Industrial Robot Systems

Abstract

To provide an industrial robot system which can maintain an operation environment of software that can realize a stable operation.SOLUTION: An industrial robot system 1 comprises: a control device 3 which controls an industrial robot 2; and an operation device 4 which is connected in a communicable manner to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3. The control device 3 stores control software 6 and operation software 7. The operation device 4 stores base software 9 and a plurality of pieces of operation software 7 having different versions. The operation environment of the software when operating the industrial robot 2 is maintained by a maintenance unit 46.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial robot system including a control device that controls an industrial robot and an operating device that can operate the industrial robot via the control device. [Background technology]

[0002] The operation of industrial robots is generally controlled by a control device. For example, when teaching an industrial robot, an operating device is connected to the control device, and the industrial robot is operated via the control device. In this case, if the software on the operating device and the software on the control device are not consistent, the industrial robot may not be operated correctly. For this reason, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes ensuring software consistency by making the software on each device updatable. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-292949 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An industrial robot system may be constructed using multiple industrial robots. From a management perspective, it is assumed that the operating environment of such an industrial robot system is standardized for each production line, for example. However, it is also assumed that the operating environments of different production lines or robots introduced at different times may differ.

[0005] In addition, in actual production sites, one or a small number of operating devices are prepared and connected whenever a task is required, thereby reducing costs and operating the equipment. Note that "small number" here means a number that is smaller than the number of installed industrial robots. In other words, in actual production sites, different operating environments may coexist in industrial robot systems that are the targets of work by one or a small number of operating devices.

[0006] However, when industrial robots are operating stably, they are often used over long periods of time without significant changes to their operating environment, and since reproducibility of operation is important, when performing new teaching or adjustment work on an industrial robot that is currently in operation, there is a desire to perform the work using the operating environment that has been used previously, that is, the operating environment in which stable operation has been achieved.

[0007] This operating environment also includes the operating environment of software such as control software that the control device executes to control the robot, operation software that the operating device executes to use the control software, and the combination of the control software and operation software.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide an industrial robot system that can maintain an operating environment for software that achieves stable operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In the invention described in claim 1, an industrial robot system includes a control device that controls an industrial robot, and an operating device that is communicatively connected to the control device and can operate the industrial robot via the control device. The control device has a memory unit that stores control software for controlling the industrial robot and software executed by the operating device, the version of operating software corresponding to the control software stored in the control device. The operating device also has an operating-side memory unit that has a memory capacity that can store platform software for communicating with the control device and multiple versions of operating software, and a maintenance unit that maintains the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot.

[0010] In other words, by providing a maintenance unit, the industrial robot system makes it possible to continue using the operating environment of the software that has been able to achieve stable operation when performing new teaching work or adjustment work on an industrial robot that is in operation.

[0011] Specifically, if a version of operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the connected control device is stored in the operation side memory unit, the maintenance unit selects the corresponding version of the operation software as the target for execution.

[0012] This allows the operating device to run the operating software that corresponds to the version of the control software, and the combination of the control software and operating software when operating the industrial robot can be kept in the same state as when stable operation was achieved, i.e., the operating environment of the software that achieved stable operation can be maintained.

[0013] In addition, if the version of the operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the connected control device is not stored in the operation side memory unit, the maintenance unit acquires the operation software stored in the control device and selects it as the object to be executed.

[0014] As a result, if the version of the operation software stored in the operation device does not correspond to the version of the control software stored in the control device, that is, if the operating environment differs from that of the software that enabled stable operation, by obtaining the corresponding version of the operation software from the control device, the combination of the control software and operation software when operating the industrial robot can be restored to the same state as when stable operation was enabled, that is, the operating environment of the software that enabled stable operation can be maintained.

[0015] Furthermore, in the case of an industrial robot system configured in this way, the operating environment of the software that has achieved stable operation can be maintained without changing either the hardware or software of the industrial robot and the control device. This makes it possible to avoid the risk of malfunctions occurring due to software updates for the industrial robot or the control device, and reliably meets the demands of actual production sites that want to perform work using an operating environment that has achieved stable operation.

[0016] In the invention described in claim 2, when the maintenance unit acquires operation software from the control device, the maintenance unit stores the acquired operation software in the operation-side storage unit. This allows, for example, in an operation in which multiple industrial robots are operated by one or a small number of operation devices, to start work quickly after connecting the operation device, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0017] In the invention described in claim 3, the maintenance unit stores the number of times each piece of operation software stored in the operation-side storage unit has been executed, and when there is insufficient storage capacity to store operation software acquired from the control device, the maintenance unit deletes the operation software with the least number of executions and stores the acquired operation software in the operation-side storage unit. This eliminates the need to provide an excessively large storage capacity in the operation device, and the next time the operation device is connected to the same control device, it can start working quickly without having to download operation software. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an industrial robot system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface of an operation device; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an installation mode of an industrial robot system. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of processing executed by an operation device. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the flow of processing executed by the control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, an industrial robot system 1 of this embodiment includes a control device 3 that controls an industrial robot 2, and an operation device 4 that is communicably connected to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, the industrial robot 2 is assumed to be a so-called six-axis robot of a vertical articulated type. However, a so-called seven-axis robot or a so-called four-axis robot of a horizontal articulated type can also be used as the industrial robot 2. The industrial robot 2 has a base 2a placed on an installation surface, a shoulder 2b provided so as to be rotatable relative to the base 2a, a lower arm 2c provided so as to be rotatable relative to the shoulder 2b, a first upper arm 2d provided so as to be rotatable relative to the lower arm 2c, a second upper arm 2e provided coaxially with the first upper arm 2d so as to be rotatable relative to the first upper arm 2d, and a wrist 2f provided at the tip of the second upper arm 2e. The industrial robot 2 is wrist A hand or tool (not shown) is attached to a flange 2g attached to the tip of 2f, and work is performed by repeatedly executing the taught movements.

[0021] In this embodiment, the control device 3 is connected to the industrial robot 2 via a dedicated cable 5, and includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. That is, in this embodiment, the control device 3 is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the industrial robot 2. The control unit 31 is configured by a computer (not shown), and controls the entire control device 3 by executing software stored in the storage unit 32.

[0022] Specifically, the control unit 31 executes control software 6 that controls the industrial robot 2 and accepts operations from the operating device 4, thereby controlling the industrial robot 2 during operation, accepting operations from the operating device 4 during teaching work, etc., and controlling the industrial robot 2 in accordance with the accepted operations.

[0023] The storage unit 32 is configured with, for example, a semiconductor memory or a HDD, and stores control software 6 and operation software 7, which is software executed by the operation device 4 and provides a user interface when operating the industrial robot 2 from the operation device 4, and is a version corresponding to the control software 6. Note that, as will be described in detail later, in FIG. 1, the parenthesized A, B, and C next to the operation software 7 schematically indicate the versions of the operation software 7, and in FIG. 2, the parenthesized A, B, and C next to the control device 3 schematically indicate the versions of the operation software 7 stored in that control device 3.

[0024] The communication unit 33 communicates with the operation device 4, and in this embodiment, wired communication is performed using a wired cable 8 that connects the communication unit 33 to the operation device 4. However, the communication unit 33 may be configured to enable communication with the operation device 4 via wireless communication, or may be configured to enable both wired communication and wireless communication.

[0025] In this embodiment, the operation device 4 is assumed to be a teaching device that teaches the industrial robot 2. Therefore, the operation device 4 is configured to be able to communicate with different control devices 3. However, the operation device 4 can also be configured to run operation software on, for example, a laptop computer, a smartphone, or a tablet computer, as long as it is communicably connected to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2.

[0026] The operation device 4 includes an operation-side control unit 41, an operation-side memory unit 42, an operation-side communication unit 43, a display unit 44, and an input unit 45. The operation-side control unit 41 is configured by a computer (not shown), and controls the entire operation device 4 by executing software stored in the operation-side memory unit 42. The operation-side control unit 41 also includes a maintenance unit 46.

[0027] The maintenance unit 46 is a functional unit that maintains the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3, and in this embodiment is configured with software using a program executed by the operation-side control unit 41. The maintenance unit 46, which will be described in detail later, reproduces the combination of the version of the operation software 7 and the control software 6 in a state where stable operation can be achieved, and maintains the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot 2.

[0028] The operation-side storage unit 42 is configured, for example, with a semiconductor memory or a HDD, and has a storage capacity capable of storing the platform software 9 for communicating with the control device 3 and multiple versions of operation software 7. In the case of Fig. 1, for example, this storage unit 32 stores operation software 7 versions A, B, and C, and has free storage capacity capable of storing other operation software 7. There are no particular restrictions on the upper limit of storage capacity or the number of operation software 7 to be stored, and these can be selected appropriately in consideration of manufacturing costs, etc.

[0029] The operating-side communication unit 43 communicates with the control device 3, and in this embodiment, is connected to the control device 3 by a wired cable 8. However, the operating-side communication unit 43 may be configured to enable communication with the control device 3 via wireless communication, or may be configured to enable both wired communication and wireless communication.

[0030] The display unit 44 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and displays a user interface when operating the industrial robot 2. The input unit 45 is configured with an enable switch, a deadman switch, buttons, switches, or a touch panel provided in correspondence with the display unit 44. Hereinafter, the user interface will also be referred to as UI (User Interface).

[0031] The operating device 4 configured as described above may provide different user interfaces to the user even if it is the same device, depending on the version of the operating software 7 being executed, as shown in Figure 2, which shows examples of the UI for each version of the operating software 7. For example, in operating software 7 version A, the operating area (R1) operated when moving the arm is composed of a touch button indicated by an upward-pointing triangle, a display frame showing the current position numerically, and a touch button indicated by a downward-pointing triangle. On the other hand, in version B, which is a later version of version A that has been improved, the operating area (R2) operated when moving the arm is composed of a display frame showing the current position numerically and a slider that can be moved left and right by touch operation.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, in the operation software 7 of version B, a group of touch icons (M2) corresponding to a group of mechanical operation switches (M1) provided below the display unit 44 may be added, which was not present in the operation software 7 of version A. Furthermore, although not shown, it is possible that in the operation software 7 of version C, which is released after version B, even if the user interface itself does not change from the user's perspective, internal changes such as algorithm modifications and bug fixes may have been made.

[0033] In this way, there may be visually distinguishable differences in the user interface and operation modes depending on the version of the operation software 7. Note that the differences in the user interface and operation modes due to the different versions of the operation software 7 illustrated in Figure 2 are merely examples.

[0034] Next, the operation of the above-described configuration will be described. As mentioned above, an industrial robot system 1 may be constructed using multiple industrial robots 2. In such cases, it is considered that the operating environment is standardized for each production line, for example, mainly from a management perspective. On the other hand, it is also assumed that the operating environments of different production lines or robots introduced at different times may differ.

[0035] This operating environment also includes the operating environment of software such as control software 6 executed by the control device 3 to control the robot, operation software 7 executed by the operating device 4 to use the control software 6, and the combination of the control software 6 and the operation software 7.

[0036] For example, as shown in Figure 3, three industrial robots 2 are installed on the first production line (L1). At this time, each industrial robot 2 is responsible for the task of sequentially attaching different parts 11a, 11b, and 11c to a workpiece 10. Each industrial robot 2 is controlled by a control device 3 that stores version A of the operation software 7. In other words, each industrial robot 2 on the first production line (L1) can achieve stable operation when combined with version A of the operation software 7.

[0037] Furthermore, the second production line (L2) is equipped with one work robot that is responsible for attaching a part 11d to a workpiece 10b that is different from that of the first production line (L1), and is controlled by a control device 3 that stores version B of the operation software 7. In other words, the industrial robot 2 of the second production line (L2) can achieve stable operation in combination with version B of the operation software 7.

[0038] Furthermore, although three industrial robots 2 have been introduced into the third production line (L3) to perform the same tasks as those in the first production line (L1), because they were introduced at a different time from those in the first production line (L1) due to, for example, equipment expansion, each industrial robot 2 is controlled by a respective control device 3 that stores version C of the operation software 7, which is different from that of the first production line (L1). In other words, each industrial robot 2 in the third production line (L3) can achieve stable operation in combination with version C of the operation software 7.

[0039] In actual production sites, one or a few operating devices 4 are prepared and connected whenever a task is required, thereby reducing costs and operating the equipment. For example, in the case of Figure 3, as schematically shown by the dashed arrows, one operating device 4 performs tasks on all of the industrial robots 2 installed on each production line.

[0040] In this way, the industrial robot system 1 may be configured with a plurality of control devices 3 connected one-to-one to a plurality of industrial robots 2, and one operating device 4 that can be individually connected to each control device 3. In other words, in an actual production site, one or a small number of operating devices 4 may be used to work on objects with different operating environments. In addition, providing a dedicated operating device 4 for each control device 3 in order to maintain the operating environment may not be feasible, mainly due to cost considerations.

[0041] On the other hand, when the industrial robot 2 is operating stably, it is often used over a long period of time without significant changes to the operating environment. Also, since the reproducibility of the operation of the industrial robot 2 is important in actual production sites, when new teaching work or adjustment work is performed, there is a desire to perform the work using an operating environment that has been used previously, that is, an operating environment in which stable operation has been achieved.

[0042] Therefore, in the industrial robot system 1, the operation device 4 executes the process shown in Fig. 4, the control device 3 executes the process shown in Fig. 5, and the control device 3 and operation device 4 cooperate to maintain the operating environment of the software that realizes stable operation. However, Figs. 4 and 5 explain the flow of the process when the operation device 4 is connected and the robot is operated. Furthermore, the process shown in Fig. 4 is mainly executed by the maintenance unit 46, and the process shown in Fig. 5 is mainly executed by the control unit 31. However, the following explanation will be centered on the operation device 4 and the control device 3 to make the explanation easier to understand.

[0043] 4, when the operation device 4 starts processing, it determines whether it is connected to the control device 3 (S1), and if it is not connected (S1: NO), it waits until it is connected. Then, when it is connected (S1: YES), the control device 3 communicates with the control device 3 and acquires the version of the control software 6 installed in the control device 3 (S2).

[0044] At this time, as shown in Fig. 5, when the control device 3 starts the process, it determines whether the operation device 4 is connected (T1), and if it is not connected (T1: NO), it waits for the operation device 4 to be connected. As described above, Fig. 5 shows a process flow assuming that the operation device 4 is connected, so if the operation device 4 is not connected, the control device 3 waits for the operation device 4 to be connected. Then, when the control device 3 is connected to the operation device 4 (T1: YES), it transmits the version of the control software 6 stored in itself to the operation device 4 (T2). This allows the operation device 4 to obtain the version of the control software 6.

[0045] When the operation device 4 acquires the version of the control software 6, it determines whether or not it stores the corresponding operation software 7 (S3), and if it does (S3: YES), it selects the corresponding operation software 7 as the software to be executed (S4). This allows the operating environment of the software that can achieve stable operation in the connected control device 3, that is, the version of the control software 6, to be determined. Operating Software 7 The combination with the version will be maintained.

[0046] On the other hand, if the controller device 4 does not store the corresponding operation software 7 (S3: NO), it transmits a download request to the control device 3 to request transmission of the operation software 7, thereby acquiring the operation software 7 from the control device 3 (S8). At this time, as shown in Fig. 5, when the control device 3 receives the download request from the controller device 4 (T3: YES), it transmits the operation software 7 stored in itself to the controller device 4 (T5).

[0047] 4, when the operation device 4 acquires the operation software 7 from the control device 3, it selects the acquired operation software 7 as the software to be executed (S9). As a result, the operating environment of the software that can achieve stable operation in the connected control device 3, that is, the version of the control software 6, Operating Software 7 In addition, after connecting the operation device 4 to the control device 3, work can be started quickly.

[0048] Next, the operating device 4 determines whether there is enough free memory space in the operating-side memory unit 42 to store the acquired operating software 7 (S10), and if there is free space (S10: YES), it stores the acquired operating software 7 (S11) and resets the number of times the acquired software has been executed (S12). As a result, the next time the operating device 4 is connected to the same control device 3, it can start working quickly without having to download the operating software 7.

