the image data, and an extremum determination module for determining at least one local extremum among the feature probability values, wherein the extremum determination module is adapted to output, for each of the plurality of pixels, a final indication if the feature probability value of the pixel in question is a local extremum.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2017Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Lorenz Kern, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Publication number: 20170277974Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a feature in an image includes an image input section for receiving at least part of the image in the form of image data having a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels comprising a plurality of non-border pixels, a feature detection module adapted to attribute a feature probability value to each of the pixels of the image data, and an extremum determination module for determining at least one local extremum among the feature probability values, wherein the extremum determination module is adapted to output, for each of the plurality of pixels, a final indication if the feature probability value of the pixel in question is a local extremum.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 8, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Inventors: Lorenz Kern, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Patent number: 9679222Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a feature in an image includes an image input section for receiving at least part of the image in the form of image data having a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels comprising a plurality of non-border pixels, a feature detection module adapted to attribute a feature probability value to each of the pixels of the image data, and an extremum determination module for determining at least one local extremum among the feature probability values, wherein the extremum determination module is adapted to output, for each of the plurality of pixels, a final indication if the feature probability value of the pixel in question is a local extremum.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2015Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Lorenz Kern, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Patent number: 9378431Abstract: The invention is related to a method of matching image features with reference features, comprising the steps of providing a current image captured by a capturing device, providing reference features (r), wherein each of the reference features comprises at least one reference feature descriptor (d(r)), determining current features (c) in the current image and associating with each of the current features at least one respective current feature descriptor (d(c)), and matching the current features with at least some of the reference features by determining a respective similarity measure (D(c, r)) between each respective current feature descriptor (d(c)) and each respective reference feature descriptor (d(r)). According to the invention, the determination of the similarity measure is performed on an integrated circuit by hardwired logic or configurable logic which processes logical functions for determining the similarity measure.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2011Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: Metaio GmbHInventors: Norbert Stoeffler, Peter Meier
-
Publication number: 20160063349Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a feature in an image includes an image input section for receiving at least part of the image in the form of image data having a plurality of pixels, the plurality of pixels comprising a plurality of non-border pixels, a feature detection module adapted to attribute a feature probability value to each of the pixels of the image data, and an extremum determination module for determining at least one local extremum among the feature probability values, wherein the extremum determination module is adapted to output, for each of the plurality of pixels, a final indication if the feature probability value of the pixel in question is a local extremum.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2015Publication date: March 3, 2016Inventors: Lorenz Kern, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Patent number: 8970610Abstract: A pixel data processing apparatus comprises a data path unit comprising a hardware module dedicated to performing, when in use, predetermined functionality in relation to image data. The apparatus also comprises a data store for storing image data and a programmable engine. The programmable engine is arranged to route, when in use, data associated with the image data through the data path unit in a predetermined manner.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2009Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Stephan Herrmann, Michael Deur, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Publication number: 20150049955Abstract: The invention is related to a method of matching image features with reference features, comprising the steps of providing a current image captured by a capturing device, providing reference features (r), wherein each of the reference features comprises at least one reference feature descriptor (d(r)), determining current features (c) in the current image and associating with each of the current features at least one respective current feature descriptor (d(c)), and matching the current features with at least some of the reference features by determining a respective similarity measure (D(c, r)) between each respective current feature descriptor (d(c)) and each respective reference feature descriptor (d(r)). According to the invention, the determination of the similarity measure is performed on an integrated circuit by hardwired logic or configurable logic which processes logical functions for determining the similarity measure.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2011Publication date: February 19, 2015Inventors: Norbert Stoeffler, Peter Meier
-
Patent number: 8744190Abstract: A system for efficient image feature extraction comprises a buffer for storing a slice of at least n lines of gradient direction pixel values of a directional gradient image. The buffer has an input for receiving the first plurality n of lines and an output for providing a second plurality m of columns of gradient direction pixel values of the slice to an input of a score network, which comprises comparators for comparing the gradient direction pixel values of the second plurality of columns with corresponding reference values of a reference directional gradient pattern of a shape and adders for providing partial scores depending on output values of the comparators to score network outputs which are coupled to corresponding inputs of an accumulation network having an output for providing a final score depending on the partial scores.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 2009Date of Patent: June 3, 2014Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Norbert Stoeffler, Martin Raubuch
-
Publication number: 20120268472Abstract: A pixel data processing apparatus comprises a data path unit comprising a hardware module dedicated to performing, when in use, predetermined functionality in relation to image data. The apparatus also comprises a data store for storing image data and a programmable engine. The programmable engine is arranged to route, when in use, data associated with the image data though the data path unit in a predetermined manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2009Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Stephan Herrmann, Michael Deur, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Publication number: 20110271083Abstract: A microprocessor architecture comprises an instruction decoding network for decoding in a first mode partially suppressed opcodes of a sequence of instructions, the opcodes comprising a first part containing parameters being invariant for each opcode of the sequence and a second part comprising a flag indicating an end of the sequence, the first part being suppressed for all opcodes of the sequence except a first opcode of the sequence. Further, a method of instruction decoding in a microprocessor architecture comprising an instruction decoding network for decoding in a first mode partially suppressed opcodes of a sequence of instructions, and in a second mode uncompressed instructions comprises decoding an opcode of an instruction in the second mode when the instruction is not compressible; and decoding an opcode of an instruction in the first mode when the instruction is compressible.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 21, 2009Publication date: November 3, 2011Applicant: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.Inventors: Martin Raubuch, Norbert Stoeffler
-
Publication number: 20110249869Abstract: A system for efficient image feature extraction comprises a buffer for storing a slice of at least n lines of gradient direction pixel values of a directional gradient image. The buffer has an input for receiving the first plurality n of lines and an output for providing a second plurality m of columns of gradient direction pixel values of the slice to an input of a score network, which comprises comparators for comparing the gradient direction pixel values of the second plurality of columns with corresponding reference values of a reference directional gradient pattern of a shape and adders for providing partial scores depending on output values of the comparators to score network outputs which are coupled to corresponding inputs of an accumulation network having an output for providing a final score depending on the partial scores.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2009Publication date: October 13, 2011Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Norbert Stoeffler, Martin Raubuch