Abstract: A robot having a force sensor and a tool fixture for operating on a workpiece that may have a complex surface contour is programmed by an operator first teaching the robot by a suitable technique such as lead through teaching a few gross points of the contour. These points, known as guiding points, are used to generate a program to be followed by the robot under the control of the robot controller and using force control during which the robot finalizes the guiding points and teaches one or more points on the contour intermediate adjacent guiding points. The controller or other computing device uses the points so taught to generate the path the robot tool fixture will follow when the tool is to operate on the workpiece.

Abstract: An electrical connector (100) includes an insulated housing (1), a number of terminals (2) received in the insulated housing (1), a metal shell (3) assembled to the insulated housing and a circuit substrate (4). The insulated housing includes a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall and a pair of side walls interconnecting with the top wall, the bottom wall and the rear wall to enclose a hollow with an opening. The terminals align in two distinct rows (21, 22) along transversal direction and the circuit substrate (4) with a number of conductive traces (41, 42) thereon. The metal shell (3) together with the insulated housing (1) are mounted on the circuit substrate (4).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for engine piston installation in which robots are used for the entire engine piston installation process. A first robot equipped with a stuffing gripper and force control picks up a piston with a connection rod, detects the piston ring presence, squeeze the rings, find the engine cylinder bore, and stuffs the piston into the cylinder bore. A second robot can be used to load and unload the engine block, hold the block and position it to the location, and indexes the crankshaft into the proper orientation for each cylinder bore. A set of tools either fixed on a stationary station or on a third robot is used to guide the piston connecting rod, transport and place on the connecting rod cap, and fasten the cap onto the connecting rod. The piston connecting rod guiding process may be omitted in piston stuffing for some types of engines.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for engine piston installation in which robots are used for the entire engine piston installation process. A first robot equipped with a stuffing gripper and force control picks up a piston with a connection rod, detects the piston ring presence, squeeze the rings, find the engine cylinder bore, and stuffs the piston into the cylinder bore. A second robot can be used to load and unload the engine block, hold the block and position it to the location, and indexes the crankshaft into the proper orientation for each cylinder bore. A set of tools either fixed on a stationary station or on a third robot is used to guide the piston connecting rod, transport and place on the connecting rod cap, and fasten the cap onto the connecting rod. The piston connecting rod guiding process may be omitted in piston stuffing for some types of engines.

Abstract: A system for use with a roll bowl type mill for the pulverizing of solid fuels such as coal. The system includes hardware in the form of sensors and other components and software to among other things monitor the operating condition of the mill's moving parts and predict their failure. The system can determine the diameter of the mill's rollers, or the reduction and/or depth of cup wear of each of the rollers, the thickness of the solid fuel in the mill, can by analysis determine the wear of each of the one or more roller bearings in the mill and predict their failure and can estimate the mill availability.

Abstract: A system for using biometric data such as a fingerprint, eye imagery, or the like to permit previously identified persons with his or her biometric data in a database to gain access to a secured site from a location remote from said database. The method and apparatus includes a server which collects biometric data on persons, a remote authentication terminal having a biometric sensing device and an access control device operable when the sensing device and the collected biometric data on a person match.

Abstract: An accelerometer is mounted on a robot to monitor movement of a tool assembly attached to the robot end effector for safety monitoring purposes. The accelerometer provides an output signal to the robot controller which the controller uses to monitor the robot movement and stop that movement when a predetermined values of acceleration, speed and distance are detected during lead-through teaching of the robot. A handle can be attached to the robot end effector and the accelerometer can be mounted on the handle.

Abstract: A robot machining with a flexible manipulator has an end effector which may either hold the tool to perform the machining or the work piece to be machined. A signal representative of a force applied by said tool to said work piece is used to control either the relative motion between the tool and the work piece to give a controlled material removal rate (CMRR) or the relative position between the tool or the work piece to provide deformation compensation or both CMRR and deformation compensation. A force sensor provides the signal for deformation compensation. For CMRR the signal may be obtained from either a force sensor or the current flowing in the motor of the robot's spindle. The force sensor can be mounted either on the robot or together with either the tool or work piece adjacent to the robot.

Abstract: A system for use with a roll bowl type mill for the pulverizing of solid fuels such as coal. The system includes hardware in the form of sensors and other components and software to among other things monitor the operating condition of the mill's moving parts and predict their failure.

Abstract: A multi-point computer networking system for transmitting data over power lines is built into an external AC adapter that powers a computer device or peripheral. The networking system includes a data bus interface unit for exchanging data with a computer, a power line data transceiver unit for placing data onto and taking data off of the power line, and a network controller implementing a network protocol for sending and receiving messages. The networking system is disposed within the housing of the AC adapter. Therefore, there is no extra box or cable needed for each DC powered computer device to serve both DC power and data networking functions.

Abstract: A multi-point computer networking device for transmitting data over AC power lines is attached externally to a computer station. The networking device includes a power line data transceiver unit for placing data onto and taking data off of the power line. A male AC power plug conducts the AC power from an AC power outlet through an AC power cord to the computer device. Therefore, only one AC power cord is needed for each computer to serve both AC power and data networking functions.

Abstract: A multi-point computer networking system for transmitting data over power lines is built into a computer. The networking system includes a bus interface unit for exchanging data with a computer, a power line data transceiver unit for placing data onto and taking data off of the power line, and a network controller implementing a network protocol for sending and receiving messages. The networking system shares the main power cord with the computer. Therefore, only one power cord is needed for each computer to serve both AC power and data networking functions.