Robotic system

Abstract

A robot system is provided which suppresses search omissions in an electronic manual for the robot system and improves the convenience of the robot system. An electronic manual of a robot system (10) is stored in a teach pendant (40) which is an operation terminal for the robot system (10) and is displayed on a display (41) in accordance with a browsing operation by a user. Source code of the electronic manual includes display object text data which is displayed on the display (41) by the browsing operation and non-display object text data which includes a link statement which is not an object displayed on the display (41) by the browsing operation and is linked in correspondence with a keyword included in the display object text data. In the case where a search operation for a statement is performed on the electronic manual by the user, search use data is made by extracting the two text data from the source code and the statement specified by the user is searched in accordance with the search use data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to robot systems, and more particularly to a robot system comprising an operating terminal having a display unit that displays an electronic manual digitized with instructions for using the robot system. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, various types of robot systems with operating robot structures have emerged. One type of system includes an operating terminal, such as a teaching pendant, used for setting the robot's motion sequence, in addition to a control device for controlling the robot's movement. In such robot systems, it is known to have an electronic manual that digitizes various information about the robot system's structure, operation methods, maintenance methods, and other user manual information (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a technique for displaying the electronic manual on a screen on the operating terminal. Since the electronic manual can be viewed through the operating terminal, the convenience of using the robot system is improved.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6079561 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention

[0007] On the other hand, in recent years, there has been a trend towards further increasing the functionality and multi-functionality of robot systems. Consequently, the amount of information in the user manuals for these robot systems is also increasing. Therefore, the workload for users, who are trying to find the relevant information while browsing through electronic manuals, is also increasing. Therefore, the inventors of this application have designed a structure in the electronic manual that allows users to retrieve user-specified statements in order to further improve the ease of use of the robot system.

[0008] Here, among the various components that make up a robot system, there are components referred to by special terms such as technical jargon, but these terms are not necessarily widely standardized among manufacturers (industry). For example, the aforementioned operating terminal is also called a teach pendant, but it is also called a T-pen or an operating panel. Of course, it is conceivable to use one of the many related terms (e.g., teach pendant) to explain the system or component in an electronic manual. However, in this case, when a user performs a search operation using a term other than that one term (e.g., teach pendant) (e.g., T-pen) as a search candidate (search keyword) among the many terms associated with that one term, it is possible that the candidate will not be matched in the search. That is, even though the electronic manual contains information consistent with the user's purpose, it is also possible that the information cannot be retrieved (search omission). This undesirable situation may also occur when the electronic manual contains related content (sentences) that are not the term itself. Thus, from the viewpoint of improving the convenience of using the robot system, there is still room for improvement in existing robot systems.

[0009] The present invention is proposed in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and its main purpose is to prevent or reduce the omissions in the search of electronic manuals used when using robot systems, and improve the convenience of using robot systems.

[0010] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0011] The following describes the technical solutions used to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0012] In the first example, an operation terminal is equipped with a display unit that can display an electronic manual as user instructions for the robot system based on the user's browsing operations.

[0013] The source code of the electronic manual is recorded in markup language.

[0014] The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, including statements displayed on the display section via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including associated statements that are not objects displayed on the display section via the browsing operation and are associated with specific statements contained in the display object text data.

[0015] When a user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual, the statement specified by the user during the retrieval operation is retrieved based on retrieval data extracted from the source code of the electronic manual, which includes the text data of the display object and the text data of the non-display object. The retrieval results are then displayed on the display unit.

[0016] The source code of the electronic manual shown in this technical solution is recorded in a markup language. This source code includes both displayable text data (shown during browsing) and non-displayable text data (not shown during browsing). When a user performs a statement retrieval operation, the user-specified statement is retrieved based on retrieval data extracted from the displayable and non-displayable text data from the source code. In various structures that build robot systems, there exist structures named using specialized terms (equivalent to specific statements in the displayable text data), and these terms are not necessarily widely standardized. Here, the non-displayable text data shown in this technical solution includes text data containing associated statements corresponding to the specific statements. Even when the user specifies an associated statement that is not a specific statement as a search candidate, the associated statement is included in the retrieval data, preventing the statement from being missed in the search. In other words, it can prevent situations where information consistent with the user's purpose is included in the electronic manual but is missed in the search. Based on the above reasons, it can contribute to further improving the convenience of the robot system.

[0017] Furthermore, since non-display object text data uses a structure that is not displayed when browsing the electronic manual, even if the related statements are added to the source code, it can still avoid making the electronic manual difficult to read.

[0018] In the second example, an operation terminal is equipped with a display unit that can display an electronic manual as user instructions for the robot system based on the user's browsing operations.

[0019] The source code of the electronic manual is recorded in markup language.

[0020] The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, including statements displayed on the display section via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including associated statements that are not objects displayed on the display section via the browsing operation and are associated with specific statements contained in the display object text data.

[0021] The operating terminal has:

[0022] The data production department for retrieval extracts the text data of the displayed objects and the text data of the non-displayed objects from the source code of the electronic manual to produce retrieval data;

[0023] The search unit, when a user performs a statement search operation on the electronic manual, retrieves the statement specified by the user during the search operation based on the search data; and

[0024] The notification unit notifies the user of the search results by displaying them on the display unit.

[0025] According to the retrieval system shown in the second example, the same effect as in the first example can be expected. That is, it can suppress the situation where information consistent with the user's purpose is contained in the electronic manual but is omitted from the retrieval, thus contributing to a further improvement in the convenience of the robot system. In addition, since the retrieval data is generated from the electronic manual as needed, there is no need to prepare retrieval data separately in the ROM of the operating terminal or the like. This suppression of the increase in data volume is preferable in terms of achieving coexistence with other functions in the operating terminal (such as the robot's motion setting function). When the electronic manual is revised in conjunction with the update of the robot system, the revision results are also reflected in the inspection data generated based on the electronic manual. This is preferable in terms of performing appropriate searches corresponding to the version of the robot system or the electronic manual. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the outline of the robot system in the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the browsing screen of the electronic manual.

