Multifunction Manipulator (i.e., Robot) Patents (Class 318/568.11)
  • Patent number: 8315735
    Abstract: A production system in which a human and a robot may simultaneously perform a cooperative task in the same area while ensuring human's safety. A robot is positioned at one side of a working table, and an operator is positioned at the other side of the working table. The reachable area of the operator is limited by the working table. An area of the working table is divided into an area where only the operator may perform a task, an area where only the robot may perform a task, and an area where both the operator and the robot may enter. In a cooperation mode, the maximum movement speed of a component of the robot is limited lower than when the component of the robot is outside the cooperative task area, and, the motion of the robot is limited so that the robot does not enter a robot entry-prohibited area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Ryo Nihei, Shinsuke Sakakibara, Kazunori Ban, Masahiro Morioka, Satoshi Adachi, Shouta Takizawa
  • Patent number: 8288983
    Abstract: A system or method of verifying a new contact position of a multi-pole electro-mechanical switch having a plurality of contact positions is disclosed. The switch is caused to move to a new contact position. Power is provided to at least one light transmitter to cause the at least one light transmitter to transmit light toward a light reflective portion. A particular light detector among a plurality of light detectors that has received light from the light reflective portion is identified. The new contact position is verified based on the identification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: Mohamed A. Hasan, Luke D. Titus, Les McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 8274406
    Abstract: The invention is related to methods and apparatus that use a visual sensor and dead reckoning sensors to process Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used in robot navigation. Advantageously, such visual techniques can be used to autonomously generate and update a map. Unlike with laser rangefinders, the visual techniques are economically practical in a wide range of applications and can be used in relatively dynamic environments, such as environments in which people move. One embodiment further advantageously uses multiple particles to maintain multiple hypotheses with respect to localization and mapping. Further advantageously, one embodiment maintains the particles in a relatively computationally-efficient manner, thereby permitting the SLAM processes to be performed in software using relatively inexpensive microprocessor-based computer systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Evolution Robotics, Inc.
    Inventors: L. Niklas Karlsson, Paolo Pirjanian, Luis Filipe Domingues Goncalves, Enrico Di Bernardo
  • Patent number: 8271129
    Abstract: A power-saving robot system includes at least one peripheral device and a mobile robot. The peripheral device includes a controller having an active mode and a hibernation mode, and a wireless communication component capable of activation in the hibernation mode. A controller of the robot has an activating routine that communicates with and temporarily activates the peripheral device, via wireless communication, from the hibernation mode. In another aspect, a robot system includes a network data bridge and a mobile robot. The network data bridge includes a broadband network interface, a wireless command interface, and a data bridge component. The data bridge component extracts serial commands received via the broadband network interface from an internet protocol, applies a command protocol thereto, and broadcasts the serial commands via the wireless interface. The mobile robot includes a wireless command communication component that receives the serial commands transmitted from the network data bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Halloran, Jeffrey W. Mammen, Tony L. Campbell, Jason S. Walker, Paul E. Sandin, John N. Billington, Jr., Daniel N. Ozick
  • Patent number: 8264187
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for allowing electrical connection to an electrical end effector in a robot apparatus. In one aspect, an electrical coupling is adapted to provide electrical power to the electrical end effector in the vacuum chamber. The electrical coupling may include engaging electrical contacts. In some embodiments, at least one of the contacts may be suspended relative to a spring such that the engaging contacts do not rotate relative to each other during arm rotation of the robot. In other embodiments, inductively coupled coils are included. Numerous other aspects are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: William P. Laceky, Izya Kremerman
  • Patent number: 8265793
    Abstract: A mobile robot provides telecommunication service between a remote user at a remote terminal and a local user in proximity to the mobile robot. The remote user can connect to the mobile robot via the Internet using a peer-to-peer VoIP protocol, and control the mobile robot to navigate about the mobile robot's environment. The mobile robot includes a microphone, a video camera and a speaker for providing telecommunication functionality between the remote user and the local user. Also, a hand-held RC unit permits the local user to navigate the mobile robot locally or to engage privacy mode for the mobile robot. When NAT or a firewall obstructs connection from the remote terminal to the mobile robot, an Internet server facilitates connection using methods such as STUN, TURN, or relaying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Irobot Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew Cross, Tony Campbell
  • Patent number: 8265789
    Abstract: A network-based robot system includes an activity creating device creating activities in hierarchical structure, and a robot downloading the activity tree over a communication network and executing an activity selected in the activity tree. The activities describe action execution procedures to be run by the robot and are arranged in an activity tree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung-Ik Lee, Sung Hoon Kim
