Patents by Inventor Alfons Riek
Alfons Riek 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).
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Patent number: 11953888Abstract: A production cell includes: at least one robot arranged to handle products; at least one buffer area for intermediate storage of products inside the production cell; a vision system with cameras arranged to determine, based on images from the cameras, the identity and the location of objects in the production cell a plurality of production modules, each production module comprising at least one Hardware Module configured to process products; and a plurality of module attachment locations, each module attachment location being configured to connect with an interface section of a production module through at least a physical connection and a power connection.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2018Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KGInventors: Alfons Riek, Curt-Michael Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Judith Wimmer, Ivo Aschwanden, Kilian Iannucci, Alexandra Krause, Markus Andreas Müller, Martin Helmer, Peter Barmettler
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Publication number: 20230070428Abstract: A method for supporting designing and operation of a robotic system includes operating a computer-based Inventory configured to operate in a robotic system having Hardware Modules to perform a task, the Inventory including Hardware Module Descriptions including a unique identifier, a description of physical characteristics, a current status and historical data the Hardware Module. The method including the steps of collecting status data of the Hardware Module; collecting operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module and updating the historical data accordingly; and at least one of the steps of scheduling maintenance actions to be performed on the Hardware Module; deriving or modifying, based on the operating data, historical data that is associated with a type of the Hardware Module.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: Alfons Riek, Curt-Michael Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Carole Chapelat, Judith Wimmer, Ivo Aschwanden, Martin Helmer, Markus Andreas Muller, Peter Barmettler
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Patent number: 11597076Abstract: A Hardware Module for a robotic system includes at least one sensor for measuring an internal property of the Hardware Module, a communication unit for communicating with other Hardware Modules, a data storage unit and an embedded controller. The embedded controller is configured to collect collected data, the collected data including: status data representing the current status of the Hardware Module; and operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module wherein at least part of the collected data is determined from sensor data from the at least one sensor, and the embedded controller is configured to perform at least one of: storing the collected data on the data storage unit; and transmitting the collected data via the communication unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2018Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: Festo SE & Co. KGInventors: Alfons Riek, Kurt Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Martin Sigrist, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Leif Pudewills, Kilian Iannucci
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Publication number: 20220219326Abstract: A robotic system includes at least two Hardware Modules, each having at least one sensor for measuring an internal property, a communication unit, a data storage unit and an embedded controller. The embedded controller is configured to collect collected data including status data representing the current status of the Hardware Module; and operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module. At least part of the collected data is determined from sensor data, and the embedded controller is configured to store or transmit the collected data. The robotic system including a central computation and command unit configured to receive the collected data; and to control operation of the robotic system by controlling operation of at least one actuator of the at least two Hardware Modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2022Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Alfons Riek, Kurt Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Martin Sigrist, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Carole Chapelat, Kilian Iannucci, Alexandra Krause
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Publication number: 20220219327Abstract: A robotic system includes at least two Hardware Modules, each having at least one sensor for measuring an internal property, a communication unit, a data storage unit and an embedded controller. The embedded controller is configured to collect collected data including status data representing the current status of the Hardware Module; and operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module. At least part of the collected data is determined from sensor data, and the embedded controller is configured to store or transmit the collected data. The robotic system including a central computation and command unit configured to receive the collected data; and to control operation of the robotic system by controlling operation of at least one actuator of the at least two Hardware Modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2022Publication date: July 14, 2022Inventors: Alfons Riek, Kurt Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Martin Sigrist, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Carole Chapelat, Kilian Iannucci, Alexandra Krause
