JP2003067021A - Maintenance method for robot and problem form for test of knowledge of maintenance assistant aiding maintenance of the robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain higher efficiency by simultaneously solving problems that a user side and a maker side have as to the maintenance of robots and spreading uses of the robots more in industries. SOLUTION: An image of a robot 1A is picked up by a camera 2 and sent through a network 4 to a terminal 3 which can provide maintenance information on the robot 1A and enables a 1st maintenance information provide 6 to view the image. To a maintenance assistant 7 nearby the robot 1A, the 1st maintenance information provider 6 sends maintenance information through the network 4. Maintenance is carried out with the maintenance information sent to the maintenance assistant 7 and/or the robot 1A. The robot 1A and a different robot 1B of the manufacturing maker obtain information from a 2nd maintenance information provider.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to maintenance of various robots installed in a production line or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Nowadays, various types of robots are used in many fields, as industrial automation is highly advanced. Such a robot requires maintenance such as regular maintenance work and restoration in case of failure. In particular, in the case of a robot, it is often necessary to teach and correct or update a program relating to its operation, data of position information and the like. In this specification, maintenance is used as a term having a relatively broad meaning, and also includes teaching.

Such maintenance requires an engineer having specialized knowledge and skills. However, it is often difficult to make such an engineer resident at the site where the robot is used because of labor costs.
For this reason, it is almost the case that a maintenance contract is signed with a robot manufacturer and maintenance is performed by sending an engineer from the manufacturer.

However, in the case of a robot failure, there is a problem that if the work is carried out after the arrival of an engineer from the manufacturer, the robot cannot be used during that time, resulting in a large loss. . For example, in the case of a store that stores products for a store that is open 24 hours a day, such as a convenience store or a family restaurant, it is often necessary for the robot to operate basically 24 hours a day. Examples include daily products (lunch boxes, side dishes, noodles, etc.) sold at convenience stores. In addition, even in production lines (automobiles, semiconductors, chemical plants, etc.) that operate 24 hours a day,
The robot keeps moving all the time. Therefore, if the robot stops operating due to a failure or the like, it may not be possible to produce or ship the robot, resulting in great damage. In particular, when the product is shipped to the so-called Kanban system, it may be necessary to compensate for the damage caused by the shortage of goods for a certain period of time.

Therefore, even if a robot breaks down, it is very convenient for a robot user to have a technician dispatched at any time for 24 hours. However, on the other hand, this is actually difficult for the robot manufacturer side. In order to dispatch engineers to the sites where robots are used all over the country in a short time, it is necessary to set up sales offices all over the country and have their own engineers permanently stationed there. It is too wasteful and too expensive to have a company's technicians resident to send dispatch requests from less frequent users.

If the robot has a high reliability, there are few failures. However, there are relatively many cases where the user wants to redo the teaching in order to change the usage of the robot. For example, when the robot is used to move the finished product to a certain place, the layout of the factory is changed, and therefore it is necessary to redo the teaching because the robot places the product. In this case, if there is no technician who can teach, the robot manufacturer will be dispatched, but if you come from a remote place, the dispatch fee will be high, including travel expenses and daily allowance. There is also.

[0007]

