# US 10,478,970 B2 · Robot system

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- Number: US 10,478,970 B2
- Document ID: US10478970B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/905,029
- Filed: 2018-02-26
- Published: 2018-09-06
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-03
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: Fanuc Corporation
- Inventors: Tsuyoshi Hannya; Hiroaki Yamamoto; Takatoshi Iwayama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478970B2

## CPC

- B25J 9/1676: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones}
- B25J 9/1694: {characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion}
- Y10S 901/09: Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement
- Y10S 901/15: Jointed arm
- Y10S 901/46: Sensing device
- Y10S 901/49: Protective device
- 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

An object is prevented from being sandwiched between robot arms without the occurrence of unintentional operating restrictions of the robot arms. Provided is a robot system including: a robot body that is provided with at least two links that are relatively moved by at least one joint; a sensor that detects the distances from mutually opposed surfaces of the at least two links to an object inserted between the surfaces; and a control unit that performs an interference avoidance operation if the distances detected by the sensor are less than a predetermined threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A robot system comprising:
a robot body that is provided with at least two links that are relatively moved by at least one joint;
a sensor that detects the distances from mutually opposed surfaces of the at least two links to an object inserted between the surfaces; and
a control unit that performs an interference avoidance operation if the distances detected by the sensor are less than a predetermined threshold,
wherein the sensor disposed in the vicinity of the joint and that measures the object distance to each position on the surface of the object inserted between the links, and calculates the distances from the surfaces of the links to the object on the basis of the distance from the sensor to the surface of the object and the angle of the joint.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is provided with an alarm unit that issues an alarm about an approach between the links and the object, as the interference avoidance operation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control so as to restrict the operation of the robot body, as the interference avoidance operation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A robot system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the interference avoidance operation only when the robot body operates the joint in a direction in which the angle between the links is relatively reduced.

### Claim 5

A robot system comprising:
a robot body that is provided with at least two links that are relatively moved by at least one joint;
a sensor that is disposed in the vicinity of the joint and that measures the distance to the surface of the object inserted between the links; and
a control unit that derives the distances from mutually opposed surfaces of the at least two links to an object on the basis of the distances from the sensor to the surface of the object detected by the sensor and the angle of the joint, and that performs an interference avoidance operation if the distances from the surface of the links to the object derived by the sensor are less than a predetermined threshold.