JP2014213400A - Robot device and robot device control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a robot device in which robot operation can be stopped adequately and an increase of a wiring number can be suppressed in a case that communication abnormality happens in communication from an upper controller to lower controllers.SOLUTION: A robot device comprises: plural lower controllers 20a to 20f which control operation of respective parts of a robot 10; an upper controller 30 which controls the plural lower controllers 20a to 20f; a signal cut-off circuit 60 which is provided at the upstream side more than the plural lower controllers 20a to 20f among signal lines 41 between the upper controller 30 and the plural lower controllers 20a to 20f and can cut off the signal lines 41; and a cut-off instruction part 70 which can transmit a signal for cutting off the signal lines 41 to the signal cut-off circuit 60. In a case that the communication situation from an upper controller 30 to the plural lower controllers 20a to 20f is under a cut-off state for a period equal to or longer than a prescribed time T1, the operation of the robot 10 is stopped.

Description

  The present invention relates to a robot apparatus using a multi-joint arm that is driven by controlling a plurality of joints, and a method for controlling the robot apparatus.

  Conventionally, a vertical articulated arm (hereinafter referred to as a robot) has been developed as, for example, an industrial assembly robot. As one of the robot control systems, a so-called distributed control system is known in which an operation instruction is transmitted from a host controller to a subordinate controller subordinate to the host controller. In the distributed control system, a host controller is provided for each robot, for example, and performs global determination processing such as an operation plan for the entire robot. A plurality of lower-order controllers are incorporated in one robot, and control individual hardware such as motor control. In other words, the distributed control system includes a lower controller for each of a plurality of devices such as motors constituting the system, and controls the lower controllers distributed from the upper controller.

  Here, when an emergency stop is performed for some reason during the operation of the robot, an emergency stop instruction is transmitted to the robot, the robot is decelerated and stopped by a program, and then the power for driving the motor is cut off. However, in the distributed control system, there is a possibility that an abnormality may occur on the upstream side of the lower level controller, for example, malfunction of the program of the higher level controller, failure of the higher level controller, or disconnection. When an abnormality occurs in communication from such a higher-level controller to a lower-level controller, the lower-level controller cannot receive an emergency state notification or an emergency stop instruction accurately. As a result, the robot cannot be appropriately decelerated or cannot be stopped at an appropriate position and posture, and thus an appropriate stop operation cannot be performed, and a mechanical overload may be applied to the robot.

  On the other hand, in a distributed control system, when such a communication abnormality occurs, an emergency communication line is provided between lower controllers so that the lower controllers can notify each other of an emergency state ( Patent Document 1). According to this control system, even if a communication abnormality occurs between the upper and lower controllers due to an abnormality upstream of the lower controller, the lower controller detects the emergency state through the emergency communication line between the lower controllers, and the robot is Appropriate stop operation can be performed.

JP 2009-37424 A

  However, in the control system described in Patent Document 1, if the number of lower controllers is n, the number of emergency communication lines connecting all the lower controllers is 0.5 × n (n−1). . For this reason, for example, when there are six lower controllers such as a 6-axis articulated robot, 15 emergency communication lines are required, and the number of emergency communication lines between the lower controllers increases as the number of lower controllers increases. Increases as a quadratic function. Due to the huge number of emergency communication lines wired between the lower controllers, there is a problem that workability when mounting the robot is lowered.

  The present invention provides a robot apparatus and a robot apparatus control method capable of appropriately stopping the robot and suppressing an increase in the number of wires when a communication abnormality occurs in communication from the upper controller to the lower controller. With the goal.

  The robot apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of lower controllers that control the operation of each unit of the robot, a higher controller that controls the plurality of lower controllers, and signal lines between the upper controller and the plurality of lower controllers. A signal disconnection circuit provided upstream of the plurality of lower-level controllers and capable of disconnecting the signal line; and a disconnection instruction unit capable of transmitting a signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit; The robot operation is stopped when a communication state from the upper controller to the plurality of lower controllers is in a cut-off state for a first predetermined time or more.