  • Publication number: 20120221016
    Abstract: A path-following robot, such as for creating a path to a target surgical site, includes a series of interconnected elements including a lead element at one end thereof, and a plurality of actuators each operably coupled to one of the plurality of elements. Each actuator is capable of effecting rotational and spherical motion of one element with respect to another element. The actuators are arranged to receive commands which individually control the relative position of one element compared with another element, where a position of the lead element determines a path and corresponding positions for all subsequent elements to create a path-following motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: Barry M. Fell
  • Patent number: 8253368
    Abstract: A piezoelectric debris sensor and associated signal processor responsive to debris strikes enable an autonomous or non-autonomous cleaning device to detect the presence of debris and in response, to select a behavioral mode, operational condition or pattern of movement, such as spot coverage or the like. Multiple sensor channels (e.g., left and right) can be used to enable the detection or generation of differential left/right debris signals and thereby enable an autonomous device to steer in the direction of debris.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: iRobot Corporation
    Inventors: Gregg W. Landry, David A. Cohen, Daniel N. Ozick
  • Patent number: 8246633
    Abstract: A manipulator includes a yaw axis and a pitch axis disposed as joints on a distal end of a joint shaft and which are actuatable by motors, a needle variable in orientation by the joints, a coaxial connector disposed at a position closer to a proximal end of the manipulator than the joint shaft, and a coaxial cable providing within the joint shaft at least a portion of an electrical connection between the coaxial connector and the needle. A small board providing an impedance matching circuit, and which includes a coil and a capacitor, is interposed between the coaxial connector and the coaxial cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Omori
  • Patent number: 8249747
    Abstract: A robot safety system configured to protect humans in the vicinity of a working robot (1, 11, 21, 31) against harmful impacts by said robot (1, 11, 21, 31), said safety system comprising a sensor system (3, 13, 23) and a safety controller (4, 14, 24) configured to establish an impact risk profile of the robot (1, 11, 21, 31) and deliver an operating signal to a robot controller (2, 12, 22) based on said impact risk profile, wherein the safety controller (4, 14, 24) is configured to establish the impact risk profile based on stored data and input signals, and that the stored data and input signals comprise stored impact data, stored data related to the path of the robot (1, 11, 21, 31), and signals from the sensor system of events in the vicinity of the robot (1, 11, 21, 31), such as a detected human (P1, P11, P21, P22, P31, P32) in the vicinity of the robot (1, 11, 21, 31).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventor: Soenke Kock
  • Patent number: 8242730
    Abstract: A robot teach tool is provided that enables automatic teaching of pick and place positions for a robot. The automated robot teach tool obviates the need for manual operation of the robot during the teaching. The result is an automated process that is much faster, more accurate, more repeatable and less taxing on a robot operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventors: Michael J. Nichols, Louis J. Guarracina
  • Patent number: 8244402
    Abstract: A robotic system includes a humanoid robot with robotic joints each moveable using an actuator(s), and a distributed controller for controlling the movement of each of the robotic joints. The controller includes a visual perception module (VPM) for visually identifying and tracking an object in the field of view of the robot under threshold lighting conditions. The VPM includes optical devices for collecting an image of the object, a positional extraction device, and a host machine having an algorithm for processing the image and positional information. The algorithm visually identifies and tracks the object, and automatically adapts an exposure time of the optical devices to prevent feature data loss of the image under the threshold lighting conditions. A method of identifying and tracking the object includes collecting the image, extracting positional information of the object, and automatically adapting the exposure time to thereby prevent feature data loss of the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC, The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: James W. Wells, Neil David Mc Kay, Suhas E. Chelian, Douglas Martin Linn, Charles W. Wampler, II, Lyndon Bridgwater
  • Patent number: 8242728
    Abstract: One embodiment relates to modernizing a technical system, in particular a producing system with the aim of obtaining economic and technical advantages. The technical system comprises at least one drive mechanism provided with at least one drive motor powered by a power element, a torque controller controlling the power element and a speed controller prescribing the nominal value of the torque (Msoll) for the torque controller. When the determination of the nominal value of the torque (Msoll) for the torque controller by the speed controller is deactivated, a standard drive element is available. The drive element comprises at least one speed controller, a torque controller and a power element. The nominal value of the torque (Msoll) of the torque controller of the drive motor is determined by a speed controller of the standard drive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Haaks, Gerd Michaelis, Christian-Marius Wegner
  • Patent number: 8237390
