Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2003-05-20
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A (Department: 3661)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S247000, C700S249000, C700S255000, C700S257000, C700S259000, C700S023000, C700S024000, C318S568100, C318S568130, C318S568140, C318S568160, C901S002000, C901S004000, C901S008000, C901S009000, C901S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567723
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a program executing method, system and program processing unit for a robot, and in particular, to a program executing method, system and program processing unit for a robot, which controls execution of programs according to its external environment and internal state.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a robot control unit has been provided with security features to protect a robot and a user who operates the robot. There is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI11-77580 an example of the robot control unit having a built-in safety device. The robot control unit detects an overload in the operation of a robot, and stops a motor if the robot is overloaded. Herewith the robot control unit assures the safety of the operator as well as preventing damage when the robot collides with an outside machine.
However, the security features are completely incorporated as part of the robot control unit, and thus the entire robot control unit needs to be changed in case of any changes in the security features.
A robot control unit that solves the above problem in part is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI6-328379. The robot control unit is equipped with not security features but a motion correcting means for switching operation mode according to sensor information. FIG.
1
(
a
) is a block diagram showing a configuration of the robot control unit. In the robot control unit, a condition monitoring section
822
decides a current operation state based on the information obtained through a sensor
84
, and accordingly, an operation selecting section
823
switches operation mode by selecting one of operation correcting modules
8241
to
8243
. The condition monitoring section
822
generates an event that indicates the current operation state based on the corresponding relation between a sensor value and an event value shown in FIG.
1
(
b
). The operation selecting section
823
switches operation mode based on a state transition chart shown in FIG.
1
(
c
). That is, when the sensor value f is less than or equal to a certain threshold F, event Ev
1
is issued from the condition monitoring section
822
. Subsequently, the operation selecting section
823
selects a running condition mode, and thus selects the operation correcting module of running condition. When the sensor value f is more than the threshold F, event Ev
2
is issued from the condition monitoring section
822
. In this case, the operation selecting section
823
selects a deburring condition mode, and the operation correcting module of deburring condition. The features of the safety device in the above-mentioned robot control unit can be implemented by using the motion correcting means. Moreover, since rules and modules for correcting operations are modularized, it is easy to modify security features compared to the above robot control unit.
In addition, there is a Java application environment as a program processing unit for a computer, although not for a robot. In document “Java 2 Platform Security Architecture” (Li Gong, Sun Microsystems), the latest Java technology, Java 2 security architecture, is described. According to the Java 2, it is possible to set limits to the object (file, network, etc.) and operation (reading, writing, etc.) of a program depending on the programmer and location of the program by rules called security policy. The security policy may be stored as a text file or binary data separately from the Java application environment. Therefore, the security policy alone can be changed without replacing the whole Java application environment.
However, in the security features of the conventional program processing unit, it is pointed out as the first problem that addition and modification of rules for restricting operations are difficult. This is because occurrence conditions of events that trigger state transition and rules for state transition are incorporated in the condition monitoring section and the operation selecting section, respectively, and only the rules cannot be simply changed. Besides, in the security features of the Java application environment, it is possible to modify the rules, but the rules concern about only programmers and locations. Additionally, there is no device or mechanism to use sensor information and the like.
The second problem is that in the security features of the conventional program processing unit, rules are poorly expressed and described. The description method or mechanism provided for the security features of the conventional robot control unit and also the Java application environment is too simple to describe the rule for synthetic judgment on the occasion of having a great deal of sensor and internal state information.
For example, a general-purpose robot is required to read programs from the outside and perform various operations. In such robot, it is necessary to test security through consolidating information about the programmer and location of a program, sensor information, and the internal state of the robot. Consequently, the robot needs a mechanism to describe rules for the security test by using the information in a comprehensive manner. Thus those inflexible in describing the rule such as the conventional robot control unit and the Java application environment are presumably inadequate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a program executing method and a program processing unit for a robot, in which execution of a program is controlled by using all available information such as the programmer and location of the program, sensor information and the internal state of a system to provide an operation mode suitable for execution environment of the program, and thus the safety of a robot and its operator is improved in execution of the program.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a program executing method and a program processing unit for a robot, in which, when execution of a program is controlled by using all available information such as the programmer and location of the program, sensor information and the internal state of a system, the safety in execution of the program is tested through consolidating many conditions, and the power of expressing and describing rules for the test is improved.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an robot program executing method comprising a command unit for issuing a command to a robot, a storage for storing information, an input unit for inputting information from the outside to the storage, a processing unit for executing a program, and an actuator that operates with a control signal from the processing unit, wherein: the processing unit includes a program processing unit for executing a program inputted from the outside; the program includes a command for actuating the actuator; the command may include one or more parameter(s) for designating the speed, distance and/or count; the storage includes at least an area for storing the program, an area for storing command rejection rules for rejecting execution of commands and/or command change rules for changing commands, and an area for storing source information of the program; the command rejection rule includes a command to be rejected and conditions for judging whether or not to reject the command; the command change rule includes a command to be replaced or modified, conditions for judging whether or not to change the command, and an alternative command; and the conditions may include conditions concerning the source information of the program, the command and parameter(s). In addition, for executing a command in the program, the robot program executing method comprises the steps of searching for a command rejection rule and/or command change rule corresponding to the command; if detected, retrieving the source information of the active program from the storage; judging conditions included in the command rejection rule and/or command change
Cuchlinski, Jr. William A
Marc McDievnel
McGinn & Gibb PLLC
NEC Corporation
LandOfFree
Program executing method, system and program processing unit... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Program executing method, system and program processing unit..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Program executing method, system and program processing unit... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3087974