Method and device for controlling a plurality of manipulators

• US 7,525,274 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: KUKA Roboter GmbH (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: Kazi, Arif, Bunsendal, Jens, Hietmann, Gerhard, Spiess, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Black; Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Olsen; Lin B
• Application Number:
  US10/809,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 700/169, 700/248, 700/264, 700/247
• US Class Current: 318/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36133 MMI, HMI: man machine interface, communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36137 Configuration of display device, operator panel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and a system for controlling a plurality of manipulators with a large number of control units associated with the manipulators in such a way that each control unit controls at least one manipulator, are characterized in that an operating device accesses several control units for controlling the manipulators. Thus, it is possible according to the invention to operate even very closely juxtaposed manipulators without any crossing and interlacing of the connecting channels between the operating devices and control units which would prevent a reliable association in operation. The invention also makes it possible for only one operator to operate cooperating robots.

Claims

1. Method for controlling a plurality of manipulators with a number of associated control units associated with the manipulators, so that each control unit controls at least one manipulator, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable operating device which accesses several control units for controlling the manipulators;

providing movement-relevant control signals and non-movement-relevant control signals, the movement-relevant control signals being generated by the portable operating device and being directly suitable for a motion control of the manipulators in question;

passing the movement-relevant control signals via a first transmission means in real time to an area of the associated control unit, which area is designed to process motion-relevant control signals in real time;

passing the non-movement-relevant control signals via a second transmission means to an area of the associated control unit, which area is designed for the non-real-time processing of data.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the manipulator linked by means of the associated control unit with the portable operating device is indicated by an optical and/or acoustic signal generator.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the operability of the signal generator is monitored by a monitoring device.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the portable operating device generates the non-movement-relevant control signals.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the non-movement-relevant control signals are exclusively directed to a terminal device present in the non-real time area of the associated control unit for the display of operating surfaces of different control units.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of movement-relevant signals via the first transmission means is controlled by a first monitoring device and in the case of an interruption of transmission a movement-relevant control signal is generated by said monitoring device.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the portable operating device displays the operating surface of the control unit of the selected manipulator.

8. Method according to claim 7, wherein there is a graphic display.

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein a designation of the manipulators is displayed on the portable operating device for identifying selected manipulators.

10. Method according to claim 8, wherein for identifying the selected manipulators an optically acting marking present on the particular manipulator is displayed on the portable operating device.

11. Method according to claim 8, wherein for identifying the selected manipulators, an acoustic and/or optical signal generator present on the particular manipulator is activated.

12. Method according to claim 8, wherein image contents of the control unit associated with the selected manipulators are digitally transmitted to the portable operating device.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein image contents data are compressed prior to transmission.

14. Method according to claim 12, wherein standard image elements are transmitted as control instructions and independently displayed by the portable operating device.

15. Method according to claim 8, wherein image information is transmitted as pixel data.

16. Method according to claim 7, wherein the image information data and control signals generated by the portable operating device are transmitted through a same channel.

17. Method according to claim 7, wherein the image information data and control signals generated by the portable operating device are transmitted on different channels, a function and target of the channels being controlled by a second monitoring device.

18. A system for controlling a plurality of manipulators, the system comprising:

a plurality of control units associated with each of the manipulators, so that each control unit controls at least one manipulator, each of the control units have a real-time area set up for execution of a real-time-capable operating system and have a non-real-time area for execution of a non-real-time-capable operating system, said real-time areas of said control units being designed to process movement-relevant control signals, which are sent to the real-time-capable operating system and are directly suitable for a motion control of a respective one of the manipulators, said non-real-time areas perform non-real-time processing of non-movement-relevant control signals;

a common operating device connectable with at least one specific control unit for operating the manipulators, said common operating device being designed to operate the manipulators in real time by the movement-relevant control signals, said common operating device being further designed to generate non-movement-relevant control signals.

19. Device according to claim 18, wherein the real time areas (RT) of the control units are connected by means of a first transmitting device and the non-real time areas (NRT) of the control units are connected by means of a second transmitting device.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein at least one control unit has in its non-real time area (NRT) a terminal device for displaying operating surfaces (BOF) of different control units.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein further, non-movement-relevant control signals generated by the common operating device can be directed exclusively to the terminal device.

22. A system according to claim 20, wherein the real time areas (RT) of the control units are connected by means of a first transmitting device and the non-real time areas (NRT) of the control units are connected by means of a second transmitting device, all the control signals between the terminal device and an operating surface (BOF) can be communicated to the associated control unit by means of the second transmitting device.

23. A system according to claim 18, wherein at least one control unit has a detecting device for detecting a control unit controlling the selected manipulators.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the real time areas (RT) of the control units are connected by means of a first transmitting device and the non-real time areas (NRT) of the control units are connected by means of a second transmitting device, the control unit having the detecting device has a path control device on which action can take place through the detecting device, so that the movement-relevant control signals can be directed via the first transmitting device to the control unit associated with the selected manipulators.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the movement-relevant control signals can be directed to the terminal device in parallel to a transmission to the associated control unit.

26. A system according to claim 18, wherein the common operating device has a display device for displaying operating surfaces (BOF) of different control units.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein on the common operating device is in each case displayed the operating surfaces (BOF) of the associated control unit.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein display and control signals between the control units and the common operating device can be transmitted on a common data channel.

29. A system according to claim 26, wherein display and control signals between the control units and the common operating device can be transmitted on separate data channels.

30. A system according to claim 29, further comprising an monitoring device constructed for monitoring a function and a target of the data channels.

31. A system according to claim 26, further comprising a clear association between the displayed operating surface (BOF) and the selected manipulator.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein the manipulators in each case have optical and/or acoustic signal generators (S), which are in each case constructed for transmitting a signal for the display of a selected manipulator.

33. A system according to claim 26, wherein the operating surface (BOF) and manipulator have substantially identical, optically acting markings (M.sub.1, M.sub.2, M.sub.3).

34. A system according to claim 18, wherein display, control and/or safety signals can be transmitted on a bus/data channel.

35. A system according to claim 18, further comprising a safety transmitting device interconnecting the control units of all the manipulators.

36. A system according to claim 18, wherein control signals generated by the common operating device can only be directed following verification to the associated control unit.

37. A system according to claim 36, further comprising optical and/or acoustic signal generators (S) located on the manipulators and which are constructed for displaying a given link, between the common operating device and the manipulator.

38. A system according to claim 37, further comprising a monitoring device for monitoring the operability of the signal generator.

39. A method for controlling a plurality of manipulators the method comprising the steps of:

providing a control unit for each of the plurality of manipulators, each control unit receiving control signals indicating how a respective manipulator should be controlled, each of the control units having a high priority area and a low priority area for processing the control signals, each high priority area processing the control signals with a higher priority than a respective low priority area;

providing an operating device receiving instructions from a user;

generating control signals at the operating device and sending the control signals to the control units of each of the plurality of manipulators;

dividing the control signals into motion-relevant control signals, and non-motion-relevant control signals;

sending the motion-relevant control signals to the high priority area of one of the control units;

sending the non-motion-relevant control signals to the low priority area of one of the control units.

40. A method in accordance with claim 39, wherein:

the high priority areas of the control units process the motion-relevant control signals in real time to control the respective manipulator;

the low priority areas of the control units process the non-motion-relevant control signals in non-real time to control the respective manipulator.