Robot system, robot management computer for a robot system, and method of managing a robot system

• US 9,242,371 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Inventors: Hashiguchi, Yukio, Murai, Shinji, Shiraki, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US14/340,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 700/248, 700/245, 700/247, 700/249, 700/250, 700/254, 700/246, 340/686.6, 340/686.1, 340/540, 356/614, 356/686.6, 701/400, 701/408
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/06 characterised by multi-articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39135 For multiple manipulators operating at same time, avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40224 If robot gets a return signal, go to initial condition position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50118 Select as function of position of tool during cycle, optimum path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

To enable a recovery control program to be executed quickly by a robot controller without needing to equip the robot controller with a large-capacity storage device, provided is a robot system, including a first robot controller for controlling a first robot. The first robot controller includes a posture information obtaining unit for obtaining information indicating a posture of the first robot when an anomaly occurs in the first robot. The robot system further includes a recovery control program generating unit for generating, by computing, based on the posture of the first robot, a recovery control program for changing the posture of the first robot to a given standby posture.

Claims

1. A robot system, comprising:

a first robot controller for controlling a first robot,

a second robot controller for controlling a second robot,

a robot management computer connected to the first robot controller and the second robot controller,

a first network device connected between the first robot controller and the robot management computer and located at a first set-up location,

a second network device connected between the second robot controller and the robot management computer and located at a second set-up location,

wherein the first robot controller comprises a first posture information obtaining unit for obtaining information indicating a posture of the first robot when an anomaly occurs in the first robot, and a first transmitting unit for transmitting the information indicating the posture of the first robot to the robot management computer via the first network device,

wherein the second robot controller comprises a second posture information obtaining unit for obtaining information indicating a posture of the second robot when an anomaly occurs in the second robot, and a second transmitting unit for transmitting the information indicating the posture of the second robot to the robot management computer via the second network device,

wherein the first network device comprises a third transmitting unit for transmitting a first network identifier stored in the first network device beforehand and a robot ID read from the first robot controller to the robot management computer,

wherein the second network device comprises a fourth transmitting unit for transmitting a second network identifier stored in the second network device beforehand and a robot ID read form the second robot controller to the robot management computer,

wherein the robot management computer comprises a first receiver for receiving the first network identifier and the first robot ID from the first network device, obtaining the first set-up location of the first robot controller associated beforehand with the first network identifier, receiving the second network identifier and the second robot ID from the second network device, and obtaining the second set-up location of the second robot controller associated beforehand with the second network identifier,

wherein the robot system further comprises a recovery control program generating unit for generating, by computing, based on the postures of the first robot and the second robot, a recovery control program for changing the postures of the first robot and the second robot to respective given standby postures, and executing an interference check by letting the first robot and the second robot operate in order in a virtual space according to the recovery control programs, and

a program transmitting unit for transmitting the recovery control programs to the first robot controller and the second robot controller.

2. The robot system according to claim 1,

wherein the robot management computer further comprises:

a storage for storing three-dimensional model data that indicates three-dimensional shapes of the first robot and the second robot, and

wherein the recovery control program generating unit generates the recovery control program based on the three-dimensional model data of the first robot and the second robot.

3. The robot system according to claim 1,

wherein the first robot controller controls the posture of the first robot as programmed by an operation control program,

wherein a posture information transmitting unit comprised in the first robot controller transmits an execution place in the operation control program to the robot management computer as information indicating the posture of the first robot when an anomaly occurs in the first robot, and

wherein the recovery control program generating unit determines the posture of the first robot based on the execution place in the operation control program.

4. A robot management computer, comprising:

a posture information receiving unit for receiving information that indicates a posture of first a robot from first a robot controller which controls the first robot and information that indicates a posture of a second robot from a second robot controller which controls the second robot, when an anomaly occurs in the first robot;

a receiving unit for receiving a first network identifier and a first robot ID from a first network device connected between the first robot controller and the robot management computer, obtaining a first set-up location of the first robot controller associated beforehand with the first network identifier, receiving a second network identifier and a second robot ID from a second network device connected between the second robot controller and the robot management computer, and obtaining a second set-up location of the second robot controller associated beforehand with the second network identifier,

a recovery control program generating unit for generating, based on the postures of the first robot and the second robot, recovery control programs for changing the postures of the first robot and the second robot to respective a given standby postures, and executing an interference check by letting the first robot and the second robot operate in order in a virtual space according to the recovery control programs; and

a recovery control program transmitting unit for transmitting the generated recovery control programs to the first robot controller and the second robot controller.

5. A method of managing a robot system, comprising:

receiving information that indicates a posture of a first robot from a first robot controller which controls the first robot and information that indicates a posture of a second robot from a second robot controller which controls the second robot, when an anomaly occurs in the first robot;

receiving, by a robot management computer, a first network identifier and a first robot ID from a first network device connected between the first robot controller and the robot management computer, obtaining a first set-up location of the first robot controller associated beforehand with the first network identifier, receiving, by the robot management computer, a second network identifier and a second robot ID from a second network device connected between the second robot controller and the robot management computer, and obtaining a second set-up location of the second robot controller associated beforehand with the second network identifier,

generating, based on the postures of the first robot and the second robot, recovery control programs for changing the postures of the first robot and the second robot to respective given standby postures, and executing an interference check by letting the first robot and the second robot operate in order in a virtual space according to the recovery control programs; and

transmitting the generated recovery control programs to the first robot controller and the second robot controller.