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US 6,646,404 B2Granted
Method for controlling robot and robot controller using the method
AssigneesSeiko Epson Corporation, Seiko Instruments Inc.
InventorsMasayuki Okuyama, Takayuki Kameyama, Nobuyuki Setsuda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The current position of a work is sequentially updated in a conveyor coordinate system, and the path of a robot to follow the work is formed by transforming the position of the work from the conveyor coordinate system to a robot coordinate system.
Claims26
A method for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the moving object;
- obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection;
- sequentially updating a current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor;
- transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system to that in a robot coordinate system;
- forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- determining whether or not designated-position data included in a motion command in a user program to be executed are described in the conveyor coordinate system:
- forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object at a position designated by designated-position data included in the motion command, when it is determined in the determining step that the designated position data are described in the conveyor coordinate system;
- and
- making the robot start a following motion along the following path.
6 more elements
A method for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the moving object;
- obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection;
- sequentially updating a current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor;
- transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system to that in a robot coordinate system;
- forming a following oath for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- making the robot start a following motion according to a motion command to follow the moving object at a position designated by designated-position data included in the motion command, provided that the designated position data are set in the conveyor coordinate system;
- setting a following region in the conveyor coordinate system;
- determining, on the basis of the following-region and a current position of the moving object, whether or not the moving object, is positioned in the following region;
- generating a moving-object-arrival event when determining that the moving object is positioned in the following region;
- and
- making the robot start a following motion according to a motion command to follow the moving object at a position designated by designated-position data included in the motion command, when the moving-object-arrival event is generated.
8 more elements
A method for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the moving object;
- obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection;
- sequentially updating a current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor;
- transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system to that in a robot coordinate system;
- forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein one conveyor coordinate system is provided for each of a plurality of conveyors.
4 more elements
A method for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the moving object;
- obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection;
- sequentially updating a current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor;
- transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system to that in a robot coordinate system;
- forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein the conveyor coordinate system and the following region are provided for each of a plurality of robots.
4 more elements
A method for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting the moving object;
- obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection;
- sequentially updating a current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor;
- transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system to that in a robot coordinate system;
- forming a following oath for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein the conveyor comprises either an arc-shaped conveyor or a turntable, and the coordinate system of said conveyor comprises an x-coordinate represented by a rotation angle, a z-coordinate represented by an axis of the rotation of the conveyor, and a y-coordinate represented by a distance from the axis of the rotation.
4 more elements
A robot controller for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, comprising:
- a moving-object-current-position-storing section for storing a current position of the moving object;
- a detector for detecting the moving object;
- a moving-object-current-position-updating section for obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection by the detector, computing a current position of the moving object on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor, and updating the moving-object-current-position-storing section with the computed data;
- and
- a path-forming section for transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system stored in the moving-object-current-position-storing section in the conveyor coordinate to that in a robot coordinate system, and forming a following oath for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein the conveyor coordinate system consists of an x-axis in the movement direction of the moving object, a y-axis which represents, together with the x-axis, a carrying surface of the conveyor, and a z-axis perpendicular to the x-axis and the y-axis.
4 more elements
A robot controller for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, comprising:
- a moving-object-current-position-storing section for storing a current position of the moving object;
- a detector for detecting the moving object;
- a moving-object-current-position-updating section for obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection by the detector, computing a current position of the moving object on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor, and updating the moving-object-current-position-storing section with the computed data;
- a path-forming section for transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system stored in the moving-object-current-position-storing section in the conveyor coordinate to that in a robot coordinate system, and forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- a user-program-executing section which executes a user program described with a motion command and which determines whether or not designated-position data included in the motion command are described in the conveyor coordinate system,
- wherein the path-forming section forms a following path for the robot to follow the moving object at a position designated by the designated-position data included in the motion command, when the user-program-executing section determines that the designated-position data are described in the conveyor coordinate system.
4 more elements
A robot controller for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, comprising:
- a moving-object-current-position-storing section for storing a current position of the moving object;
- a detector for detecting the moving object;
- a moving-object-current-position-updating section for obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection by the detector, computing a current position of the moving object on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor, and updating the moving-object-current-position-storing section with the computed data;
- a path-forming section for transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system stored in the moving-object-current-position-storing section in the conveyor coordinate to that in a robot coordinate system, and forming a following oath for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein one conveyor coordinate system is provided for each of a plurality of conveyors.
3 more elements
A robot controller for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, comprising:
- a moving-object-current-position-storing section for storing a current position of the moving object;
- a detector for detecting the moving object;
- a moving-object-current-position-updating section for obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection by the detector, computing a current position of the moving object on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor, and updating the moving-object-current-position-storing section with the computed data;
- a path-forming section for transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system stored in the moving-object-current-position-storing section in the conveyor coordinate to that in a robot coordinate system, and forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein the conveyor coordinate system and the following region are provided for each of a plurality of robots.
3 more elements
A robot controller for controlling a robot which follows a moving object conveyed by a conveyor and which performs a predetermined action on the moving object, comprising:
- a moving-object-current-position-storing section for storing a current position of the moving object;
- a detector for detecting the moving object;
- a moving-object-current-position-up dating section for obtaining a detected position of the moving object in a conveyor coordinate system from the result of the detection by the detector, computing a current position of the moving object on the basis of the detected position of the moving object and the amount of movement of the conveyor, and updating the moving-object-current-position-storing section with the computed data;
- a path-forming section for transforming the current position of the moving object in the conveyor coordinate system stored in the moving-object-current-position-storing section in the conveyor coordinate to that in a robot coordinate system, and forming a following path for the robot to follow the moving object, on the basis of the transformed position;
- and
- wherein the conveyor comprises either an arc-shaped conveyor or a turntable, and the coordinate system of said conveyor comprises an x-coordinate represented by a rotation angle, a z-coordinate represented by an axis of the rotation of the conveyor, and a y-coordinate represented by a distance from the axis of the rotation.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.