Operation device of robot

Abstract

To provide an operation device of a robot that can stop motion of the robot by a method that is different from methods using an emergency stop switch and an enable switch.SOLUTION: An operation device of a robot comprises: a display unit; an input unit having a stop button that is displayed on the display unit; a setting processing unit that executes setting processing for setting a mode into an either of a manual mode and an automatic mode; a display processing unit that executes display processing for displaying the stop button on the display unit; and a stop processing unit that executes stop processing for stopping the robot on the basis of software processing when the stop button is operated. The display processing includes processing in which when the input unit does not receive input for a predetermined time, a screen saver is activated to display a screen saver screen on the display unit. The stop processing includes processing in which when the screen saver is activated in a state where the manual mode is set, the robot is stopped with an assumption that the stop button has been operated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

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 operating device according to an embodiment includes a display unit, an input unit having a stop button displayed on the display unit and receiving operational input from an operator, a setting processing unit that executes a setting process to set the robot to one of a manual mode in which the robot is operated manually and an automatic mode in which the robot is operated automatically, a display processing unit that executes a display process to display the stop button on the display unit, and a stop processing unit that executes a stop process to stop the robot based on software processing when the stop button is operated, wherein the display process includes a process of activating a screen saver and displaying a screen saver screen on the display unit when the input unit does not accept input for a predetermined period of time, and the stop process includes a process of stopping the robot by assuming that the stop button has been operated when the screen saver is activated while the manual mode is set. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an example of a robot operation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an example of a robot operating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a stop button displayed on a display unit of an example of a robot operation device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of control using the operation device for a robot according to an 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 operating device 10 includes a housing 11, an emergency stop switch 12, an enable switch 13, a mode selector switch 14, a display unit 15, and an input unit 16. The housing 11 is configured to be sized so that an operator can hold it in his / her hand. The housing 11 also includes a power switch (not shown). The power switch is used to turn the power of the operating device 10 on and off. When the power switch is operated to turn on the power, the operating device 10 executes a process to safely start up the operating device 10. When the power switch is operated to turn off the power, the operating device 10 executes a process to safely shut down the operating device 10.

[0011] The emergency stop switch 12 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 12 is configured, for example, by an electromechanical switch having normally closed physical contacts. Each contact of the emergency stop switch 12 is connected to the safety system control device 912. When the emergency stop switch 12 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 12 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 12 takes priority over all other functions. In other words, the emergency stop switch 12 plays a role in reliably stopping the robot 92 in an emergency.

[0013] The enable switch 13 is used to stop the robot 92 in either stop category 0, 1, or 2 in accordance with the IEC 60204-1 standard, and enables the execution of functions when operated continuously. The enable switch 13 is provided on the back side of the housing 11. The enable switch 13 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 13 intentionally. In other words, the enable switch 13 serves as an interlock to prevent accidents due to operator operation errors.

[0014] The enable switch 13 is configured as an electromechanical switch such as a three-position switch. In this case, the enable switch 13 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 13 is turned on, and prohibits, i.e., stops, manual operation of the robot 92 when the enable switch 13 is turned off. Note that the execution of other functions can be permitted or prohibited depending on the operation of the enable switch 13. Furthermore, a configuration may be provided in which multiple enable switches 13 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 mode selector switch 14 is a switch for switching the operation mode of the robot 92 between manual mode and automatic mode. The manual mode is a mode for manually operating the robot 92, and the automatic mode is a mode for automatically operating the robot 92. The operator can alternatively select either the manual mode or the automatic mode by operating the mode selector switch 14. The operation modes may include a teach check mode, which is a mode for checking the taught positions, paths, etc.

[0016] The display unit 15 is a user interface capable of displaying images and the like, and can be configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like. The input unit 16 receives operational input from an operator. The input unit 16 has an operation unit 161 and physical buttons 162. The operation unit 161 is a user interface that receives operational input from a user in response to information displayed on the display unit 15, and can be configured, for example, by a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel. The operation unit 161 includes at least a pointing device or a touch device that can designate a specific position on the screen displayed on the display unit 15.

