Security-activated robotic system

• US 20090292389A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Secure3Dp+ Pte. Ltd. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Tegreene, Clarence T., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/117
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24167 Encryption, password, user access privileges
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

Various methods and systems include exemplary implementations for a security-activated operational component involved in creating or producing or duplicating or processing or testing one or more objects. Possible embodiments include but are not limited to verifying an authorization code to control a task or function of a robotic operation system, and responsive to the verification, enabling or disabling one or more operational components of the robotic operation system.

Claims

1. A robotic operational system subject to security control, wherein the system comprises:

a robotic operational machine or device;

a verification module coupled to the robotic operational machine or device, the verification module capable of enabling or disabling one or more robotic elements, the verification module configured to receive an authorization associated with a directive for controlling operation of the robotic operational system; and

a controller coupled to the robotic operational machine or device, the controller configured to receive the directive for controlling operation of a plurality of robotic elements, each robotic element of the plurality of robotic elements individually and/or in combination performing one or more functions in accordance with the authorization.

2. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for receiving the authorization via an application configured to identify a user associated with the directive to perform robotic operational tasks.

3. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 2, wherein the verification module is configured for receiving the authorization via the application, the application applying a user credential to provide the authorization.

4. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 2, wherein the verification module is configured for receiving the authorization from a security device in communication with the robotic operational system, the security device providing one or more permissions to operate the robotic operational system.

5. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for receiving the directive from the controller, the controller operably coupled to the robotic assembly system, the verification module further configured for receiving an enabling signal from the controller to enable reification of the one or more objects.

6. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for comparing the authorization to a stored list of authorization codes accessible to the robotic operational system.

7. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for receiving an indication from the controller, the controller including a digital rights management application.

8. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for verifying that the authorization is associated with one or more license-governed agreements relating to the protection of the one or more objects, the one or more objects at least partially robotically reproducible via one or more object files that enable at least one of the plurality of robotic elements to at least partially reify the one or more objects.

9. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for verifying the authorization code wherein the authorization is associated with a licensing status associated with the one or more objects and/or object data file, the licensing status indicative of one or more of a royalty status, an expiration date pertaining to a license, and/or a number of manufacturing runs permitted according to the license.

10. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for verifying the authorization wherein the authorization enables a determination of a payment status and/or an authorization status under a reification agreement.

11. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured for enabling or preventing robotic assembly by one or more of the robotic elements wherein one or more of the robotic elements controls reification using one or more of a metal, ABS (Acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene), ABSi (ABS with high impact strength), ABS M-30 (Acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene), PC (Polycarbonate), PC-ISO (Polycarbonate-ISO), PC/ABS (Polycarbonate/ABS Blend), PPSF (Polyphenylsulfone), clear and/or colored resin.

12. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for enabling or preventing one or more of the robotic elements wherein one or more of the robotic elements controls reification using one or more of at least partially robotic rapid prototyping, at least partially robotic three-dimensional printing, at least partially robotic two-dimensional printing, at least partially robotic freeform fabrication, at least partially robotic solid freeform fabrication, and at least partially robotic stereolithography.

13. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for enabling or preventing one or more of the robotic elements wherein one or more of the robotic elements controls reification using one or more of one or more of stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), computer numerical control (CNC), and fused deposition modeling (FDM) if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions.

14. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for enabling or preventing one or more of the robotic elements wherein one or more of the robotic elements controls reification using one or more of at least partially robotic three-dimensional manufacturing using one or more of metal, wood, ice, stone, glass, nuclear materials, pharmaceuticals, edible substances, sand, ceramic materials, aluminum, silicon, carbides, silicon nitrides, silicon carbides, metal/ceramic combinations including aluminum/silicon nitride, aluminum/silicon carbide, aluminum/zirconia and aluminum/aluminum nitride including materials alterable by friction, heating and cooling if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions.

15. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for enabling or preventing one or more of the robotic elements wherein one or more of the robotic elements controls reification using one or more of at least partially robotic two-dimensional manufacturing using one or more of skin, textiles, edible substances, paper, silicon printing if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions.

16. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for enabling or preventing one or more of the robotic elements wherein one or more of the robotic elements controls reification using one or more of at least partially robotic subtractive manufacturing, including enabling or preventing drilling, milling, turning, laser cutting, waterjet cutting, plasma cutting, wire electrical discharge cutting, cold, warm and hot forging metal fabrication, computer numerical controlled fabrication machine, and/or an additive manufacturing and/or an injection molding if the authorization code meets one or more predetermined conditions.

17. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for enabling or preventing at least partially robotic functioning of a physical component of the robotic operational system if the authorization meets one or more predetermined conditions.

18. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the robotic operational machine or device is configured for enabling or preventing robotic operations dependent upon the one or more predetermined conditions wherein the one or more predetermined conditions include at least one of a benchmark comparison, a temporal machine qualification, an operation qualification, an event occurrence, and/or a quality certification.

19. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the robotic operational machine or device is configured for enabling or preventing robotic operations dependent upon the one or more predetermined conditions wherein the robotic operations are associated with one or more of a chemical process, a product packaging, an injection molding unit, a subtraction machine, an additive manufacturing unit, a two-dimensional production machine, a three-dimensional production machine, a stamping machine, an extruder, a melting machine, a die-casting machine, a solidifying machine, a manufacturing machine, a rapid prototyping machine, a production device.

20. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the a robotic operational machine or device is configured for receiving an input including the directive for creating and/or duplicating and/or producing in accordance with the authorization.

21. The robotic operational system subject to security control of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for controlling the one or more functions wherein the robotic operational system is at least part of one or more of a processor system, an assembly system, a testing system, a manufacturing system, and a production system.

22. A security control method for a robotic operation, comprising:

identifying a robotic operational system configured to create or produce or duplicate or process or test one or more objects;

verifying an authorization code associated with a directive for controlling operation of the identified robotic operation system; and

responsive to the verification, implementing the directive by enabling or disabling one or more operational components that individually and/or in combination perform one or more functions of the identified robotic operation system.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes verifying the authorization code to protect a proprietary aspect of the identified robotic operation system.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes protecting a proprietary operational process of the robotic operation system.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes protecting a proprietary operational component of the identified robotic operation system.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes protecting a proprietary operational output of the identified robotic operation system.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes protecting a proprietary output object of the identified robotic operation system.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes protecting proprietary output data of the identified robotic operation system.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein said verifying the authorization code includes protecting a proprietary tangible operational result of the identified robotic operation system.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein said verifying the authorization includes confirming the validity of the authorization code by one or more of a digital certificate, private/public key, redundancy check, error checking algorithm, checksum code and/or cryptographic hash function.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

enabling or disabling the operational component dependent on one or more of the following;

benchmark comparison, temporal milestone, time period restriction, output quantity limitation, machine qualification, operator qualification, event occurrence and/or quality certification.

32. The method of claim 22 further comprising computer-readable media bearing encoded instructions for executing the security control method.

33. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing encoded instructions for executing the following process:

accessing an authorization associated with a directive to perform a robotic operational task regarding one or more objects;

verifying the authorization associated with the directive; and

responsive to the verification, controlling operation of one or more operational components that individually and/or in combination perform one or more robotic operational tasks.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the process feature controlling one or more operational components further includes:

monitoring the robotic operational task; and

responsive to the monitoring, determining compliance with an applicable predetermined condition.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the process feature determining compliance with the applicable predetermined condition includes:

determining compliance with a qualitative or quantitative aspect of the robotic operational task.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the process feature determining compliance with the applicable predetermined condition includes:

determining compliance with the predetermined condition applicable to a security-controlled process and/or operational component and/or output of the robotic operational task.