Apparatus for controlling at least one machine
AssigneeKUKA Laboratories GmbH
InventorBernd Fiebiger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and a method for controlling at least one machine, such as an industrial robot, having drives, safety peripheral components and a controller for a machine, and also having a safety controller. In this arrangement, the safety controller has superordinate access over the respective machine controller both to the machine drives and to the safety peripherals. This achieves the most easily configurable integration of the safety control loop into the operating control loops.
Claims17
An apparatus for controlling at least one machine, comprising:
- a drive system for actuating the machine;
- a robot controller operatively connected to said drive system through a first connecting device;
- a safety controller operatively connected to said drive system;
- and
- a plurality of safety peripheral components operatively connected to said safety controller through a first secure connecting device and operatively connected to said drive system only through said safety controller;
- said safety peripheral components sensing one or more safety parameters and generating signals associated with the respective parameters;
- said safety controller receiving said signals and controlling said drive system in response thereto.
An apparatus for controlling at least one machine, comprising:
- a drive system for actuating the machine;
- a robot controller operatively connected to said drive system through a first connecting device;
- a safety controller operatively connected to said drive system;
- and
- a plurality of safety peripheral components operatively connected to said safety controller through a first secure connecting device and operatively connected to said drive system through said safety controller;
- wherein said safety peripheral components are operatively connected to said drive system and said robot controller exclusively through said safety controller.
A method of controlling at least one machine, the method comprising:
- detecting a safety-relevant event using a safety peripheral component operatively coupled with the machine only through a safety controller;
- transmitting a signal associated with the detection of the safety-relevant event to the safety controller;
- evaluating the signal using the safety controller;
- and
- sending a safety-related control signal to a drive system coupled to the machine in response to the evaluation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.