# US 12,005,587 B2 · Robot system and operation authority setting program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,587 B2 - Document ID: US12005587B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/606,333 - Filed: 2020-04-23 - Published: 2022-06-30 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-25 - Assignees: Denso Wave Incorporated - Applicants: Denso Wave Incorporated - Inventors: Hirota Touma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005587B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1676: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones} - G06F 21/31: User authentication - B25J 9/1656: {characterised by programming, planning systems for manipulators} - B25J 13/006: {by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators} - B25J 13/06: Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards - B25J 19/06: Safety devices - G05B 19/409: characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters (G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence) - G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication - G05B 2219/33192: Radio link, wireless - G05B 2219/34456: Authorize control of machine, robot if control panel has been connected - G05B 2219/36542: Cryptography, encrypt, access, authorize with key, code, password - G05B 2219/39438: Direct programming at the console - G05B 2219/40099: Graphical user interface for robotics, visual robot user interface - 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}) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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) ## Abstract A robot system includes: a robot; a plurality of operation terminals that receive an input of a password for acquiring operation authority of the robot and an operation input for operating the robot from a user; and a robot controller communicable with the operation terminals. The robot controller drives, in a controlled manner, the robot according to operation from a single operation terminal among the operation terminals. The robot controller includes a password storage unit that stores a password for granting operation authority of the robot to the operation terminal. The robot controller further includes an operation authority grant processing unit that grants operation authority of the robot to a single operation terminal to which a proper predetermined password stored in the password storage unit is first input in a state in which operation authority of the robot is not granted to any operation terminal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot system comprising: a robot; an operation terminal that receives an input of an authority code for acquiring operation authority of the robot and an operation input for operating the robot from a user of the robot; and a robot controller configured to be communicable with a plurality of the operation terminals and grant operation authority of the robot to the operation terminal, the robot controller being configured to drive and control the robot according to the operation input from a single operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted among the plurality of the operation terminals, cancel the operation authority that has been granted to the operation terminal, and be capable of granting the operation authority to a single operation terminal to which the operation authority has not been granted, wherein the robot controller includes: an authority code storage unit that stores a proper predetermined authority code for granting operation authority of the robot to the operation terminal; and an operation authority grant processing unit that determines whether the operation authority of the robot has not been granted to any operation terminal, and, when it is determined that the operation authority of the robot has not been granted to any operation terminal, grants the operation authority of the robot to a single operation terminal to which the predetermined authority code stored in the authority code storage unit is first input. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the operation terminal includes: an input unit that receives the operation input from a user of the robot and detects the operation input; an authority code request processing unit that requests the robot controller with which communication connection is established, when the communication connection with the robot controller is established, to transmit the predetermined authority code stored in the authority code storage unit; an authority code verification processing unit that verifies and determines whether the predetermined authority code received from the robot controller matches the authority code input to the input unit when the authority code is input to the input unit by a user; and an operation authority request processing unit that requests the robot controller to grant the operation authority of the robot when the authority code verification processing unit determines that the authority codes match, the robot controller further includes an identification code transmission processing unit that transmits the predetermined authority code recorded in the authority code storage unit to the operation terminal with which communication connection is established, and, when a request for granting the operation authority is made by the operation authority request processing unit, the operation authority grant processing unit grants the operation authority to the operation terminal that has made the request for granting the operation authority. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the operation terminal includes: an input unit that receives the operation input from a user of the robot and detects the operation input; and an information transmission processing unit that transmits input information based on the operation input to the robot controller when the input unit detects the operation input from the user, the robot controller further includes an authority code verification processing unit that verifies and determines whether the input information received from the operation terminal matches the predetermined authority code stored in the authority code storage unit, and, when the authority code verification processing unit determines that the input information received from the operation terminal matches the predetermined authority code stored in the authority code storage unit, the operation authority grant processing unit grants the operation authority of the robot to the operation terminal that has transmitted the input information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The robot system according to claim 1, wherein the robot controller further includes an operation authority cancellation processing unit that determines whether connection with the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted is disconnected and communication with the robot controller is restored before a predetermined period of time elapses after the disconnection, and, when it is determined that connection with the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted is disconnected and communication with the robot controller is not restored before a predetermined period of time elapses after the disconnection, or when an operation for cancelling the operation authority is input from the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted, cancels the operation authority to the operation terminal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The robot system according to claim 4, wherein the robot controller further includes an authority information transmission processing unit that transmits authority information indicating a current status of granting the operation authority to the operation terminal with which communication connection is established, and the operation terminal further includes: a display unit that displays information to a user of the robot; and a display processing unit that displays an input screen of the authority code on the display unit when a granting status of the operation authority based on the authority information indicates that the operation authority is not granted to any operation terminal, and displays a message on the display unit that the operation authority cannot be granted when the operation authority has already been granted to another operation terminal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The robot system according to claim 5, wherein the robot is assumed to