US 10,649,643 B2 · HMI-based pattern modification for robotic palletizing

Abstract

A controller of a material handling system performs a method of creating a multidrop pattern of articles for robotic placement in layers on a pallet. A pattern is presented on a user interface of any currently positioned representations of articles on a pallet. A control affordance for inputting drag'n'drop and numeric inputs is presented on the user interface for robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of the more than one article in an end effector of a robotic arm for placement of the more than one article. User inputs are received that indicate placement position of a first subset of the more than one article. User inputs are received that indicate placement position of a second subset, which is mutually exclusive of the first subset, of the more than one article. The user inputs are converted into a place sequence of robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of the articles by the robotic arm.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of creating a multidrop pattern of articles for robotic placement in layers on a pallet, the method comprising:

presenting on a user interface a pattern depiction of a representation of articles on a pallet;
presenting on the user interface a control interface for robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of more than one article in an end effector of a robotic arm for placement;
receiving a first user input indicating a first placement position of a first subset of the more than one article;
receiving a second user input indicating a second placement position of a second subset, which is mutually exclusive of the first subset, of the more than one article;
and
converting the first and second user inputs into a place sequence of robotic control operations to perform the multidrop of the more than one article by the robotic arm.

3 more elements

A controller comprising:

a user interface device;
a device interface in communication with a robotic arm having an end effector, and a processor subsystem in communication with the user interface device and device interface to execute a pattern forming human-machine interface (HMI) and which:
presents on a user interface a pattern depiction of a representation of articles on a pallet;
presents on the user interface a control interface for robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of more than one article in an end effector of a robotic arm for placement;
receives a first user input indicating a first placement position of a first subset of the more than one article;
receives a second user input indicating a second placement position of a second subset, which is mutually exclusive of the first subset, of the more than one article;
and
converts the first and second user inputs into a place sequence of robotic control operations to perform the multidrop of the more than one article by the robotic arm.

5 more elements

A material handling system comprising:

a pallet support surface;
a case conveyor;
a robotic arm having an end effector and positioned to reach both the pallet support surface and the case conveyor;
a user interface device;
and
a controller comprising a device interface in communication with a robotic arm having an end effector, and a processor subsystem in communication with the user interface device and device interface to execute a pattern forming human-machine interface (HMI) and which:
presents on a user interface a pallet surface and a pattern depiction of a representation of articles on a selected layer supported by the pallet surface;
presents on the user interface a control interface for robotic control operations to perform a multidrop of more than one article in an end effector of a robotic arm for placement on the pallet surface;
receives a first user input indicating a first placement position of a first subset of the more than one article;
receives a second user input indicating a second placement position of a second subset, which is mutually exclusive of the first subset, of the more than one article;
and
converts the first and second user inputs into a place sequence of robotic control operations to perform the multidrop of the more than one article by the robotic arm.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

HMI-based pattern modification for robotic palletizing

Life of this patent

HMI-based pattern modification for robotic palletizing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20