Having Particular Sensor Patents (Class 700/258)
  • Patent number: 12214506
    Abstract: A method for robotic assembly includes: receiving product data including product structure data and/or product geometry data of a product with a base component and at least one assembly part to be assembled; analyzing the product data to determine robot functions relating to functions of a robot for assembly of the product as determined robot functions; generating a robot program including assembly instructions dependent on the determined robot functions and the product data; and executing the generated robot program so as to identify and/or localize the at least one assembly part and assemble the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Fan Dai
  • Patent number: 12208508
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing device that includes an operation controller that controls a moving operation of an autonomous mobile body that travels while maintaining an inverted state, and controls a posture operation of the autonomous mobile body that temporally changes from a reference posture in the inverted state. Furthermore, the information processing device further includes an acquisition unit that acquires motion data corresponding to a posture operation of the autonomous mobile body. The operation controller controls a posture operation of the autonomous mobile body based on the motion data acquired by the acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Noma, Yusuke Kawabe, Junichiro Misawa
  • Patent number: 12208507
    Abstract: An interview robot that is used in the field of human resources (HR), characterized by comprising camera (U1), microphone (U2), odor sensor (U3), speaker (U4) and touch sensors (U5) enabling communication with the interviewed candidate, utility function determination memory (U6), which addresses the questions to the candidate so as to determine the parameters of the utility functions for the economic, social and environmental attributes of the candidate being interviewed, and stores the utility function parameters calculated with the answers received, the nonlinear assignment program solution memory with uncertain utility functions (U7) that performs the best (optimal) job-personnel matching under different scenarios by simultaneously taking into account the situation in which employee satisfaction from the utility function determination memory varies in a mostly non-linear way in parallel with the economic, social and environmental characteristics of the candidate, and the uncertainties that may occur in emp
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Inventors: Fikret Korhan Turan, Gül Coruh
  • Patent number: 12210991
    Abstract: Implemented is a configuration for deciding a transport machine into which a robot get, by taking efficiency and cooperativeness into consideration. A data processing section that selects a transport machine to be taken by a robot is included. The data processing section acquires robot information that is about the robot and transport-machine information that is about the transport machine, calculates scores corresponding to a plurality of available transport machines on the basis of the acquired information, and selects a transport machine to be used on the basis of the calculated scores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kuniaki Torii
  • Patent number: 12204351
    Abstract: A method for docking a self-moving device to a charging station includes controlling the self-moving device to move relative to a docking boundary using a radio detection device, the radio detection device including a positioning base station and a positioning tag. The method includes judging whether the self-moving device senses a signal from a boundary line, and then taking certain steps depending on whether the boundary line signal was sensed. Related docking devices, self-moving devices, and storage media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Suzhou Cleva Precision Machinery & Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hong Chen, Shaoming Zhu, Xue Ren
  • Patent number: 12201377
    Abstract: A system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a processor; and at least one inertial sensor having a known physical relationship with a tracked object in a first pose, the at least one inertial sensor providing a measurement indicative of a movement of the tracked object from the first pose to a second pose, wherein the processor determines the second pose of the tracked object based, at least in part, on the measurement provided by the at least one inertial sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Mazor Robotics Ltd.
    Inventors: Ziv Seemann, Gal Barazani, Ori Ben Zeev, Dvir Kadshai, Itamar Eshel
  • Patent number: 12194619
    Abstract: A floor reaction force to a foot of a legged mobile robot is detected with a suitable degree of accuracy, by use of a strain sensor having comparatively low sensitivity. The foot includes an upper frame connected to a movable leg, a lower frame which is disposed under the upper frame and contacts with a walking surface, a strain generating member which is connected to the upper frame and the lower frame at different positions from each other in top plan view and undergoes bending deformation according to a change in distance or inclination between the instep member and the sole member, and a plurality of strain sensors disposed at positions different from each other on the strain generating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Koichi Obana, Yuta Koda
  • Patent number: 12200449
    Abstract: A system configured to perform user orientation estimation to determine a direction a user is facing using a deep neural network (DNN). As a directionality of human speech increases with frequency, the DNN may estimate the user orientation by comparing high-frequency components detected by each of the multiple devices. For example, a group of devices may individually generate feature data, which represents audio features and spatial information, and send the feature data to the other devices. Thus, each device in the group receives feature data generated by the other devices and processes this feature data using a DNN to determine an estimate of user orientation. In some examples, the DNN may also generate sound source localization (SSL) data and/or a confidence score associated with the user orientation estimate. A post-processing step may process the individual user orientation estimates generated by the individual devices and determine a final user orientation estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mahathir Monjur, Mrudula V Athi, Md Tamzeed Islam, Wontak Kim
  • Patent number: 12194621
    Abstract: An insulating structure disposed so as to intervene between a first member of a robotic arm and an end effector includes a second member fixed to the first member, the end effector being attachable to the second member, and an insulator that insulates the second member from the first member. The second member includes a second hole into which a first bolt that fixes the second member to the first member is inserted, and a third hole into which a second bolt that fixes the end effector to the second member is inserted. The second hole and the third hole are disposed so that, in a state where the second member is fixed to the first member, the position of the third hole matches with the position of a first hole for attachment of the end effector, the first hole being formed beforehand in the first member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nariai, Akinori Tani
  • Patent number: 12194633
    Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling a robot including a base, a robot arm coupled to the base, and a drive unit including a motor for driving the robot arm. The method includes a first step of acquiring weight information including information on a weight of an end effector installed on the robot arm and a weight of an object to be worked by the end effector, a second step of determining a frequency component to be removed from a drive signal for driving the motor based on the weight information acquired in the first step, and a third step of removing the frequency component determined in the second step from the drive signal to generate a correction drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Isamu Sejimo
  • Patent number: 12185651
    Abstract: A work vehicle includes a computing system is configured to access a swath line corresponding to a pass to be made across a field by the work vehicle. Furthermore, the computing system is configured to control the operation of the work vehicle such that the vehicle travels along the swath line to make the pass across the field. Additionally, the computing system is configured to determine an operating parameter of the work vehicle as the vehicle travels along the swath line. Moreover, the computing system is configured to adjust a portion of the swath line positioned forward of the work vehicle relative to a direction of travel of the vehicle based on the determined operating parameter as the vehicle travels along the swath line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Inventors: Phillip Duane Dix, Daniel Geiyer, Aditya Singh, Navneet Gulati
  • Patent number: 12185902
    Abstract: There is provided a robot including a first light source, a second light source, an image sensor and a processor. The processor is used to calculate an image quality of an image frame captured by the image sensor when the second light source is being turned on. The processor then determines whether to switch the second light source back to the first light source according to the image quality to accordingly identify the material of an operation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventors: Chung-Ting Yang, Kai-Ho Tsai
  • Patent number: 12172295
