Industrial Robot System with a Portable Operator Control Device

• US 20070297890A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Sjoberg, Ralph, Endresen, Jan, Carlson, Erik, Warren, Nick
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/735
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/065 comprising joy-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/878 Combination of several spaced transmitters or receivers of known location for determining the position of a transponder or a reflector G01S13/874 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

An industrial robot including a manipulator, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operating unit for teaching and manually operating the robot, which operating unit is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit and including an operator control. The transmissions may be made wirelessly with redundant software processes for transmission and/or reception. Safety is increased by ensuring that the operator is within the specified operating area.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. An industrial robot system, comprising:

an industrial robot comprising a manipulator;

a control unit for controlling the manipulator;

at least one portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the robot, which portable operator control device is adapted for communication with the control unit;

means to determine a position of the portable operator control unit; and

means to provide redundant software programs for control of communications of an emergency stop signal, an enabling status, and/or reset wherein the software redundancy on any of the transmission and/or receiving sides is carried out by two or more multiple software programs which carry out the same function but are each written in a different computer language and/or formed using a different programming technology.

41. The industrial robot system according claim 40, wherein the transmitted signals are handled by multiple and redundant software program processes.

42. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the received signals are handled by multiple and redundant software program processes.

43. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the position determining means comprises at least one reference station arranged to send a radio signal to the portable operator control device.

44. The industrial robot system according to claim 43, wherein the position determining means comprises at least one receiving means for receiving a transmitted reply signal from the portable operator control device.

45. The industrial robot system according to claim 44, wherein the receiving means comprises antenna means.

46. The industrial robot system according to claim 44, wherein the reference station comprises the receiving means.

47. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the control unit is operable to define a work area.

48. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the position determining means comprises means for measuring the time between transmitting the signal and receiving the reply signal.

49. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, further comprising:

means arranged to release an enabling state upon reception failure dependent on a predetermined number of time parts.

50. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the position determining means comprises means for measuring direction/angle between the transmitted signal and the received reply signal.

51. The industrial robot system according claim 40, further comprising:

indicating means for indicating a current mode of the data link.

52. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the control unit comprises a processor for processing the redundant software programs.

53. The industrial robot system according to claim 52, 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.

54. The industrial robot system according to claim 53, wherein the indicating means is arranged to indicate actively through vibrations.

55. The industrial robot system according to claim 54, 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.

56. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the data link is a wireless data link.

57. The industrial robot system according to claim 40, wherein the data link is a wireless data link provided with software redundancy on any of the transmission and/or receiving sides.

58. The industrial robot system according to claim 57, wherein the software redundancy on any of the transmission and/or receiving sides is carried out by multiple instances of the same software program.

76. Use of an industrial robot system according to claim 40 for maintaining safe operation in a workplace including any from the list of a:

welding station, painting operation, assembly operation, pick and place operation.

59. A method for controlling an industrial robot system comprising an industrial robot comprising a manipulator, a control unit comprising a processor for controlling the manipulator, at least one portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the robot, which at least one portable operator control device is adapted for communication with the control unit via a data link, wherein redundant software program means are provided for control of communication of an emergency stop signal, an enabling status, or reset wherein the software redundancy on any of the transmission and/or receiving sides is carried out by two or more multiple software programs which carry out the same function but are each written in a different computer language and/or formed using a different programming technology, the method comprising:

defining a working area for the at least one portable operator control device;

determining a position of the at least one portable operator control device;

breaking the data link if the at least one portable operator control device is outside the working area; and

connecting a data link upon the at least one portable operator control device being inside the working area.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein transmissions of a position of the at least one portable operator control device are handled by multiple and redundant software programs on the transmission side.

61. The method according to claim 59, wherein transmissions of a position of the at least one portable operator control device are handled by multiple and redundant software programs on the receiving side.

62. The method according to claim 59, further comprising:

sending with the position determining means a signal to the at least one portable operator control device.

63. The method according to claim 62, further comprising:

receiving with the position determining means at least one transmitted reply signal from the at least one portable operator control device.

64. The method according to claim 62, further comprising:

measuring with the position measuring means the time between transmitting the signal and receiving the transmitted reply signal.

