Patents by Inventor Manfred Huttenhofer

Manfred Huttenhofer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11826912
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot assembly having at least one robotic arm. The method includes determining a trajectory in the axis space of the robot assembly on the basis of a path having a plurality of previously specified Cartesian poses of at least one robot-assembly-fixed reference, and determining control values in the axis space on the basis of said trajectory. The robot assembly is controlled on the basis of the control values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: KUKA Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Publication number: 20210178582
    Abstract: A method for controlling a robot assembly having at least one robotic arm. The method includes determining a trajectory in the axis space of the robot assembly on the basis of a path having a plurality of previously specified Cartesian poses of at least one robot-assembly-fixed reference, and determining control values in the axis space on the basis of said trajectory. The robot assembly is controlled on the basis of the control values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventor: Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Patent number: 10220514
    Abstract: A method for controlling a manipulator, with the method being particularly suitable for the respecting of predetermined monitoring limits. The method operates by initiating a halting movement or a speed capping based on an identified actual override trend, and is thus suitable, in particular, for path movements by means of spline interpolation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Tronnier, Günther Wiedemann, Stefan Burkhart, Andreas Aurnhammer, Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Patent number: 9827674
    Abstract: A method for the conditional stopping of at least one manipulator and a manipulator assembly. The manipulator travels along a path which has a stopping point. In order to be able to stop the manipulator at the stopping point, a braking point on the path is calculated as a function of a speed of the manipulator. If the status of a travel condition variable necessitates braking of the manipulator in the event of exceeding the braking point, the manipulator is braked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Tronnier, Günther Wiedemann, Stefan Burkhart, Andreas Aurnhammer, Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Publication number: 20170197310
    Abstract: A controllable machine comprises a mechanism having at least two components arranged relative to one another and movable relative to one another with respect to an axis by at least one drive, a memory, and a control device coupled to the at least one drive. The control device controls the at least one drive to move the mechanism in a first operating mode such that the mechanism moves along a movement path and records the movement path in the memory. The control device controls the at least one drive on the basis of the movement path recorded in the memory in a second operating mode such that the mechanism moves along the movement path recorded in the memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2015
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Andreas Aurnhammer, Stefan Durndorfer, Andreas Hagenauer, Manfred Huttenhofer
  • Publication number: 20160176049
    Abstract: A method for the conditional stopping of at least one manipulator and a manipulator assembly. The manipulator travels along a path which has a stopping point. In order to be able to stop the manipulator at the stopping point, a braking point on the path is calculated as a function of a speed of the manipulator. If the status of a travel condition variable necessitates braking of the manipulator in the event of exceeding the braking point, the manipulator is braked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Holger Tronnier, Günther Wiedemann, Stefan Burkhart, Andreas Aurnhammer, Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Publication number: 20160176050
    Abstract: A method for controlling a manipulator, with the method being particularly suitable for the respecting of predetermined monitoring limits. The method operates by initiating a halting movement or a speed capping based on an identified actual override trend, and is thus suitable, in particular, for path movements by means of spline interpolation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Holger Tronnier, Günther Wiedemann, Stefan Burkhart, Andreas Aurnhammer, Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Patent number: 8843237
    Abstract: A method according to the invention for controlling a manipulator, in particular a robot, includes the following steps: determining (S10, S20) a target path (q(s)) of the manipulator, and determining (S70) a motion value (v(s)) for this target path, optionally, determining (S50) a path segment ([s_A, s_E]) with a defined profile of a motion value (v(s)=vc), and automatically determining (S60) this motion value on the basis of motion values (v_max_RB, v_max_vg) permissible in this path segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Aurnhammer, Stefan Burkhart, Manfred Huttenhofer, Martin Weiss
  • Patent number: 8583285