[0028] Figure 3A and Figure 3B This is a schematic diagram showing the search screen.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the retrieval process performed by the CPU of the teach pendant.

[0030] Figure 5A This is a schematic diagram illustrating the browsing of an electronic manual. Figure 5B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the source code of the electronic manual.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating various labels.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing the special labels.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating keywords and their associated statements.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the data used for retrieval.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the search results.

[0036] Figure 11This is a schematic diagram illustrating the retrieval data in the second embodiment.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram showing the special label in the third embodiment.

[0038] Figure 13A This is a schematic diagram illustrating the browsing of an electronic manual in the fourth embodiment. Figure 13B This is a schematic diagram illustrating the source code of the electronic manual.

[0039] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0040] 10: Robotic Systems

[0041] 20: Robot

[0042] 40: Teach pendant

[0043] 41: Monitor

[0044] 42: CPU

[0045] 60: Electronic Manual

[0046] T1: Header Label

[0047] T2: Paragraph tag

[0048] T3: Special Label Detailed Implementation

[0049] <First Implementation Method>

[0050] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a first embodiment of an industrial robot system used in machine assembly plants, etc., will be described. First, referring to... Figure 1 This section provides an overview of industrial robot systems.

[0051] The robot system 10 according to this embodiment includes a robot 20 and a teach pendant 40 as an operation terminal for the robot 20. The robot 20 includes a robot body 21 as a horizontal multi-joint (specifically 4-axis) industrial robot and a motion controller 22 (hereinafter also referred to as controller 22) for controlling the robot body 21.

[0052] As is well known, the robot body 21 has a base, an arm mounted on the base, a hand (tool) located at the end of the arm, and a servo amplifier for driving these arms or hands. The arm has multiple movable parts and one or more indirect parts connecting these movable parts. Each joint is equipped with a motor for driving the movable parts and an encoder for detecting the rotation angle of each motor. The servo amplifier contains a drive circuit for driving the motors of each joint based on drive commands from the motion controller 22 and detection information such as the rotation angle detected by the encoder.

[0053] The teach pendant 40 is connected to the motion controller 22 via a communication cable. The teach pendant 40 is a portable operating terminal with a touchscreen display 41. The teach pendant 40 includes a CPU 42 as a control unit, a ROM 45 as a storage unit, and RAM 46. Furthermore, various application programs, including setting support applications, are installed in the teach pendant 40. The CPU 42 executes these applications according to the user's operations.

[0054] When the user operates the setup support application, a setup support screen is displayed on the monitor 41, and the CPU 42 sets the motion sequence of the robot 20 according to the user's operation. The set motion sequence is sent to the controller 22. The motion controller 22 has a program library that stores various motion programs for the robot. The control unit of the controller 22 reads the motion program corresponding to the motion sequence received from the teach pendant 40 from the program library, determines the drive command based on the read motion program, and sends the determined drive command to the servo amplifier.

[0055] Additionally, as one of the aforementioned applications, the teach pendant 40 includes a manual browsing application for viewing user manual information of the robot system 10. When using this manual browsing application, such as... Figure 2 As illustrated, a browsing screen for the electronic manual is displayed on the display 41. Specifically, an electronic manual storage area 48 is provided in the RAM 46 to store the electronic manual 60, which digitizes the aforementioned user manual information. Therefore, when manufacturing the teach pendant 40, the electronic manual 60 is stored in this storage area 48.

[0056] For example, the electronic manual 60, in conjunction with the robot system 10, is updated to the latest version, which is uploaded to the cloud server CS. The teach pendant 40 can connect to the cloud server CS via the Internet. Therefore, in response to events such as user update operations, the revised electronic manual 60 is downloaded from the cloud server CS to the teach pendant 40. As a result, the electronic manual 60 stored in the electronic manual storage area 48 is updated (rewritten) to the latest version. Furthermore, various methods can be used to update the electronic manual 60 installed on the teach pendant 40. For example, updates can also be performed using media (storage media) such as CD-ROMs.

[0057] Here, the source code of the electronic manual 60 shown in this embodiment is recorded in markup language (specifically, HTML format). A browser is also installed in the teach pendant 40. Therefore, when the user performs a browsing operation on the electronic manual 60, the specified page is displayed on the display 41 through the browser. In the browsing screen displaying the electronic manual 60, the displayed page can be changed by swiping up and down on the display 41 with a finger.

[0058] The electronic manual 60 consists of multiple documents including a table of contents, an initial setup guide, an action sequence setup guide, a maintenance guide, and a Q&A section. Therefore, the amount of information (number of words, number of pages) is typically large. In the robot system 10 according to this embodiment, considering this situation, one of its features is that it supports user retrieval when searching for a desired statement from the electronic manual 60. Specifically, it has the function of using a retrieval program stored in the retrieval program storage area 47 of the ROM 45 to retrieve a desired statement from the electronic manual 60 and notifying the user of the retrieval results. Hereinafter, refer to... Figure 3A , Figure 3B This section explains the function.

[0059] In the browsing screen of the electronic manual 60, when any position on the display 41 is pressed and held, a list of selectable operation items (operation menu) is displayed. Among these operation items is "statement search". When the user selects "statement search", the browsing screen switches to the search screen.

[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 3A As shown, in response to a long press, the display area of ​​the search screen's display 41 is divided into two areas: a manual display area for continuing the display (browsing display) of the electronic manual 60, and a search information display area displaying the search box SB for specifying the search terms and the execute button BI for executing the search of the specified terms. After switching to the search screen, the user enters the search terms into the search box SB and taps the execute button BI to begin the search based on these terms.

[0061] In addition, such as Figure 3B As shown, after the search is completed, the user is notified of the search results. Specifically, the search area displays the number of instances that matched the entered statement (the specified statement), and the manual display area displays the location (address) of the statement. The displayed information includes the name of the file containing the corresponding statement in the electronic manual 60, the page containing the statement, and a highlighted display of the matched statement among the statements on the displayed page.

[0062] Next, refer to Figure 4 The flowchart below explains the search processing performed by CPU42. This search processing is performed as part of the processes that are periodically executed during the startup of the aforementioned manual browsing application, specifically during the display of the search screen.

