Communication apparatus for robots
AssigneeDenso Wave Incorporated
InventorKoji Kamiya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A communication apparatus for robots is provided. A controller and drivers controlling each joint are serially connected to a serial transmission line. A final driver positioned at the last stage, among the drivers, is connected to an I/O module connected to a driver of a hand. When control signals for each driver and the driver of the hand are serially transmitted from the controller to the serial transmission line, the driver connected to the I/O module receives a control signal for the driver itself and a control signal for the driver of the hand, among the serially transmitted control signals, and transmits the control signal for the driver of the hand to the I/O module.
Claims7
A communication apparatus for a robot provided with an articulated arm including a plurality of joints driven by a plurality of first drive sources controlled by respective joint control devices and a hand driven by a second drive source controlled by a hand control device, the joint control devices and the hand control device all responding to control signals from a controller to control movements of the robot, the communication apparatus comprising:
- a serial transmission path connecting the controller and the joint control devices so that signals including the control signals are communicated in series through the transmission path;
- an input and output device communicably connected to the hand control device and communicably connected to a joint control device specified among the joint control devices;
- transmission means, implemented in the controller, for transmitting the control signals in series to the serial transmission path;
- first communication means, implemented in each of one or more joint control devices other than the specified joint control device in the joint control devices, for communicating Information including, of the control signals, a control signal assigned to each of the one or more joint control devices, between each of the one or more control devices other than the specified control device and the controller via the serial transmission path;
- and
- second communication means, implemented in the specified joint control device, for communicating Information including, of the control signals, a control signal assigned to the specified joint control device and a control signal assigned to the hand control device, between the specified joint control and the controller via the serial transmission path.
A robot comprising
- an articulated arm including a plurality of joints driven by a plurality of first drive sources controlled by joint control devices, respectively;
- a hand driven by a second drive source controlled by a hand control device, the joint control devices and the hand control device all responding to control signals from a controller to control movements of the robot;
- and
- a communication apparatus comprising:
- a serial transmission path connecting the controller and the joint control devices so that signals including the control signals are communicated in series through the transmission path;
- an input and output device communicably connected to the hand control device and communicably connected to a joint control device specified among the joint control devices;
- transmission means, implemented in the controller, for transmitting the control signals in series to the serial transmission path;
- first communication means, implemented in each of one or more joint control devices other than the specified joint control device in the joint control devices, for communicating information including, of the control signals, a control signal assigned to each of the one or more joint control devices, between each of the one or more control devices other than the specified control device and the controller via the serial transmission path;
- and
- second communication means, implemented in the specified joint control device, for communicating Information including, of the control signals, a control signal assigned to the specified joint control device and a control signal assigned to the hand control device, between the specified joint control and the controller via the serial transmission path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.