collaborate with a human, and is designed to require no safety fence in an operation environment of the robot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The robot system according to claim 4, wherein a display unit is provided in either the operation terminal or the robot controller, the display unit being configured to display a storage location of the operation terminal to a user of the robot, the operation authority cancellation processing unit, when cancelling the operation authority from the operation terminal, transmits a cancellation signal to the display unit, and the display unit, when receiving the cancellation signal from the operation authority cancellation processing unit, displays a storage location of the operation terminal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The robot system according to claim 2, wherein the robot controller further includes an operation authority cancellation processing unit that determines whether connection with the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted is disconnected and communication with the robot controller is restored before a predetermined period of time elapses after the disconnection, and, when it is determined that connection with the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted is disconnected and communication with the robot controller is not restored before a predetermined period of time elapses after the disconnection, or when an operation for cancelling the operation authority is input from the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted, cancels the operation authority to the operation terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robot system according to claim 8, wherein the robot controller further includes an authority information transmission processing unit that transmits authority information indicating a current status of granting the operation authority to the operation terminal with which communication connection is established, and the operation terminal further includes: a display unit that displays information to a user of the robot; and a display processing unit that displays an input screen of the authority code on the display unit when a granting status of the operation authority based on the authority information indicates that the operation authority is not granted to any operation terminal, and displays a message on the display unit that the operation authority cannot be granted when the operation authority has already been granted to another operation terminal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The robot system according to claim 9, wherein the robot is assumed to collaborate with a human, and is designed to require no safety fence in an operation environment of the robot. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The robot system according to claim 3, wherein the robot controller further includes an operation authority cancellation processing unit that determines whether connection with the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted is disconnected and communication with the robot controller is restored before a predetermined period of time elapses after the disconnection, and, when it is determined that connection with the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted is disconnected and communication with the robot controller is not restored before a predetermined period of time elapses after the disconnection, or when an operation for cancelling the operation authority is input from the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been granted, cancels the operation authority to the operation terminal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The robot system according to claim 11, wherein the robot controller further includes an authority information transmission processing unit that transmits authority information indicating a current status of granting the operation authority to the operation terminal with which communication connection is established, and the operation terminal further includes: a display unit that displays information to a user of the robot; and a display processing unit that displays an input screen of the authority code on the display unit when a granting status of the operation authority based on the authority information indicates that the operation authority is not granted to any operation terminal, and displays a message on the display unit that the operation authority cannot be granted when the operation authority has already been granted to another operation terminal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The robot system according to claim 12, wherein the robot is assumed to collaborate with a human, and is designed to require no safety fence in an operation environment of the robot. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program executable by a robot controller that includes an authority code storage unit that stores a proper predetermined authority code for granting operation authority of a robot to an operation terminal, the robot controller being configured to be communicable with a plurality of the operation terminals, and drive and control the robot according to operation from a single operation terminal among the plurality of the operation terminals, and causing the robot controller to execute operation authority grant processing that determines whether the operation authority of the robot has not been granted to any operation terminal, and, when it is determined that the operation authority of the robot has not been granted to any operation terminal, grants the operation authority of the robot to a single operation terminal to which the predetermined authority code stored in the authority code storage unit is first input. ### Claim 15 A robot controller configured to control operation of a robot, the robot controller comprising: a communication interface communicating with an operation device, the communication interface receiving an operation input for operating the robot; an authority code storage unit that stores a proper predetermined authority code for granting operation authority of the robot to the operation device; and an operation authority grant processing unit that determines whether the operation authority of the robot has not been granted to any operation terminal, and, when it is determined that the operation authority of the robot has not been granted to any operation terminal, grants the operation authority of the robot to a single operation terminal to which the predetermined authority code stored in the authority code storage unit is first input. ### Claim 16 An operation terminal configured to transmit an operation instruction signal for a robot, the operation terminal comprising: an input unit that detects an authority code; a communication interface that communicates with a robot controller that controls the robot; and an authority request processing unit that requests the robot to grant operation authority via the communication interface when the input unit detects the authority code, wherein, when the operation terminal acquires the operation authority after the authority request processing unit requests granting of the operation authority, the operation terminal transmits an operation instruction signal for the robot to the robot controller based on a predetermined operation detected by the input unit. ### Claim 17 A method of controlling a robot, in which operation authority of a single robot is granted to a single operation terminal among a plurality of the operation terminals capable of being connected to the single robot via a robot controller to thereby enable the single operation terminal to which the operation authority is granted to operate the single robot, the method comprising the steps of: establishing connection between at least one of the plurality of the operation terminals and the robot controller; determining whether the operation authority is granted to the operation terminal connected to the robot controller; when it is determined that the operation authority has not been granted to the operation terminal, determining whether a proper predetermined authority code is input to the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been determined as not being granted; and, when it is determined that the authority code has been input, granting the operation authority to the operation terminal to which the operation authority has been determined as not being granted.