Patents Assigned to Kuka Roboter GmbH
  • Patent number: 9114528
    Abstract: An invention-based control system for at least one robot comprises a, especially symmetric, multi-core architecture with a first virtual machine (V1) with at least one computing engine (C3), which has been provided for controlling at least one process application (P) of this robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Haag, Heinrich Munz, Dirk Jacob, Hans-Peter Klüger
  • Patent number: 9107633
    Abstract: The invention relates to a medical work station which has a medical technology apparatus and a patient support device. The medical technology apparatus includes a medical technology device and at least one first robot, which has a first robot arm, having a plurality of members and a first control device that controls a motion of the first robot arm. The medical technology device is attached to a first attaching device of the first robot arm. The patient support device includes a patient table and a second robot, which has a second robot arm having a plurality of members, and a second control device that controls a motion of the second robot arm. The patient table is attached to a second attaching device of the second robot arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Muller
  • Patent number: 9102060
    Abstract: In a method and device to control a multiple-machine arrangement with at least one first controller and one second controller, specific data packages for the controllers are generated, these specific data packages are transferred to the controllers, the transferred data packages are selectively activated, and downloading of the data packages is implemented in the controllers as a result of an activation, in particular installation of at least one program and/or one configuration file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Tarragona, Eiko Allmann
  • Patent number: 9102065
    Abstract: An industrial robot has a robot arm with a linkage and an arm extension that is pivotable at the linkage. The arm extension has an arm enclosure that is pivotable at the linkage. The arm extension has a primary hand enclosure that can rotate, means of a first actuator that has a first drive shaft, at the arm enclosure around an arm axle extending in the longitudinal dimension of the arm extension. The arm extension has a first hand element that is adjustable around a first hand axle relative to the primary hand enclosure by means of a second actuator that has a second drive shaft, and a second hand element that is adjustable around a second hand axle relative to the first-hand element by means of a third actuator that has a third drive shaft. The first, second and third actuators are arranged in the primary hand enclosure with their respective drive shafts extending essentially parallel to and at a distance from the arm axle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Rainer Krumbacher
  • Patent number: 9102061
    Abstract: A process module library according to the invention for programming a manipulator process, in particular an assembly process, comprises a plurality of parametrisable process modules (“search( )”, “peg_in_hole( )”, “gear( )”, “screw( )”) for carrying out a sub-process which in particular is common to different manipulator processes. Each of the process modules comprises a plurality of basic commands of a common set of basic commands for carrying out a basic operation, in particular an atomic or molecular operation, and a process module can be linked, in particular mathematically, to a further process module and/or a basic command. During programming, a manipulator can be controlled by means of a functional module of a graphic programming environment (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Schmirgel, Gerhard Hietmann, Sebastian Reitelshofer, Simon Klumpp, Johannes Kurth
  • Patent number: 9102058
    Abstract: A method for executing a manipulator process with at least two manipulator poses with a manipulator, in particular a robot, wherein the manipulator comprises at least one drive means having a motor and a brake, comprising the steps of: (S10) Assuming a manipulator pose; (S20) Stopping at least one drive means; (S30) Closing at least one brake of this drive means; (S40) Reduction of the energy supply to the drive means; (S50) Increasing the energy supply to the drive means; (S60) Opening the closed brake; (S70) Assuming another manipulator pose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Josef Hofmann
  • Publication number: 20150210174
    Abstract: The invention relates to a charging system for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger car (2), provided with a robot (1) having a control means (1.1), a force detecting means (5), and a plug (4.1) fastened to the robot, configured to establish a detachable plug connection with the mating plug (4.2) on the vehicle side for charging an electric energy store of the motor vehicle, wherein the control means is configured to communicate with the force detecting means, and to connect the robot-guided plug to the mating plug based on a force detected by the force detecting means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: KUKA ROBOTER GMBH
    Inventor: Norbert Settele
  • Patent number: 9086690
    Abstract: Control programs for robotic systems are synchronized through the use of synchronization objects which control access to shared resources and allow for sequencing of events in separate program threads. Where necessary, partner objects generate between control programs and synchronization objects to assure uniform interaction between control program threads and synchronization objects. As all synchronization objects contain searchable partner lists, actual simulated and runtime deadlocks including any type of synchronization object can be detected, and the full system can be analyzed to identify potential deadlocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Stoddard
  • Patent number: 9067322
    Abstract: An invention-based method for controlling a robot arrangement having at least one robot (R) and comprising the following steps: Establishing at least one general fault model (1) for a group of different treatment processes with predetermined processing errors (S1); Configuring the fault model for at least one specific processing error of a process of the group (S2); and Transmitting the configured fault model (1?) to a control system of the robot arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Keibel, Thomas Kohler
  • Patent number: 9030492
    Abstract: A method for overlaying AR objects on an environmental image representing the environment includes recording a depth image of the environment from a point of vision; modifying the representation of an AR object to be placed in the environmental image in terms of how it appears from the point of vision at a pre-defined spot in the environmental image; determining how the parts of the AR object facing the point of vision are arranged in relation to an associated image point of the depth image, from the point of vision; modifying at least the representation of parts of the AR object in a pre-determined manner in relation to the apparent depth in the image; and overlaying the processed AR object on the environmental image. A device for overlaying AR objects on an environmental image displaying the environment operates according to the method steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Bischoff, Arif Kazi
