Programmed Data (e.g., Path) Modified By Sensed Data Patents (Class 700/253)
  • Patent number: 11172605
    Abstract: An autonomous lawn mower (100) and a system for navigating the same are disclosed. The autonomous lawn mower (100) comprises a mower body (102) having at least one motor (210) arranged to drive a cutting blade (212b) and to propel the mower body (102) on an operating surface via a wheel arrangement. The mower body (102) includes a navigation system (204) arranged to assist a controller (202) to control the operation of the mower body (102) within the predefined operating area (208). The system comprises a plurality of navigation modules (202), each arranged to obtain individual navigation information associated with the navigation of the autonomous mower (100). The navigation modules (202) operate to generate a virtual representation of the operation area (208) of the lawn mower (100) during an initialization mode, and the virtual representation of the operation area (208) is processed with the obtained navigation information during the operation of the lawn mower (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: TTI (MACAO COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE) LIMITED
    Inventors: Klaus Hahn, Todd Brandon Rickey, Benjamin Edgar Montgomery, Nikolai Ensslen, Levent Yildirim
  • Patent number: 11167811
    Abstract: A robotic obstacle-crossing device mainly includes a wheel body and an obstacle-crossing body, wherein the wheel body includes a wheel part, a first obstacle-crossing part and a second obstacle-crossing part. When the sweeping robot tilts, the plurality of first recessed portions and the plurality of second recessed portions provided on the periphery of the first obstacle-crossing part and the second obstacle-crossing part provide a climbing function. In addition, when the sweeping robot encounters obstacles or steps, the obstacle-crossing body can provide robot the function of the obstacle-crossing or climbing, thereby reducing the number of situations when the sweeping robot is trapped or unable to effectively climb upon encountering an obstacle or a steep road surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventor: Jason Yan
  • Patent number: 11151281
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a video monitoring method for mobile robot. The method includes the following steps: providing one or more private area on a basis of a map constructed by a mobile robot; determining, on a basis of a position of the mobile robot and an image shot from a shooting angle of a camera, whether an image shot currently contains private contents; if the image shot currently contains private contents, shielding the private contents contained in the image; and if the image shot currently is not containing private contents, continuing monitoring the mobile robot. By providing one or more private area in a map constructed by a mobile robot, the mobile robot can determine whether a shot image contains private contents during the subsequent video monitoring process, so as to shield the private contents in the image, thereby ensuring the security in video monitoring of the mobile robot, and avoiding privacy leakage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: AMICRO SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Qinwei Lai
  • Patent number: 11144028
    Abstract: The disclosure is provided to transmit a sensor value from a sensor to an external device with high efficiency. A sensor value of a sensor is acquired, basic data as time-series data is generated with reference to the acquired sensor value, differential data indicating a difference between the basic data and measurement data as time-series data corresponding to the sensor value acquired from the sensor is generated, and the differential data is transmitted to an external device through wireless communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Nakano, Hidekatsu Nogami, Yahiro Koezuka, Arata Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11135718
    Abstract: Robots, users, or a central controller may leverage Geo analytics and/or augmented reality to search for, discover, access and use robots. The robots may perform tasks to provide selective services on-demand within medicine, agriculture, military, entertainment, manufacturing, personal, or public safety, among other things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Venson Shaw
  • Patent number: 11112505
    Abstract: A robotic work tool system, comprising a robotic work tool, said robotic work tool comprising a position determining device for determining a current position and at least one deduced reckoning (also known as dead reckoning) navigation sensor, the robotic work tool being configured to determine that a reliable and accurate current position is possible to determine and in response thereto determine an expected navigation parameter, compare the expected navigation parameter to a current navigation parameter to determine a navigation error, determine if the navigation error is negligible, and if the navigation error is not negligible, cause the robotic work tool to change its trajectory to accommodate for the navigation error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventors: Magnus Öhrlund, Peter Reigo
  • Patent number: 11109731
    Abstract: A moving robot is provided. The moving robot includes: a main body forming the exterior appearance; a moving means for moving the main body; a bumper configured to protrude on the outer perimeter of the main body; impact sensors placed at an angle on the main body to sense the movement of the bumper; and pressure parts formed in a bent shape at the end of the impact sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jaewon Jang, Sungho Yoon
