Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technology, LLC

Yifan Chen

Basavaraj Tonshal

Pietro Buttolo

Kwaku O Prakah-Asante

Paul Joseph Stewart

Dimitar Petrov Filev

Gary Steven Strumolo

Hsin-Hsiang Yang

John Randolf Vincent

James Stewart Rankin, Ii

Pramita Mitra

Abhishek Sharma

Oleg Yurievitch Gusikhin

Kurt Michael Lundeen

Padma Aiswarya Kolisetty

Perry Robinson Macneille

Jeffrey Allen Greenberg

Smruti Panigrahi

Thomas John Giuli

Krishnaswamy Venkatesh Prasad

Eric H Wingfield

David Melcher

Erica Klampfl

Qianyi Wang

Shan Chy Chueh

Jianbo Lu

Fazal Urrahman Syed

Raj Sohmshetty

Sanghyun Hong

Geoffrey Horowitz

James Fishelson

Paul Aldighieri

Timothy Mark Feldkamp

Chad Evert Esselink

Meghna Menon

James McBride

Steven Lin

Jeffrey Lee Hentschel

Amanuel Zeryihun

Jiaqi Ma

Tricia Tobolski

Jason Robert Brown

Anne Marsan

Kangning Chen

Jason Snow

Sarah Garrow

Robert Collard

Stuart C Salter

Ali Hassani

David Anthony Hatton

Johannes Geir Kristinsson

Jayanthi Rao

Mark Schunder

Theodore Charles Wingrove

Gaurav Pandey

Jeroen Lem

Ritesh Pandya

Anthony Mark Phillips

Justin Miller, Jr

Kenneth Michael Mayer

Devinder Singh Kochhar

Hussein F Nasrallah

Stephen Ronald Tokish

Julius Marchwicki

Brian Boland

Gregory P Linkowski

Louis Tijerina

Jeffrey Yeung

Scott Mayberry

Tom Nelson

Pavithra Madhavan

Panduranga Kondoju

Brian Nash

Archak Mittal

Prashant Rao

Aiswarya Kolisetty

Charles Joseph King, Ii

James Zheng Peng

Hao Howard Yang

Reates Curry

Florian Frischmuth

Kacie Alane Theisen

Girish Yadav

Ylldes Zeneli

Steven Stark

Shuai Wang

Girish Kumar Yadav

Adam Brooks

Jenna Love

A method for delivering a plurality of packages is described. The method includes obtaining, via a processor, information associated with a delivery plan of the plurality of packages from at least one memory. Based on the information, the method includes determining, via the processor, a current location, and a destination location of a target container. In response to the determination, the method includes determining, via the processor, a movement plan to move the target container to the destination location. Based on the movement plan, the method includes activating, via the processor, a first set of motorized tiles to move the target container to the destination location. The method further includes receiving, via the processor, an updated movement plan from a server plan when a preset condition is met. Based on the updated movement plan, the method includes activating, via the processor, a second set of motorized tiles.

System and method for delivering packages

A peer-to-peer (P2P) vehicle sharing method is disclosed. The method may include obtaining a list of rent requests and associated requested rental durations, and a list of available vehicles and associated vehicle availability time periods. The list of rent requests may represent first nodes and the list of available vehicles may represent second nodes of a vehicle-renter graph. The method may further include obtaining a list of edges that connects at least one first node and at least one second node. The method may further include receiving a predefined trigger event and updating the list of edges in response to receiving the predefined trigger event. Furthermore, the method may include transmitting a vehicle reservation notification to at least one renter and at least one vehicle owner based on the updated list of edges.

Graph based optimal matching for peer-to-peer vehicle sharing

A method for controlling a plurality of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in a manufacturing environment having an intersection includes obtaining a plurality of routes associated with the plurality of AMRs, velocity information associated with the plurality of AMRs, and priority information associated with the plurality of AMRs, and determining a plurality of arrival times associated with the plurality of AMRs based on the velocity information and the plurality of routes. The method includes generating a plurality of intersection reservations based on the plurality of arrival times and the priority information, where each intersection reservation from among the plurality of intersection reservations corresponds to an AMR from among the plurality of AMRs, and controlling a movement of the plurality of AMRs through the intersection based on the plurality of intersection reservations.

Systems and methods for controlling autonomous mobile robots in a manufacturing environment

Autonomous modular robots and methods of use are disclosed herein. An example system includes a first assembly includes a first controller having a first processor that causes a first assembly support to translate along a first axis and align with a container placed on the first assembly support which is connected to a third assembly. The third assembly is configured to release a lid when the container has been engaged with the lid. The lid and container form a second assembly that includes a second processor and a second sensor assembly located in the lid. A transfer assembly can transfer an object into and out of the container. The first processor can determine a position and orientation of a delivery platform, planned movement and position of the second assembly, and planned operations of the transfer assembly in order to deliver a package to the delivery platform.

Autonomous modular robots and methods of use

The disclosure generally pertains to a robotic vehicle. An example robotic vehicle has a base platform that includes at least a chassis, an actuator, a sensor, and a controller. The chassis includes a first wheel that is attached to a first section of the chassis and further includes a second wheel attached to a second section of the chassis. The actuator has a proximal end attached to the first section of the chassis and a distal end attached to the second section of the chassis. The sensor is configured to obtain information associated with a stair structure located on a traversal path of the robotic vehicle. The controller evaluates the information obtained by the sensor and operates the actuator to vary a separation distance between the first section of the chassis and the second section of the chassis so as to enable the robotic vehicle to traverse the stair structure.

