Portable Robot Teaching Terminal for Manufacturing Info Display

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional robot operating devices face difficulties in confirming manufacturing information during product manufacturing processes, particularly when operating according to an operation program.

Innovation Solution

A robot system comprising a manufacturing unit with a robot and peripheral equipment, a portable information terminal for displaying and inputting commands, and a unit controller connected to both, which sets operation modes and controls the robot and peripheral equipment in teaching and playback modes to facilitate collaborative manufacturing operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a robot operating device is used for manufacturing products, then the robot can operate according to an operation program, but it becomes difficult to confirm manufacturing information during the manufacturing process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing efficiencyVSAvoidmanufacturing information visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

A portable information terminal serves as an intermediary device between the robot control system and the operator. It receives manufacturing information from the robot controller and displays it to the operator, enabling information confirmation without interfering with the robot's automated operation. This mediator resolves the contradiction by providing information access while maintaining manufacturing productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If separate devices are used for robot teaching and manufacturing information display, then each function can be optimized, but the system configuration becomes complex and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional optimizationVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The portable information terminal is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both a robot teaching device and a manufacturing information display terminal. By integrating these functions into a single device, the system avoids the complexity and cost of using separate dedicated devices while maintaining functional optimization through software-based role switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3804917B1Robot system and method for controlling the robot system
Publication Date: 2024.07.10 KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KK
  • EP3804917B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3804917B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3804917B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A robot system includes a manufacturing unit (10) including a robot (11) and a peripheral equipment (12) configured to operate cooperatively with the robot, and configured to perform a work of manufacturing a product by operating in accordance with an operation program including contents and processes of the operations of the robot and the peripheral equipment, a portable information terminal (2) including a displaying part (62) configured to display information, and an inputting part (61) configured to accept an operation command for operating the robot, and a unit controller (30) communicably connected to the robot, the peripheral equipment, and the portable information terminal. The unit controller includes a memory (32) storing the operation program, an operation mode setting module (41) configured to set an operation mode to one of a plurality of operation modes including a teaching mode and a playback mode, an operation controlling module (42) configured to control the operation of the robot in the teaching mode based on the operation command, and control the robot and the peripheral equipment in the playback mode in accordance with the operation program, and a display controlling module (43) configured to control the portable information terminal in the teaching mode to display on the displaying part an operation screen (53) through which the operation command is inputted, and control the portable information terminal in the playback mode to display on the displaying part a screen different from the operation screen (53).