Prior art — US Patent 10001780

Prior Art Analysis for US Patent 10,001,780

Date of Analysis: 2026-04-26

Subject Patent:

Patent Number: 10,001,780
Title: Systems and methods for dynamic route planning in autonomous navigation
Filing Date: November 2, 2016
Issue Date: June 19, 2018
Assignee: Brain Corp

Summary of Invention:
U.S. Patent 10,001,780 discloses systems and methods for an autonomous robot to dynamically plan its route. The core of the invention involves representing a planned route as a series of "route poses." Each route pose has a footprint corresponding to the robot's size and shape. These poses are subject to simulated forces: repulsive forces from detected obstacles and attractive (or cohesive) forces from other route poses. By calculating the net effect of these forces, the system repositions the route poses to create a new, collision-free path. The robot then navigates this adjusted path, often using interpolation between the repositioned poses. This method allows the robot to make real-time, smooth adjustments to its planned path in response to unforeseen obstacles.

Analysis of Cited Prior Art

The following analysis details the most relevant prior art cited during the prosecution of US Patent 10,001,780, with an assessment of potential anticipation of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

1. U.S. Patent 9,280,093 B1

Full Citation: US 9,280,093 B1
Title: Systems and methods for robot navigation
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Filing Date: April 8, 2014

Brief Description:
This patent describes a system for robot navigation where a "preferred path" is defined by a series of "path poses." The robot uses sensors to detect its own "real-time pose" and compares it to the nearest path pose on the preferred path. The system then calculates a "correction path" to guide the robot back to the preferred path. This correction is based on the difference between the robot's current position and the ideal position on the path. The patent also discusses detecting obstacles and adjusting the robot's speed or path to avoid them, but the primary focus is on maintaining adherence to a pre-defined route.

Potential Anticipation of Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102):
This reference could be argued to anticipate some of the foundational concepts in the claims of US 10,001,780, but it likely does not fully anticipate the key inventive steps.

Claim 1: Claim 1 of the '780 patent calls for determining forces (repulsive and attractive) on points within each route pose to reposition the poses and then interpolating a path. While the '093 patent discloses using "path poses" to define a route and adjusting the robot's path based on sensor data, it does not describe the specific mechanism of applying repulsive and attractive forces to the poses themselves to dynamically redefine the entire path structure. The '093 patent's approach is more of a real-time correction to follow a relatively static path rather than a re-planning of the path itself by moving the defining poses.
Dependent Claims: Since the core concept of force-based pose repositioning is not explicitly taught, dependent claims that further specify the nature of these forces (e.g., based on object characteristics) or the interpolation method would also not be fully anticipated.

2. U.S. Patent 9,477,219 B2

Full Citation: US 9,477,219 B2
Title: Adaptive path planning for a mobile robot
Publication Date: October 25, 2016
Filing Date: December 23, 2013

Brief Description:
This patent discloses a method for a mobile robot to adapt its path in a known environment. The system generates an initial global path and, as the robot moves, it uses local sensor data to identify discrepancies between its map and the real environment (e.g., new obstacles). When an obstacle is detected, the system generates a local "sub-path" to navigate around it. This sub-path is then integrated with the global path. The method is hierarchical, with a global planner setting the general route and a local planner handling immediate obstacle avoidance.

Potential Anticipation of Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102):
This reference addresses dynamic path planning but uses a different methodology than that claimed in the '780 patent.

Claim 1: The '219 patent teaches replanning a portion of a path (a sub-path) in response to an obstacle. However, it does not describe the claimed method of defining the path with "route poses" having footprints and then repositioning these entire poses based on a system of attractive and repulsive forces. The '219 patent's approach is more about local path regeneration, whereas the '780 patent describes a deformation of the entire path structure through the interaction of forces on its constituent poses.
Claim 9 (Method Claim): This claim outlines the steps of computing repulsive forces, repositioning a route pose, and performing interpolation. The '219 patent does not teach computing forces on the pose itself to determine its new position. Therefore, it does not anticipate this claimed method.

3. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0191289 A1

Full Citation: US 2012/0191289 A1
Title: Method and Apparatus for Path Planning Using Elastic Band
Publication Date: July 26, 2012
Filing Date: January 25, 2011

Brief Description:
This application describes a path planning method that models a robot's path as an "elastic band" in a configuration space populated by obstacles. The path is represented by a series of intermediate points. The "elastic band" is subject to two types of forces: an internal contracting force that tries to shorten the path and a repulsive force from obstacles that pushes the band away. The final, optimized path is the equilibrium state of the band under these opposing forces.

