Patents by Inventor William J. Pridgen
William J. Pridgen 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: 11872707Abstract: An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis and a drive module with magnetic wheels coupled to the inspection chassis. The drive module may further include a motor and a gear box located between the motor and a magnetic wheels. The gear box may include a flex spline cup which interacts with the ring gear. The inspection robot may further include a magnetic shielding assembly to shield the motor and an associated electromagnetic sensor from electromagnetic interference generated by the magnetic wheels.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2020Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Yizhu Gu, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, Francesco H. Trogu, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Michael A. Binger, William J. Pridgen
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Publication number: 20230390930Abstract: An inspection robot includes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Inventors: Mark J. Loosararian, Michael A. Binger, Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Alexander R. Cuti, Ignacio J. Cordova, Benjamin A. Guise, Dillon R. Jourde, Kevin Y. Low, Logan A. MacKenzie, Joshua D. Moore, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Francesco H. Trogu, Alex C. Watt, Yizhu Gu, Ian Miller, Todd Joslin, Katherine Virginia Denner, Michael Stephen Auda, Samuel Theodore Westenberg
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Patent number: 11673272Abstract: An inspection robot incudes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2020Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Mark J. Loosararian, Michael A. Binger, Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Alexander R. Cuti, Ignacio J. Cordova, Benjamin A. Guise, Dillon R. Jourde, Kevin Y. Low, Logan A. MacKenzie, Joshua D. Moore, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Francesco H. Trogu, Alex C. Watt, Yizhu Gu, Ian Miller, Todd Joslin, Katherine Virginia Denner, Michael Stephen Auda, Samuel Theodore Westenberg
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Patent number: 11648671Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for tracking location of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus for tracking inspection data may include an inspection chassis having a plurality of inspection sensors configured to interrogate an inspection surface, a first drive module and a second drive module, both coupled to the inspection chassis. The first and second drive module may each include a passive encoder wheel and a non-contact sensor positioned in proximity to the passive encoder wheel, wherein the non-contact sensor provides a movement value corresponding to the first passive encoder wheel. An inspection position circuit may determine a relative position of the inspection chassis in response to the movement values from the first and second drive modules.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, Mark Cho, Francesco H. Trogu, Benjamin A. Guise, Todd Joslin, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Alexander C. Watt
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Patent number: 11511426Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Francesco H. Trogu, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Alexander C. Watt, Michael Stephen Auda, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Samuel Theodore Westenberg, Katherine Virginia Denner, Benjamin A. Guise, Yizhu Gu, Todd Joslin, Mark J. Loosararian, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho
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Patent number: 11472031Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: Gecko Robotics, Inc.Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Francesco H. Trogu, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Alexander C. Watt, Michael Stephen Auda, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Samuel Theodore Westenberg, Katherine Virginia Denner, Benjamin A. Guise, Yizhu Gu, Todd Joslin, Mark J. Loosararian, Mark Cho, Edwin H. Cho
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Publication number: 20200262261Abstract: An inspection robot includes a robot body, at least two sensors, a drive module, a stability assist device and an actuator. The at least two sensors are positioned to interrogate an inspection surface and are communicatively coupled to the robot body. The drive module includes at least two wheels that engage the inspection surface. The drive module is coupled to the robot body. The stability assist device is coupled to at least one of the robot body or the drive module. The actuator is coupled to the stability assist device at a first end, and coupled to one of the drive module or the robot body at a second end. The actuator is structured to selectively move the stability assist device between a first position and a second position. The first position includes a stored position. The second position includes a deployed position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2020Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Mark J. Loosararian, Michael A. Binger, Edward A. Bryner, Edwin H. Cho, Mark Cho, Alexander R. Cuti, Ignacio J. Cordova, Benjamin A. Guise, Dillon R. Jourde, Kevin Y. Low, Logan A. MacKenzie, Joshua D. Moore, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Francesco H. Trogu, Alex C. Watt, Yizhu Gu, Ian Miller, Todd Joslin, Katherine Virginia Denner, Michael Stephen Auda, Samuel Theodore Westenberg
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Publication number: 20200262072Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for tracking location of an inspection robot are disclosed. An example apparatus for tracking inspection data may include an inspection chassis having a plurality of inspection sensors configured to interrogate an inspection surface, a first drive module and a second drive module, both coupled to the inspection chassis. The first and second drive module may each include a passive encoder wheel and a non-contact sensor positioned in proximity to the passive encoder wheel, wherein the non-contact sensor provides a movement value corresponding to the first passive encoder wheel. An inspection position circuit may determine a relative position of the inspection chassis in response to the movement values from the first and second drive modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2020Publication date: August 20, 2020Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Edwin H. Cho, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez
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Publication number: 20200254615Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus for rapid development of an inspection scheme for an inspection robot are disclosed. An apparatus may include an inspection definition circuit to interpret an inspection description value, and a robot configuration circuit to determine an inspection robot configuration description in response to the inspection description value. The apparatus may further include a configuration implementation circuit, communicatively coupled to a configuration interface of an inspection robot, to provide at least a portion of the inspection robot configuration description to the configuration interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2020Publication date: August 13, 2020Inventors: Edward A. Bryner, Kevin Y. Low, Joshua D. Moore, Dillon R. Jourde, Francesco H. Trogu, Jeffrey J. Mrkonich, William J. Pridgen, Domenic P. Rodriguez, Alex C. Watt, Michael Stephen Auda, Logan A. MacKenzie, Ian Miller, Samuel Theodore Westenberg, Katherine Virginia Denner