The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 20, 1991
Filed:
Feb. 23, 1990
James L Sager, Boulder, CO (US);
Michael R Schmehl, Aurora, CO (US);
Technistar Corporation, Longmont, CO (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for picking up and manipulating randomly oriented and randomly positioned objects moving on an object belt and transferring them to randomly oriented and randomly positioned destinations moving on a destination belt. An image processing unit using a vision system identifies and locates objects and destinations in successive overlapping vision windows up to a predetermined optimum number of objects. The locations of those objects and destinations are entered in an output queue which is transmitted to the object and destination location queues of a first robot motion controller. The first robot picks up and deposits to destinations all the objects it can in the time available while the objects and destinations pass, and enters the locations of the objects not picked up and destinations to which no object is placed in an output queue which is transmitted to the object and destination location queues of a second robot motion controller. The robots can be arranged in a series of any number and the image processing units and vision systems can also be arranged in a series.