Coordinate Transformation Patents (Class 700/251)
  • Patent number: 7340323
    Abstract: An industrial robot that uses a simulated force vector to allow a work piece held by the robot end effector to be mated with a work piece whose location and orientation is not precisely known to the robot. When the end effector makes contact with the location and orientation in which the other work piece is held the robot provides a velocity command to minimize the force of the contact and also provides a search pattern in all directions and orientations to cause the end effector to bring the work piece it is holding in contact with the other work piece. The search pattern and the velocity command are continued until the two work pieces mate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hui Zhang, Zhongxue Gan, Torgny Brogardh, Jianjun Wang
  • Patent number: 7337039
    Abstract: There are provided device for determining a desired trajectory of a translation floor reaction force's vertical component of a legged mobile robot 1, a vertical component of the total center-of-gravity acceleration or a body acceleration vertical component of the robot 1, device for determining a desired vertical position of the total center-of-gravity of the robot 1 or a body 24 thereof so as to satisfy the desired trajectory, and means for determining a desired vertical position of the total center-of-gravity of the robot 1 or the body 24 thereof based on a geometrical condition concerning a joint of a leg 2. Depending on the gait mode, such as walking or running, one of the desired vertical positions is selected, or the desired vertical positions are combined by taking the weighted average thereof or the like, thereby determining a final desired vertical position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike
  • Patent number: 7337040
    Abstract: Based on a detected or estimated value of an actual posture of a predetermined part, such as a body 3, of a robot 1 and a deviation the actual posture from a posture of a desired gait, a posture rotational deviation's variation is determined as the temporal variation of the deviation, and the position of the robot 1 (for example, the position where the robot comes into contact with a floor) is estimated on the assumption that the robot 1 rotates about a rotation center by the rotational deviation's variation. In addition, in accordance with the difference between the estimated position and the estimated position of the robot 1 determined by an inertial navigation method using an accelerometer or the like, the estimated position of the robot 1 determined by the inertial navigation method is corrected, thereby improving the precision of the estimated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7330775
    Abstract: A legged mobile robot, a legged mobile robot controller and a legged mobile robot control method are provided to perform a loading operation to load a gripped object in parallel on a target place having a height where a stretchable range of arm portions of the legged mobile robot is enhanced with no operator's handling. The legged mobile robot includes the arm portions having links for gripping an object, and leg portions having links for moving, and the arm and the leg portions are joined to a body thereof. The legged mobile robot controller includes a data acquisition unit, a whole-body cooperative motion control unit and a loading detection unit, and controls motions of the legged mobile robot based on posture/position data regarding a posture/position of each link of the legged mobile robot and on an external force data regarding an external force affecting the arm portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuo Orita, Tadaaki Hasegawa, Kenichiro Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 7330774
    Abstract: An operation control unit of a reception system includes a visitor ID information DB for storing therein visitor comparison information and visitor ID information including a phone number of a receiver of a visitor; an identifying unit for identifying the visitor when visitor information obtained by a camera or the like of the robot is identical to the visitor comparison information; a phone calling module for calling the phone number of a mobile terminal of the receiver via a phone network, when the visitor is identified; an informing content determining unit for determining an informing content to the receiver based on the visitor ID information, when the visitor is identified; and a speech generating part for converting the received information into a voice. The informing content is sent to the mobile terminal of the receiver via the phone network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachie Hashimoto, Kimio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7330777
    Abstract: A reference signal is transmitted from one of a plurality of robot control devices connected by communication connecting device to the other robot control device. The timing of generation of an operation basic period signal in each of the other robot control devices is synchronized with the timing of generation of an operation basic period signal in the one of the plurality of robot control devices, based on a time interval from generation of the operation basic period signal until transmission of the reference signal in the one of the plurality of robot control devices, a time interval from generation of the operation basic period signal until reception of the reference signal in each of the other robot control devices, and a communication delay time required for communication between the one of the plurality of robot control devices and each of the other robot control devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshiki Hashimoto, Tomoki Ohya