  Further, the present invention provides a plurality of lower controllers that control the operation of each part of the robot, a higher controller that controls the plurality of lower controllers, and a signal line between the upper controller and the plurality of lower controllers. A signal disconnection circuit provided on the upstream side of the plurality of lower controllers, capable of disconnecting the signal line, and a disconnection instruction unit capable of transmitting a signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit; In the control method of a robot apparatus comprising: the first instruction that the signal connection circuit disconnects the signal line by the disconnection instruction unit transmitting the signal that disconnects the signal line to the signal connection circuit. The operation of the robot when the cutting state and the communication state from the upper controller to the plurality of lower controllers are in a cut-off state for a first predetermined time or more Characterized in that it and a stop step of stopping.

  According to the present invention, the disconnection instruction unit transmits a signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit, so that the signal disconnection circuit disconnects the signal line, and the communication state from the upper controller to the lower controller is changed to the first state. The robot operation is stopped by being in the shut-off state for a predetermined time of 1 or more. As a result, there is no need to provide an emergency communication line between the lower controllers, so that when the communication abnormality occurs in communication from the upper controller to the lower controller without increasing the number of wires, the robot can be appropriately stopped. it can.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the robot apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of carrying out the emergency stop of the robot during operation | movement of the robot which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence at the time of restarting operation | movement of a robot after the emergency stop of the robot which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the robot apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows a part of process sequence at the time of carrying out the emergency stop of the robot during operation | movement of the robot which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the robot apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows a part of process sequence at the time of carrying out an emergency stop of the robot during operation | movement of the robot which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the robot apparatus 1 includes a robot 10, a plurality of control units (lower controllers) 20a to 20f, and a control unit (upper controller) 30 that controls the plurality of control units 20a to 20f. I have. The robot 10 has a six-axis vertical articulated arm (hereinafter referred to as an arm) 11 and a hand (not shown) as an end effector. The entire robot 10 and all the control units 20a to 20f are collectively referred to as a robot body 40. In this embodiment, a 6-axis vertical articulated arm is applied as the arm 11, but the number of axes may be changed as appropriate according to the application and purpose.

  The arm 11 includes seven links (not shown) and six joints 12a to 12f that connect the links so as to be swingable or rotatable. The joints 12a to 12f include motors 13a to 13f for driving the joints 12a to 12f, brakes 14a to 14f for stopping the joints 12a to 12f, and encoders 15a to 15a for detecting rotation angles of the motors 13a to 13f, respectively. 15f. Motors 13a to 13f, brakes 14a to 14f, and encoders 15a to 15f provided at the joints are connected to control units 20a to 20f, respectively. In the present embodiment, the control units 20a to 20f are provided in the joints 12a to 12f, respectively, and the robot 10 includes a total of six control units 20a to 20f. Each control unit 20a-20f controls operation | movement of each joint 12a-12f of the robot 10. As shown in FIG.

  The control unit 20a is built in the robot body 40 and is attached to the case of the motor 13a, for example. A control unit 30 is connected to the control unit 20a through a signal line 41, and a main power supply 50 is connected through a power line 42. Based on the signal received from the control unit 30, the control unit 20 a uses the power from the power line 42 to drive or stop the motor 13 a and the brake 14 a, and transmits the measurement value by the encoder 15 a to the control unit 30. It has become. Since the other control units 20b to 20f have the same configuration as the control unit 20a, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  All of the control units 20a to 20f and the control unit 30 are configured by a computer. Each computer includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM that stores a program for controlling each unit, a RAM that temporarily stores data, an input interface circuit, and an output interface circuit. The main power supply 50 can supply power for causing the robot 10 to perform an operation.

