Patent Document ID: 6081754
Application ID: 09017485
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of command control, by a programmer, for interactive path guidance of a kinematically-redundant manipulator based on end-effector destination shifts from the programmer, in connection with a calculation of articulated-position values according to an algorithm of inverse kinematics; the method comprising the steps of: providing a manual control device; calculating a new articulation position (q.sub.i+1) from an end-effector destination shift command from the control device and a current articulation position actual value (q.sub.i) of the manipulator; the calculating step including as calculating factors a quality function (f(q)), which is parameterized by non-negative weighting values (.alpha..sub.j, .beta..sub.j) and path limitations through physical articulation stops (q.sub.min, q.sub.max), maximum articulation speed (q.sub.max), and a kinematic equation represented by the Jacobi Matrix; calculating an energy criterion from (q-q.sub.i).sup.t diag(.alpha..sub.j)(q-q.sub.i) calculating a reference-position criterion from (q-q.sub.ref).sup.t diag(.beta..sub.j)(q-q.sub.ref) predetermining by the new articulation position new values for an articulation regulator, with the quality function being a sum of the energy criterion and the reference-position criterion; determining a value q.sub.ref as a predetermined articulation-position value such that a sequence of calculated articulation-position values (q.sub.i) runs near a value of the reference-position criterion; determining an allowable optimization vector, beginning with one of the articulation-position values q.sub.i as a starting point, on the basis of the quality function with respect to all active constraints that indicate which path limitations have been attained; scaling the allowable optimization vector according to inactive constraints that indicate which path limitations have not been attained; adding the scaled optimization vector to the articulation-position value calculated in the previous step of the iteration; evaluating an optimum quality of the articulation-position values based on the quality function and the constraints activated in the newly-calculated articulation position.