Operation device of robot
The robot operation device enhances safety and convenience by using software-controlled stop buttons that adapt to the robot's state, ensuring quick access when necessary and optimizing display space.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024041359
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-15
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for stopping robot operations, such as emergency stop switches and enable switches, do not adequately enhance safety and convenience for workers.
A robot operation device that includes a display unit, a display processing unit, and a stop processing unit, which selectively displays stop buttons based on the robot's operating state to facilitate software-controlled stopping.
Improves worker safety and convenience by allowing quick recognition of stop buttons when needed and optimizing display space for other operations when the robot is not in immediate danger.
Smart Images

Figure 2025141431000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a robot manipulation device. [Background technology]
[0002] To ensure the safety of workers, the operating device used to teach the robot is equipped with an emergency stop switch to bring the robot to an emergency stop and an enable switch to allow the robot to operate only while the worker is operating it as intended. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-110873 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] However, in order to further improve safety and convenience for workers, there is a demand for a method of stopping the operation of a robot that differs from conventional methods such as an emergency stop switch or an enable switch.
[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a robot operating device that can stop the robot's operation using a method different from an emergency stop switch or an enable switch. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] A robot operation device according to an embodiment includes a display unit that displays information, a display processing unit that executes display processing to control the display content of the display unit, and a stop processing unit that executes stop processing to stop the robot based on software processing. The display processing is processing for displaying a stop button on the display unit that receives an operation for executing the stop processing, and includes processing for displaying the stop button on the display unit when the robot is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing, and not displaying the stop button on the display unit when the robot is stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing, or displaying the stop button on the display unit in a smaller size than when the robot is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a robot operation device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of a robot operating device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are examples of screens displayed on a display unit of an example of a robot operation device according to a first embodiment, in which (a) is an example of a display when the robot is operating automatically, and (b) is an example of a display when the robot is operating manually. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display process for an example of a robot operation device according to the first embodiment; [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are examples of screens displayed on a display unit of an example of a robot operation device according to a second embodiment, where (a) is an example of a display when the robot is operating automatically, and (b) is an example of a display when the robot is operating manually. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of a screen displayed on a display unit during manual operation of an example of a robot operating device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display process of an example of a robot operation device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8]10 is an example of a screen displayed on a display unit during manual operation of an example of a robot operation device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a display process of an example of a robot operation device according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An example in which the robot manipulation device of the present disclosure is applied to a teaching device such as a teaching pendant will be described with reference to the drawings. The manipulation device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is communicably connected to a robot controller 91, and manipulates the movement of a robot 92 via the robot controller 91. The robot 92 is the object to be manipulated by the manipulation device 10, and is envisioned to be an industrial robot, such as a vertically articulated robot, a horizontally articulated robot, or a parallel link robot.
[0009] The robot controller 91 includes a non-safety system control device 911 and a safety system control device 912. The non-safety system control device 911 is a device that mainly controls the operation of the robot 92, such as by generating and outputting control commands based on settings and instructions from the operation device 10. The safety system control device 912 is a device that mainly performs safety-related control, such as by cutting off the power supply to the robot 92 to stop it when an emergency stop operation is input, for example.
[0010] As shown in FIG. 1 , the operation device 10 includes a housing 11, a power switch 12, physical buttons 13, an emergency stop switch 14, an enable switch 15, a display unit 16, and an input unit 17. The housing 11 is configured to be sized so that an operator can hold it in his / her hand. The power switch 12 is used to turn the power of the operation device 10 on and off. When the power switch 12 is operated to turn on the power, the operation device 10 executes a process to safely start up the operation device 10. When the power switch 12 is operated to turn off the power, the operation device 10 executes a process to safely shut down the operation device 10. The physical buttons 13 are made up of a plurality of physical buttons that receive input operations from the operator.
[0011] The emergency stop switch 14 is for bringing the robot 92 to an emergency stop according to stop category 0 or 1 in accordance with the IEC 60204-1 standard. Stop category 0 is a stop mode in which the robot 92 is stopped by cutting off its drive source. Stop category 1 is a stop mode in which the robot 92 is stopped by control and then its drive source is cut off. And stop category 2 is a stop mode in which the robot 92 is stopped by control while its drive force is still applied.