The invention of the present application has been made in order to solve such a problem, and both the user side and the manufacturer side concerning the maintenance of the robot solve the problems at once, and the robot in the industrial world is solved. It has the technical significance of further popularizing the use of and making it more efficient.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is a method for maintaining two or more robots of different types, and is maintenance information which is information necessary for maintenance. This is a method of performing maintenance by performing a predetermined operation by a maintenance assistant after receiving the provision of the information, and it is possible to provide a step of capturing an image of the first type robot with a camera and the maintenance information of the first type robot. A step of transmitting, via a network, an image of the first type robot captured by the camera to a terminal that can be viewed by a first maintenance information provider who is an engineer; and the first type robot. To the maintenance assistant near the first robot to perform the maintenance operation. A step in which the first maintenance information provider transmits maintenance information via the network or another network according to an image of one type of robot; and maintenance information transmitted to the maintenance assistant and / or the network or A step of performing maintenance of the first type of robot based on the maintenance information transmitted to the first type of robot via another network; and a second type of robot different from the first type of robot. The step of capturing an image of the robot by the camera or another camera, and a terminal that can be viewed by a second maintenance information provider who is a technician who can provide maintenance information for the robot of the second type Images of the second type of robot taken by another camera The step of transmitting via the network or another network, and a maintenance assistant who is in the vicinity of the second robot so as to perform an operation for maintenance of the second type of robot, and the maintenance assistant. A step in which the second maintenance information provider transmits maintenance information to the same maintenance assistant via the network or another network according to the transmitted image of the second type robot; and the maintenance assistant And / or maintenance information transmitted to the robot of the second type via the network or another network and performing maintenance of the robot of the second type. . In addition, in order to solve the above problems,
The invention according to claim 2 is a method for maintaining two or more robots of different types that require maintenance, and a maintenance assistant performs a predetermined operation upon receiving maintenance information that is information required for maintenance. Is a method of performing maintenance by using a portable camera to capture an image of the first type of robot,
An image of the first type robot captured by the portable camera on a terminal that can be viewed by a first maintenance information provider who is a technician who can provide maintenance information for the first type robot. Is transmitted via a network, and to the maintenance assistant near the first robot to perform an operation for maintenance of the first type robot, the transmitted first type robot The first maintenance information provider transmits the maintenance information via the network or another network according to the image, and the maintenance information transmitted to the maintenance assistant and / or
Alternatively, a step of performing maintenance of the first type of robot based on maintenance information transmitted to the first type of robot via the network or another network, and a step different from the first type of robot. A step of imaging the two types of robots with the portable camera, and a terminal that can be viewed by a second maintenance information provider who is a technician who can provide maintenance information of the second type robot, Transmitting an image of the second type robot captured by the portable camera via the network or another network, and performing the operation for maintenance of the second type robot. A maintenance assistant who is near the second robot and is the same maintenance assistant as the maintenance assistant. The second maintenance information provider transmits maintenance information to the maintenance assistant via the network or another network according to the transmitted image of the second type robot, and transmits the maintenance information to the maintenance assistant. Maintenance information and / or
Alternatively, a step of performing maintenance of the second type of robot by the maintenance information transmitted to the second type of robot via the network or another network is included. In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 3 is the same as the claim 1
Alternatively, in the second configuration, the transmission of the images of the first and second robots is performed by the same portable transmission computer. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 4 has the configuration according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3 in which the network for transmitting the video imaged by the camera is the Internet. In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 5 is the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the network for transmitting maintenance information to the maintenance assistant is a public line of a mobile phone. It has the configuration. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 6 is the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the image is transmitted,
The first or second maintenance information provider can see the contents of the program or data stored in the storage unit provided in the first or second robot on the network or another terminal. And sending the maintenance information to the maintenance assistant while watching the contents of the program or data sent together with the image. It has a configuration including steps. In addition, in order to solve the above problems,
The invention according to claim 7 has a structure that is a question sheet for a knowledge test as a maintenance assistant according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments (hereinafter, embodiments) of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a robot maintenance method according to an embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1, production and logistics sites (hereinafter,
The robots 1A, 1B, 1C ... Are installed and operating on the site. The method of this embodiment is premised on performing maintenance on a plurality of different types of robots. Different types of robots are robots of different models of the same manufacturer or robots of different manufacturers. Specific examples include robots that grab and move parts and products at manufacturing sites, robots that perform processing such as welding and cutting, and robots that carry luggage at sites such as physical distribution.

Further, the maintenance is performed by receiving the information necessary for the maintenance (hereinafter, maintenance information) from the maintenance information provider 6. The maintenance information provider 6 is specifically a person in charge of maintenance of the manufacturer who manufactured the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ... In this method, the camera 2 that images the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ... Is used. The cameras 2 ... Can capture images of the movement of the robot, that is, cameras for moving images. Camera 2
As the above, since a photographed image is transmitted as digital data, it is preferable to use a digital image pickup device such as a CCD camera. The camera 2 is provided in each of the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ...
Two or more robots 1A, 1B, 1C, ... One camera 2
In some cases, it can be used as a photo shooter.

The camera 2 is connected to a transmitting computer 5 connected to the network 4. The transmission computer 5 includes a processor, a memory that temporarily stores an image from the camera 2 as digital information, a hard disk that stores a transmission program for transmitting an image via the network 4, and the like.

The network 4 is assumed to be the Internet in this embodiment. Therefore, each sending computer 5 has an environment in which it can be connected to the Internet, such as an interface conforming to the TCP / IP protocol and obtaining an account from a provider.