  • Patent number: 11104000
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media of traversing an obstacle including receiving optical data associated with an area near the robot, identifying the obstacle in the area based on the optical data, deflating, in response to identifying the obstacle, a ball of the robot, and applying a downward force through the deflated ball to propel the robot over the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Soshi Iba
  • Patent number: 11107344
    Abstract: A rescue system includes: a plurality of movable bodies each equipped with a camera; and a server configured to communicate with the plurality of movable bodies. The rescue system identifies a protection target, based on information acquired by the camera. The server is configured to (a) define a search area to be searched for the protection target, (b) acquire positional information about the plurality of movable bodies and select, from movable bodies located within the search area, at least one movable body to be used for searching for the protection target, the movable body being selected as a selected movable body, and (c) output, to the selected movable body, a search command for searching for the protection target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroki Sawada, Masato Tamaoki, Eisuke Ando, Masato Endo, Kuniaki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11099568
    Abstract: A self-driving vehicle system comprising a body having one or more motorized wheels, and a sensor head coupled to the body. The sensor head is movable from a retracted position to an extended position relative to the body. The sensor head comprises one or more proximity sensors and one or more cameras.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: LINGDONG TECHNOLOGY (BEIJING) CO. LTD
    Inventors: Yaming Tang, Liang Han, Chiung Lin Chen
  • Patent number: 11097742
    Abstract: The system includes an examination controller that performs control relating to medical examination of a client user in the mobile object, a controller configured to, decide whether or not to transport the client user to a medical facility, and create an operation command so as to cause the mobile object to pick up the client user at a first destination, which is a location based on information sent from a client user's terminal used by the client user, and when the controller decides to transport the client user to the medical facility after the mobile object moves to the first destination, to transport the client user aboard the mobile object to the medical facility as a second destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Isao Kanehara, Kazuhiro Umeda, Hideo Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi Okada, Shinjiro Nagasaki
  • Patent number: 11086334
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for crowdsourcing a sparse map for autonomous vehicle navigation. In one implementation, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include a sparse map for autonomous vehicle navigation along a road segment. The sparse map may include at least one line representation of a road surface feature extending along the road segment, each line representation representing a path along the road segment substantially corresponding with the road surface feature, and wherein the road surface feature is identified through image analysis of a plurality of images acquired as one or more vehicles traverse the road segment and a plurality of landmarks associated with the road segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MOBILEYE VISION TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventor: Ofer Fridman
  • Patent number: 11079240
    Abstract: A method for localization of a mobile automation apparatus includes, at a navigational controller: generating a set of candidate poses within an environmental map; updating the candidate poses according to motion data corresponding to movement of the mobile automation apparatus; receiving observational data collected at an actual pose of the mobile automation apparatus; generating (i) respective weights for the candidate poses, each weight indicating a likelihood that the corresponding candidate pose matches the actual pose, and (ii) a localization confidence level based on the weights; responsive to determining whether the localization confidence level exceeds a candidate pose resampling threshold: when the determination is affirmative, (i) increasing the candidate pose resampling threshold and (ii) generating a further set of candidate poses; and when the determination is negative, (i) decreasing the candidate pose resampling threshold without generating the further set; and repeating the updating, the rece
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sadegh Tajeddin, Harsoveet Singh, Jingxing Qian
  • Patent number: 11072077
    Abstract: A robot system which includes a robot with a plurality of joints; a voice operation device to which a voice operation command is input by an operator; and a controller which controls an operation of the robot, the controller being configured to change the operation of the robot, in a case where the voice operation device detects a voice with a sound volume which is equal to or higher than a first predetermined sound volume which is preset, during the operation of the robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masayuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11059176
