Industrial Robot System

• US 20080125908A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Sjöberg, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/247
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• 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: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33008 Operate manually only in defined, limited zone area
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36162 Pendant control box
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39447 Dead man switch
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence

Abstract

An industrial robot system including at least one industrial robot including a manipulator and a control unit for controlling the manipulator, a portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating a robot. The portable operator control device includes safety equipment including an enabling device, which upon activation enables manual operation of the robot by the portable operator control device. The portable operator control device is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit, and a detecting unit that detects when the portable operator control device enters an area defined in the vicinity of the manipulator. The robot includes an enabling function which upon activation enables the enabling device of the portable operator control device, and upon deactivation disables the enabling device. The robot system is adapted to automatically activate the enabling function of the robot upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters the defined area.

Claims

1. An industrial robot system, comprising:

at least one industrial robot comprising at least one manipulator and a control unit for controlling the manipulator, and

a portable operator control device for teaching and manually operating a robot, which portable operator control device comprises safety equipment including an enabling device, which upon activation enables manual operation of the robot by means of the portable operator control device, and the portable operator control device is adapted for wireless communication with the control unit,

a detecting unit, detecting when the portable operator control device enters an area defined in the vicinity of the manipulator, wherein the robot comprises an enabling function which upon activation enables the enabling device of the portable operator control device, and upon deactivation disables the enabling device, and wherein the robot system is adapted to automatically activate the enabling function of the robot upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area.

2. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control system of the robot comprises an enabling circuit and wherein the robot system is adapted to activate the enabling circuit of the robot upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area.

3. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the robot system is adapted to verify whether one or more conditions are fulfilled, and provided that said condition or conditions are fulfilled automatically activate the enabling function of the portable operator control device upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area.

4. The industrial robot system according to claim 3, wherein one of said conditions is that a check of said safety equipment has been carried out and no errors were found.

5. The industrial robot system according to claim 3, wherein one of said conditions is that the operator is authorized to use the robot.

6. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a safety check module adapted to provide an automatic check of said safety equipment, including the enabling device, upon activation.

7. The industrial robot system according to claim 6, wherein the safety check module is adapted to be run automatically upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area.

8. The industrial robot system according to claim 6, further comprising:

measuring equipment carrying out measurements on the safety equipment, wherein said safety check module is adapted to receive said measurements and on bases thereof detecting errors in the safety equipment.

9. The industrial robot system according to claim 6, wherein said safety check module is adapted to provide an error message to the operator upon detecting an error in the safety equipment during the safety check.

10. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein said safety equipment comprises an emergency stop button or a stop button and said safety check module is adapted to carry out a safety test on the emergency stop button or the stop button.

11. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein said detecting unit comprises means for determining the position of the portable operator control device, and wherein the detecting unit is detecting when the portable operator control device enters said area based on the position of the portable operator control device.

12. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a login module providing a procedure to login the portable operator control device to the control system of the robot, wherein the login module is adapted to be run automatically upon detecting that the portable operator control device has entered said defined area.

13. The industrial robot system according to claim 12, wherein said login module comprises means for providing a message informing the user of which control system he is about to be logged in to.

14. The industrial robot system according to claim 13, wherein said login module is adapted for receiving an approval or a non-approval from the user in response to said message, and wherein said login module is adapted to continue the login procedure upon receiving an approval from the user and to interrupt the login procedure upon receiving a non-approval from the user.

15. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

storage means adapted for storing information of the authorization of the present user, wherein said login module comprises means for checking whether the user is authorized to login to the control system, based on the stored information about the authorization of the user.

16. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein said detecting unit is adapted to detect when the portable operator control device leaves said defined area, and that the system is adapted to upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves said defined areas, automatically deactivate the enabling function of the robot.

17. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a logout module providing a procedure to logout the portable operator control device from the control system, wherein said detecting unit is adapted to detecting when the portable operator control device leaves the defined area, and the logout module is adapted to be run automatically upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves said defined area.

18. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the industrial robot system comprises more than one industrial robot, each robot having an area defined in the vicinity of the manipulator of the robot, wherein said detecting unit is adapted to detect when the portable operator control device enters or leaves any of said defined areas, and wherein the system is adapted to upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters one of said defined areas, automatically activate the enabling function of the robot having the area entered by the portable operator control device, and upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves one of said defined areas, automatically deactivate the enabling function of the robot having the area leaved by the portable operator control device.

19. The industrial robot system according to claim 18, wherein said login module is adapted to upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters one of said defined areas, automatically login the portable operator control device to the control system of the robot having the area entered by the portable operator control device, and wherein upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves one of said defined areas, automatically logout the portable operator control device from the control system of the robot having the area leaved by the TPU portable operator control device.

20. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein said area includes the working range of the robot.

40. Use of an industrial robot system according to claim 20 for control of a plurality of industrial robots working in a line of robots.

41. Use of a method according to claim 20 for control of a plurality of industrial robots working in a line of robots.

21. The method for coupling a portable operator control device to an industrial robot comprising at least one manipulator and a control unit for controlling the manipulator, wherein the portable operator control device is adapted for teaching and manually operating the robot, and comprises safety equipment including an enabling device, which upon activation enables manual operation the robot by means of the portable operator control device, and the robot comprises an enabling function which upon activation enables the enabling device of the portable operator control device, and upon deactivation disables the enabling device of the portable operator control device, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the portable operator control device and the control unit of the robot,

detecting when the portable operator control device enters an area defined in the vicinity of the manipulator, and

upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area automatically activating the enabling function of the robot.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the enabling function comprises an enabling circuit and the enabling function is activate by activating the enabling circuit.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

verifying whether one or more conditions are fulfilled, and

provided that said condition or conditions are fulfilled automatically activate the enabling function of the portable operator control device upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein one of said conditions is that a check of said safety equipment has been carried out and no errors were found.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein one of said conditions is that the operator is authorized to use the robot.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area automatically running a check module checking said safety equipment including the enabling device.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the running of the check module comprises receiving measurements made on the safety equipment, and on bases thereof detecting errors in the safety equipment.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the running of the check module comprises providing an error message to the operator upon detecting an error in the safety equipment during the safety check.

29. The method according to claim 21, wherein said automatically detecting step comprises receiving measurements of the position of the portable operator control device, and on bases thereof determining when the portable operator control device enters and leaves said defined area.

30. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area automatically running a login procedure, logging the portable operator control device in to the control system of the robot.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said login procedure comprises:

providing a message informing the user of which control system he is about to be logged in to.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein said login procedure comprises:

receiving an approval or a non-approval from the user in response to said message, and continuing the login procedure upon receiving an approval from the user, or interrupting the login procedure upon receiving a non-approval from the user.

33. The method according to claim 30, further comprising:

receiving and storing information of the authorization of the present user, wherein said login procedure comprises;

checking whether the user is authorized to login to the control system, based on the stored information about the authorization of the user.

34. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

automatically detecting when the portable operator control device leaves said defined area/areas, and

automatically logging out the portable operator control device from the control system upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves said defined area.

35. The method according to claim 21, further comprising:

detecting when the portable operator control device leaves said defined area, and

upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves said defined areas, automatically deactivate the enabling function of the robot.

36. The method according to claim 21, wherein the industrial robot system comprises more than one industrial robot, each robot having an area defined in the vicinity of the robot, the method further comprising:

detecting when the portable operator control device enters or leaves any of said defined areas,

upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters one of said defined areas automatically activating the enabling function of the robot having the area entered by the portable operator control device, and

upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves one of said defined areas, automatically deactivate the enabling function of the robot having the area leaved by the portable operator control device.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters one of said defined areas automatically login the portable operator control device to the control system of the robot having the area entered by the portable operator control device, and

upon detecting that the portable operator control device leaves one of said defined areas, automatically logout the portable operator control device from the control system of the robot having the area leaved by the portable operator control device.

38. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer readable medium and executable by a processor for carry out a method for coupling a portable operator control device to an industrial robot, the method comprising establishing communication between the portable operator control device and a control unit of the robot, detecting when the portable operator control device enters an area defined in the vicinity of a manipulator of the robot, and upon detecting that the portable operator control device enters said defined area automatically activating an enabling function of the robot.

39. (canceled)