Robot Teach Pendant with Isolated Rendering Engine

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial robot teach pendants face limitations in providing rich user interaction due to limited memory and CPU power, and existing web browsers are inefficient for dynamic updates and interactive applications, posing risks in environments with limited resources and requiring secure, customizable interfaces.

Innovation Solution

A teach pendant unit with a native user interface program hosting a processing component capable of displaying animated graphical objects, which runs in a sandbox to isolate applications and reduce communication with the robot controller, using technologies like Silverlight or Flash for interactive graphics without relying on web browsers, and supporting vector graphics for efficient scaling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a web browser is used to host additional components for user interaction, then user interface functionality is improved, but memory and CPU usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interface functionalityVSAvoidmemory usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the browser rendering engine from the complete web browser application, keeping only the essential rendering component while removing resource-intensive features like JavaScript engine, DOM implementation, and network stack. This allows the teach pendant to display web content without the full overhead of a traditional browser, significantly reducing memory and CPU usage while maintaining core display functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of implementing a complete browser from scratch, the patent copies and integrates only the necessary rendering engine components from existing browser implementations. This approach leverages proven rendering technology while avoiding the resource costs of a full browser suite, enabling efficient display of complex web-based interfaces on resource-constrained devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If a web browser is used to host additional components for user interaction, then user interface functionality is improved, but CPU power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interface functionalityVSAvoidCPU power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If web browser protocols are used to present data and images, then data presentation capability is improved, but interactivity and dynamic updates deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata presentation capabilityVSAvoidinteractivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic rendering architecture where the extracted rendering engine can continuously update display content in response to real-time robot controller data changes. Unlike static web pages, the system dynamically refreshes graphical representations of robot positions, sensor data, and system status, enabling interactive monitoring and control while maintaining efficient resource usage through selective rendering updates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple scripts are run in the web browser to provide interactivity, then user interaction capability is improved, but server communication requirements and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction capabilityVSAvoidprocessing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9535416B2Robot teach pendant unit

Publication Date: 2017.01.03 ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG

AI summary

The present invention relates to a robot teach pendant unit (2) coupled to a programmable robot controller (1), the teach pendant comprising a graphical screen (6), and a native user interface program (9) which creates a graphical user interface and displays the user interface on the graphical screen. The robot teach pendant further comprises a processing component (10) capable of receiving an application including one or more animated graphical objects, instructions for displaying the animated objects on the graphical screen, information on the behavior of the animated graphical objects, and instructions on how the user can interact with the animated graphical objects, and the processing component is configured to display the animated graphical objects on the screen and to set up a sandbox providing an isolation mechanism for safely running the application without disturbing the execution of normal teach pendant operations, and said user interface program is programmed to host directly the processing component and instructing it to load and display the application containing the animated graphical objects.