  • Patent number: 7328087
    Abstract: A bipedal robot of the present invention has a trunk consisting of an upper trunk and a lower trunk which are rotatable around a rotation axis relative to one another. The upper trunk has shoulders on the right and left sides. An arm is provided at each shoulder. A pair of right and left legs is attached to lower ends of the lower trunk. A storage battery is mounted to the back of the upper trunk, positioned within a shoulder width. The storage battery is positioned below the top of a head mounted on the upper trunk. When the robot walks a narrow passage or corridor having a width slightly larger than the width thereof, for example, this arrangement prevents the storage battery from interfering with the passage or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhisa Saito, Teruyuki Oka, Toratsugu Kuwahara, Atsushi Demachi, Toshiyuki Higashi, Kenichi Ogawa, Takuro Koyanagi, Susumu Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 7324873
    Abstract: An offline teaching apparatus including a data acquiring section for acquiring position and orientation data and processing-condition data including interpolation commands, at respective predefined taught points, from an existing first processing program for a first workpiece; a processing-path calculating section for determining a processing path in the first program, based on the position and orientation data and the interpolation commands; a model generating section for generating, by using data of a second workpiece model of a second workpiece having geometrical features different from the first workpiece, a processing line showing a range of processing on the second workpiece; a taught-point calculating section for determining a geometrical correlation between the processing path and the processing line, and determining positions and orientations at respective taught points in the processing line; and a program generating section for generating a processing program for the second workpiece, by using the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nagatsuka, Kozo Inoue
  • Patent number: 7324870
    Abstract: A cleaning robot and a control method thereof in which a cleaning path desired by the user is recognizable by the cleaning robot, thereby being capable of cleaning a cleaning area desired by the user in a pattern desired by the user. The cleaning robot includes a running unit to run the cleaning robot, a storage unit for storing a running path, along which the cleaning robot has learned, and a control unit to recognize the learned running path of the cleaning robot when a path learning operation is required, to store the recognized learned running path in the storage unit, and to drive the running unit. When a cleaning operation of the cleaning robot along the stored learned running path is required, the control unit controls the running unit to cause the cleaning robot to perform the required cleaning operation while running along the stored learned running path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 7321808
    Abstract: When braking of a motion of a part of a first robot is assumed to be started at points in time, a first stop position of the first robot part is estimated at each point in time. When braking of a motion of a part of a second robot is assumed to be started at the points in time, an estimated second stop position of the second robot part is obtained at each point in time. When it is determined that the first stop position of the first robot part at one of the points in time and either the actual position or the second stop position of the second robot part for each interval at the one of the points in time are contained in the shared workspace, the first robot part is braked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: Denso Wave Incorporated
    Inventor: Kenji Nagamatsu
  • Patent number: 7319919
    Abstract: A landing position/orientation of a foot (22) to be landed in a landing action of a robot (1) such as a biped mobile robot or the like is estimated, and a desired footstep path for the robot (1) is set up. Based on the estimated landing position/orientation and the desired footstep path, a future desired landing position/orientation is determined in order to cause actual footsteps of the robot (1) (a sequence of landing positions/orientations of the foot (22)) to approach desired footsteps. Using at least the determined desired landing position/orientation, a desired gait for the robot (1) is determined, and the robot (1) is controlled in operation depending on the desired gait. For determining the desired landing position/orientation, mechanism-dependent limitations of the robot (1) such as an interference between the legs thereof, etc., and limiting conditions of an allowable range in which a desired ZMP can exist are taken into consideration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7319918
    Abstract: A gait generation device for setting a translation floor reaction force's horizontal component (component concerning a friction force) applied to a robot 1, a limitation-target quantity, such as a ZMP, and an allowable range, for determining at least a provisional instantaneous value of a desired floor reaction force and a provisional instantaneous value for a desired movement of the robot 1, that receives at least the provisional instantaneous value for the desired movement and determines a model floor reaction force instantaneous value with the aid of a dynamics model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike
  • Patent number: 7319917
