Patents by Inventor Walter Laplante

Walter Laplante 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: 20240119119
    Abstract: A method includes generating one or more nominal images of at least a portion of a digital twin of an environment, defining one or more anomalous characteristics of the one or more components, generating one or more anomalous images of the portion of the digital twin of the environment based on the field of view and the one or more anomalous characteristics, performing a tessellation routine and a texture mapping routine on the one or more nominal images and the one or more anomalous images to generate a plurality of synthetic images, and labeling, for each synthetic image from among the plurality of synthetic images, the synthetic image as one of an anomalous type, a nominal type, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Walter Laplante, Francis Maslar, Harry Kekedjian, Nagharajhan KPK, Siva Sankar R.
  • Patent number: 11886541
    Abstract: A method includes generating one or more nominal images of at least a portion of a digital twin of an environment, defining one or more anomalous characteristics of the one or more components, generating one or more anomalous images of the portion of the digital twin of the environment based on the field of view and the one or more anomalous characteristics, performing a tessellation routine and a texture mapping routine on the one or more nominal images and the one or more anomalous images to generate a plurality of synthetic images, and labeling, for each synthetic image from among the plurality of synthetic images, the synthetic image as one of an anomalous type, a nominal type, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Walter Laplante, Francis Maslar, Harry Kekedjian, Nagharajhan KPK, Siva Sankar R.
  • Publication number: 20230243759
    Abstract: A flexible inspection system includes a robot with a plurality of scanners and a robot controller. The robot controller is configured to receive a vehicle inspection protocol (VIP) for a vehicle being assembled on an assembly line. The VIP includes checkpoints to be scanned on the vehicle and the checkpoints correspond to components installed on the vehicle and connections between components installed on the vehicle. The robot controller commands the robot to move the plurality of scanners per the VIP such that the checkpoints are scanned. A characteristic of each checkpoint is recorded and compared to a reference characteristic such that a pass or no-pass determination of each checkpoint is provided. A vehicle inspection report with the pass/no-pass determinations is provided to an operator such that operator inspections and/or repairs of the checkpoints are made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Arboleda, Francis Maslar, Walter LaPlante, Paul Christopher Shaw
  • Publication number: 20230153385
    Abstract: A method includes generating one or more nominal images of at least a portion of a digital twin of an environment, defining one or more anomalous characteristics of the one or more components, generating one or more anomalous images of the portion of the digital twin of the environment based on the field of view and the one or more anomalous characteristics, performing a tessellation routine and a texture mapping routine on the one or more nominal images and the one or more anomalous images to generate a plurality of synthetic images, and labeling, for each synthetic image from among the plurality of synthetic images, the synthetic image as one of an anomalous type, a nominal type, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Walter Laplante, Francis Maslar, Harry Kekedjian, Nagharajhan KPK, Siva Sankar R.
  • Patent number: 11624713
    Abstract: A flexible inspection system includes a robot with a plurality of scanners and a robot controller. The robot controller is configured to receive a vehicle inspection protocol (VIP) for a vehicle being assembled on an assembly line. The VIP includes checkpoints to be scanned on the vehicle and the checkpoints correspond to components installed on the vehicle and connections between components installed on the vehicle. The robot controller commands the robot to move the plurality of scanners per the VIP such that the checkpoints are scanned. A characteristic of each checkpoint is recorded and compared to a reference characteristic such that a pass or no-pass determination of each checkpoint is provided. A vehicle inspection report with the pass/no-pass determinations is provided to an operator such that operator inspections and/or repairs of the checkpoints are made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Arboleda, Francis Maslar, Walter Laplante, Paul Christopher Shaw
  • Publication number: 20210172882
    Abstract: A flexible inspection system includes a robot with a plurality of scanners and a robot controller. The robot controller is configured to receive a vehicle inspection protocol (VIP) for a vehicle being assembled on an assembly line. The VIP includes checkpoints to be scanned on the vehicle and the checkpoints correspond to components installed on the vehicle and connections between components installed on the vehicle. The robot controller commands the robot to move the plurality of scanners per the VIP such that the checkpoints are scanned. A characteristic of each checkpoint is recorded and compared to a reference characteristic such that a pass or no-pass determination of each checkpoint is provided. A vehicle inspection report with the pass/no-pass determinations is provided to an operator such that operator inspections and/or repairs of the checkpoints are made.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Arboleda, Francis Maslar, Walter Laplante, Paul Christopher Shaw