[0049] On the other hand, if there is no free storage space (S10: NO), the operation device 4 deletes the operation software 7 that has been executed the least number of times, that is, the operation software 7 that has been used least frequently, from the operation-side storage unit 42 (S13). This makes it possible to ensure free storage space for storing new operation software 7. However, if there is still insufficient free storage space even after deleting the operation software 7 that has been executed the least number of times, the operation software 7 that has been executed the least number of times after the deletion can be further deleted.

[0050] Next, the operation device 4 stores the acquired operation software 7 (S11) and resets the number of executions (S12). This eliminates the need to excessively increase the storage capacity, and the next time the operation device 4 is connected to the same control device 3, it can start working quickly without downloading the operation software 7.

[0051] Then, the operation device 4 executes the operation software 7 selected as the software to be executed (S5) and increments the number of times the operation software 7 has been executed (S6). As a result, when the free storage capacity becomes low, free storage capacity can be secured based on the frequency of use as described above.

[0052] When the operation software 7 is executed, a UI such as that shown in FIG. 2 is displayed on the display unit 44 of the operation device 4. The user then operates the industrial robot 2 using the UI. At this time, the operation device 4 executes an operation process (S7). This operation process includes a process of transmitting data such as the movement destination and movement speed of the arm as an operation signal to the control device 3 in response to the user's operation, and a process of obtaining data on the results of actually controlling the industrial robot 2 from the control device 3 and displaying or reflecting the data on the UI.

[0053] At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, when the control device 3 receives the operation signal (T6), it executes corresponding processing, such as controlling the industrial robot 2 by moving the arm of the industrial robot, and transmitting data on the control results to the operation device 4 (T7).

[0054] 4, when the user completes a task and performs an end operation in the operation process, the operation device 4 transmits an end signal to the control device 3 and ends the process. Also, when the control device 3 receives an end signal from the operation device 4 (T7: YES), as shown in FIG.

[0055] The industrial robot system 1 described above can provide the following effects. The industrial robot system 1 includes a control device 3 that controls the industrial robot 2, and an operation device 4 that is communicatively connected to the control device 3 and can operate the industrial robot 2 via the control device 3. The control device 3 has a memory unit 32 that stores control software 6 for controlling the industrial robot 2 and operation software 7, which is software executed by the operation device 4 and is a version corresponding to the control software 6 stored in the control device 3. The operation device 4 also has an operation-side memory unit 42 that has a memory capacity that can store platform software 9 for communicating with the control device 3 and multiple different versions of the operation software 7, and a maintenance unit 46 that maintains the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot 2.

[0056] Specifically, if a version of the operation software 7 corresponding to the control software 6 stored in the connected control device 3 is stored in the operation side memory unit 42, the maintenance unit 46 selects the corresponding version of the operation software 7 as the target for execution.

[0057] As a result, the operation software 7 corresponding to the version of the control software 6 is executed by the operation device 4, and the combination of the control software 6 and the operation software 7 when operating the industrial robot 2 can be made to be the same as when stable operation was achieved. In other words, the operating environment of the software that achieved stable operation can be maintained.

[0058] In addition, if the version of the operation software 7 corresponding to the control software 6 stored in the connected control device 3 is not stored in the operation side memory unit 42, the maintenance unit 46 acquires the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 and selects it as the target for execution.

[0059] As a result, if the version of the operation software 7 stored in the operation device 4 does not correspond to the version of the control software 6 stored in the control device 3, that is, if the operating environment is different from that of the software that was able to achieve stable operation, by acquiring the corresponding version of the operation software 7 from the control device 3, the combination of the control software 6 and the operation software 7 when operating the industrial robot 2 can be made to be the same as when stable operation was achieved. In other words, the operating environment of the software that was able to achieve stable operation can be maintained.

[0060] Furthermore, the industrial robot system 1 can maintain the operating environment of the software that has achieved stable operation without changing the hardware and software of the industrial robot 2 and the control device 3. This makes it possible to avoid the risk of malfunctions occurring due to updating the software of the industrial robot 2 and the control device 3, and reliably meet the demands of actual production sites that want to perform work using an operating environment that has achieved stable operation.