    Abstract: A gait generation device for generating a desired gait which includes floating periods in which all the legs 2, 2 of a legged mobile robot 1 float in the air and landing periods in which at least one leg 2 is in contact with a floor which appear alternately generates the desired gait in such a manner that, at least when shifting from the floating period to the landing period, the velocity of an end portion 22 of a landing leg with respect to the floor and the acceleration thereof with respect to the floor is substantially 0 at the instant of landing. After both the velocity of the end portion of the leg with respect to the floor and the acceleration thereof with respect to the floor are determined to be substantially 0, a movement of the body of the robot with the desired gait is determined in such a manner that the horizontal component of a moment produced about the desired ZMP by the resultant force of gravity and an inertial force applied to the robot 1 is substantially 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike
  • Patent number: 7313464
    Abstract: A method for picking up objects randomly arranged in a bin using a robot having a gripper for grasping the objects using prehension feature(s) on the object. The method includes a shaking scheme for rearranging the objects in the bin when no objects are recognized, when no objects are prehensible by the gripper or when the object to be picked up is not reachable by the gripper because, for example, its prehension feature is substantially facing a wall of the bin. The method also includes a criterion for determining that a bin is free of objects to be picked up and a criterion for selecting the object to be picked up first in the bin. The method also provides for a protection mechanism against damage of the objects and the robot when a recognition technique has failed in properly recognizing the object or the prehension feature on the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Adept Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Perreault, Pierre Olivier
  • Patent number: 7313463
    Abstract: Systems for controlling the motion of multiple articulated elements connected by one or more joints in an artificial appendage system. Four different embodiments includes a controller that reduces the dimension of joint state space by utilizing biomechanically inspired motion primitives; a quadratic proportional-derivative (PD) controller which employs a two-stage linearization method, applies constraints to variables for dynamic stability, and employs a corrective “sliding control” mechanism to account for errors in the linear model used; a non-prioritized balance control approach that employs enforced linear dynamics in which all control variables are truncated to linear terms in joint jerks; and a biomimetic motion and balance controller based on center of mass (CM) energetic and biomimetic zero moment conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hugh M. Herr, Andreas G. Hofmann, Marko B. Popovic
  • Patent number: 7310571
    Abstract: An apparatus calculates, based on unimproved behavior amounts, behavior amount variations of living behaviors when each of living behaviors increases by one unit behavior amount, calculates environmental load variation of living behavior when the living behavior increases by one unit behavior amount, by calculating sum of values each obtained by multiplying one of behavior amount variations by corresponding one of basic units, to obtain environmental load variations of living behaviors, assigns messages to living behaviors based on environment load variations of living behaviors, calculates environmental load reduction of living behavior by (a) calculating variation between one of unimproved behavior amounts and one of improved behavior amounts of living behavior, and (b) multiplying variation by environmental load variation of living behavior, to obtain environmental load reductions of living behaviors, and selects one of messages which is assigned to one of living behaviors has the largest environmental loa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Kumazawa, Hideki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7308335
    Abstract: When generating a gait for a legged mobile robot 1 which has floating periods in which all the legs 2 of the robot float in the air and landing periods in which any of the legs 2 is in contact with the floor appearing alternately, a desired ZMP is set at any point in time in the floating periods and the landing periods, and a desired gait is generated in such a manner that the horizontal component of the moment produced about the desired ZMP by the resultant force of gravity and an inertial force caused by a movement of the robot with the desired gait is 0. The desired ZMP is set to be substantially continuous for all the periods in the gait. Furthermore, as a dynamics model for determining the desired gait, an approximate model is used which is arranged so that the moment, about a certain point of application, of the resultant force of the inertial force and gravity calculated using the model depends on the position of the point of application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike
  • Patent number: 7308336
    Abstract: An allowable range of a frictional force component, such as a horizontal component of a translation floor reaction force, applied to a legged mobile robot 1 is set, and a provisional movement with a current time gait of the robot 1 is determined so as to satisfy a condition concerning the allowable range and a dynamical equilibrium condition that a moment produced about a point of application of a provisional desired floor reaction force substantially agrees with a provisional desired floor reaction force moment. The provisional movement is determined by adjusting movements in two movement modes which are different in ratio between the translation floor reaction force and the floor reaction force moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7292913
