Smartphone Teach Pendant Interface for Semiconductor Robot Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional teach pendants in semiconductor automation are expensive, inflexible, and cumbersome, requiring specific firmware for each robot, making them undesirable and difficult to upgrade, with limited functionality and no internet access, which increases production costs and setup times.
Innovation Solution
The use of fungible smart mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, with a Web-based interface and customizable menus, enabling features like firmware upgrades, robot health monitoring, and automated teaching algorithms, along with connectivity to external sensors and networks, to provide enhanced functionality and reduce costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional teach pendants are used with specific firmware for each robot, then robot control functionality is achieved, but device cost increases and adaptability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal teach pendant system using a smartphone with a web browser that can control multiple robot types through a standardized web interface. The robot controller serves as a web server, eliminating the need for robot-specific firmware on the teach pendant device, thereby achieving cross-robot compatibility with a single device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a web interface as an intermediary layer between the teach pendant (smartphone) and the robot controller. This web-based communication protocol acts as a universal mediator that translates between the smartphone interface and various robot controllers, enabling adaptability without requiring device-specific firmware.
2Ease of operation
If conventional teach pendants are used with limited screen size and navigation steps, then basic robot control is achieved, but operational efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical keyboard and limited display of conventional teach pendants with a touchscreen interface and graphical user interface displayed on a smartphone screen. This substitution enables more efficient interaction through visual feedback, drag-and-drop operations, and intuitive controls, significantly reducing setup time.
3Reliability
If self-contained teach pendants with hardwired connections are used, then emergency stop functionality is achieved, but flexibility and upgradeability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a static, hardwired teach pendant to a dynamic system where the smartphone can be connected or disconnected as needed. The emergency stop and safety functions are implemented through software on the smartphone rather than fixed hardware circuits, enabling flexibility in configuration and ease of upgrades through software updates.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1F
Figure 1C~1E
Figure 1G~1I
AI summary
A semiconductor process transport apparatus including a drive section with at least one motor, an articulated arm coupled to the drive section for driving articulation motion, a machine controller coupled to the drive section to control the at least one motor moving the articulated arm from one location to a different location, and an adapter pendant having a machine controller interface coupling the adapter pendant for input/output with the machine controller, the adapter pendant having another interface, configured for connecting a fungible smart mobile device having predetermined resident user operable device functionality characteristics, wherein the other interface has a connectivity configuration so mating of the fungible smart mobile device with the other interface automatically enables configuration of at least one of the resident user operable device functionality characteristics to define an input/output to the machine controller effecting input commands and output signals for motion control of the articulated arm.