    Abstract: A drive unit comprising of a driving motor and of at least two flexible linking members, which twist on each other when a rotational shaft of the driving motor rotates and thus produce a pulling force on a motion element that is attached to or is a part of link of a legged robot's leg mechanism is disclosed. A control method to control the invented drive unit so that a passive, a passive-dynamic or an active walking modes and transition between the modes of a legged robot is achieved without any additional mechanical means is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventor: Ivan Godler
  • Patent number: 8209051
    Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Intouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yulun Wang, Keith Phillip Laby, Charles S. Jordan, Steven Edward Butner, Jonathan Southard
  • Patent number: 8209053
    Abstract: An improved cleaning robot that uses a simple structure to sense an obstacle is provided. The cleaning robot includes a robot main body comprising a driving unit to drive the cleaning robot, and a cleaning unit to remove dust, a bumper unit which is movably mounted in the robot main body to protect the robot main body from collision with an obstacle, a sensor unit which supports the bumper unit movably in a plurality of directions to sense the collision of the bumper unit and the obstacle, and a control unit which controls the driving unit on the basis of a signal sensed by the sensor to avoid the obstacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyoung-woung Kim, Sam-jong Jeung, Jeong-gon Song, Myeong-ho Kim, Tae-young Ryu, Ju-sang Lee, Heung-yi Kim, Sam-hyun Choi, Jang-youn Ko, Dae-hyung Kim, Hak-bong Lee, Yoon-kyunh Cho
  • Patent number: 8204737
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for generating text responsive to both voice and handwriting input, including a microphone, stylus, and a tablet having an flat-panel display integrated into its surface. The system performs speech and handwriting recognition using a shared language model, which in one embodiment is trainable responsive to user correction of errors in either speech or handwriting recognition. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Optical Research Partners LLC
    Inventor: Edwin A. Suominen
  • Patent number: 8200354
    Abstract: A method for verifying completion of a task is provided. In various embodiments, the method includes obtaining location coordinates of at least one location sensor within a work cell. The at least one sensor is affixed to a tool used to operate on a feature of a structure to be assembled, fabricated or inspected. The method additionally includes, generating a virtual object locus based on the location coordinates of the at least one location sensor. The virtual object locus corresponds to a computerized schematic of the structure to be assembled and represents of all possible locations of an object end of the tool within the work cell. The method further includes, identifying one of a plurality of candidate features as the most likely to be the feature operated on by the tool. The identification is based on a probability calculation for each of the candidate features that each respective candidate feature is the feature operated on by the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Philip L. Freeman, Thomas E. Shepherd, Christopher K Zuver
  • Patent number: 8179073
    Abstract: Various robotic devices and related medical procedures are disclosed herein. Each of the various robotic devices have an agent delivery component. The devices include mobile robotic devices and fixed base robotic devices as disclosed herein. The agent delivery component can have at least one agent reservoir and a discharge component in fluidic communication with the at least one reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska
    Inventors: Shane M. Farritor, Dmitry Oleynikov, Stephen R. Platt, Mark Rentschler, Jason Dumpert, Adnan Hadzialic, Nathan A. Wood
  • Patent number: 8179418
    Abstract: A robotic system that can be used to treat a patient. The robotic system includes a mobile robot that has a camera. The mobile robot is controlled by a remote station that has a monitor. A physician can use the remote station to move the mobile robot into view of a patient. An image of the patient is transmitted from the robot camera to the remote station monitor. A medical personnel at the robot site can enter patient information into the system through a user interface. The patient information can be stored in a server. The physician can access the information from the remote station. The remote station may provide graphical user interfaces that display the patient information and provide both a medical tool and a patient management plan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Intouch Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Wright, Fuji Lai, Marco Pinter, Yulun Wang
  • Patent number: 8180487
    Abstract: A method of calibrating a vision based robotic system. The method includes engaging a calibration pin with a robotic tool and moving the calibration pin to a calibration block that includes at least one set of optical sensors having an optical transmitter to transmit an optical beam and an optical receiver to receive the optical beam. Further, the transmitted optical beam includes a center point. The method further includes: moving the calibration pin to the center point of the transmitted optical beam; determining a calibration pin center position relative to the robotic tool; and commanding a machine vision assembly having a camera to capture an image of a plurality of camera reading points of the calibration block and to determine a camera center position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jambunathan Vangal-Ramamurthy, Robert E. Foster
  • Patent number: 8175747
