Control program generation apparatus, control program generation method, and program
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Opton
InventorTeruaki Yogo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Element actions of actuators incorporated in an automated manufacturing machine are stored in a manner associated with program elements to perform the element actions. An action chart is used to describe an operation of the automated manufacturing machine, with one element action having an end linked to a start of another element action using a logical operation. The action chart describing the operation of the automated manufacturing machine is read. The element actions on the action chart are converted into the program elements. The program elements are combined together in accordance with the action chart. This allows automatic generation of a control program for controlling the operation of the automated manufacturing machine.
Claims6
A control program generation apparatus for generating a control program for an automated manufacturing machine including a plurality of actuators, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- an element action storage storing a plurality of element actions each indicating an action with an inherent degree of freedom of a corresponding actuator of the plurality of actuators and having a parameter to be set, each of the plurality of element actions being associated with a program element to perform the element action, the control program causing a logical operation of the plurality of the element actions,
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of the actuators moves an actable part of the automated manufacturing machine, the actable part being configured to rotate, move forward, or move backward;
- each of the plurality of the element actions comprises a rotation, a forward, or a backward motion;
- the one or more processors are configured to read an action chart describing an operation of the automated manufacturing machine, the action chart including the plurality of element actions included in the operation of the automated manufacturing machine;
- and
- the one or more processors are configured to generate the control program to cause the automated manufacturing machine to operate by combining together the plurality of program elements stored in the element action storage in accordance with the action chart;
- based on the logical operation by which an end of one element action is linked to a start of another element action of the plurality of element actions, two or more of the plurality of the element actions start simultaneously and end at independent timings from each other;
- and
- none of the plurality of the element actions starts during a period in which any one of the plurality of the element actions are performed.
A control program generation method for generating, with a computer, a control program for an automated manufacturing machine including a plurality of actuators,
- the method comprises:
- reading an action chart, the action chart describing an operation of the automated manufacturing machine using a plurality of element actions and a logical operation, each of the plurality of element actions indicating an action with an inherent degree of freedom of a corresponding actuator of the plurality of actuators and having a parameter to be set, the plurality of element actions including one element action having an end linked to a start of another element action of the plurality of element actions using the logical operation;
- analyzing the action chart to extract, from the action chart, the plurality of element actions and the logical operation linking the plurality of element actions;
- and
- generating the control program to cause the automated manufacturing machine to operate by referring to stored data including the plurality of element actions each associated with a program element to perform the element action, converting the plurality of element actions described on the action chart into the plurality of program elements, and combining the plurality of program elements together in accordance with the action chart,
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of the actuators moves an actable part of the automated manufacturing machine, the actable part being configured to rotate, move forward, or move backward;
- each of the plurality of the element actions comprises a rotation, a forward, or a backward motion;
- based on the logical operation by which an end of one element action is linked to a start of another element action of the plurality of element actions, two or more of the plurality of the element actions start simultaneously and end at independent timings from each other;
- and
- none of the plurality of the element actions starts during a period in which any one of the plurality of the element actions are performed.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to implement a method for generating a control program for an automated manufacturing machine including a plurality of actuators,
- the program causes the computer to perform operations comprising:
- reading an action chart, the action chart describing an operation of the automated manufacturing machine using a plurality of element actions and a logical operation, each of the plurality of element actions indicating an action with an inherent degree of freedom of a corresponding actuator of the plurality of actuators and having a parameter to be set, the plurality of element actions including one element action having an end linked to a start of another element action of the plurality of element actions using the logical operation;
- analyzing the action chart to extract, from the action chart, the plurality of element actions and the logical operation linking the plurality of element actions;
- and
- generating the control program to cause the automated manufacturing machine to operate by referring to stored data including the plurality of element actions each associated with a program element to perform the element action, converting the plurality of element actions described on the action chart into the plurality of program elements, and combining the plurality of program elements together in accordance with the action chart,
- wherein:
- each of the plurality of the actuators moves an actable part of the automated manufacturing machine, the actable part being configured to rotate, move forward, or move backward;
- each of the plurality of the element actions comprises a rotation, a forward, or a backward motion;
- based on the logical operation by which an end of one element action is linked to a start of another element action of the plurality of element actions, two or more of the plurality of the element actions start simultaneously and end at independent timings from each other;
- and
- none of the plurality of the element actions starts during a period in which any one of the plurality of the element actions are performed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.