Thomas A Fuhlbrigge

US Patent:

7643907, Jan 5, 2010

Filed:

Feb 10, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/054816

Inventors:

Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Manchester CT, US
Gregory Rossano - Enfield CT, US
Hui Zhang - West Hartford CT, US
Jianjun Wang - West Hartford CT, US
Zhongxue Gan - Windsor CT, US

Assignee:

ABB Research Ltd. - Zurich

International Classification:

G05B 15/00

US Classification:

700264, 700 90, 700245

Abstract:

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for developing a metadata-infused software program for controlling a device, such as a robot. A first library of software segments with metadata and a second library of script documents are provided. A part program wizard uses a script document selected from the second library to display queries on a screen of an interface device. Using input information received in response to the queries, the part program wizard selects and combines software segments from the first library to produce the metadata-infused software program. The metadata identifies the selected software segments and includes statuses of the selected software segments. A graphical representation of the metadata infused software program is displayed on the screen and conveys the statuses of the software segments. A deployment wizard is utilized to teach data points for the metadata-infused software program.

US Patent:

8407661, Mar 26, 2013

Filed:

Jul 28, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/181003

Inventors:

Jianjun Wang - West Hartford CT, US
Carlos Martinez - West Hartford CT, US
Thomas Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US

Assignee:

ABB Research Ltd. - Zurich

International Classification:

G06F 9/44

US Classification:

717100, 717109, 717117, 700 86

Abstract:

There is described a method and system for developing for an automation process a screen viewable on a target computer that has user interface objects. A development computer has a set of common design time components from a general purpose software development kit that also has a databinding facility and a set of customization components. Those components have an interface that allows access to the available for use automation process data objects and a process object picker that act as a user interface to the databinding facility to allow the browsing of a subset of the available for use data objects and selecting of one or more of the objects in the subset for binding by the databinding facility either to one or more members of the user interface objects or one or more of the user interface objects or a combination of the same.

US Patent:

8606398, Dec 10, 2013

Filed:

Aug 29, 2008

Appl. No.:

13/061245

Inventors:

William Eakins - Bloomfield CT, US
Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US
Carlos Martinez - West Hartford CT, US
Heping Chen - Austin TX, US
Gregory Rossano - Enfield CT, US

Assignee:

ABB Research Ltd. - Zurich

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700245, 700117, 700256, 700900, 901 29, 901 31

Abstract:

A robot () is used to pick parts from a bin ( in FIG. ). The robot has a compliant apparatus () and one or more tools are connected to the apparatus to perform the picking. The compliant apparatus has mechanisms for monitoring and/or controlling its compliance. The compliant apparatus can have various embodiments. Force sensing can be used during removal of grasped parts from the bin to determine the force exerted on the picking tool (s). The signal indicative of the exerted force can be used by the robot controller to determine the weight of the parts that may be held by the picking tool(s). The robot has one or more devices (FIG. ) which can be the picking tool to stir the parts in the bin.

US Patent:

20100312391, Dec 9, 2010

Filed:

Jun 5, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/479185

Inventors:

Sangeun Choi - Simsbury CT, US
Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US
William Eakins - Bloomfield CT, US
Gregory Rossano - Enfield CT, US

Assignee:

ABB Research Ltd. - Zurich

International Classification:

G06F 19/00

US Classification:

700254, 901 5, 901 9, 901 42, 901 46

Abstract:

A lead-through teaching device for an industrial robot is calibrated by moving the device to each of a predetermined number of reference poses. A controller responds to a signal from the device induced by gravity at each of the reference poses to calibrate the device to a predetermined coordinate frame. If necessary, a removable weight can be mounted to the device. The robot can hold either the tool that is to perform work on a workpiece or the workpiece. In those applications where the tool has a removable component, the lead-through teaching device can replace the removable component during its calibration to the predetermined coordinate frame.

US Patent:

20110223000, Sep 15, 2011

Filed:

Aug 29, 2008

Appl. No.:

13/061342

Inventors:

Carlos Martinez - West Hartford CT, US
Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US
William Eakins - Bloomfield CT, US
Heping Chen - Austin TX, US
Gregory Rossano - Enfield CT, US
Steven West - Howell MI, US

Assignee:

ABB RESEARCH LTD. - Zurich

International Classification:

B25J 9/16
G05B 19/00
G06F 19/00

US Classification:

414730, 700250

Abstract:

A robot is used to pick parts from a bin. The robot has a compliant apparatus and one or more tools are connected to the apparatus to perform the picking. The compliant apparatus has mechanisms for monitoring and/or controlling its compliance. The compliant apparatus can have various embodiments. Force sensing can be used during removal of grasped parts from the bin to determine the force exerted on the picking tool(s). The signal indicative of the exerted force can be used by the robot controller to determine the weight of the parts that may be held by the picking tool(s). The robot has one or more devices which can be the picking tool to stir the parts in the bin.

US Patent:

20110223001, Sep 15, 2011

Filed:

Aug 29, 2008

Appl. No.:

13/061437

Inventors:

Carlos Martinez - West Hartford CT, US
Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US
William Eakins - Bloomfield CT, US
Heping Chen - Austin TX, US
Gregory Rossano - Enfield CT, US
Steven West - Howell MI, US

Assignee:

ABB RESEARCH LTD. - Zurich

International Classification:

B25J 9/16
B25J 9/00
G06F 19/00
G05B 19/00

US Classification:

414730, 700250

Abstract:

A robot for picking one or more parts () randomly distributed in a bin (), this robot comprising a moveable arm (), a computing device () connected to said robot for controlling motion of said moveable arm and a tool () connected to said moveable arm for picking one or more of said parts from said bin,—said robot using said picking tool by itself or another tool () mounted on the robot or grasped by the picking tool to stir one or more of said one or more randomly distributed parts in said bin when said computing device determines that a predetermined event requiring stirring of said parts has occurred.

US Patent:

20120165986, Jun 28, 2012

Filed:

Aug 26, 2010

Appl. No.:

13/392299

Inventors:

Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US
Carlos Martinez Martinez - New Britain CT, US
Gregory F. Rossano - Enfield CT, US
Steve W. West - Howell MI, US

Assignee:

ABB Research Ltd. - Zurich

International Classification:

B25J 13/08
G06K 9/00

US Classification:

700259, 382153, 901 47, 901 9

Abstract:

A robot system () for picking parts () from a bin () use the image from one or more cameras () to determine if the robot gripper () has picked one part or more than one part and uses one or more images from one or more cameras () to determine the position/orientation of a picked part. If the robot () has picked more than one part from the bin () then attempt is made to return the excess picked parts to the bin (). The position/orientation of a picked part that does not meet a predetermined criteria is changed.

US Patent:

20130147944, Jun 13, 2013

Filed:

Aug 25, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/817833

Inventors:

Biao Zhang - West Hartford CT, US
Jianjun Wang - West Hartford CT, US
Gregory F. Rossano - Enfield CT, US
Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge - Ellington CT, US

Assignee:

ABB RESEARCH LTD - ZURICH

International Classification:

G06T 7/00

US Classification:

348 95, 901 2, 901 47

Abstract:

A vision-guided alignment system to align a plurality of components includes a robotic gripper configured to move one component relative to another component and a camera coupled to a processor that generates an image of the components. A simulated robotic work cell generated by the processor calculates initial calibration positions that define the movement of the robotic gripper such that position errors between the actual position of the robotic gripper and the calibration positions are compensated by a camera space manipulation based control algorithm executed by the processor to control the robotic gripper to move one component into alignment with another component based on the image of the components.