    Abstract: A robot component is provided as assembly units for assembling a robot toy with a great variety of configuration. The robot component has three connectors, i.e., a rotatable connector of a gear shaft, a laterally protruding connector of the gear shaft, and a receivable connector of a middle housing. These connectors are engaged with various joint members so several robot components are joined to each other to realize the complete robot toy. The robot toy has a master main-processor unit board provided in one of the robot components and joint control systems respectively provided in the other robot components. Each joint control system operates the robot component according to a predefined operation pattern when the master main-processor unit board transmits robot control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: IROBOU Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nam-Yong Lee, Dae-Kyung Kim, Chang-Bae Park
  • Patent number: 8155789
    Abstract: An offline programming device for preparing an operation program for making a robot with a hand perform a handling operation for an object with respect to a machine tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nagatsuka, Kozo Inoue
  • Patent number: 8154239
    Abstract: A medical manipulator includes an actuator block having a motor, a coupler detachably mounted on the actuator block and having a rotor connected to a rotatable shaft of the motor, a distal-end working unit mounted on a distal end of a joint shaft, which extends from the coupler and is operatively connected to the rotor by a wire, an encoder for detecting an angular displacement of the motor, and a controller for reading a signal from the encoder and comparing the read signal with an operation command value for energizing the motor through a feedback loop. The controller outputs a signal having a level greater than the resolution of the encoder and a lower operation limit of the motor within a range in which the distal-end working unit remains still, and monitors the angular displacement of the motor for thereby determining whether the feedback loop is malfunctioning or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Terumo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryohei Katsuki, Hiroaki Sano
  • Patent number: 8140189
    Abstract: An operational space physical quantity calculation apparatus computes a physical quantity in an operational space describing a relationship between a force and acceleration acting on a link structure including a plurality of linked rigid bodies. The operational space physical quantity calculation apparatus includes a forward dynamics calculating unit configured to perform a forward dynamics calculation on the basis of force information about a force acting on the link structure in order to obtain accelerations occurring at certain points of the link structure and an operational space physical quantity computing unit configured to compute an inverse operational space inertia matrix and an operational space bias acceleration by causing the forward dynamics calculating unit to perform the forward dynamics calculation using a kinetic model of the link structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichiro Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 8121732
    Abstract: A target position detection apparatus for a robot includes: a robot including an arm configured to be freely moved in at least two directions of X and Y axes, the arm having a wrist axis provided at a distal end of the arm and configured to be freely moved in a horizontal direction, and the wrist axis being provided with an end effector; and a control unit adapted for driving a memory to store a teaching point therein and controlling an operation of the robot such that the end effector will be moved toward the teaching point stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Nobuyasu Shimomura, Takao Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8112176
    Abstract: A system of self-organizing mobile robotic agents (MRAs) in a multi-robotic system (MRS) is disclosed. The MRAs use simulations to organize the behaviors of groups of robots in the MRS. The MRAs use software agents to model the MRS and the environment. By developing simulations of environmental change, the system provides methods for the MRS to interact with its environment to produce collective epigenetic behaviors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Inventor: Neal Solomon
  • Patent number: 8108071
    Abstract: A method for coordinating cooperative robots is provided. The method includes following steps. An abnormal event is detected by a sensor disposed in an environment or in a robot. The abnormal event is broadcasted to the cooperative robots. Each robot determines whether the priority of the abnormal event is higher than that of its currently executing task. If the answer is “yes,” whether function attributes of the robot meet attributes of the abnormal event is then determined. If the function attributes of the cooperative robot do not meet the attributes of the abnormal event, the robot broadcasts to acquire help from other robots, thereby constituting an instantly designated task team. The instantly designated task team goes to where the abnormal event takes place to process the abnormal event. After the abnormal event has been eliminated, the instantly designated task team is dismissed and these robots resume their original tasks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yen-Chun Lin, Jen-Hua Wu, Kuo-Tsung Tseng
  • Patent number: 8102134
    Abstract: A mobile robot along with a method and system for a mobile robot including a hydraulic powered mechanism operably connected to the mobile robot for movement of the hydraulic powered mechanism with respect to the mobile robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Inventor: Daniel Theobald
  • Patent number: 8099192
