ROBOT CONTROLLER

Abstract: A robot controller has a teaching operation board (d), from which a number of robot instruction data including a group of position data are given. A CPU (a) converts the given data into integrated instruction data and stores it into a memory (RAM) (c). In the integrated instruction data, a group of successive positions (P1, P2, P3, P4, ...) are integrated into one group data 'PATH 1', where each connecting paths (P1-P2, P2-P3, P3-P4, ...) are called 'PATH 1 (1), PATH 1 (2), PATH 1 (3), ...', respectively, and include such data as positions, speeds, execution instructions and path instructions. The CPU (a) compiles thus prepared integrated instruction data and prepares an operation program for a robot.

Description: This invention relates to a robot control apparatus for programmably controlling a taught/playback-type robot. In order to programmably control a robot having a plurality of controlled axes along a predetermined motion path, it is usually required that the robot be taught designated points successively and that the points be stored in a data memory. In the teaching of such robot command data, addresses indicating at which locations of the data memory the taught data are to be stored are set and displayed, and target positions at which motions are to be performed as well as motion velocities are designated while actually moving a robot hand by a teaching panel or the like. The taught position data usually are stored upon naming them, as shown at P₁, P₂, ... in Fig. 5(a) and P k-1 , P k ,... in Fig. 5(b). It has recently become possible to have robots execute complicated activities. For this reason, the abovementioned conventional method of storing taught points involves a large number of taught target points and increased program length. When a motion program is to be modified, moreover, it is difficult to see the correspondence between the program and the motion paths, so that a particular inconvenience is that rewriting position data requires a great amount of time. EP-A-0 086 848 provides an example of this prior art, in accordance with the preamble of attached claim 1. Thus EP-A-0 086 848 discloses a robot control apparatus for programmably controlling a taught/playback-type robot, comprising a teaching panel for teaching robot motion target positions and motion velocities along a predetermined robot path, thereby to create a plurality of robot command data to move the robot along the predetermined motion path, and a data memory for storing the robot command data. EP-A-0 067 446 also discloses a robot control apparatus, but adapted for the control of a system of a plurality of robots and in which a robot control data dividing processor divides operation sequence data into operation sequence element data for controlling the respective robots in the whole robot system. The present invention has been devised to solve the problems mentioned hereinbefore and associated with the abovementioned conventional method of storing taught points involving a large number of taught target points and increased program length. Its object is to provide a robot control apparatus in which motion commands and position data in a robot motion program are made easy to see and readily manageable robot command data can be created. According to the present invention there is provided a robot control apparatus for programmably controlling a taught/playback-type robot, comprising: a teaching panel for teaching robot motion target positions and motion velocities along a predetermined robot motion path, thereby to create a plurality of robot command data to move the robot along the predetermined motion path; and a data memory for storing the robot command data; characterised by: data converting means for converting said plurality of robot command data which defines the predetermined robot motion path into position data groups defining respective successive portions of said predetermined robot motion path, and for converting each of said position data groups into a set of robot command data also comprising other robot command data, the data converting means being operable to store the sets of robot command data in the data memory; and processing control means for creating robot motion data by editing the sets of robot command data in the data memory. Thus, the robot control apparatus of the present invention converts a group of position data contained in a plurality of robot command data into set-type command data together with other robot command data and stores the converted command data. Therefore, by suitably assigning names to these data, readily manageable robot command data can be created. Even if there are many taught points for robot motion, conversion is made into set-type data which simultaneously incorporates various information such as travelling velocity at these positions besides the position data, and these data are stored. This makes the robot command data easy to manage. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig.1 is a block diagram illustrating the general construction of a robot control apparatus to which the present invention is applied, Figs. 2(a), (b), (c), Figs. 3(a), (b), (c) and Figs. 4(a), (b), (c) are views for describing examples of the present invention, and Figs. 5(a), (b) are explanatory views of examples of the prior art. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the general construction of a robot control apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In Fig. 1, a memory (ROM) b, a memory (RAM) c, a teaching panel d, an axial controller e and a tape reader f are connected to a central processing unit (CPU) a via a bus line g. The tape reader f reads out data inputted from a tape h, and the axis controller outputs a predetermined command signal to a servo circuit i to control a servomotor j. Various control programs to be executed by the CPU are stored in the memory (ROM) b. The memory (RAM) c stores command data inputted from the teaching panel d and tape reader f, as well as the results of processing executed by the CPU and other data. The present embodiment is characterized in that there is provided means for gathering together a position data group P₁, P₂, P₃, P₄, ... and converting it into set-type command data "PATH 1", setting various data between position data P₁, P₂ as "PATH 1(1) and various data between position data P₂, P₃ as "PATH 1(2), ...., as shown in Fig. 4(a), and gathering together a position data group P K-1 , P K , P K+1 , P K+2 , ... and converting it into set-type command data "PATH 2", setting various data between position data P K ₋₁, P K as "PATH 2(1), setting various data between position data P K , P K+1 as "PATH 2(2), ..., as shown in Fig. 4(b), and thereafter editing these set-type command data (hereinafter referred to as "set data") to create a robot motion program. Figs. 2(a) - (c) and Figs. 3(a) - (c) are views for describing examples of the present invention. Fig. 2(a) illustrates a main program. When a code Gab (where a, b each represent one integer from 0 to 9) is read out, the robot motion program edited into PATH 1 in Fig. 2(b), PATH 2 in Fig. 2(c),... is executed. This motion program is edited by the CPU a and storec in a specific area of the RAM. Next, the formation of the set data converted into "PATH 1" corresponding to Fig. 4(a) will be described in accordance with Fig. 2(b) and Figs. 3(a), (b) and (c). The "PATH 1" is composed of "PATH 1(1)" between position data P₁, P₂, "PATH 1(2)" between position data P₂, P₃, ..., as described above. Of these, the "PATH 1(1)" is data composed of the position data P₁, the travelling velocity A11 between P₁ and P₂, an instruction B11 to be executed at position P₁, such as an instruction for a specific motion of the robot hand, a path designation C11 for the path between P₁ and P₂, and an indication as to whether or not positioning at particular positions is to be neglected, etc. The indication regarding the neglecting of positioning is a command which simply causes the robot to pass by the vicinity of a position without a robot motion based on postioning being performed at the position. Similarly, the data of "PATH 1(2)" corresponding to the interval between the position data P₂, P₃ of Fig. 4(a) is composed of position data P₂, travelling velocity A12, an execution instruction B12, a path designation C12, ..., and so on. The set data "PATH 2" of Fig. 2(c) corresponding to Fig. 4(b) also is composed of "PATH 2(1)", "PATH 2(2)", ..., each of which is constituted by path data P K-1 , travelling velocity A K1 , execution instruction B K1 , path designation C K1 , ..., etc. More specifically, in the present invention, various data at each of the commanded positions are converted into set data "PATH 1", which is composed of "PATH 1(1)", "PATH 2(1), ..., etc., the set data are stored in the RAM, and the set data "PATH 2" ... similarly stored in the RAM are suitably edited to form a robot motion program. The robot control apparatus of the invention improves upon the conventional method of storing taught points. Even if there are many taught points for robot motion, conversion is made into set-type data which simultaneously incorporates various information such as travelling velocity at these positions besides the position data, and these data are stored. This makes the robot command data easy to manage.

Claims: A robot control apparatus for programmably controlling a taught/playback-type robot, comprising: a teaching panel (d) for teaching robot motion target positions (P) and motion velocities (A) along a predetermined robot motion path, thereby to create a plurality of robot command data to move the robot along the predetermined motion path; and a data memory (c) for storing the robot command data; characterised by: data converting means (a) for converting said plurality of robot command data which defines the predetermined robot motion path into position data groups (e.g. P₁ to P₄) defining respective successive portions of said predetermined robot motion path, and for converting each of said position data groups (e.g. P₁ to P₄) into a set (e.g. PATH 1) of robot command data also comprising other robot command data, the data converting means (a) being operable to store the sets of robot command data in the data memory (c); and processing control means (a) for creating robot motion data by editing the sets of robot command data in the data memory (c). A robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said other robot command data comprises path and other service code information taught to the robot.

Inventors: KOSAKA TETSUYA FANUC UTSUKIRYO, MIZUNO TOHRU SEISEKI SAKURAGAO, KOSAKA, TETSUYA FANUC UTSUKIRYO, MIZUNO, TOHRU SEISEKI SAKURAGAOKA PARKHOMES 901
Applicants: FANUC LTD, FANUC LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: G05B19
IPC codes: G05B19, B25J9