[0017] When a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display is used as the display unit 15 and a touch panel is used as the operation unit 161, the display unit 15 and the operation unit 161 can be configured as an integrated touch panel display. Alternatively, the display unit 15 can be configured as a wearable display that is worn on the head of the worker, for example. In this case, the operation unit 161 can be configured to detect an operation input by the worker based on the movement of the fingers of the worker wearing the display unit 15 or the movement of a pointing device used by the worker. In this configuration, the worker inputs an operation to the operation unit 161 by virtually touching, for example, icons displayed on the display unit 15 with the worker's fingers or pointing device. The physical buttons 162 are configured as multiple physical buttons that receive operation inputs from the worker. The physical buttons 162 are provided, for example, on the surface side of the housing 11.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the operation device 10 further includes a control unit 20, an input processing unit 21, a display processing unit 22, a setting processing unit 23, and a stop 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 15 and the operation unit 161 operate under the control of the control unit 20.

[0019] The control unit 20 executes a computer program in the CPU 201, thereby virtually realizing the input processing unit 21, display processing unit 22, setting processing unit 23, stop processing unit 24, etc. by software. Note that the input processing unit 21, display processing unit 22, setting processing unit 23, and stop 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.

[0020] 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 16, 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.

[0021] The display processing unit 22 executes display processing to control the display content of the display unit 15. The display processing includes, for example, processing for displaying on the display unit 15 graphics and numerical values ​​indicating the robot's posture according to the operating status of the robot 92, various setting information, input information, and the like. The display processing also includes processing for activating a screen saver and displaying a screen saver screen on the display unit 15 when the input unit 16 does not accept any input for a predetermined time, for example, 5 to 10 minutes. The screen saver screen is a screen displayed to protect the display unit 15 from, for example, burn-in of the LCD. The display processing includes processing for terminating the screen saver operation and displaying the original screen or another screen on the display unit 15 when there is input from the user to the input unit 16 while the screen saver screen is being displayed. The original screen or another screen includes an operation screen. The operation screen is a screen for accepting operation input via the operation unit 161.

[0022] The setting processing unit 23 executes setting processing to set the operation mode to either the manual mode or the automatic mode based on the operation received by the mode selector switch 14. In this case, the setting processing unit 23 generates a command to switch the operation mode and transmits it to, for example, the non-safety control device 911 of the robot controller 91. The non-safety control device 911 switches the operation mode based on the command received from the operation device 10.

[0023] The stop processing unit 24 executes a stop process that stops the robot 92 based on software processing. "Based on software processing" means that the operation by the operator does not directly cause the robot 92 to stop, as with the electromechanically configured emergency stop switch 12, but rather the stop process is executed by an instruction from the CPU 201, via software processing in the CPU 201, in response to an operator's operation. The stop process is a process that stops the operation of the robot 92 in stop category 0 or 1 in accordance with the IEC 60204-1 standard. The stop process also includes a process that stops the robot 92 in accordance with a stop category that has been set in advance for the stop process when the operator operates the stop button 17 displayed on the display unit 15.

[0024] In this embodiment, the stop processing by the stop processing unit 24 is assumed to be configured such that an instruction to stop the robot 92 is output from the stop processing unit 24 to the robot controller 91. In this case, the safety system control device 912 stops the robot 92 upon receiving the instruction to stop from the stop processing unit 24. Also, a normally closed switch connected to the safety system control device 912 may be provided in the housing 11. In this configuration, when the stop processing unit 24 executes the stop processing, the stop processing unit 24 turns off the switch provided in the housing 11 in response to an instruction from the CPU 201. Then, the safety system control device 912 stops the robot 92 based on the switch being turned off. In this way, the stop processing of the robot 92 can be realized in a manner similar to that of the emergency stop switch 12.

