Robot control system, information processor, information processing method, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12214503-B2
Application number	US-202217730498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2022
Priority date	May 27, 2021
Publication date	Feb 4, 2025
Grant date	Feb 4, 2025

Abstract

A technique allows verification of a robot operation without any cost for an additional robot or for a person entering a monitoring area. A robot control system includes a monitored robot for which a monitoring area is defined and a robot controller that controls the monitored robot in a plurality of modes including a first mode to change an operation of the monitored robot in response to an object detected in the monitoring area being a robot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot control system, comprising:
a monitored robot for which a monitoring area is defined; and
a robot controller configured to control the monitored robot in a plurality of modes including a first mode to change or continue an operation of the monitored robot and a second mode to continue the operation of the monitored robot,
wherein the robot controller controls the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to an object detected in the monitoring area being an autonomous robot and an operation mode of the monitored robot being the first mode,
the robot controller controls the monitored robot to continue the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being the autonomous robot and the operation mode of the monitored robot being the second mode, and
the robot controller controls the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being not the autonomous robot.

2. The robot control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a determination controller configured to determine whether to change or continue the operation of the monitored robot in accordance with specified information specifying operation verification of the monitored robot,
wherein in the first mode, the robot controller controls the monitored robot to change or continue the operation in accordance with a result of determination performed by the determination controller.

3. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the monitoring area includes a plurality of subareas, and
the robot control system further includes a receiving controller configured to receive information specifying at least one subarea of the plurality of subareas to undergo operation verification in the first mode.

4. The robot control system according to claim 3 , wherein
the robot controller controls the robot to enter the at least one subarea specified with the information received by the receiving controller.

5. The robot control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display configured to display information indicating whether the monitoring area is an area that has undergone operation verification of the monitored robot in the first mode.

6. An information processor, comprising:
an obtaining controller configured to obtain an output signal indicating detection of an object in a monitoring area defined for a monitored robot; and
a robot controller configured to control the monitored robot in a plurality of modes including a first mode to change or continue an operation of the monitored robot and a second mode to continue the operation of the monitored robot,
wherein the robot controller controls the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to an object detected in the monitoring area being an autonomous robot and an operation mode of the monitored robot being the first mode,
the robot controller controls the monitored robot to continue the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being the autonomous robot and the operation mode of the monitored robot being the second mode, and
the robot controller controls the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being not the autonomous robot.

7. An information processing method, comprising:
obtaining an output signal indicating detection of an object in a monitoring area defined for a monitored robot;
controlling the monitored robot in a plurality of modes including a first mode to change or continue an operation of the monitored robot and a second mode to continue the operation of the monitored robot; and
controlling the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to an object detected in the monitoring area being an autonomous robot and an operation mode of the monitored robot being the first mode,
controlling the monitored robot to continue the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being the autonomous robot and the operation mode of the monitored robot being the second mode, and
controlling the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being not the autonomous robot.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process, comprising:
obtaining an output signal indicating detection of an object in a monitoring area defined for a monitored robot;
controlling the monitored robot in a plurality of modes including a first mode to change or continue an operation of the monitored robot and a second mode to continue the operation of the monitored robot; and
controlling the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to an object detected in the monitoring area being an autonomous robot and an operation mode of the monitored robot being the first mode,
controlling the monitored robot to continue the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being the autonomous robot and the operation mode of the monitored robot being the second mode, and
controlling the monitored robot to stop the operation of the monitored robot in response to the object detected in the monitoring area being not the autonomous robot.

9. The robot control system according to claim 1 , further comprising a safety controller configured to determine whether the object detected in the monitoring area is the autonomous robot and determine, in response to determining that the object detected in the monitoring area is the autonomous robot, whether the operation mode of the monitored robot is the first mode or the second mode.

10. The robot control system according to claim 9 , wherein the safety controller is further configured to stop the operation of the monitored robot, without determining whether the operation mode of the monitored robot is the first mode or the second mode, in response to determining that the object detected in the monitoring area is not the autonomous robot.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Higuchi Toshiyuki

Classifications

• B25J13/06

  Control stands, e.g. consoles, switchboards · CPC title

• G05B2219/39082

  Collision, real time collision avoidance · CPC title

• B25J9/1664 Primary

  characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning · CPC title

• B25J9/1676 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• B25J9/1602 Primary

  characterised by the control system, structure, architecture · CPC title