Patent Document ID: 9233469
Application ID: 14179968
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A robotic system comprising: a robot having an end effector; a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud camera operable to collect and output an image data file having two-dimensional (2D) color data and 3D depth data; and a controller in communication with the camera and the robot, and having a processor and memory on which is recorded instructions for locating a target box, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the controller to: receive the image data file from the camera; receive a set of input criteria; detect a plurality of 2D line segments and a plurality of 3D line segments in the received image data file; generate a set of new 3D lines, including back-projecting at least some of the 2D line segments onto at least some of the 3D line segments; group the generated set of new 3D lines into groups of intersecting lines; perform a normal vector grouping function on the groups of intersecting lines to identify a set of candidate planes; identify sets of intersecting planes from the identified set of candidate planes; identify candidate boxes from the identified sets of intersecting planes; locate the target box from among the identified candidate boxes using the input criteria; and command an execution of a control action on the target box by the end effector of the robot.