    Abstract: A method is provided for teaching a transfer robot used in conjunction with a workpiece processing system including a pedestal assembly, a light sensor having an optical input fixedly coupled to the pedestal assembly, a transfer robot having an end effector, and a processing chamber containing the pedestal assembly and light sensor. The method includes the steps of producing light within the processing chamber, moving the end effector over the optical input such that amount of light reaching the light sensor varies in relation to the position of the end effector, and recording the signal gain as the end effector is moved over the optical input. The method also includes the step of establishing from the recorded signal gain a desired position of the end effector relative to the pedestal assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Damon Genetti, Heinrich Von Bunau, Tarek Radwan, Karen Townsend
  • Patent number: 8095239
    Abstract: A robot movement control device is connected to a communications network in a remote location relative to a robotic device that is also connected to the communications network. The robot movement control device is an electronic device with a video display for displaying a real-time video image sent to it by a camera associated with the robot. A robot movement control overlay is displayed in the field of the real-time video image at the robot control device and robot control commands are generated by selecting locations within the boundary of the movement control overlay which include speed and directional information. The control commands are sent by the robot control device over the network to the robot which uses the commands to adjust its speed and direction of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: North End Technologies, Inc
    Inventors: Timothy D. Root, Jeffrey T Muller
  • Patent number: 8089229
    Abstract: A motor driving system includes a storage unit, a driver, and a controller. The driver includes a first programmable logic device (PLD). The controller includes a second PLD. The storage unit stores a control program. The controller generates a first transmission data to the first PLD and a second transmission data to the second PLD according to the control program. The first PLD generates a first message packet including the first transmission data. The second PLC generates a second message packet including the second transmission data. The first and second PLDs communicate with each other using a full duplex transmission mode or a half duplex transmission mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Foxnum Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsing-Chang Liu, Chien-Chung Wu
  • Patent number: 8090474
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling at least one machine, such as an industrial robot, having drives, safety peripheral components and a controller for a machine, and also having a safety controller. In this arrangement, the safety controller has superordinate access over the respective machine controller both to the machine drives and to the safety peripherals. This achieves the most easily configurable integration of the safety control loop into the operating control loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: KUKA Laboratories GmbH
    Inventor: Bernd Fiebiger
  • Patent number: 8082064
    Abstract: A robotic arm and control system includes a robotic arm which moves in response to one or more command signals. One or more “active” fiducials are located on the arm, each of which emits its own light. A 3D camera having an associated field-of-view is positioned such that at least one fiducial and a target object to be manipulated are in the FOV. To determine their spatial positions, the arm fiducials are activated and the target object is preferably illuminated with a scanning laser; the camera produces output signals which vary with the spatial locations of the fiducials and target object. A controller receives the output signals and uses the spatial position information as feedback to continuously guide the arm towards the target object. Multiple active fiducials may be employed, each having respective characteristics with which they can be differentiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Elite Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: Robert L. Kay
  • Patent number: 8080964
    Abstract: A method for collecting operational parameters of a motor may include controlling the energization of a phase winding of the motor to establish an operating point, monitoring operational parameters of the motor that characterize a relationship between the energization control applied to the motor's phase winding and the motor's response to this control, and collecting information of the operational parameters for the operating point that characterizes the relationship between the applied energization control and the motor's response. The collected information characterizing the relationship between the applied energization control and the motor's response may be employed by a neural network to estimate the regions of operation of the motor. And a system for controlling the operation of motor may employ this information, the neural network, or both to regulate the energization of a motor's phase winding during a phase cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Allen Hudson, Nimal Lobo, Krishnan Ramu
  • Patent number: 8076889
    Abstract: A support device adjustable in 3-DOF includes a base, a pitching arm, a rolling arm, a yawing arm, a pitching drive unit, a rolling drive unit, a yawing drive unit, and a controller. The rolling arm rotatably interconnects the pitching arm and the yawing arm. The pitching, rolling, and yawing drive units are configured for automatically driving the pitching, rolling, and yawing arms about pitch, roll, and yaw axes respectively. The roll axis is perpendicular to the pitch and yaw axes. The controller is configured for controlling the pitching, rolling and yawing drive units in response to control inputs. In use, a display panel can be attached to the yawing arm and automatically pitch, roll, and/or yaw by the respective drive units under control of the controller, to achieve an optimum viewing angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Shi Lai, Yung-Hung Chu
  • Patent number: 8060252
