# US 9,840,008 B2 · Robot system control method and robot system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,840,008 B2 - Document ID: US9840008B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/775,694 - Filed: 2014-03-17 - Published: 2016-01-28 - Granted: 2017-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-19 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takamichi Komatsu; Tatsuya Ikeda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9840008B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1682: {Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators} - B25J 3/00: Manipulators of leader-follower type, i.e. both controlling unit and controlled unit perform corresponding spatial movements - B25J 9/0084: {comprising a plurality of manipulators} - B25J 9/1607: {Calculation of inertia, jacobian matrixes and inverses} - G05B 2219/39121: Two manipulators operate on same object - G05B 2219/39132: Robot welds, operates on moving workpiece, moved by other robot - G05B 2219/39139: Produce program of follower from path of leader and desired relative position - Y10S 901/08: Robot - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A robot system control method includes a first step through a fifth step. Particularly in the second step, a second transformation matrix that represents the positional relation between a first slave robot and a second slave robot is generated and stored in a master robot. In the fourth step, based on a second command obtained using a first transformation matrix and the second transformation matrix, the master robot instructs the second slave robot to operate. In the fifth step, the first slave robot and the second slave robot perform a cooperative operation with the master robot. Thus, in the state where a working robot that can perform TCP matching with only part of the other robots is set to a master robot, all of the robots can perform a cooperative operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robot system control method comprising: a first step in which the master robot (i) generates a first transformation matrix that represents a positional relation between a master robot and a first slave robot and (ii) stores the first transformation matrix in the master robot; a second step in which the master robot (i) generates a second transformation matrix that represents a positional relation between the first slave robot and a second slave robot and (ii) stores the second transformation matrix in the master robot; a third step in which the master robot instructs the first slave robot to operate based on a first command obtained using the first transformation matrix; a fourth step in which the master robot instructs the second slave robot to operate based on a second command obtained using the first transformation matrix and the second transformation matrix; and a fifth step in which(i) the first slave robot performs a cooperative operation with the master robot based on the first command and (ii) the second slave robot performs a cooperative operation with the master robot based on the second command, wherein the master robot is distant from the second slave robot such that a tool center point of the master robot cannot be matched with a tool center point of the second slave robot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robot system control method of claim 1, wherein, in the first step, the first transformation matrix is generated by matching the tool center point of the master robot with a tool center point of the first slave robot at three different positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The robot system control method of claim 2, wherein, in the fifth step, the master robot, the first slave robot, and the second slave robot operate such that interpolation control that allows each of the robots to follow a locus is repeated. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robot system control method of claim 3, wherein the master robot and the second slave robot perform welding operation and the first slave robot holds a work piece. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The robot system control method of claim 2, wherein the master robot and the second slave robot perform welding operation and the first slave robot holds a work piece. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robot system control method of claim 1, wherein, in the second step, the second transformation matrix is generated by matching a tool center point of the first slave robot with the tool center point of the second slave robot at three different positions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The robot system control method of claim 6, wherein, in the fifth step, the master robot, the first slave robot, and the second slave robot operate such that interpolation control that allows each of the robots to follow a locus is repeated. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The robot system control method of claim 7, wherein the master robot and the second slave robot perform welding operation and the first slave robot holds a work piece. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The robot system control method of claim 6, wherein the master robot and the second slave robot perform welding operation and the first slave robot holds a work piece. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The robot system control method of claim 1, wherein, in the fifth step, the master robot, the first slave robot, and the second slave robot operate such that interpolation control that allows each of the robots to follow a locus is repeated. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The robot system control method of claim 10, wherein the master robot and the second slave robot perform welding operation and the first slave robot holds a work piece. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The robot system control method of claim 1, wherein the master robot and the second slave robot perform welding operation and the first slave robot holds a work piece. ### Claim 13 A robot system comprising: a master robot including a first storage, a second storage, and an arithmetic part; a first slave robot connected to the master robot; and a second slave robot connected to the master robot; wherein the arithmetic part generates a first transformation matrix that represents a positional relation between the master robot and the first slave robot, and the first storage stores the first transformation matrix, wherein the arithmetic part generates a second transformation matrix that represents a positional relation between the first slave robot and the second slave robot, and the second storage stores the second transformation matrix, wherein the arithmetic part obtains a first command using the first transformation matrix, and the arithmetic part instructs the first slave robot to operate based on the first command, wherein the arithmetic part obtains a second command using the first transformation matrix and the second transformation matrix, and the arithmetic part instructs the second slave robot to operate based on the second command, wherein the first slave robot performs a cooperative operation with the master robot based on the first command, and the second slave robot performs a cooperative operation with the master robot based on the second command, and wherein the master robot is distant from the second slave robot such that a tool center point of the master robot cannot be matched with a tool center point of the second slave robot.