  Next, characteristic parts of the robot apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  A signal connection circuit 60 capable of connecting and disconnecting the signal line 41 is provided on the upstream side of the control units 20a to 20f among the signal lines 41 between the control unit 30 and the control units 20a to 20f. ing. In the present embodiment, the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 is configured by a relay device. The signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 is not limited to the one that mechanically switches on / off of a contact such as a relay device, and may be one that switches on / off by an electric circuit having no mechanical contact, for example. However, the signal disconnection circuit 60 is configured such that the signal line 41 is disconnected by hardware, and does not include the one in which the signal line 41 is disconnected by software.

  A disconnection instruction unit 70 capable of transmitting a signal for disconnecting the signal line 41 to the signal disconnection circuit 60 is connected to the signal disconnection circuit 60. In the present embodiment, the disconnection instruction unit 70 includes a watchdog timer (WDT) (abnormality detection circuit) 71, an emergency stop button (stop request detection sensor) 72, and a signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 built in the control unit 30. And a stop detection board 73 that transmits a signal. Each of the disconnection instruction units 70 is configured by hardware of an electric circuit or an electric component, and operates without using software.

The WDT 71 checks whether the CPU of the control unit 30 is operating normally in order to monitor whether the software is operating normally. Specifically, for example, the WDT 71 transmits a stop signal to the stop detection board 73 when the time is up due to the elapse of a predetermined time. When the CPU is operating normally, the CPU resets before the WDT 71 times out. When the CPU is operating abnormally, the CPU cannot reset the WDT 71 before the time is up, so that the WDT 71 times up and sends a stop signal to the stop detection board 73.
As a result, the WDT 71 can check the operation of the CPU of the control unit 30 without using software. In this embodiment, the WDT 71 is applied as the abnormality detection circuit, but it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this.

  The emergency stop button 72 includes a push-on switch, for example, and is configured to perform a push-on operation when an operator makes the robot 10 stop in an emergency. When the emergency stop button 72 is turned on, a stop signal is transmitted to the stop detection board 73. In the present embodiment, the emergency stop button 72 is applied as the stop request detection sensor. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a door switch, an area sensor, a deadman switch, or the like may be applied.

  The stop detection board 73 transmits a disconnection signal to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 when the time of the WDT 71 is timed up or the emergency stop button 72 is turned on, so that the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 is disconnected. Yes. In addition, the stop detection board 73 transmits a connection signal to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 by receiving a connection signal from the control unit 30 or turning off the emergency stop button 72, and the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 is connected. It is supposed to be.

  The control unit 20a includes a communication monitoring unit 21a, and the communication monitoring unit 21a determines whether or not the communication state from the control unit 30 to the control unit 20a is in a cut-off state for a first predetermined time T1 or more. It comes to judge. Furthermore, when the communication monitoring unit 21a determines that the communication state is in the cut-off state for the predetermined time T1 or longer, the communication monitoring unit 21a transmits a signal to the control unit 20 so as to stop the operation of the robot 10. The communication monitoring unit 21a is configured by a program stored in the ROM of the control unit 20a. The control units 20b to 20f also have communication monitoring units 21b to 21f, respectively, similarly to the control unit 20a. However, since these configurations are the same as those of the communication monitoring unit 21a, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  A procedure for emergency stop of the operation while the robot 10 is being driven will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, the operation of the robot 10 is started by the operation of the operator (step S1). Then, it is determined whether or not the emergency stop button 72 has been turned on (step S2). If it has not been turned on, it is determined whether or not the WDT 71 has timed up (step S3). If the WDT 71 has not timed up, it is determined again whether or not the emergency stop button 72 has been turned on (step S2). Here, the ON operation of the emergency stop button 72 and the time-up of the WDT 71 are sequentially determined. However, since both are actually constituted by separate electric circuits, they are simultaneously determined.

  If the emergency stop button 72 is turned on or the WDT 71 is timed up, the stop detection board 73 transmits a disconnection signal to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 (step S4). Upon receiving the disconnection signal, the signal disconnection circuit 60 switches to a disconnected state and disconnects the signal line 41 (step S5). These step S4 and step S5 are the first cutting process of the present invention.

