Patent · US Expired

Method of controlling an intelligent assist device

US6204620A · kind A · utility

94Cited by
14References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 1999
Grant dateMar 20, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 10, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05B2219/40517
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A method of controlling a powered manipulator (10) is disclosed. The powered manipulator (10) includes at least one motor (12), at least one force sensor (14) on a manual control handle (16) and a microprocessor (18) combined with the plurality of the force sensors (14) for controlling a powered manipulator (10) within physical limits of a workspace. The method comprises the steps of the operator imparting a force on the control handle (16), sensing the direction and magnitude of the force with the plurality of force sensors (14) and sending the force data to the microprocessor (18), processing the force data from the plurality of force sensors (14) with the microprocessor (18) to create movement commands for the powered manipulator (10) and moving the powered manipulator (10) in response to the movement commands from the microprocessor (18). An adaptive gain feature proportions powered manipulator movement commands relative to force imparted by an operator on the control handle (16) and can be relative to dynamic motion states. The microprocessor (18) is programmed for establishing virtual constraints to limit the movement of the powered manipulator (10) within a virtual workspace…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.