US2015338213A1PendingUtilityA1

Adaptive Manufacturing System

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Assignee: PAR SYSTEMS INCPriority: May 20, 2014Filed: May 20, 2015Published: Nov 26, 2015
Est. expiryMay 20, 2034(~7.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Charles J. HabermannDean R. LavalleThomas E. Marrinan
G05B 19/404G05B 2219/49184G06F 30/00Y10T409/304144Y10T409/307448Y10T83/0304Y10T408/55Y10T408/03B29C 67/0048Y10T409/303808B23Q 3/065G01B 21/02B29L 2031/772G06F 2113/10G06F 30/10G06F 17/50G05B 19/4097B25J 19/023B25J 9/1697B25J 9/1692Y02P90/02
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Claims

Abstract

A system and method for processing a flexible part comprising holding the flexible part securely in an unconstrained position using a holder; and controlling a positioner to process the flexible part based on a comparison of a shape and/or position of the flexible part in the unconstrained position with design specifications of the part not in the unconstrained position.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for processing a flexible part, comprising:
 a holder configured to hold the flexible part securely in an unconstrained position;   an end effector configured to process the flexible part when held by the holder in the unconstrained position;   at least one positioner configured to support the holder or the end effector for movement; and   a controller configured to control the positioner to provide relative movement between the end effector and the holder to process the flexible part,   wherein movements of the positioner have been compensated based on a comparison of a shape and/or position of the flexible part in the unconstrained position with design specifications of the part not in the unconstrained position.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the design specifications are stored on a computer readable medium. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  and a device configured to obtain the shape and/or position of the flexible part in the unconstrained position and store data indicative thereof accessible to a computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  and a computing device configured to obtain data indicative of movements for the positioner based on a comparison of data indicative of the unconstrained part with the design specifications of the flexible part. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the data indicative of the unconstrained part comprises scan frames and the design specifications of the flexible part comprise reference frames. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the frames comprise a geometric parameter with respect to a coordinate system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the difference between each associated reference and scan frame comprises a spatial difference. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein a unique matrix is obtained for each associated reference and scan frame. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein movements of the positioner have been compensated based on a set of unique matrices. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5  wherein at least one scan frame associated with a reference frame is obtained through interpolation between adjacent scan frames. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein processing comprises at least one of drilling, milling, trimming, scribing, chamfering or inspecting. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the positioner is coupled to the end effector to control movement thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the positioner is coupled to the holder to control movement thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A method for processing a flexible part comprising:
 holding the flexible part securely in an unconstrained position;   controlling a positioner to process the flexible part based on a comparison of a shape and/or position of the flexible part in the unconstrained position with design specifications of the part not in the unconstrained position.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  and further comprising accessing a storage device having the design specifications stored on a computer readable medium of the storage device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  and further comprising obtaining the shape and/or position of the flexible part in the unconstrained position and store data indicative thereof accessible to a computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein obtaining the shape and/or position includes using a profilometer, such as a laser, camera system and/or measuring probe. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein obtaining the shape and/or position includes obtaining a plurality of scan frames, each portion corresponding to a different portion of the flexible part. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the scan frames comprise a geometric parameter with respect to a coordinate system such as value(s) alone and/or with respect to shape(s), for example, distances, such as distances between reference points; angles, such as angles represented by intersecting vectors or line segments; and/or a series of points or mathematical expression that define a geometric parameter(s) such as line segment, intersecting line segments, arcs, circles. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the scan frames are associated with different portions of the flexible part and each scan frame corresponds to a portion at a different position with respect to the flexible part such as along a reference direction. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  and wherein controlling the positioner includes controlling the positioner based on a comparison of one or more scan frames with one or more reference frames, preferably based on the design specification. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein controlling the positioner includes determining a control path to move the positioner. 
     
     
         23 . The method of any one of  claim 22  wherein reference frames are associated with the design specification and a spatial difference exists between reference frames and scan frames. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein obtaining the comparison comprises obtaining one or more interpolated reference frames and/or one or more interpolated scan frames. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein obtaining the comparison comprises one or more of comparing an interpolated reference frame with an existing scan frame, comparing an interpolated scan frame with an existing reference frame or comparing an interpolated reference frame and with an interpolated scan frame. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  and further comprising forming a unique matrix based on associated reference and scan frames. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 14  wherein processing comprises at least one of drilling, milling, trimming, scribing, chamfering or inspecting. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the positioner is coupled to the end effector to control movement thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the positioner is coupled to the holder to control movement thereof.

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