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:
Sep. 06, 1994
Filed:
Jul. 12, 1991
Arthur Schleifer, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Joseph C Roark, Los Altos, CA (US);
John S Poole, Landenberg, PA (US);
Gary B Gordon, Saratoga, CA (US);
Gilbert Segal, Hockessin, DE (US);
Philip B Fuhrman, Wilmington, DE (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Methods of programming mechanical manipulators are disclosed that permit a mechanical manipulator to be programmed to perform coordinated motions between one or more modules comprised of equipment with which the manipulator will interact by defining an origin point and one or more frame points related to each of the modules relative to the origin point. Each of the modules associated with a frame point is then identified and a module program describing pre-programmed manipulator motions related to each of the modules is accessed. Finally, a sequence of motions between the origin and each of the frame points of the modules is defined. The step of locating frame points can be carried out in several different ways, using a teach pendant or by automatically locating the module frame points using an infrared sensor, electric field sensor, acoustic sensor, or force sensor. Methods of programming a mechanical manipulator to move between an origin point and one or more modules are also disclosed which comprise the steps of creating a programming element representative of each module and its corresponding module program. An origin frame point is again defined and the programming elements are assembled to correspond to one or more modules that represent the desired manipulator motion. Finally, the frame point of each of the selected modules is defined relative to the origin point. The programming elements can be comprised of commands, portions of a computer program or icons that represent the module and module program. In a preferred embodiment, each of the module programs begins and ends with the manipulator at a safe point defined as a point from which the manipulator may move in at least one direction without encountering an obstruction. Methods of controlling a manipulator after it has encountered an obstruction are also disclosed.