公开(公告)号：US20230037452A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-09

申请号：US17759035

申请日：2020-02-12

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Jihuan Tian ,  Jiafan Zhang ,  Qi Lu

IPC: G01N21/88 ,  G01N21/956

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a surface condition of an object. The apparatus comprises a light source, a reflective face and an imaging device. The imaging device is configured to receive reflected light emanating from the reflective face. The reflective face is oriented at a first acute angle relative to an optical axis of the imaging device, such that a projection area of a virtual image of a surface formed via the reflective face is greater than a projection area of the surface on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

公开(公告)号：US10788429B2

公开(公告)日：2020-09-29

申请号：US16674643

申请日：2019-11-05

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Martin Kefer ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: G01N21/88

Abstract: It is therefore an objective to provide an object multi-perspective inspection apparatus and a method therefor. The apparatus includes an image capture device; an inspection site and at least two reflection devices, being arranged for reflecting simultaneously to the image capture device at least two different side views of the object located in the inspection site; wherein: the image capture device has a field of view including the at least two different side views of the reflection. By introducing reflection devices into the inspection apparatus to enable the image capture device to “see” the part from multiple views at once, multiple surfaces can be inspected at once, in one image frame, without having the need to reposition the reflection device, the camera and/or the object for every single surface. There are more than one reflection devices placed in the camera's field of view to assist the inspection process by exploiting otherwise hidden surfaces of any given solid object. The effort inspecting every single part form multiple sides is reduced. Therefore, the period of the inspection cycle time can be reduced and inspection on the level of multi-surfaces becomes possible increasing overall quality.

公开(公告)号：US20200132609A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-30

申请号：US16674643

申请日：2019-11-05

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Martin Kefer ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: G01N21/88

Abstract: It is therefore an objective to provide an object multi-perspective inspection apparatus and a method therefor. The apparatus includes an image capture device; an inspection site and at least two reflection devices, being arranged for reflecting simultaneously to the image capture device at least two different side views of the object located in the inspection site; wherein: the image capture device has a field of view including the at least two different side views of the reflection. By introducing reflection devices into the inspection apparatus to enable the image capture device to “see” the part from multiple views at once, multiple surfaces can be inspected at once, in one image frame, without having the need to reposition the reflection device, the camera and/or the object for every single surface. There are more than one reflection devices placed in the camera's field of view to assist the inspection process by exploiting otherwise hidden surfaces of any given solid object. The effort inspecting every single part form multiple sides is reduced. Therefore, the period of the inspection cycle time can be reduced and inspection on the level of multi-surfaces becomes possible increasing overall quality.

公开(公告)号：US20240083036A1

公开(公告)日：2024-03-14

申请号：US18263408

申请日：2021-04-13

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Ye Tian ,  Xinyu Fang ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: B25J9/16 ,  B25J19/02

CPC classification number: B25J9/1697 ,  B25J9/1692 ,  B25J19/023

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer readable media for determining a position of a tracking device. The tracking device includes a vision sensor and an inertial sensor. A first position of the tracking device in relative to a reference marker is obtained based on an image of the reference marker that is collected by the vison sensor. A second position of the tracking device in relative to the first position is obtained by the inertial sensor after a movement of the tracking device. A position of the tracking device in relative to the reference marker is determined based on the first and second positions.

公开(公告)号：US20230382637A1

公开(公告)日：2023-11-30

申请号：US18248589

申请日：2020-11-11

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Ye Tian ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: B65D90/00 ,  B25J19/02 ,  B25J15/00 ,  B25J5/00

CPC classification number: B65D90/002 ,  B25J5/007 ,  B25J15/0033 ,  B25J19/023

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for handling twistlocks configured to lock a container onto a vehicle. The apparatus includes a gripper configured to grip one of the twistlocks to be mounted onto or dismounted from a corner fitting of a container. Further, the apparatus has a visual sensor configured to capture a first image of the corner fitting when the vehicle is moving in a twistlock handling station. The apparatus includes a control unit configured to obtain, from the visual sensor, the first image; make some determinations based on the first image; and send a handling position such that the gripper moves to the handling position to handle the one of the twistlocks during the moving of the vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US20230045651A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-09

申请号：US17758791

申请日：2020-01-22

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Xinyu Fang ,  Yichao Mao ,  Qi Lu ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: B25J9/16

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for time calibration. The method can include, in responses to receiving sensing data which indicates a deviation of a tool from an object to be operated by a robot with the tool, triggering the robot to perform a plurality of transformations. Each transformation causing the tool to contact the object at a reference position; determining joint positions of a joint of the robot holding the tool or the object after the plurality of transformations; and determining a position relationship between the tool and the robot at least partially based on the joint positions and the reference position.