In the present embodiment, the image taken by the camera can be viewed by a maintenance information provider 6 who is a technician who can provide maintenance information for the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ... Provider terminal) 3
Then, it is transmitted via the network 4. More specifically, the maintenance information provider 6 is mainly assumed to be a maintenance engineer of the robot manufacturer. Information provider terminal 3
Is a computer with an environment in which it can be connected to the Internet, like the sending computer 5, and can display the image sent from the sending computer 5 on the display.

Each of the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ...
It has a built-in programmable computer, and the program and memory variables that are read when the program is executed can be rewritten from the outside. Such programs and data such as memory variables are stored in a storage unit such as a RAM. Then, each robot 1A,
Each of 1B, 1C ... Has an interface board 11 for exchanging files (programs and data) via a network. The information provider terminal 3 is provided for each manufacturer of the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ... Robots of different types are installed at the site by one manufacturer, and maintenance of these robots may be performed by individual information provider terminals 3, or one information provider terminal 3 may also be used.

The method of this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. Different types of robots 1A, 1
Hereinafter, B, 1C ... Will be referred to as a first robot 1A, a second robot 1B, and a third robot 1C. For example, it is assumed that the first robot 1A needs teaching. Teaching is required when, for example, the operating conditions of the robot are changed to change the layout at the site.

The operation for maintenance is performed by an engineer (hereinafter referred to as a maintenance assistant) 7 having a certain degree of specialized knowledge. Upon receiving a telephone call or the like from the site, the maintenance assistant 7 goes to the site where the first robot 1A requiring maintenance is located. Further, the person in charge of the site or the maintenance assistant 7 contacts the maintenance information provider (hereinafter referred to as the relevant information provider) 6 who can provide the maintenance information to the first robot 1A, and the first robot 1A Tell in advance that maintenance will be performed.

The maintenance assistant 7 who arrives at the site turns on the switch of the camera 2A, operates the transmitting computer 5, and the information provider terminal (hereinafter referred to as the information provider terminal in a state where the corresponding information provider 6 can see the image). , Corresponding terminal) 3. The first robot 1A on the display of the corresponding terminal 3
The relevant information provider 6 who sees the image of “1” conveys the maintenance information to the maintenance assistant 7 through communication via the network. Communication via the network means communication by telephone such as a mobile phone or communication between the corresponding terminal 3 and the sending computer 5 (for example, transmission / reception of electronic mail).
Etc. The network in this case may be different from or the same as the network 4 (the Internet in this embodiment) that sends the image from the camera 1A.

An example of maintenance information when the maintenance is teaching will be described. Information for teaching the position of a data input section provided on the robot, information for teaching how to input data in the data input section,
Examples include information that teaches an operation for changing the posture of the robot manually, information that teaches an operation for instructing the robot to change the posture changed manually.

The maintenance assistant 7 who has received such maintenance information through the above communication.
Performs an operation according to the maintenance information to perform maintenance, that is, teaching. During execution of the teaching, the maintenance assistant 7 may appropriately ask a question to the relevant information provider 6, and the relevant information provider 6 may send an answer each time to perform the teaching. For example, while the operation panel of the first robot 1A is imaged by the camera 2 and the image is displayed on the information provider terminal 3, the maintenance assistant 7 points to a button on the operation panel and determines which button to press. It is conceivable that the provider 6 uses a mobile phone to communicate with the maintenance assistant.

If necessary, the information provider 6
Uses the terminal 3 to access the first robot 1A via the network 4 and the interface board 11, and displays the contents of the programs and data stored in the storage unit on the display of the terminal 3. These include, for example, what kind of program the first robot 1A is currently operating, history data of how it moved in the past, and the like. Further, position data or the like that determines the operation position of the first robot 1A is also displayed if necessary.
The information provider 6 checks the contents of the programs and data displayed in this manner and provides information for teaching and maintenance for the maintenance assistant 7
Tell.

A feature of this embodiment is that the maintenance assistant 7 who assists the maintenance in this way also assists the maintenance of the different types of robots 1B, 1C, .... For example, a case of performing maintenance assistance for the second robot 1B will be described. Similarly, the maintenance assistant 7 goes to the site of the second robot 1B and sends the image captured by the camera 2 to the corresponding terminal 3. . In this case, the corresponding terminal 3 may be the same as the case of the maintenance of the first robot 1A or may be different. The same applies to the camera 2, which may be the same as or different from the camera 2 that images the first robot 1A.