[0063] In the retrieval process, firstly, CPU 42 determines in step S11 whether the retrieval result is displayed. If the retrieval result is not displayed, CPU 42 performs a negative determination in step S11 and proceeds to step S12. In step S12, it determines whether the retrieval execution operation (start operation) has occurred, i.e., whether the execution button BI has been tapped. If the determination in step S12 is negative, CPU 42 directly terminates this retrieval process. Conversely, if the determination in step S12 is positive, CPU 42 performs a positive determination in step S12 and proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the retrieval data creation process is performed. Specifically, CPU 42 extracts text data, etc., from the source code of the electronic manual 60 stored in the electronic manual storage area 48 of RAM 46, and converts the extracted data into JavaScript (registered trademark) format data. Afterwards, CPU 42 stores the converted data, i.e., the retrieval data, in RAM 46. Furthermore, details regarding the retrieval data will be explained later.

[0064] After generating the retrieval data, CPU 42 executes a retrieval process (step S14) to retrieve the user-specified statement based on the retrieval data. In this retrieval process, the number of statements matching the specified statement (hit count) and the location of these statements are stored in a buffer of CPU 42. In the next step S15, CPU 42 executes a retrieval result display process to notify the user of the results of the retrieval process in step S14. In the retrieval result display process, the hit count of the specified statement and its location are displayed on the display 41 (see reference 42) to show the user this information. Figure 3B ).

[0065] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the search results are displayed (yes), the CPU 42 causes the process to proceed to step S16. In step S16, the CPU 42 determines whether the user has specified, specifically, tapped one of the highlighted objects. If it is determined in step S16, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the CPU 42 switches from the search screen to the browsing screen. As a result, the electronic manual 60 is displayed on the entire display 41. At this time, a page beginning search is performed so that the statement tapped by the user is located at the top of the display 41. Afterwards, the process proceeds to step S18, where the search data stored in RAM 46 is deleted, and the current search process ends. At this time, information related to the search results is also deleted, and the display of the search results is also stopped.

[0066] Further, if the determination in step S16 is negative, the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the CPU 42 determines whether the user has performed a search end operation. Specifically, it determines whether the end button displayed in the search area has been tapped. If no search end operation has been performed, the search process ends directly. However, if a search end operation has been performed, the CPU 42 proceeds to step S20, switching from the search screen to the browsing screen. This restores the state of displaying the electronic manual 60 on the entire display 41, specifically the state before switching to the search screen. Afterward, the process proceeds to step S18, deleting the search data stored in RAM 46 to end the search process. At this time, the search result information stored in the buffer is also deleted.

[0067] In addition, in the above reference Figure 4 In the described process, step S13 functions as a data generation device 42A (or data generation unit), step S14 functions as a retrieval device 42B (or retrieval unit), and step S15 functions as a reporting device 42C (or reporting unit). These devices or units 42A, 42B, and 42C can... Figure 1 As shown in the text, and should also be consistent with Figure 1 The other steps shown should be understood in conjunction with this.

[0068] In the various structures used to build robot systems, there exist specialized terms such as technical jargon, but these specialized terms are not necessarily widely standardized. For example, suppose an electronic manual uses one of several related terms to explain a system. In this case, if the user specifies other terms among the related terms as search candidates, the search may fail to find those candidates. That is, even though the electronic manual contains information consistent with the user's search purpose, it is possible that this information may be missed in the search (search omission). This is not preferable in terms of improving the convenience of robot systems. On the other hand, simply recording all these terms in a manual can suppress search omissions, but conversely, it makes the electronic manual difficult to read. In other words, this does not contribute to improving user convenience. In this embodiment, considering these situations, one of its features is to suppress search omissions and improve convenience. Hereinafter, refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5B as well as Figure 6 The electronic manual 60 will be supplemented with further explanations, and then the above-mentioned methods will be explained.

[0069] The source code of the electronic manual 60 shown in this embodiment is recorded in HTML format. The structure of the text (header and body, etc.) for browsing the source code is specified using tags (see [reference]). Figure 5A , Figure 5B The tags that define this article structure (hereinafter referred to as structure tags) include, for example, a header tag T1 representing the header in the article, and a paragraph tag T2 representing the body text (paragraphs) in the article (see [reference]). Figure 6 ).

[0070] The header label T1 is used as the start label. <h> With the end tag< / h> This is how it's structured. When browsing the electronic manual 60, the text data enclosed by these start and end tags is displayed as headers in larger font than the body text. Additionally, paragraph tag T2 is composed of... With the end tag The electronic manual 60 is structured as follows: When browsing the electronic manual 60, the text data enclosed by these start and end tags is displayed as the main text in a smaller font. In other words, when the teach pendant 40's CPU 42 (browser) browses and displays the electronic manual 60, it specifies the text data stored in each structure tag as the display object and determines the font size according to the type of structure tag.

[0071] In the source code of the electronic manual 60 shown in this embodiment, a special tag T3 is included as a tag other than the aforementioned construction tags. This special tag T3 is the same as the construction tags in that it can store text data. However, when the CPU 42 (browser) of the teach pendant 40 browses / displays a portion of the text data stored in this special tag T3, it excludes it from the display objects, that is, it is configured not to be a display object.

[0072] Here, refer to Figure 7 Further explanation is provided regarding the special label T3. The special label T3 consists of a start label...<Synonyms=“”> The opening and closing tags are used as the basis for the keyword. The keyword is placed between the opening and closing tags. A related statement (associative statement) is placed between each set of double quotes in the opening tag. The associated statement shown in this embodiment is any of the keyword's synonyms, near-synonyms, or abbreviations.

[0073] The number of association statements configured within the start tag is arbitrary. Each association statement is enclosed in double quotes. Association statements enclosed in double quotes can be separated by commas and recorded together. For example, the source code with "XXX" as a keyword and "AAA" and "BBB" as association statements would be:<Synonyms=“AAA”,“BBB”> XXX (refer to) Figure 7 ).