    Abstract: A tactile sensor, including: a contact part (1), configured to receive pressure transmitted when a manipulator grabs a target object, and transmit the pressure to a sensing part (2); the sensing part (2), located on one side of the contact part, the sensing part (2) moving in a direction away from the contact part (1) under an action of the pressure; and a detection part (4), located on a side of the sensing part (2) away from the contact part (1), the detection part (4) sensing a position change of the sensing part (2) to generate a sensing signal, wherein the sensing signal is configured to determine a contact parameter between the manipulator and the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: WEIHAI HUALING OPTO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wuchang Qi, Masahiro Yokomichi
  • Patent number: 12172311
    Abstract: A robot control device includes: a learned model created through learning work data composed of input and output data, the input data including states of a robot and the surroundings where humans operate the robot to perform a series of works, the output data including human operation corresponding to the case or movement of the robot caused thereby; a control data acquisition section that acquires control data by obtaining output data related to human operation or movement from the model, being presumed in response to and in accordance with the input data; a completion rate acquisition section acquiring a completion rate indicating to which progress level in the series of works the output data corresponds; and a certainty factor acquisition section that acquires a certainty factor indicating a probability of the presumption in a case where the model outputs the output data in response to the input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hitoshi Hasunuma, Takeshi Yamamoto, Kazuki Kurashima
  • Patent number: 12175759
    Abstract: This display control device includes: a first mobile object information acquiring unit that acquires first mobile object information indicating the position, moving speed, and direction of movement of a first mobile object moving in a facility; a second mobile object information acquiring unit that acquires second mobile object information indicating the position, moving speed, and direction of movement of a second mobile object moving in the facility; an image acquisition unit that acquires, on the basis of the first mobile object information acquired by the first mobile object information acquiring unit and the second mobile object information acquired by the second mobile object information acquiring unit, image information indicating a display image to be displayed in a space in the facility by a display output device installed in the facility; and an image output unit that outputs the image information acquired by the image acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoki Furuhata
  • Patent number: 12161284
    Abstract: An autonomous cleaning robot (e.g., an autonomous vacuum) may clean an environment using a cleaning head that is self-actuated. The cleaning head includes an actuator assembly comprising an actuator configured to control rotation and vertical movement of a cleaning roller, a controller, and a cleaning roller having an elongated cylindrical length connected to the actuator assembly. The cleaning head also includes a computer processor connected to the actuator assembly and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that causes the computer processor to map the environment based on sensor data captured by the autonomous vacuum. The computer processor may determine an optimal height for the cleaning head based on the map and instruct the actuator assembly to adjust the height of the cleaning head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: MATIC ROBOTS, INC.
    Inventors: Anshuman Kumar, Vishal Jain, Seungho Yang, Gavin Li, Mehul Nariyawala, Navneet Dalal
  • Patent number: 12162144
    Abstract: A substrate assembling device includes a first end effector attached to a first arm, a second end effector attached to a second arm, and a controller. The second end effector includes a pair of grippers configured to grip a second substrate, and a placing part where threaded elements are placed. The controller is adapted to control operations of the first arm and the second arm to position the second substrate on a first substrate while gripping the second substrate, by using the pair of grippers of the second end effector, and hold the threaded element placed on the placing part of the second end effector and fasten the held threaded element, by using the first end effector, to join the first substrate and the second substrate together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takeshi Hashimoto, Keita Sasaki
  • Patent number: 12158754
    Abstract: A vehicle control system may include a vehicle having a propulsion unit and a steering unit, a forward-facing camera carried by the vehicle, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising operator position identification instructions. The operator position identification instructions direct the processor to identify relative positioning of a remote operator on the ground proximate the vehicle based upon signals from the forward-facing camera; and control the propulsion unit and the steering unit of the vehicle to follow the operator based upon the relative on the ground proximate the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Zimeno Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Travis Whitney, Rama Venkata Surya Kumar Varma Bhupatiraju, Mizbauddin Mohammed, Bhargav Ramakrishna Reddy, Praveen V. Penmetsa, Zachary M. Omohundro
  • Patent number: 12158753