The maintenance operation is performed by the first robot 1
This is basically the same as the case A. The image of the second robot 2A is transmitted from the transmitting computer 5 to the information provider terminal 3, and the maintenance assistant 7 operates while receiving the maintenance information from the maintenance information provider 6 to perform maintenance. However, it goes without saying that the maintenance information provided to the maintenance assistant 7 depends on the contents of the second robot 2B and the maintenance and is not the same as the case described above. In this way, the same maintenance assistant 7 performs maintenance operations on the different types of robots 1A, 1B, 1C while receiving maintenance information from the maintenance information provider 6.

According to the maintenance method of this embodiment, the same maintenance assistant 7 can perform maintenance on a plurality of different robots 1A, 1B, 1C, .... Therefore, each manufacturer of the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ... Can also serve as the common maintenance assistant 7. Therefore, the robots 1A, 1B, 1C ...
It is not necessary to dispatch the company's employees to the site where is installed, or to set up the company's service center, sales office, or branch office near the site. Further, even on the site side, it is not necessary to have a person in charge of maintenance independently, and it is sufficient to call the maintenance assistant 7 only when maintenance is required. Since the maintenance assistant 7 can serve many customers who use different robots as a customer, it can be easily put on a commercial basis and the fee required for one maintenance assistance does not become so expensive. Therefore, the robots 1A, 1
Even on the site side using B, 1C ..., the cost advantage is great.

In order to transmit image data using the Internet, the robots 1A, 1B, 1
It is not necessary to construct a new transmission means between the site using C ... And the manufacturer of the robots 1A, 1B, 1C. Therefore, the introduction cost is extremely low and the introduction is easy. In addition, it is preferable to use a mobile phone for communication during maintenance in terms of ease of maintenance.

In the maintenance method of this embodiment as described above, the maintenance assistant 7 does not need to have the same level of specialized knowledge as the maintenance information provider 6 regarding the robots 1A, 1B, 1C to be maintained. It suffices if the technical term transmitted from the maintenance information provider 6 can be understood and the operation for maintenance can be performed according to the maintenance information provided by the maintenance information provider 6.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the same maintenance assistant 7 is involved in maintenance even for robots of different manufacturers. Therefore, the maintenance assistant 7 is required to have the above-mentioned level of knowledge even if the robots are manufactured by different manufacturers. In consideration of this, it is preferable to establish a qualification system by a public institution for the maintenance assistant 7. Conduct a qualification test by a public institution,
The knowledge and skills of the above-mentioned maintenance assistance should be certified. The invention of the question sheet for the maintenance assistant 7 qualification test was made on the basis of the inventor's original prediction regarding such a necessity. The question sheet according to the embodiment includes a question asking general knowledge about robots, a question as to characteristic points of main robots of each manufacturer, a question asking basic knowledge necessary for robot maintenance, and the like. . A qualification test is carried out using this question paper to qualify as the maintenance assistant 7. However, as a condition for finally granting a qualification, it may be added that the skill and experience as a maintenance assistant are above a certain level.

In the embodiment of the invention of the maintenance method described above, the camera 2 and the transmission computer 5 are also included.
Is preferably a portable type that the maintenance assistant 7 brings and uses. Specifically, as the camera 2, a home digital video camera is preferable, but a digital still camera may be used. Such a camera 2
Of course, the transmitting computer 5 is provided with an interface for transmitting image data. In some cases,
Image data may be directly transmitted from the camera 2 to the information provider terminal 3. In addition, the portable transmission computer 5
Is typically a laptop computer, but P
It could be another digital device such as a DA. In this way, when the maintenance assistant 7 brings the portable camera 2 and the transmission computer 5 to use,
Since it is not necessary to prepare these equipment on the site side,
Great cost advantage.

[0028]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1 of the present application, the cost required for the maintenance of the robot can be reduced by both the robot manufacturer and the user, and it can contribute to the further spread of the robot. According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the above effects, since the image of the robot is captured by the portable camera, the same camera can be used in common, and the cost can be further reduced in this respect. According to the invention of claim 3,
In addition to the above effects, since the image of the robot is transmitted by the portable transmission computer, the same transmission computer can be used also, and the cost can be further reduced in this respect. According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the above effects, the image is transmitted via the Internet.
There is no need to separately construct a communication means between the manufacturer and the user, and there is an effect that introduction is easy. Further, according to the invention of claim 5, in addition to the above effect, since the maintenance information is provided by the mobile phone, there is an effect that the maintenance is easier to perform. Further, according to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the above effect, since the maintenance information is provided while watching the program or data stored in the storage unit of the robot, more accurate maintenance information can be provided. . Therefore, there is an effect that the maintenance can be performed more easily and surely. Further, according to the invention of claim 6, in addition to the above effects, there is an effect that it can be suitably used when a qualification system for a maintenance assistant is created.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a robot maintenance method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A robot 1B robot 1C robot 11 Interface board 2 camera 3 Information provider terminals 4 network 5 Sending computer 6 Maintenance information provider 7 maintenance assistants

