Robot

• US 9,868,216 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Janome America, Inc. (Janome Sewing Machine Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Janome Sewing Machine Company Limited
• Inventors: Hiruma, Kenichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/857,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20160271802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40565 Detect features of object, not position or orientation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A robot executes sequential works at each work point based on point-based work data. An external instrument attached to the robot executes a main work at each work point in the sequential works. A controller controls the external instrument based on control data including structural point blocks arranged in sequence and bundling the sequential works at each work point. An external instrument driver transforms data format exchanged between the external instrument and the controller. A driver generator generates driver data indicating the detail of transformation of the data format by the external instrument driver. The driver selector selects the driver data to be utilized by the external instrument driver in accordance with the external instrument.

Claims

1. A robot executing sequential works at each work point, the robot comprising:

an external instrument executing a main work at the each work point in the sequential works;

a controller outputting a control instruction to the external instrument based on control data including structural point blocks arranged in sequence, the structural point blocks bundling the sequential works at the each work point;

an external instrument driver transforming a format of data exchanged between the external instrument and the controller;

a driver generator generating driver data indicating, in advance, a command corresponding to the control instruction, an external instrument type indicating a type of the external instrument and an operation detail transmitting the command to the external instrument;

a memory storing, in advance, the driver data generated by the driver generator;

a driver selector selecting the driver data from the memory utilized for the external instrument driver in accordance with the external instrument to be utilized and writing the external instrument driver based on the selected driver data;

a transformation coefficient calculator calculating a transformation coefficient to transform a coordinate system employed by the external instrument indicated by the external instrument type into a coordinate system employed by the control data; and

the external instrument driver written by the driver selector based on the driver data generated by the driver generator and outputting, in response to the control instruction, the command included in the driver data the driver selector selected in accordance with the operation detail included in the driver data selected by the driver selector and transforming the coordinate system employed by the external instrument indicated by the external instrument type into the coordinate system employed by the control data with the transformation coefficient calculated by the transformation coefficient calculator.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein:

the sequential works includes the main work executed by the external instrument, a pre-work and a post-work before and after the main work, and positioning to a plurality of work points for the main work; and

the structural point block constructing the control data stores data indicating a work in the sequential works and a detail of movement, and the driver data in association with each other.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein:

the structural point block contains point statements indicating all work points to be positioned during the sequential works, and details of the works before the movement to the point, during the movement, and after the movement, the point statements being arranged in sequence in the structural point block; and

the each point statement stores, in association with each other, data indicating a work in the sequential works and a detail of the movement, and, the driver data.

4. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising an external-instrument driver storage storing the driver data with an identifier to identify the stored driver data, wherein in the control data, the driver data to be utilized is specified by the identifier.

5. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the driver data contains an order of execution of the works to be executed by the external instrument, and, a work command that causes the external instrument to execute the work.

6. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the driver data contains a variable utilized when data transmitted from the external instrument is received by the controller.

7. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a user verifier verifying an account given to a user, wherein the driver generator generates the driver data in accordance with an input given by the user who has the account.

8. The robot according to claim 7, wherein

there are plural kinds of the account;

and

an authority with a different level account by account is given.

9. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the external instrument is a sensor or a camera.

10. A robot executing sequential works at each work point, the robot comprising:

an external instrument executing a main work at the each work point in the sequential works;

a controller outputting a control instruction to the external instrument based on control data including structural point blocks arranged in sequence, the structural point blocks bundling the sequential works at the each work point;

an external instrument driver transforming a format of data exchanged between the external instrument and the controller;

a driver generator generating driver data indicating, in advance, a command corresponding to the control instruction, an external instrument type indicating a type of the external instrument and an operation detail transmitting the command to the external instrument;

a memory storing, in advance, the driver data generated by the driver generator;

a driver selector selecting the driver data from the memory utilized for the external instrument driver in accordance with the external instrument to be utilized and writing the external instrument driver based on the selected driver data;

a transformation coefficient calculator calculating a transformation coefficient to transform a coordinate system employed by the external instrument indicated by the external instrument type into a coordinate system employed by the control data; and

the external instrument driver written by the driver selector based on the driver data generated by the driver generator and outputting, in response to the control instruction, the command included in the driver data the driver selector selected in accordance with the operation detail included in the driver data selected by the driver selector and transforming the coordinate system employed by the external instrument indicated by the external instrument type into the coordinate system employed by the control data with the transformation coefficient calculated by the transformation coefficient calculator, wherein;

the control data contains a position of the work point, and a point correction that is a condition to calculate an amount of correction in accordance with an amount of displacement from a disposing position of a work-piece subjected to the work; and

wherein

the point correction contains a coordinate of a reference marking given to the work-piece and becoming a reference when the work-piece is disposed at an appropriate disposing position, the external instrument type, and the transformation coefficient.

11. The robot according to claim 10, wherein:

the sequential works includes the main work executed by the external instrument, a pre-work and a post-work before and after the main work, and positioning to a plurality of work points for the main work; and

the structural point block constructing the control data stores data indicating a work in the sequential works and a detail of movement, and the driver data in association with each other.

12. The robot according to claim 10, wherein:

the structural point block contains point statements indicating all work points to be positioned during the sequential works, and details of the works before the movement to the point, during the movement, and after the movement, the point statements being arranged in sequence in the structural point block; and

the each point statement stores, in association with each other, data indicating a work in the sequential works and a detail of the movement, and, the driver data.

13. The robot according to claim 10, further comprising an external-instrument driver storage storing the driver data with an identifier to identify the stored driver data, wherein in the control data, the driver data to be utilized is specified by the identifier.

14. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the driver data contains an order of execution of the works to be executed by the external instrument, and, a work command that causes the external instrument to execute the work.

15. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the driver data contains a variable utilized when data transmitted from the external instrument is received by the controller.

16. The robot according to claim 10, further comprising a user verifier verifying an account given to a user, wherein the driver generator generates the driver data in accordance with an input given by the user who has the account.

17. The robot according to claim 16, wherein

there are plural kinds of the account;

and

an authority with a different level account by account is given.

18. The robot according to claim 10, wherein the external instrument is a sensor or a camera.