Patents by Inventor Robert Michael Shydo
Robert Michael Shydo 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).
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Publication number: 20180141211Abstract: Robotic arms or manipulators can be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information can be obtained about constraints relative to relevant elements of a process of transferring the item from place to place. Examples of such elements may include a grasping location from which an item is to be grasped, a receiving location in which a grasped item is to be placed, or a space between the grasping location and the receiving location. The information about the constraints can be used to select from multiple possible grasping options, such as by eliminating options that conflict with the constraints or preferring options that outperform others given the constraints.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2018Publication date: May 24, 2018Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Publication number: 20180086561Abstract: Features are disclosed for a mobile drive unit and systems including mobile drive units that eliminate the need for dedicated lifting motors. The mobile drive unit arrangements described leverage existing motors used to drive the rolling elements (e.g., wheels) of the mobile drive unit to perform the lifting. For example, a mobile drive unit may include four locomotion motors. Because each motor can be individually controlled, the distance between front and rear (or left and right) rolling elements can be used to actuate mechanisms for lifting payloads without requiring a dedicated lifting motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2016Publication date: March 29, 2018Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, JR.
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Publication number: 20180074504Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for an integrated obstacle detection and payload centering sensor system. A robotic drive unit (RDU) captures, with a downward facing camera mounted to itself, an image of fiducial located on the ground. The RDU then positions itself over the fiducial and subsequently rotates. As it rotates, the RDU captures a point cloud of the surround vicinity a forward-facing three-dimensional camera mounted to itself. The RDU then identifies in the point cloud at least two legs of a storage unit positioned over the robotic drive unit. Subsequently, the RDU determines a location for each of the at least two legs relative to the fiducial and triangulates a center of the storage unit based at least in part on the location of each of the at least two legs. The RDU then centers itself underneath the storage unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2016Publication date: March 15, 2018Inventor: Robert Michael Shydo, JR.
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Publication number: 20180053141Abstract: Techniques for providing an entity monitoring safety feature in an inventory management system are described herein. For example, instructions may be received by a computer system of an autonomous vehicle that identify a path to move inventory within a materials handling facility. Further, the computer system of the autonomous vehicle may reduce a current traveling speed of the autonomous vehicle in response to receiving a first signal that is provided by a transmitter coupled with an entity moving with the materials handling facility. The first signal may be provided up to a first distance from the entity. In embodiments, the computer system of the autonomous vehicle may stop movement of the autonomous vehicle in response to receiving a second signal provided by the transmitter coupled with the entity. The second signal may be provided up to a second distance from the entity that is less than the first distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2016Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventor: Robert Michael Shydo, JR.
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Patent number: 9889563Abstract: Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2017Date of Patent: February 13, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr.
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Patent number: 9873199Abstract: Robotic arms or manipulators can be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information can be obtained about constraints relative to relevant elements of a process of transferring the item from place to place. Examples of such elements may include a grasping location from which an item is to be grasped, a receiving location in which a grasped item is to be placed, or a space between the grasping location and the receiving location. The information about the constraints can be used to select from multiple possible grasping options, such as by eliminating options that conflict with the constraints or preferring options that outperform others given the constraints.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2016Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Patent number: 9868207Abstract: Robotic arms may be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information about an inventory item to be grasped can be detected and used to determine a grasping strategy in conjunction with information from a database. Instructions for grasping an inventory item can be generated based on the detected information and the database.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2016Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Patent number: 9649766Abstract: Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2015Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr.
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Publication number: 20170106532Abstract: Robotic arms or manipulators can be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information can be obtained about constraints relative to relevant elements of a process of transferring the item from place to place. Examples of such elements may include a grasping location from which an item is to be grasped, a receiving location in which a grasped item is to be placed, or a space between the grasping location and the receiving location. The information about the constraints can be used to select from multiple possible grasping options, such as by eliminating options that conflict with the constraints or preferring options that outperform others given the constraints.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2016Publication date: April 20, 2017Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Publication number: 20170083020Abstract: An inventory system includes an inventory holder and an actively balanced mobile drive unit. A control module of the mobile drive unit can receive sensing information about the inventory holder and/or the mobile drive unit and use the sensing information to control a drive module of the mobile drive unit so as to maintain the inventory holder and/or the mobile drive unit within a predetermined deviation amount from an equilibrium state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2015Publication date: March 23, 2017Inventors: Oliver Christoph Purwin, Dragan Pajevic, David William Guerin, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Mark Anthony Messina, Parris S. Wellman, Kevin John Trenholme, Peter Thomas Colantonio, Peter K. Mansfield
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Patent number: 9588519Abstract: Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2015Date of Patent: March 7, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Gregory Edward Tierney, Peter K. Mansfield
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Patent number: 9561587Abstract: Robotic arms or manipulators can be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information about an item to be grasped can be detected and/or accessed from one or more databases to determine a grasping strategy for grasping the item with a robotic arm or manipulator. For example, one or more accessed databases can contain information about the item, characteristics of the item, and/or similar items, such as information indicating grasping strategies that have been successful or unsuccessful for such items in the past.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2014Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Publication number: 20170021499Abstract: Robotic arms may be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information about an inventory item to be grasped can be detected and used to determine a grasping strategy in conjunction with information from a database. Instructions for grasping an inventory item can be generated based on the detected information and the database.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Patent number: 9492923Abstract: Robotic arms may be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information about an inventory item to be grasped can be detected and used to determine a grasping strategy in conjunction with information from a database. Instructions for grasping an inventory item can be generated based on the detected information and the database.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2014Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Publication number: 20160274586Abstract: Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2015Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Gregory Edward Tierney, Peter K. Mansfield
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Publication number: 20160271800Abstract: Short range transmissions are used to identify potential interactions between warehouse workers and warehouse robots in automated warehouses. The robot can be equipped with one or more short range transmission tags, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, while the warehouse worker can be equipped with a short range transmission reader, such as an RFID reader. The robot can detect a warehouse worker that is within range when the RFID tags on the robot are written to by the RFID reader. The warehouse robots and warehouse workers can also be equipped with one or more cameras to identify fiducials in the automated warehouse and to report their positions. A central control or interaction server can ensure that warehouse robots and warehouse workers are routed appropriately to avoid incidents.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2015Publication date: September 22, 2016Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, JR.
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Publication number: 20160167228Abstract: Robotic arms may be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information about an inventory item to be grasped can be detected and used to determine a grasping strategy in conjunction with information from a database. Instructions for grasping an inventory item can be generated based on the detected information and the database.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine
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Publication number: 20160167227Abstract: Robotic arms or manipulators can be utilized to grasp inventory items within an inventory system. Information about an item to be grasped can be detected and/or accessed from one or more databases to determine a grasping strategy for grasping the item with a robotic arm or manipulator. For example, one or more accessed databases can contain information about the item, characteristics of the item, and/or similar items, such as information indicating grasping strategies that have been successful or unsuccessful for such items in the past.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2014Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Parris S. Wellman, Matthew David Verminski, Andrew Stubbs, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Ennio Claretti, Boris Aronchik, John Gregory Longtine