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 3C007 JS03 KT01 KT06 KT17 MS15                 3C100 AA53 AA59 AA63 CC03 CC12                 5H269 AB33 BB12 KK04 NN01 NN18                       PP01                 5K048 BA21 EA11 EB02 EB12 FB08                       FC01 GB01 GB08 HA01 HA02                       HA13 HA22

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A method for maintaining two or more robots of different types, which is a method in which a maintenance assistant performs a predetermined operation upon receiving maintenance information, which is information necessary for maintenance. Yes, the step of imaging the first type of robot with a camera, and the terminal that can be viewed by the first maintenance information provider who is an engineer who can provide maintenance information of the first type of robot, A step of transmitting an image of the first type of robot captured by a camera via a network, and a maintenance assistance located near the first robot to perform an operation for maintenance of the first type of robot. The first maintenance information to the person according to the transmitted image of the first type robot. Transmitting maintenance information via the network or another network, maintenance information transmitted to the maintenance assistant and / or transmitted to the robot of the first type via the network or another network. Performing a maintenance of the first type of robot based on the maintenance information, and a step of capturing an image of a second type of robot different from the first type of robot with the camera or another camera; The image of the second type of robot imaged by the camera or another camera is displayed on the terminal that can be viewed by the second maintenance information provider who is the engineer who can provide the maintenance information of the robot of Transmitting over said network or another network The second transmitted robot is transmitted to a maintenance assistant who is in the vicinity of the second robot to perform an operation for maintenance of the second type robot and is the same maintenance assistant as the maintenance assistant. The second maintenance information provider transmits the maintenance information via the network or another network according to the image of the robot of the above type; and the maintenance information transmitted to the maintenance assistant and / or the network or another network. The method for maintaining a robot of the second type according to the maintenance information transmitted to the robot of the second type via the network of 1. 2. A method for maintaining two or more robots of different types requiring maintenance, which is performed by a maintenance assistant performing a predetermined operation upon receiving maintenance information that is information required for maintenance. The first step is to take an image of the robot of the first type with a portable camera, and the first maintenance information provider who is an engineer who can provide maintenance information of the first type of robot can see. To a terminal capable of performing the operation of transmitting an image of the first type robot captured by the portable camera via a network, and performing the operation for maintenance of the first type robot. To the maintenance assistant near the robot of the first type, The first maintenance information provider transmits maintenance information via the network or another network; and the maintenance information transmitted to the maintenance assistant and / or the network via another network. A step of performing maintenance of the first type of robot based on the maintenance information transmitted to the first type of robot; and a second type of robot different from the first type of robot, the portable camera And a second maintenance information provider, who is a technician who can provide maintenance information for the second type of robot, can view the second image captured by the portable camera. Images of different types of robots on the network or another network And transmitting, to the same maintenance assistant as the maintenance assistant who is a maintenance assistant near the second robot so as to perform an operation for maintenance of the second type robot, A step in which the second maintenance information provider transmits maintenance information via the network or another network according to the transmitted image of the second type robot; maintenance information transmitted to the maintenance assistant; And / or performing a maintenance of the second type of robot according to the maintenance information transmitted to the second type of robot via the network or another network. 3. The robot maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of the images of the first and second robots is performed by the same portable transmission computer. 4. The robot maintenance method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the network for transmitting an image captured by the camera is the Internet. 5. The robot maintenance method according to claim 1, wherein the network for transmitting the maintenance information to the maintenance assistant is a public line of a mobile phone. 6. The first or second maintenance information provider can view the contents of a program or data stored in a storage unit provided in the first or second robot while transmitting the image. Can be transmitted to the or another terminal via the network or another network, the first or second maintenance information provider can see the contents of the transmitted program or data together with the image. The robot maintenance method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting maintenance information to the maintenance assistant. 7. A question sheet for a knowledge test as a maintenance assistant according to any one of claims 1 to 6.