US 11,747,796 B2
System and method for voltage-based real-time micro-object position control with the aid of a digital computer
Ion Matei, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Jeng Ping Lu, Fremont, CA (US); Saigopal Nelaturi, Mountain View, CA (US); Julie A. Bert, East Palo Alto, CA (US); Lara S. Crawford, Belmont, CA (US); Armin R. Volkel, Mountain View, CA (US); and Eugene M. Chow, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Aug. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/391,381.
Application 17/391,381 is a continuation of application No. 16/734,147, filed on Jan. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,079,747.
Application 16/734,147 is a continuation of application No. 15/469,433, filed on Mar. 24, 2017, granted, now 10,558,204, issued on Feb. 11, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/396,741, filed on Sep. 19, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0356951 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. G05B 19/418 (2006.01); G05B 17/02 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/194 (2017.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 7/155 (2017.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/41885 (2013.01) [B01L 3/50273 (2013.01); G05B 17/02 (2013.01); G06T 7/155 (2017.01); G06T 7/194 (2017.01); G06T 7/74 (2017.01); H04N 7/183 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32359 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20021 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30164 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for multi-electrode-based real-time micro-object position control with an aid of a digital computer, comprising:
a sensor configured to determine a position of at least one micro-object at a plurality of time points;
at least one processor configured to execute computer-executable code and further configured to:
obtain one or more parameters of a system for positioning the at least one micro-object, the system comprising four electrodes, the electrodes configured to induce movements of the at least one micro-object when the at least one micro-object is suspended in a fluid proximate to the electrodes upon a generation of one or more forces by one or more of the electrodes, wherein the parameters comprise spacing between the electrodes;
model a parameter of an interaction between each of the electrodes and the at least one micro-object;
obtain a desired position of at least one micro-object;
implement via a plurality of voltage patterns a control scheme for moving the at least one micro-object until the position of the at least one micro-object matches the desired position, implementing each of the voltage patterns comprising:
determine a voltage to be generated by one of the electrodes based on the parameter model, the position at a most recent one of the time points, and the desired positon;
determine a voltage to be generated by each of the remaining three electrodes using the voltage for the one electrode and the spacing between the electrodes in accordance with the equation:
v2(x)=−v1(x+δ),v3(x)=v1(x+2δ),v4(x)=−v1(x−δ),
wherein v1(x) is the voltage to be generated by the one electrode, v2 (x), v3 (x), and v4 (x) are voltages to be generated by the remaining electrodes, and δ represents the spacing between the electrodes; and
command the electrodes to generate the determined voltages, wherein the position of the electrodes is determined after each of the voltage generations.