  When the signal line 41 is cut, the control units 20a to 20f stop receiving signals and enter a cut-off state. Whether each of the communication monitoring units 21b to 21f has passed the first predetermined time T1. It is determined whether or not (step S6). If the cut-off state has not passed the first predetermined time T1, it is determined again whether or not the first predetermined time T1 has passed (step S6). If the cut-off state has passed the first predetermined time T1, the control units 20a to 20f decelerate the operation of the robot 10 and stop it at a preferred position and orientation in response to a command from the communication monitoring units 21b to 21f (step S7). , Stop process). The preferred position and orientation here is such a position and orientation that a large load does not act on each part such as the joints 12a to 12f and the link of the arm 11, for example.

  Next, a procedure for resuming the operation after an emergency stop by turning on the emergency stop button 72 of the robot 10 will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the control unit 30 is operating normally.

  The robot 10 is in an emergency stop by turning on the emergency stop button 72 (step S11). The control unit 30 transmits a check command (check signal) to each of the control units 20a to 20f (step S12), and determines whether or not the signal line 41 is in a connected state (step S13). The control unit 30 determines that the signal line 41 is in a connected state when a reply is received from each of the control units 20a to 20f in response to the transmitted check command, and the signal line 41 when there is no reply for a predetermined time. Is determined to be in a disconnected state. If the control unit 30 determines that the signal line 41 is not in a connected state, it sends a check command again (step S12).

  When the control unit 30 determines that the signal line 41 is in the connected state, the control unit 30 determines whether or not the communication state is normal based on the reply from the control units 20a to 20f received by the control unit 30 ( Step S14). The control unit 30 determines that the communication state is normal when there is a normal reply from each control unit 20a to 20f in response to the check command, and the communication state is not normal when there is an abnormal reply. Judged as a communication error. If the control unit 30 determines that the communication state is not normal, it sends a check command again (step S12). Steps S12 to S14 are determination steps.

  When the control unit 30 determines that the communication state is normal, the communication with the control units 20a to 20f is reset (step S15). Each control unit 20a-20f restarts the power supply from the main power supply 50 to each motor 13a-13f etc. (step S16). And the control part 30 transmits a permission command to each control unit 20a-20f (step S17, a restart permission process), and the operation | movement of the robot 10 is restarted (step S18).

  As described above, according to the robot apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the cutting instruction unit 70 transmits a signal for cutting the signal line 41 to the signal cutting circuit 60, so that the signal cutting circuit 60 connects the signal line 41. Disconnect. Thereby, the operation of the robot 10 is stopped by the control units 20a to 20f because the communication state from the control unit 30 to the control units 20a to 20f is in the cut-off state for the first predetermined time or longer. Therefore, each control unit 20a to 20f can determine whether or not the robot 10 should be urgently stopped based only on the relationship with the control unit 30. Therefore, the control units 20a to 20f need to be connected to each other by an emergency communication line. There is no. For this reason, the robot 10 can be stopped at an appropriate position and orientation when a communication abnormality occurs in communication from the control unit 30 to each of the control units 20a to 20f without increasing the number of wires.

  Further, according to the robot apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the cutting instruction unit 70 includes the WDT 71 that can detect that an abnormality has occurred in the operation of the control unit 30, and the WDT 71 detects the occurrence of an abnormality in the control unit 30. In this case, a signal for cutting the signal line 41 is transmitted to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60. In addition, the WDT 71 and the stop detection board 73 are configured by an electric circuit, and the signal connection / disconnection circuit is configured by a relay device, and operates without using software. As a result, the abnormality of the control unit 30 can be detected by hardware, and the signal line 41 can be physically disconnected by the relay device, so that the robot 10 can be operated even if the control unit 30 falls into an abnormal state and the program does not operate. Emergency stop can be performed at an appropriate position and posture.

  Here, for example, in a robot apparatus that performs an emergency stop of the robot 10 using the control unit 30 or other software, there is a possibility that the program does not operate normally and the robot 10 cannot be stopped in an appropriate position and orientation. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, software is not used in transmission from detection of an emergency stop request to the control units 20a to 20f, and more reliable hardware is used. The possibility of occurrence of abnormality can be avoided.