[0061] Furthermore, in the industrial robot system 1, when the maintenance unit 46 acquires the operation software 7 from the control device 3, the maintenance unit 46 stores the acquired operation software 7 in the operation-side memory unit 42. This allows, for example, in an operation in which a plurality of industrial robots 2 are operated by one or a small number of operation devices 4, work can be started quickly after connecting the operation device 4, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0062] Furthermore, in the industrial robot system 1, the maintenance unit 46 stores the number of times each piece of operation software 7 stored in the operation-side storage unit 42 has been executed, and when there is insufficient storage capacity to store the operation software 7 obtained from the control device 3, the maintenance unit 46 deletes the operation software 7 that has been executed the least number of times and stores the obtained operation software 7 in the operation-side storage unit 42. This eliminates the need to provide an excessively large storage capacity in the operation device 4, and the next time the operation device 4 is connected to the same control device 3, it can start work quickly without downloading the operation software 7.

[0063] In the embodiment, a configuration has been exemplified in which the version of the control software 6 stored in the control device 3 is obtained and it is determined whether or not the corresponding version of the operation software 7 is stored in the operation-side storage unit 42, but it is also possible to obtain the version of the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 and determine whether or not the matching version of the operation software 7 is stored on the operation device 4 side. Since the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 is considered to be suitable for operation of that control device 3, by comparing the versions of the operation software 7 on the control device 3 side and the operation device 4 side, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the operating environment of the software that achieves stable operation.

[0064] Alternatively, the operating environment of the software can be maintained by obtaining the version of the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 from the beginning and determining whether a matching version of the operation software 7 is stored in the operation-side storage unit 42. In this case as well, the operation software 7 stored in the control device 3 is considered to be suitable for operating that control device 3, so by comparing the versions of the operation software 7 on the control device 3 side and the operation device 4 side, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the operating environment of the software that has achieved stable operation.

[0065] Although the embodiment shows an example in which the operating environment is uniform within the same production line, the present invention can be applied to cases in which the operating environments are different within the same production line. As a result, even if a 6-axis robot and a 4-axis robot are arranged on the same production line and the operating environments are different, the equipment can be operated using, for example, a single operating device 4, provided that the operating device 4 is compatible with each robot.

[0066] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or shown in the drawings, and various modifications, extensions, or combinations with other configurations within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention are included in the scope of equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] In the drawing, 1 indicates an industrial robot system, 2 indicates an industrial robot, 3 indicates a control device, 4 indicates an operation device, 6 indicates control software, 7 indicates operation software, 9 indicates base software, 32 indicates a memory unit, 42 indicates an operation side memory unit, and 46 indicates a maintenance unit.

Claims

1. a control device for controlling an industrial robot; an operating device that is communicatively connected to the control device and that can operate the industrial robot via the control device, the control device has a storage unit that stores control software for controlling the industrial robot and operation software that is software executed by the operation device, the operation software stored in the storage unit of the control device is of a version that can realize stable operation of the control software corresponding to the control software stored in the storage unit of the control device, the operating device has an operating-side memory unit having a memory capacity capable of storing platform software for communicating with the control device and a plurality of different versions of the operating software, and a maintenance unit that maintains an operating environment for the software when operating the industrial robot, When a version of the operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the memory unit of the connected control device is stored in the operation-side memory unit, the maintenance unit selects the corresponding version of the operation software as the object to be executed, while when a version of the operation software corresponding to the control software stored in the memory unit of the connected control device is not stored in the operation-side memory unit, the maintenance unit retrieves the operation software stored in the memory unit of the control device and selects it as the object to be executed, thereby reproducing a combination of the version of the operation software and the control software in a state where stable operation can be achieved, thereby maintaining the operating environment of the software when operating the industrial robot.

2. 2. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance unit, when acquiring the operation software from the control device, stores the acquired operation software in the operation-side storage unit.

3. 3. The industrial robot system according to claim 1, wherein the maintenance unit stores the number of times each of the operation software programs stored in the operation-side memory unit has been executed, and when there is insufficient memory capacity to store the operation software program acquired from the control device, the maintenance unit deletes the operation software program that has been executed the least number of times and stores the acquired operation software program in the operation-side memory unit.

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