    Abstract: In the articulated robot, types of teaching a moving track of the robot can be optionally selected. The articulated robot comprises: a switch for manually selecting a moving axis to move an arm section along the selected axis; a manual pulse generator generating pulses; first controller for controlling motors to linearly move a front end of the arm section a prescribed distance, which corresponds to number of pulses; an operating board including a selecting switch, which is used to move the arm section along the selected axis; second controller for automatically controlling the motors so as to move the arm section while the selecting switch is turned on; third controller for stopping the motors to freely move the arm section while the arm section is manually moved; and a switch for selecting a type of teaching action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Koyama
    Inventors: Hideo Tokutake, Tatsuo Niimura
  • Patent number: 7289884
    Abstract: According to the hand control system (2), the position and posture of a palm (10) are controlled such that the object reference point (Pw) and the hand reference point (Ph) come close to each other and such that the i-th object reference vector (?wi) and the i-th hand reference vector (?hi) come close to each other. During the controlling process of the position and posture of the palm, the operation of a specified finger mechanism is controlled such that the bending posture of the specified finger mechanism gradually changes (for example, such that the degree of bending gradually increases). This ensures accurate grasping of an object of an arbitrary shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Takahashi, Tadaaki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7289885
    Abstract: A dual purpose media drive exchanges data with removable media items. The drive includes at least one port to receive various control signals, including (1) data exchange commands directing the drive to read and/or write data to a media item mounted by the drive, and (2) robotic device management commands. The drive includes a processor that responds to incoming data exchange commands by reading and/or writing to the loaded media item. The processor responds to at least some robotic device management signals by forwarding them to a robotic media transport device. The processor withholds the data exchange commands from the robotic device, since they are only pertinent to operations of the drive itself. The robotic device may be configured to restrict host access to library components according to predefined logical partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert B. Basham, Brian G. Goodman, Leonard G. Jesionowski
  • Patent number: 7286903
    Abstract: A method and system are disclosed for transmitting data among robots and a controller computer system within an automated robotic library. A robotic library communication protocol is described for communicating among the robotic mechanisms and the controller computer system. The robotic library communication protocol defines multiple fields for each packet including a preamble field that describes a predetermined preamble value that is equal to a particular value. Data is transmitted among the robotic mechanisms and the controller computer system utilizing the robotic library communication protocol. Each packet that conforms to the protocol includes only the preamble value in the preamble field. Power is provided to the robotic mechanisms utilizing a power signal. Data that has been encoded according to the protocol is transmitted to the robotic mechanisms using the power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Storage Technology Corporation
    Inventor: William Sehnert
  • Patent number: 7269480
    Abstract: A mobile robot which has a communication with a detection target by a motion of the mobile robot or by an utterance from the mobile robot, the mobile robot includes: a personal identification unit detecting an existence of the tag based on a signal transferred from the tag and obtaining the identification information stored on the tag; a position information acquisition unit obtaining distance information indicating a distance from the mobile robot to the detection target; a locomotion speed detection unit detecting a locomotion speed of the mobile robot; a personal information acquisition unit acquiring personal information based on the identification information; a communication motion determination unit determining contents of a communication motion based on the personal information; and an operation determination unit adjusting a start timing of each content of the communication motion based on distance information and on the locomotion speed of the mobile robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sachie Hashimoto, Satoki Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7266425
    Abstract: The subject invention relates to systems and methods that facilitate motion between different coordinate systems in an industrial control environment. The systems and methods accept data in one coordinate system and transform the data to a different coordinate system. Suitable transformations include instructions that transform between Cartesian, pre-defined non-Cartesian, and user-defined non-Cartesian coordinate systems, including transformations between a non-Cartesian coordinate system to another non-Cartesian coordinate system. Such transformations can be programmed in essentially any industrial control language and can be seamlessly integrated with the control environment. The systems and methods can be utilized to generate a motion instruction that includes, among other information, source and target coordinate systems and the transformation between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jatin P. Bhatt, Fabio Malaspina, Michael Piatka, William C. Schwarz, Jeffery W. Brooks, Slobodan Milosevic