  Further, according to the robot apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the cutting instruction unit 70 includes the emergency stop button 72 for stopping the operation of the robot 10, and a signal is output when the emergency stop button 72 is turned on. A signal for cutting the signal line 41 is transmitted to the disconnection circuit 60. As a result, when the robot 10 is emergency-stopped at the operator's discretion, the robot 10 can be stopped without using the control unit 30, so that the robot 10 can be operated even if the control unit 30 generates an abnormality and the program does not operate normally. Emergency stop can be performed at an appropriate position and posture.

  Further, according to the robot apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the control unit 30 allows each control unit to be connected when the signal line 41 cut by the signal connection circuit 60 is connected again after an emergency stop of the operation of the robot 10. A check signal is transmitted to 20a to 20f. And the control part 30 judges whether the connection state and communication state with each control unit 20a-20f are normal based on the presence or absence of the reply from each control unit 20a-20f, and the content of the reply. Further, when the control unit 30 determines that both the disconnected state and the communication state are normal, the control unit 30 permits the control units 20a to 20f to resume the operation of the robot 10. For this reason, when the signal line 41 is disconnected, or when any of the control units 20a to 20f has an abnormality, the operation of the robot 10 can be prevented from restarting, and the robot 10 can be protected. it can.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a robot apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  Compared with the first embodiment, the second embodiment is provided in a power line 42 between the main power supply 50 and the robot 10 as a hardware configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, and can connect and disconnect the power line 42. The configuration is different in that the connection circuit 80 and the timer unit 81 are provided. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  Here, a second predetermined time T2 that is longer than the time from when the stop detection board 73 transmits a signal for cutting the signal line 41 to the signal connection circuit 60 until the operation of the robot 10 stops is set. deep. For example, if the time until the operation of the robot 10 stops is about 0.5 seconds, the second predetermined time T2 can be set to about 3 seconds. The timer unit 81 transmits a signal for disconnecting the power line 42 to the power disconnection circuit 80 after the second predetermined time T2 after the stop detection board 73 transmits a signal for disconnecting the signal line 41 to the signal disconnection circuit 60. It is supposed to be. The power connection / disconnection circuit 80 is configured by, for example, a relay device, and receives a disconnection signal from the timer unit 81 to switch to a disconnection state and disconnect the power line 42.

  The procedure for emergency stop of the operation while the robot 10 is being driven will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the emergency stop button 72 is operated or the WDT 71 is timed up, the stop detection board 73 transmits a disconnection signal to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 (see step S4, FIG. 2). Thereby, the timer unit 81 starts a timer (step S21), and the timer unit 81 determines whether or not the second predetermined time T2 has elapsed (step S22). When the timer unit 81 determines that the second predetermined time T2 has not elapsed, it is determined again whether or not the second predetermined time T2 has elapsed (step S22).

  Then, each control unit 20a-20f decelerates the operation | movement of the robot 10, and stops it with a preferable position and attitude | position (step S7, refer FIG. 2). When the timer unit 81 determines that the second predetermined time T2 has elapsed after the robot 10 is stopped, the timer unit 81 transmits a signal for disconnecting the power line 42 to the power connection / disconnection circuit 80 (step S23). The power connection / disconnection circuit 80 receives the disconnection signal, switches to the disconnection state, and disconnects the power line 42 (step S24). These step S23 and step S24 are the second cutting step of the present invention.

  As described above, according to the robot apparatus 101 of the present embodiment, the stop detection substrate 73 transmits a signal for cutting the signal line 41 to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60, and the operation of the robot 10 is stopped. Thereafter, when the second predetermined time T <b> 2 elapses, the timer unit 81 transmits a signal for disconnecting the power line 42 to the power connection / disconnection circuit 80. For this reason, in addition to physically disconnecting the signal line 41 by the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60, the power line 42 that supplies power necessary for driving the robot 10 can be disconnected. Can be sure.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a robot apparatus 201 according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described.

