# US 12,759,144 B2 · Robot control device and control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,144 B2 - Document ID: US12759144B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/846,654 - Filed: 2022-04-08 - Published: 2025-02-06 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-04-08 - Assignees: Fanuc Corporation - Applicants: Fanuc Corporation - Inventors: Hiroshi Katsuhisa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759144B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1651: {acceleration, rate control} - B25J 13/085: {Force or torque sensors (B25J13/082, B25J13/084 take precedence)} - 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}) ## Abstract Provided is a robot control device for controlling a robot, the robot control device comprising a speed control unit for changing the operation speed of the robot in response to detection of a prescribed external force being applied to the robot when the robot is operating in accordance with a control program. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot controller configured to control a robot, the robot controller comprising: a processor configured to: stop the robot in response to a first external force applied to the robot exceeding a predetermined reference value; change a motion speed of the robot in response to detection of, as a predetermined external force, a second external force applied to the robot by a user equal to or less than the predetermined reference value when the robot is operating according to a control program; and set a degree of change in the motion speed according to a length of a time during which the predetermined external force is applied to the robot by the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot controller according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to change the motion speed of the robot according to a direction of the predetermined external force with respect to a motion direction of the robot in response to the detection of the predetermined external force applied to the robot when the robot is operating according to the control program. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robot controller according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the motion speed of the robot in response to a direction of the predetermined external force applied to the robot being an opposite direction to a motion direction of the robot when the robot is operating according to the control program. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robot controller according to claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the motion speed of the robot in response to a third external force equal to or less than a first threshold value being detected as the predetermined external force, and a direction of the third external force being an opposite direction to the motion direction of the robot. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The robot controller according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to increase the motion speed of the robot in response to a direction of the predetermined external force applied to the robot being the same direction as a motion direction of the robot when the robot is operating according to the control program. ### Claim 6 A robot controller configured to control a robot, the robot controller comprising: a processor configured to change a motion speed of the robot in response to detection of a predetermined external force being applied to the robot when the robot is operating according to a control program, wherein the processor is configured to increase the motion speed of the robot when a direction of the predetermined external force applied to the robot is considered to be the same direction as a motion direction of the robot in a case where the robot is operating according to the control program, and wherein the processor is configured to increase the motion speed of the robot when an external force equal to or less than a threshold value is detected as the predetermined external force, and a direction of the external force is considered to be the same direction as the motion direction of the robot. ### Claim 7 A robot controller configured to control a robot, the robot controller comprising: a processor configured to change a motion speed of the robot in response to detection of a predetermined external force being applied to the robot when the robot is operating according to a control program, wherein the processor is configured to increase the motion speed of the robot when a direction of the predetermined external force applied to the robot is considered to be the same direction as a motion direction of the robot in a case where the robot is operating according to the control program, and wherein, when the robot has reduced a speed to a value lower than a speed specified by the control program, the processor is configured to restore a reduced speed of the robot to the speed specified by the control program in response to detecting that an external force being the predetermined external force and being considered to be in the same direction as the motion direction of the robot is applied to the robot. ### Claim 8 A control method for controlling a robot by a robot controller, the control method comprising: stopping the robot in response to a first external force applied to the robot exceeding a predetermined reference value; changing a motion speed of the robot in response to detection of, as a predetermined external force, a second external force equal to or less than the predetermined reference value being applied to the robot by a user when the robot is operating according to a control program; and setting a degree of change in the motion speed according to a length of a time during which the predetermined external force is applied to the robot by the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The control method according to claim 8, further comprising: reducing the motion speed of the robot in response to a third external force equal to or less than a first threshold value being detected as the predetermined external force, and a direction of the third external force being considered to be an opposite direction to a motion direction of the robot when the robot is operating according to the control program. ### Claim 10 A control method for controlling a robot by a robot controller, the control method comprising: changing a motion speed of the robot in response to detection of a predetermined external force being applied to the robot when the robot is operating according to a control program; and increasing the motion speed of the robot when an external force equal to or less than a threshold value is detected as the predetermined external force, and a direction of the external force is considered to be the same direction as a motion direction of the robot in a case where the robot is operating according to the control program.