Remote diagnostic system for robots

• US 8,121,729 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Blanc, Dominique, Alt, Jean-Christophe, Nymark, Jessica, Murphy, Steve, Ekelund, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOUIE, WAE LENNY
• Application Number:
  US12/068,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20080247549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 380/277, 700/108, 700/245, 700/248, 702/184, 702/185
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33284 Remote diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39412 Diagnostic of robot, estimation of parameters

Abstract

A remote diagnostic system for robots including a number of at least two robots, wherein a controller of each robot of the system is locally connected to a service unit provided with local processing power, a remote service center provided with a connector server is arranged, and a communications infrastructure for transferring packets of information between a controller of a robot of the system and connector server via the service unit is arranged for performing remote monitoring and diagnostics at the remote service center, wherein the communications infrastructure uses internet and/or GPRS communication lines.

Claims

1. A remote diagnostic system for at least two robots, wherein each robot comprises a respective controller, the system comprising:

a plurality of service units, each of said plurality of service units connected to a respective one of the controllers,

a remote service center comprising a diagnostics engine located at said remote service center for performing diagnostics on said robot,

a connector server provided at the remote service center, which stores a code library for communication management between said connector server and each of said service units,

each of said service units comprising local processing power and capable to receive and execute code downloaded from the connector server at the remote service center and for communication with said controller,

a communications infrastructure for a communication between said service units and the connector server for transferring information for remote monitoring and diagnostics performed at said remote service center.

2. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein each said service unit comprises reacting means for reacting on a request from said remote service center or an event, whereupon said reacting means downloads from said connector server a code or a script and for executing said code or script provided by said connector server.

3. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 2, wherein the event comprises a condition change of the robot reported from the connected controller.

4. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising:

secure communication means utilizing secure access points at both the local site and at the remote service center.

5. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 4, wherein the secure access points comprise a VPN router allowing secure access to the remote service center.

6. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein each said service unit comprises algorithms for compressing or packing data for enabling cost-effective communication between said service unit and said remote service center.

7. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein each said service unit comprises data measurement means and limited data diagnostics processing means for performing data measurements and diagnostics with respect to the robot connected to the service unit.

8. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein a service technician at the local site and/or a customer at the local site has communication access to the layer device/logic via the web portal and a user interface.

9. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 8, wherein the web portal is effected through a web client or a smart client which is included in the presentation layer.

10. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 8, wherein the web portal is implemented in a web server provided with a firewall.

11. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein each said service unit comprises a logic unit implemented separately from a controller situated device or implemented in a device integrated with the controller or implemented as logics included in the controller or as a mix of logics internally and externally of the controller of the robot.

12. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said remote service center serves as a hub of the remote diagnostic system and further:

a current history database for storing information, a historical database for gathering information of the specific robot of the remote diagnostic system,

a communication line for communication between the service unit and the remoter service center,

a presentation layer, and

a device logic layer serving as a link between the connector server, the current history database, the historical database and the presentation layer.

13. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, further comprising:

an alarm management service linked to device logic layer and/or to said diagnostics engine and/or business logic layer for initiating an alarm upon predetermined instructions and/or results from said performed diagnostics.

14. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein said diagnostics engine comprises diagnostic tools for performing diagnostics on at least one of:

data stored in said historical database according to scheduled routines,

data stored in said current history database according to scheduled routines,

data stored in said historical database on request from the service unit, or

data stored in said current history database on request from the service unit.

15. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the current history database comprises information storing means for storing data including administration data on the monitor of the robots in relation to a customer.

16. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the historical database comprises raw data collecting means for collecting raw data for the specific robot to be used for generating diagnostics in said diagnostics engine.

17. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the historical database comprises storing means for storing short term and long term data for current display or temporary processing or long term statistical information and reports for the specific robot.

18. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the device logic layer comprises routines for managing scheduled routines of the remote service center.

19. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 18, wherein the device logic layer comprises means provided with information regarding robots connected to the system and a complete knowledge of the configuration of the remote service center.

20. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the connector server comprises means for handling events and data for a specific robot for interfacing said events and data with the historical data associated with the specific robot stored in the historical database.

21. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 12, wherein the information stored in the current history database comprises client user information, communication information, administration information and current robot data.

22. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein said remote service center comprises a suppliers service center including a remote service center console for a suppliers service technician browsing data of the remote service center.

23. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 22, wherein said diagnostics engine comprises diagnostic tools for performing diagnostics on at least one of:

data stored in said historical database on request from the remote service center console, or

data stored in said current history database on request from the remote service center console.

24. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the connector server comprises a list of signatures, each said signature identifying a service unit being authorized to access said remote service center.

25. The remote diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein each said service unit comprises means for passing telnet, ftp, and other protocol connections directly from the connector server, or other units, in the remote service center to communication ports on the robot controller.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the data of the connected robot comprises type, model, serial number, or variant.

26. A method for remotely performing diagnostic analysis of robots, the method comprising:

performing with a plurality of service units on request from a remote service center or initiated by a condition change at the robot assigned to a respective one of said service units at least one of the steps of;

verifying to said remote service center data of the connected robot,

requesting from the remote service center a code or a script for execution at the service unit,

transferring to the remote service center a signature for getting access to the remote service center, or

checking an authorization of a code or script received from the remote service center.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein in a first usage mode when a monitored robot works normally, the system performs diagnostics using a diagnostics engine according to at least one of:

monitoring service information to generate an event on a detected failure,

gathering historical service information for future trouble shooting,

gathering statistical service information for predictive maintenance,

gathering usage information for reports,

saving backup data on demand for recovery, or

presenting historical reports on the robot for a customer.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein in second usage mode applied when the robot has experienced a failure, the system performs diagnostics using a diagnostics engine according to at least one of:

providing information on the failure to a service supplier center,

providing historical service information before and at the time of the failure,

providing on request from the service supplier center information for performing diagnostics of the failure,

providing the service supplier center with additional tools for analyzing the failure based on raw data received from the robot,

providing the customer with information for display of current state of the robot.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein in a third usage mode applied when the robot has experienced a major failure and cannot be recovered at a local site, the system performs diagnostics using a diagnostics engine according to at least one of:

informing a service supplier center, whereupon this service supplier center requests direct connection to the robot via the service unit,

the service supplier center performs advanced analysis of the robot utilizing advanced analysis tools,

the service supplier center assists a customer and/or a local service technician in manual operations utilizing remote assistance tools,

the service supplier center recovers the robot utilizing archived backup,

the service supplier center recovers the robot, utilizing recovering tools,

the service supplier center sets the service unit into pass-through allowing direct remote access to the controller'"'"'s ports of a robot and then uses recovering tools and commands, or

a service unit pass-through feature is used to deliver remotely advanced diagnostics and optimization methods/services by further analyzing robot signals transferred directly from the controller.

30. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

programming said service unit from said remote service center.

31. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

securing said code from being tampered with during a transmission and preventing unauthorized code from being executed on the service unit by assigning a hash to the code in a code library and digitally signing the hash with a private key to create a signature, and

downloading said code to the service unit only after a check performed indicating that the signature is correct.