Motor control system, robot system, and communication method for motor control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040193-B2
Application number	US-201715443181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A motor control system includes first processing circuitry that controls a motor. An upper-level communication path connects an upper-level communication port of the first processing circuitry to second processing circuitry that sends an instruction to the first processing circuitry via the upper-level communication path. A lower-level communication path connects a lower-level communication port of the first processing circuitry to a plurality of devices connected in series to each other. The devices include rotational angle detection circuitry and output circuitry. The rotational angle detection circuitry detects a rotation angle of the motor. The output circuitry outputs associated information that is associated with the motor and is different from the rotational angle or that is associated with an industrial device associated with the motor. The first processing circuitry performs a predetermined processing based on the rotational angle and the associated information, and sends a result of the predetermined processing to the second processing circuitry.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A motor control system, comprising:
first processing circuitry configured to control a motor;
an upper-level communication path connecting an upper-level communication port of the first processing circuitry to second processing circuitry, the second processing circuitry being configured to send an instruction to the first processing circuitry via the upper-level communication path; and
a lower-level communication path connecting a lower-level communication port of the first processing circuitry to a plurality of devices connected in series to each other,
wherein the plurality of devices include rotational angle detection circuitry configured to detect a rotational angle of the motor, and output circuitry configured to output a first piece of associated information and a second piece of associated information, the first piece of associated information being associated with the motor and being different from the rotational angle of the motor, the second piece of associated information being associated with an industrial device associated with the motor, and the first processing circuitry is further configured to perform predetermined processing based on the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information received via the lower-level communication path, and send a result of the predetermined processing to the second processing circuitry via the upper-level communication path.

2. The motor control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing circuitry is configured to communicate with the second processing circuitry using a first communication protocol and via the upper-level communication path, and is configured to communicate with the rotational angle detection circuitry and the output device using a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol and through the lower-level communication path.

3. The motor control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing circuitry is configured to communicate with the second processing circuitry during a first communication period and via the upper-level communication path, and is configured to communicate with the rotational angle detection circuitry and the output device during a second communication period different from the first communication period and via the lower-level communication path.

4. The motor control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing circuitry is further configured to send a general instruction to each of the plurality of devices from the lower-level communication port in order to communicate with each of the plurality of devices, each device of the plurality of devices comprises third processing circuitry configured to, in response to the general instruction, send a response comprising at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information, and the first processing circuitry is further configured to send an individual instruction to one device among the plurality of devices via the lower-level communication port in order to communicate with the one device and control operation of the one device.

5. The motor control system according to claim 4 , wherein the individual instruction includes setting information for the one device, and the third processing circuitry is further configured to, in response to the individual instruction, record the setting information in a memory of a respective device of the plurality of devices.

6. The motor control system according to claim 4 , wherein when the individual instruction is addressed to another device, among the plurality of devices, that is other than the one device, the third processing circuitry of the one device is further configured to send the response comprising at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information on behalf of the another device.

7. The motor control system according to claim 4 , wherein the individual instruction includes a control command that controls operation of the one device, and the third processing circuitry is further configured to execute the control command when the individual instruction is addressed to the one device.

8. The motor control system according to claim 1 , wherein the first processing circuitry includes a plurality of motor control processing circuits, the rotational angle detection circuitry of the plurality of devices comprises a plurality of rotational angle detection circuits respectively corresponding to the plurality of motor control processing circuits, the upper-level communication path is connected to the upper-level communication port of an uppermost-level motor control processing circuit among the plurality of motor control processing circuits, the lower-level communication path is connected to the lower-level communication port of the uppermost-level motor control processing circuit, and is configured to connect a lower-level motor control processing circuit, among the plurality of motor control processing circuits, in series to the plurality of devices, and each motor control processing circuit of the plurality of motor control processing circuits is configured to perform the predetermined processing at least based on the rotational angle received from a device, among the plurality of devices, that corresponds to the each motor control processing circuit.

9. The motor control system according to claim 8 , wherein the uppermost-level motor control processing circuit is configured to send, via the lower-level communication port to the lower-level motor control processing circuit, an inquiry as to a necessity of an instruction, the lower-level motor control processing circuit is configured to send an answer to the inquiry received via the lower-level communication path, and based on the answer received via the lower-level communication path, the uppermost-level motor control processing circuit is configured to send, on behalf of the lower-level motor control processing circuit, the instruction from the lower-level communication port to a device, among the plurality of devices, that corresponds to the lower-level motor control processing circuit.

10. The motor control system according to claim 1 , wherein each device of the plurality of devices includes third processing circuitry configured to send at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information in a period different from a period in which another third processing circuitry of at least one other device among the plurality of devices sends at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information.

11. The motor control system according to claim 10 , wherein the third processing circuitry of the each device is configured to send at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information at a sending timing determined based on a sending timing of the another third processing circuitry of the at least one other device.

12. The motor control system according to claim 1 , wherein each device of the plurality of devices comprises third processing circuitry configured to instruct storage of at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information in a transmission frame of a data length different from a data length of another transmission frame for at least one other device among the plurality of devices, and configured to send at least one of the rotational angle and the at least one piece of associated information in the transmission frame.

13. The motor control system according to claim 12 , wherein each device of the plurality of devices comprises a

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kobayashi Kazutoshi
• Miwa Takuya
• Fukuda Mamoru
• Kashiwagi Yoshitaka
• Koga Hidetsugu
• Imanaga Kazuhiro
• Okubo Tadashi

Classifications

• G05B2219/37285

  Load, current taken by motor · CPC title

• H02P29/00 Primary

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title

• G05B19/041

  Function-oriented details · CPC title

• B25J9/126 Primary

  Rotary actuators · CPC title

• G05B19/0428 Primary

  Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence) · CPC title