US 12,365,100 B2
Systems and methods for providing dynamic vacuum pressure at an end effector using a single vacuum source
Thomas Wagner, Concord, MA (US); Kevin Ahearn, Nebo, NC (US); John Richard Amend, Jr., Arlington, MA (US); Benjamin Cohen, White Plains, NY (US); Michael Dawson-Haggerty, Pittsburgh, PA (US); William Hartman Fort, Stratham, NH (US); Christopher Geyer, Arlington, MA (US); Jennifer Eileen King, Gibsonia, PA (US); Thomas Koletschka, Somerville, MA (US); Michael Cap Koval, Mountain View, CA (US); Kyle Maroney, Saunderstown, RI (US); Matthew T. Mason, Atlanta, GA (US); William Chu-Hyon McMahan, North Cambridge, MA (US); Gene Temple Price, Somerville, MA (US); Joseph Romano, Arlington, MA (US); Daniel Smith, Wexford, PA (US); Siddhartha Srinivasa, Seattle, WA (US); Prasanna Velagapudi, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Thomas Allen, Reading, MA (US)
Assigned to Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc., Bedford, MA (US)
Filed by Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc., Bedford, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/848,199.
Application 17/848,199 is a continuation of application No. 17/011,393, filed on Sep. 3, 2020, granted, now 11,426,881.
Application 17/011,393 is a continuation of application No. 16/182,007, filed on Nov. 6, 2018, granted, now 10,814,498, issued on Oct. 27, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/582,651, filed on Nov. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314459 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B65G 47/91 (2006.01); B66C 1/02 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/0625 (2013.01) [B25J 15/065 (2013.01); B66C 1/02 (2013.01); B66C 1/0218 (2013.01); B66C 1/0256 (2013.01); B65G 47/91 (2013.01); B65G 47/917 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing objects comprising:
providing a programmable motion device including an end effector with a vacuum cup that is coupled via a valve to a high flow vacuum source;
providing a plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the vacuum cup, each object being associated with a quality of a vacuum seal that the vacuum cup is known to form with the vacuum cup;
actuating a valve disposed inline between a vacuum source and the vacuum cup to provide a vacuum at the vacuum cup; and
selecting a sequence of the plurality of heterogenous objects to be grasped by the end effector based on the quality of the vacuum seal formed between the vacuum cup and each of the plurality of heterogenous objects such that objects known to form a good seal with the vacuum cup are not chosen for processing successively.