    Abstract: A method for stopping a manipulator includes the steps of advance simulation of stopping distances for different states and/or braking force profiles of the manipulator, estimating of an upper limit as the stopping distance on the basis of the stopping distances simulated in advance, monitoring a zone, and decelerating the manipulator when a zone is violated, wherein the monitored zone is defined variably during operation on the basis of the stopping distance of the manipulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Aurnhammer, Markus Eisensehr, Andreas Hagenauer, Manfred Huttenhofer
  • Patent number: 8255083
    Abstract: The invention relates to an industrial robot (1) having a control apparatus (8), and to a method for controlling the movement of the industrial robot (1). For the purposes of the method, an instruction which is intended for controlling the industrial robot (1) is checked, an interpreted instruction is produced by interpretation of the checked instruction by means of an interpreter (13), and the interpreted instruction is stored in a temporary store (10). This process is repeated until a first keyword is detected. A data record (15) is then produced from the interpreted instructions stored in the temporary store (10), wherein the data record (15) has information relating to at least one path element of a path on which the industrial robot (1) is intended to be moved. The data record (15) is loaded into a buffer store (11), is checked by the buffer store (11) and is interpolated by means of an interpolator (14), in order to move the industrial robot (1) on the path element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Weiss, Manfred Hüttenhofer, Andreas Hagenauer, Günther Wiedemann
  • Publication number: 20110087375
    Abstract: A method according to the invention for controlling a manipulator, in particular a robot, includes the following steps: determining (S10, S20) a target path (q(s)) of the manipulator, and determining (S70) a motion value (v(s)) for this target path, optionally, determining (S50) a path segment ([s_A, s_E]) with a defined profile of a motion value (v(s)=vc), and automatically determining (S60) this motion value on the basis of motion values (v_max_RB, v_max_vg) permissible in this path segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: KUKA ROBOTER GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Aurnhammer, Stefan Burkhart, Manfred Hüttenhofer, Martin Weiss
  • Publication number: 20110060462
    Abstract: A method according to the invention for stopping a manipulator (1) includes these steps: advance simulation of stopping distances for different states (q, dq/dt, L) and/or braking force profiles (?) of the manipulator (S10), estimating of an upper limit as the stopping distance (smax) on the basis of the stopping distances simulated in advance (S120), monitoring a zone (A0; A1; A2), and decelerating the manipulator (1) when a zone is violated, wherein the monitored zone is defined variably (S130) during operation on the basis of the stopping distance (smax) of the manipulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: KUKA ROBOTER GMBH
    Inventors: Andreas Aurnhammer, Markus Eisensehr, Andreas Hagenauer, Manfred Hüttenhofer
  • Publication number: 20100312389
    Abstract: The invention relates to an industrial robot (1) having a control apparatus (8), and to a method for controlling the movement of the industrial robot (1). For the purposes of the method, an instruction which is intended for controlling the industrial robot (1) is checked, an interpreted instruction is produced by interpretation of the checked instruction by means of an interpreter (13), and the interpreted instruction is stored in a temporary store (10). This process is repeated until a first keyword is detected. A data record (15) is then produced from the interpreted instructions stored in the temporary store (10), wherein the data record (15) has information relating to at least one path element of a path on which the industrial robot (1) is intended to be moved. The data record (15) is loaded into a buffer store (11), is checked by the buffer store (11) and is interpolated by means of an interpolator (14), in order to move the industrial robot (1) on the path element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2008
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: KUKA ROBOTER GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Weiss, Manfred Hüttenhofer, Andreas Hagenauer, Günther Wiedemann
  • Patent number: 7295891
    Abstract: In a method for controlling the movement of a manipulator associated with an interpretation of a given point sequence of poses (positions and orientations) by splines, the motion components are separately parameterized. Thus, marked, subsequent changes to the orientation of robot axes have no undesired effects on the Cartesian movement path of the robot. Suitable algorithms are provided for orientation control by using quaternions or Euler angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Hüttenhofer, Günther Wiedemann, Stefan Burkhart
  • Publication number: 20040133309
    Abstract: In a method for controlling the movement of a manipulator, such as an industrial robot, associated with an interpretation of a given point sequence of poses (positions and orientations) by splines, the motion components are separately parametrized. Thus, marked, subsequent changes to the orientation of robot axes have no undesired effects on the Cartesian movement path of the robot. The invention also proposes suitable algorithms for orientation control by means of quaternions or Euler angles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Manfred Huttenhofer, Gunther Wiedemann, Stefan Burkhart