# US 12,544,920 B2 · Detection of heavy objects in robotic induction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,544,920 B2 - Document ID: US12544920B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/126,306 - Filed: 2023-03-24 - Published: 2023-10-12 - Granted: 2026-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-25 - Assignees: Dexterity, Inc. - Applicants: Dexterity, Inc. - Inventors: Rohun Kulkarni; Harshit Shah; Toby Leonard Baker; David Leo Tondreau, III; Harry Zhe Su; Talbot Morris-Downing; Darshan Hegde; Timothy Ryan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12544920B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1653: {parameters identification, estimation, stiffness, accuracy, error analysis} - B25J 9/0093: {co-operating with conveyor means} - B25J 9/161: {Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor} - B25J 9/163: {learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control} - B25J 9/1633: {compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control} - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - G05B 19/4182: {manipulators and conveyor only} - G05B 2219/39102: Manipulator cooperating with conveyor - G05B 2219/39106: Conveyor, pick up article, object from conveyor, bring to test unit, place it - 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}) - 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 The present application discloses a system, a method, and a computer system for moving items deemed to be too heavy to be picked up by a robotic arm. The method includes (i) receiving sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a source conveyor configured to convey items to a pick location, (ii) determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that an item that is too heavy to be lifted by a robotic arm controlled by the one or more processors has entered the source conveyor, and (iii) providing an output indicating that the item too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm has been detected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robotic system, comprising: a communication interface configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a source conveyor configured to convey items to a pick location; and one or more processors coupled to the communication interface and configured to: determine, based at least in part on the sensor data, that an item that is too heavy to be lifted by a robotic arm controlled by the one or more processors has entered the source conveyor; and in response to determining that the item is too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm, cause an active measure to be implemented, wherein causing the active measure to be implemented comprises: determining a plan for using at least the robotic arm to move the item to a destination location without the robotic arm completely lifting the item; and causing the robotic arm to implement the plan. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor of the one or more sensors is configured to obtain data pertaining to a utilization of one or more motors driving the source conveyor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes data pertaining to a current utilization of one or more motors driving the source conveyor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robotic system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine whether the current utilization exceeds a current utilization threshold; and in response to determining that the current utilization exceeds the threshold current utilization, deeming the item to be too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The robotic system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: store the data pertaining to the current utilization in a historical current utilization dataset. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The robotic system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine a likelihood that an item is too heavy based at least in part on an analysis of the historical current utilization dataset. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The robotic system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: analyze the historical current utilization dataset in connection with learning current utilization levels associated with items too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The robotic system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: update the current utilization threshold based at least in part on the learned current utilization levels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The robotic system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine an association between current utilizations and item weights. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robotic system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: store the association between the current utilizations and the item weights in a mapping of the current utilizations to the item weights. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robotic system of claim 10, wherein the mapping of the current utilizations to the item weights is used to determine a manner by which the robotic arm is to be controlled to move the item. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The robotic system of claim 10, wherein a force with which to grasp or push the item is determined based at least in part on the mapping of current utilizations to item weights. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The robotic system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to: in response to determining that the item is not too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm, determining a plan to control the robotic arm to move the item to a destination location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The robotic system of claim 13, wherein the plan is determined based at least in part on the force with which to grasp or push the item. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The robotic system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine patterns in the current utilization associated with items being too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein: the sensor data further comprises image data and data pertaining to a current utilization of one or more motors driving the source conveyor; and the one or more processors are further configured to correlate the image data and the image pertaining to the current utilization of one or more motors driving the source conveyor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The robotic system of claim 16, wherein determining that the item that is too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm has entered the source conveyor comprises: determining that that the item is expected to be too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm based at least in part on a determination that the current utilization exceeds a current utilization threshold; and verifying that the item is too heavy to be lifted based at least in part on the image data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The robotic system of claim 17, wherein verifying that the item is too heavy to be lifted based at least in part on the image data comprises: distinguishing, based on the image data, between (i) a first context pertaining to arrival of a single heavy item and (ii) a second context pertaining to arrival of a plurality of smaller items. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein: the active measure includes stopping a slow of items delivered to a workspace of the robotic arm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The robotic system of claim 19, wherein: the active measure further includes causing the robotic arm to push the item off the source conveyor for manual induction. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein: the active measure includes blocking or slowing the flow of items on the source conveyor and determining a plan for handling the item that is too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein: the plan comprises using the robotic arm and at least one other robotic arm to lift the item in coordination and to place the item at the destination location. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein: the plan comprises (a) using the robotic arm to partially lift the item, and (b) using at least one other robotic arm to push or pull the item place the item at the destination location. ### Claim 24 A method, comprising: receiving, by one or more processors, sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a source conveyor configured to convey items to a pick location; determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that an item that is too heavy to be lifted by a robotic arm controlled by the one or more processors has entered the source conveyor; in response to determining that the item is too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm, causing an active measure to be implemented, wherein causing the active measure to be implemented comprises: determining a plan for using at least the robotic arm to move the item to a destination location without the robotic arm completely lifting the item; and causing the robotic arm to implement the plan. ### Claim 25 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing thereon a computer program product comprising computer instructions, executed by a processor for: receiving, by one or more processors, sensor data from one or more sensors associated with a source conveyor configured to convey items to a pick location; determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, that an item that is too heavy to be lifted by a robotic arm controlled by the one or more processors has entered the source conveyor; in response to determining that the item is too heavy to be lifted by the robotic arm, causing an active measure to be implemented, wherein causing the active measure to be implemented comprises: determining a plan for using at least the robotic arm to move the item to a destination location without the robotic arm completely lifting the item; and causing the robotic arm to implement the plan.