US 12,240,714 B2
Robotic system to load and unload trucks and other containers
Zhouwen Sun, San Mateo, CA (US); Michael Fisher, Palo Alto, CA (US); Robert Holmberg, Mountain View, CA (US); Harry Zhe Su, Union City, CA (US); Talbot Morris-Downing, Redwood City, CA (US); Timothy Ryan, San Francisco, CA (US); and Samir Menon, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Assigned to Dexterity, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed by Dexterity, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/109,611.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/310,027, filed on Feb. 14, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0271323 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 5/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/12 (2006.01); B65G 41/00 (2006.01); B65G 67/02 (2006.01); B65G 67/08 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 67/08 (2013.01) [B25J 5/007 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 9/126 (2013.01); B25J 9/162 (2013.01); B25J 9/1669 (2013.01); B25J 9/1682 (2013.01); B65G 41/006 (2013.01); B65G 67/02 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic system, comprising:
a robotic arm having n degrees of freedom, the robotic arm comprising a base and a set of serially connected links and joints connected to the base at a proximal end and terminating at a free moving distal end;
an enabler joint assembly comprising a mounting location at which the base of the robotic arm is mounted and having a rotational axis, offset from the mounting location, about which the enabler joint assembly is configured to rotate the mounting location; and
a processor configured to control a first set of motors, each motor being associated with a corresponding one of the n degrees of freedom of the robotic arm, and an enabler joint motor comprising the enabler joint assembly to control operation of the robotic arm within an extended operating space defined at least in part by the n degrees of freedom of the robotic arm and an (n+1)th degree of freedom provided by the enabler joint assembly.