Automated identification and assembly of shoe parts
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsPatrick Conall Regan, Kuo-Hung Lee, Chih-Chi Chang, Ming-Feng Jean, Chang-Chu Liao
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Abstract
Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.
Claims19
A method for positioning and assembling a shoe part in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- receiving an image depicting a two-dimensional representation of an attachment shoe part which is to be attached to a base shoe part;
- determining one or more pixel coordinates of the image;
- converting, by a computer processor, the one or more pixel coordinates of the image to a geometric coordinate of a geometric coordinate system which maps a three-dimensional space within which the attachment shoe part is positioned and a pick-up tool operates;
- determining another geometric coordinate of the geometric coordinate system by analyzing a different image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part to which the attachment shoe part will be attached;
- and
- transferring, by the pick-up tool, the attachment shoe part to the other geometric coordinate, thereby moving the attachment shoe part to a location in the three-dimensional space at which the attachment shoe part is to be attached to the base shoe part.
A method of positioning and joining a plurality of shoe parts utilizing automated identification of the shoe parts and a multi-functional manufacturing tool, the method comprising:
- receiving an image depicting a two-dimensional representation of an attachment shoe part which is to be attached to a base shoe part;
- determining a geometric coordinate of a geometric coordinate system by analyzing the image, wherein the geometric coordinate system maps a three-dimensional space within which the attachment shoe part is positioned and the multi-functional manufacturing tool operates;
- determining another geometric coordinate of the geometric coordinate system by analyzing a different image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part to which the attachment shoe part will be attached;
- transferring, by the a multi-functional manufacturing tool, the attachment shoe part to the other geometric coordinate, thereby moving the attachment shoe part to a location in the three-dimensional space at which the attachment shoe part is to be attached to the base shoe part;
- and
- attaching, by the multi-functional manufacturing tool, the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part.
A system that positions and attaches a shoe part in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the system comprising:
- an image recorder that records an image depicting a two-dimensional representation of an attachment shoe part, which is to be attached to a base shoe part;
- and
- computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:
- (1) determine pixel coordinates of the image,
- (2) convert the pixel coordinates of the image to a geometric coordinate in a geometric coordinate system, which maps a three-dimensional space within which the attachment shoe part is positioned and a manufacturing tool operates,
- (3) determine another geometric coordinate in the geometric coordinate system by analyzing a different image of the base shoe part, and
- (4) instruct a manufacturing tool to transfer the attachment shoe part to the other geometric coordinate, thereby moving the attachment shoe part to a location in the three-dimensional space at which the attachment shoe part is to be attached to the base shoe part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.