[0025] Here, in a situation where the robot 92 is operated manually, it is considered that the stop button 17 should be kept visible to the worker at all times in order to ensure work safety. Therefore, the stop process includes a process of stopping the robot 92 by regarding the stop button 17 as having been operated when the screen saver is activated while the manual mode is set. That is, when the manual mode is set, the robot 92 is stopped in conjunction with the activation of the screen saver. This prevents the robot 92 from being manually operated when the stop button 17 is not visible. On the other hand, the automatic mode is a state in which operation of the robot 92 by the worker is not expected. Therefore, the stop processor 24 does not regard the stop button 17 as having been operated even when the screen saver is activated while the automatic mode is set. That is, the stop processor 24 does not execute the stop process even when the screen saver is activated while the automatic mode is set. This makes it possible to improve workability while ensuring safety.

[0026] The display processing executed by the display processing unit 22 also includes processing for displaying, on the display unit 15, a stop button 17 that receives an operation for executing a stop process. The stop button 17 constitutes a part of the operation unit 161. The stop button 17 can be operated in the same manner as when an operator normally operates the operation unit 161. A touch operation is an example of an operation input to the operation unit 161. As shown in FIG. 3, the stop button 17 is displayed, for example, in such a manner that the word "STOP" 171 is surrounded by a circle 172, and the circle 172 is further surrounded by a rectangle 173. The stop button 17 in FIG. 3 is used when the stop processing unit 24 is used as an emergency stop device for emergency stopping the robot 92, that is, a stop button for performing an emergency stop. If the stop button 17 is used as an emergency stop button, the display processing unit 22 must display the stop button 17 in red in accordance with the ISO 13850 standard.

[0027] In this case, the display processing unit 22 paints the inside of the circle 172 of the stop button 17 in red except for the characters 171, and paints the inside of the rectangle 173 that forms the background of the circle 172 in yellow. The display processing also includes processing for displaying the boundary lines L of the elements that make up the stop button 17, i.e., the outlines L of the figures, characters, symbols, etc. that make up the stop button 17, in a manner in which white and black colors adjoin each other, as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, the outlines L are arranged as black lines inside white lines, but may also be arranged as white lines inside black lines.

[0028] The stop button 17 can also be used when the stop processing unit 24 is a normal stop device that stops the robot 92 normally rather than in an emergency, i.e., as a stop button for stopping the robot 92 during normal operation. "Normal operation" refers to a non-emergency state, in which a worker is performing a general task using the operation device 10, such as checking the robot 92's posture using a 3D model, editing a program, or teaching the robot 92, or is able to perform such a task. Furthermore, when the stop button 17 is used as a stop button for stopping the robot 92 during normal operation, the IEC 60204-1 standard recommends that the color of the stop button 17 be black or gray. In this case, the display processing unit 22 may, for example, fill in the inside of the circle 172 of the stop button 17 except for the character 171 with black, and fill in the inside of the rectangle 173 that forms the background of the circle 172 and the inside of the character 31 with white.

[0029] Next, an example of control content 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 display processing unit 22, the setting processing unit 23, and the stop processing unit 24 will be described as being executed mainly by the control unit 20.

[0030] When the power of the operating device 10 is turned on (power on in FIG. 4 ), the control unit 20 determines in step S11 whether or not an operational input has been made to the input unit 16. If no operational input has been made to the input unit 16 (NO in step S11), the control unit 20 determines in step S12 whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed during which no operational input has been made to the input unit 16. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (NO in step S12), the control unit 20 transitions the process to step S11. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed (YES in step S12), the control unit 20 activates a screen saver and displays a screen saver screen on the display unit 15 in step S13.

