Robot Controller Manual Control via General Purpose Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial robot systems rely on costly and complex Teach Pendant Units (TPUs) for manual control and programming, which are unnecessary in integrated machines and increase maintenance costs, as they require a separate user interface despite being proprietary and restrictive in automatic mode.
Innovation Solution
An industrial robot system utilizing a robot controller connected to a separate enabling unit and general-purpose devices, such as smartphones or tablets, which communicate with the controller to enable manual control and programming without the need for a TPU, using software modules to adapt user interfaces for jog commands and authorization handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a Teach Pendant Unit is used for manual control and programming of the robot, then the robot can be precisely controlled and programmed, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the TPU functionality into two separate components: an enabling unit with safety functions (enabling device, confirmation member) and general-purpose client devices for control operations. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single complex proprietary device while maintaining safety and control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables general-purpose devices (smartphones, tablets, PCs) to perform robot control functions through software applications. These universal devices can be used across different robot systems without requiring proprietary hardware, reducing system complexity and cost while maintaining ease of operation.
2Ease of operation
If a Teach Pendant Unit is used for manual control, then the robot can be jogged and programmed, but maintenance costs and device proprietary restrictions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive proprietary TPU hardware with inexpensive general-purpose devices that can be easily replaced or updated. The enabling unit uses simple, durable components (buttons, switches) while control functionality resides in software on client devices, dramatically reducing maintenance costs and eliminating proprietary restrictions.
3Reliability
If an enabling device is integrated into the control unit, then safety is ensured during manual operation, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the enabling device and safety confirmation functions from the control unit and places them in a separate enabling unit. This extraction simplifies the control unit while maintaining safety requirements, as the enabling unit handles all safety-critical functions independently from the general-purpose control devices.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an industrial robot system comprising a manipulator (1), a robot controller (2) configured to control the movements of the manipulator based on jog commands during a manual mode, an enabling unit (7) including an enabling device, and the enabling unit is configured to transfer information regarding the state of the enabling device to the robot controller, and the robot controller controls the movements of the manipulator during manual mode in dependence on the state of the enabling device. The system further comprises at least two general purpose devices (6, 8) each including a user interface adapted to allow jogging of the manipulator, an authorization handler configured to send a request to the robot controller for authorization to take over control of the robot during manual mode,and a jog command module configured to send jog commands to the robot controller in response to user interactions with the user interface. The robot controller is configured to grant or deny the requests for authorization, and to control the movements of the manipulator during manual mode based on the received jog commands provided that the general purpose device sending the jog commands has been authorized control of the robot during manual mode.