Christopher Michael Foley

US Patent:

6554337, Apr 29, 2003

Filed:

Jan 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/755496

Inventors:

Homayoon Kazerooni - Berkeley CA 94705
Christopher Jude Foley - Albany CA

Assignee:

Homayoon Kazerooni - Berkeley CA

International Classification:

B25J 1500

US Classification:

294 864, 294 11, 271 21

Abstract:

A grapple device for grasping, holding and releasing an object having a deformable cover material such as sacks and bags, has a mounting bracket and two rollers. The rollers are pushed toward each other by the force of at least one spring. When the rollers are powered to spin, the inward spinning of the rollers causes the sack material to be dragged in between the rollers due to friction between the surfaces of the rollers and the sack material. The spring pushes the rollers toward each other with sufficient force to hold the sack material in place between the rollers. The grapple device also includes a holding mechanism to engage at least one of the rollers and prevent rotation of the roller when engaged, so that when sack material is located in the inter-roller region and the holding mechanism is engaged, the contact between the sack material and rollers causes the sack to be held by the grapple device. When the rollers are powered to spin outwardly, the sack material passes out of inter-roller region causing the sack to be released. Using the invention described here, in conjunction with a robot or a material handling device, a sack can be lifted by grasping any point on the sack.

US Patent:

6474711, Nov 5, 2002

Filed:

Jun 7, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/876010

Inventors:

Homayoon Kazerooni - Berkeley CA 94705
Christopher Jude Foley - Albany CA

Assignee:

Homayoon Kazerooni - Berkeley CA

International Classification:

B66C 144

US Classification:

294 864, 294 11, 271 21, 901 35, 901 38

Abstract:

The invention provides a grapple device and a method for manipulating, i. e. , grabbing, holding and releasing objects. The grapple comprises two parallel rollers with gripping surfaces, where the rollers are pushed towards each other with sufficient force to hold a graspable portion of a deformable object. When the grapple comes onto contact with any portion of the deformable object, a signal activates a set of gears causing the rollers to rotate in opposing directions so that a graspable portion of the object is dragged between the rollers. When sufficient material is caught between the rollers, a signal activates a brake automatically stopping the rotation of the rollers, whereby the rollers then hold the graspable portion of the object allowing the object to be moved to a desired location. When the object is properly located, a signal is generated which causes the rollers to rotate in the opposite direction to release the object. The grapple device of the invention provides a control system to generate the signals and operated the grapple.

US Patent:

20140358943, Dec 4, 2014

Filed:

May 22, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/285135

Inventors:

- San Francisco CA, US
Jeremy J. Bornstein - San Francisco CA, US
Christopher Foley - San Francisco CA, US
Frederick Felman - San Francisco CA, US
David Llopis - San Francisco CA, US

Assignee:

n35t, Inc. - San Francisco CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707748

Abstract:

Novel tools and techniques for determining suitability and/or desirability of a prospective residence for a user. In some embodiments, a computer might receive a list of real estate listings, each pertaining to, and including a plurality of attributes about, an available home. The computer might collect information about factors relating to a user, generate a user profile based at least in part on the factors, and infer a prioritized list of real estate listing characteristics to satisfy the user based on a prioritized list of user criteria. The computer might subsequently generate and prioritize a list of potential homes from the list of real estate listings, based on comparisons, and at least in part on matches, between the prioritized list of real estate listing characteristics and attributes of at least some potential homes in the listings. The computer might subsequently display the prioritized list of potential homes to the user.