  • Patent number: 7248944
    Abstract: A teleoperator system with telepresence is shown which includes right and left hand controllers (72R and 72L) for control of right and left manipulators (24R and 24L) through use of a servomechanism that includes computer (42). Cameras (46R and 46L) view workspace (30) from different angles for production of stereoscopic signal outputs at lines (48R and 48L). In response to the camera outputs a 3-dimensional top-to-bottom inverted image (30I) is produced which, is reflected by mirror (66) toward the eyes of operator (18). A virtual image (30V) is produced adjacent control arms (76R and 76L) which is viewed by operator (18) looking in the direction of the control arms. Use of the teleoperator system for surgical procedures also is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Institute Surgical, Inc
    Inventor: Philip S. Green
  • Patent number: 7245990
    Abstract: A robot control unit for controlling a robot mechanism unit constantly detects the status of a robot and stores it as robot status data. An operation command input by voice from a head set is converted into character data by a voice/character data conversion device, and input to a control device. The control device searches a command corresponding to an operation command input in operation commands stored in management data. An executing program group is specified for link and storage with the corresponding operation command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Atsushi Watanabe, Hiroji Nishi
  • Publication number: 20070156285
    Abstract: A medical robotic system comprises a number of components that may be monitored to determine their preventive maintenance needs by recording usage-related information for the monitored components into associated non-volatile memories. When usage of the component exceeds a specified usage threshold, the system displays a warning message on its display screen to have preventive maintenance performed for the component. If the usage continues without such maintenance and exceeds a higher usage threshold, the system displays an error message on its display screen and the system transitions into an error state during which medical procedures are not allowed to be performed. The usage-related information may also be communicated to a remote computer which gathers and processes usage-related information from a number of medical robotic systems to estimate resource requirements for timely performing preventive maintenance on the medical robotic systems, and anticipated service revenues from such maintenance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Applicant: Intuitive Surgical INC.
    Inventors: DEBRA SILLMAN, GREGORY K. TOTH, THOMAS NIXON, ROBERT P. SONSTROM
  • Patent number: 7236854
    Abstract: A method and a system for use in connection with programming of an industrial robot. The programming includes teaching the robot a path having a number of waypoints located on or in the vicinity of an object to be processed by the robot. The system includes elements for obtaining information about the waypoints of the path in relation to the object, a storage unit for storing the obtained information, a simulation unit for simulating the robot path based on the obtained information about the waypoints and a model of the robot, a graphics generator for generating a graphical representation of the simulated robot path, and a display member for displaying a view comprising the object and the graphical representation of the robot path projected on the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: John Pretlove, Charlotte Skourup, Thomas Pettersen
  • Patent number: 7236852
    Abstract: A legged mobile robot itself is responsive to the result of error detection during robot operations to perform error avoiding processing autonomously. In detecting an error, requested commands are all blocked by the internal processing within the robot so that an input to an actuating system does not affect the robot. The type of the error that has occurred is also notified to the actuating system so that feedback to an inputting system 32 may be applied in a manner specific to the error type. When the error is eliminated, that effect is notified to the actuating system to enable re-initiation of the usual command input from the remote operating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignees: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohisa Moridaira, Jinichi Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20070142970
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a method of mounting a surgical robotic arm to a set-up arm of a robotic surgical system is provided that includes sliding a pair of guide slots of the surgical robotic arm over a pair of guide tabs in the set-up arm; aligning electrical connectors in the set-up arm to electrical connectors of the surgical robotic arm; and coincidentally mating male electrical connectors to female electrical connectors while finally mating the guide tabs in the set-up arm to flanges of a housing of the surgical robotic arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Applicant: INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC.
