Robotic system for identifying items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330872-B2
Application number	US-202418406983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2024
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A method and system for obtaining an identifier from an item is disclosed. The method includes autonomously operating a robotic structure having a robotic arm to pick an item using an end effector of the robotic arm along a predetermined path from a source location to a destination location according to a plan. The picked item is moved according to the plan. An active measure is determined to be performed at least in part to obtain an identifier determined to be missing based on information received via the communication interface from one or more sensors. The robotic structure is autonomously operated to place the item at the destination location based at least in part on the plan.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic system, comprising:
a communication interface; and
one or more processors coupled to the communication interface and configured to:
autonomously operate a robotic structure having a robotic arm to pick an item using an end effector of the robotic arm along a predetermined path from a source location to a destination location according to a plan, wherein a number of identifiers for the item are known in advance;
move the picked item according to the plan;
determine to perform an active measure at least in part to obtain an identifier determined to be missing based on information received via the communication interface from one or more sensors, wherein the processor is configured to determine to perform the active measure by comparing a number of obtained identifiers to a number of expected identifiers, wherein the identifier is determined to be missing after the comparison; and
autonomously operate the robotic structure to place the item at the destination location based at least in part on the plan.

2. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the item is picked from a tray, a source flow, or a source pile.

3. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the item is picked up based at least in part on a grasping strategy.

4. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined path is determined to allow one or more scanners to scan one or more identifiers associated with the item.

5. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more scanners include a barcode scanner, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) scanner, and/or a quick-response (QR) code scanner.

6. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plan includes moving the item within a threshold range or threshold area corresponding to one or more sensors.

7. The robotic system of claim 6 , wherein the threshold range or the threshold area is determined based on historical information.

8. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the identifier determined to be missing is attempted to be obtained from the one or more sensors as the item is moved along the predetermined path.

9. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is a label, a bar code, a symbol, an image, an alphanumeric string, a code, an RFID tag, or machine readable information.

10. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the comparison is performed after the item has moved through a threshold range or a threshold area corresponding to one or more sensors.

11. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to perform the active measure in response to determining the number of obtained identifiers is less than an expected number of identifiers.

12. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the plan is updated in response to determining that the identifier is determined to be missing.

13. The robotic system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to move and place the picked item according to the updated plan.

14. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the active measure includes returning the item to the source location, placing the item in a return area, placing the item in a discard area, and/or alerting an operator.

15. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the active measure includes rotating and/or changing an orientation associated with the item.

16. The robotic system of claim 1 , wherein the active measure includes attempting to rescan the item.

17. A method, comprising:
autonomously operating a robotic structure having a robotic arm to pick an item using an end effector of the robotic arm along a predetermined path from a source location to a destination location according to a plan, wherein a number of identifiers for the item are known in advance;
moving the picked item according to the plan;
determining to perform an active measure at least in part to obtain an identifier determined to be missing based on information received via the communication interface from one or more sensors, wherein determining to perform the active measure includes comparing a number of obtained identifiers to a number of expected identifiers, wherein the identifier is determined to be missing after the comparison; and
autonomously operating the robotic structure to place the item at the destination location based at least in part on the plan.

18. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:
autonomously operating a robotic structure having a robotic arm to pick an item using an end effector of the robotic arm along a predetermined path from a source location to a destination location according to a plan, wherein a number of identifiers for the item are known in advance;
moving the picked item according to the plan;
determining to perform an active measure at least in part to obtain an identifier determined to be missing based on information received via the communication interface from one or more sensors, wherein determining to perform the active measure includes comparing a number of obtained identifiers to a number of expected identifiers, wherein the identifier is determined to be missing after the comparison; and
autonomously operating the robotic structure to place the item at the destination location based at least in part on the plan.

Assignees

• Dexterity Inc

Inventors

• Sun Zhouwen
• Holmberg Robert
• Kumar Shitij
• Baek Jeesu
• Li joseph
• Ramakrishnan Kishore Ranganath
• Lovett Andrew
• Nader Cyril
• Farhat Farshid
• Tondreau Iii David Leo

Classifications

• B07C5/362

  Separating or distributor mechanisms (switches for postal sorting B07C3/065; particular discharging devices for B65G47/74) · CPC title

• B25J9/1689

  Teleoperation · CPC title

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• B07C2501/0063

  Using robots · CPC title