ROBOT, ROBOT SYSTEM, AND ROBOT CONTROL METHOD

• US 20020161478A1
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiki, Hisatomi, Ikeda, Tatsuya, Shindo, Akio
• Granted Patent: US 6,466,844 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/414 Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31089 Direct communication between cooperating parts of a cell, not over server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33187 Serial transmission rs232c, rs422, rs485 communication link
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36542 Cryptography, encrypt, access, authorize with key, code, password
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39102 Manipulator cooperating with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39122 Follower, slave mirrors leader, master
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39448 Same teach pendant connects to many robot controllers over network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40307 Two, dual arm robot, arm used synchronously, or each separately, asynchronously
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention provides a robot capable of synchronizing with other robots without raising costs, a robot system, and a robot control method. The robot includes a storage portion (11) in which an operating program for the robot is stored, a main arithmetic portion (12) for analyzing the operating program stored in the storage portion, a sequencer portion (13) from which a signal from the main arithmetic portion is output, a driving portion (14) for driving the robot to which the signal from the main arithmetic portion (12) is input, and a communications portion (15) for communicating with apparatuses connected to a network. In the robot, a signal input from an apparatus connected to the sequencer portion (13) and a signal input to the communications portion (15) are input to the main arithmetic portion (12) so as to perform a calculation, and, based on the calculation, a signal is output from the main arithmetic portion (12) to the sequencer portion (13) or to the driving portion (14).

Claims

1. A robot comprising a storage portion in which an operating program for the robot is stored, a main arithmetic portion for analyzing the operating program stored in the storage portion, a sequencer portion from which a signal from the main arithmetic portion is output, a driving portion for driving the robot to which a signal from the main arithmetic portion is input, and a communications portion for communicating with apparatuses connected to a network, wherein a signal input from an apparatus connected to the sequencer portion to the sequencer portion and a signal input to the communications portion are input to the main arithmetic portion, and a calculation is performed by the main arithmetic portion, and, based on the calculation, a signal is output from the main arithmetic portion to the sequencer portion or to the driving portion.

2. The robot of claim 1, wherein the main arithmetic portion performs a calculation including “

AND” and

“

OR”

on the basis of a signal input from the apparatus connected to the sequencer portion to the sequencer portion and a signal input to the communications portion.

5. The robot of any one of claim 1 through claim 4, further comprising a plurality of input/output terminals and a memory table that stores allotment of input/output terminals used for an input/output part of the sequencer portion and input/output terminals used for an input/output part of the communications portion.

9. A robot system in which the robot of any one of claim 1 through claim 7 and computers that are apparatuses connected to the network are used, and communications are performed between at least two computers for all of or part of the operating program of the robot, and the operating program of the robot is stored in the storage portion through the communications portion from one of the computers.

11. A robot system in which a plurality of the robots as recited in anyone of claim 1 through claim 7, an operating means connected to at least one of the robots, a communications portion from which a signal for driving the robot connected to the operating means is output, and a computer used as the apparatus connected to the network are used, and a signal is input from the computer to a second robot different from a robot that has output the robot-driving signal through the communications portion, and the second robot is driven according to information operated by the operating means.

12. The robot system of any one of claim 9 through claim 11, further comprising a discrimination means from which an apparatus-discriminating sign is output to each apparatus connected to the network.

14. The robot control method of claim 13, wherein a calculation that includes “

AND” and

“

OR”

is performed when the input signal is calculated.

3. A robot comprising a storage portion in which an operating program for the robot is stored, a main arithmetic portion for analyzing the operating program stored in the storage portion, a sequencer portion from which a signal from the main arithmetic portion is output, a driving portion for driving the robot to which the signal from the main arithmetic portion is input, and a communications portion for communicating with apparatuses connected to a network, wherein a message signal input from an apparatus connected to the sequencer portion to the sequencer portion and a message signal input to the communications portion are input to the main arithmetic portion, and a calculation is performed by the main arithmetic portion, and, based on the calculation, a signal output from the main arithmetic portion to the sequencer portion or a signal output to the driving portion is controlled.

4. A robot comprising a storage portion in which an operating program for the robot is stored, a main arithmetic portion for analyzing the operating program stored in the storage portion, a sequencer portion to which a signal from the main arithmetic portion is input, a driving portion for driving the robot to which the signal from the main arithmetic portion is input, a communications portion for communicating with apparatuses connected to a network, and a communications method storage portion in which information about a communications method of the network is stored, wherein communications are performed on the basis of the information stored in the communications method storage portion even in a network different in the communications method.

6. A robot comprising a storage portion in which an operating program for the robot is stored, a main arithmetic portion for analyzing the operating program stored in the storage portion, a sequencer portion to which a signal from the main arithmetic portion is input, a driving portion for driving the robot to which the signal from the main arithmetic portion is input, a communications portion for communicating with apparatuses connected to a network, and a history storage portion in which a history of a state of the robot is stored, wherein information about the history storage portion is output from the communications portion to the network when a stop factor of the robot occurs.

7. The robot of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of input/output terminals and a memory table that stores allotment of input/output terminals used for an input/output part of the sequencer portion and input/output terminals used for an input/output part of the communications portion.

8. A robot system in which the robot of claim 6 or claim 7 and computers that are apparatuses connected to the network are used, and communications are performed between at least two computers regarding information output from the history storage portion.

10. The robot system of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the two computers have encrypting means for encrypting information to be communicated and decrypting means for restoring encrypted information into an original condition.

13. A robot control method comprising a step for storing an operating program of a robot, a step for analyzing a stored operating program, a step for outputting a robot-driving signal in accordance with an analyzed operating program, a step for inputting a signal from an apparatus connected to a network, a step for inputting a signal from an apparatus connected to a sequencer portion, a step for calculating an input signal, and a step for controlling an output of the driving signal on the basis of a calculation.

15. A robot control method comprising a step for storing an operating program of a robot, a step for analyzing a stored operating program, a step for outputting a robot-driving signal in accordance with an analyzed operating program, a step for inputting a message signal from an apparatus connected to a network, a step for inputting a message signal from an apparatus connected to a sequencer portion, a step for calculating an input message signal, and a step for controlling an output of a signal to be output to the sequencer portion or an output of the driving signal on the basis of a calculation.

16. A robot control method comprising a step for storing an operating program of a robot, a step for analyzing a stored operating program, a step for outputting a robot-driving signal in accordance with an analyzed operating program, a step for storing a history of a state of the robot, and a step for outputting a piece of stored history information to the network when a stop factor of the robot occurs.