[0012] The emergency stop switch 14 is configured, for example, by an electromechanical switch having normally closed physical contacts. Each contact of the emergency stop switch 14 is connected to the safety system control device 912. When the emergency stop switch 14 is not operated, the contacts are closed and the switch is on, allowing the safety system control device 912 to supply power to the robot 92. When the emergency stop switch 14 is operated by an operator, the contacts are opened and the switch is turned off, thereby cutting off the power supply to the robot 92 from the safety system control device 912 and bringing the robot 92 to an emergency stop. Stopping the robot 92 by operating the emergency stop switch 14 takes priority over all other functions. In other words, the emergency stop switch 14 plays a role in reliably stopping the robot 92 in an emergency.
[0013] The enable switch 15 is used to stop the robot 92 in stop category 0, 1, or 2 according to the IEC 60204-1 standard, and enables the execution of functions when operated continuously. The enable switch 15 enables the execution of functions such as manually operating the robot 92 only when, for example, an operator holding the operating device 10 continues to operate the enable switch 15 intentionally. In other words, the enable switch 15 serves as an interlock to prevent accidents caused by operator operation errors.
[0014] The enable switch 15 is configured as an electromechanical switch such as a three-position switch. In this case, the enable switch 15 is turned off when it is pressed firmly and not pressed firmly, and turned on when it is pressed lightly, i.e., in the intermediate position between the two off positions. The safety system control device 912 permits manual operation of the robot 92 when the enable switch 15 is turned on, and prohibits, i.e., stops, manual operation of the robot 92 when the enable switch 15 is turned off. Note that the execution of other functions can be permitted or prohibited depending on the operation of the enable switch 15. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which multiple enable switches 15 are provided to accommodate cases where the robot is held with the right hand and cases where it is held with the left hand, for example.
[0015] The display unit 16 is a user interface capable of displaying images, etc., and can be configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. The input unit 17 is a user interface that receives operational input from the user in response to information displayed on the display unit 16, and can be configured, for example, by a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel, etc. The input unit 17 includes at least a pointing device or a touch device that can specify a specific position on the screen displayed on the display unit 16.
[0016] When a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display is used as the display unit 16 and a touch panel is used as the input unit 17, the display unit 16 and the input unit 17 can be configured as an integrated touch panel display. The display unit 16 can also be configured as a wearable display that is worn on the worker's head, for example. In this case, the input unit 17 can be configured to detect the operation input by the worker based on the movement of the worker's fingers wearing the display unit 16 or the movement of a pointing device used by the worker. In this configuration, the worker inputs an operation to the input unit 17 by virtually touching, for example, an icon displayed on the display unit 16 with the worker's fingers or a pointing device.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 , the operation device 10 further includes a control unit 20, an input processing unit 21, a stop processing unit 22, and a display processing unit 24. The control unit 20 is housed inside the housing 11. The control unit 20 is mainly composed of a microcomputer having, for example, a CPU 201 and a storage area 202 such as a ROM, a RAM, and a rewritable flash memory, and controls the operation of the entire operation device 10. The storage area 202 stores computer programs. The display unit 16 and the input unit 17 operate under the control of the control unit 20.
[0018] The control unit 20 executes a computer program in the CPU 201, thereby virtually realizing the input processing unit 21, the stop processing unit 22, the status acquisition processing unit 23, the display processing unit 24, and the like by software. Note that the input processing unit 21, the stop processing unit 22, the status acquisition processing unit 23, and the display processing unit 24 may also be realized by hardware including electrical components such as integrated circuits, transistors, or switching relays that operate in cooperation with the control unit 20.
[0019] The input processing unit 21 has a function of generating commands for controlling the operation of the robot 92 based on operation inputs received by the input unit 17, and transmitting the commands to, for example, a non-safety control device 911 of the robot controller 91. The non-safety control device 911 operates the robot 92 based on commands received from the operation device 10, for example, when the operation of the robot 92 is permitted.
