Patent · US Expired

Off-line teach assist apparatus and on-line control apparatus

US4338672A · kind A · utility

66Cited by
6References
81Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 29, 1980
Grant dateJul 6, 1982
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 29, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P90/02
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Teach assist apparatus is provided for a programmable manipulator arm to precompute a projected fixed path solution during an initial teaching operation. The projected fixed path solution represents a desired series of manipulator arm work operations to be performed with respect to a workpiece in the minimum execution time while the workpiece is moving at a projected velocity. During the teaching operation, the manipulator arm is moved to various teach positions corresponding to the desired series of work operations relative to the workpiece. The teach assist apparatus computes the minimum execution time on the basis of the maximum dynamic capabilities of the manipulator arm being taught. The precomputed path data is stored and control apparatus is provided to reconstruct the precomputed fixed path solution in a playback work cycle in accordance with dynamic movement of the workpiece. The precomputation performed by the teach-assist apparatus is also useful to perform work operations on a stationary workpiece. In a preferred arrangement, the teach-assist apparatus determines the minimum execution time for each controlled manipulator axis for each step; the axis requiring the larges…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.