[0074] The keyword XXX (see reference) is sandwiched between the start and end tags that constitute the special tag T3. Figure 7 The text data is displayed as a "text data object" when viewed on the electronic manual 60. Conversely, the associated statements configured within the start tab are excluded from the display objects when viewed on the electronic manual 60. In this embodiment, the keyword is equivalent to "text data of the display object," and the associated statements are equivalent to "text data of the non-display object."

[0075] Here, refer to Figure 5A , Figure 5B as well as Figure 8 This illustrates the relationship between keywords and related statements. As described above, the robot 20 included in the robot system 10 of this embodiment is a 4-axis horizontal articulated robot. In the electronic manual 60 of this robot system 10, the term "4-axis robot" (see reference 60) is used as a description of the robot 20. Figure 5A In addition to being called a "4-axis robot," this robot 20 may also be referred to as a "horizontal joint robot" or a "selective compliant assembly robotic arm (SCARA) robot." That is to say, in addition to being called a "4-axis robot," robot 20 can also be referred to as a "horizontal joint robot" or a "selective compliant assembly robotic arm robot."

[0076] Assume that when these three names are displayed side by side on the browsing screen, there is a concern that it is difficult to read the electronic manual 60 during browsing. In this embodiment, this concern is eliminated by applying the following source code to the paragraph containing the keyword. That is, "4-axis robot" is used as the display object text data, while "horizontal articulated robot" and "selective compliance assembly robot arm" are used as non-display object text data. Thus, the source code is recorded as <Synonyms = "horizontal articulated robot", "selective compliance assembly robot arm"> 4-axis robot. As a result, "horizontal articulated robot", "selective compliance assembly robot arm", and "4-axis robot" are recorded together in the source code, but only "4-axis robot" is displayed during browsing.

[0077] In addition, other keywords are exemplified. For example, the "end effector" as non-display object text data is associated with the "hand" as display object text data through the above special tag T3. Further, the "cloth pen", "operation panel", and "terminal" as non-display object text data are associated with the "teaching pendant" as display object text data through the special tag T3.

[0078] Here, Figure 4 the creation of the search data in the search process of

[0079] is supplemented. When creating the search data, according to the electronic manual data specific structure tag, the text data (display object text data) contained in the structure tag is extracted. That is, the structure tag functions as an extraction index. Figure 9 The association statement is recorded together in a part of these structure tags, that is, in the structure tags containing the above keywords in the display object text data in the storage, using the above special tag T3. In this case, as Figure 9 shown, the display object text data and non-display object text data stored in the special tag T3 are extracted in units of the special tag T3 while maintaining their positional relationship. As a result, not only for the display object text data, but also for the non-display object text data as its association statement, they are extracted in units of the special tag. As a result, these text data are converted into JavaScript (registered trademark) form. That is, the search data contains not only the display object text data but also the non-display object text data. As a result, it is possible to identify which statement is the keyword and which statement is its association statement through the special tag T3. With this structure, it is possible to include the association statements that are not displayed during browsing in the search object.

[0080] Next, refer to Figure 10This section explains the notification of search results when the user specifies related statements instead of keywords in the search query.

[0081] When the user-specified statement matches the related statement, the number of hits of the related statement is shown as a search result. Additionally, keywords corresponding to the specified statement are shown. Specifically, if the user-specified statement is contained in the special tag T3 (specifically, the start tag) constituting the search data, the statement enclosed by the start and end tags of the special tag T3 is shown as a statement corresponding to the specified statement. Furthermore, the location of that statement is also shown.

[0082] exist Figure 10 In the example shown, the user specifies "select compliant assembly robot arm" as the search query. As a search result, the hit count for "select compliant assembly robot arm" is shown (i.e., the number of times the keyword associated with "select compliant assembly robot arm" appears). In parallel, "4-axis robot" is shown as a keyword associated with "select compliant assembly robot arm". Furthermore, to emphasize this keyword, "4-axis robot" is highlighted, and its location is shown.

[0083] Based on the first embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be expected.

[0084] Even when the user does not specify keywords to display during browsing / display but instead designates related phrases as search candidates, these related phrases are included in the search data. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or reduce the omission of these phrases from the search. In other words, it is possible to prevent or reduce the omission of information from the search even though the electronic manual 60 contains information consistent with the user's purpose. Based on the above reasons, convenience is further improved in the application of the robot system 10.

[0085] Furthermore, even if multiple names are not specified as candidates sequentially and the search operation is repeated, search omissions can be prevented or reduced. Therefore, the burden on users during the search process is greatly reduced.

[0086] Furthermore, related statements are excluded from the display objects when browsing / displaying the electronic manual 60. Therefore, even if the related statements are embedded in the source code, it is possible to avoid difficulty in reading the electronic manual 60 during browsing.

[0087] Furthermore, retrieval data is generated from the electronic manual 60 as needed. Therefore, it is unnecessary to prepare retrieval data separately in the ROM or the like of the teach pendant 40. This minimizes the increase in data volume, which is preferable in terms of coexistence with other functions in the teach pendant 40 (e.g., motion sequence setting functions). When the electronic manual 60 is updated and revised in conjunction with the robot system 10, the check data generated based on the electronic manual 60 also reflects the revision results. This is preferable in terms of performing appropriate searches corresponding to the version of the robot system 10 or the electronic manual 60.

[0088] It is able to identify displayed object text data and non-displayed object text data within the retrieval data. Therefore, it is possible to specifically determine whether a retrieved statement belongs to displayed object text data or non-displayed object text data. This is preferable in terms of implementing a structure that appropriately informs the user of the search results.

[0089] When notifying users of search results, if the search matches a statement displayed during browsing, the system shows the user the location of that statement in the electronic manual 60. If the search matches a statement not displayed during browsing, the system shows the user the location of the corresponding related statement in the electronic manual 60. This significantly improves the convenience of the search function.

[0090] <Second Implementation Method>

[0091] Reference Figure 11 The second embodiment will be described below.