[0020] The stop processing unit 22 executes stop processing to stop the robot 92 based on software processing. Here, "based on software processing" means that the operation by the operator does not directly cause the robot 92 to stop, as in the case of the electromechanically configured emergency stop switch 14, but rather the operation by the operator goes through software processing in the CPU 201 and the stop processing is executed by an instruction from the CPU 201. The stop processing is processing to stop the operation of the robot 92 in stop category 0 or 1 according to the IEC 60204-1 standard.
[0021] In this embodiment, the stop processing by the stop processing unit 22 is assumed to be configured such that an instruction to stop the robot 92 is output from the stop processing unit 22 to the robot controller 91. In this case, the safety system control device 912 stops the robot 92 when it receives the instruction to stop from the stop processing unit 22.
[0022] It is also possible to configure the robot 92 such that a normally closed switch connected to the safety system controller 912 is provided inside the housing 11. In this configuration, when the stop processing unit 22 executes the stop processing, it turns off the switch provided inside the housing 11 in response to an instruction from the CPU 201. Then, the safety system controller 912 stops the robot 92 based on the fact that the switch has been turned off. This makes it possible to realize the stop processing of the robot 92 in the same manner as the emergency stop switch 14.
[0023] The state acquisition processing unit 23 acquires the operating state of the robot 92 directly from the robot 92 or indirectly from the robot controller 91. The operating state of the robot 92 includes a normal state and an emergency stop state. The normal state refers to a state in which operation of the robot 92 is permitted. The emergency stop state refers to a state in which operation of the robot 92 is not permitted. The normal state includes a state in which operation of the robot 92 is not stopped by input of a stop switch other than the stop button 301 described below, such as input of the emergency stop switch 14 or the enable switch 15. The normal state also includes a state in which no fatal error has occurred in the robot 92 or the robot controller 91. Note that the normal state includes not only a case in which the robot 92 is operating, but also a case in which the robot 92 has been stopped by stop processing. The emergency stop state includes a state in which operation of the robot 92 is stopped by input of a stop switch other than the stop button 301, such as input of the emergency stop switch 14 or the enable switch 15. The emergency stop state also includes a state in which a fatal error has occurred in the robot 92 or the robot controller 91.
[0024] The display processing unit 24 executes a display process that controls the display content of the display unit 16. The display process includes, for example, a process of displaying on the display unit 16 graphics and numerical values indicating the posture of the robot 92, various setting information, input information, and the like, depending on the operating status of the robot 92. The display process also includes, for example, a process of selectively displaying stop buttons 301 and 302, which are operated to execute a stop process, on the display unit 16, as shown in FIG. 3 . The stop buttons 301 and 302 are used to stop the operation of the robot 92 when there is a risk of a problem if the robot 92 continues to operate as is. When the stop button 301 or 302 displayed on the display unit 16 is operated by the operator to stop the operation, the stop processing unit 22 executes a stop process that stops the robot 92 in accordance with a stop category previously set for the stop process. The stop operation includes, for example, a single tap on the stop button 301 or 301.
[0025] The stop buttons 301 and 302 are both displayed, for example, with the word "STOP" surrounded by a circle, and the circle further surrounded by a square. The stop buttons 301 and 302 in Fig. 3 are used when the stop processing unit 22 is configured as an emergency stop device that performs an emergency stop of the robot 92, that is, they are stop buttons for performing an emergency stop. When the stop buttons 301 and 302 are used as emergency stop buttons, the display processing unit 24 must display the stop buttons 301 and 302 in red in accordance with the ISO 13850 standard.
[0026] Hereinafter, where necessary, stop button 301 will be referred to as the first stop button, and stop button 302 will be referred to as the second stop button 302 to distinguish between them. The second stop button 302 is displayed in a smaller size than the first stop button 301. For example, the area of the second stop button 302 can be set within a range of approximately 50% or less, approximately 33% or less, or approximately 25% or less of the area of the first stop button 301.
[0027] The content of the display process for alternatively displaying the stop buttons 301, 302 on the display unit 16 is set according to the operating state of the robot 92 acquired by the state acquisition processing unit 23. That is, the display process includes a process for displaying the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in a normal state, i.e., when the robot 92 is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing. The display process also includes a process for not displaying the stop buttons 301, 302 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state, i.e., when the robot 92 is stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing, or for displaying the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16 in a smaller size than when the robot 92 is in the normal state. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the display processing unit 24 displays the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in a normal state, and displays the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state.
