IP Library Granted Patent US 12,434,384
Granted Patent B2
US 12,434,384 · App. 17/049,019 · Granted Oct 7, 2025

Method and control system for controlling movement trajectories of a robot

Inventors: Stefan Westberg (Västerås, SE); Giacomo Spampinato (Västerås, SE)
Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
B25J9/1664B25J9/0081B25J9/1671G05B2219/40463G05B2219/40465G05B2219/40515
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,434,384
App. No.
17/049,019
Granted
Oct 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for controlling movement trajectories of a robot, the method including predicting, in an offline mode, values of at least one parameter related to the execution of alternative movement trajectories between a first position of the robot and a second position of the robot; selecting, in the offline mode, a movement trajectory based on the predicted values of the at least one parameter; and executing the selected movement trajectory by the robot. A control system for controlling movement trajectories of a robot is also provided.

Claims (31)

1. A method for controlling movement trajectories of a robot,

the method comprising:

predicting, in an offline mode, values of at least one parameter related to the execution of alternative movement trajectories between a first position of the robot and a second position of the robot;

selecting, in the offline mode, a movement trajectory based on the predicted values of the at least one parameter; and

executing the selected movement trajectory by the robot;

wherein the method further comprises:

generating the alternative movement trajectories prior to predicting the values of the at least one parameter related to the execution of the alternative movement trajectories;

wherein the alternative movement trajectories are defined by different constants of a parametric curve; and

wherein the alternative movement trajectories are offset less than 50% of a distance between the first position and the second positon, from a straight line between the first position and the second position.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user input indicating the second position of the robot.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the parametric curve is a conic section.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a type of the parametric curve is determined in dependence of the first position and/or the second position.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein values of the at least one parameter of less than 500 alternative movement trajectories are predicted.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user input indicating the at least one parameter, prior to predicting values of the at least one parameter.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter is a time for the robot to execute the respective alternative movement trajectories.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first position is a current position of the robot.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction of values includes:

predicting values of at least one parameter related to the execution of a first group of alternative movement trajectories between the first position and the second position, the movement trajectories in the first group having a first geometric variation;

defining a second group of alternative movement trajectories between the first position and the second position based on the prediction of values related to the execution of the first group, the movement trajectories of the second group having a second geometric variation which is smaller than the first geometric variation; and

predicting values of at least one parameter related to the execution of the second group.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction of values is made based on a kinematic model of the robot and/or a dynamic model of the robot.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the prediction of values takes a tool parameter associated with a robot tool of the robot into account.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first position and the second position are consecutive.

13. A control system for controlling movement trajectories of a robot, the control system comprising a data processing device and a memory having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program including program code which, when executed by the data processing device, causes the data processing device to perform the steps of:

predicting, in an offline mode, values of at least one parameter related to the execution of alternative movement trajectories between a first position of the robot and a second position of the robot;

selecting, in the offline mode, a movement trajectory based on the predicted values of the at least one parameter;

controlling the robot to execute the selected movement trajectory; and

generating the alternative movement trajectories prior to predicting the values of the at least one parameter related to the execution of the alternative movement trajectories;

wherein the alternative movement trajectories are defined by different constants of a parametric curve;

wherein the alternative movement trajectories are offset less than 50% of a distance between the first position and the second positon, from a straight line between the first position and the second position.

14. The control system according to claim 13 , wherein the first position and the second position are consecutive.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2021
From: WESTBERG, STEFAN; SPAMPINATO, GIACOMO
To: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
Reel/Frame 055033/0331 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210245364A1 · Aug 12, 2021
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