Potential Anticipation of Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102):
This reference is highly relevant as it discloses a similar force-based model for path planning.

Claim 1: This application teaches a path defined by intermediate points (analogous to "route poses") that are repositioned based on repulsive forces from obstacles and internal forces (analogous to "attractive forces" that maintain path cohesion). This is conceptually very similar to the core mechanism of claim 1 of the '780 patent. An argument for anticipation could be made that the "intermediate points" of the '289 application are equivalent to the "route poses" of the '780 patent, and the "elastic band" forces are equivalent to the claimed attractive and repulsive forces. The primary difference is the '780 patent's explicit requirement of a "footprint indicative of poses of the robot" for each route pose, which adds a consideration of the robot's physical volume to the points being manipulated. If the "intermediate points" in the '289 application are considered simple dimensionless points, it may not fully anticipate the "footprint" limitation.
Claim 9 (Method Claim): The method of computing repulsive forces to reposition path points is clearly taught in the '289 application. Whether it anticipates the entirety of claim 9 would again hinge on whether its disclosure of "intermediate points" is equivalent to the '780 patent's "route poses" with a "footprint."

4. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2015/0153722 A1

Full Citation: US 2015/0153722 A1
Title: Method and System for Path Planning for an Autonomous Vehicle
Publication Date: June 4, 2015
Filing Date: November 29, 2013

Brief Description:
This publication describes a path planning system for an autonomous vehicle that generates a path as a sequence of waypoints. The system defines a "corridor" or "bounding box" around the initial path. Within this corridor, the system optimizes the path based on various cost factors, such as distance to obstacles, smoothness of the path, and vehicle dynamics. Obstacles detected by sensors add a high-cost area to a cost map, influencing the optimizer to find a path that avoids these areas while staying within the corridor.

Potential Anticipation of Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102):
This reference uses a cost-map optimization approach rather than a direct force-based model on path poses.

Claim 1: The '722 application does not teach the concept of applying attractive and repulsive forces directly to the waypoints (or "route poses") to cause them to move. Instead, it uses a cost map to find an optimal path within a pre-defined space. While the outcome is a collision-free path, the mechanism for achieving it is different from the specific force-based repositioning of poses claimed in the '780 patent. The cost map implicitly creates "repulsion" from obstacles, but the forces are not applied to the poses themselves.
Dependent Claims: Claims in the '780 patent that elaborate on the force function (e.g., based on distance, shape, material) would not be anticipated, as the '722 application's methodology is based on a cost function, not a direct force simulation.

5. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0114519 A1

Full Citation: US 2016/0114519 A1
Title: Path Planning for Mobile Robot
Publication Date: April 28, 2016
Filing Date: October 24, 2014

Brief Description:
This application discloses a method for real-time path planning for a mobile robot. It describes creating a "path skeleton" composed of a sequence of nodes. When an obstacle is detected, the system identifies the affected nodes on the path. It then generates alternative nodes and evaluates potential new path segments based on a cost function that considers safety and efficiency. The system selects the best alternative segment to replace the blocked portion of the path.

Potential Anticipation of Claims (35 U.S.C. § 102):
This reference describes a local path re-planning method by generating and evaluating alternative nodes, which is distinct from the force-based model of the '780 patent.

Claim 1: The '519 application's method of generating and evaluating new nodes to find a local workaround does not involve applying continuous forces to the existing nodes ("route poses") to shift their positions. It is a discrete re-planning of a path segment rather than a continuous deformation of the overall path structure based on a force model.
Claim 9 (Method Claim): The steps of computing forces on poses and repositioning them based on these forces are not taught in the '519 application. Therefore, it does not anticipate the claimed method.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0191289 A1 appears to be the most relevant prior art. It discloses a very similar conceptual framework of using repulsive forces from obstacles and internal cohesive forces to modify a path represented by a series of points. A strong argument for obviousness, if not direct anticipation, could be constructed from this reference. The key distinguishing feature in the independent claims of US 10,001,780 seems to be the explicit limitation that the "route poses" have a "footprint" representing the robot's physical dimensions, which adds a volumetric consideration to the force calculations that may not be explicitly present in the "intermediate points" of the '289 application. The other references, while related to robot navigation and obstacle avoidance, describe different technical approaches, such as path-tracking correction, local sub-path generation, or cost-map optimization, and therefore are less likely to anticipate the specific force-based pose manipulation claims of US 10,001,780.