Patents by Inventor Michael Chaffee

Michael Chaffee 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).

  • Patent number: 7123991
    Abstract: To improve the exchange of data between controls of machines, particularly robots, a method is provided for the exchange of such data, wherein a first control produces an instruction to be transmitted with data to be sent to a second control and with an identification representing the second control. The instruction to be transmitted is provided with an identification of the first control, wherein the first control sends the instruction to be transmitted to the second control, wherein the second control evaluates the data of the instruction and wherein the second control provides the first control with an acknowledgment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Graf, Michael Chaffee
  • Patent number: 7024250
    Abstract: A method for the synchronous control of several manipulators, such as several industrial robots, is characterized in that control units of specific manipulators exchange control information according to the data structures contained in a corresponding control program, through which control units to be synchronized and synchronization points in the control programs taking place there can be clearly identified, and in that on reaching and synchronization points the program sequence in the control units to be synchronized is continued according to the contents of the data structures in conjunction with the already exchanged control information or stopped until corresponding information arrives from other control units to be synchronized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Graf, Andreas Hagenauer, Michael Chaffee, Kenneth Stoddard
  • Patent number: 7010390
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a system for controlling a first robot and at least one other robot, the at least one other robot being calibrated relative to the first robot by the determination of at least one coordinate transformation of the first robot relative to at least one other robot and said at least one transformation is stored in a control device of the other robot, wherein also the first robot is calibrated relative to the other robot by the determination of at least one independent coordinate transformation and said at least one independent transformation is stored in a control device of the first robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Graf, Andreas Hagenauer, Michael Chaffee
  • Publication number: 20050027394
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and a system for controlling a first robot and at least one other robot, the at least one other robot being calibrated relative to the first robot by the determination of at least one coordinate transformation of the first robot relative to at least one other robot and said at least one transformation is stored in a control device of the other robot, wherein also the first robot is calibrated relative to the other robot by the determination of at least one independent coordinate transformation and said at least one independent transformation is stored in a control device of the first robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2003
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Stefan Graf, Adreas Hagenauer, Michael Chaffee
  • Publication number: 20040083027
    Abstract: To improve the exchange of data between controls of machines, particularly robots, the invention provides a method for the exchange of such data, wherein a first control produces an instruction to be transmitted with data to be sent to a second control and with an identification representing said second control, wherein the instruction to be transmitted is provided with an identification of the first control, wherein the first control sends the instruction to be transmitted to the second control, wherein the second control evaluates the data of the instruction and wherein the second control provides the first control with an acknowledgement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Stefan Graf, Michael Chaffee
  • Publication number: 20040030452
    Abstract: A method for the synchronous control of several manipulators, such as several industrial robots, is characterized in that control units of specific manipulators exchange control information according to the data structures contained in a corresponding control program, through which control units to be synchronized and synchronization points in the control programs taking place there can be clearly identified, and in that on reaching and synchronization points the program sequence in the control units to be synchronized is continued according to the contents of the data structures in conjunction with the already exchanged control information or stopped until corresponding information arrives from other control units to be synchronized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Publication date: February 12, 2004
    Inventors: Stefan Graf, Andreas Hagenauer, Michael Chaffee, Kenneth Stoddard