# US 8,825,193 B2 · Control system for and method of controlling product delivery systems

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- Number: US 8,825,193 B2
- Document ID: US8825193B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/954,823
- Filed: 2010-11-26
- Published: 2011-10-27
- Granted: 2014-09-02
- Earliest claimed: 2009-11-25
- Assignees: Fastcorp 3, LLC
- Applicants: Jeff Boyer; Joseph Todd Piatnik; Fernando A. Ubidia; Aaron M. Stein; John F. Lewis
- Inventors: Jeff Boyer; Joseph Todd Piatnik; Fernando A. Ubidia; Aaron M. Stein; John F. Lewis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8825193B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/16: Program controls (total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, G05B19/418)
- G07F 11/1657: {the picking arrangements using suction}
- B25J 9/042: {comprising an articulated arm}
- B25J 9/044: {with forearm providing vertical linear movement}
- B25J 9/1692: {Calibration of manipulator}
- B25J 15/0616: {with vacuum}
- B65G 1/04: mechanical
- G07F 9/026: {for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty}
- G07F 11/10: two or more magazines having a common delivery chute
- G07F 11/165: {using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements}
- G07F 11/24: Rotary or oscillatory members
- G05B 2219/39048: Closed loop kinematic self calibration, grip part of robot with hand
- 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})
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- 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

A control system for and methods of controlling a product delivery system are provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A product delivery system for delivering product from a storage area to a dispensing area, the product delivery system comprising:
a product holding device for selective coupling with the product;
a robotic arm positioning structure coupled to the product holding device for moving the product holding device; and
a control system for controlling the product holding device and the positioning structure;
wherein the control system utilizes monitoring of current draw of the product holding device and monitoring of the rotational motion of each of multiple arm segments of the said robotic arm positioning structure to aid in re-calibrating the control system during a vending operation so as to reduce delivery failures.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The product delivery system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said programming includes programming of custom product pick up locations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The product delivery system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control system is re-calibrated by:
positioning the robotic arm positioning structure at a calibration point;
recording the numerical data for each encoder associated with components of said robotic arm positioning structure at that location; and
assigning those numerical values as zero values in a storage location accessible by the control system for later usage by the control system.