Method for preventing machine component interference
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHelene B. N. Mawyer, Derek S. Welch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for preventing interference between relatively moveable components of a computer controlled industrial machine in which the position of the moveable machine elements are controlled by a computer program. For each movement, the computer first determines a predicted path for the movement and thereafter determines whether the path will intersect a safe zone, a safe zone being defined as a zone containing an element which is to be protected from contact with the moveable element. If a predicted path intersects a safe zone, the machine operation is halted. Provision is made for manual moves, i.e., movements not directed by the computer up to the nearest intersection point with a safe zone.
Claims5
A method for determining interference between relatively moveable components of a computer controlled industrial machine, the machine being automatically controlled by a computer program to cause relative movement between a tool on the machine and a workpiece, the computer program providing sequential blocks of data, selected ones of the data blocks comprising incremental positioning commands for causing the tool to move with respect to the workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) defining a protected zone within a sphere of operation of the machine;
- (b) determining for each of the positioning commands whether relative movement between the tool and workpiece will cause the tool to intersect a boundary of the protected zone;
- and
- (c) inhibiting operation of the machine for any of the positioning commands having a predicted path of movement intersecting the protected zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.