Apparatus for the operation of a robot

• US 8,606,405 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weber Food Technology GmbH
• Original Assignee: Weber Maschinenbau GmbH Breidenbach
• Inventors: Weber, Guenther
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, ABBY YEE
• Application Number:
  US12/717,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/619, 715/771, 700/83, 700/169, 700180-194, 700/245, 700/251, 700/257, 700/262, 700/264, 700/90, 901 1- 36, 901/50, 3185681-56825, 3404071-4072
• US Class Current: 700/264
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/06 Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1669 characterised by special application, e.g. multi-arm co-operation, assembly, grasping
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36168 Touchscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40099 Graphical user interface for robotics, visual robot user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40392 Programming, visual robot programming language
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for the operation of a robot having a product gripper which is designed to represent at least one approach position of the product gripper for the picking up and/or placing down of a product, in particular of a food product, as a graphical element on a display device. The apparatus is designed so that the respective graphical element can be directly displaced on the display device for the setting of the coordinates of the respective approach position, with the coordinates of the respective approach position being changed automatically in response to such a displacement of the graphical element in accordance with the displacement.

Claims

1. An apparatus for operation of a robot having a product gripper, the apparatus comprising a display device and a computer, the apparatus designed to represent at least one approach position of the product gripper for picking up and/or placing down of a product as a graphical element on the display device,

wherein the apparatus is designed to directly displace the graphical element on the display device for setting coordinates of the at least one approach position, with the coordinates of the at least one approach position being changed automatically in response to displacement of the graphical element, and

wherein the apparatus controls the robot such that the product gripper of the robot adopts the at least one approach position after selection of the graphical element and before displacement of the graphical element to change the coordinates of the at least one approach position.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the display device is designed as a contact-sensitive display device, in particular as a touch screen.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the displacement of the graphical element takes place by touching the graphical element with a finger of a user or with an input pen.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the displacement of the graphical element takes place by virtue of a continuously touching movement over the display device.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the apparatus controls the robot such that the product gripper of the robot carries out a movement corresponding to the displacement of the graphical element during the displacement of the graphical element.

6. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of approach positions for the placing down of products is represented as a plurality of graphical elements.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein a relative mutual arrangement of the plurality of graphical elements represented on the display device corresponds to a representation to scale of relative mutual locations of the plurality of approach positions.

8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coordinates of the at least one approach position can additionally be set via a virtual arrow keypad which can be represented on the display device and/or via a numeric keypad.

9. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6, wherein the coordinates of the plurality of approach positions are displayed on the plurality of graphical elements.

10. An apparatus for operation of a robot and in combination with the robot, the apparatus comprising:

a display device;

the robot having a product gripper; and

a computer;

the apparatus designed to represent at least one approach position of the product gripper for picking up and/or placing down of a product as a graphical element on the display device,

wherein the apparatus is designed to directly displace the graphical element on the display device for setting coordinates of the at least one approach position, with the coordinates of the at least one approach position being changed automatically in response to displacement of the graphical element, and

wherein the apparatus controls the robot such that the product gripper of the robot adopts the at least one approach position after selection of the graphical element and before displacement of the graphical element to change the coordinates of the at least one approach position.

11. A method for the operating of a food-handling robot having a product gripper, comprising:

displaying a graphical element on a display device, wherein at least one approach position of the product gripper for the picking up and/or placing down of a product is represented as the graphical element on a display device, wherein the graphical element is directly displaced on the display device for setting coordinates of the at least one approach position, with the coordinates of the at least one approach position being changed automatically in response to displacement of the graphical element,

receiving inputs at the display device for selection and displacement of the graphical element; and

controlling the product gripper of the robot in accordance with the received selection and movement of the graphical element at the display device,

wherein the product gripper of the robot adopts the at least one approach position after receiving the input for selection of the graphical element and before receiving the input for displacement of the graphical element to change the coordinates of the at least one approach position.

12. A computer program product comprising:

programming code means which are stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data carrier and adapted to carry out the method of claim 11; and

a computer which executes the programming code means.