[0092] In the first embodiment described above, when creating retrieval data, the system is configured to extract keywords (display object text data) and their associated phrases (non-display object text data) stored in special tags T3 from the source code of the electronic manual 60, in units of special tags T3. Furthermore, the extracted special tags T3 are configured to be used as a means of identifying keywords and associated phrases. In this second embodiment, the extraction structure for creating retrieval data differs from the structure of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, refer to... Figure 11 The extraction-related structures will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0093] In this second embodiment, the feature is that, in an attempt to create retrieval data, the structure of keywords and related statements stored in special tags T3 is extracted from the source code of the electronic manual 60. In this extraction, the special tags T3 themselves are not considered as extraction targets. That is, when extracting the construction tags storing the special tags T3, the extraction is configured to extract keywords and related statements, but on the other hand, the special tags T3 themselves are not extracted.

[0094] When creating retrieval data based on extracted data, the order of keywords and related phrases is maintained. That is, in the retrieval data, related phrases and keywords are arranged such that related phrases precede keywords.

[0095] In this embodiment, when creating retrieval data, information indicating the correspondence between displayed object text data (keywords) and non-displayed object text data (related statements) (correspondence information) is stored as a separate file in RAM 46. The CPU 42 of the teach pendant 40 can refer to this correspondence information to subsequently understand the correspondence between keywords and related statements.

[0096] When the user-specified statement is a related statement during the statement retrieval, the relevant keywords associated with that statement are selected based on the aforementioned correspondence information. Furthermore, after performing the aforementioned instruction, the specific keywords are retrieved again, and those keywords are highlighted.

[0097] In the case of searching for a statement using the electronic manual 60, the probability of finding the desired statement after hitting the statement used in the electronic manual 60 is high. When searching for a statement using search data, the time required for the search is influenced by the weight of the search data. Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, correspondence information is created independently of the search data, and the correspondence information is referenced as needed. Based on this reference structure, the function of teaching the user the correspondence between keywords and related statements can be guaranteed, and the amount of search data can be reduced. Therefore, the search time for searching statements used in the electronic manual 60 can be shortened. This ultimately contributes to improved responsiveness.

[0098] Furthermore, the creation of the correspondence information shown in this second embodiment is arbitrary. That is, a structure that does not create such correspondence information can also be provided. In this case, the retrieval procedure can be modified as follows: That is, when a related statement is found through retrieval, the keywords that are highlighted can be determined based on that related statement. Alternatively, when a related statement is found through retrieval, the statement following the related statement can be configured to be highlighted within a specified range.

[0099] <Third Implementation Method>

[0100] Reference Figure 12 The third embodiment will be described below.

[0101] Comment tags are one of the existing tags in HTML, in addition to the various structural tags mentioned above (such as the header tag T1 and the paragraph tag T2). These comment tags are started with a `` tag. <comment> With as an end tag< / comment> The text data stored between these start and end tags is defined as objects excluded from browser-based display during browsing. In this third embodiment, the annotation tag is used as a special tag.

[0102] Specifically, such as Figure 12 As shown, it is configured to be in <comment> and< / comment> The annotation tags are placed before and after the keywords associated with the related statements. Specifically, the annotation tags are configured immediately before the keywords. When retrieval data is created based on the source code of the electronic manual data through retrieval processing in the CPU42, the related statements stored together with the keywords in the annotation tags are extracted. Incidentally, the annotation tags can also be configured immediately after the keywords.

[0103] Comment tags are used, for example, by source code creators to leave memos to facilitate understanding for themselves and others. Given this general use, the amount of data retrieved can easily increase when extracting only the text data within the comment tags. Therefore, in this third embodiment, the comment tags are configured to be separated as objects of text extraction. Specifically, the comment tags stored in the structure tags such as header tag T1 and paragraph tag T2 are limited to being objects of text extraction.

[0104] Furthermore, to suppress the increase in the amount of data used for retrieval, labels for annotations and labels for embedding related statements can be set independently. Thus, the latter can also be used as the object of text extraction.

[0105] <Fourth Implementation Method>

[0106] Referring to FIG13, the fourth embodiment will be described.

[0107] For the search box SB shown in the first embodiment, not only words but also sentences (articles) can be entered. However, when a sentence is entered, even if some parts are different, it is judged as inconsistent. Therefore, compared with the case of entering words, the possibility of hitting the target in the search is low. Based on this situation, it is conceivable that when performing a search, there may be a case where a word that summarizes the sentence that is being searched is designated as the search target. One of the features of this fourth embodiment is that this situation has been taken into account. Hereinafter, the above-mentioned approach will be explained with a focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 13, in the electronic manual 60 shown in the present embodiment, the interpolation method in the motion control of the robot 20 is described as follows. That is, it is described as "When specifying the interpolation method by a motion control command, if [P] is specified, then PTP motion is performed." In the source code of the electronic manual 60, "Motion Interpolation" is described in association with this sentence. Specifically, the source code is described as: <Synonyms = "Motion Interpolation"> When specifying the interpolation method by a motion control command, if [P] is specified, then PTP motion is performed.. Thus, although the associated statement "Motion Interpolation" and the key sentence "When specifying the interpolation method by a motion control command, if [P] is specified, then PTP motion is performed." are recorded together in the source code, only the key sentence is displayed during browsing. When creating search data, this key sentence and the associated statement associated with it are extracted.

[0109] Such a sentence that generalizes the key sentence into words is recorded as an associated statement in the source code. Thus, even when a user specifies a word for retrieval, it is possible to accurately prevent or reduce the omission of the key sentence associated with that word from the retrieval.

[0110] <Other embodiments>

[0111] In addition, the structures related to the above-described embodiments are not limited to the above description. For example, they can be implemented as follows. For example, each of the following structures can be applied to the above embodiments alone, or a part or all of them can be combined and applied to the above embodiments. Also, all or a part of the various structures shown in the above embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. In this case, it is preferable to ensure the technical meaning (the effects exerted) of each structure that is the object of combination.

[0112] · In the above embodiments, a structure in which a search program is pre-installed (e.g., at the time of manufacture) on the teach pendant 40 as an "operation terminal" is illustrated, but it is not limited thereto. For example, it is possible to use a tablet computer or a computer owned by the user, etc., on which a program for setting the motion of the robot or a browsing / search program for the electronic manual 60 is installed as an "operation terminal".

[0113] Alternatively, it can be configured to download the electronic manual 60 from a server or the like to the teach pendant 40 according to a user's operation (e.g., initial setting operation, manual update operation, browsing operation, etc.).

[0114] In the above embodiments, the teach pendant 40 is configured to extract text data from the source code of the electronic manual 60 and create search data, and then retrieve a statement specified by the user from this search data. The entity creating the search data or retrieving the statement is not limited to the teach pendant 40. For example, it could be configured such that, when a user performs a statement retrieval operation, the creation of search data and the retrieval of the statement are performed on the Internet (e.g., a cloud server) based on that retrieval operation, and the search results are displayed on the teach pendant 40.

[0115] In the embodiments described above, the operation of button BI (search operation) is configured to trigger the creation of search data, but this is not a limitation. The creation time of the search data may also be set before the search operation. For example, the creation of search data may be triggered by a user operation (specifically, browsing the electronic manual 60 or switching to the search screen display) that is intended to be performed before the search operation.

[0116] In the embodiments described above, the keyword and its associated statement are configured within the same paragraph. However, the configuration of the associated statement can be changed as follows: That is, the associated statement of the keyword can be configured immediately before or after the paragraph containing the keyword.

[0117] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the related statement for the keyword is configured immediately before the keyword, but this is not a limitation. The related statement for the keyword may also be configured immediately after the keyword.

[0118] In the above embodiments, the system is configured to teach the user the keywords associated with the specified statement (the associated statement) when the statement specified by the user matches the associated statement. The specific method of this teaching is arbitrary. For example, it could be configured to display the results screen with both the keywords and the associated statement (the specified statement) marked.

[0119] • The data creation process described in the above embodiments can also be divided into two stages. That is, the first stage of processing can be configured such that only the text data of the displayed object is extracted to create one set of search data. If the specified statement is not found using this first set of search data, the second stage of processing extracts both the text data of the displayed object and the text data of the non-displayed object to create a second set of search data.

[0120] • In the above embodiments, a structure for embedding words into the source code as a conjunction is illustrated, but it is not limited to this. It can also be configured to embed sentences into the source code as a conjunction.

[0121] • In the above embodiments, the statement or related statement that was found in the search is highlighted, but these can be changed. For example, the entire paragraph containing the found statement or related statement may also be highlighted.

[0122] • In the above embodiments, the source code of the electronic manual 60 is set to HTML format, but it is not limited to this. For example, the source code of the electronic manual 60 can also be set to XML format.

[0123] In the embodiments described above, the electronic manual 60, which digitizes the user manual information of the robot system 10, has a statement retrieval function. However, this can be modified. For example, the same retrieval function of the electronic manual 60 can be applied to other industrial equipment (e.g., machining devices such as CNC milling cutters). Furthermore, it can also be applied to other mechanical systems such as air conditioning systems, hot water supply systems, and area monitoring systems.

[0124] <Regarding the inventive group extracted from the above embodiments>

[0125] Hereinafter, the features of the inventive group extracted from the above embodiments will be shown and their effects explained as needed. Furthermore, in the following, for ease of understanding, corresponding structural elements in the above embodiments are indicated by parentheses. However, the elements of the invention are not limited to the specific structures indicated by these parentheses, etc.

[0126] Feature 1: A robot system comprising an operation terminal (e.g., a teach pendant 40) equipped with a display unit (display 41) that displays an electronic manual (electronic manual 60) as user instructions for the robot system (robot system 10) based on user browsing operations.

[0127] The source code of the electronic manual is written in a markup language (e.g., HTML).

[0128] The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, including statements displayed on the display section via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including objects not displayed on the display section via the browsing operation and associated statements corresponding to specific statements (e.g., "4-axis robot") contained in the display object text data (e.g., "horizontal joint robot" and "select compliant assembly robotic arm robot").

[0129] When a user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual, the statement specified by the user during the retrieval operation is retrieved based on the retrieval data obtained by extracting the display object text data and the non-display object text data from the source code of the electronic manual, and the retrieval result is displayed on the display unit.

[0130] The source code of the electronic manual shown in this feature is written in a markup language, and includes both displayable text data and non-displayable text data that are not displayed during browsing. When a user performs a statement retrieval operation, the user-specified statement is retrieved based on retrieval data extracted from the displayable and non-displayable text data from the source code. In various structures that build robot systems, there are structures named using specialized terms (equivalent to specific statements in the displayable text data), and these terms are not necessarily widely standardized. Here, the non-displayable text data shown in this feature includes text data containing related statements that correspond to the specific statement. Even if the user specifies a related statement instead of a specific statement as a search candidate, the related statement is included in the retrieval data, which can prevent the statement from being missed in the search. In other words, it can prevent or reduce the situation where information consistent with the user's purpose is included in the electronic manual but is missed in the search. For the above reasons, it can contribute to further improving the ease of use of the robot system.

[0131] Furthermore, since non-display object text data is a structure that is not displayed when browsing the electronic manual, even if related statements are embedded (added) into the source code, it can avoid making the electronic manual difficult to read.

[0132] Feature 2: A robot system comprising an operation terminal (e.g., a teach pendant 40) equipped with a display unit (display 41) that displays an electronic manual (electronic manual 60) as user instructions for the robot system (robot system 10) based on user browsing operations.

[0133] The source code of the electronic manual is written in a markup language (e.g., HTML).

[0134] The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, including statements displayed on the display section via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including objects not displayed on the display section via the browsing operation and associated statements corresponding to specific statements (e.g., "4-axis robot") contained in the display object text data (e.g., "horizontal joint robot" and "select compliant assembly robotic arm robot").

[0135] The operating terminal has:

[0136] The data creation unit (which performs data extraction and conversion processing via CPU42) extracts the text data of the displayed objects and the text data of the non-displayed objects from the source code of the electronic manual to create data for retrieval.

[0137] The retrieval unit (which performs retrieval processing via CPU 42) retrieves, based on the retrieval data, the statements specified by the user during the retrieval operation when the user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual; and

[0138] The notification unit (which performs the function of displaying search results via CPU42) notifies the user of the search results by displaying them on the display unit.

