Kuka Roboter Gmbh

Michael C Chaffee

Stefan Graf

Andreas Hagenauer

Kenneth A Stoddard

R William Kneifel, Ii

Khalid Mirza

David Martin

Edward Volcic

David M Martin

RWilliam Kneifel Ii

To improve the exchange of data between controls of machines, particularly robots, a method is provided for the exchange of such data, wherein a first control produces an instruction to be transmitted with data to be sent to a second control and with an identification representing the second control. The instruction to be transmitted is provided with an identification of the first control, wherein the first control sends the instruction to be transmitted to the second control, wherein the second control evaluates the data of the instruction and wherein the second control provides the first control with an acknowledgment.

Method for the exchange of data between controls of machines, particularly robots

The present invention is a system for controlling exclusive access by control programs () to system resources (). A system in accordance with the invention includes a plurality of addressable locations (and) in the system; a communication system () connecting the addressable locations which transmits communications between the addressable locations; a plurality of machines (), the machines being located at at least one of the addressable locations; a plurality of control programs which use resources including a plurality of machine control programs, each machine control program controlling at least one machine; and a plurality of resource managers (), the resource managers being located at a plurality of the addressable locations, each resource manager communicating over the communication system with at least one other resource manager, and the plurality of resource managers arbitrating which control program of the plurality of control programs is given exclusive use of at least one resource during execution of the control program.

System controlling exclusive access by control programs to system resources

A method for the synchronous control of several manipulators, such as several industrial robots, is characterized in that control units of specific manipulators exchange control information according to the data structures contained in a corresponding control program, through which control units to be synchronized and synchronization points in the control programs taking place there can be clearly identified, and in that on reaching and synchronization points the program sequence in the control units to be synchronized is continued according to the contents of the data structures in conjunction with the already exchanged control information or stopped until corresponding information arrives from other control units to be synchronized.

Method and apparatus for the synchronous control of manipulations

The invention concerns a method and a system for controlling a first robot and at least one other robot, the at least one other robot being calibrated relative to the first robot by the determination of at least one coordinate transformation of the first robot relative to at least one other robot and said at least one transformation is stored in a control device of the other robot, wherein also the first robot is calibrated relative to the other robot by the determination of at least one independent coordinate transformation and said at least one independent transformation is stored in a control device of the first robot.

Method and system for controlling robots

A system for controlling a plurality of robots and a method for controlling said system. Said system comprises a plurality of controllers, each having an associated motion system adapted to control attached robots, with each motion controller being able to receive motion instructions from at least one motion instruction source and at least one of said motion instruction sources being a control program, as well as a computer network over which said controllers communicate. In this way, the invention can be applied to solve problems which are commonly encountered in coordination activities such as load sharing, mating of parts while processing, fixtureless transfer, teaching, manual motion of coordinated operations, and time coordinated motion.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, MI, United States of America

Michael C Chaffee