JPH07334227A - Robot separation control communication device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Robot separation control communication that secures the reliability of the work of the robot system by detecting the propagation delay, the failure of the teaching program, the abnormality of the communication path, and performing the autonomous control corresponding to it. An apparatus and method are provided. A workstation having a storage unit 1 and a central processing unit 2 for executing a teaching program stored in the storage unit 1 and a communication unit 3; a communication unit 4; an operation start message M1; D work is started and an operation start message M1 is entered in the teaching program.
Alternatively, when the survival message M2 that is forcibly interrupted within a certain time from the previous survival message M2 is detected, the robot D work by the teaching program is continued, and the detection of the operation end message M3 or the reception of the survival message M2 is performed within the certain time. A robot controller B provided with a control operation unit 5 for instructing a stop operation of the robot D work if it is not detected, and a communication path C connecting the workstation A and the robot controller B using a local net area work. Is characterized by.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention separates a computer such as a workstation operated by a robot operator and a robot controller from a transmission means, particularly a local area network (hereinafter abbreviated as "LAN") which may be used inside or outside a company. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a robot separation control communication device when connecting via a network and a method applied thereto.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, in many robots, a teaching playback system has been mainstream in which a motion trajectory is directly taught by direct teaching or the like, and various work operations are repeatedly performed based on this data.

In this case, a teaching pendant directly connected to the controller is used as the teaching device, but it has only a limited function such as instructing operation.

On the other hand, the expressive ability of a graphical user interface on a workstation has made remarkable progress in recent years.

There is a window system that can be said to be a de facto standard, and tools for supporting the creation of graphical user interface programs are also in place.
By using these, it is considered possible to construct a teaching system that enables more efficient remote robot operation as compared with the case of using a teaching pendant in the field.

[0006]

In this case, regarding the connection between the workstation and the robot controller, LA
By using N, it is possible to easily establish a connection with a high transmission rate, while L such as ETHERNET (trademark of Xerox) is used.
In the CSMA / CD system adopted by the AN environment, there are some that cannot guarantee the delay time due to the nature of the protocol.

Further, simply connecting by LAN does not have the ability of the robot controller side to detect a failure of the teaching program itself due to, for example, a bug on the workstation.

Such a problem not only makes it difficult for the robot to carry out work when the above-mentioned abnormality occurs, but also causes an abnormality in the operation of the robot, which may impair the safety of the operator or the like.

The main technical problems to be solved by the present invention will be listed below. A first object of the present invention is to detect a propagation delay due to the nature of various protocols such as a LAN as an example of remote transmission means, a failure of a teaching program itself, or an abnormality of a communication path, and perform control corresponding thereto. By doing so, it is intended to provide a robot separation control communication device and method for ensuring the reliability of the work of the robot system.

A second object of the present invention is to ensure the safety of field workers in robot work using a LAN,
A robot separation control communication device and method are provided.

A third object of the present invention is to perform self-examination on the robot system side for abnormalities in the control command system and the transmission system when the robot system is remotely controlled by a control command from a workstation via a LAN. A robot separation control communication device and method having a function of autonomous control is provided.

Other technical problems of the present invention will be apparent from the description, drawings, and particularly the description of the claims.

[0013]

The solution of the above-mentioned problems can be achieved by adopting the novel characteristic construction means and methods listed below by the present invention. That is, the first feature of the device of the present invention is a communication path of a local area network, a plurality of workstations for connecting and transmitting a teaching program for remotely operating a robot and various commands attached thereto as a message to the communication path. And a robot controller for self-diagnosing the teaching program received from the workstation via the communication path and operating and teaching an optimal control operation for coping with the teaching program, the robot separation control communication device. Is.

A second feature of the device of the present invention is that the workstation in the first feature of the device of the present invention provides a teaching program for robot work together with three types of messages for forcibly interrupting operation start, survival, and operation end. A robot separation control communication device comprising a storage unit for storing, a central processing unit for calculating and executing the teaching program stored in the storage unit, and a communication unit for transmitting and receiving the communication path.

A third feature of the device of the present invention is communication in which the robot controller in the first or second feature of the device of the present invention transmits and receives the various messages and the teaching program from the workstation via the communication path. Section and the operation start message received through the communication section and the teaching program, the robot work is started, and the teaching program is forcibly interrupted within a certain time from the operation start message or the previous survival message. A control operation unit which, upon detecting the survival message, continues the robot work according to the teaching program, and instructs the stop operation of the robot work unless the detection of the operation end message or the reception of the survival message is detected within a certain time. Is a robot separation control communication device comprising:

A fourth feature of the device of the present invention is that the central processing unit and the communication unit in the first, second or third features of the device of the present invention are provided with a teaching program from the central processing unit in the meantime. When the transmission start is detected, the operation start message is forcibly interrupt-transmitted to the communication unit, and then the teaching program is transmitted, and after the operation start message is transmitted, the end of the teaching program is detected. The robot separation that intervenes the interrupt processing unit that forcibly interrupts the survival message at a fixed time until it is transmitted to the communication unit, and transmits the operation end message when the end of the teaching program is detected. It is a control communication device.

