Human-Operated Working Machine System

• US 20130079905A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saen, Makoto, Ito, Kiyoto
• Application Number:
  US13/701,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079905A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1671 characterised by simulation, either to verify existing program or to create and verify new program, CAD/CAM oriented, graphic oriented programming systems
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35464 Glove, movement of fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40168 Simulated display of remote site, driven by operator interaction
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40625 Tactile sensor

Abstract

In a human-operated working machine system made up of a working machine including an actuator and an operating device, various operations for target objects having various hardnesses and shapes are achieved at a speed not giving stress to an operator. To this end, the working machine has a control structure in which a control program corresponding to an action content is executed with both of displacement information with respect to the working machine inputted from the operating device and information from a sensor of the working machine being taken as inputs. Furthermore, the operating device has a simulator that predicts an action of the working machine so as to quickly provide image information and tactile information regarding the action of the working machine to the operator.

Claims

1. A working machine system having a working machine and an operating device for operating the working machine,

wherein the working machine comprises:

a movable unit;

a sensor mounted on the movable unit; and

a control unit controlling a motion of the movable unit, the operating device comprises;

a first operation interface unit making an instruction about an operation content to the working machine; and

a second operation interface unit making an instruction about a shape displacement target value of the movable unit of the working machine,

the control unit of the working machine controls the motion of the movable unit in accordance with a program corresponding to the operation content instructed by the first operation interface unit, and sets an action target value of the movable unit and an action restriction value of the movable unit in accordance with the shape displacement target value instructed by the second operation interface unit,

the sensor of the working machine performs sensing at predetermined read intervals, and transmits sensing information to the control unit of the working machine, and

the control unit of the working machine stops the motion of the movable unit when the sensing information exceeds the action restriction value even if the action target value has not yet been achieved.

2. The working machine system according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of restriction conditions are included as the action restriction values, and a priority level is given to each of the plurality of restriction conditions.

3. The working machine system according to claim 1,

wherein the working machine further comprises a tag reader module reading tag information from a tag attached to an operation target object to be operated by the working machine, and

the action restriction value includes a restriction condition given in advance from the program and a restriction condition given from the tag information.

4. The working machine system according to claim 1,

wherein the working machine has a sensor connection chip,

the working machine has a plurality of sensors and the control unit of the working machine has a control chip performing a control computation, and

one said sensor connection chip is connected to the plurality of sensors, and one said control chip is connected to the plurality of sensor connection chips to which the plurality of sensors are connected.

5. The working machine system according to claim 4,

wherein the sensor connection chip has element circuits including an AD conversion circuit, an amplifying circuit, a variable resistor, a variable capacitor, and a switch circuit, and a memory storing a connecting relation of the element circuits and a value of the variable resistor and/or the variable capacitor, and

based on information stored in the memory, a conversion circuit is configured from the element circuits and analog sensing information from the sensor is converted to digital sensing information.

6. The working machine system according to claim 1,

wherein a slide sensor detecting whether an operation target object is sliding on a surface of the working machine is provided as the sensor.

7. A working machine system having a working machine and an operating device for operating the working machine,

wherein the working machine comprises:

a movable unit;

a sensor mounted on the movable unit; and

a control unit controlling a motion of the movable unit, the operating device comprises;

a first operation interface unit making an instruction about an operation content to the working machine;

a second operation interface unit making an instruction about a shape displacement target value of the movable unit of the working machine; and

an operation simulator simulating an action of the working machine,

the control unit of the working machine controls the motion of the movable unit in accordance with a program corresponding to the operation content instructed by the first operation interface unit, and sets an action target value of the movable unit and an action restriction value of the movable unit in accordance with the shape displacement target value instructed by the second operation interface unit,

the sensor of the working machine performs sensing at predetermined read intervals, and transmits sensing information to the control unit of the working machine,

the control unit of the working machine controls the movable unit with two types of control including control based on the instructions of the first and second operation interface units and autonomous control to be performed by comparing the sensing information and the action restriction value, and

the operation simulator has a model of the working machine, calculates an action speed of the movable unit of the working machine from the model and the instructions of the first and second operation interface units, calculates a timing when the working machine makes contact with a target object from relative position information of the working machine and the operation target object and the action speed, and feeds back the calculated values to the second operation interface unit.

8. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein the working machine and the operating device are connected via an external network.

9. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein the control unit of the working machine performs the control based on the instructions of the first and second operation interface units until the movable unit of the working machine makes contact with the target object.

10. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein the feedback is performed with tactile information to an operator.

11. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein a plurality of restriction conditions are included as the action restriction values, and a priority level is given to each of the plurality of restriction conditions.

12. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein the working machine further comprises a tag reader module reading tag information from a tag attached to an operation target object to be operated by the working machine, and

the action restriction value includes a restriction condition given in advance from the program and a restriction condition given from the tag information.

13. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein the working machine has a sensor connection chip,

the working machine has a plurality of sensors and the control unit of the working machine has a control chip performing a control computation, and

one said sensor connection chip is connected to the plurality of sensors, and one said control chip is connected to the plurality of sensor connection chips to which the plurality of sensors are connected.

14. The working machine system according to claim 13,

wherein the sensor connection chip has element circuits including an AD conversion circuit, an amplifying circuit, a variable resistor, a variable capacitor, and a switch circuit, and a memory storing a connecting relation of the element circuits and a value of the variable resistor and/or the variable capacitor, and

based on information stored in the memory, a conversion circuit is configured from the element circuits and analog sensing information from the sensor is converted to digital sensing information.

15. The working machine system according to claim 7,

wherein a slide sensor detecting whether an operation target object is sliding on a surface of the working machine is provided as the sensor.