Granted Patent B2

US 11,059,176 · App. 17/124,387 · Granted Jul 13, 2021

Inventors: Niharika Arora (San Jose, CA); Melonee Wise (San Jose, CA); Brian Cairl (Astoria, NY); Carl Saldanha (San Jose, CA); Robert Chatman, III (Campbell, CA); Levon Avagyan (San Jose, CA); Aaron Hoy (San Jose, CA); Stefan Nusser (Palo Alto, CA); David Dymesich (New York, NY); David Robson (San Jose, CA)

Assignee: Fetch Robotics, Inc.

B25J9/1674B25J9/161B25J9/1679B25J9/1697B25J11/008B25J13/006G05D2201/0207Y10S901/08

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A method for detecting for facility monitoring and reporting to improve safety using one or more robots, comprising:

using a system comprising a network, the system further comprising a plurality of robots operating in a facility, the robots operably connected to the network, the robots configured to monitor facility operation, the robots further configured to detect a critical condition, wherein the robots are further configured to go into high alert upon detection of the critical condition, the system further comprising a server operably connected to the robots over the network, wherein the robots are configured to regularly produce to the server a regular report under normal operating conditions, wherein the robots are further configured to produce to the server a critical condition report upon occurrence of the critical condition, receiving, by the server, from a detecting robot, a critical condition detected by the detecting robot;

displaying, by the server, on a user interface (UI) visible to a user, the UI operably connected to the server, the critical condition;

switching the detecting robot, by the server, from periodic, lower-priority data recording, to high-priority, real-time, continuous data recording and direct uploading;

sending the critical condition, by the server, to one or more other robots; and

requesting assistance, by the server, for the detecting robot, from the other robots, the method further comprising a step, performed after the requesting assistance step, of:

receiving, by the server, from the determining robot, a determination that one or more of the critical condition and a number of robots near the critical condition is problematic.

2. A method for detecting for facility monitoring and reporting to improve safety using one or more robots, comprising:

using a system comprising a network, the system further comprising a plurality of robots operating in a facility, the robots operably connected to the network, the robots configured to monitor facility operation, the robots further configured to detect a critical condition, wherein the robots are further configured to go into high alert upon detection of the critical condition, the system further comprising a server operably connected to the robots over the network, wherein the robots are configured to regularly produce to the server a regular report under normal operating conditions, wherein the robots are further configured to produce to the server a critical condition report upon occurrence of the critical condition, receiving, by the server, from a detecting robot, a critical condition detected by the detecting robot;

displaying, by the server, on a user interface (UI) visible to a user, the UI operably connected to the server, the critical condition;

switching the detecting robot, by the server, from periodic, lower-priority data recording, to high-priority, real-time, continuous data recording and direct uploading;

sending the critical condition, by the server, to one or more other robots;

requesting assistance, by the server, for the detecting robot, from the other robots;

receiving, by the server, from the determining robot, a determination that one or more of the critical condition and a number of robots near the critical condition is problematic; and

sending, by the server, to one or more other robots, a command blocking the one or more other robots from approaching the critical condition.

3. A method for detecting for facility monitoring and reporting to improve safety using one or more robots, comprising:

using a system comprising a network, the system further comprising a plurality of robots operating in a facility, the robots operably connected to the network, the robots configured to monitor facility operation, the robots further configured to detect a critical condition, wherein the robots are further configured to go into high alert upon detection of the critical condition, the system further comprising a server operably connected to the robots over the network, wherein the robots are configured to regularly produce to the server a regular report under normal operating conditions, wherein the robots are further configured to produce to the server a critical condition report upon occurrence of the critical condition, receiving, by the server, from a detecting robot, a critical condition detected by the detecting robot;

displaying, by the server, on a user interface (UI) visible to a user, the UI operably connected to the server, the critical condition;

switching the detecting robot, by the server, from periodic, lower-priority data recording, to high-priority, real-time, continuous data recording and direct uploading;

sending the critical condition, by the server, to one or more other robots;

requesting assistance, by the server, for the detecting robot, from the other robots;

receiving, by the server, from the determining robot, a determination that one or more of the critical condition and a number of robots near the critical condition is problematic;

sending, by the server, to one or more other robots, a command blocking the one or more other robots from approaching the critical condition; and

receiving, by the server, from a user, an instruction regarding preventive measures to resolve the critical condition.

4. A method for detecting for facility monitoring and reporting to improve safety using one or more robots, comprising:

using a system comprising a network, the system further comprising a plurality of robots operating in a facility, the robots operably connected to the network, the robots configured to monitor facility operation, the robots further configured to detect a critical condition, wherein the robots are further configured to go into high alert upon detection of the critical condition, the system further comprising a server operably connected to the robots over the network, wherein the robots are configured to regularly produce to the server a regular report under normal operating conditions, wherein the robots are further configured to produce to the server a critical condition report upon occurrence of the critical condition, receiving, by the server, from a detecting robot, a critical condition detected by the detecting robot;

displaying, by the server, on a user interface (UI) visible to a user, the UI operably connected to the server, the critical condition;

switching the detecting robot, by the server, from periodic, lower-priority data recording, to high-priority, real-time, continuous data recording and direct uploading;

sending the critical condition, by the server, to one or more other robots;

requesting assistance, by the server, for the detecting robot, from the other robots;

receiving, by the server, from the determining robot, a determination that one or more of the critical condition and a number of robots near the critical condition is problematic;

sending, by the server, to one or more other robots, a command blocking the one or more other robots from approaching the critical condition

receiving, by the server, from a user, an instruction regarding preventive measures to resolve the critical condition; and

implementing, by the server, the user's instruction regarding the preventive measures to resolve the critical condition.

5. A method for detecting for facility monitoring and reporting to improve safety using one or more robots, comprising:

using a system comprising a network, the system further comprising a plurality of robots operating in a facility, the robots operably connected to the network, the robots configured to monitor facility operation, the robots further configured to detect a critical condition, wherein the robots are further configured to go into high alert upon detection of the critical condition, the system further comprising a server operably connected to the robots over the network, wherein the robots are configured to regularly produce to the server a regular report under normal operating conditions, wherein the robots are further configured to produce to the server a critical condition report upon occurrence of the critical condition, receiving, by the server, from a detecting robot, a critical condition detected by the detecting robot;

requesting data regarding the critical condition, by the server, from a robot;

displaying, by the server, on a user interface (UI) visible to a user, the UI operably connected to the server, the critical condition;

generating, by the server, a heat map of the critical condition;

generating, by the server, a path usable by the robots around the critical condition;

switching the detecting robot, by the server, from periodic, lower-priority data recording, to high-priority, real-time, continuous data recording and direct uploading;

sending the critical condition, by the server, to one or more other robots;

requesting assistance, by the server, for the detecting robot, from the other robots;

receiving, by the server, from the determining robot, a determination that one or more of the critical condition and a number of robots near the critical condition is problematic;

sending, by the server, to one or more other robots, a command blocking the one or more other robots from approaching the critical condition;

receiving, by the server, from a user, an instruction regarding preventive measures to resolve the critical condition;

implementing, by the server, the user's instruction regarding the preventive measures to resolve the critical condition;

sending, by the server, to the UI, for display to the user, a robot selection panel comprising a plurality of robots usable to approach the critical condition;

receiving, by the server, from the UI, a user selection of a robot from the robot selection panel; and

transmitting, by the server, to each of the user-selected robots, a respective instruction instructing each of the user-selected robots to approach the critical condition.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (2)

Cited By (1)

US 12,359,493