    Abstract: A system for facility monitoring and reporting to improve safety using one or more robots includes: a network; a plurality of autonomous mobile robots operating in a facility, the robots configured to monitor facility operation, the robots further configured to detect a predetermined critical condition, the robots operably connected to the network; a server operably connected to the robots over the network; and an individual robot operably connected to the server over the network, the individual robot operating in the facility, the robots not comprising the individual robot, the individual robot configured to monitor facility operation; wherein the robots are configured to regularly produce a regular report under normal operating conditions, the report displaying data received from the server, wherein the robots are further configured to produce to the server a critical condition report upon occurrence of the critical condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Fetch Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: Niharika Arora, Melonee Wise, Brian Cairl, Carl Saldanha, Robert Chatman, III, Levon Avagyan, Aaron Hoy, Stefan Nusser, David Dymesich, David Robson
  • Patent number: 11061407
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an equivalent trajectory generating method for a biped robot and a biped robot using the same. The method includes: obtaining a motion state of the biped robot by a position sensor; determining switching moments in an advancing direction of the biped robot, based on the motion state of the biped robot; finding the mass center position of the biped robot at each switching moment; connecting the mass center positions at the switching moments as an equivalent trajectory of the biped robot; and performing a closed loop control on the biped robot according to the equivalent trajectory. Through the method, the overall real-time position of the robot can be obtained according to the equivalent trajectory effectively, which is advantageous to perform a stable and reliable control to the biped robot according to the equivalent trajectory of the biped robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: UBTECH Robotics Corp
    Inventors: Youjun Xiong, Zheng Xie, Chunyu Chen, Yizhang Liu, Ligang Ge
  • Patent number: 11003177
    Abstract: An apparatus including a combination possibility calculation unit to calculate a stable orientation in which, from three-dimensional shape data of a part, the part is stabilized on a flat surface, to calculate a grasping method for grasping the part with a hand, and to calculate a combination in which the hand does not interfere from system configuration data including information on a connection destination of the hand and a combination group of the grasping method and the stable orientation; a regrasping path calculation unit to calculate a regrasping path of the part by using the calculated combination; a path group calculation unit to calculate a path having the minimum number of teaching points from the regrasping path as a path group based on orientation data for designating an input orientation and an alignment orientation of the part; and a program generation unit to generate a program of a robot based on the path group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya Nagatani, Haruhisa Okuda
  • Patent number: 11000949
    Abstract: A control device includes a learning control part in which a difference is calculated between a target position and an actual position of a portion detected based on a sensor, and an operation-speed change rate is increased or reduced several times within a maximum value of the operation-speed change rate set for increasing or reducing the operation speed of a robot mechanism unit and within allowance conditions of vibrations occurring at the portion to be controlled; meanwhile, learning is repeated to calculate an updated compensation amount based on the difference and a previous compensation amount previously calculated for suppressing vibrations at each operation-speed change rate, and a convergent compensation amount and a convergent operation-speed change rate are stored after convergence of the compensation amount and the operation-speed change rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Washizu, Hajime Suzuki, Kaimeng Wang
  • Patent number: 10997491
    Abstract: A method, device and system of prediction of a state of an object in the environment using an action model of a neural network. In accordance with one aspect, a control system for a object comprises a processor, a plurality of sensors coupled to the processor for sensing a current state of the object and an environment in which the object is located, and a first neural network coupled to the processor. One or more predicted subsequent states of the object in the environment are determined using an action model of the neural network and a current state of the object in the environment and an plurality of action sequences. The action model comprises a mapping of states of the object in the environment and actions performed by the object for each state to predicted subsequent states of the object in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hengshuai Yao, Seyed Masoud Nosrati, Hao Chen, Peyman Yadmellat, Yunfei Zhang
  • Patent number: 10987805
