Patents by Inventor Stan Birchfield
Stan Birchfield 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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Patent number: 12711368Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and techniques to identify objects in an image. In at least one embodiment, one or more neural networks identify the objects using pose information of the objects and visible properties of the objects.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2019Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Zheng Tang, Stan Birchfield, William Heyward Hodge, FNU Ratnesh Kumar, Milind Naphade, Jonathan Tremblay, Shuo Wang, Xiaodong Yang
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Patent number: 12493973Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and techniques are presented to determine a pose of an object. In at least one embodiment, a network is trained to predict a pose of an autonomous object based, at least in part, on only one image of the autonomous object.Type: GrantFiled: October 18, 2019Date of Patent: December 9, 2025Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Jonathan Tremblay, Stan Birchfield, Timothy Lee
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Patent number: 12456046Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and techniques are presented to determine distance for one or more objects. In at least one embodiment, a disparity network is trained to determine distance data from input stereoscopic images using a loss function that includes at least one of a gradient loss term and an occlusion loss term.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: October 28, 2025Assignee: Nvidia CorporationInventors: Jialiang Wang, Varun Jampani, Stan Birchfield, Charles Loop, Jan Kautz
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Patent number: 12430702Abstract: Various embodiments enable a robot, or other autonomous or semi-autonomous device or system, to receive data involving the performance of a task in the physical world. The data can be provided as input to a perception network to infer a set of percepts about the task, which can correspond to relationships between objects observed during the performance. The percepts can be provided as input to a plan generation network, which can infer a set of actions as part of a plan. Each action can correspond to one of the observed relationships. The plan can be reviewed and any corrections made, either manually or through another demonstration of the task. Once the plan is verified as correct, the plan (and any related data) can be provided as input to an execution network that can infer instructions to cause the robot, and/or another robot, to perform the task.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2021Date of Patent: September 30, 2025Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Jonathan Tremblay, Stan Birchfield, Stephen Tyree, Thang To, Jan Kautz, Artem Molchanov
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Publication number: 20250285305Abstract: In various examples, methods and systems are provided for estimating depth values for images (e.g., from a monocular sequence). Disclosed approaches may define a search space of potential pixel matches between two images using one or more depth hypothesis planes based at least on a camera pose associated with one or more cameras used to generate the images. A machine learning model(s) may use this search space to predict likelihoods of correspondence between one or more pixels in the images. The predicted likelihoods may be used to compute depth values for one or more of the images. The predicted depth values may be transmitted and used by a machine to perform one or more operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2025Publication date: September 11, 2025Inventors: Yiran Zhong, Charles Loop, Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Ke Chen, Stan Birchfield, Alexander Popov
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Patent number: 12322126Abstract: In various examples, methods and systems are provided for estimating depth values for images (e.g., from a monocular sequence). Disclosed approaches may define a search space of potential pixel matches between two images using one or more depth hypothesis planes based at least on a camera pose associated with one or more cameras used to generate the images. A machine learning model(s) may use this search space to predict likelihoods of correspondence between one or more pixels in the images. The predicted likelihoods may be used to compute depth values for one or more of the images. The predicted depth values may be transmitted and used by a machine to perform one or more operations.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2022Date of Patent: June 3, 2025Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Yiran Zhong, Charles Loop, Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Ke Chen, Stan Birchfield, Alexander Popov
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Patent number: 12039436Abstract: Various examples of the present disclosure include a stereoscopic deep neural network (DNN) that produces accurate and reliable results in real-time. Both LIDAR data (supervised training) and photometric error (unsupervised training) may be used to train the DNN in a semi-supervised manner. The stereoscopic DNN may use an exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function to increase processing speeds, as well as a machine learned argmax function that may include a plurality of convolutional layers having trainable parameters to account for context. The stereoscopic DNN may further include layers having an encoder/decoder architecture, where the encoder portion of the layers may include a combination of three-dimensional convolutional layers followed by two-dimensional convolutional layers.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2023Date of Patent: July 16, 2024Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Stan Birchfield
