Multitask control system

• US 5,621,672 A
• Filed: 04/26/1996
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Makoto, Kobayashi, Minoru, Kobayashi, Shigeo, Nagasawa, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STAMBER, ERIC W
• Application Number:
  US08/638,091
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 364/505, 364/474.12, 364/474.28, 364/131, 364/191, 364/579, 364/132, 364/133, 364/134, 364/138, 364/474.08, 395/325, 395/250, 395/61, 340/825.01, 340/870.17, 901/402, 901/6
• US Class Current: 700/5
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4141 characterised by a controller or microprocessor per axis
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4148 characterised by using several processors for different functions, distributed (real-time) systems G05B19/4141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24187 Redundant processors run identical programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24192 Configurable redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2623 Combustion motor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34269 Programmable computer controller, plc implemented with pc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34433 Multitask processor controls real time processor via communication memory

Abstract

A control system for controlling operations of a plurality of controlled devices each capable of positioning a plurality of logical axes included therein to perform operations such as welding or assembling workpieces, wherein a parallel control of the respective devices is performed by a multitask processor, control of operations such as welding which require a real-time control in its nature is performed by a real-time processor, and a communication memory is provided between the both processors for transferring therebetween required commands and data for the positioning control or the operations control.

Claims

1. A welding robot control system for controlling a plurality of welding robots, comprising:

a plurality of welding robots each of which is connected to a common signal line;

a multitask processor including a plurality of application task means corresponding to each of said welding robots, said plurality of application task means performing parallel processing on a time-shared basis of a plurality of processes which are to be affected respectively by each of said welding robots;

real-time welding robot processing means for performing operational control and position decisional control of each of the said welding robots;

a communications memory tier transmitting and receiving predetermined instructions and data liar the operational control and the position decisional control between said application task means of said multitask processor and said real-time welding robot processing means; and

inter-task signal communication means for communicating signals including signals related to said welding robots between respective application task means,

wherein said multitask processor and said real-time welding robot processing means are provided as subcomponents of a control system physically separated from each of said welding robots, both multitasking and real-time welding robot processing operations being performed in said control system prior to transmitting corresponding command signals to said welding robots,

wherein the command signals are conveyed between said real-time welding robot processing means and each of said welding robots which are physically separated from the control system.

2. The welding robot control system of claim 1, wherein each of said welding robots include a welding device for welding a workpiece and a positioning device for positioning said welding device relative to the workpiece.

3. The welding robot control system of claim 2, said real-time welding robot processing means further including:

real-time positioning device processing means for performing operational control and position decisional control of each of the logical axes of said positioning devices; and

real-time welding device processing means for performing energization and pressurization control of each of the welding devices to weld the workpiece,

wherein said communications memory transmits target position data and receives position data for the operational control and the position decisional control of said positioning devices between said application task means of said multitask processor and said real-time positioning device processing means,

wherein said communications memory transmits pressurization and energization data and receives completion data for controlling said welding devices between said application task means of said multitask processor and said real-time welding device processing means.

4. The welding robot control system of claim 2, said multitask processor further including:

a plurality of application task means corresponding to each of said welding devices and to respective logical axes of each of said positioning devices,

said plurality of application task means performing parallel processing on a time-shared basis of welding operations and positioning operations which are to be performed respectively by each of said welding devices and said positioning devices,

said inter-task signal communication means communicating signals including signals related to said welding devices and said positioning devices between respective application task means.

5. The welding robot control system according to claim 1, wherein the number of the welding robots along said common signal line can be increased.

6. The welding robot control system according to claim 1, said multitask processor further including PLC task means for processing sequencing data and providing the sequencing data to at least one of said application task means.

7. The welding robot control system according to claim 1, said inter-task signal communication means further including communication signal buffers corresponding to each of said welding robots.

8. A control system for providing operational control to a plurality of controlled devices which are interconnected along a common signal line, comprising:

a multitask processor including a plurality of application task means corresponding to respective logical axes of each of the plurality of controlled devices, said plurality of application task means performing parallel processing on a time-shared basis of a plurality of processes which are to be affected respectively by each of the plurality of controlled devices;

real-time processing means for performing operational control and position decisional control of each of the logical axes;

a communications memory for transmitting and receiving predetermined instructions and data for the operational control and the position decisional control between said application task means of said multitask processor and said real-time processing means; and

inter-task signal communication means for communicating signals including signals related to the plurality of controlled devices between respective application task means,

wherein said multitask processor and said real-time processing means are provided as sub-components of the control system physically separated from each of the plurality of controlled devices, both multitasking and real-time processing operations being performed in said control system prior to transmitting corresponding command signals to the plurality of controlled devices,

wherein command signals are conveyed between said real-time processing means and each of said plurality of controlled devices which are physically separated from the control system.

9. The control system according to claim 8, wherein the number of the plurality of controlled devices along said common signal line can be increased.

10. The control system according to claim 9, said multitask processor further comprising a PLC task, wherein information is sent and received for PLC sequencing, and the result of said PLC sequencing is provided to at least one of said application task means.

11. The control system according to claim 10, said inter-task signal communication means further comprising a communication signal buffer corresponding to each of the logical axes of the plurality of controlled devices.