    Abstract: A system for balance control of a humanoid includes a control input generation unit which determines Zero Momentum Position (ZMP) of the humanoid with respect to ground, and a control output generation unit which determines Center of Mass (CoM) position and velocity of the humanoid, wherein the control input generation unit and the control output generation unit determine the ZMP and the CoM position and velocity, respectively, by applying a discrete-time dynamics equation sampled by applying a non-pathological sampling frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Jung Hoon Kim, Yonghwan Oh
  • Patent number: 10981316
    Abstract: A control device for a handling device includes a storage medium, a processing unit, an output for outputting signals, and an input for receiving signals from the handling device. A waiting phase is conducted before an actuation of an end-of-arm tool mounted to an end-of-arm of a handling arm. The signals received by the input represent a dynamic parameter of the end-of-arm and a threshold value corresponds to a specific dynamic parameter of the end-of-arm stored in the storage medium. The signals received by the input can be compared with the threshold value by a comparison unit of the control device, and an end of the waiting phase can be determined when reaching the threshold value. Depending on a curve of the dynamic parameter, the threshold value can be determined and the end of the waiting phase can be determined when reaching the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: ENGEL AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Hoeglinger
  • Patent number: 10947095
    Abstract: The embodiments of the disclosure provide a robot and a splicing method thereof, and a robot splicing system. The robot includes at least two sub-robots, each of the sub-robots including a body, a mobile member located at the bottom of the body, at least one first connecting mechanism and at least one second connecting mechanism located on different sides of the body, the first connecting mechanism of at least one of the sub-robots being configured such that it may be in a fit connection with the second connecting mechanism of at least one other sub-robot, and the second connecting mechanism being configured such that it may be in a fit connection with the first connecting mechanism of at least one other sub-robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ying Zhang, Yifei Zhang, Kai Zhao
  • Patent number: 10945502
    Abstract: A self-propelling item of luggage, for example a suitcase, includes at least a storage area, a drive, a camera, and a data processing device which is designed to recognize an authorized user in a predefined distance range by means of at least one image captured with the camera and on the basis of at least one visual feature extracted from the image, and to actuate the drive so that the item of luggage follows the authorized user in a self-propelling manner at a distance, where the at least one visual feature is characteristic of at least one item of clothing of the authorized user. A method for operating such a self-propelling item of luggage is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
    Inventor: Andreas Herrmann
  • Patent number: 10948297
    Abstract: A method for simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) employs dual event-based cameras. Event streams from the cameras are processed by an image processing system to stereoscopically detect surface points in an environment, dynamically compute pose of a camera as it moves, and concurrently update a map of the environment. A gradient descent based optimization may be utilized to update the pose for each event or for each small batch of events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sebastien Derhy, Lior Zamir, Nathan Henri Levy
  • Patent number: 10949668
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus is provided. The electronic apparatus according to various embodiments includes a display, a camera configured to photograph a peripheral area of a cleaner, and a processor configured to control to display an image of the peripheral area of the cleaner photographed through the camera, determine an area which has the same pattern as a cleaning object of the cleaner selected by a user input in the peripheral area of the cleaner based on the photographed image, display a mark on an area which has the same pattern as the cleaning object in the photographed image, and display guide information for guiding a movement of the cleaner to the area in which the mark is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-ho Ha, Hyung-jong Shin
  • Patent number: 10940585
    Abstract: A vibration suppression device acquires a teaching position, computes a speed plan based on the acquired teaching position and a first acceleration/deceleration parameter, computes data related to deflection occurring during an acceleration/deceleration operation of a robot based on the teaching position and the speed plan, and acquires data indicating a posture at the teaching position. Further, a machine learning unit of the vibration suppression device estimates an acceleration/deceleration parameter with respect to the data related to the deflection and the data related to the posture using the data related to the deflection and the data related to the posture as input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakagawa, Takafumi Kajiyama
  • Patent number: 10884392