[0139] The retrieval system described in this feature can achieve the same effect as that shown in Feature 1. That is, it can suppress situations where information consistent with the user's purpose is contained in the electronic manual but is omitted from the retrieval, thus contributing to the improvement of the convenience of the robot system.

[0140] Furthermore, since the retrieval data is generated from the electronic manual as needed, there is no need to prepare separate retrieval data in the ROM or other memory of the operating terminal. This minimizes the increase in data volume and is preferable in terms of coexistence with other functions in the operating terminal (such as robot motion setting functions). When updating and revising the electronic manual in conjunction with the robot system, the revision results are also reflected in the inspection data generated based on the electronic manual. This is preferable in terms of performing appropriate searches corresponding to the robot system and electronic manual versions.

[0141] Feature 3: The robot system according to feature 1 or feature 2, wherein,

[0142] The source code of the electronic manual contains tags (e.g., header tag T1, paragraph tag T2, special tag T3) that store statements that constitute the text data of the displayed objects and the text data of the non-displayed objects.

[0143] As the label, a first label (e.g., header label T1 and paragraph label T2) is provided to define the text structure of the electronic manual when the electronic manual is displayed on the display unit according to the browsing operation, and a second label (e.g., special label T3) is provided to prevent stored statements from being displayed when the electronic manual is displayed on the display unit according to the browsing operation.

[0144] The associated statement is stored in the second tag.

[0145] The retrieval data is extracted from the source code of the electronic manual and compiled from various statements stored in the first and second tags.

[0146] The source code contains a first tag defining the article's structure and a second tag restricting the display of statements. By extracting the statements stored in these first and second tags from the source code, retrieval data can be generated without any excess or deficiency.

[0147] Feature 4: The robot system according to Feature 1 or Feature 2, wherein the retrieval data is configured to identify the non-display object text data extracted from the source code and the display object text data extracted from the source code.

[0148] As this feature demonstrates, as long as the displayed object text data and the non-displayed object text data can be identified in the retrieval data, it is possible to specifically determine whether the retrieved statement belongs to the displayed object text data or the non-displayed object text data. This is preferred in terms of implementing a structure that appropriately informs the user of the search results.

[0149] Feature 5: The robot system according to feature 1 or feature 2, wherein,

[0150] The source code of the electronic manual includes tags (e.g., header tag T1, paragraph tag T2, special tag T3) that store the statements that constitute the text data of the displayed objects and the text data of the non-displayed objects.

[0151] As the label, a first label (e.g., header label T1 and paragraph label T2) is provided to define the text structure of the electronic manual when the electronic manual is displayed on the display unit according to the browsing operation, and a second label (e.g., special label T3) is provided to prevent stored statements from being displayed when the electronic manual is displayed on the display unit according to the browsing operation.

[0152] The associated statement is stored in the second tag, and the second tag is configured to be stored together with the associated statement stored in the first tag.

[0153] The retrieval data is data extracted from the source code of the electronic manual and stored in the first tag, along with the second tag and the statements stored in the second tag.

[0154] As shown in this feature, by storing the second tag in the first tag, and extracting the second tag for each statement stored in the first tag to create retrieval data, the second tag can serve as an indicator to identify displayed object text data and non-displayed object text data in the retrieval data. Thus, the technical idea shown in feature four can be appropriately implemented.

[0155] Feature 6: The robot system according to any one of Features 1 to 5, wherein, as a notification method for notifying the user of the search results by displaying the search results on the display unit, the system includes: a first notification method, in which the user is instructed to locate the specified statement in the electronic manual when the user specifies one of the specific statements in the search; and a second notification method, in which the user is instructed to locate the statement in the electronic manual that corresponds to the specified statement when the user specifies one of the related statements in the search.

[0156] When notifying users of search results, the system can dramatically improve the convenience of the search function by showing the user the location of the corresponding statement in the electronic manual when the search matches a statement displayed during browsing, and by showing the user the location of the corresponding related statement in the electronic manual when the search matches a statement not displayed during browsing.

[0157] Feature 7: The robot system according to Feature 6, wherein,

[0158] The associated statement constituting the non-display object text data is arranged in the source code of the electronic manual before or after the statement corresponding to the specific statement in the source code.

[0159] The retrieval data is structured to maintain the sequential relationship between the specific statement and the related statements.

[0160] In the second notification method, the user is shown the specific statement in the associated statement that is arranged before or after the statement specified by the user in the search.

[0161] In the structure shown in this feature, if related statements are configured (and recorded together) immediately before or after a specific statement, and the sequential relationship between these specific statements and related statements is maintained to form detection data, then when a related statement is hit by retrieval, the corresponding specific statement is located immediately before or after it. Therefore, by using related statements as standard, easily grasped, and specific statements as objects of teaching, location-based teaching based on the second notification method can be easily achieved.

[0162] For example, it is preferably configured such that "when the related statement is hit in the search, the corresponding position of the electronic manual is displayed in a state where the display method of the specific statement arranged with the related statement changes, while displaying the search results in a different manner."

[0163] Feature 8: A retrieval system that retrieves user-specified statements from an electronic manual (electronic manual 60) for a robot system (robot system 10) displayed on a display unit (display 41) of an operating terminal (teach pendant 40) based on user browsing operations. The retrieval system comprises:

[0164] The data creation unit for retrieval (which performs data extraction and conversion processing in CPU42) extracts display object text data that is displayed on the display unit through the browsing operation and non-display object text data from the source code of the electronic manual written in markup language. This includes objects that are not displayed on the display unit through the browsing operation and are associated with specific statements (e.g., "4-axis robot") contained in the display object text data.

[0165] The retrieval unit (which performs retrieval processing functions in CPU42) retrieves, based on the retrieval data, the statements specified by the user during the retrieval operation when the user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual; and

[0166] The notification unit (which performs the function of displaying search results in CPU42) notifies the user of the search results by displaying the search results based on the search unit on the display unit.

[0167] The retrieval system described in this feature can achieve the same effect as that shown in Feature 1. That is, it can prevent or reduce the situation where information consistent with the user's purpose is included in the electronic manual but is omitted from the retrieval, thus contributing to the improvement of the ease of use of the robot system.

