IP Library Granted Patent US 12,083,681
Granted Patent B2
US 12,083,681 · App. 18/179,605 · Granted Sep 10, 2024

Robot congestion management

Inventors: Michael Charles Johnson (Ashland, MA); Luis Jaquez (Burlington, MA); Sean Johnson (Danvers, MA); Andrew Alcutt (Andover, MA)
Assignee: Locus Robotics Corp.
B25J9/1666B25J9/0084B25J9/1661
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,083,681
App. No.
18/179,605
Granted
Sep 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for robot congestion management including a robot monitoring server configured to track a location of a plurality of robots within a navigational space and a plurality of robots in communication with the robot monitoring server, each robot including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to determine, from a task list assigned to the robot, a first pose location corresponding to a first task, receive, from the robot monitoring server, congestion information associated with the first pose location, identify a congested state of the first pose location indicated by the congestion information, select, responsive to the identification of the congested state, a second task from the task list, and navigate to a second pose location corresponding to the second task.

Claims (10)

1. A robot congestion management system comprising:

a robot monitoring server configured to track a location of a plurality of robots and a plurality of human operators within a navigational space; and

the plurality of robots in communication with the robot monitoring server, each robot configured to perform a plurality of tasks with the assistance of a human operator of the plurality of human operators, wherein each task includes at least one of a pick operation and a put operation, each robot including:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to:

determine, from a task list assigned to the robot, a first pose location (x, y, z, ω) corresponding to a first task,

receive, from the robot monitoring server, congestion information in a predefined area about the first pose location, wherein the congestion information includes an integer number of other robots, an integer number of human operators, or a combined integer number of robots and human operators currently present in the predefined area about the first pose location,

determine, based on the congestion information, if the predefined area about the first pose location is in a congested state, wherein the predefined area about the first pose location is in a congested state if the integer number of other robots, the integer number of human operators, or the combined integer number of robots and human operators currently present exceeds a threshold, the threshold being an integer greater than two,

select a second pose location (x, y, z, ω) corresponding to a second task from the task list, the second pose location being selected responsive to the determination of a congested state in the predefined area about the first pose location and responsive to a plurality of efficiency factors regarding the second pose location, including the second pose location is not currently in a congested state and at least one human operator is currently detected proximate the second pose location, and

navigate to the second pose location.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 69386 FRAME 647. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Dec 11, 2024
From: LOCUS ROBOTICS CORP.
To: HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 069589/0575 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2024
From: LOCUS ROBOTICS CORP.
To: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069386/0647 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2023
From: JOHNSON, MICHAEL CHARLES; JOHNSON, SEAN; JAQUEZ, LUIS; ALCUTT, ANDREW
To: LOCUS ROBOTICS CORP.
Reel/Frame 063086/0692 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16265703 · Feb 1, 2019
Related Publication 20230202042A1 · Jun 29, 2023