Method and system for robotic positioning

• US 9,446,520 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Altman, Nathan, Eliashiv, Oded
• Primary Examiner(s): Bukowski, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US14/878,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20160031087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/065 comprising joy-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/026 Acoustical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/228 of three-dimensional handwriting, e.g. writing in the air
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/08 Robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/09 Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement

Abstract

A robotic system including at least two acoustic sensors, spaced apart, for receiving respective versions of a respective continuous ultrasonic waveform emitted by each of one or more positional elements, each of the respective continuous ultrasonic waveforms comprising a respective modulated carrier and an electromagnetic sensor for receiving a respective electromagnetic signal emitted by a respective electromagnetic emitter of a same respective one of the positional elements, and a computing device. The respective electromagnetic signal is emitted in coordination with the respective ultrasonic waveform emitted by the same positional element. The computing device decodes the versions of the ultrasonic waveform and the electromagnetic signal to measure time delays between the versions of the respective ultrasonic waveform and the respective electromagnetic signal, converts the time delays to distances, and triangulates the distances to determine positions of the positional elements. A robot maneuvers based on the determined positions.

Claims

1. A robot comprising:

at least two acoustic sensors, spaced apart, for receiving respective versions of a respective continuous ultrasonic waveform emitted by each of one or more positional elements, each of the respective continuous ultrasonic waveforms comprising a respective modulated carrier; and

an electromagnetic sensor for receiving a respective electromagnetic signal emitted by a respective electromagnetic emitter of a same respective one of the positional elements, the respective electromagnetic signal being emitted in coordination with the respective continuous ultrasonic waveform emitted by the same respective one of the positional elements; and

a computing device for;

decoding the versions of the respective continuous ultrasonic waveform and the respective electromagnetic signal to measure respective time delays between the versions of the respective continuous ultrasonic waveform and the respective electromagnetic signal;

converting the respective time delays to respective distances; and

triangulating the respective distances to determine a respective position of the respective one of the positional elements;

wherein the robot maneuvers based on each determined respective position.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein a first one of the positional elements is located on a another robot.

3. The robot of claim 1, further comprising a limb, wherein a first one of the positional elements is located on the limb.

4. The robot of claim 1, wherein the robot manipulates an item based on each determined respective position.

5. The robot of claim 1, wherein the robot transfers an item to another robot based on each determined respective position.

6. The robot of claim 1, wherein movement of the robot is further controlled using a joy stick.

7. The robot of claim 1, wherein a first one of the positional elements is located in a command control glove.

8. The robot of claim 1, wherein the robot is configured to move based on instructions received from an external base station.

9. The robot of claim 1, wherein a first one of the positional elements is located at a predetermined location in a detection space.

10. The robot of claim 1, wherein a first one of the positional elements is located on an item of stock.

11. The robot of any of claims 1-10, wherein the respective continuous ultrasonic waveform is sampleable at a low sampling rate.

12. The robot of any of claims 1-10, wherein the respective versions of the continuous ultrasonic waveforms are supplied as separate channels for decoding by said computing device.

13. The robot of claim 12, wherein the separate channels are time multiplexed or frequency multiplexed.

14. The robot of any of claims 1-10, wherein each of the positional elements is provided with a respective frequency hopping sequence to allow simultaneous use of the positional elements.

15. The robot of claim 14, wherein each respective frequency hopping sequence is a different pseudo-random sequence.

16. The robot of any of claims 1-10, wherein each of the positional elements comprises a unique identifier.

17. The robot of any of claims 1-10, further comprising a synchronizer for synchronizing between the robot and the positional elements.

18. The position robot of claim 17, wherein the synchronizer is operable to use the respective electromagnetic signals to carry out the synchronizing.

19. The robot of claim 17, wherein the synchronizer is configured to compensate for clock drift between a clock of the computing device and clocks of the positional elements.

20. The robot of claim 19, wherein the clock of the computing device is synchronized with the clocks of the positional elements.