    Inventors: William Burbank, Scott Luke, Dean Hoornaert
  • Patent number: 7222000
    Abstract: A remote controlled robot system that includes a robot and a remote control station. A user can control movement of the robot from the remote control station. The remote control station may generate robot control commands that are transmitted through a broadband network. The robot has a camera that generates video images that are transmitted to the remote control station through the network. The user can control movement of the robot while viewing the video images provided by the robot camera. The robot can automatically stop movement if it does not receive a robot control command within a time interval. The remote control station may transmit a stop command to the robot if the station does not receive an updated video image within a time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Charles S. Jordan, Marco Pinter, Jonathan Southard
  • Patent number: 7218993
    Abstract: A robot system is provided and includes an autonomous mobile robot. In the system in which monitoring is performed using the autonomous mobile robot which travels along a predetermined path, an interval between the time when a user requests transmission of images and the time when the user obtains the images may be reduced. The autonomous mobile robot travels along a predetermined path at predetermined times, a camera takes photographs at predetermined locations during the travel along the predetermined path, images taken by the camera are stored, and the stored images are sent to a requesting cell phone in response to a transmission request from the cell phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Yusuke Yasukawa, Masayasu Hino
  • Patent number: 7180253
    Abstract: A motion control system comprises control logic and a programming interface. The programming interface is configured to permit a user to specify a plurality of non-tangential path segments, and the control logic is configured to generate a plurality of additional connecting path segments substantially extending between and connecting the non-tangential path segments. The motion control system is configured to generate control signals to control operation of a plurality of motors to drive movement of a controlled element along a path defined by the non-tangential path segments and the additional connecting path segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Juergen K. Weinhofer, Jatin P. Bhatt, William C. Schwarz
  • Patent number: 7181314
    Abstract: An industrial robot that has uses a simulated force vector to allow a work piece held by the robot end effector to be mated with a work piece whose location and orientation is not precisely known to the robot. When the end effector makes contact with the location and orientation in which the other work piece is held the robot provides a velocity command to minimize the force of the contact and also provides a search pattern in all directions and orientations to cause the end effector to bring the work piece it is holding in contact with the other work piece. The search pattern and the velocity command are continued until the two work pieces mate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignees: ABB Research Ltd., ABB Automation Technologies AB Robotics
    Inventors: Hui Zhang, Zhongxue Gan, Torgny Brogardh, Jianjun Wang
  • Patent number: 7181315
    Abstract: A manual-mode operating system for a robot provided with an end-effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Atsushi Watanabe, Tatsuya Oumi
  • Patent number: 7177722
    Abstract: An assembling method and an apparatus for carrying out the method capable of efficiently, reliably and easily detecting an insertion and fitting position, for easy automatic assembly. In case a rod-like workpiece is inserted into a hole in an object, an insertable range is determined based an amount of clearance between the workpiece and the hole, an amount of chamfering of the hole, etc. The insertable range is defined as within a range centered at a hole center position 3cp and having a radium of r. A workpiece center position is indicated by 1cp. While the workpiece is moved once throughout a search range (XL-XU) in the X-axis direction, it is moved in the Y-axis direction by an amount equal to or less than an insertable range amount 2r. As shown by a dotted line, the workpiece center 1cp passes without fail through the insertable range during the motion throughout the search range (XL-XU, YL-YU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Tetsuaki Kato, Takashi Sato
  • Patent number: 7177723
    Abstract: A robotic storage library is provided for reducing the transition time to reach an operational state following a transition from a power-off to a power-on state. The robotic storage library can generally include a transport unit for moving data cartridges, or other storage elements, between a location in a shelf system and a drive, or data transfer interface, to complete storage operations for a host computer. The library can further include a controller for causing an audit to be performed to create an inventory of the locations. The audit can be stored in nonvolatile memory prior to the power transition. The inventory information can be transmitted to a host computer after the power transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Spectra Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew T. Starr, Joshua D. Carter, Nathan C. Thompson
  • Patent number: 7171286
    Abstract: A robotic system that includes a plurality of robots that are linked to a plurality of remote stations. The robots have an input device and software that allows control of another robot. This allows an operator in close physical proximity to a robot to operate another robot. Each robot can be either a master or slave device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Charles S. Jordan, Keith Phillip Laby, Jonathan Southard, Marco Pinter
  • Patent number: 7164970
    Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Keith Phillip Laby, Charles S. Jordan, Steven Edward Butner, Jonathan Southard
  • Patent number: 7162331
    Abstract: A charging/discharging circuit electrically controls the charge of a battery using supplied current and discharge of it. A micro-controller drives a robot according to instructions from a personal computer, controls the charging/discharging circuit while monitoring the battery state, and during the charge, prohibits the operation of a travel mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Katsushi Sakai
