Teleoperation of machines having at least one actuated mechanism and a fault detection and recovery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9914221-B2
Application number	US-201715617475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 3, 2012
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A machine has at least one actuated mechanism is remotely located from a control station. A two way real-time communication link connects the machine location with the control station. A controller at the machine location has program code that is configured to determine from data from one or more sensors at the machine location if an actual fault has occurred in the machine when the machine is performing its predetermined function and to determine for an actual fault one or more types for the fault and transmit the one or more fault types to the control station for analysis. The code in the controller is configured to be a preprogrammed trap routine specific to the machine function that is automatically executed when an error in machine operation is detected at the machine location. The controller also has a default trap routine that is executed when the specific routine does not exist.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a robot station having a robot and a controller, the robot having a plurality of degrees of freedom, the robot further having, for each of the plurality of degrees of freedom, a servo, drive system, and motor; and
a control station communicatively coupled to the robot station, the control station configured to teleoperably control an operation of the robot,
wherein the controller transmits, when a fault has occurred during an operation of the robot, one or more fault types for the fault to the control station,
wherein the controller receives, from the control station after transmission of the one or more fault types to the control station, a selected recovery procedure for handling the fault, wherein upon receipt by the controller of the selected recovery procedure, the controller executes predefined rules stored in the controller and the selected recovery procedure for recovery from the fault, and
wherein the predefined rules comprises (1) recording a free space position along a robot path at which the robot was not subjected to an external impact force, (2) executing a controlled stop of the robot, and, (3) subsequent to executing the controlled stop, displacing the robot to the free space position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robot has a plurality of degrees of freedom, and wherein the control station further includes one or more teleoperation devices configured to be selectively manipulated to generate one or more signals used to control a movement of the robot about at least one axis associated with the plurality of degrees of freedom during the operation of the robot.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined rules comprises reducing a robot position gain to reduce a stiffness of the robot to exposure of the robot to an external impact force.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined rules comprises a controlled stop of the robot and a reduction in a stiffness parameter of the robot.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined rules comprises, following the robot being subjected to an external impact force, automatically retracting the robot in a direction corresponding to a contact direction of the external impact force.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined rules comprises, in response to a loss of communication between the robot station and the control station while the robot is moving, both (1) bring movement of the robot about the plurality of degrees of freedom to a controlled stop, and (2) energizing the servo and drive system for each of the plurality of degrees of freedom for subsequent movement about one or more of the plurality of degrees of freedom upon restoration of communication between the robot station and the control station.

7. A system comprising:
at least one robot station having a robot, a controller, and one or more sensors, the robot having a plurality of degrees of freedom; and
a control station having a data processing device, the control station being communicatively coupled to the robot station, the control station having at least one teleoperation device structured for selective manipulation to generate one or more signals used to control a movement of the robot about an axis of least one of the plurality of degrees of freedom during an operation of the robot,
wherein based on data provided from the one or more sensors the controller detects an occurrence of a fault condition relating to the operation of the robot, and, in response to a detection of the occurrence of the fault condition, facilitates transmission of a fault recovery request from the at least one robot station to the control station,
wherein the controller receives, in response to the fault recovery request, a selected recovery procedure from the control station, whereupon the controller executes predefined rules stored in the controller and the selected recovery procedure for recovery from the detected fault condition,
wherein the one or more sensors provide information regarding a recovery at the at least one robot station from the fault condition,
wherein the data processing device initiates a recovery of the control station based, at least in part, on information from the controller and the selected recovery procedure, and
wherein, after execution by the controller of the selected recovery procedure, and before the recovery from the fault condition is completed, the controller executes, when the recovery has not proceeded as expected, a different selected recovery procedure, as selected at the control station.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein data from the one or more sensors is used to monitor the recovery from the detected fault condition, and further wherein based on information from the one or more sensors, the controller receives instructions from the control station to change the selected recovery procedure.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein, upon recovery of the robot from the fault condition, the controller is further configured to transmit to the control station an indication that the robot has recovered from the fault condition.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fault recovery request includes an indication of each of one or more possible fault types.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the selected recovery procedure is selected, at the control station, from a plurality of recovery procedures.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine one or more possible fault types associated with the detected fault condition.

13. A system comprising:
a robot station having a robot and a controller, the robot having a plurality of degrees of freedom; and
a control station having a data processing device that is communicatively coupled to the robot station, the control station configured to teleoperably control an operation of the robot, the control station having one or more teleoperation devices configured to be selectively manipulated to generate one or more signals used to control a movement of the robot about one or more of the plurality of degrees of freedom,
wherein the controller determines when a fault has occurred during an operation of the robot, and, after determining an occurrence of the fault, transmits one or more fault types for the fault to the control station,
wherein the controller receives, from the control station and after transmission of the one or more fault types to the control station, a selected recovery procedure for handling the fault, and wherein upon receipt by the controller of the selected recovery procedure, the controller executes predefined rules stored in the controller and the selected recovery procedure for recovery from the fault, the predefined rules comprising a safe stop routine that at least brings the robot to a controlled stop; and
wherein the data processing device is configured to receive, from the controller, a recovery signal indicating the recovery from the fault, whereupon the data processing device initiates a recovery of the control station based, at least in part, on information from the controller and the executed predefined rules, wherein recovery of the control station comprises synchronizing the robot station with the control station.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the recovery of the control station is also based on the selected recovery procedure.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the robot station further includes one or more sensors that provide information regarding at least the fault and the recovery from the fault.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein, after execution by the cont

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Zhang Biao
• Wang Jianjun
• Zhang George Q
• Choi Sangeun
• Boca Remus
• Fuhlbrigge Thomas A
• Groth Tomas

Classifications

• Y10S901/09

  Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement · CPC title

• Y10S901/46

  Sensing device · CPC title

• G05B2219/40204

  Each fault condition has a different recovery procedure · CPC title

• B25J9/1689 Primary

  Teleoperation · CPC title

• G05B2219/40195

  Tele-operation, computer assisted manual operation · CPC title