    Abstract: A vehicle is operable in a first mode in which vehicle actions are controlled in response to inputs received by an input device carried by the vehicle from an operator while being boarded on the vehicle and in a second mode in which vehicle actions are controlled in response to inputs received from the operator while the operator is proximate the vehicle, but no longer boarded on the vehicle. The vehicle carries a sensor configured to output a sensed input, as sensed by the sensor, from the operator proximate the vehicle, but not boarded on the vehicle. The sensed input is recognized and associated with a vehicle action and control signals are output to the vehicle based on the sensed input to cause the vehicle to carry out the vehicle action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Zimeno Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Travis Whitney, Rama Venkata Surya Kumar Varma Bhupatiraju, Mizbauddin Mohammed, Bhargav Ramakrishna Reddy, Praveen V. Penmetsa, Zachary M. Omohundro
  • Patent number: 12146948
    Abstract: An autonomous moving object comprising a radar sensor is provided. The radar sensor is configured to, during movement, acquire data sets representing reflections from surface portions located within a distance range, and, at least at a sequence of occasions, illuminate a surface region and acquire a data set representing, for each of a set of distances within said distance range, an amplitude and a phase of reflected radar signals received from surface portions located at said distance. Said surface regions comprise common sub-region illuminated at each of said occasions. A radar signal processor is configured to receive the data sets acquired at each of said sequence of occasions. The received data sets form a collection of data sets, wherein each data set of said collection comprises a data subset pertaining to said common sub-region. A surface classifier processor is configured to output a classification of a surface type of the surface based on said collection of data subsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: ACCONEER AB
    Inventors: Peter Almers, Bo Lincoln, Rikard Nelander, David Montgomery, Gaston Holmén
  • Patent number: 12123713
    Abstract: A sensing circuit (51), a logic circuit board, a joint control board, a main controller board and a robot (400). The sensing circuit (51) comprises a connecting terminal (514) and a detection circuit (210). The connecting terminal (514) is configured to be coupled with the electrode (120) disposed on a housing (100) of a mechanical equipment; the detection circuit (210) is coupled to the connecting terminal (514) so as to detect the distance between the electrode (120) and the external conductor or a change of the distance between the electrode (120) and the external conductor according to the capacitance between the electrode and the external conductor or a change of the capacitance between the electrode (120) and the external conductor, thereby obtaining an electrical signal representing the distance between the electrode (120) and the external conductor or a change of the distance between the electrode (120) and the external conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Peichao Liu, Yepeng Li, Rui Huang, Zheng Ju, Xulin Lang
  • Patent number: 12124273
    Abstract: A method for delimiting and monitoring at least one working area for at least one autonomously operated vehicle includes transmitting, by a transmitter and receiver unit, an output signal through a signal loop. The transmitter and receiver unit is arranged outside the vehicle and is connected using signaling technology to the signal loop. The method further includes comparing the transmitted output signal with an input signal received from the signal loop, determining, by the transmitter and receiver unit, a malfunction of the signal loop in response to a deviation between the output signal and the input signal, and initiating a securing sequence for the autonomous driving operation of the at least one vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Michael Amann, Marcus Hiemer
  • Patent number: 12115665
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a handling system includes a movable arm, a holding unit, a sensor, and a controller. The holding unit is attached to the movable arm and capable of holding an object by selecting one or more of a plurality of holding methods. The sensor is capable of detecting a plurality of the objects. The controller controls the movable arm and the holding unit. The controller calculates a score based on a selected holding method for each object and each holding method on the basis of information acquired from the sensor. The controller selects a next object to be held and a holding method on the basis of the score. The controller calculates a position at which the selected object is held and a posture of the movable arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuma Komoda, Seiji Tokura, Haruna Eto, Akihito Ogawa
  • Patent number: 12111217
    Abstract: A fixing member includes a first side, second side parallel to the first side, and face provided between the first side and second side and including an opening. The face is provided at a position separate from a line connecting between the first side and second side, first side is brought into line contact or point contact with the first structure, and second side is brought into line contact with an end part of a strain body constituting a strain sensor, the end part being provided on the first structure. A screw is inserted into the opening and is screwed into the first structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC COPAL ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takada, Takatoshi Inoguchi, Takayuki Endo
  • Patent number: 12111660