Stair climbing robotic vehicle

Disclosed is an end-to-end delivery system that uses standard containers designed for autonomous vehicle (AV) goods delivery, a purpose-built AV cargo management system, a purpose-built robot to load and unload packages, and software to coordinate the various tasks involved. The standard containers may include a hardware locking interface for locking to a carrying robot. The cargo management system may include a programmable conveyor system installed on each floor of a multi-floor cargo space within the AV. For example, the floor may include a roller surface to allow omnidirectional routing of packages. An elevator shaft may be used for receiving and off-loading containers. The software may identify a target container anywhere within the multi-floor cargo space, and determine how to rearrange the containers within a grid in the AV so that the target container may be moved to the elevator shaft for unloading.

Container method and system for automated end-to-end package delivery

A distributed control system for an autonomous modular robot (AMR) vehicle includes a top module processor disposed in communication with a lower module processor, and memory for storing executable instructions of the top module processor and the lower module processor. The instructions are executable to cause the top module processor and the lower module processor to navigate a bottom module, via the bottom module processor, the AMR vehicle to a target destination. The instructions are further executable to determine, via the bottom module processor, that the AMR vehicle is localized at a target destination, transmit a request for a cargo unloading instruction set, and receive, via a top module processor, a response to a cargo unloading instruction set sent from the bottom module processor. The instructions further cause the top module processor to unload the cargo to a target destination surface via an unloading mechanism associated with the top module.

Modular autonomous robot distributed control

A battery expansion cradle is attachable to an electric scooter (eScooter) handlebar. The battery expansion cradle includes a battery connection terminal disposed on a face of the battery expansion cradle, where the battery connection terminal electrically connects with a power bus of the electric scooter. A battery module is removably attachable to the face of the battery expansion cradle and the back terminal of another battery. The battery module includes a connector electrically coupling the first rechargeable battery to the eScooter power bus, and includes a mobile device holder disposed on a face of the first battery module with holding means for securing a mobile device to the face of the battery module, which may be offset from the center of the external battery to allow for a clear forward view of the scooter using the smartphone's front camera, and the user's face using the rear camera.

Smartphone and battery integration module for an electric scooter

The disclosure describes systems and methods including for monitoring and remotely controlling a fleet of autonomous vehicles. The remote vehicle control system includes a horizontal display with vehicle graphics on a map and determines a control input to control a vehicle based on a device input from an input device.

Systems and methods for remote control of vehicles

A method for controlling a robotic vehicle in a delivery environment includes causing the robotic vehicle to deploy from an autonomous vehicle (AV) at a first AV position in the delivery environment. The method further includes localizing, via a robotic vehicle controller, an initial position within a global reference map using a robot vehicle perception system, receiving, from the AV, a 3-dimensional (3D) augmented map and localizing an updated position in the delivery environment based on the 3D augmented map and the global reference map. The robot vehicle perception system senses obstacle characteristics, and generates a unified 3D augmented map with robot-sensed obstacle characteristics. The method further includes generating a dynamic path plan to a package delivery destination using the unified 3D augmented map, and actuating the robot vehicle to the package delivery destination according to the dynamic path plan.

Autonomous vehicle and infrastructure aided robotic system for end-to-end package delivery

The present disclosure is directed to method for controlling an autonomous or human-driven vehicle that can include receiving, via a processor a vehicle communication indicative of a traffic flow parameter, and determining, based on the vehicle communication, a driver behavior characteristic, determining, via the processor and based on a historic driver behavior record, a driver performance characteristic, generating, via the processor, a first speed assignment and a lane assignment and associated with the vehicle and causing to transmit a first speed and lane assignment message to the vehicle. The system uses enhanced sensing technology within a connected environment to observe vehicle speeds and other vehicle patterns to ingest real-time, road network patterns of vehicle behavior, manages traffic through simulation, and sends messages to dynamic lane management controls such as signage, V2V communication, etc.

Real-time dynamic traffic speed control

The disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for a reconfigurable on-board package sorting system for a delivery vehicle including an enclosed storage compartment with a horizontal plane, a plurality of bins for holding packages, each bin including a computer readable identifier, a set of correlated conveyor belts on each horizontal plane, the correlated conveyors belts sized as a function of the bins, including at conveyor belts linearly oriented on the horizontal plane, mixing conveyors, each oriented adjacent to each convey belt to provide directional transition to a next conveyor belt, wherein the correlated conveyor belts provide directional movement of the bins in a loop on the horizontal plane by selective rotation of each conveyor belt, and a computer including a processor and memory to receive data from each identifier, the processor including instructions to: identify a location of bin and direct the operation of the correlated conveyor belts.

Systems and methods for delivery vehicle reconfigurable on-board package sorting

Biometric data are collected about a user in a vehicle. A user is prompted to provide an input on a wearable device to identify an object based on the biometric data.

Vehicle event identification

Systems and methods interacting with a digital map are provided herein. A system includes a display that is configured to display a digital map. The digital map includes a number of targets with which a user can interact and a number of actions that are available for each target. The system is configured to update a table of an individual profile account when the user performs an actions at one of the targets, use a role prediction model to predict a role based on the table of the individual profile account, and update the table of the individual account based on a table of a role profile account associated with the predicted role.

Systems and methods for interacting with a digital map

Systems and methods for delivering a package to a curbside receptacle are provided. A delivery window of a vehicle may be aligned with a curbside receptacle. A carousel within the vehicle may be moved, e.g., rotated, within the vehicle to align a target compartment with the delivery window. A conveyor arm slidably coupled to the delivery window is then extended and aligned with the target compartment, and a target package within the target compartment is ejected from the target compartment onto the conveyor arm, e.g., via a plunger mechanism. The conveyor arm then transfers the target package to curbside receptacle.

Automated systems and methods for transferring packages from a vehicle to a curbside locker box

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Yifan Chen