65. The method according to claim 59, wherein said means for releasing are arranged to release an enabling state upon reception failure dependent on a predetermined number of time parts.

66. The method according to claim 64, further comprising:

measuring with the position determining means the distance between the at least one portable operator control device and the reference station.

67. The method according to claim 64, further comprising:

measuring with the position determining means the direction between the at least one portable operator control device and the reference stations.

68. The method according to claim 64, further comprising:

measuring with the position determining means both the direction and the distance between the at least one portable operator control device and the reference station.

69. The method according to claim 59, wherein the position of the at least one portable operator control device is determined continuously.

70. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control unit is operable to break the data link.

71. The method according to claim 59, wherein the control unit comprises a processor for processing the redundant software programs.

77. Use of a method according to claim 59 for maintaining safe operation in a workplace including any from the list of a:

welding station, painting operation, assembly operation, pick and place operation.

72. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor to control an industrial robot system comprising an industrial robot comprising a manipulator, a control unit comprising a processor for controlling the manipulator, at least one portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the robot, which at least one portable operator control device is adapted for communication with the control unit via a data link, wherein redundant software program means are provided for control of communication of an emergency stop signal, an enabling status, or reset wherein the software redundancy on any of the transmission and/or receiving sides is carried out by two or more multiple software programs which carry out the same function but are each written in a different computer language and/or formed using a different programming technology, the method comprising;

defining a working area for the at least one portable operator control device;

determining a position of the at least one portable operator control device;

breaking the data link if the at least one portable operator control device is outside the working area; and

connecting a data link upon the at least one portable operator control device being inside the working area.

73. The computer program product according to claim 72, wherein the computer program instructions are further for carrying out at least partly supplying the computer program instructions over a network.

74. The computer program product according to claim 73, wherein the network comprises at least one of the Internet or a data network.

75. The computer program product according to claim 73, wherein the data network comprises a wireless local area network.

78. A robot controller for an industrial robot system comprising an industrial robot comprising a manipulator, a control unit for controlling the manipulator, at least one portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating the robot, which at least one portable operator control device is adapted for communication with the control unit, and at least one portable operator control device comprises a manually operated enabling device, which when continuously activated, permits motion of the robot and/or the associated equipment, wherein said robot controller further comprises multiple and redundant software processes wherein the software redundancy on any of the transmission and/or receiving sides is carried out by two or more multiple software programs which carry out the same function but are each written in a different computer language and/or formed using a different programming technology or communication data generating circuits, which respectively generate communications data expressing an enabling device status command based on operation of said enabling device, and which respectively generate communications data expressing an enabling status command based on operations for said means;

and transmitting means which transmit communications data expressing said enabling status command and communications data expressing said enabling status command to said control part by wireless network communication; and

which permits motion alternatively emergency stop of the robot or associated equipment when receiving even a single set of communications data expressing an enabling status command generated by said multiple and redundant software or communications data generating circuits.

79. The robot controller according to claim 78, wherein said control device comprises receiving means which receive communications data comprising a plurality of communications data receiving software processes or communication data receiving circuits.

80. The robot controller according to claim 78, wherein said robot controller comprises a control part for controlling at least one industrial robot or associated equipment, and a portable operating device arranged to communicate with each other by at least one wireless network wherein said portable operating device comprises a manually operated enabling device, which when continuously activated, permits motion of the robot and/or the associated equipment.

81. The robot controller according to claim 78, wherein the control unit comprises a processor means for processing the redundant software programs.

82. The robot controller according to claim 78, further comprising:

a plurality of communications data generating software processes or communication data generating circuits, which comprises receiving means which receive communications data expressing enabling status command from said transmitting means;

wherein said receiving means place said robot or associated equipment in the enabling state according to the received enabling status command, and which permits motion of the robot or associated equipment as long as correct information has been received within a watch-time comprising a number of time parts just exceeding a full time slot.

83. The robot controller according to claim 78, said receiving means are arranged to release said enabling state upon reception failure dependent on a predetermined number of time parts.

84. The robot controller according to claim 78, further comprising:

means for releasing the emergency stop state of the robot and/or associated equipment.