    Abstract: An autonomous movement system according to an embodiment is an autonomous movement system that performs autonomous movement in a facility including an elevator, in which the autonomous movement system moves a waiting position in a car of the elevator, based on a person that gets on the car or an object that gets on the car. The autonomous movement system may determine the person or the object before the car stops at a floor or before a car door opens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shiro Oda, Tetsuya Taira, Satoshi Toyoshima, Yuta Watanabe, Takeshi Matsui, Takayoshi Nasu, Kei Yoshikawa, Yusuke Ota, Yutaro Ishida, Yuji Onuma, Kyosuke Arai
  • Patent number: 12103185
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes generating a trajectory plan to complete a task to be executed by a robotic system, identifying objects in the environment required for completing the task, determining attributes for each of the identified objects, determining trajectory-parameters for the trajectory plan based on the determined attributes for each identified object and operational conditions in an environment associated with the robotic system, and executing the task based on the determined trajectory-parameters for the trajectory plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Brian Harms, Kathleen Sofia Hajash, Philipp Schoessler, Dane Mason
  • Patent number: 12089864
    Abstract: A flexible surgical tool system includes: a mechanical arm (10) comprising a first continuum segment (12), a rigid connection segment (13), and a second continuum segment (14), the first continuum segment (12), a rigid connection segment (13) and the second continuum segment (14) being sequentially associated to form a dual continuum mechanism; a surgical effector (50) connected at distal end of the second continuum segment (14); a transmission driving unit (20) associated with the rigid connection segment (13) and with a surgical effector (50), respectively, and operable to drive the first continuum segment (12) to bend in any direction to drive the second continuum segment (14) to bend in an opposite direction, and to drive the surgical effector (50) to rotate in a first plane and/or open and close in a second plane. The flexible surgical tool system can be applied to a natural orifice or a single surgical incision of a human body and perform operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: BEIJING SURGERII ROBOTICS COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Kai Xu, Zhonghao Wu
  • Patent number: 12077409
    Abstract: An elevator control system, an elevator system, and a control method therefor. The elevator control system includes: a data collection unit configured to receive a call request signal from a machine passenger at each landing, and receive information about the machine to ride the elevator sent by the machine passenger; and a control unit configured to determine whether to accept the call request from the machine passenger based on elevator operating condition and the information about the machine to ride the elevator, and send information about the rules of riding the elevator to the machine passenger after accepting its call request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Xingang Gou
  • Patent number: 12076195
    Abstract: A medical holding apparatus includes: an arm including a plurality of links mutually coupled through one of joints, the arm having at least six degrees of freedom due to rotational motion about a rotation axis, the arm being configured to function as a balanced arm with a counterweight and support a medical device; and an arm controller configured to control motion of the arm, in which at least three of the joints in the arm each are provided with an angular sensor that detects a rotation angle of the rotation axis and an actuator that gives the joint an assist force of assisting the rotational motion, and the arm controller controls, based on respective detected results of the angular sensors, the respective assist forces of the actuators such that an amount of force in operation necessary when an operator moves the medical device supported by the arm remains in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kamata
  • Patent number: 12076860
    Abstract: A control method for a robot includes: determining a desired zero moment point (ZMP) of the robot; obtaining a position of a left foot and a position of a right foot of the robot, and calculating desired support forces of the left foot and the right foot according to the desired ZMP, the positions of the left foot and the right foot; obtaining measured support forces of the left foot and the right foot, and calculating an amount of change in length of the left leg and an amount of change in length of the right leg according to the desired support forces of the left foot and the right foot, the measured support forces of the left foot and the right foot; and controlling the robot to walk according to the amount of change in length of the left leg and the right leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP LTD
    Inventors: Ligang Ge, Yizhang Liu, Chunyu Chen, Zheng Xie, Youjun Xiong
  • Patent number: 12064792