  • Patent number: 9030674
    Abstract: A device according to the invention (1) for monitoring the safety of at least one robot (2), having a non-contact detection apparatus (3A, 3B) for monitoring a working space (A) of at least one robot (2) in a monitoring mode (FIG. 1), is characterized by a switching means (1) for switching the detection apparatus into a measuring mode (FIG. 2) to measure at least one robot (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Bonin
  • Patent number: 9008837
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for creating a robot model (17) of an industrial robot (1) which has a robotic arm (2) having a plurality of successive limbs (3-8) which are adjustable by means of drives (11-16) via transmissions (5) in relation to axes (A1-A2), controlled by a control device (10) of the industrial robot (1). According to the invention, the robotic arm (2) is moved in a plurality of poses. At least one of the limbs (4) is moved in the same first movement direction (18) by means of the drive (11) thereof at least upon approaching the individual poses. In order to obtain the robot model (17), the robotic arm (2) is measured at each of the poses thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Gernot Nitz, Dietmar Tscharnuter, Wolfgang Michel, Rene Rossig, Michael Muller
  • Patent number: 9003918
    Abstract: The invention relates to a robot arm of an industrial robot. The robot arm includes a flange provided to secure an end effector and several sequentially-positioned members connected by means of links, of which one of the members is mounted immediately before the flange, and the flange is mounted to rotate with respect to an axis relative to this member. To adjust the flange with respect to the member mounted immediately before the flange, the robot arm comprises an adjustment device that includes a base carrier is detachably attachable to the flange particularly by means of screws, with an adjustment means disposed on the base carrier that interacts with a counter-adjustment means disposed on the member mounted immediately before the flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Liebl, Gernot Nitz
  • Patent number: 8983786
    Abstract: A method for referencing a drive position of an electric drive of a gripper half of a production gripper in a closed position of two gripper halves includes closing the open gripper halves, determining multiple actual positions of an electric drive and tracking error values of the electric drive in a time interval during the closing of the gripper halves until beyond a point in time in which the closed position is reached, determining a straight line based on the ascertained tracking error values depending on a related time-tracking-error function, determining the instant of the zero crossing of the straight line of the time-tracking-error function, and determining the actual position of the electric drive that corresponds to the instant of the zero crossing of the straight line of the time-tracking-error-function. A production gripper and a respective control device for operating the production gripper are set up to carry out such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Franz Pecher
  • Patent number: 8915696
    Abstract: In a method and device for depalletizing stack containers, the stacked containers are supported by at least one support base, and the stacked containers on the support base are frictionally engaged and lifted on two opposite sides thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Kuka Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Baumann, Herbert Fellner
  • Patent number: 8829895
    Abstract: The invention relates to a machine comprising a first member, a rotatable second member rotatable relative to the first member relative to an axis, a control device, a drive connected with the control device for moving the two members relative to one another, and a first Hall sensor connected with the control device and arranged on the first member. On the second member, a first, second and third magnet are arranged next to each other on a common circular trajectory such, that during a rotation of the two members relative to one another, the first Hall sensor is located at a specific position in the detection zone of the magnets. The second magnet which is developed as the center magnet is facing towards the first Hall sensor with another magnetic pole than the first and third magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Gernot Nitz, Stefan Roth, Dietmar Tscharnuter
  • Patent number: 8812158
    Abstract: A handling system and method for automatically moving a gravity-based load body using a robot. The load body is supported by a load body holding means connected to an end effector flange of the robot. A gravity compensation device includes a connector element acting on an element or the end effector flange of the robot to compensate for the gravity of the load body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Sven Brudniok, Günter Schreiber, Johann Maischberger
  • Patent number: 8806963
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measuring device (20) for ascertaining a torque acting on an axis (A2,) and to a robot (1) with a robot arm (2) having a plurality of members which are rotatably mounted in reference to axes (A1-A6). The robot (1) also has the measuring device (20), in order to determine for at least one of the axes (A2) the torque exerted on that axis (A2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Langhans
  • Patent number: 8812257
    Abstract: In order to determine a virtual sensor tool center point sensor TCP of a light section sensor, the invention provides that: the sensor TCP is placed in sufficient concordance with a point on a line on a surface a so-called feature of a reference part with a known location; a normal to the surface of the reference part is determined; the Z direction of the sensor is brought in concordance with the normal of the surface of the reference part, and; a defined alignment of the sensor with the line of the feature is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Thomas Kohler
  • Patent number: 8763488
    Abstract: The invention relates to an industrial robot, having a multiple-axis robot arm, with a base, a carousel that is rotatably supported relative to the base in reference to an axis and a mechanical stop device provided to limit a rotary motion of the carousel relative to the base. The stop device has a slider situated on the base, with stops situated at its ends, a trailing stop situated in the slider and a drive dog situated on the carousel. The drive dog and the slider are designed so that the drive dog is introduced into the slider by a corresponding rotary motion of the carousel relative to the axis and pushes the trailing stop against the relative stop. The trailing stop includes a plastically deformable damping element, which is provided to brake the carousel due to a plastic deformation caused by the trailing stop being pushed against the relevant stop by the drive dog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventor: Andre Reekers