Cabinet with integrated pick-and-place mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11684549-B2
Application number	US-202017005803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Aug 28, 2020
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm includes maneuvering an end of arm tooling of a robotic arm to a predefined position of an interface object. The robotic arm is mounted within a mounting site of a mechanical mounting structure. The interface object is positioned on a sub-system of a medication dosing system that is mounted on the mechanical mounting structure. The interface object includes an alignment feature of a known size and shape. A sensor of the end of arm tooling is engaged with the interface object. An offset between the sensor and the interface object is determined based on an interaction between the sensor and the alignment feature. A position of the end of arm tooling is incremented with respect to the interface object along at least one axis. An actual position of the interface object is determined relative to the robotic arm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm, comprising:
maneuvering an end of arm tooling of a robotic arm to a predefined position of an interface object, wherein:
the robotic arm is mounted within a mounting site of a mechanical mounting structure;
the interface object is positioned on a sub-system of a medication dosing system that is mounted on the mechanical mounting structure; and
the interface object comprises at least one alignment feature of a known size and shape;

engaging a sensor of the end of arm tooling with the interface object, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a degree of closure of a gripper affixed to the end of arm tooling;
determining one or both of a distance and an axial direction of an offset between the end of arm tooling and the interface object based at least in part on the degree of closure;
incrementing a position of the end of arm tooling with respect to the interface object along at least one axis; and
determining an actual position of the interface object relative to the robotic arm.

2. The method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm of claim 1 , further comprising:
programming the robotic arm with three-dimensional coordinates that define the actual position of the interface object to teach the robotic arm a precise position of the sub-system.

3. The method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm of claim 1 , further comprising:
affixing the interface object to the sub-system; and
programming the robotic arm with the predefined position of the interface object.

4. The method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm of claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical sensor that is configured to optically determine the actual position of the interface object.

5. The method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm of claim 4 , wherein:
the optical sensor comprises one or both of an imaging device and a laser.

6. The method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm of claim 1 , wherein:
the position of the end of arm tooling is incremented based on the one or both of the distance and the axial direction of the offset.

7. The method of performing location teaching of a robotic arm of claim 1 , wherein:
determining the actual position of the interface object comprises:
detecting alignment between the interface object and the sensor; and
recording 3-dimensional coordinates associated with a current position of the interface object.

8. A medication dosing system, comprising:
a mechanical mounting structure comprising a baseplate and a sidewall that extends vertically relative to the baseplate, wherein the baseplate defines a mounting site, and wherein the mechanical mounting structure has known dimensions to within 0.010 inches of dimensions set forth in a design specification of the mechanical mounting structure;
a dosing sub-system coupled with the sidewall;
an interface object affixed to the dosing sub-system, the interface object comprising at least one alignment feature of a known size and shape;
a robotic arm coupled with the mounting site, wherein the robotic arm comprises an end of arm tooling with a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to sense a degree of closure of a gripper affixed to the end of arm tooling;
a processor; and
a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the medication dosing system to:
maneuver the end of arm tooling to a predefined position of the interface object;
engage the sensor of the end of arm tooling with the interface object;
determine one or both of a distance and an axial direction of an offset between the end of arm tooling and the interface object based at least in part on the degree of closure;
increment a position of the end of arm tooling with respect to the interface object along at least one axis; and
determine an actual position of the interface object.

9. The medication dosing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the interface object is positioned proximate an interaction point of the sub-system with which the robotic arm is configured to interact during operating of the medication dosing system.

10. The medication dosing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the sensor is configured to determine a gripping position of the gripper to determine an alignment of the sensor and the interface object.

11. The medication dosing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the actual position is defined in a 3-dimensional coordinate system.

12. The medication dosing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the sub-system comprises one or more of a dosing station and a syringe finishing station.

13. The medication dosing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the sensor comprises one or both of an optical sensor that is configured to optically determine the actual position of the interface object and a sensor that is configured to sense a gripping position of the gripper affixed to the end of arm tooling.

14. The medication dosing system of claim 8 , wherein:
engaging the sensor of the end of arm tooling with the interface object comprises:
closing the gripper about the interface object; and

recording the degree of closure of the gripper.

15. A medication dosing system, comprising:
a mechanical mounting structure comprising a baseplate and a sidewall that extends vertically relative to the baseplate, wherein the baseplate defines a mounting site, and wherein the mechanical mounting structure has known dimensions to within 0.010 inches of dimensions set forth in a design specification of the mechanical mounting structure;
at least one sub-system coupled with the sidewall;
an interface object affixed to the at least one sub-system, the interface object comprising at least one alignment feature of a known size and shape; and
a robotic arm coupled with the mounting site, wherein:
the robotic arm comprises an end of arm tooling with a sensor that is configured to determine an actual location of the interface object;
the sensor is configured to sense a degree of closure of a gripper affixed to the end of arm tooling;
the robotic arm is configured to determine one or both of a distance and an axial direction of an offset between the end of arm tooling and the interface object based at least in part on the degree of closure; and
the robotic arm is translatable in three dimensions to move the sensor relative to the interface object.

16. The medication dosing system of claim 15 , further comprising:
an optical sensor; and
the at least one alignment feature comprises a computer-readable pattern that enables the robotic arm to align the end of arm tooling with the interface object based on the computer-readable pattern sensed by the optical sensor.

17. The medication dosing system of claim 16 , wherein:
the optical sensor is configured to determine a horizontal distance between the end of arm tooling and the interface object.

18. The medication dosing system of claim 15 , wherein:
the sidewall comprises a first sidewall;
the sub-system comprises a first sub-system;
the mechanical mounting structure further comprises:
a second sidewall; and
a second sub-system; and

the robotic arm is further configured to transfer objects between the first sub-system and the second sub-system.

19. The medication dosing system of claim 15 , wherein:
the interface object comprised one or both of a variable diameter and a variable cross-sectional shape that allow sensor to determine an alignment of the sensor and the interface objec

Assignees

• Omnicell Inc

Inventors

• Kaintz Ryan
• Braun Ezekiel

Classifications

• G05B2219/39032

  Touch probe senses constraint known plane, derive kinematic calibration · CPC title

• G05B2219/39021

  With probe, touch reference positions · CPC title

• G05B19/425

  Teaching successive positions by numerical control, i.e. commands being entered to control the positioning servo of the tool head or end effector · CPC title

• B25J9/1692

  Calibration of manipulator · CPC title

• G05B2219/39024

  Calibration of manipulator · CPC title