[0028] When the robot 92 is in a normal state, there is an increased need to be prepared to immediately stop the robot 92 in case the robot 92 performs an operation unintended by the worker. For this reason, it is preferable to display the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 at a size equal to or larger than a certain size so that the worker can immediately recognize and operate the first stop button 301. On the other hand, when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state, the robot 92 is not permitted to operate, and therefore there is a relatively low need for the worker to be prepared to immediately stop the robot 92. For this reason, when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state, by displaying the small second stop button 302 on the display unit 16, other items displayed on the display unit 16 are displayed with priority, improving their visibility, and the larger area of the display unit 16 can be used for work, improving operability for the worker.
[0029] There may be cases where the robot 92 is in a normal state and is stopped. In such cases, the worker cannot be sure when the robot 92 will next start operating. For example, the robot 92 may be stopped while waiting for an external input from other equipment operating in conjunction with the robot 92. For this reason, even if the robot 92 is stopped, it is preferable to display the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 so that the worker can immediately perform a stop operation if necessary, regardless of when the robot 92 resumes operation.
[0030] By operating the second stop button 302, the worker can obtain the same effect as when operating the first stop button 301. For example, while the second stop button 302 is displayed on the display unit 16, the robot 92 may be restored and its operation may be permitted again. In this case, the stop processing unit 22 may execute stop processing in response to the operation of the second stop button 302. Furthermore, the display processing unit 24 may execute processing to enlarge and display the second stop button 302 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10. That is, the display processing includes processing to enlarge and display the second stop button 302 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10.
[0031] The magnification ratio for enlarging the second stop button 302 can be set within a range of 200% to 400%, for example. In this case, enlarging the second stop button 302 includes displaying the first stop button 301 instead of the second stop button 302. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in place of the second stop button 302 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10.
[0032] The predetermined operation on the operating device 10 may be, for example, an operation such as a double tap or a flick on the display unit 16. In this case, the operation may be a double tap or a flick on the area where the second stop button 302 is displayed, or on a predetermined area including the area where the second stop button 302 is displayed.
[0033] The area in which the second stop button 302 is displayed can be set so as to at least partially overlap the area in which the first stop button 301 is displayed. Preferably, the area in which the second stop button 302 is displayed can be set so as to fit within the area in which the first stop button 301 is displayed. This eliminates the need for the worker to memorize the positions of the first stop button 301 and the second stop button 302 separately, and allows the worker to quickly recognize the position of the second stop button 302 when necessary, even when the second stop button 302 is displayed small on the display unit 16.
[0034] When the second stop button 302 is enlarged in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10, the display processing unit 24 may continue to enlarge the display until the worker performs an operation on the operation device 10 to display the second stop button 302 at its normal size, or may display the second stop button 302 at its normal size when a specific criterion is met even without the worker performing the operation on the operation device 10. For example, in the present embodiment, the display processing unit 24 ends the enlarged display of the second stop button 302 when a predetermined operation to end the enlargement, for example, a long press, is performed on the enlarged second stop button 302 or the first stop button 301 while the second stop button 302 is being displayed in an enlarged state. In another example, the display processing unit 24 may display the second stop button 302 at its normal size when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the predetermined operation to enlarge the second stop button 302 is performed.
[0035] An example of the control content when using the operation device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the example of Fig. 4, the control executed by the input processing unit 21, the stop processing unit 22, the status acquisition processing unit 23, and the display processing unit 24 will all be described as being executed mainly by the control unit 20.
[0036] When the power of the operation device 10 is turned on (START in FIG. 4), the control unit 20 acquires the operating state of the robot 92 in step S11 and determines whether the operating state of the robot 92 is normal or not. If the operating state of the robot 92 is not normal, for example, if it is in an emergency stop state (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S12.
[0037] In step S12, the control unit 20 displays the second stop button 302 on the display unit 16. In step S13, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operator has input a stop operation to the second stop button 302. If the operator has input a stop operation to the second stop button 302 (YES in step S13), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S19.
