JP7737010B2 - Industrial Robot Systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an industrial robot system that includes a control device that controls an industrial robot and an operating device that can operate the industrial robot via the control device.

The operation of industrial robots is generally controlled by a control device. For example, when teaching an industrial robot, an operating device is connected to the control device, and the industrial robot is operated via the control device. In this case, if the software on the operating device and the software on the control device are not consistent, the industrial robot may not be able to be operated correctly. For this reason, Patent Document 1, for example, proposes ensuring software consistency by making the software on each device updatable.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-292949

An industrial robot system may be constructed using multiple industrial robots. From a management perspective, such industrial robot systems are considered to have a standardized operating environment for each production line, for example. However, it is also possible that the operating environments may differ for different production lines or robots introduced at different times.

In addition, in actual production sites, one or a small number of operating devices are prepared and connected each time a task is required, thereby reducing costs and operating the equipment. Note that "small number" here means a number fewer than the number of installed industrial robots. In other words, in actual production sites, different operating environments may coexist in industrial robot systems that are the targets of work performed by one or a small number of operating devices.

However, when industrial robots are operating stably, they are often used over long periods of time without significant changes to their operating environment, and since reproducibility of operation is important, when new teaching or adjustment work is performed on an industrial robot that is currently in operation, there is a desire to perform the work in the operating environment that has been used previously, that is, an operating environment in which stable operation has been achieved.

This operating environment also includes the operating environment of software such as the control software executed by the control device to control the robot, the operation software executed by the operation device to use the control software, and the combination of the control software and operation software.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide an industrial robot system that can maintain an operating environment for software that achieves stable operation.

In the invention described in claim 1, the industrial robot system comprises a control device that controls the industrial robot, and an operation device that is communicatively connected to the control device and can operate the industrial robot via the control device. The control device has a memory unit that stores control software for controlling the industrial robot and software executed by the operation device, the version of operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the control device. The operation device also has an operation-side memory unit with memory capacity that can store platform software for communicating with the control device and multiple different versions of operation software, and a maintenance unit that maintains the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot.

In other words, by providing a maintenance unit, the industrial robot system makes it possible to continue using the operating environment of the software that has been providing stable operation when performing new teaching or adjustment work on an industrial robot that is currently in operation.

Specifically, if a version of operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the connected control device is stored in the operation-side memory unit, the maintenance unit selects the corresponding version of the operation software as the software to be executed.

This allows the operating device to run the operating software that corresponds to the version of the control software, and the combination of control software and operating software when operating the industrial robot can be restored to the same state as when stable operation was achieved. In other words, the operating environment for the software that was able to achieve stable operation can be maintained.

In addition, if the version of operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the connected control device is not stored in the operation-side memory unit, the maintenance unit retrieves the operation software stored in the control device and selects it as the software to be executed.

As a result, if the version of the operation software stored in the operation device does not correspond to the version of the control software stored in the control device, that is, if the operating environment differs from that of the software that enabled stable operation, by obtaining the corresponding version of operation software from the control device, the combination of control software and operation software used to operate the industrial robot can be restored to the same state as when stable operation was achieved. In other words, the operating environment of the software that enabled stable operation can be maintained.

Furthermore, with an industrial robot system configured in this way, the operating environment for the software that ensures stable operation can be maintained without changing either the hardware or software for the industrial robot or control device. This avoids the risk of malfunctions occurring when updating the software for the industrial robot or control device, and reliably meets the demands of actual production sites who want to perform work using an operating environment that ensures stable operation.

In the invention described in claim 2, when the maintenance unit acquires operation software from the control device, it stores the acquired operation software in the operation-side memory unit. This allows, for example, in cases where multiple industrial robots are operated using one or a small number of operation devices, to start work quickly after connecting the operation device, improving work efficiency.

