US 11,986,962 B2Granted

Method for extending end user programming of an industrial robot with third party contributions

AssigneeUniversal Robots A/S

InventorsEsben H. Oestergaard, Martin Slota, Robert Wilterdink

Life of this patent

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Abstract

There is provided a method for programming an industrial robot, where distributors and integrators can present accessories that run successfully at end users. Also the developer can define customized installation screens and program nodes for the end user. There is provided a software platform, where the developer can define customized installation screens and program nodes for the end user thereby extending an existing robot system with customized functionalities by still using the software platform available in the robot system. Hereby a robot developer can define customized installation screens and program nodes for the end user. These can, for example, encapsulate complex new robot programming concepts, or provide friendly hardware configuration interfaces.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An industrial robot comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) for programming the industrial robot, the GUI comprising:
an installation tab initially configured to specify parameters for the industrial robot;
and
a program tab initially configured to specify operations to be performed by the industrial robot;
memory storing an extensible operating system configured to install third-party software on a processing device associated with the industrial robot, the third-party software being based on a dedicated file format;
and
the processing device programmed with the third-party software, the third-party software being configured to reconfigure the installation tab to add a GUI element to the installation tab to specify parameters for third-party hardware and to reconfigure the program tab to add a GUI element to the program tab to specify operations to be performed by the third-party hardware, wherein the GUI element of the program tab comprises a selectable program node that is addable to the program for specifying parameters of the operations to be performed by the third-party hardware.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/080,213Filed 26 Oct 2020 · continuation
Priority: DK PA 2015 704518 Jul 2015
Published: US 2021/0039254 A111 Feb 2021
Granted: 21 May 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B25J 9/1664
Characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators: characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
B25J 9/161
Characterised by the control system, structure, architecture: hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
B25J 9/1656
Program controls: characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators
G05B 2219/39548
Robotics, robotics to robotics hand: enter interactively parameter for gripper, then teach movement

Family

PCT/DK2016/050240Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jul 2016
US 2021/0039254 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Feb 2021
Application15/738,315Parent of this continuation
US 10,850,393 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2018/0178380 A1Published application
US 11,986,962 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.