  Compared with the first embodiment, the third embodiment includes a power connection / disconnection circuit 90 that can disconnect the power line 42 between the main power supply 50 and the robot 10 as a hardware configuration, as shown in FIG. The configuration is different in that an auxiliary power source 51 that can be charged by the power source 50 is provided. Since the other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  The stop detection board 73 transmits a signal for disconnecting the signal line 41 to the signal disconnection circuit 60 and simultaneously transmits a signal for disconnecting the power line 42 to the power disconnection circuit 90. The power disconnection circuit 90 is composed of, for example, a relay device that is the same component as the signal disconnection circuit 60. By receiving a disconnection signal from the stop detection board 73, the power disconnection circuit 90 is switched to a disconnected state. The power line 42 between them is cut off.

  The auxiliary power source 51 includes a chargeable / dischargeable member such as a capacitor or a secondary battery. Here, a third predetermined time T3 longer than the time from when the stop detection board 73 transmits a signal for cutting the signal line 41 to the signal connection circuit 60 until the operation of the robot 10 stops is set. deep. For example, if the time until the operation of the robot 10 stops is about 0.5 seconds, the third predetermined time T3 can be set to about 3 seconds. The auxiliary power supply 51 is charged when the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 connects the signal line 41, and when the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 disconnects the signal line 41, the auxiliary power supply 51 supplies power to the robot 10 for a third predetermined time T 3. The amount of charge that can be discharged.

  A procedure for emergency stop of the operation while the robot 10 is being driven will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the emergency stop button 72 is operated or the WDT 71 times out, the stop detection board 73 transmits a disconnection signal to the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60 (step S4, see FIG. 2). At the same time, the stop detection board 73 transmits a signal for cutting the power line 42 to the power connection / disconnection circuit 90 (step S31). The power connection / disconnection circuit 90 switches to a disconnected state by receiving the disconnection signal, and disconnects the power line 42 (step S32). These step S31 and step S32 are the third cutting step of the present invention.

  Then, the main power supply 50 is disconnected from the robot 10, whereby electric power discharged from the auxiliary power supply 51 is supplied to the robot 10 (step S33). Then, each control unit 20a-20f decelerates the operation | movement of the robot 10, and stops it with a preferable position and attitude | position (step S7, refer FIG. 2). When the third predetermined time T3 elapses after the robot 10 is stopped (step S34), the discharge of the auxiliary power source 51 is completed (step S35).

  As described above, according to the robot apparatus 201 of this embodiment, the stop detection board 73 transmits a signal for cutting the signal line 41 to the signal connection circuit 60 and simultaneously disconnects the power line 42 to the power connection circuit 90. A signal is transmitted. Then, the power connection / disconnection circuit 90 cuts the power line 42, so that the operation of the robot 10 is stopped by the power discharged from the auxiliary power source 51. For this reason, in addition to physically disconnecting the signal line 41 by the signal connection / disconnection circuit 60, the power line 42 that supplies power necessary for driving the robot 10 is disconnected, so that the stopping operation of the robot 10 is more reliably performed. can do.

  Further, according to the robot apparatus 201 of the present embodiment, the signal disconnection circuit 60 and the power disconnection circuit 90 can be simultaneously disconnected. Can be constituted by the same relay device. Thereby, compared with the case where a separate relay apparatus is utilized, the increase in a number of parts can be suppressed.

  In the first to third embodiments described above, the case where the cutting instruction unit 70 includes the WDT 71 and the emergency stop button 72 in addition to the stop detection board 73 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the cutting instruction unit 70 may include only one of the WDT 71 and the emergency stop button 72, or may include another detection circuit or a detection sensor.

  Moreover, although the 1st-3rd embodiment mentioned above demonstrated the case where the communication monitoring parts 21b-21f which monitor the signal from the control part 30 were provided in control unit 20a-20f, it is not restricted to this. . For example, the communication monitoring units 21b to 21f may be provided as separate members outside the control units 20a to 20f.