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Publication number: 20210370497Abstract: A production cell includes: at least one robot arranged to handle products; at least one buffer area for intermediate storage of products inside the production cell; a vision system with cameras arranged to determine, based on images from the cameras, the identity and the location of objects in the production cell a plurality of production modules, each production module comprising at least one Hardware Module configured to process products; and a plurality of module attachment locations, each module attachment location being configured to connect with an interface section of a production module through at least a physical connection and a power connection.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2018Publication date: December 2, 2021Inventors: Alfons Riek, Curt-Michael Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Judith Wimmer, Ivo Aschwanden, Kilian Iannucci, Alexandra Krause, Markus Andreas Müller, Martin Helmer, Peter Barmettler
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Publication number: 20210178575Abstract: A method for supporting designing and operation of a robotic system includes operating a computer-based Inventory configured to operate in a robotic system having Hardware Modules to perform a task, the Inventory including Hardware Module Descriptions including a unique identifier, a description of physical characteristics, a current status and historical data the Hardware Module. The method including the steps of collecting status data of the Hardware Module; collecting operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module and updating the historical data accordingly; and at least one of the steps of scheduling maintenance actions to be performed on the Hardware Module (3); deriving or modifying, based on the operating data, historical data that is associated with a type of the Hardware Module.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2018Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Alfons Riek, Curt-Michael Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Carole Chapelat, Judith Wimmer, Ivo Aschwanden, Martin Helmer, Markus Andreas Muller, Peter Barmettler
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Publication number: 20200306978Abstract: A robotic system includes at least two Hardware Modules, each having at least one sensor for measuring an internal property, a communication unit, a data storage unit and an embedded controller. The embedded controller is configured to collect collected data including status data representing the current status of the Hardware Module; and operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module. At least part of the collected data is determined from sensor data, and the embedded controller is configured to store or transmit the collected data. The robotic system including a central computation and command unit configured to receive the collected data; and to control operation of the robotic system by controlling operation of at least one actuator of the at least two Hardware Modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2018Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Alfons Riek, Kurt Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Martin Sigrist, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Carole Chapelat, Kilian Iannucci, Alexandra Krause
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Publication number: 20200269417Abstract: A Hardware Module for a robotic system includes at least one sensor for measuring an internal property of the Hardware Module, a communication unit for communicating with other Hardware Modules, a data storage unit and an embedded controller. The embedded controller is configured to collect collected data, the collected data including: status data representing the current status of the Hardware Module; and operating data representing usage of the Hardware Module wherein at least part of the collected data is determined from sensor data from the at least one sensor, and the embedded controller is configured to perform at least one of: storing the collected data on the data storage unit; and transmitting the collected data via the communication unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2018Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: Alfons Riek, Kurt Stoll, Hans Klingel, Marcel Aeschlimann, Samuel Malzach, Martin Sigrist, Christian Schmid, Christoph Berger, Leif Pudewills, Kilian Iannucci
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Patent number: 10161490Abstract: Control equipment for generating a rotational travel motion from a rotational drive motion includes a drive shaft, an intermediate body, a reference body, and an output body that are movable relative to each other. The control equipment includes a first transmission and a second transmission, which is different from the first transmission. The first transmission transforms a rotational movement of the drive shaft relative to the reference body into a linear motion component of the intermediate body relative to the reference body, and the control equipment has a displacement line along which the intermediate body moves via the linear motion component of the intermediate body relative to the reference body. The second transmission transforms the linear motion component of the intermediate body relative into a rotational movement of the output body relative to the reference body.Type: GrantFiled: April 7, 2015Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: FESTO AG & CO. KGInventors: Kurt Stoll, Alfons Riek, Martin Sigrist, Elmar Mock, Samuel Malzach
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Publication number: 20170138446Abstract: Control equipment for generating a rotational travel motion from a rotational drive motion includes a drive shaft, an intermediate body, a reference body, and an output body that are movable relative to each other. The control equipment includes a first transmission and a second transmission, which is different from the first transmission. The first transmission transforms a rotational movement of the drive shaft relative to the reference body into a linear motion component of the intermediate body relative to the reference body, and the control equipment has a displacement line along which the intermediate body moves via the linear motion component of the intermediate body relative to the reference body. The second transmission transforms the linear motion component of the intermediate body relative into a rotational movement of the output body relative to the reference body.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2015Publication date: May 18, 2017Inventors: Kurt Stoll, Alfons Riek, Martin Sigrist, Elmar Mock, Samuel Malzach