Safety monitoring system and method for diagnosing abnormality of the same in a robot
AssigneeTechman Robot Inc.
InventorsChun-Wen Lai, I-Bing Su
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of safety monitoring units are set on a plurality of loops of a safety monitoring system. A default test program is executed by each of the safety monitoring units. A length of test time of performing the default test program of each safety monitoring unit is compared with a length of verification time to diagnose any abnormality of the safety monitoring unit. When the safety monitoring unit is diagnosed as being abnormal, an abnormality notification is issued, a power switch is immediately turned off to stop the operations of the robot.
Claims11
A safety monitoring system, comprising:
- a robot, generating operating signals, and storing a default test program and a verification time;
- a plurality of safety monitoring units, receiving the operating signals from the robot and performing safety function calculations via a plurality of loops to monitor operations of the robot;
- a power supply, supplying electric power to the robot and the safety monitoring units;
- and
- a plurality of power switches, corresponding to the safety monitoring units and set on paths for delivering electric power from the power supply to the robot;
- wherein a length of a test time of performing the default test program of each safety monitoring unit is compared with a length of the verification time;
- wherein when an absolute value of difference between the length of the test time and the length of the verification time is less than a predetermined threshold, one of the safety monitoring units is diagnosed to be normal, and a power switch corresponding to the normal safety monitoring unit is turned on;
- and
- wherein when the absolute value of difference between the length of the test time and the length of the verification time is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, at least one of the safety monitoring units is diagnosed to be abnormal, and the power switch corresponding to the abnormal safety monitoring unit is turned off.
A method for diagnosing a safety monitoring system of a robot, the method comprising:
- storing a default test program and a verification time;
- beginning a diagnose procedure;
- a plurality of safety monitoring units performing the default test program;
- recording a length of a test time of performing the default test program by each safety monitoring unit;
- calculating an absolute value of difference between the length of the test time and the length of the verification time;
- determining that the absolute value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold;
- and
- diagnosing at least one of the safety monitoring units as being abnormal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.