  The processing operations of the first to third embodiments described above are specifically executed by the control unit 30 or the control units 20a to 20f. Accordingly, the recording medium recording the software program for realizing the above-described functions is supplied to the control unit 30 or the control units 20a to 20f, and each CPU reads and executes the program stored in the recording medium. It may be. In this case, the program itself read from the recording medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program itself and the recording medium on which the program is recorded constitute the present invention.

  In each embodiment, the computer-readable recording medium is a ROM and a program is stored in the ROM. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The program may be recorded on any recording medium as long as it is a computer-readable recording medium. For example, an HDD, an external storage device, a recording disk, or the like may be used as a recording medium for supplying the program.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101,201 ... Robot apparatus, 10 ... Robot, 20a-20f ... Plural control units (plural subordinate controllers), 30 ... Control part (superordinate controller), 41 ... Signal line, 42 ... Power line, 50 ... Main power supply 51 ... Auxiliary power supply, 60 ... Signal disconnection circuit, 70 ... Disconnection instruction unit, 71 ... Watchdog timer (abnormality detection circuit, disconnection instruction unit), 72 ... Emergency stop button (stop request detection sensor, disconnection instruction unit), 73 ... Stop detection board (cutting instruction unit), 80 ... Power disconnection circuit, 81 ... Timer unit, 90 ... Power disconnection circuit

Claims (15)