In the invention described in claim 3, the maintenance unit stores the number of times each piece of operating software stored in the operating-side memory unit has been executed, and if there is insufficient memory capacity to store the operating software obtained from the control device, it deletes the operating software with the least number of executions and stores the obtained operating software in the operating-side memory unit. This eliminates the need to provide an excessively large amount of memory capacity in the operating device, and allows the next time the device is connected to the same control device to start working quickly without having to download operating software.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an industrial robot system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface of an operation device; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an installation mode of an industrial robot system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of processing executed by an operation device. A diagram showing the flow of processing executed by the control device.

The following describes an embodiment with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the industrial robot system 1 of this embodiment includes a control device 3 that controls the industrial robot 2, and an operation device 4 that is communicatively connected to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3.

In this embodiment, the industrial robot 2 is assumed to be a so-called six-axis vertical articulated robot. However, a so-called seven-axis robot or a so-called four-axis horizontal articulated robot can also be used as the industrial robot 2. The industrial robot 2 includes a base 2a placed on an installation surface, a shoulder 2b rotatable relative to the base 2a, a lower arm 2c rotatable relative to the shoulder 2b, a first upper arm 2d rotatable relative to the lower arm 2c, a second upper arm 2e rotatable coaxially relative to the first upper arm 2d, and a wrist 2f attached to the tip of the second upper arm 2e. A hand or tool (not shown) is attached to a flange 2g attached to the tip of the wrist 2f, and the industrial robot 2 performs work by repeatedly executing taught movements.

In this embodiment, the control device 3 is connected to the industrial robot 2 via a dedicated cable 5 and includes a control unit 31, a memory unit 32, and a communication unit 33. In other words, in this embodiment, a control device 3 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the industrial robot 2. The control unit 31 is composed of a computer (not shown), and controls the entire control device 3 by executing software stored in the memory unit 32.

Specifically, the control unit 31 executes control software 6, which controls the industrial robot 2 and accepts operations from the operating device 4, thereby controlling the industrial robot 2 during operation, accepting operations from the operating device 4 during teaching work, etc., and controlling the industrial robot 2 in accordance with the accepted operations.

The storage unit 32 is composed of, for example, semiconductor memory or a HDD, and stores control software 6 and operation software 7, which is software executed by the operation device 4 and provides a user interface when operating the industrial robot 2 from the operation device 4, and is a version of the operation software 7 corresponding to the control software 6. Details will be described later, but in Figure 1, the A, B, and C in parentheses next to the operation software 7 schematically indicate the version of the operation software 7, and in Figure 2, the A, B, and C in parentheses next to the control device 3 schematically indicate the version of the operation software 7 stored in that control device 3.

The communication unit 33 communicates with the control device 4, and in this embodiment, wired communication is performed using a wired cable 8 that connects it to the control device 4. However, the communication unit 33 can also be configured to enable wireless communication with the control device 4, or to enable both wired and wireless communication.

In this embodiment, the operating device 4 is assumed to be a teaching device that teaches the industrial robot 2. Therefore, the operating device 4 is configured to be able to communicate with different control devices 3. However, the operating device 4 can also be configured to run operating software on, for example, a laptop computer, smartphone, or tablet computer, as long as it is communicatively connected to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2.

The operating device 4 includes an operating control unit 41, an operating memory unit 42, an operating communication unit 43, a display unit 44, and an input unit 45. The operating control unit 41 is configured using a computer (not shown), and controls the entire operating device 4 by executing software stored in the operating memory unit 42. The operating control unit 41 also includes a maintenance unit 46.

The maintenance unit 46 is a functional unit that maintains the software operating environment when operating the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3, and in this embodiment is composed of software using a program executed by the operation-side control unit 41. As will be described in detail below, this maintenance unit 46 recreates the combination of the version of the operation software 7 and the control software 6 that has achieved stable operation, and maintains the software operating environment when operating the industrial robot 2.

