SonyPatent applicationRobots & automationInterest 4/10

Sony patents route safety check for moving robots

Sony describes a method for computers to plan a path for a moving device, such as a robot. The system identifies obstacles by grouping nearby objects and then checks if the planned path is safe based on where those obstacles are located.

Why it mattersThis filing outlines a standard way to help autonomous devices avoid collisions by continuously checking their surroundings against their planned path.

In the filing’s own words

The information processing method of the present disclosure includes a calculation process of a route, a detection process of an obstacle, and an evaluation process of the route. The calculation process calculates a route of the mobile body to the target point. The detection process of the obstacle detects an obstacle based on the distribution of the cluster group indicating the surrounding objects. The evaluation process of the route evaluates the safety of the route based on the positional relationship between the obstacle and the route.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An information processing method executed by a computer, the method comprising: calculating a route of a mobile body to a target point; detecting an obstacle based on a distribution of a cluster group indicating a surrounding object; and evaluating safety of the route based on a positional relationship between the obstacle and the route.

Facts

Company: Sony (SONY GROUP CORPORATION)
Official title: INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM
Publication number: US20260277229A1
Application number: 19166063
Filed: Mar 7, 2024
Published: Sep 17, 2026
Inventors: 2
Claims: 15

Classified under

G05D 1/637 Physics & computingG05D 1/246 Physics & computingG05D 1/644 Physics & computingG06V 10/762 Physics & computingG05D 2109/20 Physics & computingG05D 2111/10 Physics & computing

Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

More from Sony in Robots & automation

Sony patents robot control that feels like moving your own muscles Sep 1, 2026
Sony patents cooking robot that creates recipes from chemical data Oct 6, 2026
Sony patents system letting one person control many robots via fast simulation Oct 15, 2026
Sony patents drone control that adjusts 3D scanning for sloped ground Sep 1, 2026
Sony patents robot safety system that maps safe and unsafe movements Sep 8, 2026

Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.