Robot device

• US 6,321,140 B1
• Filed: 12/18/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Oyama, Kazufumi, Fujita, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel, Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US09/215,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 700/248, 700/245, 700/249, 700/259, 700/263, 700/251, 700/262, 360/92, 250/253, 463/44, 318/568.15, 318/568.17, 318/573, 901/22
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1602 characterised by the control system, structure, architecture
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1617 Cellular, reconfigurable manipulator, e.g. cebot

Abstract

A robot device having a plurality of component units connected together and controller detachably mounted on one of the component units for driving and controlling each the component units in a prescribed state. The control device is easily exchangeable for another control device. The robot device may further include a storing device detachably mounted on the respective component unit for storing desired behavior type information. The storing device is readily exchangeable for another storing device having stored therein different behavior type information.

Claims

1. A robot device comprised of:

plural component units connected together, and

a controller having a memory wherein an operational system program is stored and detachably mounted on one of said component units, for driving and controlling each of said connected component units in a prescribed state.

2. The robot device according to claim 1, further comprising storing means detachably mounted on said one of said component units for storing desired behavior type information, wherein:

said behavior type information is read out from said storing means; and

each of said component units is driven and controlled in accordance with said read-out behavior type information.

3. The robot device according to claim 2, wherein said storing means is a memory card.

4. A robot device, comprising:

plural component units connected together, and

a controller detachably mounted on one of said component units, for driving and controlling each of said connected component units in a prescribed state,

wherein each of said plural component units has unit information stored therein, and further comprising;

first storing means which is held in said one of said component units for storing configuration information which represents a configuration of said robot; and

second storing means for storing a prescribed operation program, wherein;

said stored configuration information and operation program are read out from said first and second storing means respectively; and

each of said component units is driven and controlled in a prescribed state in accordance with the readout configuration information and operation program.

5. The robot device according to claim 4, wherein

said configuration information is formed with a tree structure representing the connection condition of said component units.

6. A robot driving control method for driving and controlling a robot formed of plural component units connected together, comprising the steps of:

detachably mounting a controller having a memory wherein an operational program is stored on one of said component units; and

driving and controlling each of said component units in a prescribed state by said controller.

7. The robot driving control method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

storing desired behavior type information in storing means detachably mounted on said one of said component units;

reading out said behavior type information from said storing means; and

driving and controlling each of said component units in accordance with said read out behavior type information.

8. A robot driving control method for driving and controlling a robot formed of plural component units connected together, comprising the steps of:

detachably mounting a controller on one of said component units; and

driving and controlling each of said component units in a prescribed state by said controller, further comprising the steps of;

providing storing means positioned in said one of said component units;

storing configuration information representing a configuration of said robot in accordance with unit information stored in each of said component units;

storing a prescribed operation program;

reading out said stored configuration information and said stored operation program; and

driving and controlling each of said component units in a prescribed state in accordance with said read out configuration information and operation program.

9. A robot device comprising plural component units connected together, a first storing device detachably mounted on one of said plural component units for storing desired behavior type information of said robot device and a controller having a second storing device wherein an operational program is stored.

10. A robot device formed of plural component units together, comprising:

first storing means for storing configuration information which represent a configuration of said robot, formed in accordance with unit information stored in each of said component units;

second storing means for storing a prescribed operation program;

at least one additional component unit connectable to at least one of said connected plural component units; and

control means for reading out said configuration information and said operation program from said first and second storing means respectively, for changing said read out configuration information in accordance with said at least one additional component unit, and for driving and controlling each of said connected plural component units and said at least one additional component unit in accordance with said changed configuration information and said read out operation program.

11. The robot device according to claim 10, wherein said configuration information is formed with a tree structure representing a connecting condition of said component units.

12. The robot device according to claim 10, wherein said control means is detachably mounted on at least one of said plural component units.

13. The robot device according to claim 10, further comprising third storing means, detachably mounted on one of said plurality of connected component units, for storing desired behavior type information, and wherein

said control means reads out said behavior type information from said third storing means and drives and controls each of said component units in a prescribed state in accordance with said read out behavior type information, said changed configuration information and said operation program.

14. A robot driving control method for driving and controlling a robot formed of plural component units connected together, comprising the steps of:

storing, in storage means coupled with one of said connected plural component units, configuration information which represents a configuration of said robot, said configuration information being formed in accordance with comprising unit information stored in each of said component units;

storing a prescribed operation program in said storage means;

reading out said configuration information and said operation program from said storage means;

changing said read out configuration information in accordance with information stored in at least one predetermined component unit; and

driving and controlling each of said component units in accordance with said changed configuration information and said read out operation program.

15. A robot comprising:

a body unit;

a plural component units connected to said body unit;

a memory mounted on said body unit for storing unit information of each of the component units;

a control unit mounted on said body unit for controlling the action of said robot;

a memory unit detachably mounted on said body unit for storing application program of said robot and a basic operation program;

wherein, said control unit reads out (i) said unit information, (ii) said basic operation program and (iii) said application program, and controls said component units in accordance with the read unit information, basic program, and application program.

16. The robot according to claim 15, wherein said unit information includes information pertaining to a role of each of said component units as a part of said robot.

17. The robot according to claim 15, wherein said unit information includes information pertaining to a formation of said component units.

18. The robot according to claim 15, wherein said unit information includes a position of the center of gravity of said component units.

19. The robot according to claim 15, wherein said control unit is detachably mounted on said body unit.