초록 ▼

Control apparatus is provided to control a programmable manipulator having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes to perform a predetermined pattern of work operations in a replay cycle with respect to a movable workpiece while the workpiece is moving or is stationary at a point along a pr

Control apparatus is provided to control a programmable manipulator having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes to perform a predetermined pattern of work operations in a replay cycle with respect to a movable workpiece while the workpiece is moving or is stationary at a point along a predetermined workpiece path. In replay, the control apparatus generates interpolation control signals from stored data in accordance with the workpiece position. The stored data includes two or more series of signals representing manipulator arm positions to accomplish the predetermined pattern of work operations with respect to the workpiece at two or more respective positions of the workpiece. During replay, data is read out from the two series of signals that are associated with workpiece positions on either side of the present workpiece position. In one arrangement one signal is read out from each of the two series corresponding to the same sequential element in each series and representing the same point in the predetermined work operation pattern with respect to the workpiece. The sequential elements in the series are successively read out to perform the predetermined pattern of work operations with respect to the workpiece. The control apparatus performs a linear interpolation operation between the signals from the two series and the present position of the workpiece. The control apparatus in one embodiment includes a linear interpolation unit having a stage for developing a signal equal to the difference between the two signals, an arithmetic stage for multiplying the difference signal by 1/d where 1 represents the present workpiece position between the workpiece positions associated with the two series and d represents the distance between the respective workpiece positions associated with the two series, and a stage for combining the signal from the first series and the signal developed by the arithmetic stage.

대표청구항 ▼

In a programmable manipulator having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes, control apparatus for controlling the movement of the manipulator arm to describe a predetermined work operation with respect to a workpiece capable of movement along a predetermined path, said control apparatus c

In a programmable manipulator having a manipulator arm movable in a plurality of axes, control apparatus for controlling the movement of the manipulator arm to describe a predetermined work operation with respect to a workpiece capable of movement along a predetermined path, said control apparatus comprising: means for storing two or more series of command signals, each of said series of command signals representing the same series of points along the predetermined work operation with respect to the workpiece at respective positions of the workpiece; means for generating a workpiece position signal representing the position of the workpiece along the predetermined path; means responsive to said workpiece position signal and the two series of command signals that correspond to the two respective workpiece positions on either side of said workpiece position signal for generating interpolation control signals accounting for workpiece position; means for controlling said interpolation signal generating means to successively interpolate between said two series of command signals along said series of points; and means responsive to said interpolation control signals for moving said manipulator arm.