Patent Publication Number: US-2021170578-A1

Title: Robot controller

Description:
This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-222862, filed on 10 Dec. 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a robot controller. 
     Related Art 
     Conventionally, a robot controller uses system software to control a robot. The system software is stored in a memory unit such as a memory in the robot controller (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2015-150636). 
     Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2015-150636 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To add a new function to existing system software for a robot controller, it is necessary to delete the existing system software, and then add, to the robot controller, the system software having the new function. 
     However, to newly add system software, robot programs and calculated data such as setting data are stored separately in an external memory device or a similar device, and are then read again in a memory unit in the robot controller after the system software has been added. 
     For such system software having a new function as described above, a longer time is taken to install the entire system software, and to read calculated data. Therefore, there has been a demand for a robot controller to which a new function can be added more easily. 
     A robot controller according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a robot controller that controls a robot. The robot controller includes a memory unit that stores an address table that contains a plurality of start addresses for additional system software files each used to add a function to system software for the robot controller, and a function addition portion that adds a function to the system software based on an additional function file stored in an external memory device. The function addition portion uses an index value with respect to the address table to acquire one of the start addresses for the additional system software files. Programs contained in the system software and the additional system software files each use a position-independent code based on relative addressing. 
     With the present invention, it is possible to add a new function more easily. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a robot controller; 
         FIG. 2  is a view showing a configuration of an archive file; and 
         FIG. 3  is a view showing a setting example of a GUI setting screen and an additional device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An example of an embodiment of the present invention will now be described herein. A robot controller  1  is coupled to a robot  3 , and executes various types of processing to control the robot  3 . 
     A teach pendant  2  represents a display-and-input device that includes a display and a hardware key, for example. The teach pendant  2  is coupled to the robot controller  1 . An operator operates the teach pendant  2  to execute calculation, correction, and registration of a robot program, to set various types of parameters, to run a taught robot program, and to perform manual operations for robot positioning, for example. 
     The robot  3  is coupled to the robot controller  1 , and operates according to control by the robot controller  1 . An external memory device  4  represents a memory device that is connectable to the robot controller  1 , such as a USB (universal serial bus) memory or a CF (compact flash) card. The external memory device  4  stores an additional function file  41 , for example. 
     An additional device  5  represents hardware that adds a function to the robot  3 , such as a robot hand. The additional device  5  is associated with the additional function file  41  in the external memory device  4 . The additional function file  41  and the additional device  5  are used to add a new function to the robot controller  1  and the robot  3 . 
     The robot controller  1  includes a control unit  11  and a memory unit  12 . The control unit  11  represents a processor such as a CPU (central processing unit) that executes programs stored in the memory unit  12  to serve as a function addition portion  111 , a screen addition portion  112 , a setting change portion  113 , and a deletion portion  114 . 
     The memory unit  12  includes a ROM (read only memory), a RAM (random access memory), a non-volatile memory, and a hard disk drive, for example, to store various types of data. 
     For example, system software used to control the robot  3  and system software used for image processing are stored in the ROM in the memory unit  12 . A robot program used to teach work contents to the robot in accordance with an application, and its related setting data are stored in the non-volatile memory in the memory unit  12 . The RAM in the memory unit  12  serves as a memory region used to temporarily store data that the control unit  11  uses for various types of arithmetic processing. 
     The memory unit  12  stores system software  121 , a robot program  122 , and an address table  123 . The system software  121  represents system software used to control the robot  3 . The robot program  122  represents a program that causes the robot  3  to execute various types of operations. 
     The address table  123  contains a plurality of start addresses (entry points) for additional system software files each used to add a function to the system software  121  for the robot controller  1 . An index value with respect to the address table can be used to acquire an entry point value. Since the additional system software files to be added are each assigned a unique index values, the robot controller  1  can use one of the index values to call newly-added system software. 
     The additional function file  41  stored in the external memory device  4  contains files each used to add a function to the system software  121 . The files constitute an archive file that is a single file containing a plurality of programs and a plurality of data files. 
     The additional function file  41  contains function definition information files  411 , additional system software files  412 , operation screen configuration files  413 , operation screen control files  414 , user program command files  415 , setting-purpose data files  416 , and command files  417 . 
     The function definition information files  411  each contain definition information (name, version number, ID name, description of function, for example). The function definition information files  411  are respectively registered as entries in an additional function database added to the memory unit  12 . For example, the function addition portion  111  in the control unit  11  causes the teach pendant  2  for the robot controller  1  to display a list of functions to be added based on the data in the additional function database. 
     The additional function file  41  further contains identification information for functions to be added. Therefore, the control unit  11  can discriminate an added function from other functions. 
     The additional system software files  412  each represent a file that contains a machine code that the control unit  11  in the robot controller  1  can execute. Note that the programs contained in the system software  121  and the additional system software files  412  each use a position-independent code based on relative addressing. The relative addressing is referred to as a method of specifying an address with a relative distance from a certain address. Therefore, the robot controller  1  can load a program at a desired address in the memory unit  12  for execution. 
     The operation screen configuration files  413  and the operation screen control files  414  represent files each used to add an operation screen on the teach pendant  2  for the robot controller  1 . The operation screen configuration files  413  and the operation screen control files  414  are registered in a screen control database added in the memory unit  12 . 
     The user program command files  415  each represent a file used to add a new robot command. The setting-purpose data files  416  each represent a file used to cause the robot controller  1  to change settings for the robot  3 . The command files  417  each represent a file that contains commands causing the robot controller  1  to perform various types of processing (file operations and system setting operations, for example). 
     Next, controls by the control unit  11  will be described below. The function addition portion  111  adds a function to the system software  121  based on the additional function file  41  stored in the external memory device  4 . For example, the function addition portion  111  may selectively add a function to the system software based on the additional function file  41 . Specifically, when the external memory device  4  is coupled to the robot controller  1 , the function addition portion  111  causes the teach pendant  2  for the robot controller  1  to display a list of additional functions based on the function definition information files  411 . 
     Upon selection of an additional function through an operation on the teach pendant  2 , the function addition portion  111  introduces the selected additional function from the additional function file  41  into the robot controller  1 . The introduction of the additional function is executed through such processing as described below, for example. 
     (a) The function addition portion  111  deploys one of the files contained in the additional function file  41  into the RAM in the memory unit  12 .
 
