Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous provision replenishment are disclosed. Parts used in a manufacturing process are stored in an intermediate stock queue. When the parts are consumed by the manufacturing process and the number of parts in the queue falls below a threshold, a provision-replenishment signal is generated. One or more self-driving material-transport vehicles, a fleet-management system, and a provision-notification device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 27, 2018
Date of Patent:
January 5, 2021
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Simon Drexler, Roydyn Clayton
Abstract: Systems and methods for electronically mapping a facility are presented. The method comprises obtaining a CAD file that includes graphical representations of a facility. An occupancy-map image is generated based on the CAD file. A sensor, such as a sensor on a self-driving vehicle, is used to detect a sensed feature within the facility. Based on the sensed feature, the occupancy-map image can be updated, since the sensed feature was not one of the known features in the CAD file prior to the sensed feature being detected by the sensor.
Abstract: An electric vehicle charging interface device is provided. The device includes a chassis having a top, a bottom, a front side, and a back side opposite the front side, the chassis configured to move between an uncompressed position and a compressed position relative to a longitudinal axis. The device further includes two electrodes extending from the front side of the chassis, and, a biasing portion configured to bias the chassis towards the uncompressed position.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 3, 2017
Date of Patent:
April 21, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Matthew Lord, Michael Irvine, Philip Dimitri Perivolaris, Anthony Robert Shaw, Arsalan Khan, Catalin Radu Gradinaru
Abstract: An augmentation module is described for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) deployed in a facility and including a control module for controlling a drive mechanism based on navigational data received from a navigation sensor. The module includes a inter-module communications interface connected to the control module; a memory; and a processor connected to the communications interface and the memory. The processor is configured to: obtain an operational command; generate control data to execute the operational command; convert the control data to simulated sensor data; and send the simulated sensor data to the control module.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 10, 2017
Date of Patent:
May 26, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Andrew Dobson, Jesse Tebbs, Robert Dam, Roydyn Clayton
Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle comprises a chassis, two or more drive wheels extending below the chassis, a drive motor housed within the chassis for driving the drive wheels, and a payload surface on top of the chassis for carrying a payload. An illumination system, for emitting light from at least one portion of the chassis, is mounted substantially around the entire perimeter of the chassis. The illumination system may be implemented using an array of light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) that are arranged as segments. For example, there may be “headlight” segments on the front left and front right corners of the chassis.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 12, 2019
Date of Patent:
June 16, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Simon Drexler, Matthew Allen Rendall, Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Mike Hanuschik, Paul Mohr
Abstract: Systems and methods for flexible conveyance in an assembly-line or manufacturing process are disclosed. A fleet of self-driving vehicles and a fleet-management system can be used to convey workpieces through a sequence of workstations at which operations are performed in order to produce a finished assembly. An assembly can be transported to a first workstation using a self-driving vehicle, where an operation is performed on the assembly. Subsequently, the assembly can be transported to a second workstation using the self-driving vehicle. The operation can be performed on the assembly while it is being conveyed by the self-driving vehicle.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 27, 2018
Date of Patent:
February 23, 2021
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Andrew Dobson, Nir Rikovitch, William John Alexander Torrens, Roydyn Clayton
Abstract: An unmanned vehicle system containing one or more vehicles equipped with an autonomous control system. Each vehicle is of navigating on its own when provided with goals. A user is capable of sending and receiving goals from the autonomous control system via a communication link. A unified display interface displays information about the system and accepts commands from the user. The display interface in question is modeless and has a minimum of clutter and distractions. The form of this display interface is that of a set of screens, each of which is able to receive touch inputs from the user. The user is able to monitor and control individual vehicles or the entirety of the UVS solely through their use of a standard touchscreen with no additional peripherals.