[0038] If a stop operation has not been received on the second stop button 302 (NO in step S13), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operator has received a predetermined operation on the operation device 10, in this case, for example, a double tap or flick on a predetermined area including the second stop button 302. If the predetermined operation has been received (YES in step S14), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S15. If the predetermined operation has not been received (NO in step S14), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.
[0039] If the operating state of the robot 92 is normal (YES in step S11), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the control unit 20 displays the first stop button 301 on the display unit 16.
[0040] In step S16, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a stop operation has been received from the operator using the first stop button 301. If a stop operation has not been received (NO in step S16), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S17.
[0041] In step S17, the control unit 20 determines whether the second stop button 302 is being enlarged. If the second stop button 302 is not being enlarged, that is, if the operating state is determined to be the normal state in the previous step S11 (NO in step S17), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If the second stop button 302 is being enlarged, that is, if the operating state is determined to be the emergency stop state in the previous step S11 (YES in step S17), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S18.
[0042] In step S18, the control unit 20 determines whether or not an operation to end the enlarged display has been performed. If an operation to end the enlarged display has not been performed (NO in step S18), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S16. If an operation to end the enlarged display has been performed, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.
[0043] If a stop operation has been received (YES in step S16), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the control unit 20 executes a stop process. Thereafter, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. The control unit 20 executes these processes until the power of the operation device 10 is turned off.
[0044] As described above, the operating device 10 according to this embodiment includes the display unit 16 that displays information, the display processing unit 24 that executes display processing to control the display content of the display unit 16, and the stop processing unit 22 that executes stop processing to stop the robot 92 based on software processing. As such, the robot 92 can also be stopped by the stop processing, so that the operation of the robot 92 can be stopped by a method different from the conventional method such as an emergency stop switch or an enable switch.
[0045] The display process is a process of displaying stop buttons 301, 302, which are operated to execute the stop process, on the display unit 16. The display process includes a process of displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop process, and not displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is stopped due to a factor other than the stop process, or displaying the stop button 302 on the display unit 16 in a smaller size than when the robot 92 is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop process.
[0046] According to this, when the robot 92 is in a normal state, the worker can quickly recognize the first stop button 301 displayed in a large size and perform a stop operation, thereby improving the safety and convenience of the worker. On the other hand, when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state, as large an area as possible of the display unit 16 can be used preferentially for displaying other items or for the worker's operations, thereby improving the operability of the operating device 10 and the convenience of the worker.
[0047] The state in which the machine is stopped due to a factor other than the stop process is a state in which the machine is stopped due to an input from a stop switch other than the stop buttons 301 and 302, such as the emergency stop switch 14 or the enable switch 15.
[0048] When the operation of the robot 92 is stopped by inputting the emergency stop switch 14 or the enable switch 15, there is little need to be prepared to quickly stop the robot 92 until the cause of the input to the emergency stop switch 14 or the enable switch 15 is resolved. In this case, by not displaying the stop button 301 or displaying a small sized stop button 302 on the display unit, as much area as possible of the display unit 16 can be used preferentially for displaying other items or for operator operations, thereby improving the operability of the operating device 10 and the convenience for the operator.
[0049] The state in which the robot 92 is stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing is a state in which the robot 92 is not permitted to operate due to the occurrence of a fatal error.
[0050] If the operation of the robot 92 is not permitted due to the occurrence of a fatal error, there is little need to be prepared to quickly stop the robot 92 until the fatal error is resolved. In this case, by not displaying the stop button 301 or displaying a small-sized stop button 302 on the display unit, as much area as possible of the display unit 16 can be used preferentially for displaying other items or for operator operations, thereby improving the operability of the operating device 10 and the convenience for the operator.
[0051] Note that, in the present embodiment, the stop processing unit 22 is configured to execute the stop processing in response to a normal operation, such as a single tap, on the second stop button 302, but this is not limiting. In other embodiments, for example, the stop processing unit 22 may be configured not to execute the stop processing in response to only a normal operation on the second stop button 302, but instead the display processing unit 24 may enlarge and display the second stop button 302, and the stop processing unit 22 may execute the stop processing in response to an operation on the enlarged second stop button 302. In this way, even if the second stop button 302, which is small and difficult to operate, is accidentally operated, the robot 92 is not stopped immediately, and the robot 92 is stopped only when the worker intentionally operates the enlarged second stop button 302, thereby making it possible to prevent unintended stopping of the robot 92 due to an erroneous operation.
