METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKING/PACKING APPLICATIONS

• US 20090271034A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fanuc Robotics America Incorporated (Fanuc Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fanuc Robotics America Incorporated (Fanuc Corporation)
• Inventors: Wunderlich, Rick, Ross, Gerald A., Jean, Min-Ren, Kalbavi, Genesh, Geheb, Gordon, Tsai, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,315,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4182 manipulators and conveyor only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32387 Effects of highspeed hardware operations on throughput, use scheduler
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33334 Load balancing, distribution between processors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system for picking and packing applications is provided. The system includes a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers. Each robot controller includes a load re-balance subsystem, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, and a motion control subsystem. Each of the robot controllers is interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems. Each of the robots has a workload that may be selectively balanced. A method for balancing the workloads of the robots using built-in processors which run motion control is also provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers, each of the robot controllers having a load re-balance subsystem, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, and a motion control subsystem, each of the robot controllers interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems, each of the robots further having a workload.

2. The system according to claim 1, further including at least one conveyor located next to at least one of the robots.

3. The system according to claim 1, further including at least one of a sensor, an encoder, a simulated sensor, and a simulated encoder.

4. The system according to claim 1, further including a setup processor remote from and selectively connected to at least one of the robot controllers.

5. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a system including a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers, each of the robot controllers having a load re-balance subsystem, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, each of the robot controllers interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems, and a motion control subsystem, each of the robots further having a workload;

monitoring the state of the robots with at least one of the robot state change detector subsystems;

communicating a change in state of one of the robots from at least one of the robot state change detector subsystems to at least one of the load re-balance subsystems when the change in state of one of the robots is detected;

recomputing the workloads of the robots on one of the load re-balance subsystems to adjust for the change in state of one of the robots; and

communicating the recomputed workloads from the load re-balance subsystem to the load balance subsystems of each robot controller, each of the load balance subsystems executing the recomputed workloads on each of the robots.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the load re-balance subsystem does not exist on a personal computer.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the load re-balance subsystem is caused to migrate from one of the robot controllers to another of the robot controllers when the robot having the robot controller with the load re-balance system activated has the change in state.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the system further includes at least one simulated sensor and at least one simulated encoder, the method further including the step of utilizing inputs from the simulated sensors and the simulated encoders to operate the robots.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the robot state change detector subsystem includes an additional input simulator that processes the inputs from the simulated sensors and the simulated encoders.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the simulation does not occur on a personal computer.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the system further includes a conveyor, the method further comprising the steps of:

communicating from the robot controller of the robot having had the change in state to the other robot controllers that the robot having had the change in state is ready to return to an original state;

communicating an encoder value with global time for each of the other robots from each of the other robot controllers to the robot controller of the robot ready to return to the original state;

comparing the encoder value with global time for each of the other robots to an encoder value with global time for the robot ready to return to the original state; and

synchronizing the encoder count with global time for the robot ready to return to the original state with the encoder value with global time for each of the robots, whereby the robot ready to return to the original state may return to the original state without interrupting the operation of the other robots.

12. The method according to claim 5, wherein the system further includes a setup processor remote from and selectively connected at least one of the robot controllers, the setup processor providing a single point of setup, the method further comprising the step of allowing a user to at least one of download and upload information to the motion control subsystem of the robot controller with the setup processor.

13. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a system including a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers, each of the robot controllers having a load re-balance subsystem, the load re-balance subsystem active on only one of the robot controllers, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, each of the robot controllers interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems, and a motion control subsystem, each of the robots further having a workload;

monitoring the state of the robots with at least one of the robot state change detector subsystems;

communicating a change in state of one of the robots from at least one of the robot state change detector subsystems to at least one of the load re-balance subsystems when the change in state of one of the robots is detected; and

causing the active load re-balance subsystem to migrate from one of the robot controllers to another of the robot controllers when the robot having the robot controller with the active load re-balance system has the change in state.

14. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a system including a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers, each of the robot controllers having a load re-balance subsystem, the load re-balance subsystem active on only one of the robot controllers, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, each of the robot controllers interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems, and a motion control subsystem, each of the robots further having a workload, the system further including at least one of a simulated sensor and a simulated encoder; and

utilizing inputs from the simulated sensors and the simulated encoders to operate the robots.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the robot state change detector subsystem includes an additional input simulator that processes the inputs from the simulated sensors and the simulated encoders.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the simulation does not occur on a personal computer.

17. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a system including a plurality of robots, a plurality of robot controllers, and a conveyor, each of the robot controllers having a load re-balance subsystem, the load re-balance subsystem active on only one of the robot controllers, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, each of the robot controllers interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems, and a motion control subsystem, each of the robots further having a workload;

monitoring the state of the robots with at least one of the robot state change detector subsystems;

communicating from the robot controller of the robot having had a change in state to the other robot controllers that the robot having had the change in state is ready to return to an original state;

communicating an encoder value with global time for each of the other robots from each of the other robot controllers to the robot controller of the robot ready to return to the original state;

comparing the encoder value with global time for each of the other robots to an encoder value with global time for the robot ready to return to the original state; and

synchronizing the encoder count with global time for the robot ready to return to the original state with the encoder value with global time for each of the robots, whereby the robot ready to return to the original state may return to the original state without interrupting the operation of the other robots.

18. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a system including a plurality of robots and a plurality of robot controllers, each of the robot controllers having a load re-balance subsystem, the load re-balance subsystem active on only one of the robot controllers, a load balance subsystem, a robot state change detector subsystem, a communicator subsystem, each of the robot controllers interconnected and in communication with one another via the communicator subsystems, and a motion control subsystem, each of the robots further having a workload, the system further including a setup processor remote from and selectively connected to at least one of the robot controllers; and

allowing a user to at least one of download and upload information to the motion control subsystem of the selectively connected robot controller with the setup processor.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of allowing the user to create a work cell on the setup processor, connecting the setup processor to at least one of the robot controllers, and uploading the work cell to at least one of the robot controllers.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of disconnecting the setup processor from at least one of the robot controllers, allowing the user to create a work cell on the setup processor, and exporting the work cell to an intermediate storage medium for later uploading to at least one of the robot controllers.