Robot control apparatus and robot system

• US 9,399,289 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Setsuda, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie
• Application Number:
  US13/609,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/248, 700250-257, 700/247, 700/249, 700/258, 700/259, 318/568.1, 318/568.12, 901/2, 901/4, 901/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39369 Host and robot controller and vision processing

Abstract

A robot control apparatus, which controls motions of an industrial robot based on processing results of an image processing apparatus which images the robot or objects around the robot, includes: a first communication unit which communicates with a computer for development as an external computer; a second communication unit which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a network; and a command processing unit which opens a communication port of the second communication unit and causes the second communication unit to start communication with the image processing apparatus via a server on the network in response to an open command received by the first communication unit.

Claims

1. A robot control apparatus which controls motions of a robot based on processing results of an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus imaging the robot or objects around the robot, the robot control apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit which communicates with an external computer;

the first communication unit being configured to output an open command;

a second communication unit which is connected to the image processing apparatus via a network with a communication port;

a command processing unit that is configured to control a communication port of the second communication unit based on the open command and that is configured to perform communication with the image processing apparatus; and

a socket management unit that is configured to receive an instruction corresponding to the open command from the command processing unit to open the communication port and that is configured to connect the robot control apparatus to the image processing apparatus via the network by using a port number of the communication port and an IP address of the robot control apparatus when the communication port is open, wherein

a first communication speed between the first communication unit and the external computer is slower than a second communication speed between the second communication unit and the image processing apparatus, and

a first communication cycle between the first communication unit and the external computer is larger than a second communication cycle between the second communication unit and the image processing apparatus.

2. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data buffer which stores image processing data sent from the second communication unit every time the second communication unit receives the image processing data transmitted from the image processing apparatus and accumulates image processing data groups received over a plurality of times,

wherein the command processing unit receives a reception request command received by the first communication unit and causes the first communication unit to transmit the image processing data group accumulated in the data buffer.

3. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first communication unit includes a slave device serving for the external computer as a host.

4. The robot control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first communication unit includes a slave device serving for the external computer as a host.

5. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first communication unit includes a USB device, and

wherein the second communication unit includes a LAN device.

6. The robot control apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first communication unit includes a USB device, and

wherein the second communication unit includes a LAN device.

7. The robot control apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first communication unit includes a USB device, and

wherein the second communication unit includes a LAN device.

8. The robot control apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second communication unit is capable of communicating with a server via the network and is connected to the image processing apparatus when the command processing unit designates a port of the server.

9. A robot system comprising:

an image processing apparatus which images a robot or objects around the robot; and

a robot control apparatus which controls motions of the robot based on processing results of the image processing apparatus,

wherein the robot control apparatus includes

a first communication unit which communicates with an external computer, the first communication unit being configured to output an open command,

a second communication unit which is connected to the image processing apparatus and a server via a network with a communication port,

a command processing unit that is configured to control a communication port of the second communication unit based on the open command and that is configured to perform communication with the image processing apparatus and the server via the network, and

a socket management unit that is configured to receive an instruction corresponding to the open command from the command processing unit to open the communication port and that is configured to connect the robot control apparatus to the image processing apparatus and the server via the network by using a port number of the communication port and an IP address of the robot control apparatus when the communication port is open, wherein

a first communication speed between the first communication unit and the external computer is slower than a second communication seed between the second communication unit and the image processing apparatus, and

a first communication cycle between the first communication unit and the external computer is larger than a second communication cycle between the second communication unit and the image processing apparatus.