System and method of controlling a robot

• US 10,406,684 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Original Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Tae, Kim, Yun Il, Seok, Dong Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Kenneth M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US14/842,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20160318184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45032 Wafer manufacture; interlock, load-lock module
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67259 Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/02 Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

A system for controlling a robot moving vertically and horizontally using a motor is provided. The system includes a detector suitable for generating a feedback signal by detecting physical status of the motor; and a controller suitable for detecting loading of a substrate on the robot based on the feedback signal during a vertical moving interval of the robot, and generating a control command in accordance with the detection of the loading of the substrate.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a robot moving vertically and horizontally using a motor, the system comprising:

a controller for generating a control command;

a driver for driving the motor to move the robot comprising a blade, in response to the control command; and

a detector suitable for generating a feedback signal by detecting physical status of the motor;

wherein the robot is configured to accelerate and decelerate to a first location during a first speed interval, move to a second location with a constant speed during a second speed interval, and accelerate and decelerate to a target location during a third speed interval,

wherein the first speed interval, the second speed interval, and the third speed interval occur in sequence,

wherein the controller is configured to detect whether or not a substrate is loading on the robot based on the feedback signal during the second speed interval beginning at a first time and ending at a second time, and generate the control command in accordance with the detection of the loading of the substrate during the second speed interval at the second time, and

wherein the controller is configured to detect whether or not a substrate is loading on the robot based on change of the feedback signal according to quiver of the blade due to one of a weight, a size of the substrate when the substrate is loaded on the blade of the robot.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a substrate-detecting unit suitable for generating a substrate detection signal based on speed and position error of the motor, wherein the speed of the motor is detected from the feedback signal; and

a robot-controlling unit suitable for generating the control command based on the substrate detection signal and a difference between the feedback signal and a command signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the substrate-detecting unit is suitable for generating the substrate detection signal during the second speed interval when the motor moves the robot with a constant speed.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the substrate-detecting unit generates the substrate detection signal when the position error lasts for a predetermined unit time during the second speed interval when the motor moves the robot with a constant speed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller detects an actual current value of the motor based on the feedback signal in accordance with the detection of the loading of the substrate.

6. The system of claim 5,

wherein the controller includes a reference table suitable for storing impact forces for various types of the substrate and torque correction values corresponding to the impact forces and,

wherein the controller generates the control command by selecting one of the torque correction values corresponding to one of the impact forces of the detected actual current value.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller detects the actual current value by secondarily differentiating the feedback signal.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller generates the control command by measuring a vibration frequency based on a difference between the actual current value and a command current value.

9. The system of claim 1,

wherein the controller comprises a substrate-detecting unit, and

wherein the substrate-detecting unit comprises:

a speed-detecting unit suitable for detecting a speed of the motor based on the feedback signal;

an error-detecting unit suitable for detecting a position error of the motor based on the feedback signal; and

a determining unit suitable for generating a substrate detection signal based on detection results of the speed-detecting unit and the error-detecting unit during the second speed interval when the motor moves the robot with a constant speed.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the feedback signal comprises a position signal of the motor, and

wherein the speed-detecting unit detects the speed of the motor by differentiating the position signal.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the determining unit generates the substrate detection signal when the position error lasts for a predetermined unit time during the second speed interval when the motor moves the robot with a constant speed.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the substrate-detecting unit further comprises:

a current-detecting unit suitable for detecting an actual current value of the motor based on the feedback signal when the loading of the substrate on the robot is detected; and

a reference table for storing impact forces for various types of substrates and torque correction values corresponding to the impact forces,

wherein the controller generates the control command by selecting one of the torque correction values corresponding to one of the impact forces of the detected actual current value.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller detects the actual current value by secondarily differentiating the feedback signal.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller generates the control command by measuring a vibration frequency based on difference between the actual current value and a command current value.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an encoder or a tachometer.

16. A method of controlling a robot moving vertically and horizontally using a motor comprising a blade, in response to a control command generated by a controller, the method comprising:

moving the robot to a first location by acceleration and deceleration during a first speed interval, moving the robot to a second location with a constant speed during a second speed interval, and moving the robot to a target location by acceleration and deceleration during a third speed interval;

receiving a feedback signal representing physical status of the motor;

generating a substrate detection signal by detecting whether or not a substrate is loading on the robot based on the feedback signal during the second speed interval of the robot beginning at a first time and ending at a second time; and

generating a control command based on the substrate detection signal during the second speed interval at the second time,

wherein the first speed interval, the second speed interval, and the third speed interval occur in sequence, and

wherein the controller is configured to detect whether or not a substrate is loading on the robot based on change of the feedback signal according to quiver of the blade due to one of a weight, a size of the substrate when the substrate is loaded on the blade of the robot.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the generating of the substrate detection signal comprises:

detecting a speed of the motor from the feedback signal; and

detecting a position error of the motor from the feedback signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating of the substrate detection signal is performed when the position error occurs during the second speed interval when the motor moves the robot with a constant speed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the generating of the substrate detection signal is performed when the position error lasts for a predetermined time during the second speed interval when the motor moves the robot with a constant speed.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the detecting of the speed of the motor is performed by differentiating the feedback signal.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting an actual current value of the motor based on the feedback signal after the generating of the substrate detection signal.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the generating of the control command is performed by selecting one of torque correction values corresponding to an impact force of the actual current value among impact forces for various types of the substrate to generate the control command.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the generating of the control command is performed by measuring a vibration frequency based on difference between the detected actual current value and a command current value.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the detecting of the actual current value is performed by secondarily differentiating the feedback signal.