Robot control apparatus

• US 7,720,573 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Ltd (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Makoto, Takizawa, Katsutoshi, Ban, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa; Jaime
• Application Number:
  US11/812,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/213, 700/259, 700/264, 318/567, 382/141
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means

Abstract

A robot control apparatus includes a control apparatus body fixedly installed and connected to a robot and a portable teaching pendant connected to the control apparatus body to operate the robot through the teaching pendant. The teaching pendant includes an imaging device connector for connecting an imaging device to the teaching pendant so as to enable the image picked up by the imaging device to be directly input to the teaching pendant through the imaging device connector.

Claims

1. A robot control apparatus comprising a control apparatus body fixedly installed and connected to a robot, and a portable teaching pendant connected to the control apparatus body to operate the robot through the teaching pendant,

wherein the teaching pendant includes an imaging device connector for disconnectably connecting an imaging device to the teaching pendant, said imaging device connector being configured so that when the imaging device is connected to the imaging device connector, the imaging device connector allows the image picked up by the imaging device to be directly input to the teaching pendant and the teaching pendant applies shaping processing to signals of the image and then transmits the signals to the control apparatus body and

wherein the control apparatus body comprises an image processing unit, so that the image input to the teaching pendant is transmitted to and processed by the image processing unit of the control apparatus body.

2. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device connector comprises an imaging device connecting terminal for connecting a cable extending from the imaging device, and the image picked up by the imaging device is transmitted through the cable and input to the teaching pendant.

3. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device connector comprises a radio receiver for receiving the radio signal transmitted from the imaging device, and the image picked up by the imaging device is transmitted wirelessly and input to the teaching pendant.

4. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shaping processing comprises a digitizing of analog signals, an amplification of signals or a combination thereof.