ROBOT CONTROLLER

• US 20040078116A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Yoshiki, Kubo, Yoshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,133,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36162 Pendant control box
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50198 Emergency stop
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/03 with multiple-channel loop, i.e. redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure

When the emergency stop button on the teaching pendant is pressed, the packet generating circuits 1 and 2 each prepare packet data relating to emergency stopping, and transmit this data to the robot control part by wireless communications via the transmission data switching circuit. Besides data indicating the need or lack of need for emergency stopping, a header or the like designating the packet receiving circuit to which the transmission is addressed is added to the packet data. The respective packet receiving circuits of the robot control part receive the respective sets of packet data in accordance with the designations of the headers. When the emergency stop button is pressed, emergency stop signals are output to a plurality of emergency stop control circuits from the respective packet receiving circuits immediately afterward, and a plurality of contacts connected in series are placed in a non-conductive state, so that the supply of motive force to the servo amplifiers is cut off, thus causing the robot to make an emergency stop.

Claims

1. (ORIGINAL) A robot controller which is constructed so that a control part for controlling a robot and a portable teaching operating part communicate with each other by wireless communications, wherein

said portable teaching operating part comprises:

emergency stop operating means which place said robot in an emergency-stop state by cutting off the supply of electric power to the driving motors of said robot;

emergency stop release operating means which restore said robot to a state in which its movement is possible by releasing said emergency-stop state;

a plurality of communications data generating circuits which respectively generate communications data expressing an emergency stop command based on operations for said emergency stop operating means, and which respectively generate communications data expressing an emergency stop release command based on operations for said emergency stop release operating means;

and

transmitting means which transmit communications data expressing said emergency stop command and communications data expressing said emergency stop release command to said control part by wireless communications;

and

said control part comprises;

receiving means which receive communications data expressing said emergency stop command and communications data expressing said emergency stop release command from said transmitting means;

wherein said receiving means place said robot in an emergency-stop state when receiving even a single set of communications data expressing an emergency stop command generated by said plurality of communications data generating circuits.

2. (ORIGINAL) The robot controller according to claim 1, wherein an emergency stop signal is generated when an operation for the purpose of emergency stopping is performed on said emergency stop operating means, and at least one of said plurality of generating circuits receives said emergency stop signal via a CPU, and generates communications data expressing an emergency stop command.

3. (ORIGINAL) The robot controller according to claim 1, wherein

an emergency stop signal is generated when an operation for the purpose of emergency stopping is performed for said emergency stop operating means, and at least two of said plurality of generating circuits receive said emergency stop signal via CPUs, and respectively generate communications data expressing an emergency stop command;

means are provided for causing each of said two CPUs to monitor the operation of the other CPU; and

in cases where one CPU detects an abnormal operation of the other CPU, said control part is notified of the detection of this abnormality, and the robot is placed in a stopped state.

7. (PREVIOUSLY AMENDED) The robot controller according to claim 1or 4, wherein

said generating circuits generate communications data expressing a normal state in cases where no operation that places the robot in an emergency-stop state has been performed for the emergency stop operating means disposed in said portable teaching operating part, and said communications data expressing a normal state is transmitted by wireless communications to said control part from said transmitting means at a transmission frequency that is not less than a specified transmission frequency;

and

said robot is stopped by emergency stop control circuit in cases where the receiving means disposed in said control part cannot receive said communications data expressing a normal state for a specified period of time.

8. (PREVIOUSLY AMENDED) The robot controller according to claim 1or 4, wherein the communications data expressing an emergency stop command received by the receiving means disposed in said control part is sent to a plurality of emergency stop control CPUs installed in correspondence with each of the said plurality of generating circuits, and the CPUs that receive communications data expressing an emergency stop command place said robot in an emergency-stop state.

9. (ORIGINAL) The robot controller according to claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of emergency stop control CPUs disposed in said control part monitors the operating state of the other emergency stop control CPUs, and the robot is stopped when an operating abnormality of any of the CPUs is detected.

10. (ORIGINAL) The robot controller according to claim 8, wherein a CPU other than said emergency stop control CPUs monitors the operating state of the emergency stop control CPUs, and the robot is stopped when an operating abnormality of at least one of the emergency stop control CPUs is detected.

11. (PREVIOUSLY AMENDED) The robot controller according to claim 1or 4, wherein the timing of transmission from said portable teaching operating part to said control part is varied depending on urgency of the communications content.

4. (ORIGINAL) A robot controller which is constructed so that a control part for controlling a robot and a portable teaching operating part communicate with each other by wireless communications, wherein

said portable teaching operating part comprises:

emergency stop operating means which place said robot in an emergency-stop state by cutting off the supply of electric power to the driving motors of said robot;

emergency stop release operating means which restore said robot to a state in which its movement is possible by releasing said emergency-stop state;

a plurality of communications data generating circuits which respectively generate communications data expressing an emergency stop command based on operations for said emergency stop operating means, and which respectively generate communications data expressing an emergency stop release command based on operations for said emergency stop release operating means;

and also

a plurality of transmitting means which respectively correspond to said plurality of communications data generating circuits, and which transmit communications data expressing said emergency stop command and communications data expressing said emergency stop release command to said control part by wireless communications; and

said control part comprises;

a plurality of receiving means which respectively correspond to each of said plurality of transmitting means, and which receive communications data from said transmitting means;

wherein at least one of the receiving means place said robot in an emergency-stop state when receiving communications data expressing an emergency stop command.

5. (ORIGINAL) The robot controller according to claim 4, wherein an emergency stop signal is generated when an operation for the purpose of emergency stopping is performed for said emergency stop operating means, and at least one of said plurality of generating circuits receives said emergency stop signal via a CPU, and generates communications data expressing an emergency stop command.

6. (ORIGINAL) The robot controller according to claim 4, wherein

an emergency stop signal is generated when an operation for the purpose of emergency stopping is performed for said emergency stop operating means, at least two of said plurality of generating circuits receive said emergency stop signal via CPUs, and respectively generate communications data expressing an emergency stop command;

means are provided for causing each of said two CPUs to monitor the operation of the other CPU; and

in cases where one CPU detects the abnormal operation of the other CPU, said control part is notified of the detection of this abnormality, and the robot is placed in a stopped state.

12. (PREVIOUSLY ADDED) The robot controller according to claim 4, wherein

said generating circuits generate communications data expressing a normal state in cases where no operation that places the robot in an emergency-stop state has been performed for the emergency stop operating means disposed in said portable teaching operating part, and said communications data expressing a normal state is transmitted by wireless communications to said control part from said transmitting means at a transmission frequency that is not less than a specified transmission frequency;

and

said robot is stopped by emergency stop control circuit in cases where the receiving means disposed in said control part cannot receive said communications data expressing a normal state for a specified period of time.

13. (PREVIOUSLY ADDED) The robot controller according to claim 4, wherein the communications data expressing an emergency stop command received by the receiving means disposed in said control part is sent to a plurality of emergency stop control CPUs installed in correspondence with each of the said plurality of generating circuits, and the CPUs that receive communications data expressing an emergency stop command place said robot in an emergency-stop state.

14. (PREVIOUSLY ADDED) The robot controller according to claim 4, wherein the timing of transmission from said portable teaching operating part to said control part is varied depending on urgency of the communications content.