System architecture for safety applications

US11543798B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• VEO ROBOTICS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Scott Denenberg · Boston, US
• Clara Vu · Cambridge, US
• Patrick Sobalvarro · Palo Alto, US
• Lev Persits · Cambridge, US
• Ilya A. Kriveshko · Littleton, US
• Elliot Simon · Arlington, US
• Alberto Moel · Cambridge, US
• Patrick J. Foy · Gaithersburg, US
• Justin Bronder · Littleton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 25, 2020
• Grant date: Jan 3, 2023
• Expiry date: Aug 22, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B2219/50193
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

Control systems for industrial machinery (e.g., robots) or other devices such as medical devices utilize a safety processor (SP) designed for integration into safety applications and computational components that are not necessarily safety-rated. The SP monitors performance of the non-safety computational components, including latency checks and verification of identical outputs. One or more sensors send data to the non-safety computational components for sophisticated processing and analysis that the SP cannot not perform, but the results of this processing are sent to the SP, which then generates safety-rated signals to the machinery or device being controlled by the SP. As a result, the system may qualify for a safety rating despite the ability to perform complex operations beyond the scope of safety-rated components.