Automation equipment control system

• US 8,473,202 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Chi Development Mgmt Ltd XXIV LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lapham, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/244,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 701/93, 701/117, 701/119, 701/29.1, 701/29.2, 701/29.3, 701/201, 701/202, 701/210, 701/9, 701/10, 701/120, 701/445, 455/404.2, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/423, 455/423.3, 455/426.1, 455/440, 455/440.1, 455/441, 455/453, 455/450, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/457, 455/550.1, 455/517, 340/466, 340/539.13, 340/905, 340/995.13, 370/252, 342/357, 705/41, 700/245, 700/248, 700/249, 700/251, 700/259, 700/900, 318/318.1, 318/318.11, 318/318.15, 318/518.22
• US Class Current: 701/445
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00158 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/31 for the rectum, e.g. proctoscopes, sigmoidoscopes , colonoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1656 characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33242 Watchdog for datacommunication, on error switch off supply to bus modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34047 Dsp digital signal processor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34261 Windows, microsoft windows
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39001 Robot, manipulator control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/41 Tool
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/42 Welding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/48 Counterbalance

Abstract

A automation equipment control system comprises a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system in electronic communication with a real-time computer subsystem. The general purpose computer includes a program execution module to selectively start and stop processing of a program of equipment instructions and to generate a plurality of move commands. The real-time computer subsystem includes a move command data buffer for storing the plurality of move commands, a move module linked to the data buffer for sequentially processing the moves and calculating a required position for a mechanical joint. The real-time computer subsystem also includes a dynamic control algorithm in software communication with the move module to repeatedly calculate a required actuator activation signal from a joint position feedback signal.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system, said general purpose computer including a program execution module configured to selectively start and stop processing of the at least one program of instructions for mechanisms having;

at least one mechanical joint;

a mechanical actuator to move the at least one mechanical joint; and

a position feedback sensor;

a real-time computer subsystem configured to be in electronic communication with said general purpose computer and configured to link to the mechanical actuator and the position feedback sensor;

a move command data buffer configured to store a plurality of move commands;

a mechanism move module configured to;

link to said move command data buffer;

sequentially process said plurality of move commands; and

calculate a target position for the at least one mechanical joint; and

a control algorithm component configured to communicate with said mechanism move module to calculate an activation signal;

the activation signal calculated from a position signal and said target position for the at least one mechanical joint, the activation signal configured to actuate the mechanical actuator.

2. The control system according to claim 1 further comprising a watchdog intercommunication module configured to enable intercommunication between said real-time computer subsystem and said general purpose computer to detect faults in operation of said general purpose computer.

3. The control system according to claim 2 wherein said watchdog intercommunication module includes:

a timer variable for storing an elapsed time indication;

a timer code segment configured to adjust said timer variable according to passing time;

an activity software switch having an active position and an unset position;

a status code segment installed in said general purpose computer configured to repeatedly set said activity software switch to said active position;

a timer reset code segment installed in said real-time computer subsystem configured to repeatedly reset said timer variable to a predetermined amount of time when said activity software switch is in said active position and repeatedly set said activity software switch to said unset position;

or

a fail safe code segment installed in said real-time computer subsystem configured to repeatedly inspect said timer variable and, if said timer variable reaches a predetermined value, set said activation signal to shut down the mechanisms.

4. The control system according to claim 3 wherein said activity software switch is implemented as an integer software variable with said unset position being represented by zero and said active position being represented by one.

5. The control system according to claim 1 further comprising a data bus configured to receive bus cards and wherein said real-time computer subsystem includes a bus card with a central processing unit, said bus card being installed in said data bus.

6. A control system configured to control a plurality of automation devices, each automation device having a mechanical joint and a mechanical actuator to move the mechanical joint, the control system comprising:

a general purpose computer with a general purpose operating system, the general purpose computer including a first digital processor configured to run an operator interface module; and

at least one real-time computer subsystem configured to communicate electronically with said general purpose computer and link to one of said automation devices, the at least one real-time computer subsystem, including a digital processor, configured to run a real-time tied operating system and a move module for executing a plurality of move commands.

7. A control system of claim 6 configured to control a series of complex mechanisms.

8. The control system according to claim 6 further comprising a watchdog intercommunication module configured to enable intercommunication between at least one of said plurality of real-time computer subsystems and said general purpose computer to detect faults in operation of said general purpose computer.

9. A control system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one real-time computer subsystem includes:

a move command data buffer configured to store said plurality of move commands;

a move module configured to;

link to said data buffer;

sequentially process said plurality of move commands; and

calculate a target position for the mechanical joint; and

a control algorithm component configured to communicate with said move module to calculate an activation signal;

the activation signal calculated from said target position for the mechanical joint.

10. A control system comprising:

an equipment independent computer including one or more modules configured to generate a plurality of move commands for operating mechanical equipment, the mechanical equipment having;

at least one mechanical joint;

a mechanical actuator configured to move the at least one mechanical joint; and

a position feedback sensor;

a move command data buffer configured to store the plurality of move commands; and

an equipment-specific controller configured to;

communicably link to the equipment independent computer, the mechanical actuator, and the position feedback sensor;

sequentially process the plurality of move commands from the move command data buffer to calculate a desired position for the mechanical joint;

determine a current position of the mechanical joint based on a position signal received from the position feedback sensor; and

calculate an activation signal to actuate the mechanical actuator based on the desired position and the current position.

11. A control system as recited in claim 10, wherein the equipment specific controller is a digital signal processor.

12. A control system as recited in claim 10, wherein the move command data buffer is provided as a component of the equipment-specific controller.

13. An equipment-specific controller device comprising:

a digital signal processor (DSP);

a move command buffer accessible to the DSP and to an equipment-independent computing device, the move command buffer configured to store a plurality of move commands, the move commands generated by the equipment-independent computing device to operate automation equipment; and

one or more modules executable by the DSP, the modules configured to;

sequentially process the move commands from the move command buffer; and

operate the automation equipment in a continuous manner including continued operation of the automation equipment during an interruption of the equipment-independent computing device.

14. The equipment-specific controller device of claim 13, wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the digital signal processor to:

calculate specified positions for mechanical joints of the automation equipment based on the move commands generated by the equipment-independent computing device;

determine current positions of the mechanical joints based upon one or more feedback signals received from the automation equipment; and

generate one or more activation signals to cause operation of the mechanical joints based upon the current positions and the specified positions.

15. The equipment-specific controller device of claim 14, wherein the one or more activation signals cause operation of one or more actuators to operate corresponding joints of the automation equipment.

16. The equipment-specific controller device of claim 13, wherein one or more move commands stored in the move command buffer is configurable.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, in response to being executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

drawing move commands to operate automation equipment of different electromechanical configurations from a move command buffer of the computing device, the move commands being generated for the automation equipment using an equipment-independent computing device; and

executing the move commands in sequential order to cause operation of the automation equipment, the executing performed using the move command buffer to enable continued operation of the automation equipment during an interruption of the equipment-independent computing device.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 17, wherein executing the move commands comprises generating activation signals based on the move commands to cause actuators of the automation equipment to move to positions specified by the move commands.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 17, wherein executing the move commands further comprises communicating the activation signals to the automation equipment to cause corresponding movements.