Abstract: A system for controlling a fleet of unmanned vehicles includes a plurality of unmanned vehicles connected to a computing device. The computing device stores a dynamic attribute and a static attribute respective to each of the plurality of unmanned vehicles. The computing device is configured to: receive a task request including (i) an item identifier of an item, (ii) an action type defining an action to be performed respective to the item, and (iii) a location identifier of a location at which to perform the action; responsive to receiving the request, retrieve the stored dynamic attributes and static attributes; based on a comparison of the task request with the dynamic attributes and the static attributes, select one of the plurality of unmanned vehicles; and transmit, via the network, a command to the selected unmanned vehicle to perform the action respective to the item at the location.
Abstract: Systems and methods for obstacle avoidance with a self-driving vehicle are provided. The system comprises a processor connected to the self-driving vehicle and a sensor in communication with the processor. The sensor is configured to detect objects. The processor is configured to receive a measurement of the self-driving vehicle's speed, and define a sensor region based on the speed. The processor can determine that an object detected by the sensor is within the sensor region, and then initiate a fail-safe routine. The sensor region may be defined based on a range parameter. The sensor region may be defined based on the stopping distance of the vehicle. The sensor region may be redefined when the vehicle's speed changes.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 27, 2018
Date of Patent:
October 27, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Alex Bencz, Yan Ma, Michael Irvine, Shahab Kaynama, James Servos, Peiyi Chen
Abstract: There is provided a driver-support system for use with a human-operated material-transport vehicle, and methods for using the same. The system has at least one sensor, a human-vehicle interface, and a transceiver for communicating with a fleet-management system. The system also has a processor that is configured to provide a mapping application and a localization application based on information received from the sensor. The mapping application and localization application may be provided in a single localization-and-mapping (“SLAM”) application, which may obtain input from the sensor, for example, when the sensor is an optical sensor such as a LiDAR or video camera.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 22, 2018
Date of Patent:
March 10, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Matthew Allen Rendall, Simon Drexler, Roydyn Clayton, Shahab Kaynama
Abstract: Systems and methods for WiFi mapping an industrial facility are disclosed. The system comprises a self-driving vehicle having a WiFi transceiver. The self-driving vehicle communicates with a fleet-management using the WiFi transceiver, via a WiFi access point. The self-driving vehicle receives a mission from the fleet-management system, and moves to a destination location based on the mission, using autonomous navigation. While executing the mission, the self-driving vehicle simultaneously measures the received signal strength indication of the WiFi access point and other WiFi access points in the facility, and stores the received signal strength indication in association with the location at which the received signal strength indication was measured.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 26, 2018
Date of Patent:
June 30, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Anthony William Tod, Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Ivor Wanders, Andrew Clifford Blakey
Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for automatic environmental data collection and analysis are provided, including a server comprising: a processor and a communication interface, the processor configured to: receive, using the communication interface, a geographic survey request from a first computing device; translate the geographic survey request into mission data for collecting geographic survey data; transmit, using the communication interface, the mission data to a second computing device associated with a geographic survey entity; receive, using the communication interface, the geographic survey data collected by the geographic survey entity using the mission data; analyze the geographic survey data to generate processed geographic survey data; and, transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 18, 2019
Publication date:
March 12, 2020
Applicant:
Clearpath Robotics Inc.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Matthew Allen Rendall, Andrew Clifford Blakey
Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for automatic environmental data collection and analysis are provided, including a server comprising: a processor and a communication interface, the processor configured to: receive, using the communication interface, a geographic survey request from a first computing device; translate the geographic survey request into mission data for collecting geographic survey data; transmit, using the communication interface, the mission data to a second computing device associated with a geographic survey entity; receive, using the communication interface, the geographic survey data collected by the geographic survey entity using the mission data; analyze the geographic survey data to generate processed geographic survey data; and, transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 6, 2014
Publication date:
November 12, 2015
Applicant:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS, INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher GARIEPY, Matthew Allen RENDALL, Andrew Clifford BLAKEY
