Dynamic position control for electronic components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740192-B2
Application number	US-201615350322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 7, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A computer system may determine a target position of the electronic component. The computer system may also determine a current position of the electronic component. The computer system may compare the current position to the target to position to determine whether the electronic component is in the target position. If the electronic component is not in the target position, the computer system may use an electroactive polymer to adjust the position of the electronic component to move the electronic component into the target position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
establishing, by the processor, one or more predetermined positions for a first electronic component in a computer system, the first electronic component having a first electrical connector, the first electronic component being configured to connect with a second electronic component in the computer system, the second electronic component having a second electrical connector;
prompting, by the processor, a user to select a target position for the first electronic component from the one or more predetermined positions;
receiving, from the user, an input, wherein the input identifies the target position, the input being selected from the one or more predetermined positions;
determining, by the processor, a voltage being applied to an electroactive polymer (EAP), the EAP being located on the first electronic component;
comparing, by the processor, the voltage to one or more predetermined voltages, each of the one or more predetermined voltages corresponding to one of the one or more predetermined positions, each predetermined voltage being a voltage that causes the EAP to move the first electronic component into the corresponding predetermined position;
determining, based on the comparing, a current position of the first electronic component, the current position being the predetermined position that corresponds to the voltage being applied to the EAP;
determining whether the first electronic component is in the target position by comparing the current position to the target position; and
adjusting, in response to determining that the first electronic component is not in the target position, the position of the first electronic component, wherein the adjusting includes using the EAP to move the first electronic component into the target position.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Jandt Tyler
• Mann Phillip V
• Plucinski Mark D
• Shirk/Heath Sandra J

Classifications

• G05B2219/40543

  Identification and location, position of components, objects · CPC title

• G06F1/185

  Mounting of expansion boards · CPC title

• G05B19/402 Primary

  characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position (G05B19/19 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K3/32 Primary

  electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K3/368

  parallel to each other (H05K3/361 takes precedence) · CPC title