    Abstract: It A waste sorting robot (100) comprises a manipulator (101) moveable within a working area (102). A gripper (103) is connected to the manipulator (101) and arranged to selectively grip a waste object (104, 104a, 104b, 104c) in the working area (102). A controller (108) is in communication with a sensor (107) and is configured to receive detected object parameters, and determine a throw trajectory (109) of the gripped waste object (104) towards a target position (106) based on the detected object parameters of the gripped waste object (104). The controller (108) is configured to send control instructions to the gripper (103) and/or manipulator (101) so that the gripper (103) and/or manipulator (101) accelerates the gripped waste object (104) and releases the waste object (104) at a throw position with a throw velocity and throw angle towards the target position (106) so that the waste object (104) is thrown along the determined throw trajectory (109).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: MP ZenRobotics Oy
    Inventors: Harri Holopainen, Tuomas Lukka
  • Patent number: 12059814
    Abstract: A method includes receiving sensor data for an environment about the robot. The sensor data is captured by one or more sensors of the robot. The method includes detecting one or more objects in the environment using the received sensor data. For each detected object, the method includes authoring an interaction behavior indicating a behavior that the robot is capable of performing with respect to the corresponding detected object. The method also includes augmenting a localization map of the environment to reflect the respective interaction behavior of each detected object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Bollini, Leland Hepler
  • Patent number: 12053142
    Abstract: Disclosed are a mobile robot operation control method for safety management of a cleaning module and an apparatus therefor. The mobile robot operation control method for safety management according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a current measuring step of measuring a current value by sensing a current for a motor which is connected to a cleaning module to be driven; a cleaning module safety management step of determining a state of the cleaning module based on the measured current value and determining a safety management control mode based on the determination result; and an operation control step of controlling an operation of a mobile robot based on the safety management control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignees: YUJIN ROBOT CO., LTD., Miele & Cie. KG
    Inventors: Seong Ju Park, Chang Soo Kim, Byung Kwon Moon, Nu Rim Han
  • Patent number: 12053893
    Abstract: A two-stage insertion system including a gripper to grip a module, a compliance element to provide movement in the XY axis, a first stage insertion control to insert the module into a socket, to a first level, and a second stage insertion control to complete the insertion of the module into the socket, when the first stage insertion control indicates that the module is aligned to the socket, the second level insertion control exerting enough force to complete the insertion of the module into the socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Bright Machines, Inc.
    Inventors: Ran Loulavi, Nikolay Shtanikov, Ivan Hin-Kwan Chew, James Leo McCormick, Stephen Hoyt Hancock, Jeremy Avizrat, Shai Mordechai Niezni, Dov Kariv, Leonid Epstein
  • Patent number: 12048276
    Abstract: A growspace automation system and method. The system includes a grow space with localization structures and a mobile robot. The mobile robot comprises sensors, a mobility mechanism, and a plurality of mobility modules. The mobile robot is configured to automate growspace processes, such as transport, watering, sensing, or cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Hippo Harvest Inc.
    Inventors: Eitan Marder-Eppstein, Wim Meeussen, Alexander Boenig
  • Patent number: 12041872
    Abstract: An autonomous work machine that works in a work area while autonomously traveling in the work area, comprises a plurality of magnetic detection sensors each configured to detect a magnetic field during energization of a station wire which is configured to guide the autonomous work machine to a charging station for power supply, and a specification unit configured to specify, when the autonomous work machine is to move from a charging position of the charging station to the work area or when the autonomous work machine is to move from the work area to the charging position, an angle of the autonomous work machine with respect to the charging station based on a comparison of detection results of the magnetic detection sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keiji Muro, Minami Kigami
  • Patent number: 12036661
    Abstract: A gripper device is configured to be attached to a robotic device and to pick up a food product from a pickup area and to release it from a releasing location to a receiving location. A method is provided for picking up a food product from a pickup area and releasing it from a releasing location to a receiving location can be used with the gripper device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: MAREL A/S
    Inventor: Jens Kongensholm Dalgaard
  • Patent number: 12029379
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a floor comprises providing an autonomous surface cleaning apparatus, positioning a plurality of docking stations at different locations on the floor wherein a first docking station has an absence of an evacuation mechanism and actuating the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus whereby the autonomous surface cleaning apparatus travels across the floor to clean at least a portion of the floor and recharges at the first docking station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Ernest Conrad
  • Patent number: 12004706
