Offline teaching apparatus for robot

• US 20070073444A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagatsuka, Yoshiharu, Kobayashi, Hirohiko
• Application Number:
  US11/527,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073444A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1684 Tracking a line or surface by means of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39102 Manipulator cooperating with conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40323 Modeling robot environment for sensor based robot system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40478 Graphic display of work area of robot, forbidden, permitted zone

Abstract

An offline teaching apparatus for generating, in an offline mode, a robot operation relating to tracking and working relative to a workpiece traveling along a carrier route. The apparatus includes a model-image generating section for generating images of a carrier-route model, a workpiece model and a robot model; an indicator generating section for generating a base-point indicator, and upstream-end and downstream-end indicators defining a spatial range for performing the robot operation; a display section for displaying, on a screen, the images of the carrier-route model, the workpiece model and the robot model, together with the base-point indicator, the upstream-end indicator and the downstream-end indicator; a carrying-operation simulating section for causing the workpiece model to simulate a workpiece traveling motion along the carrier-route model; and a robot-operation simulating section for causing the robot model to simulate the robot operation, during a period from an instant the workpiece model passes by the upstream-end indicator until an instant the workpiece model arrives at the downstream-end indicator.

Claims

1. An offline teaching apparatus for generating and teaching, in an offline mode, a robot operation, relating to tracking and working, performed by a robot on a workpiece traveling along a carrier route, comprising:

a model-image generating section for generating images of a carrier-route model, a workpiece model and a robot model, provided respectively by modeling the carrier route, the workpiece and the robot;

an indicator generating section for generating a base-point indicator representing a base point used for detecting passing of the workpiece along the carrier route, and also generating an upstream-end indicator and a downstream-end indicator, representing respectively a motion-acceptable upstream end and a motion-acceptable downstream end, said upstream end and said downstream end defining, along a workpiece traveling direction, a spatial range permitting the robot to perform the robot operation, at a location downstream of the base point in the workpiece traveling direction along the carrier route;

a display section for displaying, on a screen, said images of said carrier-route model, said workpiece model and said robot model, generated by said image generating section, together with said base-point indicator, said upstream-end indicator and said downstream-end indicator, generated by said indicator generating section, in a relative positional relationship corresponding to an actual working environment of the robot;

a carrying-operation simulating section for causing said workpiece model displayed by said display section to simulate a workpiece traveling motion along said carrier-route model on said screen; and

a robot-operation simulating section for causing said robot model displayed by said display section to simulate the robot operation on said screen, during a period from an instant when said workpiece model passes by said upstream-end indicator until an instant when said workpiece model arrives at said downstream-end indicator due to said workpiece traveling motion on said screen.

2. An offline teaching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an indicator-shift commanding section for issuing a command for shifting at least one of said base-point indicator, said upstream-end indicator and said downstream-end indicator, displayed by said display section, in a direction along said carrier-route model on said screen, and a data modifying section for modifying position data of at least one of said base-point indicator, said upstream-end indicator and said downstream-end indicator, in accordance with said command issued by said indicator-shift commanding section.

3. An offline teaching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a contact detecting section for detecting a contact, caused on said screen, between said robot model displayed by said display section and said downstream-end indicator, during a period when said robot-operation simulating section simulates the robot operation.

4. An offline teaching apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said indicator generating section generates said downstream-end indicator in a form extended by an adjustable dimension in a direction toward said upstream-end indicator on said screen.

5. An offline teaching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said indicator generating section determines respective positions of said base-point indicator, said upstream-end indicator and said downstream-end indicator on said screen, based on actual carrying-operation information concerning said carrier route.

6. An offline teaching apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrying-operation simulating section generates said workpiece traveling motion on said screen, based on actual carrying-operation information concerning said carrier route.