[0052] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7. In this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays a stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in a normal state, and does not display the stop buttons 301 and 302 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state. In this case, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in a normal state, and not displaying the stop buttons 301 and 302 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state. Furthermore, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state. In other words, when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state, the display processing unit 24 hides the stop button 301 from the first floor of the display unit 16, and virtually places it on a lower floor or outside the screen.
[0053] The display process includes a process of displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state, and terminating the display in response to a further predetermined operation.
[0054] The predetermined operation on the operation device 10 is, for example, an input operation on the physical button 13 or the input unit 17. In this embodiment, the predetermined operation on the operation device 10 is an input operation on the input unit 17.
[0055] The display processing includes processing for displaying a shortcut menu launch button 18 on the display unit 16, and processing for displaying a shortcut menu screen 19 in response to an operation on the shortcut menu launch button 18. The shortcut menu launch button 18 can be displayed, for example, on the periphery of the display unit 16. In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the shortcut menu launch button 18 is displayed in the lower right corner of the display unit 16. When the worker operates the shortcut menu launch button 18, the display processing unit 24 displays the shortcut menu screen 19 on the display unit 16.
[0056] The shortcut menu screen 19 includes a plurality of shortcut keys 191, a shortcut menu end button 192, and a stop button 301. Each of the plurality of shortcut keys 191 has a function set thereto, and receives an input operation from the worker. When the display processing unit 24 receives an input operation by the worker on the shortcut menu end button 192, for example, a single tap, the display processing unit 24 closes the shortcut menu screen 19. This also ends the display of the stop button 301.
[0057] The display area of the stop button 301 on the shortcut menu screen 19 is set so as to overlap at least a part of the display area of the stop button 301 that is displayed on the display unit 16 when the operating state of the robot 92 is normal. This makes it easier for the worker to instantly grasp the position of the stop button 301 on the shortcut menu screen 19, and therefore makes it possible to quickly operate the stop button 301. In this embodiment, the display area of the stop button 301 on the shortcut menu screen 19 is set so as to be the same as the display area of the stop button 301 that is displayed on the display unit 16 when the operating state of the robot 92 is normal. This makes it even easier for the worker to grasp the position of the stop button 301 regardless of the operating state of the robot 92.
[0058] An example of the control content when using the operating device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Description of the processes common to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 will be omitted.
[0059] If the operating state of the robot 92 is not the normal state, that is, if the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S21.
[0060] In step S21, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the shortcut menu launch button 18 has been operated by the operator. If the shortcut menu launch button 18 has not been operated (NO in step S21), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If the shortcut menu launch button 18 has been operated (YES in step S21), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S22.
[0061] In step S22, the control unit 20 displays the shortcut menu screen 19 including the stop button 301 on the display unit 16. In step S23, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a stop operation has been received from the worker using the stop button 301. If a stop operation has been received using the stop button 301 (YES in step S23), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S19. If a stop operation has not been received using the stop button 301 (NO in step S23), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S24.
[0062] In step S24, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operator has operated the shortcut menu end button 192. If the shortcut menu end button 192 has not been operated (NO in step S24), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S22. If the shortcut menu end button 192 has been operated (YES in step S24), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S25.
[0063] In step S25, the control unit 20 closes the shortcut menu screen 19. After that, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.
[0064] In this embodiment, after step S15, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a stop operation has been received from the operator using the stop button 301. If a stop operation has not been received (NO in step S26), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If a stop operation has been received (YES in step S26), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S19.
[0065] The present embodiment described above also provides the same effects as the above embodiment.
[0066] In the present embodiment, the display processing unit 24 performs processing to display the shortcut menu screen 19 including the stop button 301 in response to an operator's operation on the shortcut menu activation button 18, but this is not limited to this. For example, the display processing unit 24 may be configured to perform processing to display the shortcut menu screen 19 including the stop button 301 in response to an operation input on the physical button 13 or a flick operation on a predetermined area of the input unit 17.
