AUTOMATICALLY GUIDED TOOLS

• US 20160291568A1
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shaper Tools, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shaper Tools, Inc.
• Inventors: Rivers, Alec Rothmyer, Moyer, Ilan Ellison
• Granted Patent: US 10,795,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 9/0042 the guide means being fixed only on the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/19 characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36429 Power assisted positioning

Abstract

A position correcting system, method and tool for guiding a tool during its use based on its location relative to the material being worked on. Provided is a system and tool which uses its auto correcting technology to precisely rout or cut material. The invention provides a camera which is used to track the visual features of the surface of the material being cut to build a map and locate an image on that map used to reference the location of the tool for auto-correction of the cutting path.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a material with an automatically guided tool, comprising:

registering, by one or more processors of a tool comprising a working member, a multidimensional design to be rendered on the material by the working member, the design formed of one or more paths;

determining, by the tool, a first position of the working member relative to a path of the one or more paths, the tool advanced in a direction to place the working member at the first position within a target range of the path; and

instructing, by the one or more processors responsive to the tool advanced in the direction to place the working member at the first position not on the path, a component of the tool to move the working member from the first position not on the path to a second position on the path.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by one or more sensors of the tool, information indicative of the first position of the working member of the tool.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

capturing, by one or more sensors of the tool, image information of the material; and

determining, by the tool, the first position using the image information captured by the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

capturing, by the one or more sensors during a time interval, a plurality of images of a surface of the material; and

determining, by the tool, the first position using the plurality of images captured by the one or more sensors during the time interval.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the time interval comprises 1 second.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval comprises 0.5 seconds.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

obtain, by the tool via one or more sensors of the tool, a plurality of images of a surface of the material; and

stitching, by the tool, the plurality of images together to build a map of the surface of the material.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising:

moving, by the tool, the working member relative to a frame of the tool to place the working member at the second position at the path.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing, by the tool, instructions to move the working member based on a time interval.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining, by the tool, based on the path, a plurality of positions relative to the frame; and

providing, by the tool, one or more instructions to move the working member to the plurality of positions, the tool advanced in the direction that is within the range adjacent to the path for the working member of the tool.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

displaying, by the tool via a display device of the tool, an image of the material; and

displaying, by the tool via the display device, one or more indications of the first position of the working member overlaid on the image of the material.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

displaying, by the tool via a display device of the tool, an image of the material; and

displaying, by the tool via the display device, the path of the one or more paths of the design overlaid on the image of the material.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising:

displaying, by the tool via a display device of the tool, an image of the material;

displaying, by the tool via the display device, one or more indications of the first position of the working member overlaid on the image of the material; and

displaying, by the tool via the display device, the path of the one or more paths of the design overlaid on the image of the material.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising:

moving, by a robot external to the tool, the tool to place the working member at the first position.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising:

advancing the tool in the direction via a skid pad contacting the material.

16. A system to modify a material with an automatically guided tool, comprising:

a tool comprising one or more processors and a working member, the tool configured to;

register a multidimensional design to be rendered on the material by the working member, the design formed of one or more paths;

determine a first position of the working member relative to a path of the one or more paths, the tool advanced in a direction to place the working member at the first position within a target range of the path; and

instruct, responsive to the tool advanced in the direction to place the working member at the first position not on the path, a component of the tool to move the working member from the first position not on the path to a second position on the path.

17. The system of claim 16, comprises:

one or more sensors; and

the tool configured to receive, from the one or more sensors, information indicative of the first position of the working member of the tool.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the tool comprises one or more sensors, the tool configured to:

capture, via the one or more sensors, image information of the material; and

determine the first position using the image information captured by the one or more sensors.

19. The system of claim 16, comprising the tool configured to move the working member relative to a frame of the tool to place the working member at the second position at the path.

20. The system of claim 16, comprising the tool configured to:

determine, based on the path, a plurality of positions relative to the frame; and

provide one or more instructions to move the working member to the plurality of positions, the tool advanced in the direction that is within the range adjacent to the path for the working member of the tool.