The operating-side memory unit 42 is composed of, for example, semiconductor memory or a HDD, and has enough storage capacity to store the platform software 9 for communication with the control device 3, and multiple versions of operating software 7. In the case of Figure 1, for example, this memory unit 32 stores operating software 7 versions A, B, and C, and has enough free storage capacity to store other operating software 7. There are no particular restrictions on the upper limit of storage capacity or the number of operating software 7 to be stored, and these can be selected appropriately taking into account factors such as manufacturing costs.

The operating-side communication unit 43 communicates with the control device 3, and in this embodiment is connected to the control device 3 via a wired cable 8. However, the operating-side communication unit 43 can also be configured to enable communication with the control device 3 via wireless communication, or to enable both wired and wireless communication.

The display unit 44 is composed of, for example, an LCD panel or an organic EL panel, and displays a user interface when operating the industrial robot 2. The input unit 45 is composed of an enable switch, a deadman switch, buttons, switches, or a touch panel provided in correspondence with the display unit 44. Hereinafter, the user interface will also be referred to as the UI (User Interface).

Operation devices 4 with this configuration may present different user interfaces to users even when using the same device, depending on the version of operation software 7 being executed, as shown in Figure 2, which shows examples of the UI for each version of operation software 7. For example, in operation software 7 version A, the operation area (R1) operated when moving the arm is composed of a touch button indicated by an upward-pointing triangle, a display frame showing the current position numerically, and a touch button indicated by a downward-pointing triangle. On the other hand, in version B, which was released after version A and was an improvement over version A, the operation area (R2) operated when moving the arm is composed of a display frame showing the current position numerically and a slider that can be moved left and right by touch operation.

Furthermore, for example, version B of the operation software 7 may have added touch icons (M2) corresponding to mechanical operation switches (M1) located below the display unit 44, which were not present in version A of the operation software 7. Furthermore, although not shown, for example, version C of the operation software 7, which was released after version B, may have internal changes such as algorithm modifications and bug fixes, even if the user interface itself remains unchanged from the user's perspective.

As such, there may be visually distinguishable differences in the user interface and operation modes depending on the version of the operation software 7. Note that the differences in the user interface and operation modes due to different versions of the operation software 7 illustrated in Figure 2 are merely examples.

Next, the operation of the above-described configuration will be described.
As described above, the industrial robot system 1 may be constructed using multiple industrial robots 2. In such cases, it is considered that the operating environment is standardized for each production line, for example, mainly from a management perspective. On the other hand, it is also assumed that the operating environments are different for different production lines or robots introduced at different times.

This operating environment also includes the operating environment of software such as control software 6 executed by the control device 3 to control the robot, operation software 7 executed by the operation device 4 to use the control software 6, and the combination of the control software 6 and operation software 7.

For example, as shown in Figure 3, three industrial robots 2 are installed on the first production line (L1). At this time, each industrial robot 2 is responsible for the task of sequentially attaching different parts 11a, 11b, and 11c to a workpiece 10. Each industrial robot 2 is controlled by a control device 3 that stores version A of the operation software 7. In other words, each industrial robot 2 on the first production line (L1) can achieve stable operation when combined with version A of the operation software 7.

Furthermore, the second production line (L2) is equipped with a work robot that is responsible for attaching part 11d to a workpiece 10b different from that of the first production line (L1), and is controlled by a control device 3 that stores version B of the operation software 7. In other words, the industrial robot 2 of the second production line (L2) can achieve stable operation when combined with version B of the operation software 7.

In addition, three industrial robots 2 have been introduced into the third production line (L3) to perform the same tasks as those on the first production line (L1). However, because they were introduced at a different time than those on the first production line (L1) due to factors such as equipment expansion, each industrial robot 2 is controlled by a control device 3 that stores version C of the operation software 7, which is different from that of the first production line (L1). In other words, each industrial robot 2 on the third production line (L3) can achieve stable operation when combined with version C of the operation software 7.

In actual production sites, one or a small number of operating devices 4 may be prepared and connected each time a task is required, thereby reducing costs and operating the equipment. For example, in the case of Figure 3, as schematically shown by the dashed arrows, one operating device 4 performs tasks on all industrial robots 2 installed on each production line.

In this way, an industrial robot system 1 may be configured with multiple control devices 3 connected one-to-one to multiple industrial robots 2, and one operating device 4 that can be individually connected to each control device 3. In other words, in actual production sites, one or a small number of operating devices 4 may be used to work on objects with different operating environments. However, providing a dedicated operating device 4 for each control device 3 in order to maintain the operating environment may not be feasible, mainly due to cost considerations.

On the other hand, when industrial robots 2 are operating stably, they are often used over long periods of time without significant changes to their operating environment. Furthermore, since the reproducibility of the movements of industrial robots 2 is important in actual production sites, when new teaching or adjustment work is performed, there is a desire to perform the work in an operating environment that has been used previously, in other words, an operating environment in which stable operation has been achieved.

In the industrial robot system 1, the process shown in Figure 4 is executed by the operating device 4, and the process shown in Figure 5 is executed by the control device 3. By having the control device 3 and operating device 4 work together, it is possible to maintain the operating environment of the software that ensures stable operation. However, Figures 4 and 5 explain the flow of processing when the operating device 4 is connected and the robot is operated. Furthermore, the process shown in Figure 4 is primarily executed by the maintenance unit 46, and the process shown in Figure 5 is primarily executed by the control unit 31. However, to make the explanation easier to understand, the following explanation will focus mainly on the operating device 4 and control device 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the operation device 4 starts processing, it determines whether it is connected to the control device 3 (S1), and if it is not connected (S1: NO), it waits until it is connected. Then, when it is connected (S1: YES), the control device 3 communicates with the control device 3 and obtains the version of the control software 6 installed in the control device 3 (S2).

At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, when the control device 3 starts processing, it determines whether the controller device 4 is connected (T1), and if it is not connected (T1: NO), it waits for the controller device 4 to connect. As mentioned above, FIG. 5 shows a processing flow that assumes that the controller device 4 is connected, so if the controller device 4 is not connected, the control device 3 waits for the controller device 4 to connect. Then, when the control device 3 connects to the controller device 4 (T1: YES), it transmits the version of the control software 6 stored in itself to the controller device 4 (T2). This allows the controller device 4 to obtain the version of the control software 6.

When the operation device 4 acquires the version of the control software 6, it determines whether or not it stores the corresponding operation software 7 (S3), and if it does (S3: YES), it selects the corresponding operation software 7 as the software to be executed (S4). This maintains the operating environment of the software that can achieve stable operation in the connected control device 3, that is, the combination of the version of the control software 6 and the version of the operation software 7 .

On the other hand, if the controller device 4 does not have the corresponding operation software 7 stored therein (S3: NO), it transmits a download request to the control device 3 requesting that the operation software 7 be transmitted, thereby acquiring the operation software 7 from the control device 3 (S8). At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, when the control device 3 receives a download request from the controller device 4 (T3: YES), it transmits the operation software 7 stored therein to the controller device 4 (T5).

4, when the operation device 4 acquires the operation software 7 from the control device 3, it selects the acquired operation software 7 as the software to be executed (S9). This maintains the operating environment of the software that allows stable operation in the connected control device 3, that is, the combination of the version of the control software 6 and the version of the operation software 7. Furthermore, after connecting the operation device 4 to the control device 3, work can be started quickly.

The operating device 4 then determines whether the operating-side memory unit 42 has enough free memory capacity to store the acquired operating software 7 (S10). If there is free space (S10: YES), it stores the acquired operating software 7 (S11) and resets the number of times the acquired software has been executed (S12). This allows the next time the operating device 4 is connected to the same control device 3 to start working quickly without having to download the operating software 7.

In contrast, if there is no free storage space (S10: NO), the operating device 4 deletes the operating software 7 that has been executed the least number of times, i.e., the operating software 7 that has been used least frequently, from the operating-side storage unit 42 (S13). This ensures free storage space for storing new operating software 7. However, if there is still insufficient free storage space even after deleting the operating software 7 that has been executed the least number of times, the operating software 7 that has been executed the least number of times after deletion can be further deleted.

The operating device 4 then stores the acquired operating software 7 (S11) and resets the number of executions (S12). This eliminates the need to increase storage capacity excessively, and the next time it is connected to the same control device 3, it can quickly start working without having to download the operating software 7.

Then, the operation device 4 executes the operation software 7 selected for execution (S5) and increments the number of times the operation software 7 has been executed (S6). This makes it possible to secure free storage capacity based on usage frequency as described above when free storage capacity becomes low.

When the operation software 7 is executed, a UI such as that shown in Figure 2 is displayed on the display unit 44 of the operation device 4. The user then uses the UI to operate the industrial robot 2. At this time, the operation device 4 is executing an operation process (S7). This operation process includes processes such as sending data such as the arm's movement destination and movement speed as operation signals to the control device 3 in response to the user's operation, and obtaining data from the control device 3 as the results of actually controlling the industrial robot 2 and displaying or reflecting this data on the UI.

At this time, as shown in Figure 5, when the control device 3 receives an operation signal (T6), it executes the corresponding process, such as controlling the industrial robot 2 by moving the arm of the industrial robot, and transmitting data on the control results to the operation device 4 (T7).

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the user completes a task during the operation process and performs an end operation, the operation device 4 sends an end signal to the control device 3 and ends the process. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the control device 3 receives an end signal from the operation device 4 (T7: YES), it ends the process.

The industrial robot system 1 described above can provide the following effects.
The industrial robot system 1 includes a control device 3 that controls the industrial robot 2, and an operation device 4 that is communicatively connected to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3. The control device 3 has a memory unit 32 that stores control software 6 for controlling the industrial robot 2 and operation software 7, which is software executed by the operation device 4 and is a version corresponding to the control software 6 stored in the control device 3. The operation device 4 also has an operation-side memory unit 42 that has a memory capacity that can store platform software 9 for communicating with the control device 3 and multiple different versions of the operation software 7, and a maintenance unit 46 that maintains the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot 2.

Specifically, if a version of the operation software 7 corresponding to the control software 6 stored in the connected control device 3 is stored in the operation-side memory unit 42, the maintenance unit 46 selects the corresponding version of the operation software 7 as the target for execution.

As a result, the operating software 7 corresponding to the version of the control software 6 is executed by the operating device 4, and the combination of the control software 6 and operating software 7 when operating the industrial robot 2 can be made to be the same as when stable operation was achieved. In other words, the operating environment of the software that achieved stable operation can be maintained.

In addition, if the version of the operation software 7 corresponding to the control software 6 stored in the connected control device 3 is not stored in the operation-side memory unit 42, the maintenance unit 46 retrieves the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 and selects it as the software to be executed.

As a result, if the version of the operation software 7 stored in the operation device 4 does not correspond to the version of the control software 6 stored in the control device 3, that is, if the operating environment differs from the software that enabled stable operation, by obtaining the corresponding version of the operation software 7 from the control device 3, the combination of the control software 6 and operation software 7 when operating the industrial robot 2 can be restored to the same state as when stable operation was enabled. In other words, the operating environment of the software that enabled stable operation can be maintained.

In addition, the industrial robot system 1 can maintain the operating environment of software that has achieved stable operation without changing the hardware and software of the industrial robot 2 and control device 3. This avoids the risk of malfunctions occurring when updating the software of the industrial robot 2 or control device 3, and reliably meets the demands of actual production sites to perform work using an operating environment that has achieved stable operation.

Furthermore, in the industrial robot system 1, when the maintenance unit 46 acquires the operation software 7 from the control device 3, it stores the acquired operation software 7 in the operation-side memory unit 42. This allows work to begin quickly after connecting the operation device 4, for example, in cases where multiple industrial robots 2 are operated using one or a small number of operation devices 4, thereby improving work efficiency.

In addition, in the industrial robot system 1, the maintenance unit 46 stores the number of times each piece of operation software 7 stored in the operation-side memory unit 42 has been executed, and if there is insufficient memory capacity to store the operation software 7 obtained from the control device 3, the operation software 7 with the least number of executions is deleted and the obtained operation software 7 is stored in the operation-side memory unit 42. This eliminates the need to provide an excessively large memory capacity in the operation device 4, and the next time it is connected to the same control device 3, it can start work quickly without having to download the operation software 7.

In the embodiment, a configuration is illustrated in which the version of the control software 6 stored in the control device 3 is obtained and a determination is made as to whether a corresponding version of the operation software 7 is stored in the operation-side memory unit 42. However, a configuration is also possible in which the version of the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 is obtained and a determination is made as to whether a matching version of the operation software 7 is stored on the operation device 4 side. Since the operation software 7 stored on the control device 3 is considered to be suitable for operating that control device 3, by comparing the versions of the operation software 7 on the control device 3 side and the operation device 4 side, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the operating environment of software that achieves stable operation.

Alternatively, the software operating environment can be maintained by obtaining the version of the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 from the beginning and determining whether a matching version of the operation software 7 is stored in the operation-side memory unit 42. In this case, too, the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 is considered to be suitable for operating that control device 3, so by comparing the versions of the operation software 7 on the control device 3 and the operation device 4, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the operating environment of software that is capable of stable operation.

In the embodiment, an example was shown in which the operating environment was standardized on the same production line, but the present invention can also be applied to cases in which the operating environments are different on the same production line. As a result, even if a 6-axis robot and a 4-axis robot are placed on the same production line and the operating environments are different, it is possible to operate the equipment using, for example, a single operating device 4, provided that the operating device 4 is compatible with each robot.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or shown in the drawings, and various modifications, extensions, or combinations with other configurations that do not deviate from the spirit of the invention are included in the scope of equivalents.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the industrial robot system, 2 indicates the industrial robot, 3 indicates the control device, 4 indicates the operating device, 6 indicates the control software, 7 indicates the operating software, 9 indicates the platform software, 32 indicates the memory unit, 42 indicates the operating side memory unit, and 46 indicates the maintenance unit.

Claims (3)

a control device for controlling an industrial robot;
an operating device that is communicably connected to the control device and that can operate the industrial robot via the control device,
the control device has a storage unit that stores control software for controlling the industrial robot and operation software that is software executed by the operation device,
the operation software stored in the storage unit of the control device is a version that can realize stable operation of the control software corresponding to the control software stored in the storage unit of the control device,
the operating device has an operating-side memory unit having a memory capacity capable of storing platform software for communicating with the control device and a plurality of different versions of the operating software, and a maintenance unit that maintains an operating environment for the software when operating the industrial robot,
When a version of the operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the memory unit of the connected control device is stored in the operation-side memory unit, the maintenance unit selects the corresponding version of the operation software as the object to be executed, while when a version of the operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the memory unit of the connected control device is not stored in the operation-side memory unit, the maintenance unit retrieves the operation software stored in the memory unit of the control device and selects it as the object to be executed, thereby reproducing a combination of the version of the operation software and the control software in a state where stable operation can be achieved, thereby maintaining the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot. 2. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance unit, when acquiring the operation software from the control device, stores the acquired operation software in the operation-side storage unit. 3. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance unit stores the number of times each of the operation software programs stored in the operation- side memory unit has been executed, and when there is insufficient memory capacity to store the operation software program acquired from the control device, the maintenance unit deletes the operation software program that has been executed the least number of times and stores the acquired operation software program in the operation-side memory unit.