AUTOMATICALLY GUIDED TOOLS

• US 20120296463A1
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shaper Tools, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taktia LLC
• Inventors: Rivers, Alec, Moyer, Ilan
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/114
• 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 tool for automatically adjusting the location of a working member of the tool comprising:

a stage adapted to receive the working member;

at least one motor adapted to move the stage;

at least one motor controller that controls the at least one motor;

a processor in combination with one or more software applications for processing data and providing information to the at least one motor controller;

at least one camera adapted for use with the processor for capturing images of a surface,

wherein the captured images are processed to build a map of the surface;

wherein a subsequent captured image of the surface is processed to determine the location and orientation of the tool relative to the map; and

wherein the processor provides information to control the at least one motor to move the stage and working member to a desired location.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein location of the working member is calculated based upon the location at least one of the at least one cameras.

3. The tool of claim 1, wherein location of the tool is calculated based upon the location at least one of the at least one cameras.

4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is one of:

a router;

a drill;

a nail gun;

a jigsaw, a scroll saw;

or a printer.

5. The tool of claim 1, wherein the working member is one of:

a cutting bit;

a saw blade, a drill bit, a hammer, or a printer head.

6. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a display screen indicating the location of the working member relative to at least a portion of the map.

8. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a design loaded into a memory adapted for use with the processor, wherein an intended path for the working member is determined based on the design and the map.

10. A tool for automatically adjusting the location of a working member of the tool comprising:

a stage adapted to receive the working member;

at least one motor adapted to move the stage;

at least one motor controller that controls the at least one motor;

a processor in combination with one or more software applications for processing data and providing information to the at least one motor controller;

at least one sensor adapted for use with the processor for capturing information about a working piece,

wherein the captured information is processed to build a map of the working piece;

wherein further sensor information is processed to determine the location and orientation of the tool relative to the map; and

wherein the processor provides control information to control the at least one motor to move the stage and working member to a desired location.

7. The tool of claim 9, wherein a design can be loaded into a memory adapted for use with the processor and displayed on the display relative to the map and location of the working member.

9. The tool of claim 11, wherein the motor control information moves the working member to a point on the intended path.

11. The tool of claim 10, wherein location of the working member is determined based upon the location at least one of the at least one sensors.

12. The tool of claim 10, wherein location of the tool is determined based upon the location at least one of the at least one sensors.

13. The tool of claim 10 wherein at least one of the sensors is a camera.

14. A rig for automatically adjusting the location of a working member comprising:

a stage adapted to receive the working member of a tool;

at least one motor adapted to move the stage;

at least one motor controller that controls the at least one motor;

a processor in combination with one or more software applications for processing data and providing information to the at least one motor controller;

at least one sensor adapted for use with the processor for capturing information about a working piece,

wherein the captured information is processed to build a map of the working piece;

wherein further sensor information is processed to determine the location and orientation of the working member relative to the map; and

wherein the processor provides control information to control the at least one motor to move the stage and working member to a desired location.

15. The rig of claim 14, wherein the location of the working member is determined based upon the location at least one of the sensors.

16. The rig of claim 14, wherein location of the tool is determined based upon the location at least one of the sensors.

17. The rig of claim 14, wherein at least one of the sensors is a camera.

18. The rig of claim 14, wherein the tool is one of:

a router;

a drill;

a nail gun;

a jigsaw, a scroll saw;

or a printer.

19. The rig of claim 14, wherein the working member is one of:

a cutting bit;

a saw blade, a drill bit, a hammer, or a printer head.

20. The rig of claim 14, further comprising a display screen indicating the location of the working member relative to at least a portion of the map.

21. The rig of claim 20, wherein a design can be loaded into a memory adapted for use with the processor and displayed on the display relative to the map and location of the working member.

22. The rig of claim 14, further comprising a design loaded into a memory adapted for use with the processor, wherein an intended path for the working member is determined based on the design and the map.

23. The rig of claim 14, wherein the motor control information moves the working member to a point on the intended path.

24. The rig as recited in claim 14, which performs the method comprising:

selecting and registering a design to be rendered;

preparing and aligning a position of the tool on the rig;

advancing the tool in a first direction and within a selected range substantially adjacent to an outline of the design; and

automatically realigning the tool to a boundary edge of the design in a second direction as the tool is advanced in the first direction.

25. A method of locating a tool on a material, the tool being attached to a stage on a rig, comprising:

selecting and registering a design to be rendered;

preparing and aligning a position of the tool;

advancing the tool in a first direction and within a selected range substantially adjacent to an outline of the design; and

automatically realigning the tool to a boundary edge of the design in a second direction as the tool is advanced in the first direction.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein aligning of a position of the tool is performed by comparing the position of at least one marker disposed on the material to the registered position of the design.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected range substantially adjacent to an outline of the design is a target range window displaying an illustration of:

the tool, an intended cut path and a desired tool movement path that may be different from the intended cut path.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein automatic realigning of the tool to a boundary edge of the design in a second direction is performed automatically by a repositioning mechanism, as the tool is advanced in the first direction.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein automatic realigning of the tool is in response to receiving image data from a camera.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein automatic realigning is in response to processing of a received capture of an image of a marker on the material.

31. A method of cutting a design in a material based on a relative constant speed of movement of a tool, the tool being attached to a stage on a rig, comprising:

displaying a target range window rendering an illustration of a point of reference of the tool, an intended cut path and a desired tool movement path that may be different from the intended cut path.

aligning and advancing the tool in a first direction at the relative constant speed of movement along the desired tool movement path to cut away the material at the intended cut path; and

automatically realigning the tool in a second direction to a boundary edge location of the intended cut path as the tool is advanced at the relative constant speed of movement in the first direction along the design.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the target range window includes a target range area that surrounds the point of reference of the tool, a portion of the intended cut path and a portion of the desired tool movement path.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the desired tool movement path is in at least one of a clockwise or counterclockwise continuous movement around a perimeter of the design.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the design is a virtual overlay in the target range window.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein automatic realigning of a position of the tool is performed based on a comparison of a previous position on the design and a preferred next position on the design.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein automatic realigning of the tool to a boundary edge of the design in a second direction is performed automatically by a repositioning mechanism, as the tool is advanced in the first direction.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the automatic repositioning of the tool accounts for the width of a cutting member of the tool relative to the intended cut path.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein automatic realigning of the tool is in response to receiving live feed of image data from a camera.