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design and manufacture of physical structures using subtractive manufacturing systems and techniques and a determined stock allowance include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining a finishing toolpath specification for three dimensional (3D) geometry of a part; generating 3D geometry of a model of a semi-finished structure in accordance with a computer simulation of deflections experienced by a workpiece as stock material is cut from the workpiece using the finishing toolpath specification; creating a semi-finishing toolpath specification for the semi-finished structure; and providing the semi-finishing toolpath specification for use in machining the part by cutting away a first portion of the stock material using the semi-finishing toolpath specification to form the semi-finished structure, followed by performing a finishing operation of the semi-finished structure by cutting away a second portion
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee Sanders, Daniel Mario Noviello
  • Patent number: 10869426
    Abstract: A mower system for mowing a field with a grass containing crop comprises a frame, a mowing device that is connected to the frame and has an adjustable mowing height, a sensor device arranged to sense a species composition related parameter, such as a ration grass-to-clover, of a part of the field, and to generate data based on the sensed parameter, and a control device that is operatively connected to the sensor device to receive the generated data, and is operatively connected to the mowing device and arranged to adjust the mowing height on the basis of the received data. This enables to adjust the mowing height dynamically, i.e. position dependently, based on the detected parameter. The mowing height influences the regrowth of e.g. grass and clover differently, so that the ratio can be influenced locally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: LELY PATENT N.V.
    Inventor: Willem Jacobus Reijersen Van Buuren
  • Patent number: 10864633
    Abstract: A robot-training system permits a user touch, click on or otherwise select items from a display projected in the actual workspace in order to define task goals and constraints for the robot. A planning procedure responds to task definitions and constraints, and creates a sequence of robot instructions implementing the defined tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: SOUTHE AUTONOMY WORKS, LLC
    Inventors: Rahul D. Chipalkatty, Raphael Segal, Jay Ming Wong
  • Patent number: 10849699
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for a continuum robot system includes: a continuum robot (1), which includes a plurality of curvable portions (111, 112) provided in series in a longitudinal axial direction thereof and each being curvable, and is capable of being moved in the longitudinal axial direction; a drive unit (2) configured to move the continuum robot (1) in the longitudinal axial direction; and a plurality of angle control motors (211, 212) configured to change a distal-end angle (?1, ?2) for each of the plurality of curvable portions (111, 112). The control apparatus includes a drive unit speed calculation/control unit (44) configured to calculate a followable speed, and to control the drive unit (2). The drive unit speed calculation/control unit (44) controls the drive unit (2) to move the continuum robot at a speed equal to or lower than the followable speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidekazu Kose, Kiyoshi Takagi
  • Patent number: 10852729
    Abstract: A moving robot includes a travelling unit to move a main body, an image acquisition unit to acquire an image around the main body, a sensor unit including at least one sensor to sense an obstacle during moving, a storage unit to store information on a location of the sensed obstacle and information on a location of the moving robot, to register, into a map, an obstacle area of the obstacle, and to store an image from the image acquisition unit in the obstacle area, an obstacle acquisition module to determine a final attribute of the obstacle using the attributes of the obstacle obtained based on machine learning, and a control unit to detect attributes of obstacles through the obstacle recognition module if detecting a confinement state by the obstacles and to control the traveling unit to move one of the obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Hyukdoo Choi, Sunggil Park, Dongmyung Shin, Junghyun Lee, Hyeongshin Jeon
  • Patent number: 10845817
    Abstract: A method for confining and/or modifying the movement of robotic devices by means of a boundary component. The boundary component is placed within an area co-located with the robotic device. The boundary component has a predetermined surface indentation pattern that may be discerned by a sensor component installed onto the robotic device. A robotic device configured with a line laser emitting diode, an image sensor, and an image processor detects predetermined indentation patterns of surfaces within a specific environment. The line laser diode emits the line laser upon surfaces within the filed of view of the image sensor. The image sensor captures images of the projected line laser and sends them to the image processor. The image processor iteratively compares received images against a predetermined surface indentation pattern of the boundary component. Once the predetermined indentation pattern is detected the robotic device may mark the location within the working map of the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Inventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi
  • Patent number: 10848091