    Abstract: Methods correcting wafer position error are provided. The methods involve measuring wafer position error on a robot, e.g. a dual side-by-side end effector robot, during transfer to an intermediate station. This measurement data is then used by a second robot to perform wafer pick moves from the intermediate station with corrections to center the wafer. Wafer position correction may be performed at only one location during the transfer process. Also provided are systems and apparatuses for transferring wafers using an intermediate station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Chris Gage, Damon Genetti
  • Patent number: 8060251
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented that enable a higher-level software application to control a robot's motion through a generic motion interface. In one embodiment, a system includes a controller, an interface, and a set of robot driver modules. The interface receives a command from the controller and translates the command into another command to send to the driver modules. The interface includes a client, a server, and a network. The server includes two interfaces: a client interface to communicate with the client and a driver interface to communicate with the driver modules. The server also includes two buffers: a command queue and a reply queue. The command queue stores commands received from the controller (via the client). The reply queue stores replies received from the driver modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hector H. Gonzalez-Banos, Victor Ng-Thow-Hing, Allen Y. Yang
  • Patent number: 8054027
    Abstract: A robot control unit (30) comprises: a setting means (40) for setting operating ranges of each shaft and a working tool of the robot (20); a storage means (33) for storing an inertial running distance of the robot decided by at least one of the operating speed of the robot and the weight of the working tool; and an arriving range calculation means (36) for calculating an arriving range to which the robot arrives according to the operating range, which has been set by the setting means, and the inertial running distance stored by the storage means. Due to the foregoing, while consideration is being given to the inertial running distance of a robot, the arriving range of the robot is made. Further, a display means (41) for displaying the arriving range may be provided. In the case where each shaft of the robot and the working tool deviate from the operating range, a stopping means (34) for stopping the robot may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: FANUC Ltd
    Inventors: Ryo Nihei, Tetsuaki Kato, Takeaki Aramaki, Tomoyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8050800
    Abstract: One embodiment of a system and method for meeting end conditions of a path plan utilizing a path generator that continuously generates commands for a path plan while tracking the total time expired in the path plan. The path generator computes the time remaining in the path plan and substitutes the remaining time for the length of the final sample period in the path plan when the length of the remaining time is less than the length of a full sample period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: GE Intelligent Platforms, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel H. Miller, William Lindsay Morrison
  • Patent number: 8050797
    Abstract: A automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem. The general purpose computer includes a program execution module to selectively start and stop processing of a program of equipment instructions and to generate a plurality of move commands. The real-time computer subsystem includes a move command data buffer for storing the plurality of move commands, a move module linked to the data buffer for sequentially processing the moves and calculating a required position for a mechanical joint. The real-time computer subsystem also includes a dynamic control algorithm in software communication with the move module to repeatedly calculate a required actuator activation signal from a joint position feedback signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: C.H.I. Development Mgnt. Ltd. XXIV, LLC
    Inventor: John R. Lapham
  • Patent number: 8032253
    Abstract: In an automatic machine system comprising a mechanism unit (1) including at least one driving mechanism, a controller (2) for controlling a driving operation of the mechanism unit (1), and a teaching unit (3) for operating the mechanism unit (1), the teaching unit (3) includes a teaching unit communicating portion for carrying out a wireless communication with the controller (2) and a first field intensity monitoring portion (13) for monitoring a field intensity of communication data in the teaching unit communicating portion, and the controller (2) includes a controller communicating portion for carrying out a wireless communication with the teaching unit (3), a second field intensity monitoring portion (26) for monitoring a field intensity of communication data in the controller communicating portion, and a driving portion for driving the mechanism unit (1) based on an operation signal sent from the teaching unit (3) in the controller communicating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Hideo Nagata, Michiharu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8024070
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a fixed point stabilization device for a legged mobile body having a generating mechanism for generating a fixed point. The present disclosure also provides a fixed point stabilization device for a legged mobile body comprising a stabilizing device for stabilizing the fixed point in accordance with a leg grounding position of the legged mobile body. The fixed point is generated by inputting a predetermined constant torque to a joint of a leg of the legged mobile body on the basis of the energy balance in the legged mobile body, leg switching, and a leg swinging motion. The fixed point is stabilized globally by keeping the leg grounding position of the legged mobile body constant using a stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Nagoya Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Akihito Sano, Hideo Fujimoto, Yoshito Ikemata
