Motion Control Systems

• US 20090157199A1
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ROY-G-BIV Corporation
• Original Assignee: ROY-G-BIV Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, David W., Clark, Jay S.
• Application Number:
  US12/244,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157199A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/19 characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/416 characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23262 DDE direct data exchange, DLL dynamic library linking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23265 Select device driver for actuator, sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34208 Motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34216 Programmable motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34263 OLE object linking and embedding, OPC ole for process control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34287 Plc and motion controller combined
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36035 Special language, task programming, oop object oriented programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36036 Motion, graphical motion control language gmcl
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36037 Application programming interface associates component code with driver function
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/43167 Distributed motion control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system for allowing communication between a software application and at least one motion controller in a set of motion controllers comprising a set of motion operations, a set of motion commands, a set of selectable software modules, a software system, and a driver administrator. At least one motion command is associated with at least one primitive motion operation. Each software module is associated with at least one motion controller in the set of motion controllers. At least two selectable software modules expose a common software interface. The software application comprises a plurality of motion commands associated with a desired motion sequence, where the application comprises at least one motion command associated with a primitive motion operation. The software system uses the driver administrator to select at least one selected software module. The software application uses the driver administrator to load the selected software module. The software system commands at least one selected motion controller to perform the desired motion sequence using the plurality of motion commands of the software application, and the common software interface exposed by the at least one selected software module associated with the at least one selected motion controller.

Claims

1. A system for allowing communication between a software application and at least one motion controller in a set of motion controllers, comprising:

a set of motion operations consisting of primitive motion operations and non-primitive motion operations, where

non-primitive motion operations can be performed using a plurality of primitive motion operations, and

primitive motion operations cannot be performed using a plurality of primitive motion operations;

a set of motion commands, where at least one motion command is associated with one of the primitive motion operations;

a set of selectable software modules, where

each software module is associated with at least one motion controller in the set of motion controllers, and

at least two selectable software modules expose a common software interface;

a software system capable of commanding motion controllers to perform motion operations using the common software interfaces exposed by the software modules; and

a driver administrator capable of selecting and loading at least one of the set of selectable software modules;

wherein

the software application comprises a plurality of motion commands associated with a desired motion sequence, where the application comprises at least one motion command associated with a primitive motion operation;

the software system uses the driver administrator to select at least one selected software module;

the software application uses the driver administrator to load the selected software module; and

the software system commands at least one selected motion controller to perform the desired motion sequence using

the plurality of motion commands of the software application, and

the common software interface exposed by the at least one selected software module associated with the at least one selected motion controller.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, in which a definition of the common software interface is programmatically acquirable.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, in which a definition of the common software interface is acquirable from at least one of the selectable software modules in the set of selectable software modules.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an operating system on which the software module is run.

5. A system as recited in claim 4, in which a definition of the common software interface is acquirable from the operating system.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, in which a definition of the common software interface is acquirable from a persisted storage medium.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, in which the persisted storage medium is a disk file.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one motion operation causes data to be read from the motion controller.

9. A system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one motion operation causes data to be received from the motion controller.

10. A system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one motion operation causes motion data to be written to the motion controller.

11. A system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one motion operation causes an object to move.

12. A system as recited in claim 1, in which at least one motion operation causes a motion device to move.

13. A system as recited in claim 1, in which the software system further comprises a user interface for selecting at least one selectable software module.

14. A system as recited in claim 1, in which the software system further comprises software functionality that causes the driver administrator to programmatically select at least one selectable software module.

15. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a selection software module comprising a user interface that allows at least one selectable software module to be selected.

16. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a selection software module comprising software functionality that programmatically selects at least one selectable software module.

17. A system as recited in claim 1, in which the motion commands comprise:

non-primitive motion commands, where each non-primitive motion operation is associated with at least one non-primitive motion operation; and

primitive motion commands, where each primitive motion command is associated with at least one primitive motion operation.

18. A system as recited in claim 1, in which each of the selectable software modules is a binary module.

19. A system as recited in claim 1, in which the software application is a binary module.

20. A system as recited in claim 1, in which the driver administrator is a binary module.

21. A system as recited in claim 1, in which

each of the selectable software modules is a binary module;

the software application is a binary module; and

the driver administrator is a binary module.