Abstract: A water vessel having variable geometry is described. The water vessel comprises: a frame; a plurality of hulls coupled to the frame, each one of the plurality of hulls coupled to the frame by a folding mechanism and configured to move, relative to the frame, between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration in which at least one dimension of the water vessel is reduced in respect of the deployed configuration; a plurality of thruster assemblies configured to provide thrust to the water vessel, each one of the plurality of thruster assemblies being coupled to a respective one of the plurality of hulls; and a protective device coupled to a respective one of the plurality of thruster assemblies, the protective device for preventing intake of foreign objects into the respective one of the plurality of thruster assemblies.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 16, 2013
Date of Patent:
April 28, 2015
Assignee:
Clearpath Robotics, Inc.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Patrick William Martinson, Mark Julian Podbevsek, Matthew Allen Rendall, Todd Willick
Abstract: A mobile platform for materials transport is provided. The platform includes a pair of suspension devices that in turn include a pair of rocker beams which can be rotated between two positions: a first position where central wheels attached thereto can be used to drive the platform; and a second position where the central wheels are retracted and the platform can be rolled on end wheels without the friction of the central wheels, and an associated drive system, impeding movement of the platform. Furthermore, data from sensors and/or load cells can be used to control movement of the platform; specifically shifts in load distribution and/or sensed forces at the suspension devices can indicate that a load (and/or materials) has shifted and/or is shifting and movement of the platform is adjusted accordingly, for example to prevent the platform and/or the load (and/or materials) from tipping.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 1, 2019
Date of Patent:
April 14, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Matthew Lord, Roydyn Clayton, Michael Irvine, Ryan Christopher Gariepy
Abstract: A system, apparatus and method for automatic environmental data collection and analysis are provided, including a server comprising: a processor and a communication interface, the processor configured to: receive, using the communication interface, a geographic survey request from a first computing device; translate the geographic survey request into mission data for collecting geographic survey data; transmit, using the communication interface, the mission data to a second computing device associated with a geographic survey entity; receive, using the communication interface, the geographic survey data collected by the geographic survey entity using the mission data; analyze the geographic survey data to generate processed geographic survey data; and, transmit, using the communication interface, the processed geographic survey data to the first computing device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 6, 2014
Date of Patent:
October 29, 2019
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Ryan Christopher Gariepy, Matthew Allen Rendall, Andrew Clifford Blakey
Abstract: A distributed hardware system for unmanned vehicles is provided, comprising a plurality of electronic hardware modules in communication via a vehicle control network. Each module is enabled to: communicate with one another, issue requests for information from a central control module, and transmit data over the network in a common format to perform respective tasks; and at least one of: independently sense one or more of: a respective status of the distributed hardware system and at least one respective environmental parameter; and independently control the respective function of a vehicle. A portion of the modules can enabled to: be removed and inserted from the distributed hardware system as plug and play modules; and determine when at least one of the modules is removed/inserted from the distributed hardware system and transition to a corresponding state. The system also includes a power management system which includes capacity monitoring and hot-swap capabilities.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 3, 2011
Publication date:
September 19, 2013
Applicant:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS, INC.
Inventors:
Ryan GARIEPY, Bryan Nicholas WEBB, Patrick William Martinson, Matthew Allen RENDALL, Rajan Joshua GILL
Abstract: A sender device implements an auxiliary transport protocol by: storing routing records containing respective content type indicators, message source identifiers and message destination identifiers. A first record contains an initial content type indicator and a destination identifier corresponding to a sender device relay. A second record contains an extended content type indicator and a destination identifier corresponding to a sender device bridge. The sender device generates and routes an initial message having a payload and the initial content type indicator to the relay via a primary transport protocol according to the first record; at the relay, generates an extended message having the payload and the extended content type indicator, and routes the message to the bridge via the primary protocol according to the second record; at the bridge, generates a converted extended message; and transmits the converted extended message to a receiver device via the auxiliary protocol.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 21, 2018
Date of Patent:
December 29, 2020
Assignee:
CLEARPATH ROBOTICS INC.
Inventors:
Denise Elaine Eng, Michael Purvis, Guillaume Autran