US 11,688,030 B2
Shading topography imaging for robotic unloading
Romik Chatterjee, Austin, TX (US); Thomas M. Sterritt, Frisco, TX (US); Evan N. Sanford, The Colony, TX (US); Clark A. Turpin, Perry, GA (US); Robert Eastlund, Austin, TX (US); Christopher Koci, Austin, TX (US); Nicholas Conrad, Austin, TX (US); Vincent Ip, Austin, TX (US); and Sih Ying Wu, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to Frito-Lay North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US); and Graftek Imaging Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by FRITO-LAY NORTH AMERICA, INC., Plano, TX (US); and Graftek Imaging Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 11, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/898,903.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/860,307, filed on Jun. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0394747 A1, Dec. 17, 2020
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G06T 1/00 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B65G 67/24 (2006.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 1/0014 (2013.01) [B25J 9/161 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B25J 13/08 (2013.01); B65G 67/24 (2013.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10152 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic assembly for handling cargo, the assembly comprising:
at least one robotic appendage for handling cargo; and
a vision system for acquiring information to assist operation of the at least one robotic appendage, the vision system comprising:
at least two light sources arranged spaced apart from each other by a distance;
at least one camera configured to capture images of cargo for handling by the robotic assembly; and
a vision control system for determining position of cargo, the vision control system including at least one processor for executing instructions stored on a memory to determine position of cargo based on a shading topography image comprising a blended composite of information of a plurality of images captured by the at least one camera.