    Abstract: A motor assembly includes a motor, a control circuit to generate a control signal, a motor driving circuit to cause a current to flow in the motor based on the control signal, a storage to store a first identifier uniquely identifying itself and a second identifier uniquely identifying another motor assembly within the communications network, and a communication circuit. The communication circuit transmits a data frame, in which the first identifier indicates a transmitting end, the second identifier indicates a receiving end, and a request are stored. The communication circuit receives from the other motor assembly a data frame including the second identifier indicating a transmitting end, the first identifier indicating a receiving end, and a request. In response the communication circuit transmits a data frame including the second identifier indicating a receiving end added thereto and the first identifier indicating a transmitting end added thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motoki Sato, Tetsuya Tabuchi
  • Patent number: 10828783
    Abstract: A method for operating a self-traveling robot, wherein a control command for initiating a service mode is transmitted to the robot, and wherein a service is made available for the robot in the service mode. In order to reliably and comfortably switch the robot into a service mode, an optical code containing the control command is displayed on an external terminal, wherein the optical code is detected by an image acquisition device of the robot, and wherein a control device of the robot extracts the control command from the optical code and initiates the corresponding service mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventor: Lorenz Hillen
  • Patent number: 10831188
    Abstract: Techniques for performing multiple simultaneous pose generation for an autonomous vehicle. For instance, a system that navigates the autonomous vehicle can include at least a first component that determines first poses for the autonomous vehicle using at least a first portion of sensor data captured by one or more sensors and a second component that determines second poses for the autonomous vehicle using at least a second portion of the sensor data. The first component may have more computational resources than the second component and determine poses at a different frequency than the second component. The system may generate trajectories for the autonomous vehicle using the first poses when the first component is operating correctly. Additionally, the system may generate trajectories for the autonomous vehicle using the second poses when the first component is not operating correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Zoox, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcus Hammond, Timothy David Kentley-Klay
  • Patent number: 10800035
    Abstract: A center-of-gravity-of-load position calculator is provided which determines the position of the center of gravity of a physical load held by a horizontal four-axis robot arm. The center-of-gravity-of-load position calculator moves horizontally move the physical load a plurality of times in conditions where positions of a fourth axis are different from each other and measures degrees of torque acting on the fourth axis during such movement to calculate given first and second parameters. The center-of-gravity-of-load position calculator calculates the position of the center of gravity of the physical load as a function of the first and second parameters. This achieves fast and easy calculation of the position of the center of gravity of the physical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Noritaka Takamura
  • Patent number: 10805595
    Abstract: The present invention relates to LK-SURF, Robust Kalman Filter, HAR-SLAM, and Landmark Promotion SLAM methods. LK-SURF is an image processing technique that combines Lucas-Kanade feature tracking with Speeded-Up Robust Features to perform spatial and temporal tracking using stereo images to produce 3D features can be tracked and identified. The Robust Kalman Filter is an extension of the Kalman Filter algorithm that improves the ability to remove erroneous observations using Principal Component Analysis and the X84 outlier rejection rule. Hierarchical Active Ripple SLAM is a new SLAM architecture that breaks the traditional state space of SLAM into a chain of smaller state spaces, allowing multiple tracked objects, multiple sensors, and multiple updates to occur in linear time with linear storage with respect to the number of tracked objects, landmarks, and estimated object locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: TRX SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: John George Karvounis
  • Patent number: 10802499
    Abstract: An autonomous modular robot includes an attachment retention system that for retaining two or more interchangeable attachments for performing unique tasks, e.g., steam cleaning, vacuuming, grass cutting, etc. The attachments may be sequentially positioned in the path of travel of the robot and configured to perform complementary tasks. For example, for cleaning a floor, a first attachment may be configured to vacuum the floor and a second attachment may be configured for steam cleaning the floor. The robot may also include a vertically translatable lift mechanism. The lift mechanism may include the attachment retention system, thereby allowing the attachments to be moved vertically. The lift mechanism may also include a dimension sensor proximate a top of the lift mechanism. The dimension sensor may be utilized to determine the size, e.g., a height and/or a width of the robot with any retained attachments, to help navigate the robot and avoid obstacles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: ViaBot Inc.
