# US 10,175,683 B2 · Teaching data preparation device and teaching data preparation method for articulated robot

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,175,683 B2
- Document ID: US10175683B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/308,002
- Filed: 2014-05-01
- Published: 2017-04-06
- Granted: 2019-01-08
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-01
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Masahiro Yamanaka; Masao Shimoyama; Tetsuya Yoshino; Shinji Aoki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10175683B2

## CPC

- G05B 19/42: Recording and playback systems, i.e. in which the program is recorded from a cycle of operations, e.g. the cycle of operations being manually controlled, after which this record is played back on the same machine
- B25J 9/163: {learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control}
- G05B 2219/36461: Teach for each next similar fixture, piece only some reference points
- G05B 2219/36492: Record position and orientation, posture of probe, tool
- Y10S 901/03: Teaching system
- Y10S 901/28: Joint
- Y10S 901/42: Welding
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

The present invention relates to a teaching data preparation device and a teaching data preparation method for an articulated robot. Pre-existing position data that approximates new position data is retrieved from a database that, from among data related to working points for a pre-existing workpiece, stores for each working point pre-existing position data that indicates the position of the working point and pre-existing orientation data that indicates the orientation of an end effector at the working point. Next, pre-existing orientation data that is associated with the retrieved pre-existing position data is extracted. Next, incomplete new orientation data is completed using the extracted pre-existing orientation data. As a result of this series of processes, the precision of teaching data can be improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A teaching data preparation device for an articulated robot, for carrying out an operation in accordance with teaching data to sequentially move an end effector, which is attached to a distal end of an arm, to a plurality of working points that are set on a workpiece, comprising:
a preexisting data storage unit configured to store in association with each of the working points, and from among data relating to working points of a preexisting workpiece, preexisting position data that indicates positions of the working points, and preexisting orientation data that indicates orientations of the end effector at the working points;
a new data supplying unit configured to supply, from among data relating to working points of a new workpiece, new position data that indicates positions of the working points, and incomplete new orientation data that indicates orientations of the end effector at the working points; and
an orientation data preparing unit configured to search for and retrieve the preexisting position data that approximates the new position data based on a judgement that a difference between the preexisting position data stored in the preexisting position data storage unit and the new position data of the new data supplying unit lies within a predetermined range, extract the preexisting orientation data that is associated with the retrieved preexisting position data, and complete the incomplete new orientation data using the extracted preexisting orientation data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The teaching data preparation device for the articulated robot according to claim 1, wherein:
the preexisting orientation data and the new orientation data are indicated by angles of rotation centered about three mutually perpendicular axes of rotation taking the working points as reference points; and
the incomplete new orientation data is indicated by an angle of rotation centered about an axis of rotation that coincides with a normal direction of a surface of the working points from among the three axes of rotation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The teaching data preparation device for the articulated robot according to claim 1, wherein the orientation data preparing unit is configured to associate the new position data and the new orientation data with each other and store them in the preexisting data storage unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The teaching data preparation device for the articulated robot according to claim 1, further comprising a movement path setting unit configured to, using the new position data and the new orientation data for each of the working points, set a movement path of the end effector between two of the working points of the new workpiece.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The teaching data preparation device for the articulated robot according to claim 4, wherein:
the new data supplying unit is configured to supply obstacle position data for indicating a position of an obstacle that lies within a range in which the end effector is capable of moving; and
the movement path setting unit is configured to determine whether or not the obstacle is present between the two working points, and set as the movement path a linear path that connects the two working points in a straight line in a case it is determined that the obstacle is not present between the two working points, and set an avoidance path that avoids the obstacle in a case it is determined that the obstacle is present between the two working points.

### Claim 6

A teaching data preparation method for an articulated robot, for carrying out an operation in accordance with teaching data to sequentially move an end effector, which is attached to a distal end of an arm, to a plurality of working points that are set on a workpiece, comprising:
a new data supplying step of supplying, from among data relating to working points of a new workpiece, new position data that indicates positions of the working points, and incomplete new orientation data that indicates orientations of the end effector at the working points;
a preexisting data searching step of searching for and retrieving preexisting position data that approximates the new position data supplied by the new data supplying step from a database in which, from among data relating to the working points of a preexisting workpiece, there are stored in association with each of the working points, preexisting position data that indicates positions of the working points, and preexisting orientation data that indicates orientations of the end effector at the working points;
a preexisting data extraction step of extracting the preexisting orientation data that is associated with the retrieved preexisting position data; and
an orientation data preparation step of completing the incomplete new orientation data using the extracted preexisting orientation data based on a judgement that a difference between the preexisting position data stored in the preexisting position data storage unit and the new position data of the new data supplying unit lies within a predetermined range.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The teaching data preparation method for the articulated robot according to claim 6, wherein, in the orientation data preparation step, the new position data and the new orientation data are associated with each other and stored in the database.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The teaching data preparation method for the articulated robot according to claim 6, further comprising a movement path setting step of setting a movement path of the end effector between two of the working points of the new workpiece, using the new position data and the new orientation data for each of the working points.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The teaching data preparation method for the articulated robot according to claim 8, wherein the movement path setting step includes:
a determining step that determines whether or not an obstacle is present between two of the working points;
a linear path setting step that sets as the movement path a linear path that connects the two working points in a straight line, in a case it is determined that the obstacle is not present between the two working points; and
an avoidance path setting step that sets an avoidance path for avoiding the obstacle, in a case it is determined that the obstacle is present between the two working points.