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:
Nov. 06, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 23, 2001
Peter Swanson, Lake Orion, MI (US);
H. Dean McGee, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Fanuc Robotics North America, Inc., Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A method of controlling a powered manipulator in a plurality of workspaces is disclosed. The manipulator includes a handle, a motor, a force sensor, and is in combination with a processor controlling the manipulator. The method includes the steps of imparting force on the control handle, sensing direction and magnitude of the force, and sending data of the force to the processor. The data is processed to establish movement commands for the manipulator. The processor is programmed to establish at least one virtual constraint in a first workspace for limiting movement of the manipulator to prevent an operator from moving the manipulator to a limit of this workspace. After the manipulator is moved in this workspace, the manipulator is relocated from the first workspace into a second workspace different from the first workspace where the manipulator is then moved again. To limit movement of the manipulator in the second workspace, the at least one virtual constraint established in the first workspace is repositioned to the second workspace.