# US 12,759,162 B2 · Substrate-conveying robot system and substrate-conveying robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,162 B2 - Document ID: US12759162B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/859,458 - Filed: 2023-04-17 - Published: 2026-01-15 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-26 - Assignees: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Satoshi Hashizaki; Shinya Kitano; Ryousuke Kanamaru; Katsuhiro Yamashita; Tomoya Nagasawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759162B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - B25J 9/042: {comprising an articulated arm} - B25J 11/0095: {Manipulators transporting wafers} - 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 A substrate-conveying robot system includes the controller for acquiring positional information on a notch or an orientation flat in a substrate based on an image captured by an image capturer from a lower side with respect to a substrate-handling hand in conveyance of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate-conveying robot system comprising: a substrate-handling hand for conveying a substrate; an image capturer; a controller; and a horizontal multi-joint robot arm to which the substrate-handling hand is attached and that is arranged on the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand, the horizontal multi-joint robot arm includes a first arm, and a second arm arranged on the upper side with respect to the first arm and connected to the first arm, wherein the controller acquires positional information on a notch or an orientation flat in the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand based on an image captured by the image capturer from a lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand in conveyance of the substrate; the image capturer is arranged on the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand; the image capturer is provided to the horizontal multi-joint robot arm; and the image capturer is arranged in an upper surface of the second arm; the substrate-handling hand includes a first hand arranged on the upper side with respect to the second arm, and a second hand arranged on the upper side with respect to the first hand; when one of the first hand and the second hand enters a substrate storage for storing the substrate in the conveyance of the substrate, another of the first hand and the second hand that is holding the substrate is moved to an avoidance position that is positioned on the upper side with respect to the second arm and overlaps the second arm; and the controller acquires the positional information on the notch or the orientation flat in the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand based on the image of the substrate that is captured from the lower side when the other of the first hand and the second hand is moved to the avoidance position in the conveyance of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 1, wherein the image of the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand is captured at a position that overlaps a conveyance path of the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand as viewed from an upper side by the image capturer from the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 1 further comprising a sensor for detecting a part of an outline shape of the substrate in which an outer edge of the substrate overlaps the substrate-handling hand as viewed from the lower side, wherein the controller acquires the positional information on the notch or the orientation flat in the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand based on the image captured by the image capturer from the lower side in the conveyance of the substrate and a detection result detected by the sensor in the conveyance of the substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 3, wherein the sensor includes an irradiator for irradiating the part in which the outer edge of the substrate overlaps the substrate-handling hand as viewed from the lower side with laser light; and a detector for detecting the laser light with which the part is irradiated by the irradiator. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 1 further comprising: a base that is arranged on the lower side with respect to the horizontal multi-joint robot arm and to which the horizontal multi-joint robot arm is attached, wherein the image capturer is arranged at a position that overlaps a conveyance path of the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand as viewed from an upper side in the base, which is arranged on the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 1, wherein the image capturer is arranged at a position that overlaps a conveyance path of the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand as viewed from an upper side on a floor surface arranged on the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 1, wherein the controller outputs the acquired positional information on the notch or the orientation flat in the substrate to a control apparatus for controlling a conveyance destination apparatus to which the substrate is conveyed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate-conveying robot system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls capture of the image of the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand from the lower side by using the image capturer in the conveyance of the substrate by using the substrate-handling hand in addition to acquisition of the positional information on the notch or the orientation flat in the substrate. ### Claim 9 A substrate-conveying robot system comprising: a substrate-handling hand for conveying a substrate; an image capturer; a controller; and a horizontal multi-joint robot arm to which the substrate-handling hand is attached and that is arranged on the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand, the horizontal multi-joint robot arm includes a first arm, and a second arm arranged on the upper side with respect to the first arm and connected to the first arm, wherein the substrate-handling hand includes a first hand arranged on the upper side with respect to the second arm, and a second hand arranged on the upper side with respect to the first hand; the controller is configured to control the substrate-conveying robot system so that, when one of the first hand and the second hand enters a substrate storage for storing the substrate in conveyance of the substrate, another of the first hand and the second hand that is holding the substrate is moved to an avoidance position that is positioned on the upper side with respect to the second arm and overlaps the second arm; and the controller acquires positional information on a notch or an orientation flat in the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand based on an image of the substrate that is captured from a lower side when the other of the first hand and the second hand is moved to the avoidance position in the conveyance of the substrate. ### Claim 10 A method of operating a substrate-conveying robot system that includes a substrate-handling hand for conveying a substrate, an image capturer, a horizontal multi-joint robot arm to which the substrate-handling hand is attached and that is arranged on the lower side with respect to the substrate-handling hand, the horizontal multi-joint robot arm includes a first arm, and a second arm arranged on the upper side with respect to the first arm and connected to the first arm, and the substrate-handling hand includes a first hand arranged on the upper side with respect to the second arm, and a second hand arranged on the upper side with respect to the first hand, the method comprising: controlling the substrate-conveying robot system so that, when one of the first hand and the second hand enters a substrate storage for storing the substrate in conveyance of the substrate, another of the first hand and the second hand that is holding the substrate is moved to an avoidance position that is positioned on the upper side with respect to the second arm and overlaps the second arm; and acquiring positional information on a notch or an orientation flat in the substrate conveyed by the substrate-handling hand based on an image of the substrate that is captured from a lower side when the other of the first hand and the second hand is moved to the avoidance position in the conveyance of the substrate.