(b) The function addition portion  111  reads function information (ID name and version number, for example) from one of the corresponding function definition information files  411 , and secures a region (function introduction region) used to store the additional function in the non-volatile memory in the memory unit  12 . The function addition portion  111  uses the ID name of the additional function as a name of the function introduction region.
 
(c) The function addition portion  111  fully copies the file deployed in the memory unit  12  to the secured function introduction region, and then deletes the deployed file.
 
(d) The control unit  11  executes processing corresponding to each of the files contained in the additional function file  41 .
 
(e) After the processing has been fully completed, and the robot controller  1  is started again, the robot controller  1  can execute the additional function.
 
     The screen addition portion  112  adds a new graphical user interface (GUI) screen to the system software  121  based on one of the operation screen configuration files  413  and one of the operation screen control files  414 . For example, the screen addition portion  112  adds to the system software  121  a new GUI screen used to operate the additional device  5 , based on the one of the operation screen configuration files  413  and the one of the operation screen control files  414 . Therefore, a user can use the teach pendant  2  to operate the additional device  5 . 
     The setting change portion  113  changes system settings for the system software  121  based on each of the setting-purpose data files  416  and each of the command files  417 . For example, the setting change portion  113  changes the system settings of the system software  121  related to the operations of the additional device  5  based on each of the setting-purpose data files  416  and each of the command files  417 . 
     The deletion portion  114  selectively deletes a function added by the function addition portion  111 . Specifically, upon selection of a certain function from the list of the additional functions displayed on the teach pendant  2 , the deletion portion  114  deletes the selected certain function. 
       FIG. 3  is a view showing a setting example of a GUI setting screen and the additional device  5 . The example in  FIG. 3  shows the GUI setting screen for DI/DO (digital input and output) points used to control the additional device  5 . 
     Index values are used to access the DI/DO points. The index values set on the GUI setting screen are set internally to shared variables on the non-volatile memory, and are stored on the non-volatile memory. The shared variables are respectively associated with setting items, and become effective dynamically and instantly upon a setting change. 
     The robot program  122  that causes input-and-output operations of the signals to the DI/DO points to take place can refer to the shared variables that respectively possess the index values to access the DI/DO points. With the insertion of the index values (shared variables), the GUI setting screen and the robot programs are associated with each other via the index values. 
     The robot program  122  associated with the GUI setting screen then sends a DI/DO control signal to the additional device  5 . Therefore, the additional device  5  can be controlled through an operation on the newly added GUI setting screen. 
     According to the present embodiment, the robot controller  1  includes the memory unit  12  that stores the address table  123  that contains a plurality of start addresses for the additional system software files  412  each used to add a function to the system software  121  for the robot controller  1 , and the function addition portion  111  that adds a function to the system software  121  based on the additional function file  41  stored in the external memory device  4 . The function addition portion  111  uses an index value with respect to the address table  123  to acquire one of the start addresses for the additional system software files  412 . Programs contained in the system software  121  and the additional system software files  412  each use a position-independent code based on relative addressing. 
     Upon installation of the system software  121 , the robot controller  1  can therefore introduce a new additional function, without installing the system software  121  again. Although a robot controller can only use menus, screens, and the like that are specified beforehand, conventionally, for example, the robot controller  1  according to the present embodiment can therefore use menus, screens, and the like that are newly added. 
     The additional function file  41  constitutes an archive file that is a single file containing a plurality of programs and a plurality of data files. Therefore, the robot controller  1  can preferably introduce a file having an additional function. 
     The function addition portion  111  selectively adds a function to the system software  121  based on the additional function file  41 . Therefore, the user can appropriately introduce a necessary additional function into the robot controller  1 . 
     The additional function file  41  further contains identification information for functions to be added. Therefore, the robot controller  1  can discriminate an added function from other functions. 
     The additional function file  41  contains files that respectively configure new graphical user interface screens corresponding to the additional system software files. The robot controller  1  further includes the screen addition portion  112  that adds each of the new graphical user interface screens to the system software  121 . Therefore, the robot controller  1  can add, to the system software  121 , a new GUI screen corresponding to an additional function. 
     The additional function file  41  contains the setting-purpose data files  416  and the command files  417  each used to change system settings for the system software  121 . The robot controller  1  further includes the setting change portion  113  that changes the system settings for the system software  121  based on each of the setting-purpose data files  416  and each of the command files  417 . Therefore, the robot controller  1  can preferably change the system settings for the system software  121  having a new additional function. 
     The robot controller  1  further includes the deletion portion  114  that selectively deletes a function added by the function addition portion  111 . Therefore, the robot controller  1  can preferably delete an additional function that is unnecessary for the user. 
     Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. The effects described in the present embodiment correspond to most preferable effects that are derived from the present invention, and that are listed merely. The effects of the present invention are not however limited to the effects described in the present embodiment. 
     EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           1  Robot controller 
           2  Robot 
           3  Teach pendant 
           4  External memory device 
           5  Additional device 
           11  Control unit 
           12  Memory unit 
           41  Additional function file 
           111  Function addition portion 
           112  Screen addition portion 
           113  Setting change portion 
           114  Deletion portion