    Abstract: A robotic cleaner may include a housing, a bumper, driven wheels, and a controller. The bumper can be coupled to a front of the housing. The bumper may include a plurality of projections extending from a top edge of the bumper and above a top surface of the housing. The projections may include at least one leading projection proximate a forward most portion of the bumper and at least two side projections on each respective side of the bumper. The driven wheels may be rotatably mounted to the housing. The controller may be for controlling at least the driven wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: SharkNinja Operating LLC
    Inventors: Melinda L. Liggett, Isaku D. Kamada, Frederick K. Hopke, Gan Sin Huat, Charles Fiebig, Scott Connor, Alan Ai
  • Patent number: 12005584
    Abstract: A pose control method for a robot includes: estimating a first set of joint angular velocities of all joints of the robot according to a balance control algorithm; estimating a second set of joint angular velocities of all joints of the robot according to a momentum planning algorithm; estimating a third set of joint angular velocities of all joints of the robot according to a pose return-to-zero algorithm; and performing pose control on the robot according to the first set of joint angular velocities, the second set of joint angular velocities, and the third set of joint angular velocities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: UBTECH ROBOTICS CORP LTD
    Inventors: Hongge Wang, Chunyu Chen, Yizhang Liu, Ligang Ge, Jie Bai, Xingxing Ma, Jiangchen Zhou, Youjun Xiong
  • Patent number: 12001218
    Abstract: Provided are a mobile robot device and a control method thereof. The mobile robot device comprises: a driving unit; an image sensor; a plurality of geomagnetic sensors; a memory for storing at least one instruction; and a processor for executing at least one instruction, wherein the processor may obtain, while the mobile robot device moves by means of the driving unit, a plurality of image data through the image sensor and obtain sensing data through the plurality of geomagnetic sensors, extract a feature point from the plurality of image data and obtain key nodes on the basis of the feature point, obtain a node sequence on the basis of the sensing data, generate a graph structure that estimates a position of the mobile robot device on the basis of the key nodes and the node sequence, and correct the graph structure based on the mobile failing in position recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Soonhyuk Hong, Hyeon Myeong, Hyongjin Kim, Seungwon Song, Jieum Hyun
  • Patent number: 12000476
    Abstract: A method of correcting an angular transmission error for a reducer of creating correction data for correction of an angular transmission error of the reducer in a robot system including an arm, the reducer having an input shaft and an output shaft, a motor, an encoder, and an inertial sensor, includes rotating the arm in an input rotation angular range smaller than a necessary input rotation angular range, measuring and recording the angular transmission error, determining whether or not an accumulated value of measurement times is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, when the accumulated value is smaller than the predetermined value, measuring the angular transmission error of the reducer and updating a record, and, when the accumulated value is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, creating the correction data based on the recorded angular transmission error of the reducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoto Murakami
  • Patent number: 11998460
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a device, such as a virtual reality (VR) and/or a prosthetic limb are provided. A biomimetic controller of the system comprises a signal processor and a musculoskeletal model. The signal processor processes M biological signals received from a residual limb to transform the M biological signals into N activation signals, where M and N are integers and M is less than N. The musculoskeletal model transforms the N activation signals into intended motion signals. A prosthesis controller transforms the intended motion signals into three or more control signals that are outputted from an output port of the prosthesis controller. A controlled device receives the control signals and performs one or more tasks in accordance with the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignees: WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH—OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
    Inventors: Anton Sobinov, Sergiy Yakovenko, Valeriya Gritsenko, Matthew Boots, Robert Gaunt, Jennifer Collinger, Lee Fisher
  • Patent number: 11994618
    Abstract: A light ranging system including a shaft having a longitudinal axis; a light ranging device configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, the light ranging device including a light source configured to transmit light pulses to objects in a surrounding environment, and detector circuitry configured to detect reflected portions of the light pulses that are reflected from the objects in the surrounding environment and to compute ranging data based on the reflected portion of the light pulses; a base subsystem that does not rotate about the shaft; and an optical communications subsystem configured to provide an optical communications channel between the base subsystem and the light ranging device, the optical communications subsystem including one or more turret optical communication components connected to the detector circuitry and one or more base optical communication components connected to the base subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Ouster, Inc.
