Patents by Inventor Dirk Eickhorst

Dirk Eickhorst 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).

  • Publication number: 20240253106
    Abstract: Method for machining an aircraft structural component using a machining system, the machining system having a drilling unit and a riveting unit, a manufacturing process controller for actuating the components of the machining system, an optical sensor and a projection unit. The method comprising the steps of: projecting a pattern by the projection unit onto a machining point with a rivet element inserted into a drill hole of the machining point, detecting the machining point including the projection of the pattern by the sensor and generating corresponding detection data by the sensor, evaluating the detection data by an evaluation unit, adapting the tool control data for a drill hole to be drilled subsequently according to the manufacturing specification at a further machining point, in particular the countersink depth of the drill hole to be drilled, by the manufacturing process controller on the basis of the evaluation of the detection data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventor: Dirk Eickhorst
  • Patent number: 11292130
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a method for motion simulation for a manipulator, such as an NC-controlled manipulator, in a machining environment, wherein the manipulator is moved in an operating mode by a control apparatus and the machining environment is at least partly mapped in an environment model and wherein the method comprises computation of a trajectory plan by the control apparatus from a setpoint movement of the manipulator starting from an initial situation and based on a kinematic model of the manipulator, performance of a kinematic collision check based on the trajectory plan, the kinematic model and the environment model, and production of a prediction result based on the kinematic collision check. The method is characterized in that the initial situation corresponds to the current manipulator state. Further, some embodiments relate to a corresponding computer program with program code and to a corresponding system for motion simulation for a manipulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Broetje-Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Dirk Eickhorst, Marcel Meyer
  • Publication number: 20180126554
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a method for motion simulation for a manipulator, such as an NC-controlled manipulator, in a machining environment, wherein the manipulator is moved in an operating mode by a control apparatus and the machining environment is at least partly mapped in an environment model and wherein the method comprises computation of a trajectory plan by the control apparatus from a setpoint movement of the manipulator starting from an initial situation and based on a kinematic model of the manipulator, performance of a kinematic collision check based on the trajectory plan, the kinematic model and the environment model, and production of a prediction result based on the kinematic collision check. The method is characterized in that the initial situation corresponds to the current manipulator state. Further, some embodiments relate to a corresponding computer program with program code and to a corresponding system for motion simulation for a manipulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Dirk Eickhorst, Marcel Meyer
  • Patent number: 8706302
    Abstract: In a method for the offline programming of an NC-controlled manipulator which follows at least one real trajectory, possibly in a sensor-supported manner, with tool center point thereof in the real working mode, a kinematic manipulator model and, possibly, an environmental model are stored in an offline programming environment with user interface, at least one virtual trajectory of the manipulator and a virtual tolerance zone assigned to said trajectory are defined using the offline programming environment in a definition routine, and the offline programming environment is used to check, in a check routine, the previously defined tolerance zone at least in part in terms of kinematic singularities of the manipulator, the occurrence of which prompts a singularity routine to be executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Broetje Automation GmbH
    Inventor: Dirk Eickhorst
  • Patent number: 8670855
    Abstract: A method is used for controlling a paced production line for processing airplane structural components, wherein the production line comprises at least one workstation having at least one processing machine. It is provided that the processing sequence in the workstation is determined for a production step by determining the expected or actual occupation of the working area by structural component(s) or structural component section(s) for the production step, and, on the basis of the occupation, all of the operations to be performed in this workstation in this production step are determined, and the processing sequence of these operations is optimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Broetje Automation GmbH
    Inventor: Dirk Eickhorst
  • Publication number: 20120029700
    Abstract: In a method for the offline programming of an NC-controlled manipulator which follows at least one real trajectory, possibly in a sensor-supported manner, with tool center point thereof in the real working mode, a kinematic manipulator model and, possibly, an environmental model are stored in an offline programming environment with user interface, at least one virtual trajectory of the manipulator and a virtual tolerance zone assigned to said trajectory are defined using the offline programming environment in a definition routine, and the offline programming environment is used to check, in a check routine, the previously defined tolerance zone at least in part in terms of kinematic singularities of the manipulator, the occurrence of which prompts a singularity routine to be executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Inventor: Dirk Eickhorst
  • Publication number: 20110301735
    Abstract: A method is used for controlling a paced production line for processing airplane structural components, wherein the production line comprises at least one workstation having at least one processing machine. It is provided that the processing sequence in the workstation is determined for a production step by determining the expected or actual occupation of the working area by structural component(s) or structural component section(s) for the production step, and, on the basis of the occupation, all of the operations to be performed in this workstation in this production step are determined, and the processing sequence of these operations is optimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventor: Dirk Eickhorst