    Inventors: Gregg Ratanaphanyarat, Dawei Ding
  • Patent number: 10792811
    Abstract: A multi-bar linkage includes a driving unit that is configured to supply torque to a driving shaft, where the driving shaft is provided on a first portion of a first link. A driving arm has one end fixed to the driving shaft and an opposite end being movable following rotation of the driving shaft. A first auxiliary link has one end pivotably connected to the opposite end of the driving arm. A second auxiliary link is pivotably connected to a first point of a second portion of the first link and to an opposite end of the first auxiliary link. A second link is disposed below the first link and pivotably connected to the second auxiliary link. A third auxiliary link has one end pivotably connected to a second point of the second portion of the first link, separated from the first point, and an opposite end pivotably connected to the second link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Hyundai Rotem Company
    Inventors: Dong Jin Hyun, Tae Jun Ha, Hyun Seok Park
  • Patent number: 10755730
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a storage device, for beep detection and interpretation is disclosed. In one aspect, a monitoring system is disclosed that includes a processor and a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations. The operations may include obtaining sound data of audio sounds detected by a microphone that is located at the property, determining whether the sound data includes data representing one or more audio tones generated by a device, based on determining that the obtained sound data includes one or more audio tones generated by a device, generating an audio fingerprint of the sound data, determining, using the generated audio fingerprint, a state of the device that generated the one or more audio tones, and performing an operation based on the state of the device that generated the one or more audio tones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Alarm.com Incorporated
    Inventors: Kevin Maurer, Alison Jane Slavin, Innocent Djiofack, Stephen Scott Trundle
  • Patent number: 10748061
    Abstract: A robotic device is disclose as having deep reinforcement learning capability. The device includes non-transitory memory comprising instructions and one or more processors in communication with the memory. The instructions cause the one or more processors to receive a sensing frame, from a sensor, comprising an image. The processors then determine a movement transition based on the sensing frame and the deep reinforcement learning, wherein the deep reinforcement learning uses at least one of a map coverage reward, a map quality reward, or a traversability reward to determine the movement transition. The processors then update an area map based on the sensing frame and the deep reinforcement learning using a visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) process to determine the map updates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Jiang, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 10733004
    Abstract: Robots may be automatically instantiated, modified, evolved, trained, or terminated based on location, time of day, user preference, special event trigger, or emergency. The robots may perform tasks to provide selective services on-demand within medicine, agriculture, military, entertainment, manufacturing, personal, or public safety, among other things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventors: Venson Shaw, Jeffrey Farah
  • Patent number: 10729297
    Abstract: A robotic vacuum cleaner having a nozzle inlet facing a surface to be cleaned, and a rotatable side brush. The rotatable side brush has bristles extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned, and the nozzle inlet includes a frame structure forming an opening, the opening being arranged in fluid communication with a debris receptacle. The bristles extend over a side portion of the nozzle inlet. The frame structure has a base portion extending substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned. The base portion extends at a first level. The frame structure at the side portion extends substantially in parallel with the surface to be cleaned at a second level. The first level is arranged closer to the surface to be cleaned than the second level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET ELECTROLUX
    Inventors: Andreas Klintemyr, Anders Haegermarck, Daniel Kastensson
  • Patent number: 10725478
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for aligning a number of measurement systems to a reference coordinate system. In one illustrative example, an apparatus may comprise a number of robotic vehicles and a number of monuments associated with the number of robotic vehicles. The number of robotic vehicles may be configured to move into an environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James M. Cobb, Peter Frederick Trautman, Paul Frederic Sjoholm
  • Patent number: 10696397
