Reconfigurable robotic system and methods
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a base;
an arm extending from the base, comprising a set of articulable axes, and terminating in a head, the head comprising a head interface board defining a set of interface pins;
a component interconnect arranged within the base, comprising a set of interconnect pins electrically coupled to the set of interface pins via a set of hookup wires, and comprising a set of logic pins;
a first control card configured to transiently engage the component interconnect and comprising;
a first set of interconnect pads configured to contact the set of interconnect pins,a first set of logic pads configured to contact the set of logic pins, anda first control circuit interposed between the first set of interconnect pads and the first set of logic pads and comprising a first set of independently-selectable function circuits between each interconnect pad in a subset of the first set of interconnect pads and corresponding logic pads in the first set of logic pads;
a second control card configured to transiently engage the component interconnect in replacement of the first control card and comprising;
a second set of interconnect pads configured to contact the set of interconnect pins,a second set of logic pads configured to contact the set of logic pins, anda first control circuit interposed between the second set of interconnect pads and the second set of logic pads and comprising a second set of independently-selectable function circuits between each interconnect pad in a subset of the second set of interconnect pads and corresponding logic pads in the second set of logic pads;
a first end effector configured to transiently install on the head, comprising a first end effector interface board configured to electrically couple to the head interface board, configured to execute a first function, and comprising a first actuator and a first sensor electrically coupled to the first end effector interface board;
a second end effector configured to transiently install on the head in replacement of the first end effector, comprising a second end effector interface board configured to electrically couple to the head interface board, configured to execute a second function different from the first function, and comprising a second actuator electrically coupled to the second end effector interface board;
a processor arranged within the base, comprising a set of input/output ports, configured to identify a type of a control card loaded into the component interconnect and a type of an end effector installed on the head, and configured to retrieve a logic configuration based on the type of the control card and the type of the end effector; and
a digital logic arranged within the base, comprising a set of logic-side ports electrically coupled to the logic pins in the component interconnect, comprising a set of processor-side ports connected to the input/output ports in the processor, and configured to electrically couple select logic-side ports in the set of logic-side ports to select processor-side ports in the set of processor-side ports based on the logic configuration received from the processor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
One variation of a reconfigurable robotic system includes: a base; an arm extending from the base, including a set of articulable axes, and terminating at a head interface board defining a set of interface pins; a component interconnect arranged within the base, including a set of interconnect pins electrically coupled to the set of interface pins, and including a set of logic pins; a control card configured to transiently engage the component interconnect and including: a set of interconnect pads configured to contact the set of interconnect pins, a set of logic pads configured to contact the set of logic pins, and a control circuit interposed between the set of interconnect pads and the set of logic pads and including a set of independently selectable function circuits between each interconnect pad in a subset of the set of interconnect pads and corresponding logic pads in the set of logic pads.
40 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a base; an arm extending from the base, comprising a set of articulable axes, and terminating in a head, the head comprising a head interface board defining a set of interface pins; a component interconnect arranged within the base, comprising a set of interconnect pins electrically coupled to the set of interface pins via a set of hookup wires, and comprising a set of logic pins; a first control card configured to transiently engage the component interconnect and comprising; a first set of interconnect pads configured to contact the set of interconnect pins, a first set of logic pads configured to contact the set of logic pins, and a first control circuit interposed between the first set of interconnect pads and the first set of logic pads and comprising a first set of independently-selectable function circuits between each interconnect pad in a subset of the first set of interconnect pads and corresponding logic pads in the first set of logic pads; a second control card configured to transiently engage the component interconnect in replacement of the first control card and comprising; a second set of interconnect pads configured to contact the set of interconnect pins, a second set of logic pads configured to contact the set of logic pins, and a first control circuit interposed between the second set of interconnect pads and the second set of logic pads and comprising a second set of independently-selectable function circuits between each interconnect pad in a subset of the second set of interconnect pads and corresponding logic pads in the second set of logic pads; a first end effector configured to transiently install on the head, comprising a first end effector interface board configured to electrically couple to the head interface board, configured to execute a first function, and comprising a first actuator and a first sensor electrically coupled to the first end effector interface board; a second end effector configured to transiently install on the head in replacement of the first end effector, comprising a second end effector interface board configured to electrically couple to the head interface board, configured to execute a second function different from the first function, and comprising a second actuator electrically coupled to the second end effector interface board; a processor arranged within the base, comprising a set of input/output ports, configured to identify a type of a control card loaded into the component interconnect and a type of an end effector installed on the head, and configured to retrieve a logic configuration based on the type of the control card and the type of the end effector; and a digital logic arranged within the base, comprising a set of logic-side ports electrically coupled to the logic pins in the component interconnect, comprising a set of processor-side ports connected to the input/output ports in the processor, and configured to electrically couple select logic-side ports in the set of logic-side ports to select processor-side ports in the set of processor-side ports based on the logic configuration received from the processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system comprising:
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a base; an arm extending from the base, comprising a set of articulable axes, and terminating in a head comprising a head interface; a first end effector configured to execute a first function, configured to transiently install on the head, comprising a first end effector interface configured to transiently couple to the head interface, and comprising a first identification package; a second end effector configured to execute a second function different from the first function, configured to transiently install on the head in replacement of the first end effector, comprising a second end effector interface configured to transiently couple to the head interface, and comprising a second identification package; control electronics arranged within the base, configured to distribute command signals to the set of articulable axes and the head interface, and configured to receive sensor signals from the set of articulable axes and the head interface; and a processor; arranged within the base; configured to read a first identifier from the first identification package, to access a first logic configuration and a first application for controlling the set of articulable axes and the first end effector based on the first identifier, to configure the control electronics according to the first logic configuration, and to serve commands to the set of articulable axes and the first end effector via the control electronics according to the first application when the first end effector is installed on the head; and configured to read a second identifier from the second identification package, to access a second logic configuration and a second application for controlling the set of articulable axes and the second end effector based on the second identifier, to reconfigure the control electronics according to the second logic configuration, and to serve commands to the set of articulable axes and the second end effector via the control electronics according to the second application when the second end effector is installed on the head. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification