Patents Examined by Mingjen Jen
  • Patent number: 10099376
    Abstract: A method for setting up and/or calibrating a robot positioned in a work environment at an operation site, wherein a predetermined routine is carried out for the purposes of setting up and/or calibration. The method includes the steps of generating the routine for the robot at a simulation site distant from the operation site; after completing the generation of the routine, transmitting the routine to a control unit of the robot at the operation site; calling up the routine and remotely executing the routine at the operation site via a control center located remotely from the operation site; and, after the start of the generated routine, allowing the generated routine to automatically process without intervention by an operator at the operation site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Ecoclean GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Foerster, Benno Zimmermann, Ruediger Fritzen
  • Patent number: 10065217
    Abstract: A scraping device and a scraping method, by which a scraping process using a robot can be automated, and workload of an operator can be significantly reduced. The scraping device includes a robot which grips or holds a scraping tool, and a robot controller which controls the robot. The robot is a multi-joint robot having six axes, and has a robot arm and a robot hand attached to a front end of the robot arm. The scraping tool is gripped or held by the robot hand. The scraping tool has a cutting edge and a vibrator which vibrates the cutting edge at high velocity, and the robot hand grips the scraping tool while the cutting edge is vibrated at high velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Nagatsuka
  • Patent number: 10056282
    Abstract: A robot fork calibration method and system is provided. At least three non-linear arranged lower sensors are provided on a bottom surface of the fork to detect distances to a fixed detection point. The fixed detection point and a horizontal plane of the detection point define a reference coordinate system. Spatial coordinates of the lower sensors in the reference coordinate system are calculated and a plane equation as well as a tilted angle of the fork are obtained according to the spatial coordinates. Therefore, the height of the fork can be calibrated according to the Z axis coordinates of the lower sensors and the levelness of the fork can be calibrated according to the tilted angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dong Xu
  • Patent number: 10046460
    Abstract: A robot teaching position correcting method and system is provided. The robot is driven to move along wafer pick-and-place operation paths defined by a sequence of waypoints. Distances between the waypoint and a wafer supporter of the wafer carrier above the waypoint are detected by upper sensors provided on a top surface of the robot when the robot is positioned at the waypoint. Then, the position parameter of the waypoint is corrected accordingly, so as to ensure safe wafer handling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Dong Xu
  • Patent number: 10035265
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a manipulator includes the following elements. The first joint has a rotation axis in a first direction crossing a gravity direction. The second joint has a rotation axis in a second direction crossing the first direction. The first arm and the second arm are coupled with the second joint along a third direction crossing the second direction. The variable center-of-gravity unit coupled with the first arm. The controller controls the variable center-of-gravity unit to perform an operation for moving the first weight of the variable center-of-gravity unit in a direction crossing the rotation axis of the first joint and/or an operation for moving the second weight of the variable center-of-gravity unit in a direction crossing the rotation axis of the second joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Hideichi Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 10018995
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for optimizing performance of a robotic cell. The robotic cell comprises at least one workstation and at least one robot. The method may comprise determining a factor and a corresponding workstation sensitive to the performance of the robotic cell by performing a sensitivity analysis on an initial cell layout for the robotic cell; and performing a performance optimization process on the corresponding workstation based on the determined factor to obtain an improved cell layout for the robotic cell. With embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to perform performance optimization of the robotic cell on the sensitive workstation regarding to the sensitive factor, and thus it may efficiently determine an improved cell layout which may achieve performance improvement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Jiafan Zhang
  • Patent number: 10004625
    Abstract: An eating aid robot and a method performed thereby are provided. The robot comprises an arm capable of engaging an eating tool at an end of the arm. The arm is moveable to move the eating tool horizontally and vertically, wherein the arm is configured to be positioned with the eating tool in at least two vertical levels. The robot is connectable to a maneuver device which sends a signal to the robot, wherein the arm follows a cycle of different vertical and horizontal movements and pauses when the arm is kept still with the eating tool in at least one of the vertical levels. The method comprises receiving the signal from the maneuver device, and selecting a subsequent movement and/or pause of the cycle for the arm based on in which of the movements or pauses of the cycle the arm currently is when receiving the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Bestic AB
    Inventors: Jonathan Fogelberg, Ann-Louise Lindborg