Production apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278454-B2
Application number	US-201414316664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Jul 4, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A production apparatus ensures wireless communication without interference. An antenna portion 310 at a robotic arm includes a transmitting antenna portion 311 having a plurality of transmitting antennas 321 to 328 and a receiving antenna portion 312 having a plurality of receiving antennas 331 to 338 . A transmitting side switcher circuit 361 changes over a transmitting antenna to be connected to a transmitter 351 among the plurality of transmitting antennas 321 to 328 in conjunction with an attitude information of the robotic arm, and changes an effective direction of a directional characteristic of the transmitting antenna portion 311 . A receiving side switcher circuit 362 changes over a receiving antenna to be connected to a receiver 352 among the plurality of receiving antennas 331 to 338 in conjunction with the attitude information of the robotic arm and changes the effective direction of the directional characteristic of the receiving antenna portion 312.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A production apparatus comprising:
a robotic arm;
a first antenna unit having a directional characteristic and being supported by the robotic arm;
a first wireless unit connected to the first antenna unit;
a working access platform having a working portion placed lower than a movable space of the first antenna unit;
a frame body having a top portion placed higher than the movable space of the first antenna unit;
a second antenna unit having a directional characteristic effective in a direction to the first antenna unit, and being supported by the working portion or the top portion; and
a second wireless unit connected to the second antenna unit, to perform a wireless communication with the first wireless unit through the first and second antenna units; and
a first changing unit configured to change an effective direction of the directional characteristic of the first antenna unit in conjunction with an operation of the robotic arm, such that the second antenna unit is kept within an effective characteristic area of the first antenna unit.

2. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a robot controlling unit configured to control an attitude of the robotic arm,
the first changing unit changes the effective direction of the directional characteristic of the first antenna unit, in conjunction with an attitude information of the robotic arm acquired from the robot controlling unit.

3. The production apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first antenna unit has a plurality of antennas of which effective directions of the directional characteristic are different from each other, and
the first changing unit has a changeover unit configured to change over, among the plurality of antennas, the antenna to be connected to the first wireless unit, in conjunction with the attitude information.

4. The production apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first antenna unit has a plurality of antenna elements, and is a phased-array antenna changing effective directions of the directional characteristic in conjunction with a phase of an electromagnetic wave of the antenna elements, and
the first changing unit has a phase changer configured to change the phase of the electromagnetic wave of the antenna elements, in conjunction with the attitude information.

5. The production apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first changing unit has a drive mechanism changing the attitude of the first antenna unit, in conjunction with the attitude information.

6. The production apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first changing unit has
a reflective plate placed in a path of the effective directions of the directional characteristic of the first antenna unit, and
a drive mechanism changing the attitude of the first antenna unit, in conjunction with the attitude information.

7. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an attitude detecting unit configured to detect an attitude of the robotic arm,
the first changing unit changes the effective direction of the directional characteristic of the first antenna unit, in conjunction with an attitude information of the robotic arm acquired from the attitude detecting unit.

8. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first changing unit has an attitude keeping mechanism keeping the first antenna unit at a predetermined attitude, independent of the attitude of the robot arm.

9. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second changing unit configured to change an effective direction of the directional characteristic of the second antenna unit in conjunction with the operation of the robotic arm, such that the first antenna unit is kept within an effective characteristic area of the second antenna unit.

10. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a shielding plate arranged at the frame body to shield a radio signal so as not to emit the radio signal from an inside of the frame body into an outside of the frame body.

11. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first wireless unit is a transmitter transmitting a radio signal, and
the second wireless unit is a receiver receiving a radio signal.

12. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first wireless unit has a first transmitter transmitting the radio signal and a first receiver receiving the radio signal, and
the second wireless unit has a second transmitter transmitting the radio signal and a second receiver receiving the radio signal.

13. The production apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the second antenna unit has a transmitting antenna portion connected to the second transmitter, and has a receiving antenna portion connected to the second receiver, and
the transmitting antenna portion and the receiving antenna portion are supported respectively by the working portion or the top portion.

14. The production apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the transmitting antenna portion is supported by the working portion, and the receiving antenna portion is supported by the top portion.

15. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
an image sensor, wherein
the first wireless unit transmits an image signal based on an image acquired by the image sensor.

16. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first wireless unit is a receiver receiving a radio signal, and
the second wireless unit is a transmitter transmitting a radio signal.

17. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the second antenna units are provided, and are arranged at an interval.

18. The production apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a robot hand attached to an end of the robot arm, and
a tool grasped by the robot hand, wherein
the first antenna unit is fixed to the tool.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Mimura Toshihiko
• Dan Keita
• Eguchi Tadashi
• Takada Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B25J13/006 Primary

  by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators · CPC title

• B25J13/088

  with position, velocity or acceleration sensors · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• H01Q3/02

  using mechanical movement of antenna or antenna system as a whole · CPC title