Shang Yung Ma

20180308365, Oct 25, 2018

Apr 25, 2017

15/496019

- Tokyo, JP
Shang Ma - Irvine CA, US
Sven Kratz - San Jose CA, US

G08G 1/00
G05D 1/02
B60W 30/165
G08C 23/04

Systems and methods for automated vehicle guidance based on coded lighting to enable automated vehicle following and/or regrouping. Systems use projectors to project temporal identifiers for space partitioned by pixel projections. Different space partition is associated with a different identifier. By using simple light sensors mounted on the vehicles, and decoding the sensed light signal, the vehicle can determine its precise location in the space relative to the coded light projector. This information may be used for precise vehicle guidance to enable vehicle following and/or regrouping. For vehicle following, the coded light projector is placed on a moving vehicle. For vehicle regrouping, the coded light projector may be placed on a ground or on a pole. Depending on the guidance precision requirements, the coded light precision may be adjusted by using light projectors with different resolutions.

20170344017, Nov 30, 2017

May 25, 2016

15/164598

- Tokyo, JP
Shang Ma - Irvine CA, US
Sven Kratz - San Jose CA, US

G05D 1/02
G05D 1/00

An indoor localization and navigation system for a mobile robot, the system comprising: a projector mounted on the mobile robot and configured to project a temporal projector light signal, wherein the temporal projector light signal is encoded, for each pixel of the projector, with an information segment comprising the pixel coordinates of the each pixel of the projector; a stationary sensor node comprising a light sensor configured to detect the temporal projector light signal and generate a sensor signal and a transmitter configured to transmit a sensor node identifier and a position code generated based on the sensor signal; a receiver mounted on the mobile robot and configured to receive the sensor node identifier and the position code from the transmitter; and an onboard computer mounted on the mobile robot and operatively coupled to the projector and the receiver, wherein the onboard computer is configured to receive the sensor node identifier and the position code from the receiver and to determine a location information of the mobile robot based on the received sensor node identifier and the position code.

20170261975, Sep 14, 2017

Mar 8, 2016

15/064595

- Tokyo, JP
Shang Ma - Irvine CA, US
Sven Kratz - San Jose CA, US

G05D 1/00
B64F 1/18
G05D 1/10
B64C 39/02
G05D 1/02

Precision docking is one of the most important tasks for drones and surface robots to charge themselves and load/unload packages. Without accurate docking, surface robots and drones will miss their charging pad or charging contacts and cannot automatically charge themselves for later tasks. Described is a system using coded light to guide the precision docking process for drones and ground robots. More specifically, the system uses projectors to project temporal identifiers for space partitioned by pixel projections. Different space partition gets a different identifier. By using a simple light sensor on a drone or a ground robot, the drone or the ground robot can know its precise location in the space and therefore knows where to move for a precise docking. Depending on docking precision requirement, the coded light precision may be adjusted by using projectors with different resolutions.