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Patent number: 11941719Abstract: Various embodiments enable a robot, or other autonomous or semi-autonomous device or system, to receive data involving the performance of a task in the physical world. The data can be provided as input to a perception network to infer a set of percepts about the task, which can correspond to relationships between objects observed during the performance. The percepts can be provided as input to a plan generation network, which can infer a set of actions as part of a plan. Each action can correspond to one of the observed relationships. The plan can be reviewed and any corrections made, either manually or through another demonstration of the task. Once the plan is verified as correct, the plan (and any related data) can be provided as input to an execution network that can infer instructions to cause the robot, and/or another robot, to perform the task.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2019Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Jonathan Tremblay, Stan Birchfield, Stephen Tyree, Thang To, Jan Kautz, Artem Molchanov
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Publication number: 20230281847Abstract: In various examples, methods and systems are provided for estimating depth values for images (e.g., from a monocular sequence). Disclosed approaches may define a search space of potential pixel matches between two images using one or more depth hypothesis planes based at least on a camera pose associated with one or more cameras used to generate the images. A machine learning model(s) may use this search space to predict likelihoods of correspondence between one or more pixels in the images. The predicted likelihoods may be used to compute depth values for one or more of the images. The predicted depth values may be transmitted and used by a machine to perform one or more operations.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2022Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Yiran Zhong, Charles Loop, Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Ke Chen, Stan Birchfield, Alexander Popov
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Publication number: 20230169321Abstract: Various examples of the present disclosure include a stereoscopic deep neural network (DNN) that produces accurate and reliable results in real-time. Both LIDAR data (supervised training) and photometric error (unsupervised training) may be used to train the DNN in a semi-supervised manner. The stereoscopic DNN may use an exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function to increase processing speeds, as well as a machine learned argmax function that may include a plurality of convolutional layers having trainable parameters to account for context. The stereoscopic DNN may further include layers having an encoder/decoder architecture, where the encoder portion of the layers may include a combination of three-dimensional convolutional layers followed by two-dimensional convolutional layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2023Publication date: June 1, 2023Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Stan Birchfield
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Patent number: 11604967Abstract: Various examples of the present disclosure include a stereoscopic deep neural network (DNN) that produces accurate and reliable results in real-time. Both LIDAR data (supervised training) and photometric error (unsupervised training) may be used to train the DNN in a semi-supervised manner. The stereoscopic DNN may use an exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function to increase processing speeds, as well as a machine learned argmax function that may include a plurality of convolutional layers having trainable parameters to account for context. The stereoscopic DNN may further include layers having an encoder/decoder architecture, where the encoder portion of the layers may include a combination of three-dimensional convolutional layers followed by two-dimensional convolutional layers.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2021Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Stan Birchfield
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Publication number: 20210390653Abstract: Various embodiments enable a robot, or other autonomous or semi-autonomous device or system, to receive data involving the performance of a task in the physical world. The data can be provided as input to a perception network to infer a set of percepts about the task, which can correspond to relationships between objects observed during the performance. The percepts can be provided as input to a plan generation network, which can infer a set of actions as part of a plan. Each action can correspond to one of the observed relationships. The plan can be reviewed and any corrections made, either manually or through another demonstration of the task. Once the plan is verified as correct, the plan (and any related data) can be provided as input to an execution network that can infer instructions to cause the robot, and/or another robot, to perform the task.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2021Publication date: December 16, 2021Inventors: Jonathan Tremblay, Stan Birchfield, Stephen Tyree, Thang To, Jan Kautz, Artem Molchanov
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Publication number: 20210326694Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and techniques are presented to determine distance for one or more objects. In at least one embodiment, a disparity network is trained to determine distance data from input stereoscopic images using a loss function that includes at least one of a gradient loss term and an occlusion loss term.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2020Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Jialiang Wang, Varun Jampani, Stan Birchfield, Charles Loop, Jan Kautz
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Publication number: 20210326678Abstract: Various examples of the present disclosure include a stereoscopic deep neural network (DNN) that produces accurate and reliable results in real-time. Both LIDAR data (supervised training) and photometric error (unsupervised training) may be used to train the DNN in a semi-supervised manner. The stereoscopic DNN may use an exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function to increase processing speeds, as well as a machine learned argmax function that may include a plurality of convolutional layers having trainable parameters to account for context. The stereoscopic DNN may further include layers having an encoder/decoder architecture, where the encoder portion of the layers may include a combination of three-dimensional convolutional layers followed by two-dimensional convolutional layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Stan Birchfield
