ROBOT SYSTEM

• US 20130245821A1
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Inventors: MATSUKUMA, Kenji, NAKAMURA, Tamio
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,900 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/06 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/08 in connection with the locking of doors, covers, guards, or like members giving access to moving machine parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/142 using image capturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/144 using light grids
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A robot system, including one or more robots which are provided to a first area where an entry by a person is restricted, and configured to perform a first work which includes one or more steps in the first area, a controller configured to control an operation of the one or more robots, and a visitor detector configured to detect a visitor to the first area. The controller includes a first work control portion configured to control the one or more robots so that the one or more robots perform the first work in the first area, and a first suspension control portion configured to control a predetermined at least a first robot of the one or more of the robots when one or more of the robots are performing one of the steps in the first area based on control by the first work control portion and the visitor is detected by the visitor detector, so that the first robot performs a predetermined act of suspension after performing the first work up to any predetermined stage, including an intermediate stage of the one step, a successful completion stage of the one step, and a successful completion stage of another step after the one step.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising

one or more robots which are provided to a first area where an entry by a person is restricted, and configured to perform a first work which includes one or more steps in the first area;

a controller configured to control an operation of the one or more robots; and

a visitor detector configured to detect a visitor to the first area;

wherein

the controller comprises

a first work control portion configured to control the one or more robots so that the one or more robots perform the first work in the first area; and

a first suspension control portion configured to control at least a first robot of the one or more of the robots when one or more of the robots are performing one of the steps in the first area based on control by the first work control portion and the visitor is detected by the visitor detector, so that the first robot performs a predetermined act of suspension after performing the first work up to any predetermined stage, including an intermediate stage of the one step, a successful completion stage of the one step, and a successful completion stage of another step after the one step.

2. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller further comprises a lock control portion configured to control a lock mechanism capable of locking an opening/closing door provided to an entrance of the first area;

and

the lock control portion controls the lock mechanism so that the lock mechanism unlocks the opening/closing door after the first robot performs the act of suspension and suspends the first work based on control by the first suspension control portion when a predetermined act of unlocking is performed.

3. The robot system according to claim 2, wherein

the first suspension control portion of the controller controls the first robot so that the first robot, as the act of suspension, stops or decelerates an operation executed up to that time.

4. The robot system according to claim 2, wherein

the one or more robots comprise a moving device for performing movement;

and

the first suspension control portion of the controller controls the moving device of the first robot so that moving device, as the act of suspension, moves to a second area separate from the first area.

5. The robot system according to claim 4, wherein

the controller comprises a second work control portion configured to control the first robot so that the first robot which moved to the second area based on control by the first suspension control portion performs a predetermined second work in the second area.

6. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein

the visitor detector is an operation device for the visitor to instruct entry into the first area, or a first sensor configured to detect the visitor who is in close proximity to an entrance of the first area, or an information reading device configured to read authentication information for entry into the first area from an authentication tag provided with the authentication information, in accordance with a proximity or contact operation of the authentication tag by the visitor.

7. The robot system according to claim 3, further comprising a departure detecting portion configured to detect a departure of the visitor from the first area, wherein

the controller further comprises a first resumption control portion configured to control either the first robot so that the first robot cancels a state of stopped or decelerated operation, or the moving device of the first robot so that moving device returns to the first area, causing the first robot to resume the first work, in a case where departure of all of the visitors is detected by the departure detecting portion when operation of the first robot is stopped or decelerated based on control by the first suspension control portion or the first robot has moved to a second area separate from the first area based on control by the first suspension control portion, and the first work by the first robot has been suspended.

8. The robot system according to claim 1, wherein

the robots are provided in a plurality to the first area;

the first suspension control portion of the controller, as the act of suspension, controls a part of the first robots of the plurality of robots which is near the entrance of the first area so that the first robot stops or decelerates an operation executed up to that time, and wherein

the robot system further comprises a proximity detector configured to detect the visitor who is in close proximity to a predetermined range around each of the robots, and wherein

the controller further comprises a second suspension control portion configured to control a second robot which detected a close proximity of the visitor so that the second robot stops or decelerates an operation executed up to that time, in a case where the visitor in the close proximity of a robot other than the robot which has stopped or decelerated an operation is detected by the proximity detector when the robot other than the robot which has stopped or decelerated the operation is performing one of the steps in the first area based on control by the first work control portion.

9. The robot system according to claim 8, wherein

the controller further comprises a second resumption control portion configured to control at least one of the first and second robots so that at least one of the first and second robots cancels the state of stopped or decelerated operation, causing at least one of the first and second robots to resume the first work in a case where the visitor in the close proximity of at least one of the first and second robots is no longer detected by the proximity detector when an operation of at least one of the first and second robots has been stopped or decelerated and the first work by at least one of the first and second robots has been suspended based on control by at least one of the first and second suspension control portions.

10. The robot system according to claim 8, wherein

the proximity detector is made of one or more second sensors which are provided to each of the plurality of robots and are capable of detection in a substantially 360 degree area around the robot.

11. A robot system comprising

one or more robots which are provided to an area where an entry by a person is restricted and configured to perform work which includes one or more steps in the area;

visitor detecting means for detecting a visitor to the area;

work control means for controlling the one or more robots so that the one or more robots perform the work in the area; and

suspension control means for controlling a predetermined at least one of the robots of the one or more robots in a case where the visitor is detected by the visitor detecting means when one or more of the robots are performing one of the step in the area based on control by the work control means, so that the robot performs a predetermined act of suspension after performing the work up to any predetermined stage, including an intermediate stage of the step, a successful completion stage of the step, and a successful completion stage of another step after the step.