[0168] Feature 9: A retrieval program applied to the operating terminal (teach pendant 40) of a robot system (robot system 10), which retrieves user-specified statements from an electronic manual (electronic manual 60) for the robot system displayed on the display unit (display 41) of the operating terminal based on user browsing operations, wherein...

[0169] Cause the operating terminal to perform:

[0170] The data processing for retrieval (data extraction and conversion processing in CPU42) extracts the display object text data to be displayed on the display unit through the browsing operation and the non-display object text data, including objects not displayed on the display unit through the browsing operation and associated with specific statements contained in the display object text data, from the source code of the electronic manual written in markup language.

[0171] The retrieval processing (retrieval processing in CPU42) retrieves, based on the retrieval data, the statements specified by the user during the retrieval operation when the user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual; and

[0172] The notification processing (search result display processing in CPU42) notifies the user of the search results by displaying the search results based on the search unit on the display unit.

[0173] The retrieval system described in this feature can achieve the same effect as that shown in Feature 1. That is, it can prevent or reduce the situation where information consistent with the user's purpose is included in the electronic manual but is omitted from the retrieval, thus contributing to the improvement of the ease of use of the robot system.

[0174] Feature 10: An industrial equipment system comprising a terminal (e.g., a teach pendant 40 and a PC) equipped with a display unit (e.g., a display 41) capable of displaying an electronic manual (e.g., an electronic manual 60) as user instructions for the industrial equipment system based on the user's browsing operations.

[0175] The source code in the electronic manual is written in markup language.

[0176] The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, which is displayed on the display unit via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including objects that are not displayed on the display unit via the browsing operation and associated statements (e.g., "horizontal joint robot" and "select compliant assembly robot arm robot") corresponding to specific statements (e.g., "4-axis robot") contained in the display object text data.

[0177] When a user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual, the statement specified by the user during the retrieval operation is retrieved based on retrieval data extracted from the source code of the electronic manual, which includes the text data of the display object and the text data of the non-display object. The retrieval results are then displayed on the display unit.

[0178] The source code of the electronic manual shown in this feature is recorded in a markup language, and includes both displayable text data and non-displayable text data that are not displayed during browsing. When a user performs a statement retrieval operation, the user-specified statement is retrieved based on retrieval data extracted from the displayable and non-displayable text data from the source code. In various structures that construct industrial equipment systems, there exist structures named using specialized terms (equivalent to specific statements in the displayable text data), which are not necessarily widely standardized. Here, the non-displayable text data shown in this feature includes text data containing related statements corresponding to the specific statements. Even if the user specifies a related statement instead of a specific statement as a search candidate, the related statement is included in the retrieval data, preventing the statement from being missed in the search. In other words, it can prevent or reduce the situation where information consistent with the user's purpose is included in the electronic manual but is missed in the search. For the above reasons, it can contribute to further improving the ease of use of industrial equipment systems.

Claims

1. A robot system comprising an operating terminal, wherein the operating terminal is equipped with a display section capable of displaying an electronic manual as user instructions for the robot system based on user browsing operations, wherein... The source code of the electronic manual is recorded in markup language. The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, including statements displayed on the display section via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including associated statements that are not objects displayed on the display section via the browsing operation and are associated with specific statements contained in the display object text data. When a user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual, the system retrieves the statement specified by the user during the retrieval operation based on retrieval data extracted from the source code of the electronic manual, which includes both the text data of the displayed object and the text data of the non-displayed object. The retrieval results are then displayed on the display unit. As a notification method for informing a user of the search results by displaying the search results on the display unit, a first notification method and a second notification method are provided. The first notification method is a notification method that teaches the user where the specified statement in the electronic manual is located when the user specifies one of the specific statements in the search. The second notification method is a notification method that teaches the user where the statement in the electronic manual that is associated with the specified statement is located when the user specifies one of the related statements in the search.

2. A robot system comprising an operating terminal, wherein the operating terminal is equipped with a display section capable of displaying an electronic manual as user instructions for the robot system based on the user's browsing operations, wherein... The source code of the electronic manual is recorded in markup language. The source code of the electronic manual includes: display object text data, including statements displayed on the display section via the browsing operation; and non-display object text data, including associated statements that are not objects displayed on the display section via the browsing operation and are associated with specific statements contained in the display object text data. The operating terminal has: The data production department for retrieval extracts the text data of the displayed objects and the text data of the non-displayed objects from the source code of the electronic manual to produce retrieval data; The retrieval unit retrieves the statement specified by the user during the retrieval operation based on the retrieval data when the user performs a statement retrieval operation on the electronic manual. as well as The notification unit notifies the user of the search results by displaying them on the display unit. As a notification method for informing a user of the search results by displaying the search results on the display unit, a first notification method and a second notification method are provided. The first notification method is a notification method that teaches the user where the specified statement in the electronic manual is located when the user specifies one of the specific statements in the search. The second notification method is a notification method that teaches the user where the statement in the electronic manual that is associated with the specified statement is located when the user specifies one of the related statements in the search.

3. The robot system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The source code of the electronic manual contains tags, which are tags that store statements that constitute the text data of the displayed objects and the text data of the non-displayed objects. As the labels, a first label and a second label are provided. The first label specifies the text structure of the electronic manual when the electronic manual is displayed on the display unit according to the browsing operation. The second label specifies that, when the electronic manual is displayed on the display unit according to the browsing operation, at least a portion of the stored statements are not displayed. The associated statement is stored in the second tag, and the second tag is configured to be stored together with the associated statement stored in the first tag. The retrieval data is created by extracting various statements stored in the first tag from the source code of the electronic manual, along with the second tag and the statements stored in the second tag.

4. The robot system according to claim 3, wherein, The associated statements constituting the non-display object text data are arranged in the source code of the electronic manual, immediately before or after the statements corresponding to the specific statement. The retrieval data is structured to maintain the sequential relationship between the specific statement and the related statements. In the second notification method, the user is shown the specific statement in the associated statement that is arranged before or after the statement specified by the user in the search.

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