Systems and methods for coordination motion instructions

• US 7,529,599 B1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schwarz, William C, Baker, Jacob S., Steh, Stephen L., Bhatt, Jatin P., Mowry, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US10/853,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 700 17- 20
• US Class Current: 700/250
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• 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 2219/34095 Look ahead segment calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34177 Calculate for different inclined segments stitch points evenly distributed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35585 Motion command profile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40395 Compose movement with primitive movement segments from database

Abstract

The invention provides systems and methods that integrate and/or control motion of a plurality of axes in a motion control environment. Grouped axes can be linked (e.g., via a tag) to provide desired multi-axis coordinated motion as well as provide control for corresponding aspects of motion such as acceleration, velocity, etc. Such axes can be integrated with other control functionality such as process and/or machine control to provide the user with a comprehensive control. The foregoing can provide simple mechanisms for moving devices in multiple axes of a coordinate system in a coordinated fashion. Such coordinated move functionality can provide a user-friendly interface for linear and circular moves in multi-dimensional space. The algorithm employed for path planning can provide fast execution and dynamic parameter changes (e.g., maximum velocity, acceleration and deceleration) along a desired path of motion. In this manner, such instructions can provide smooth transitions from one coordinated move to the next.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented motion control system for an industrial controller comprising following components stored in a computer memory:

a coordinated control object that represents one or more axes of motion, the coordinated control object comprising a coordinated tag that links a plurality of axes of motion to provide multi-axis coordinated motion; and

a processing component that executes at least one instruction on the coordinated control object, the instruction is employed to act on at least one parameter associated with the axes of motion.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a queuing component employed to store subsequent instructions.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control object editor utilized to view and edit control objects.

4. The system of claim 1, the at least one instruction is employed to stop motion related to all axis of motion associated with the instruction.

5. The system of claim 1, the at least one instruction is employed to stop all motion related to a single axis, which in turn stops all motion associated with the single axis.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a blending component utilized to transition from an active instruction of any motion type to a pending instruction of any motion type.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in which displayable objects are employed to represent physical hardware and relationships between physical hardware.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an instruction bank containing a plurality of instructions comprising:

a Motion Coordinated Linear Move, a Motion Coordinated Circular Move, a Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics, a Motion Coordinated Stop, a Motion Coordinated Shutdown and a Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset.

9. The system of claim 8, the Motion Coordinated Linear Move instruction is employed to initiate a multi-dimensional linear coordinated move within a coordinate system.

10. The system of claim 9, the Motion Coordinated Linear Move instruction comprises at least one of the following operands:

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a move type operand, a position operand, a speed operand, a speed units operand, an accel rate operand, an accel units operand, a decel rate operand, a decel units operand, a profile operand, a termination type operand, a merge operand and a merge speed operand.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the coordinated system operand specifies the coordinated group of axes.

12. The system of claim 8, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction is utilized to initiate one of a two-dimensional or three dimensional circular coordinated move within a coordinate system.

13. The system of claim 12, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move is programmed to provide motion employing at least one of the following motion types:

circle via, circle center, circle radius and circle incremental.

14. The system of claim 12, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move specifies direction in one of the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

15. The system of claim 12, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move specifies one of an arc and a full circle.

16. The system of claim 12, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction comprises at least one the following operands:

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a move type operand, a position operand, a circle type operand, a via/center/radius operand, a direction operand, a speed operand, a speed units operand, an acceleration rate operand, an acceleration units operand, a deceleration rate operand, a profile operand, a termination type operand, a merge operand and a merge speed operand.

17. The system of claim 8, the Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics instruction is employed to initiate a change in the path dynamics for the motion active within a coordinate system.

18. The system of claim 17, the Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics instruction comprises at least one of the following operands:

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a motion type operand, a change speed operand, a speed operand, a speed units operand, a change accel operand, an accel rate operand, an accel units operand, a change decel operand, a decel rate operand and a decel units operand.

19. The system of claim 8, the Motion Coordinated Stop instruction is employed to initiate a controlled stop of a specified motion profile operative on a system.

20. The system of claim 19, the Motion Coordinated Stop instruction comprises at least one of the following operands:

a coordinate system operand, a motion control operand, a stop type operand, a change decel operand, a decel rate operand and a decel units operand.

21. The system of claim 8, the Motion Coordinated Shutdown instruction is employed to initiate a controlled shutdown of all the axes within a coordinate system.

22. The system of claim 21, the Motion Coordinated Shutdown instruction comprises at least one of the following operands:

a coordinate system operand and a motion control operand.

23. The system of claim 8, the Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset instruction is employed to initiate a reset of a specified coordinate system from the shutdown state to the axis ready state and to clear the axis faults.

24. The system of claim 23, the Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset instruction comprises at least one of the following operands:

a coordinate system operand and a motion control operand.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of currently executing motion instruction parameters are modified.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of currently executing motion instructions are stopped along the path of programmed motion.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein a single axis instruction is stopped immediately thereby affecting the state of a plurality of currently executing motion instructions.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein details of path segments for the move instruction are displayed and modified utilizing a target position dialogue interface.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the executing instruction is terminated utilizing one of actual tolerance, no settle, command tolerance, no decel, contour with velocity constrained and contour with velocity unconstrained to affect transition path between path segments.

30. The system of claim 29, the transition path between path segments is accomplished using one of blended or non-blended termination types.

31. The system of claim 30, the non-blended termination type is one of actual tolerance or no settle.

32. The system of claim 30, the blended termination type is one of command tolerance, no decel, contour with velocity constrained and contour with velocity unconstrained.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one non-coordinated motion instruction is superimposed onto the executing instructions.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion control system is employed via the industrial controller to control motion related to a plurality of applications.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the motion control system is employed to control at least a motor related to an industrial control system for at least manufacturing, processing, automation, measurement, material handling, robotics and assembly.

36. A computer-implemented method employed to execute an instruction to effectuate motion control, comprising:

creating at least one coordinated control object that represents at least one axis of motion, wherein the at least one axis is associated with a coordinate system and the coordinated control object comprises a coordinated tag that links a plurality of axes of motion to provide multi-axis coordinated motion;

generating at least one instruction to act on a coordinated control object;

associating the at least one instruction with the at least one coordinated control object; and

executing at least one instruction that specifies and integrates motion of the plurality of axes within the coordinate system.

37. The method of claim 36, a programming interface is employed to facilitate viewing, editing, and organizing at least one of the control objects and instructions.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising queuing at least one pending instruction while an active instruction is executing on the control object.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising blending an active instruction with a pending instruction.

40. The method of claim 36, the instruction is one of:

a Motion Coordinated Linear Move instruction, a Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction, a Motion Coordinated Change Dynamics instruction, a Motion Coordinated Stop instruction, a Motion Coordinated Shutdown instruction and a Motion Coordinated Shutdown Reset instruction.

41. The method of claim 40, the Motion Coordinated Circular Move instruction is programmed to provide motion employing at least one of the following motion types:

circle via, circle center, circle radius and circle incremental.

42. The method of claim 36, the user specifies and executes a plurality of respective user instructions including at least one of linear, circular, helical, spline and parabolic.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein a plurality of path segments are specified in a plurality of respective user instructions, and wherein each instruction contains fields to permit the user to specify at least one of acceleration, deceleration, speed, units, motion type, profile, direction, termination type, position, motion control, merge, merge speed and coordinate system for at least one path segment.