    Inventors: Angus Pacala, Mark Frichtl, Marvin Shu, Eric Younge
  • Patent number: 11975455
    Abstract: Provided is a method for determining a coverage path of a robotic device, including: capturing, with a sensor, spatial data of the environment; detecting, with a processor, at least one obstacle within the environment based on the spatial data; determining, with the processor, a first working zone within the environment; determining, with the processor, a coverage path within the first working zone that accounts for at least one of the obstacles detected within the first working zone; actuating, with the processor, a robotic device to drive along the coverage path within the first working zone; and wherein the processor determines an adapted coverage path when a new obstacle is detected and wherein the processor actuates the robotic device to drive along the adapted coverage path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Al Incorporated
    Inventor: Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi
  • Patent number: 11976743
    Abstract: A wireless valve manifold is capable of wireless communication, and includes a plurality of solenoid valves. This wireless valve manifold is able to move by means of a movable unit. In addition, the wireless valve manifold includes a battery which can supply power to the plurality of solenoid valves, and a power-receiving control unit which is connected to the battery and which charges the battery with power by means of wireless power transmission from a feeder station of the wireless valve manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: SMC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Aki, Norimasa Ozaki
  • Patent number: 11964395
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method to calibrate a handling device (18) including a handling robot or parallel kinematic robot (24), with a tool head (28) suspended from at least two parallel kinematically movable arms (26). Each of the at least two arms comprises an upper arm, which is movable between two end positions about a defined upper-arm swivel axis (38). Each of the at least two arms also comprises a lower arm (40), which is swivelably mounted on the upper arm. The upper arms are brought into approximately corresponding angular positions by detection of load torques and/or of angle positions. First one, than another of the upper arms is brought into one of the two end positions, and the angular position reached is detected and used for the position initialization or angle initialization of the particular upper arm, whereupon the upper arm is returned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Krones Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christian Dany, Arsalan Mehdi, Erhard Beer, Manuel Kollmuss
  • Patent number: 11966232
    Abstract: A modular robot is provided. The modular robot includes a sweeper module having a container for collecting debris from a surface of a location. The sweeper module is coupled to one or more brushes for contacting the surface and moving said debris into said container. Included is a robot module having wheels and configured to couple to the sweeper module. The robot module is enabled for autonomous movement and corresponding movement of the sweeper module over the surface. A controller is integrated with the robot module and interfacing with the sweeper module. The controller is configured to execute instructions for assigning of at least two zones at the location and assigning a work function to be performed using the sweeper module at each of the at least two zones. The controller is further configured for programming the robot module to activate the sweeper module in each of the two zones. The assigned work function is set for performance at each of the at least two zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: ViaBot Inc.
    Inventors: Gregg Ratanaphanyarat, Dawei Ding, John Lee, Darshan Bhanushali
  • Patent number: 11945113
    Abstract: Three-dimensional measurement data is obtained (step S1). The poses of bulk parts are calculated (step S2). The gripping poses of a hand relative to the bulk parts are calculated (step S3). Individual evaluation indices are calculated (step S4). Overall evaluation indices are calculated (step S5). The gripping poses are sorted using the overall evaluation indices (step S6). The calculated gripping poses appear on a screen (step S7). The gripping poses are sorted by a user in an intended order (step S8). Determination is performed as to whether the difference between the results of the sorting in step S6 and in step S8 is small (step S9). In response to the difference being sufficiently small, parameters used in the calculation of the overall evaluation indices are stored (step S11). In response to the difference not being sufficiently small, the parameters are updated (step S10) and the processing returns to step S5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventor: Yuki Nishina
  • Patent number: 11940813
    Abstract: The mower fleet management device is configured to control a plurality of mowers to work in collaboration. Each of the mowers includes an on-board communication module and an on-board positioning and navigation module. The mower fleet management device includes: a map loading module configured to acquire a map of a working land parcel; a control terminal communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with the on-board communication modules to acquire status information of the mowers; and a working region assigning module configured to assign a working region to each of the mowers according to the status information and the map. The on-board positioning and navigation module of each of the mowers guides the mower to work in the corresponding working region according to the assigned working region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Globe (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jiafu Xue, Shiyuan Ding, Jing Wang, Qunli Wei, Hui Chen, Dongdong Shi