Patent EP0135495A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0135495A2
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EP
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Positioning system employing differential object positioning sensors
Assignee: Polaroid Corp
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Filing: 1984-07-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-07-27
Abstract
Abstract A simplified object positioning system for use with automatic product assembly equipment for precisely positioning objects to a particular location within a predetermined area once the object has been moved to within a minimum distance from the particular location. The system includes a support surface coupled to a drive source that is capable of moving the support surface in any direction along a given plane and/or about an axis perpendicular to the given plane in response to drive source positioning signals. The system also includes a module for sensing object position which comprises a generally planar set of photosensitive elements electrically divided into a plurality of groups and positioned to sense a portion of the light from a light source that backlights the object to be positioned located on the movable table. The light sensing elements overlie the space between a silhouette or shadow of the backlighted object and a slightly enlarged negative object image for the purpose of sensing spacing-size related light passing through this space, at a plurality of different locations, so that electrical signals representative of the spacing size at these locations can be generated and subsequently employed to cause the drive source to adjust the negative image to object silhouette spacing to a predetermined size and thereby precisely position the object to the particular location within the predetermined area enclosed by the slightly enlarged negative object image.
Inventors
- 👤 Mohammed M. Khusro
- 👤 William F. Sullivan Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 06:37
CPC Classifications
B; B25; B25J; B25J9/00; B25J9/16; B25J9/1694; B25J9/1697
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
. Apparatus for precisely positioning an object in a given plane, said apparatus comprising: a source of illumination; means for movably supporting said object along a support plane within the illumination from said source so as to cast a silhouette of given size of said object on a second plane generally parallel to said support plane; imaging means for forming at said second plane a light attenuating outline substantially similar to the perimeter of said silhouette and slightly enlarged with respect thereto so as to provide a gap for light transmission from said source between the inner edge of said outline and the outer edge of said silhouette when the latter is located therein; light sensing means for evaluating the amount of light transmission through said gap at a plurality of locations spaced around said gap; and control means responsive to the light evaluation at each of said locations for translating and rotating said object on said first plane to locate said silhouette within said outline in a predetermined registration therewith so that said object is located on said first plane in a corresponding registration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
185 words
. Apparatus for precisely positioning an object in a given plane, said apparatus comprising: a source of illumination; means for movably supporting said object along a support plane within the illumination from said source so as to cast a silhouette of given size of said object on a second plane generally parallel to said support plane; imaging means for forming at said second plane a light attenuating outline substantially similar to the perimeter of said silhouette and slightly enlarged with respect thereto so as to provide a gap for light transmission from said source between the inner edge of said outline and the outer edge of said silhouette when the latter is located therein; light sensing means for evaluating the amount of light transmission through said gap at a plurality of locations spaced around said gap; and control means responsive to the light evaluation at each of said locations for translating and rotating said object on said first plane to locate said silhouette within said outline in a predetermined registration therewith so that said object is located on said first plane in a corresponding registration.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said light transmitting gap is of substantially uniform width when said silhouette is registered therein, said light sensing means includes means at each of said locations for sensing light transmission over an area extending at least slightly inwardly and slightly outwardly of said gap, and said control means is operative to move said object so as to balance the light evaluated at said different locations.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said image forming means includes at least'a central portion of an enlarged negative of said object mounted in said second plane such that the inner perimeter of said enlarged image forms the inner perimeter of said outline.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
205 words
Apparatus for placing an object at a particular location within a predetermined area, comprising: a light-attenuating slightly enlarged negative image of said object with the shape of the area enclosed by said negative image forming said predetermined area; a set of photosensitive elements arranged in a generally planar orientation with each of said elements overlaying said negative image and said negative image-enclosed area at different preselected locations, said element set being electrically divided into a plurality of photosensitive groups for generating a plurality of distinct, illumination responsive, object- positioning electrical signals; a light source for illuminating portions of each of said photosensitive elements overlaying said negative-image enclosed area; means for movably supporting said object between said light source and said photosensitive element set; and means coupled to said object support means responsive to said object positioning signals for moving a shadow formed by said illuminated object within said predetermined area and toward said particular location until the space between said negative image and said object shadow is fairly uniform throughout as determined by the said photosensitive element set sensing a predetermined amount of light-source generated illumination after it passes through said space and falls on a portion of each element in said photosensitive element set.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
205 words