  • Patent number: 7158859
    Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot with at least five degrees of freedom and a teleconferencing function. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform provides three degrees of freedom to allow the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient. The robot also has mechanisms to provide at least two degrees of freedom for the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Keith Phillip Laby, Charles S. Jordan, Steven Edward Butner, James Cuevas, Jonathan Southard, Mike Medus
  • Patent number: 7158860
    Abstract: A robotic system that includes a mobile robot linked to a plurality of remote stations. The robot provides both audio and visual information to the stations. One of the remote stations, a primary station, may control the robot while receiving and providing audio and visual information with the remote controlled robot. The other stations, the secondary stations, may also receive the audio and visual information transmitted between the robot and the primary station. This allows operators of the secondary stations to observe, communicate and be trained through the robot and primary station. Such an approach may reduce the amount of travel required to train personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Charles S. Jordan, Marco Pinter, Jonathan Southard
  • Patent number: 7142947
    Abstract: A method for monitoring a patient with a robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Keith Phillip Laby, Charles S. Jordan, Steven Edward Butner, Jonathan Southard
  • Patent number: 7142945
    Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: InTouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Keith Phillip Laby, Charles S. Jordan, Steven Edward Butner, Jonathan Southard
  • Patent number: 7136723
    Abstract: A robot controller for teaching a robot with high efficiency. The robot controller including command storage unit (21) where a movement command and a work command are stored, command identifying unit (24) for discriminating between the movement and work commands, unit (22) for making/editing a series of work programs or discrete work programs by a combination of the commands, work program storage units (23) where the work programs are stored so as to control the robot according to the stored program, further including a work section identifying unit (25) for identifying a work section of the work program by way of the command identification unit (24) and work section automatic stopping unit (27) for automatically stopping or suspending the execution of the work program at the work section in a standby state when the work section identifying unit (25) identifies the work section during the execution of the work program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Takahide Hirayama, Shinji Okumura, Hiyoyuki Handa, Takeshi Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7133744
    Abstract: An input motion acquiring unit acquires a motion trajectory of an object from an image recognizing unit. A dynamic modelling processor models a plurality of robot motion patterns stored in a robot motion pattern storage unit in a dynamic system form, and stores the modelled robot motion patterns into a robot-motion-pattern-model storage unit. A motion converting unit linearly transforms the plurality of robot motion dynamic models stored in the robot-motion-pattern-model storage unit into prediction motion trajectories. A motion comparing unit compares the input motion trajectory acquired by the motion acquiring unit with the prediction motion trajectories transformed by the motion converting unit. A robot motion selecting unit selects a robot motion pattern having the highest similarity from the robot motion pattern storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masato Ito
  • Patent number: 7103449
    Abstract: A position information recognition apparatus for a cleaning robot includes a fixed plate installed to a body of the cleaner and a motor fixedly secured to the fixed plate to generate a rotational force. A rotational cylinder having a rotational axis coincident with the axis of the motor is provided so as to rotate about a predetermined angle and a plurality of position information sensors are installed on the rotational cylinder at predetermined angular spacing in order to sense the surroundings. By installing several supersonic wave sensors that can rotate left and right over a predetermined range, the observation region can be greatly increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Chun-Kyu Woo, Hyeong-Sin Jeon
  • Patent number: 7092792
    Abstract: A robot remote manipulation system is provided, including a bipedal walking robot and a remote manipulation device for remotely manipulating the bipedal walking robot. The robot is connected to the remote manipulation device via a communication network and controlled by controlling data from the remote manipulation device. In the system, the remote manipulation device comprises a pair of bilateral mechanical rotating elements providing a quantity of motion for each bilateral leg of the bipedal walking robot; and a controlling data transmitter for transmitting controlling data corresponding to the quantities of motion to the bipedal walking robot. The bipedal walking robot comprises a controlling data receiver for receiving the controlling data transmitted from the remote manipulation device; and a leg motion controller for processing the received controlling data and causing the bilateral legs to move forward or backward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
    Inventors: Kouki Hayashi, Yumiko Hiraiwa, legal representative, Hiroyuki Manabe, Takashi Ninjouji, Toshiaki Sugimura, Akira Hiraiwa, deceased
  • Patent number: 7089085
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of calibrating a robot. The robot has a robot arm with a mechanically restricted moving displacement. In the robot calibration method of the present invention, a first moving displacement between a normal position of the robot arm and a contact position, where the robot arm comes into contact with the body of the robot, is obtained. A second moving displacement between a current position of the robot arm and the contact position is obtained by moving the robot arm to the contact position. The current position of the robot arm is corrected to the normal position on the basis of a difference between the first and second moving displacements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eun-Chan Kim