Patents by Inventor Michael W. Griffis

Michael W. Griffis 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).

  • Method and apparatus for controlling geometrically simple parallel mechanisms with distinctive connections
    Patent number: 5179525
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for controlling, via a closed-form forward displacement computation, the position and orientation of a movable platform of a parallel mechanism. A movable platform is supported above a base platform by a plurality of parallel support legs such as linear actuators. The dimensions of the base platform and the movable platform, as well the lengths of the support legs, are provided to a control system. The control system is operative to compute at least one closed-form forward displacement solution of the geometry of a polyhedron (an octahedron for the disclosed embodiments) formed by the movable platform, the base platform, and the support legs. The control system determines a final position and orientation of the movable platform by eliminating imaginary roots of the closed-form solutions and roots which would result in discontinuous paths of travel for the movable platform. A novel special 6-6 parallel mechanism is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: University of Florida
    Inventors: Michael W. Griffis, Joseph Duffy