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:
May. 01, 2012
Filed:
Jan. 25, 2006
Subramanian Vallapuzha, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Scott M. Thayer, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Eric C. Close, Sewickley, PA (US);
Joseph Salotti, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Ronald Genise, Wexford, PA (US);
Alan Gerber, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Adam Slifko, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Edison Hudson, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Gregory Baltus, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Carlos F. Reverte, Miami, FL (US);
Prasanna Kumar Velagapudi, Suffern, NY (US);
Subramanian Vallapuzha, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Scott M. Thayer, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Eric C. Close, Sewickley, PA (US);
Joseph Salotti, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Ronald Genise, Wexford, PA (US);
Alan Gerber, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Adam Slifko, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Edison Hudson, Chapel Hill, NC (US);
Gregory Baltus, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Carlos F. Reverte, Miami, FL (US);
Prasanna Kumar Velagapudi, Suffern, NY (US);
RedZone Robotics, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
Methods and tools for automatically performing work within a pipe or pipe network based on sensed impedance information. A robot, which may be tethered or un-tethered, includes a computer controller and a work tool for performing work within the pipe. With or without impedance-based calibration, the robot senses environmental and tool-based impedance characteristics and determines, using said software, ways in which the current work performance can be altered or improved based on the impedance information. The operation of the work tool is then altered in line with the control software. Many different types of work related to the inspection, cleaning and rehabilitation of pipes can be accomplished with the present robots including reinstating laterals after lining, cutting or clearing debris, sealing pipe joints and/or other heretofore manual pipe-based processes.