The first feature of the method of the present invention is that when the communication is performed using the distance transmission means, and the separation command control of the robot control operation means for controlling the work of the robot is controlled from the control command means by the teaching program. A robot separation control communication method, characterized in that the robot control operating means is caused to self-examine a message of the teaching program and various commands accompanying the teaching program, and autonomously controls a stop operation of a robot work associated with abnormality diagnosis.

A second feature of the method of the present invention is that the remote control of the control command means in the first feature of the method of the present invention first transmits an operation start message before transmitting the teaching program, and then, In the robot separation control communication method, a survival message is forcibly interrupted and transmitted every certain time while transmitting the teaching program, and an operation end message is transmitted when the completion of the teaching program is detected. is there.

A third feature of the method of the present invention is that the autonomous control of the robot control operation means first starts the work of the robot when the teaching program is received following the detection of the operation start message, and then the above-mentioned. When receiving the teaching program, the robot operation is continued when the survival message is forcibly interrupted at regular intervals, and the operation completion message is detected or the survival message is forcibly interrupted at regular intervals. If not detected,
This is a robot separation control communication method in which robot work is stopped.

A fourth feature of the method of the present invention is a robot remote control communication method in which the remote transmission means in the first, second or third method of the present invention is a local area network.

The fifth feature of the method of the present invention is the robot separation control communication method wherein the control command means in the first, second, third or fourth of the method of the present invention is a workstation or an intelligent terminal.

The sixth feature of the method of the present invention is a robot separation control communication method, wherein the robot control operating means in the first, second, third, fourth or fifth method of the present invention is a robot controller.

[0023]

According to the present invention, since the new means and method as described above are taken, when an abnormality occurs in the teaching program or an abnormality occurs in the communication path of the remote transmission means, a survival message is generated at regular intervals. The robot controller of the robot control operation means is unreachable, and the controller detects the unreachability and gives a control instruction to stop the robot.

[0024]

【Example】

(Device Example 1) A first device example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system block configuration diagram for explaining the overall configuration of this device example.

In the figure, A is a storage unit 1, a central processing unit 2,
A workstation as a preferred example of the control command means having the communication section 3, A1 and A2 are other workstations connected by LAN as a suitable example of the remote transmission means, and B is a communication section 4 and a control operation section 5. A robot controller as a preferred example of the robot control operation means that the
C is a LAN communication path between the workstation A and the robot controller B, D is a robot controlled by the robot controller B, and E is a communication path between the robot controller B and the robot D.

(Method Example 1) This apparatus example has the above-described specific embodiment. Next, a first method example of the present invention applied to this apparatus example will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a time chart of a message transmitted by the teaching program. In the figure, M1 is an operation start message, M2 is a live message, and M3 is an operation end message.

First, the operation in the normal case will be described. First, the central processing unit 2 of the workstation A reads out, interprets and executes the teaching program of the robot D from the storage unit 1.

Then, the central processing unit 2 sends an operation start message M1 to the robot controller B through the communication path C at the first stage of sending the teaching program, and then sends the teaching program of the robot D. To do.

After that, the workstation A continues to send to the robot controller B a survival message M2, which is forcibly interrupted in the robot teaching program, through the communication path C by the LAN.

In the robot controller B, when the operation start message M1 is received by the receiving unit 4 and subsequently the teaching program is received, the control operation unit 5 causes the robot D to perform the heterometric control operation according to the teaching program. Thereafter, as long as the robot controller B receives the survival message M2 from the operation start message M1 or the previous survival message M2 within a certain time, the robot controller B keeps the robot D at the workstation A.
Continue to operate with separation control by the.

When the completion of the teaching program is detected, the workstation A determines that the robot controller B
In response to the operation end message M3. The robot controller B that has received the operation end message M3 interprets it by the control operation unit 5 and stops the robot D. The above is the execution procedure of the present method example in the case of the normal remote control.

Next, the communication path C or the workstation A
The execution procedure of this method example when an abnormality occurs (hereinafter referred to as "command / transmission system") will be described. First, the operation until the workstation A transmits the operation start message M1 and the teaching program is the same as the operation in the normal case. Even if an abnormality occurs at the stage up to this point, there is no actual damage because it is before the robot D operates.

The communication section 4 of the robot controller B receives the operation start message M1 and the teaching program, and the robot D starts the operation. After that, when an abnormality occurs in the command / transmission system, the teaching program from the workstation A and the survival message M2 do not arrive.

The control / operation unit of the robot controller B, which has detected by self-examination that the survival message M2 of the workstation A has not arrived from the operation start message M1 or the previous survival message M2 within a fixed time through the communication unit 4. Reference numeral 5 indicates a stop operation of the robot D, and the robot D stops its operation. The above is the description of the autonomous control operation by the robot controller B itself when an abnormality occurs.

(Device Example 2) A second device example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a system block configuration diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the present apparatus example. In the figure, A'is the storage unit 1,
A workstation as a preferred example of a control command means having a central processing unit 2, a communication unit 3, and an interrupt processing unit 6,
A'1 and A'2 are LANs as preferred examples of remote transmission means.
Another workstation connected by. The same blocks as those of the first device example shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The difference between this device example and the first device example is that
That is, the interrupt processing unit 6 exists between the central processing unit 2 and the communication unit 3. That is, in the first device example, the central processing unit 2 performs the process of forcibly interrupting various messages, but in this device example, only the process is separated and the interrupt processing unit 6 is provided. There is.

(Method Example 2) A second method example of the present invention applied to the present apparatus example will be described. The execution procedure will be described below with reference to FIG. However, although the figure is a time chart of various messages transmitted by the teaching program itself, in the present method example, the interrupt processing unit 6
Is a time chart of various messages received from the central processing unit 2 and transmitted to the communication unit 3.

First, the procedure for a normal case will be described. First, the central processing unit 2 of the workstation A ′ reads out, interprets and executes the teaching program of the robot D from the storage unit 1.

Then, the interrupt processing unit 6 receives the teaching program from the central processing unit 2 and sends the operation start message M1 at the first stage of sending the teaching program to the communication unit 3, and then sends the teaching program. Send
Next, the communication unit 3 that has received the operation start message M1 and the teaching program sends the operation start message M1 to the robot controller B through the communication path C, and further sends the teaching program of the robot D.

After that, the workstation A'continues to transmit the survival message M2, which is forcibly interrupted by the interrupt processing unit 6 in the teaching program, to the robot controller B through the communication path C by LAN.

In the robot controller B, when the operation start message M1 is received by the receiving section 4 and subsequently the teaching program is received, the control operation section 5 causes the robot D to perform the heterometric control operation according to the teaching program. After that, the robot controller B continues to operate the robot D as the heterogeneous control by the workstation A ′ as long as it receives the survival message M2 from the operation start message M1 or the previous survival message M2 within a certain time.

When the completion of the teaching program is detected, the interrupt processing unit 6 of the workstation A'indicates to the robot controller B the operation end message M.
3 is transmitted, and the communication unit 3 transmits the received operation end message to the robot controller B.

The robot controller B which has received the operation end message M3 via the communication path C interprets it by the control operation unit 5 and stops the robot D. More than,
It is an execution procedure of the example of the method in the case of normal remote control.

Next, the procedure of this method example when an abnormality occurs in the communication path C or the workstation A '(hereinafter referred to as "command / transmission system") will be described. First, the operation until the workstation A'transmits the operation start message M1 and the teaching program is the same as the operation in the normal case. Even if an abnormality occurs at the stage up to this point, there is no actual damage because it is before the robot D operates.

The communication section 4 of the robot controller B receives the operation start message M1 and the teaching program, and the robot D starts the operation. After that, if an abnormality occurs in the command / transmission system, the teaching program from the workstation A'and the survival message M2 will not arrive.

Workstation A'through communication unit 4
The control operation unit 5 of the robot controller B, which has detected by self-examination that the survival message M2 has not arrived from the operation start message M1 or the previous survival message M2 within a fixed time, stops the robot D by autonomous control. The operation is instructed, and the robot D stops its operation. The above is the description of the autonomous control operation of the robot controller B itself when an abnormality occurs.

In the description of FIGS. 1 and 3, the case where the workstation A for instructing the teaching program and the robot controller B are directly connected by the communication path C of the LAN has been described. The same applies to the case where the work station A1 or the work station A2 of FIG. 1 or the work station A′1 or the work station A′2 of FIG. 3 is indirectly connected to the LAN. However, the time conditions and the like in the robot controller B that occur due to passing through the communication paths C of a plurality of LANs should naturally be taken into consideration.