[0067] (Third embodiment) The third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. In this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in a normal state, and not displaying the stop buttons 301 and 302 on the display unit 16 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state. Furthermore, the display processing includes processing for displaying the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the robot 92 is in an emergency stop state.
[0068] In this embodiment, the display processing unit 24 displays a stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined first operation on a predetermined area 171 of the input unit 17. The predetermined first operation is, for example, a flick or a double tap. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 8 , in response to the worker flicking the lower right corner of the display unit 16 upward, the display processing unit 24 displays the stop button 301 on the display unit 16. In this case, the predetermined area 171 can be set to an area that at least partially overlaps with the area in which the stop button 301 is displayed. This allows the worker to intuitively understand the area in which the predetermined operation should be performed, and also allows the worker to immediately operate the stop button 301 if necessary after the predetermined operation. In this embodiment, the stop button 301 is displayed in the lower right corner of the display unit 16. The predetermined area is set in the lower right corner of the input unit 17, which includes the display area of the stop button 301.
[0069] In this embodiment, the display processing includes processing for ending the display of the stop button 301 in response to a predetermined second operation on the stop button 301 displayed on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined operation on the operation device 10 when the operating state of the robot 92 is not a normal state, for example, in an emergency stop state. The predetermined second operation is, for example, a downward flick, a long press, or a double tap.
[0070] An example of the control content when using the operating device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Description of the processes common to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 7 will be omitted.
[0071] If the operating state of the robot 92 is not a normal state, for example, if it is in an emergency stop state (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S31.
[0072] In step S31, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a predetermined first operation has been received from the worker on the input unit 17. If the predetermined first operation has not been received on the input unit 17 (NO in step S31), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11. If the predetermined first operation has been received on the input unit 17 (YES in step S31), the control unit 20 advances the process to step S32.
[0073] In step S32, the control unit 20 displays the stop button 301 on the display unit 16. Thereafter, the control unit 20 proceeds to step S23. If a stop operation on the stop button 301 has not been received (NO in step S23), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S34.
[0074] In step S34, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a predetermined second operation has been received from the worker via the input unit 17. If the predetermined second operation has not been received via the input unit 17 (NO in step S34), the control unit 20 returns the process to step S32. If the predetermined second operation has been received via the input unit 17 (YES in step S34), the control unit 20 proceeds to step S35.
[0075] In step S35, the control unit 20 terminates the display of the stop button 301. After that, the control unit 20 returns the process to step S11.
[0076] The present embodiment described above also provides the same effects as the above embodiment.
[0077] In the present embodiment, the display processing unit 24 is configured to display the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to a predetermined first operation on the input unit 17, but this is not limiting. For example, the display processing unit 24 may be configured to perform processing to display the stop button 301 on the display unit 16 in response to an operation on the physical button 13 by the worker.
[0078] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]
[0079] 10...operation device, 14...emergency stop switch, 15...enable switch, 16...display unit, 22...stop processing unit, 24...display processing unit, 301, 302...stop button, 92...robot
Claims
1. a display unit that displays information; a display processing unit that executes a display process to control the display content of the display unit; a stop processing unit that executes a stop process to stop the robot based on software processing, the display process is a process of displaying a stop button on the display unit, the stop button being operated to execute the stop process, a process of displaying the stop button on the display unit when the robot is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop process, and not displaying the stop button on the display unit when the robot is stopped due to a factor other than the stop process, or displaying the stop button on the display unit in a smaller size than when the robot is not stopped due to a factor other than the stop process, Robot operating device.
2. The state in which the operation is stopped due to a factor other than the stop process is a state in which the operation is stopped due to an input from a stop switch other than the stop button. The robot operating device according to claim 1 .
3. The state in which the robot is stopped due to a factor other than the stop processing is a state in which the robot is not permitted to operate due to the occurrence of a fatal error. The robot operating device according to claim 1 .
4. further comprising an enable switch and an emergency stop switch configured as physical switches that stop the robot in priority to the stop process; The robot operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Teaching device
JP2020110873A
Cited By
Rotolinear mechanism for glassware forming machines
US12497317B2