A plurality of subordinate controllers that control the operation of each part of the robot;
An upper controller that controls the plurality of lower controllers;
A signal disconnect circuit provided upstream of the plurality of lower controllers among the signal lines between the upper controller and the plurality of lower controllers, and capable of disconnecting the signal lines;
A disconnection instruction unit capable of transmitting a signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit;
Stopping the operation of the robot when the communication state from the upper controller to the plurality of lower controllers is in a cut-off state for a first predetermined time or more;
A robot apparatus characterized by that. The disconnection instruction unit includes an abnormality detection circuit capable of detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the operation of the host controller,
When the abnormality detection circuit detects the occurrence of the abnormality of the host controller, the signal for disconnecting the signal line is transmitted to the signal connection circuit.
The robot apparatus according to claim 1. The cutting instruction unit includes a stop request detection sensor capable of detecting a request to stop the operation of the robot,
When the stop request detection sensor detects the request to stop the operation of the robot, the signal for disconnecting the signal line is transmitted to the signal connection circuit;
The robot apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein A main power supply capable of supplying power for causing the robot to perform an operation;
A power disconnection circuit provided on a power line between the main power source and the robot, and capable of disconnecting the power line;
After a second predetermined time, which is longer than the time from the transmission of the signal until the operation of the robot stops, after the disconnection instruction unit transmits the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal connection circuit. A timer unit for transmitting a signal for disconnecting the power line to the power disconnection circuit,
After the disconnection instruction unit transmits the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit and the operation of the robot stops, the timer unit disconnects the power line to the power disconnection circuit. Send signal,
The robot apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the robot apparatus is characterized in that A main power supply capable of supplying power for causing the robot to perform an operation;
The signal disconnection circuit is charged when connecting the signal line, and when the signal disconnection circuit disconnects the signal line, the disconnection instruction unit disconnects the signal line into the signal disconnection circuit. An auxiliary power source that discharges electric power to the robot for a third predetermined time longer than the time from when the signal is transmitted until the operation of the robot stops.
A power connection circuit provided on a power line between the main power source and the robot, and capable of connecting and disconnecting the power line,
The disconnection instruction unit transmits the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit, and at the same time transmits the signal for disconnecting the power line to the power disconnection circuit, and the power discharged from the auxiliary power source To stop the operation of the robot,
The robot apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the robot apparatus is characterized in that The upper controller sends a check signal to the plurality of lower controllers when the signal line cut by the signal connection / disconnection circuit is connected again after the operation of the robot is stopped. Based on the presence / absence of a reply from and the contents of the reply, it is determined whether the connection state and the communication state with the plurality of lower-level controllers are normal. Allowing the controller to resume operation of the robot,
The robot apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein A plurality of subordinate controllers that control the operation of each part of the robot;
An upper controller that controls the plurality of lower controllers;
A signal disconnect circuit provided upstream of the plurality of lower controllers among the signal lines between the upper controller and the plurality of lower controllers, and capable of disconnecting the signal lines;
In a control method of a robot apparatus comprising: a disconnection instruction unit capable of transmitting a signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal connection circuit.
A first disconnecting step in which the signal disconnection circuit disconnects the signal line by the disconnection instruction unit transmitting the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit;
A stop step of stopping the operation of the robot when a communication state from the upper controller to the plurality of lower controllers is in a cut-off state for a first predetermined time or more,
A method for controlling a robot apparatus, comprising: The disconnection instruction unit includes an abnormality detection circuit capable of detecting that an abnormality has occurred in the operation of the host controller,
In the first disconnecting step, when the abnormality detection circuit detects the occurrence of the abnormality of the host controller, the signal disconnection is performed by transmitting the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit. A disconnect circuit disconnects the signal line;
The robot apparatus control method according to claim 7. The cutting instruction unit includes a stop request detection sensor capable of detecting a request to stop the operation of the robot,
In the first cutting step, when the stop request detection sensor detects the request to stop the operation of the robot, by transmitting the signal for cutting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit, A signal disconnection circuit disconnects the signal line;
The method for controlling a robot apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: The robot apparatus is:
A main power supply capable of supplying power for causing the robot to perform an operation;
A power disconnection circuit provided on a power line between the main power source and the robot, and capable of disconnecting the power line;
After a second predetermined time, which is longer than the time from the transmission of the signal until the operation of the robot stops, after the disconnection instruction unit transmits the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal connection circuit. A timer unit for transmitting a signal for disconnecting the power line to the power disconnection circuit,
A second disconnecting step in which the power disconnection circuit disconnects the power line by transmitting the signal for disconnecting the power line to the power disconnection circuit after the second predetermined time; Prepare
The robot apparatus control method according to claim 7, wherein the robot apparatus has a control method. The robot apparatus is:
A main power supply capable of supplying power for causing the robot to perform an operation;
The signal disconnection circuit is charged when connecting the signal line, and when the signal disconnection circuit disconnects the signal line, the disconnection instruction unit disconnects the signal line into the signal disconnection circuit. An auxiliary power source that discharges electric power to the robot for a third predetermined time longer than the time from when the signal is transmitted until the operation of the robot stops.
A power connection circuit provided on a power line between the main power source and the robot, and capable of connecting and disconnecting the power line,
The disconnection instruction unit transmits the signal for disconnecting the signal line to the signal disconnection circuit, and at the same time transmits a signal for disconnecting the power line to the power disconnection circuit, so that the power disconnection circuit causes the power line to disconnect. A third cutting step of cutting
In the stopping step, after the power line is cut, the operation of the robot is stopped by the power discharged from the auxiliary power source.
The robot apparatus control method according to claim 7, wherein the robot apparatus has a control method. When the signal line cut by the signal connection / disconnection circuit is connected again after the stop process, the host controller sends a check signal to the plurality of lower controllers and returns from the plurality of lower controllers. A determination step for determining whether the connection state and the communication state with the plurality of lower-order controllers are normal based on the presence or absence and the content of the reply;
A resuming permission step of permitting the plurality of subordinate controllers to resume the operation of the robot when the upper controller determines that the disconnection state and the communication state are normal in the determination step;
The method for controlling a robotic device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein:   The program for making a high-order controller perform the judgment process and resumption permission process of the control method of the robot apparatus of Claim 12.   A program for causing a lower-level controller that controls the operation of a robot to execute a function of stopping the operation of the robot when the communication state from the upper-level controller to the lower-level controller is in a cut-off state for a predetermined time or more.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 13 or 14 is recorded.

Images