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US 4,727,494 AGranted
Computerized robot control system with scheduling feature
AssigneeZymark Corporation
InventorWilliam J. Buote
Life of this patent
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AssigneeZymark Corporation
InventorWilliam J. Buote
Estimating the term…
In a robotic system for efficient serialization of processing a number of samples by a robotic manipulator through an identical sequence of processing steps with a plurality of the samples being processed through the sequence at a given time, such that they must share the services of the manipulator, the improvement wherein a computer control means 92 operates a schedule-control feature which forms means both (a) to relate (1) the time within said sequence required to carry out all said steps which do not require the robotic manipulator (22) to (2) the time within said sequence which does require the robotic manipulator and the minimum number of processing spaces (305) for samples in non-robotic-manipulated time steps; and (b) to provide a priority of action for manipulator such that the sample which is both ready for further processing and most advanced in the sequence is given priority for further completion when said manipulator (22) is available for said further processing.
In a robotic process for scheduling the moving of a plurality of samples through a sequence of processing steps, using robotic time of a robotic manipulator, and at least one of which steps takes some non-robotic time, and has said samples in process for a period of time without the need for tending by said robotic manipulator and wherein said sequence for some samples overlap in time with the sequence for other samples such that the manipulator's time is shared among a plurality of samples being processed during any given time, the steps of:
A robotic system for processing a number of discrete items of material serially through a preselected sequence of steps which sequence includes at lesat one step comprising use of a robotic manipulator and at least one step in which there is time which does not require the use of a robotic manipulator, said system comprising,
In a robotic process for scheduling the moving each of a plurality of items by a robotic manipulator through a sequence of processing steps using robotic time and non-robotic time, wherein a number of said items are being processed through different steps in said sequence at the same time the improvement comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.