In addition, in FIGS. 1 and 3, a ring type LAN is imaged as the shape of the LAN, but if the remote transmission means is used, it is possible to apply the present embodiment regardless of the type. But it is useless for bus type "
There is no restriction on the N shape, and it goes without saying that any of a star type, a bus type, a ring type, and a Stirling type can be adopted.

Further, if it is a remote transmission means, regardless of the transmission method, the so-called LAN access method such as the CSMA / CD method, the TDMA method, the token passing method, the slotted ring method, and the type of protocol such as the transmission control procedure are used. Needless to say, the adoption of this embodiment is not affected.

The type of LAN is CSMA.
/ CD system is generally used, but if it is a remote transmission means,
Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to other types of LAN regardless of the LAN type, that is, various proposed LANs such as a token bus LAN often used in factory automation and a token ring LAN.

In addition, in this embodiment, the case where the workstation is adopted as the control command means has been exclusively described, but instead of this, an intelligent terminal having an equivalent high processing / control function may be used. Absent.

[0052]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By detecting the non-arrival of the survival message caused by the teaching program or the communication delay, it is possible to prevent the robot from performing an erroneous operation, and to improve the reliability and safety of the robot work.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall system block configuration diagram of a robot separation control communication device of a first device example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a time chart of various messages transmitted by the teaching program.

FIG. 3 is an overall system block configuration diagram of a robot separation control communication device of a second device example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

A, A1, A2, A ', A'1, A'2 ... Workstation B ... Robot controller C, E ... Communication path D ... Robot 1 ... Storage unit 2 ... Central processing unit 3, 4 ... Communication unit 5 ... Control operation unit 6 ... Interrupt processing unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location G05B 19/414 H04Q 9/00 301 Z

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A communication path of a local area network, a plurality of workstations for connecting and transmitting a teaching program for remotely operating a robot and various commands attached thereto as messages to the communication path, and the communication from the workstations. A robot separation control communication device comprising: the teaching program received via a road; and a robot controller that self-diagnoses the message and instructs the robot to perform an optimal control operation for coping with the self-diagnosis program. 2. The workstation calculates a teaching program stored in the storage section, and a storage section for storing a teaching program for robot work together with three kinds of messages of forcibly interrupting operation start, survival, and operation end. The robot separation control communication device according to claim 1, further comprising: a central processing calculation unit that executes the communication; and a communication unit that transmits and receives the communication path. 3. A robot controller is configured to perform a robot operation by a communication unit that transmits and receives the various messages and a teaching program from a workstation via the communication path, and the operation start message and the teaching program received through the communication unit. When the alive message which is started and is forcibly interrupted in the teaching program within a certain time is detected from the operation start message or the previous alive message, the robot work by the teaching program is continued and the operation end message is transmitted. The robot separation control communication device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a control operation unit that instructs stop operation of the robot work unless detection or reception of the survival message is detected within a predetermined time. 4. The central processing unit and the communication unit forcibly transmit an operation start message to the communication unit by interrupt processing when detecting the start of transmission of a teaching program from the central processing unit, and thereafter, After sending the teaching program and sending the operation start message, until the end of the teaching program is detected, the survival message is forcibly interrupted and sent to the communication unit. 4. The robot separation control communication device according to claim 1, wherein an interrupt processing unit for transmitting an operation end message is intervened when the end of the teaching program is detected. 5. The robot control operating means is configured to communicate with the remote control transmitting means and to perform the remote control command control of the robot control operating means for controlling the work of the robot from the control command means by the teaching program. A robot separation control communication method characterized in that a teaching program and messages of various commands attached to the teaching program are self-examined and a stop operation of a robot work associated with abnormality diagnosis is autonomously controlled. 6. The remote control method of the control command means comprises first transmitting an operation start message before transmitting a teaching program, and then forcibly issuing a survival message at regular intervals while transmitting the teaching program. 6. The robot separation control communication method according to claim 5, further comprising transmitting an interruption completion message when detecting that the teaching program is completed. 7. The autonomous control of the robot control operation means, first of all, starts the work of the robot when the teaching program is received subsequent to the detection of the operation start message, and then, while the teaching program is being received, a constant operation is performed. Robot work is continued when a survival message forcibly interrupted every time is received, and if the survival message forcibly interrupted at every fixed time is not detected, robot work is continued. A robot separation control communication method characterized by stopping the robot. 8. The method according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the remote transmission means is a local area network. 9. The robot separation control communication method according to claim 5, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the control command means is a workstation or an intelligent terminal. 10. The robot control operation means is a robot controller.
Alternatively, the robot separation control communication method according to Item 9.