    Abstract: Provided are an unmanned aerial vehicle executing medical support work and assisting in the work supposed to be performed by a health care worker or replacing the health care worker and a medical support method for performing medical support work by using an unmanned aerial vehicle. An unmanned aerial vehicle capable of performing autonomous flight includes a receiving unit receiving an input of medical support work from a health care worker and a control unit controlling the execution of the medical support work based on content of the input received by the receiving unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TERUMO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuusuke Sekine, Shinya Sano, Chisato Iwakiri, Ryouta Yamane
  • Patent number: 10694485
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods, systems and computer readable storage medium for determining a location for one or more wireless stations or access points. The method includes receiving, by a processor, trace data from one or more vehicles. The method further includes performing, by the processor, a particle filtering analysis on the trace data. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a location for the one or more wireless stations or access points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bo Yu, Fan Bai
  • Patent number: 10671077
    Abstract: A method for full-stack verification of autonomous agents includes training a neural network to learn a noise model associated with an object detection module of an autonomous agent system of an autonomous vehicle. The method also includes replacing the object detection module of the autonomous agent system with the neural network and a sensory input of the object detection module with ground truth information to apply a surrogate function to the ground truth information. The method further includes verifying the autonomous agent system including the trained neural network to apply the surrogate function in response to the ground truth information to simulate sensor information data to at least a planner module of the autonomous agent system. The method also includes controlling a behavior of the autonomous vehicle using the verified autonomous agent system including the object detection module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventor: German Ros Sanchez
  • Patent number: 10669682
    Abstract: An ice re-conditioning assembly includes a vehicle that is driven on ice in an ice skating rink. A drive unit is coupled to the vehicle for driving the vehicle around the ice skating rink in a pre-determined route. A plurality of resurfacing units is each movably coupled to the vehicle. Each of the resurfacing units is urged into a deployed position to engage the ice for reconditioning the ice for skating. Each of the resurfacing units is urged into a stored position has each of the resurfacing units being contained within the vehicle and being spaced from the ice. A plurality of displays is provided and each of the displays is coupled to the vehicle. Each of the displays displays indicia comprising words and images for advertising purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Inventor: James Sears
  • Patent number: 10668615
    Abstract: A service robot and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. The service robot comprises a main body (101) and a base (102). A motor (1021), a transmission mechanism (1022) and a wheel (1023) are provided in an inner cavity of the base (102). The transmission mechanism (1022) is connected with the motor (1021) and the wheel (1023) respectively. The wheel (1023) is disposed below the transmission mechanism (1022). A space for the transmission mechanism (1022) to move up and down is formed in the inner cavity of the base (102). After the motor (1021) is started, the transmission mechanism (1022) is driven to move in the inner cavity of the base (102, 26) according to a predetermined stroke, and the transmission mechanism (1022) drives the wheel (1023) while the transmission mechanism (1022) is moving so that the wheel (1023) can retract into the inner cavity of the base (102) or extend out of the inner cavity of the base (102).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: GOERTEK INC.
    Inventors: Zhiping Luo, Zhenyu Yu, Xiangdong Zhang, Jianming Du
  • Patent number: 10667105
    Abstract: A snake cam is provided with a camera mounted to a housing via a shaft. The shaft may be flexible or rigid. The housing includes components needed for operation of the camera but that need not be in close physical proximity to the camera, thus allowing the camera itself to have a relatively small size, which facilitates placement thereof in small places. The housing may include a wireless communication module, through which a mobile device may be connected to the snake cam. The mobile device may then be used to access or control one or more features of the snake cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Pilot Inc.
    Inventor: Calvin Shiening Wang