Automatically guided tools

• US 10,795,333 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 10/06/2020
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Darrin D
• Application Number:
  US15/178,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20160291568A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• 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 computer-implemented method for positioning a working member, wherein a rig comprises a base assembly, and one or more components adapted to receive the working member for rendering a design on a material, and wherein the one or more components position the working member within a target range relative to a location of the base assembly, comprising:

registering, by a processor, the design to be rendered on the material;

determining, by a processor, a path based at least in part upon the design;

providing, by a processor, first control information that controls at least one of the one or more components of the rig to move the working member from a first position to a first target point on the path, wherein at least a portion of the base assembly is in contact with the material, the base assembly is located at a first base assembly location when the first control information is provided, and the first position and the first target point are in the target range with the base assembly located at the first base assembly location; and

providing, by a processor, second control information that controls at least one of the one or more components of the rig to move the working member to a second target point on the path, wherein the second target point is different from the first target point, the base assembly is located at a second base assembly location when the second control information is provided, the second base assembly location is different from the first base assembly location, the second target point is in the target range with the base assembly located at the second base assembly location, and the second target point is not in the target range with the base assembly located at the first base assembly location.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving, by a processor from one or more sensors, position information indicative of the first position of the working member; and

determining, by a processor, the first position of the working member based at least in part upon the position information.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

capturing, by one or more sensors, image information related to a surface of the material; and

determining, by a processor, the first position of the working member based at least in part upon the image information captured by the one or more sensors.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

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

determining, by a processor, the first position of the working member based at least in part upon the plurality of images captured by the one or more sensors during the time interval.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

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

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

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing, by a processor, first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via a display device; and

providing, by a processor, second display information that causes one or more indications of the first position of the working member to be displayed via the display device, wherein the one or more indications of the first position of the working member are displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing, by a processor, first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via a display device; and

providing, by a processor, second display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of the path to be displayed via the display device, wherein the representation of the portion of the path is displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing, by a processor, first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via a display device;

providing, by a processor, second display information that causes one or more indications of the first position of the working member to be displayed via the display device, wherein the one or more indications of the first position of the working member are displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material; and

providing, by a processor, third display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of the path to be displayed via the display device, wherein the representation of the portion of the path is displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing, by a processor, third control information that controls an automatic positioning system to move the base assembly from the first base assembly location to the second base assembly location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the automatic positioning system is a robot.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

obtaining, by a processor, the design from a remote computer system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the working member is a cutting bit, and the path is based at least in part upon a physical dimension of the cutting bit.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control information and the second control information cause the working member to engage the material along the path to remove some of the material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the base assembly comprises one or more wheels.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the base assembly comprises a skid pad.

16. A system to position a working member, wherein a rig comprises a base assembly, and one or more components adapted to receive the working member for rendering a design on a material, and wherein the one or more components are capable of positioning the working member within a target range relative to a location of the base assembly, the system comprising:

a processor in combination with one or more software applications;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the one or more software applications, when executed, cause the system to;

register the design to be rendered on the material;

determine a path based at least in part upon the design;

provide first control information that controls at least one of the one or more components of the rig to move the working member from a first position to a first target point on the path, wherein at least a portion of the base assembly is in contact with the material, the base assembly is located at a first base assembly location when the first control information is provided, and the first position and the first target point are in the target range with the base assembly located at the first base assembly location; and

provide second control information that controls at least one of the one or more components of the rig to move the working member to a second target point on the path, wherein the second target point is different from the first target point, the base assembly is located at a second base assembly location when the second control information is provided, the second base assembly location is different from the first base assembly location when the second control information is provided, the second target point is in the target range with the base assembly located at the second base assembly location, and the second target point is not in the target range with the base assembly located at the first base assembly location.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

one or more sensors communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the one or more software applications, when executed, cause the system to;

receive, from the one or more sensors, position information indicative of the first position of the working member; and

determine the first position of the working member based at least in part upon the position information.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

one or more sensors communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the one or more software applications, when executed, cause the system to;

capture, via the one or more sensors, image information related to a surface of the material; and

determine the first position of the working member based at least in part upon the image information captured by the one or more sensors.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a display device communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the one or more software applications, when executed, cause the system to;

provide first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via the display device; and

provide second display information that causes one or more indications of the first position of the working member to be displayed via the display device, wherein the one or more indications of the first position of the working member are displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a display device communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the one or more software applications, when executed, cause the system to;

provide first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via the display device;

provide second display information that causes one or more indications of the first position of the working member to be displayed via the display device, wherein the one or more indications of the first position of the working member are displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material; and

provide third display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of the path to be displayed via the display device, wherein the representation of the portion of the path is displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the first control information and the second control information cause the working member to engage the material along the path to remove some of the material.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more software applications, when executed, cause the system to:

provide third control information that controls an automatic positioning system to move the base assembly from the first base assembly location to the second base assembly location.

23. Non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions for positioning a working member, wherein a rig comprises a base assembly, and one or more components adapted to receive the working member for rendering a design on a material, and wherein the one or more components position the working member within a target range relative to a location of the base assembly, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

register the design to be rendered on the material;

determine a path based at least in part upon the design;

provide first control information that controls at least one of the one or more components of the rig to move the working member from a first position to a first target point on the path, wherein at least a portion of the base assembly is in contact with the material, the base assembly is located at a base assembly rig location when the first control information is provided, and the first position and the first target point are in the target range with the base assembly located at the first base assembly location; and

provide second control information that controls at least one of the one or more components of the rig to move the working member to a second target point on the path, wherein the second target point is different from the first target point, the base assembly is located at a second base assembly location when the second control information is provided, the second base assembly location is different from the first base assembly location, the second target point is in the target range with the base assembly located at the second base assembly location, and the second target point is not in the target range with the base assembly located at the first base assembly location.

24. The computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

capture, by one or more sensors, image information related to a surface of the material; and

determine the first position of the working member based at least in part upon the image information captured by the one or more sensors.

25. The computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

provide first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via a display device; and

provide second display information that causes one or more indications of the first position of the working member to be displayed via the display device, wherein the one or more indications of the first position of the working member are displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

26. The computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

provide first display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of a surface of the material to be displayed via a display device;

provide second display information that causes one or more indications of the first position of the working member to be displayed via the display device, wherein the one or more indications of the first position of the working member are displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material; and

provide third display information that causes a representation of at least a portion of the path to be displayed via the display device, wherein the representation of the portion of the path is displayed relative to the representation of the portion of the surface of the material.

27. The computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the first control information and the second control information cause the working member to engage the material along the path to remove some of the material.

28. The computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to:

provide third control information that controls an automatic positioning system to move the base assembly from the first base assembly location to the second base assembly location.