  • Patent number: 8022655
    Abstract: A robot controller including a control unit and a portable device (TPU) for teaching and manually operating the robot. The TPU includes safety equipment, a safety TPU-part having a first communication unit and a main TPU-part having a third communication unit. The control unit includes a safety control part having a second communication unit and a main control part having a forth communication unit. The first and second communication units form a first communication channel for transferring data from the TPU to the control unit. The third and fourth communication units form a second communication channel for transferring data between the TPU and the control unit. Each of the main TPU-part, safety TPU-part, main control part, and safety control part includes a processor for generating and/or handling the data. Each communication unit is connected to a network and forms a node in the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Jan Endresen, Erik Carlson, Ralph Sjöberg, Olov Nylén
  • Patent number: 8019145
    Abstract: A robot capable of performing appropriate movement control while reducing arithmetic processing for recognizing the shape of a floor. The robot sets a predetermined landing position of steps of the legs on a present assumed floor, which is a floor represented by floor shape information used for a current motion control of the robot, during movement of the robot. An image projection area is set, and is projected on each image captured by cameras mounted on the robot for each predetermined landing position in the vicinity of each of the predetermined landing positions. Shape parameters representing the shape of an actual floor partial area are estimated, forming an actual floor whose image is captured in each partial image area, based on the image of the partial image area generated by projecting the set image projection area on the images captured by the cameras for each partial image area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Minami Asatani, Masatoshi Okutomi, Shigeki Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 8014896
    Abstract: In a legged mobile robot, a pivoting motion of a foot (22) relative to a leg is controlled such that, from an intermediate time point in a period of departure of a leg from a floor to a starting time point of a period of landing of the leg on the floor, an angle (?) of inclination of the foot (22) of the leg relative to the floor surface gradually approaches zero. This eases impact to the foot of the leg at the time of landing on the floor and prevents a slip or spin of the sole, thereby enabling stable walking or running.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takenaka, Takashi Matsumoto, Takahide Yoshiike, Kazushi Akimoto, Shinya Shirokura, Minami Asatani
  • Patent number: 8010229
    Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for ensuring a cleaning robot to return to a charge station. The method includes the steps of: (a) measuring a battery usable time, a running speed, and an actual return distance of a cleaning robot during a cleaning operation; (b) calculating an allowable return distance on the basis of the battery usable time and the running speed; (c) comparing the actual return distance with the allowable return distance; and (d) returning the cleaning robot to the charge station when the actual return distance is larger than the allowable return distance as a result of the comparison. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cleaning robot from being not returned to the charge station, thereby providing convenience to a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Hyung Joo Kim, Chang Gyu Lim, Sung Ho Im, Dong Sun Lim
  • Patent number: 8005571
    Abstract: A robot system for use in surgical procedures has two movable arms each carried on a wheeled base with each arm having a six of degrees of freedom of movement and an end effector which can be rolled about its axis and an actuator which can slide along the axis for operating different tools adapted to be supported by the effector. Each end effector including optical force sensors for detecting forces applied to the tool by engagement with the part of the patient. A microscope is located at a position for viewing the part of the patient. The position of the tool tip can be digitized relative to fiducial markers visible in an MRI experiment. The workstation and control system has a pair of hand-controllers simultaneously manipulated by an operator to control movement of a respective one or both of the arms. The image from the microscope is displayed on a monitor in 2D and stereoscopically on a microscope viewer. A second MRI display shows an image of the part of the patient the real-time location of the tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: NeuroArm Surgical Ltd.
    Inventors: Garnette Roy Sutherland, Deon Francois Louw, Paul Bradley McBeth, Tim Fielding, Dennis John Gregoris
  • Patent number: 8004228
    Abstract: A two degree-of-freedom positioning and manipulating apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a first driven member rotatable about a first driven axis, a first driver member coupled to a first driven member for rotating the first driven member about the first driven axis, and a link member fixedly connected to the first driven member. The apparatus further includes a second driven member rotatably mounted to the link member for rotating about a second driven axis, with the second driven axis generally parallel to the first driven axis, and a second driver member coupled at a drive point to the second driven member for rotating the second driven member about the second driven axis. The drive point is generally coincident with the first driven axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Inventor: Steven D. Somes