Robotic manufacturing and assembly with relative radio positioning using radio based location determination

• US 6,898,484 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorothy Lemelson
• Original Assignee: Dorothy Lemelson
• Inventors: Blake, Tracy D., Pedersen, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/138,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568.1, 700/253, 700/257, 700/262, 700/264, 700/302, 700/245, 901/1, 901/8, 701/23
• US Class Current: 700/245
• 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 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless

Abstract

Global positioning system inputs are used in a manufacturing process where location of a work piece relative to a robotic manipulator is input into a control system. The manipulator is located and tracked by using “GPS” signals, as is an associated work piece. Radio signal based position indicators associated with work pieces transmit work piece location and status. In some embodiments manipulator locations are sensed by position indicators associated with manipulators and signals relating to the position of the manipulators are transmitted to the control system. The control system controls the manipulator and may also control material handling equipment for the transport of work pieces.

Claims

1. A system for controlling manufacturing operations, the system comprising:

(a) a robotic manipulator;

(b) a radio signal positioning system in communication with the robotic manipulator and one or more work pieces; and

(c) a controller responsive to radio signal positioning information from the robotic manipulator and from the work pieces;

(d) wherein the controller is controllably coupled to the robotic manipulator, thereby directing it to perform manufacturing operations on the work pieces; and

(e) the controller processes the radio signal positioning system inputs from the robotic manipulator and from the work pieces to locate the robotic manipulator relative to the work pieces.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising position indicators, each position indicator comprising:

(a) a radio signal receiver for receiving position information from the relative radio signal positioning system;

(b) processing capability; and

(c) a transceiver for communication with the controller.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the radio signal receiver further comprises a decoder for decoding the radio position information from the relative radio signal positioning system.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the transceiver transmits encoded position information to the controller and receives commands from the controller.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the radio positioning system further comprises:

(a) a relative radio positioning system;

(b) multiple sources of encoded radio signals located remotely from the robotic manipulator and the work piece;

(c) a position indicator attached to the robotic manipulator; and

(d) a position indicator attached to the work piece;

whereby the encoded radio signals permit precise calculation of distance from each source of radio signal to the position indicator attached to the robotic manipulator and the position indicator attached to the work piece thereby facilitating precise determination of relative coordinate locations of the robotic manipulator and the work piece.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller controls work piece movement relative to the robotic manipulator based on position information derived from the relative radio positioning system.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the controller directs the robotic manipulator to move relative to the work piece based on position information derived by the controller from the relative radio positioning system.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the encoded radio signal comprises precisely timed signal pulses.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the multiple sources comprise earth-orbiting satellites.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the earth orbiting satellites are from a global positioning system.

11. The system of claim 10 where the global positioning system comprises the NAVSTAR global positioning system.

12. The system of claim 10 where the global positioning system comprises the GLONASS system.

13. The system of claim 10 where the global positioning system comprises components of the NAVSTAR global positioning system and of the GLONASS system.

14. The system of claim 5 wherein the robotic manipulator further comprises a video scanner and image analysis computer capable of scanning the work piece to locate a mark on the work piece, whereby the mark on the work piece facilitates a determination of work piece location relative to the robotic manipulator.

15. A system for controlling parts acquisitions for manufacturing processes comprising:

(a) an autonomous mobile robotic system including a mobile robotic manipulator;

(b) a parts storage area;

(c) a controller controllably coupled to the mobile robotic systems, thereby directing the mobile robotic system to perform parts acquisition operations; and

(d) a radio signal positioning system;

(e) wherein the radio signal positioning system guides the mobile robotic manipulator to designated locations.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein a plurality of mobile robotic manipulators are included in the system and one of the mobile robotic manipulators is used for parts acquisition for the other robotic manipulators performing manufacturing tasks.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein a mobile robotic manipulator can acquire and attach a tool for a manufacturing process to itself.

18. A method of locating an object relative to a transitionable element comprising the acts of:

(a) associating a marker with the object;

(b) determining a location of the object by determining a position of the associated marker;

(c) storing the location of the object;

(d) associating a second marker with a transitionable element of variable location;

(e) determining the location of the transitionable element by determining the position of the marker associated with the transitionable element;

(f) storing the location of the transitionable element;

(g) determining the location of the object relative to the transitionable element by comparing the stored location of the object to the stored location of the transitionable element; and

(h) changing the relative location of the transitionable element and the object.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein associating a marker with the object comprises locating the marker on the object.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the marker is a radio signal position indicator including a radio transmitter and a radio receiver.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein changing the location of the transitionable element relative to the object includes moving the transitionable element.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the controller is a computer having a processor and storage for the locations of the object and the transitionable element.

21. The method of claim wherein 18 determining the location of the object comprises locating the position of the object relative to a coordinate reference system.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein locating the object is accomplished by determining the position of the object in the coordinate reference system and storing the location of the object.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein storing the location of the object comprises entering the location of the object in a controller.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein determining the location of the transitionable element comprises recording the position of the transitionable element relative to a coordinate reference system.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein recording the position of the transitionable element comprises entering the location of the transitionable element in a controller.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein determining the location of the object relative to the transitionable element comprises

(a) retrieving the location of the object from the controller;

(b) retrieving the location of the transitional element from the controller;

(c) comparing the location of the transitionable element to the stored location of the object in the controller to determine the location of the object relative to the transitionable element.

29. A manufacturing system comprising:

(a) a robotic manipulator;

(b) a plurality of work pieces;

(c) a signal positioning system responsive to positions of the robotic manipulator and the work pieces; and

(d) a controller responsive to information from the signal positioning system regarding position between the robotic manipulator and the work pieces;

(e) wherein the robotic manipulator is responsive to control signals from the controller, thereby performing manufacturing operations on the work pieces.