Apparatus for placing an object at a particular location within a predetermined area, comprising: a light-attenuating slightly enlarged negative image of said object with the shape of the area enclosed by said negative image forming said predetermined area; a set of photosensitive elements arranged in a generally planar orientation with each of said elements overlaying said negative image and said negative image-enclosed area at different preselected locations, said element set being electrically divided into a plurality of photosensitive groups for generating a plurality of distinct, illumination responsive, object- positioning electrical signals; a light source for illuminating portions of each of said photosensitive elements overlaying said negative-image enclosed area; means for movably supporting said object between said light source and said photosensitive element set; and means coupled to said object support means responsive to said object positioning signals for moving a shadow formed by said illuminated object within said predetermined area and toward said particular location until the space between said negative image and said object shadow is fairly uniform throughout as determined by the said photosensitive element set sensing a predetermined amount of light-source generated illumination after it passes through said space and falls on a portion of each element in said photosensitive element set.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said light-attenuating negative image is formed on an otherwise transparent sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
' The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said otherwise transparent sheet is a sheet of photographic film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said photosensitive means includes a plurality of differential amplifiers with said amplifiers having their inputs electrically connected to pairs of photosensitive elements with element pair members being located on edges of said predetermined area that are generally opposite from one another.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the said light source for illuminating said photosensitive elements includes a light and image-focusing optical lens.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
171 words
Apparatus for positioning an object within a predetermined area, said apparatus comprising: a source of illumination; means for movably supporting said object along a support plane within the illumination from said source so as to cast a silhouette of given size of said object on a second plane generally parallel to said support plane; a light-attenuating, slightly enlarged negative image of said object positioned at said second plane with the shape of the area enclosed by said negative image forming said predetermined area; photosensitive means for evaluating the illumination received by a set of photosensitive elements through a space between said negative image and said object silhouette and for generating an electrical signal representative of the magnitude of said space at a plurality of different preselected locations; and control means coupled to said object support means and responsive to-said electrical signal for moving said object along said support plane until said object silhouette is in predetermined registration at a particular location within the enlarged object-shaped area enclosed by said negative image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
171 words
Apparatus for positioning an object within a predetermined area, said apparatus comprising: a source of illumination; means for movably supporting said object along a support plane within the illumination from said source so as to cast a silhouette of given size of said object on a second plane generally parallel to said support plane; a light-attenuating, slightly enlarged negative image of said object positioned at said second plane with the shape of the area enclosed by said negative image forming said predetermined area; photosensitive means for evaluating the illumination received by a set of photosensitive elements through a space between said negative image and said object silhouette and for generating an electrical signal representative of the magnitude of said space at a plurality of different preselected locations; and control means coupled to said object support means and responsive to-said electrical signal for moving said object along said support plane until said object silhouette is in predetermined registration at a particular location within the enlarged object-shaped area enclosed by said negative image.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
145 words
A method of positioning an object to a particular location within a predetermined area comprising the steps of: forming a slightly enlarged negative image of said object, said image enclosing said predetermined area; directing illumination through a movable light-transmitting object support so as to cast a silhouette of said object of a size that can be moved completely within said negative-image enclosing predetermined area; sensing illumination passing through a space between said negative image and said object silhouette at a plurality of different preselected locations and generating a plurality of electrical signals representative of the magnitude of said space at said different locations; and moving said object support and the object located thereon in response to said plurality of electrical signals until said object silhouette is in predetermined registration at a particular location within the said enlarged object-shaped area enclosed by said negative image. Vienna,
Claim 14
Independent Claim
145 words
A method of positioning an object to a particular location within a predetermined area comprising the steps of: forming a slightly enlarged negative image of said object, said image enclosing said predetermined area; directing illumination through a movable light-transmitting object support so as to cast a silhouette of said object of a size that can be moved completely within said negative-image enclosing predetermined area; sensing illumination passing through a space between said negative image and said object silhouette at a plurality of different preselected locations and generating a plurality of electrical signals representative of the magnitude of said space at said different locations; and moving said object support and the object located thereon in response to said plurality of electrical signals until said object silhouette is in predetermined registration at a particular location within the said enlarged object-shaped area enclosed by said negative image. Vienna,
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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