# US 11,897,138 B2 · Injection apparatus, injection method, and injection program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,138 B2 - Document ID: US11897138B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/281,762 - Filed: 2019-09-30 - Published: 2021-12-23 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-12 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Toshimitsu Tsuboi; Ryo Terasawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897138B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1653: {parameters identification, estimation, stiffness, accuracy, error analysis} - B25J 9/1664: {characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning} - B25J 9/1669: {characterised by special application, e.g. multi-arm co-operation, assembly, grasping} - B25J 9/1679: {characterised by the tasks executed} - B25J 9/1694: {characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion} - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 11/008: {Manipulators for service tasks} - B25J 13/085: {Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence)} - 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}) ## Abstract An apparatus capable of smoothly injecting contents in an object into another object, an injection method, and an injection program. The apparatus includes a robotic arm device configured to grip a first container, and circuitry configured to recognize a flowrate of contents while injecting an amount of the contents from the first container into a second container, and control a tilt of the first container using the robotic arm device to inject the contents into the second container according to the recognized flowrate of the contents. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a robotic arm device configured to grip a first container from which contents are injected into a second container based on driving of the robotic arm device; and circuitry configured to recognize a flowrate of the contents while injecting an amount of the contents from the first container into the second container, and control a tilt of the first container based on a determined flowrate plan for injecting the amount of the contents using the driving of the robotic arm device to inject the contents into the second container according to the recognized flowrate of the contents, wherein the flowrate of the contents is recognized by a vision sensor as the contents flow out from an outlet of the first container, and wherein the flowrate plan for controlling the tilt of the first container is changed according to a speed of the contents recognized by the vision sensor at a time when the contents initially flow out from the outlet of the first container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flowrate of the contents is further recognized by a flowrate sensor as the contents flow out from the outlet of the first container. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flowrate sensor is removably attached to the first container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vision sensor recognizes the flowrate of the contents by estimating a width of the contents as the contents flow out from the outlet of the first container. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine one or more characteristics related to the contents contained by the first container. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one or more characteristics related to the contents includes at least one of type, weight, height, or viscosity of the contents. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one or more characteristics related to the contents includes at least one of weight, radius, or height of the first container. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry initially determines the flowrate plan for injecting the amount of the contents from the first container into the second container according to the one or more determined characteristics related to the first container. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the circuitry initially determines the flowrate plan further according to one or more determined characteristics related to the second container. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the one or more determined characteristics related to the second container includes an amount of contents contained by the second container. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one or more determined characteristics related to the contents includes a viscosity of the contents, and wherein the circuitry estimates the viscosity of the contents by detecting a vibration of the contents in response to a vibration input. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the circuitry estimates the viscosity of the contents by detecting at least one of an amplitude or a phase delay of the vibration of the contents in response to the vibration input. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the amplitude or the phase delay of the vibration of the contents is detected by a force sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the force sensor comprises a six-axis force sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the force sensor is attached to the robotic arm device. ### Claim 16 A method of controlling a tilt using a robotic arm device, the method comprising: causing the robotic arm device to grip a first container from which contents are injected into a second container based on driving of the robotic arm device; recognizing a flowrate of the contents while injecting an amount of the contents from the first container into the second container; and controlling a tilt of the first container based on a determined flowrate plan for injecting the amount of the contents using the driving of the robotic arm device to inject the contents into the second container according to the recognized flowrate of the contents, wherein the flowrate of the contents is recognized by a vision sensor as the contents flow out from an outlet of the first container, and wherein the flowrate plan for controlling the tilt of the first container is changed according to a speed of the contents recognized by the vision sensor at a time when the contents initially flow out from the outlet of the first container. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising: causing a robotic arm device to grip a first container from which contents are injected into a second container based on driving of the robotic arm device; recognizing a flowrate of the contents while injecting an amount of the contents from the first container into the second container; and controlling a tilt of the first container based on a determined flowrate plan for injecting the amount of the contents using the driving of the robotic arm device to inject the contents into the second container according to the recognized flowrate of the contents, wherein the flowrate of the contents is recognized by a vision sensor as the contents flow out from an outlet of the first container, and wherein the flowrate plan for controlling the tilt of the first container is changed according to a speed of the contents recognized by the vision sensor at a time when the contents initially flow out from the outlet of the first container.