Patent ID: 7558646

Claim:
A cooperative control system of robots comprising: a plurality of control units for controlling individually respective operations of a plurality of robots in synchronization with a timing signal generated in a predetermined minimum interruption period, communication connection means communicatably connecting said control units to each other to constitute a network, input means which are respectively installed in said control units and input operation instructions of said robots, storage means which are respectively installed in said control units and store programs for operating said robots in response to said operation instructions of said robots, and timing signal generation means which are respectively installed in said control units and generate timing signals in said minimum interruption period, wherein: said control units can execute selectively at least one of an independent function execution mode, a master function execution mode, and a slave function execution mode by said programs stored in said storage means, when one of said plurality of control units is set to said master function execution mode by execution of said programs, at least one of residual control units excluding said control unit which is set to said master function execution mode among said plurality of control units is set to said slave function execution mode for executing a slave operation by execution of said programs, a master robot controlled by said control unit set to said master function execution mode and a slave robot controlled by said control unit set to said slave function execution mode are cooperatively operated, said control unit set to said slave function execution mode changes said minimum interruption period (Ts(b)) of said control unit set to said slave function execution mode so as to make a communication delay time (tb−ta) from a time (ta) when said control unit set to said master function execution mode transmits an operation instruction to a time (tb) when said control unit set to said slave function execution mode receives said operation instruction and starts controlling its own robot equal to a predetermined time (T), and said predetermined time (T) is selected to less than a control period (W) of each control unit.