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Patent number: 11080590Abstract: Various examples of the present disclosure include a stereoscopic deep neural network (DNN) that produces accurate and reliable results in real-time. Both LIDAR data (supervised training) and photometric error (unsupervised training) may be used to train the DNN in a semi-supervised manner. The stereoscopic DNN may use an exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function to increase processing speeds, as well as a machine learned argmax function that may include a plurality of convolutional layers having trainable parameters to account for context. The stereoscopic DNN may further include layers having an encoder/decoder architecture, where the encoder portion of the layers may include a combination of three-dimensional convolutional layers followed by two-dimensional convolutional layers.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2019Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Stan Birchfield
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Publication number: 20210118166Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and techniques are presented to determine a pose of an object. In at least one embodiment, a network is trained to predict a pose of an autonomous object based, at least in part, on only one image of the autonomous object.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 18, 2019Publication date: April 22, 2021Inventors: Jonathan Tremblay, Stan Birchfield, Timothy Lee
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Publication number: 20200301510Abstract: A computer system generates a tactile force model for a tactile force sensor by performing a number of calibration tasks. In various embodiments, the calibration tasks include pressing the tactile force sensor while the tactile force sensor is attached to a pressure gauge, interacting with a ball, and pushing an object along a planar surface. Data collected from these calibration tasks is used to train a neural network. The resulting tactile force model allows the computer system to convert signals received from the tactile force sensor into a force magnitude and direction with greater accuracy than conventional methods. In an embodiment, force on the tactile force sensor is inferred by interacting with an object, determining the motion of the object, and estimating the forces on the object based on a physical model of the object.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2019Publication date: September 24, 2020Inventors: Stan Birchfield, Byron Boots, Dieter Fox, Ankur Handa, Nathan Ratliff, Balakumar Sundaralingam, Alexander Lambert
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Publication number: 20190295282Abstract: Various examples of the present disclosure include a stereoscopic deep neural network (DNN) that produces accurate and reliable results in real-time. Both LIDAR data (supervised training) and photometric error (unsupervised training) may be used to train the DNN in a semi-supervised manner. The stereoscopic DNN may use an exponential linear unit (ELU) activation function to increase processing speeds, as well as a machine learned argmax function that may include a plurality of convolutional layers having trainable parameters to account for context. The stereoscopic DNN may further include layers having an encoder/decoder architecture, where the encoder portion of the layers may include a combination of three-dimensional convolutional layers followed by two-dimensional convolutional layers.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2019Publication date: September 26, 2019Inventors: Nikolai Smolyanskiy, Alexey Kamenev, Stan Birchfield
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Publication number: 20190228495Abstract: Various embodiments enable a robot, or other autonomous or semi-autonomous device or system, to receive data involving the performance of a task in the physical world. The data can be provided as input to a perception network to infer a set of percepts about the task, which can correspond to relationships between objects observed during the performance. The percepts can be provided as input to a plan generation network, which can infer a set of actions as part of a plan. Each action can correspond to one of the observed relationships. The plan can be reviewed and any corrections made, either manually or through another demonstration of the task. Once the plan is verified as correct, the plan (and any related data) can be provided as input to an execution network that can infer instructions to cause the robot, and/or another robot, to perform the task.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2019Publication date: July 25, 2019Inventors: Jonathan Tremblay, Stan Birchfield, Stephen Tyree, Thang To, Jan Kautz, Artem Molchanov
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Patent number: 9737990Abstract: Robotic task program synthesis embodiments are presented that generally synthesize a robotic task program based on received examples of repositioning tasks. In one implementation, the exemplary repositioning tasks are human demonstrations of object manipulation in an actual or displayed robot workspace. A domain specific language (DSL) designed for object repositioning tasks is employed for the robotic control program. In general, candidate robotic task programs are generated from the example tasks. Each candidate program includes instructions for causing the robot to reposition objects, and represents a different permutation of instructions consistent with the received example tasks. The candidate programs are ranked, and whenever the top ranking program accomplishes the repositioning specified in each example task, it is designated as the synthesized robotic task program.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2014Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Ashley Nathan Feniello, Stan Birchfield, Hao Dang, Sumit Gulwani