Patents by Inventor Stephen Caldara

Stephen Caldara 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: 10726387
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a signal processing 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 within the materials handling facility. The first signal may be span a first distance. 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 span a second distance from the entity that is less than the first distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Seth Kaufman, Fahrudin Alagic, Gregory Tierney, Stephen Caldara, Jianfeng Pu, Ashish Shah
  • Publication number: 20190172005
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a signal processing 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 within the materials handling facility. The first signal may be span a first distance. 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 span a second distance from the entity that is less than the first distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Seth Kaufman, Fahrudin Alagic, Gregory Tierney, Stephen Caldara, Jianfeng Pu, Ashish Shah
  • Patent number: 10255582
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Seth Kaufman, Fahrudin Alagic, Gregory Tierney, Stephen Caldara, Jianfeng Pu, Ashish Shah
  • Patent number: 9889563
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9649766
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9588519
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, Jr., Gregory Edward Tierney, Peter K. Mansfield
  • Publication number: 20160274586
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, JR., Gregory Edward Tierney, Peter K. Mansfield
  • Publication number: 20160271800
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventors: Andrew Stubbs, Matthew David Verminski, Stephen Caldara, Robert Michael Shydo, JR.