[0031] Next, in step S14, control unit 20 determines whether the operation mode is manual mode or automatic mode. If the operation mode is automatic mode (automatic mode in step S14), control unit 20 determines in step S15 whether or not an operation input has been made to input unit 16. If an operation input has been made to input unit 16 (YES in step S15), control unit 20 ends the operation of the screen saver in step S16 and displays an operation screen on display unit 15. Thereafter, control unit 20 proceeds to the process of step S11 and repeats the subsequent processes.

[0032] On the other hand, if the operation mode is the manual mode (manual mode in step S14), the control unit 20 determines in step S17 that the stop button 17 has been operated and stops the operation of the robot 92. In this case, the control unit 20 causes, for example, the display unit 15 to display an explanation that the robot 92 has been stopped, along with a return button (not shown) for performing a return operation. The return operation is an operation for returning the robot 92, and means making the robot 92 operable. The worker can perform the return operation by operating the return button. The manner for performing the return operation is not limited to this.

[0033] Next, in step S18, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a return operation has been performed. If a return operation has been performed (YES in step S18), the control unit 20 releases the stopped state of the robot 92 to make the robot 92 operable, and proceeds to step S16 to display an operation screen on the display unit 15.

[0034] As described above, the operation device 10 according to this embodiment includes the display unit 15, the input unit 16, the setting processing unit 23, the display processing unit 22, and the stop processing unit 24. The input unit 16 has a stop button 17 displayed on the display unit 15 and receives operation input from the operator. The setting processing unit 23 executes setting processing to set the robot 92 to either a manual mode in which the robot 92 is operated manually or an automatic mode in which the robot 92 is operated automatically. The display processing unit 22 executes display processing to display the stop button 17 on the display unit 15. The stop processing unit 24 executes stop processing to stop the robot 92 based on software processing when the stop button 17 is operated. In this way, the robot 92 can also be stopped by the stop processing, and therefore the operation of the robot 92 can be stopped by a method other than the conventional method, such as an emergency stop switch or an enable switch.

[0035] Here, the display process includes a process of activating a screen saver when the input unit 16 does not accept input for a predetermined time, and displaying a screen saver screen on the display unit 15. The stop process includes a process of stopping the robot 92 by assuming that the stop button 17 has been operated when the screen saver is activated while the manual mode is set.

[0036] According to this, when the screen saver is activated while the manual mode is being executed, the robot 92 can be reliably stopped without the operation of the stop button 17. In other words, when the screen saver is activated while the manual mode is being executed, the same control as when the stop button 17 is operated can be performed.

[0037] Furthermore, even if the screen saver is activated while the automatic mode is set, the stop processing unit does not consider that the stop button 17 has been operated. Here, since the robot 92 is operating automatically based on a predetermined program while the automatic mode is being executed, there is little need to stop the robot 92 even when the screen saver is activated. Therefore, even if the screen saver is activated while the automatic mode is set, the stop processing unit does not consider that the stop button 17 has been operated and does not stop the robot 92, thereby allowing work to continue appropriately.

[0038] 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]

[0039] 10... operation device, 15... display unit, 16... input unit, 17... stop button, 22... display processing unit, 23... setting processing unit, 24... stop processing unit, 92... robot

Claims

1. A display unit; an input unit having a stop button displayed on the display unit and receiving an operation input from an operator; a setting processing unit that executes setting processing to set the robot to either a manual mode in which the robot is manually operated or an automatic mode in which the robot is automatically operated; a display processing unit that executes a display process to display the stop button on the display unit; a stop processing unit that executes a stop process to stop the robot based on software processing when the stop button is operated, the display processing includes processing for activating a screen saver and displaying a screen saver screen on the display unit when the input unit does not accept an input for a predetermined time, the stop processing includes processing for stopping the robot by regarding the stop button as having been operated when the screen saver is activated in a state in which the manual mode is set. Robot operating device.

2. the stop processing unit does not regard the stop button as having been operated even if the screen saver is activated in the automatic mode; The robot operating device according to claim 1 .

3. 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 claim 1 or 2.

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