# US 10,118,298 B2 · Lower body supporting robot system and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,298 B2 - Document ID: US10118298B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/342,336 - Filed: 2016-11-03 - Published: 2017-12-14 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-09 - Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company - Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company - Inventors: Sang In Park; Kyung Mo Jung; Dong Jin Hyun; Hyun Seop Lim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118298B2 ## CPC - B25J 13/089: {Determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment} - A61F 2/70: electrical - B25J 9/0006: {Exoskeletons, i.e. resembling a human figure} - A61F 2002/704: {computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control} - A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces - A61H 2201/5069: Angle sensors - A61H 2201/5071: Pressure sensors - B25J 11/009: {Nursing, e.g. carrying sick persons, pushing wheelchairs, distributing drugs} - G05B 2219/40305: Exoskeleton, human robot interaction, extenders - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A lower body supporting robot system includes a lower body mechanism being worn on a user's lower body, the lower body mechanism including a plurality of joints and links and a drive device, a distance calculator for measuring a first distance that is a vertical distance to an object located therebelow and a second distance that is a vertical distance to a ground surface, a memory for storing a limit distance that is a vertical distance between the distance calculator and the ground surface when the lower body mechanism is in a lowest sitting posture, and a controller for calculating a tolerance distance that is a difference between the second distance and the limit distance, comparing the first distance with the tolerance distance, and controlling the drive device so that the distance calculator moves by the first distance when the first distance is less than the tolerance distance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A lower body supporting robot system comprising: a lower body mechanism being worn on a user's lower body, the lower body mechanism including a plurality of joints and links and a drive device; a distance calculator provided above the lower body mechanism for measuring a first distance that is a vertical distance to an object located therebelow and a second distance that is a vertical distance to a ground surface; a memory for storing a limit distance that is a vertical distance between the distance calculator and the ground surface in a state that the lower body mechanism is in a lowest sitting posture; and a controller for calculating a tolerance distance that is a difference between the second distance and the limit distance, comparing the first distance with the tolerance distance, and controlling the drive device so that the distance calculator moves by the first distance when the first distance is less than the tolerance distance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the links include a calf link and a thigh link, the joints include an ankle joint, a knee joint and a hip joint, and the drive device includes one or more drive devices for adjusting angles of the respective joints. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the distance calculator includes a distance sensor and an angle sensor, wherein the distance sensor measures a spacing distance to the object located therebelow, and the angle sensor measures a tilt angle between the distance sensor and the ground surface, and wherein the distance calculator calculates the first distance that is a vertical distance between the distance sensor and the object located therebelow using the spacing distance and the tilt angle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 3, wherein the distance sensor measures a ground surface distance to the ground surface, and wherein the distance calculator calculates the second distance that is the vertical distance between the distance sensor and the ground surface using the ground surface distance and the tilt angle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the distance calculator calculates the second distance in a mechanical manner using lengths of the respective links and angles of the respective joints of the lower body mechanism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores a motion rule of the drive device to be performed in a sitting mode, and wherein the controller controls the drive device according to the motion rule when the lower body mechanism performs a sitting mode, and controls the drive device so that the distance calculator moves by the first distance when the first distance is less than the tolerance distance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the drive device of the lower body mechanism so that the distance calculator moves by the tolerance distance when the first distance is greater than the tolerance distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, wherein the distance calculator includes a plurality of distance sensors, and the distance sensors detect the first distances respectively, wherein the controller selects a smallest distance among the first distances, compares the smallest distance with the tolerance distance and controls the drive device of the lower body mechanism so that the distance calculator moves by the smallest distance when the smallest distance is less than the tolerance distance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of controlling the lower body supporting robot system according to claim 1, the method comprising: measuring the first distance that is the vertical distance between the distance calculator and the object located therebelow; measuring the second distance that is the vertical distance between the distance calculator and the ground surface; calculating, by the controller, the tolerance distance that is the difference between the second distance and the limit distance; and comparing, by the controller, the first distance with the tolerance distance, and controlling the drive device of the lower body mechanism so that the distance calculator moves by the first distance when the first distance is less than the tolerance distance. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein, in the step of calculating the first distance, a spacing distance to the object located therebelow is measured using a distance sensor, and a tilt angle between the distance sensor and the ground surface is measured using an angle sensor, whereby the first distance that is a vertical distance between the distance sensor and the object located therebelow is calculated using the spacing distance and the tilt angle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of calculating the second distance, a ground surface distance to the ground surface is measured using the distance sensor, whereby the second distance that is the vertical distance between the distance sensor and the ground surface is calculated using the ground surface distance and the tilt angle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of calculating the second distance, the second distance is calculated in a mechanical manner using lengths of the respective links and angles of the respective joints of the lower body mechanism.