Apparatus, method for controlling apparatus, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943961-B2
Application number	US-201514726958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a holding unit configured to hold data related to a worker; an obtaining unit configured to obtain measurement data for recognizing the worker; a recognizing unit configured to recognize the worker based on the data related to the worker and the measurement data; a determination unit configured to determine work information about a work which the worker and a robot perform on a target object together, corresponding to the recognized worker, based on a physical feature of the recognized worker; and a controlling unit configured to control the robot based on the work information so that the worker and the robot perform a work on the target object together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories including instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
hold data related to a worker;
obtain measurement data, which includes an image containing a face of the worker, for recognizing the worker;
recognize the worker based on the data related to the worker and the measurement data;
determine work information about work which the worker and a robot perform on a target object together, corresponding to the recognized worker, based on attribute information which includes a physical feature of the recognized worker's body and an operating motion of work performed in the past by the recognized worker; and
control at least one of a position, orientation, and path of the robot based on the work information to reduce a change in an orientation of the worker when the worker and the robot perform the work on the target object together.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to control a driving speed of the robot based on the work information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to control at least one of a position, orientation, and path of the robot based on the work information to reduce a change in a position of the worker.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to at least decelerate or stop the robot when a person who is not the worker expected to work in a region enters the region, based on the work information.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to present information indicating a state of recognition of the worker.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to present warning information when a person who is not the worker expected to work in a region enters the region, based on the work information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to control the robot so that the robot transfers and places at least one of tools or parts used in the work, based on the work information.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to update or add at least one of information about the worker and the work information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to add work history of a recognized individual to personal information of the individual.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the attribute information of the recognized worker is at least one of the physical feature of the worker's body, a skill level for the work of the worker, and a work path in the work of the worker.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the work information is a driving speed of the robot.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the work is to transfer the target object between the worker and the robot.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the physical feature of the recognized worker's body is at least any of information regarding a height and information regarding a dominant hand.

14. A method for controlling an apparatus, the method comprising:
holding data related to a worker;
obtaining measurement data, which includes an image containing a face of the worker, for recognizing the worker;
recognizing the worker based on the data related to the worker and the measurement data;
determining work information about a work which the worker and a robot perform on a target object together, corresponding to the recognized worker, based on attribute information which includes a physical feature of the recognized worker's body and an operating motion of work performed in the past by the recognized worker; and
controlling at least one of a position, orientation, and path of the robot based on the work information to reduce a change in an orientation of the worker when the worker and the robot perform the work on the target object together.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to:
hold data related to a worker;
obtain measurement data, which includes an image containing a face of the worker, for recognizing the worker;
recognize the worker based on the data related to the worker and the measurement data;
determine work information about a work which the worker and a robot perform on a target object together, corresponding to the recognized worker, based on attribute information which includes a physical feature of the recognized worker's body and an operating motion of work performed in the past by the recognized worker; and
control at least one of a position, orientation, and path of the robot based on the work information to reduce a change in an orientation of the worker when the worker and the robot perform the work on the target object together.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Nakazato Yusuke
• Kobayashi Kazuhiko
• Suzuki Masahiro

Classifications

• G05B2219/31289

  Read card with operator and another card with process, product, work order info · CPC title

• B25J9/1674 Primary

  characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic · CPC title

• G05B2219/40202

  Human robot coexistence · CPC title

• G05B19/4183

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title

• Y02P90/10

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic