Device and method for controlling robot

• US 20060276934A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Kato, Tetsuaki, Nishi, Hiroji, Nihei, Ryo
• Granted Patent: US 9,616,570 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1656 characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40584 Camera, non-contact sensor mounted on wrist, indep from gripper

Abstract

A robot controller making a robot execute tasks including several work units in a parallel manner for several workpieces, in accordance with several operation programs for individually commanding the work units. The robot controller includes an information collecting section collecting state information showing, in real time, a state of an environment of the robot; a program selecting section selecting a first executable program satisfying a task starting condition, from operation programs ready to be executed for workpieces, based on the state information; a processing section processing, for execution, the first executable program; and a program-completion judging section judging whether the processing section has completed a processing of the first executable program. The program selecting section selects, based on the state information, a second executable program satisfying the task starting condition, from the operation programs ready to be executed, so as to satisfy a judgment of the program-completion judging section.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a robot;

the device making the robot execute tasks including a plurality of work units in a parallel manner for several workpieces, in accordance with a plurality of operation programs for individually commanding the plurality of work units;

each of the plurality of operation programs including a description of a task starting condition as a precondition for starting a corresponding work unit by the robot;

the device comprising;

an information collecting section collecting state information showing, in real time, a state of an environment allowing the robot to execute said tasks;

a program selecting section selecting a first executable program satisfying said task starting condition, from operation programs ready to be executed for workpieces among said plurality of operation programs, based on said state information collected by said information collecting section;

a processing section processing, for execution, said first executable program selected by said program selecting section; and

a program-completion judging section judging whether said processing section has completed or not a processing of said first executable program;

wherein said program selecting section selects, based on said state information, a second executable program satisfying said task starting condition, from said operation programs ready to be executed, as an operation program to be subsequently processed for execution by said processing section, so as to meet a situation of judgment performed by said program-completion judging section.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said program selecting section specifies, based on said state information, a certain number of operation programs ready to be executed for workpieces among said plurality of operation programs, and selects one first executable program from among said operation programs as specified, in accordance with a predetermined rule.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said program selecting section specifies said operation programs ready to be executed, by referring to a plurality of operation scripts defining an execution order of said plurality of operation programs in connection respectively with said workpieces.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a storage section storing said plurality of operation programs and said plurality of operation scripts.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein, before said program-completion judging section judges that said processing section has completed said processing, said program selecting section selects said second executable program and said processing section processes, for execution, said second executable program.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of operation programs includes a description of a task completing condition as a precondition for completing a corresponding work unit by the robot;

and wherein said program-completion judging section judges, based on said state information collected by said information collecting section, whether said first executable program satisfies said task completing condition, and thereby judges whether said processing section has completed said processing.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said program-completion judging section is provided with internal information showing a state of an internal model provided by modeling said environment allowing the robot to execute said tasks, and judges whether said internal information coincides with said state information collected by said information collecting section, thereby judging whether said processing section has completed said processing.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7, wherein said plurality of operation programs include an exception operation program for commanding an exception-processing work unit different from said plurality of work units;

and wherein, when said program-completion judging section judges that said internal information does not coincide with said state information, said program selecting section selects said exception operation program from said plurality of operation programs and said processing section processes said exception operation program in place of said second executable program.

9. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said program-completion judging section judges whether a predetermined time has elapsed before judging that said processing section has completed said processing.

10. A device as set forth in claim 9, wherein said plurality of operation programs include an exception operation program for commanding an exception-processing work unit different from said plurality of work units;

and wherein, when said program-completion judging section judges that said time has elapsed, said program selecting section selects said exception operation program from said plurality of operation programs and said processing section processes said exception operation program in place of said second executable program.

11. A device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a stop controlling section making the robot stop as an emergency during execution of said tasks;

a state judging section provided with internal information showing a state of an internal model provided by modeling said environment allowing the robot to execute said tasks, and judges whether said internal information coincides with said state information collected by said information collecting section; and

a restart controlling section canceling an emergency stop and restarting said tasks, when said state judging section judges that said internal information coincides with said state information.

12. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein, when said state judging section judges that said internal information does not coincide with said state information, said restart controlling section outputs a message signal for notifying at least one of a detail of, and a countermeasure for, non-coincidence between said internal information and said state information, before restarting said tasks.

13. A device as set forth in claim 11, wherein, when said state judging section judges that said internal information does not coincide with said state information, said restart controlling section outputs a message signal for requiring a restart permission instruction, before restarting said tasks.

14. A device as set forth in claim 13, wherein, when said restart permission instruction is entered, said, restart controlling section rewrites a content of said internal information so as to coincide with said state information, and thereafter restarts said tasks.

15. A method for controlling a robot;

the method making the robot execute tasks including a plurality of work units in a parallel manner for several workpieces, in accordance with a plurality of operation programs for individually commanding the plurality of work units;

each of the plurality of operation programs including a description of a task starting condition as a precondition for starting a corresponding work unit by the robot;

the method comprising;

collecting state information showing, in real time, a state of an environment allowing the robot to execute said tasks;

selecting a first executable program satisfying said task starting condition, from operation programs ready to be executed for workpieces among said plurality of operation programs, based on said state information as collected;

processing, for execution, said first executable program as selected;

selecting a second executable program satisfying said task starting condition, from said operation programs ready to be executed, based on said state information as collected, so as to meet a situation of processing of said first executable program; and

processing, for execution, said second executable program as selected.

16. A method as set forth in claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of operation programs includes a description of a task completing condition as a precondition for completing a corresponding work unit by the robot;

and wherein the method further comprises, before selecting said second executable program, judging whether said first executable program satisfies said task completing condition, based on said state information as collected, thereby judging whether said processing of said first executable program has been completed.

17. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising, before selecting said second executable program, judging whether internal information showing a state of an internal model, provided by modeling said environment allowing the robot to execute said tasks, coincides with said state information as collected, thereby judging whether said processing of said first executable program has been completed.

18. A method as set forth in claim 15, further comprising judging whether internal information showing a state of an internal model, provided by modeling said environment allowing the robot to execute said tasks, coincides with said state information as collected, when the robot stops due to an emergency during execution of said tasks;

and canceling an emergency stop and restarting said tasks, when said internal information is judged as to coincide with said state information.