ROBOT CONTROL APPARATUS AND ROBOT SYSTEM

• US 20130073091A1
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,399,289 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/259
• 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;

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 starts communication with the image processing apparatus when the command processing unit receives an open command sent from the external computer.

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,

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 the server on the network in response to an open command received by the first communication unit.