公开(公告)号：US20220297319A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-22

申请号：US17616046

申请日：2019-07-17

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Jiafan Zhang ,  Hao Gu

IPC: B25J19/00 ,  B25J18/00 ,  B25J9/00

Abstract: Robot arm link (100) comprises a body made of non-metallic material, a transmission cable (102) made of conducive material and embedded within the body (101), and at least one connector (103) arranged on the body (101) and coupled to the transmission cable (102), each connector (103) adapted to be electrically connected to a connector (1031) of a further robot arm link (1001) of a same specification, a sensor (301), or a power source (302) of the robot (200). By embedding the transmission cable (102) within the non-metallic material to form the robot arm link (100), there is no need to consider how to route the cable (102) and thus the difficulty of cable routing design can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, the efficiency of robot assembly and maintenance can be increased accordingly. In addition, the cables (102) arranged in the robot arm links (101) are not easily damaged, thereby increasing the service life of the robot.

公开(公告)号：US20220277603A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-01

申请号：US17635352

申请日：2019-08-14

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Ye Tian ,  Yichao Mao ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: G07C9/00 ,  G06K9/62

Abstract: Method for determining a lock type of a lock device. In the method, a group of raw data of a group of lock devices is collected from a group of sensors respectively. Here the group of lock devices are respectively mounted to an object at a group of positions, and the group of lock devices belong to at least one lock type of a plurality of lock types. A group of probability distributions are obtained based on the group of raw data. Here a probability distribution in the group of probability distributions is associated with a lock device in the group of lock devices and probabilities of lock types to which the lock device belongs. A lock type of the lock device is determined based on the group of probability distributions.

公开(公告)号：US10018995B2

公开(公告)日：2018-07-10

申请号：US15173050

申请日：2016-06-03

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Jiafan Zhang

IPC: G06F19/00 ,  G05B19/418 ,  B25J9/16

CPC classification number: G05B19/4188 ,  B25J9/1671 ,  G05B19/41865 ,  G05B19/41885 ,  G05B2219/31054 ,  G05B2219/32085 ,  G05B2219/39326 ,  G05B2219/40479 ,  Y02P90/04 ,  Y02P90/20 ,  Y02P90/24 ,  Y02P90/26

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for optimizing performance of a robotic cell. The robotic cell comprises at least one workstation and at least one robot. The method may comprise determining a factor and a corresponding workstation sensitive to the performance of the robotic cell by performing a sensitivity analysis on an initial cell layout for the robotic cell; and performing a performance optimization process on the corresponding workstation based on the determined factor to obtain an improved cell layout for the robotic cell. With embodiments of the present disclosure, it is possible to perform performance optimization of the robotic cell on the sensitive workstation regarding to the sensitive factor, and thus it may efficiently determine an improved cell layout which may achieve performance improvement.

公开(公告)号：US12110172B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-08

申请号：US18248012

申请日：2020-10-26

Applicant: ABB Schweiz AG

Inventor： Ye Tian ,  Jiafan Zhang

IPC: B65D90/00 ,  B25J15/00 ,  B25J15/02

CPC classification number: B65D90/002 ,  B25J15/0052 ,  B25J15/0253 ,  B65D2590/0033

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus and a method for operating a pair of twistlocks and an associated robot. The apparatus comprises a first component adapted to clamp a first twistlock to allow the clamped first twistlock to be removed from a container; and a second component arranged adjacent to the first component and adapted to clamp a second twistlock to allow the clamped second twistlock to be removed from a container; or receive the first twistlock released from the first component to allow the first component to clamp the second twistlock. With the first and second components, the pair of twistlocks, especially mid-type twistlocks, can be operated more quickly with less operation steps. In this way, the operation efficiency for operating the mid-type twistlocks can be significantly improved with lower costs.