Industrial robot system

• US 20050052148A1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Endresen, Jan, Carlson, Erik, Kjesbu, Snorre
• Granted Patent: US 7,208,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.110
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/02 Hand grip control means handles or pedals for crane control B66C13/56; for measuring the force applied to control members G01L5/22; hand-held casings for switching devices, e.g. joy-sticks H01H9/0214
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/065 comprising joy-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/141 using sound propagation, e.g. sonar
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/147 using electro-magnetic technology, e.g. tags or radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location

Abstract

The present invention relates to an industrial robot comprising a manipulator (2), a control unit (3) for controlling the manipulator, a portable operating unit (4) for teaching an manually operating the robot, which operating unit is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit and comprising a operator control means (9). The invention increases the safety by ensuring that the operator is within the specified operating area.

Claims

1. Industrial robot system, with an industrial robot comprising a manipulator, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, at least one portable operator control device, TPU, for teaching and manually operating the robot, which TPU is adapted for communication with the control unit through a data link the system comprising:

a defined working area for the TPU,

means to determine the position of the TPU, and

the system is provided to connect/disconnect the data link such that the data link is broken/disconnected upon the TPU being outside the defined working area, or the data link is connected upon the TPU being inside the working area.

2. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the position determining means comprises at least one reference station arranged to send a radio signal to the TPU.

3. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the position determining means comprises at least one receiving means for receiving a transmitted reply signal from the TPU.

4. The industrial robot system according to claim 3, wherein the receiving means comprises antenna means.

5. The industrial robot system according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the reference station comprises the receiving means.

6. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is operable to define a work area.

7. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the position determining means comprises means for measuring the time between transmitting the signal and receiving the reply signal.

8. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the position determining means comprises means for measuring direction/angle between the transmitted signal and the received reply signal.

9. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the robot system comprises indicating means for indicating the current mode of the data link.

10. The industrial robot system according to claim 9, wherein the indicating means is operable to physically indicate a communication failure of the data link through tactile feedback by touch perception to the body of an operator bringing the operator control device during operation.

11. The industrial robot system according to claim 10, wherein the indicating means is arranged to indicate actively through vibrations.

12. The industrial robot system according to claim 10, wherein the indicating means is arranged to indicate passively through resilient means operable to introduce a mechanical resistance to movement of an operator control means.

13. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the data link is a wireless data link.

14. A method for controlling an industrial robot system, with an industrial robot comprising a manipulator, a control unit comprising a processor for controlling the manipulator, at least one portable operator control device, TPU, for teaching and manually operating the robot, which TPU is adapted for communication with the control unit via a data link, the method comprising:

defining a working area for the TPU,

determining the position of the TPU,

upon the TPU being outside the working area, conduct a broken the data link,

upon the TPU being inside the working area, conduct a connected data link.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein positions determining means is brought to send a signal to the TPU.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the positions determining means is brought to receive at least one transmitted reply signal from the TPU.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the position measuring means is brought to measure the time between transmitting the signal and receiving the transmitted reply signal.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the position determining means is brought to measure the distance between the TPU and the reference station.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the position determining means is brought to measure the direction between the TPU and the reference stations.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the position determining means is brought to measure both the direction and the distance between the TPU and the reference station.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the position of the TPU is determined continuously.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the control unit is operable to break the data link.

23. A computer program product comprising instructions to be effectuated by a processor to control an industrial robot system in accordance with the method according to claim 14.

24. The computer program product according to claim 23 at least partly supplied over a network such as the Internet.

25. A computer readable medium containing a computer program product 24 according to claim 23.