JP3158032B2 - Offline teaching system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an offline teaching system capable of easily creating a file for displaying a desired screen for offline teaching in a desired process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image of a robot model and a work model is displayed on a screen of a display such as a CRT, and a tool center point position of a tool model attached to the robot model is displayed on a work model by a pointing device such as a mouse. An off-line teaching system that automatically creates teaching data by instructing the user to teach teaching has been put into practical use (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-173626).

Here, the start-up (start-up) of the offline teaching system will be described by taking, for example, an offline teaching in which the painting work of a vehicle body is performed in a certain painting process. To start the teaching on the screen, On the screen, a body model as a work model and a painting robot model as a robot model need to be displayed in a predetermined positional relationship in the painting process (referred to as an initial screen display). .

In general, when performing offline teaching, a robot model data file for generating a robot model as image information and the like and a work model data file for generating a work model as image information are generally used. Is stored as file data. In addition to this, a positional relationship process information file that describes the relative positional relationship between the robot and the work and information on the process in which the robot is installed is required.

In this case, the offline teaching system corresponds to a so-called application program.
By opening (reading) the position-related process information file by the application program, an initial screen on which a robot model, a work model, and the like are displayed is launched based on the opened position-related information file.

Therefore, in an offline teaching system that handles a plurality of work models, a plurality of robot models, and a plurality of processes, such as a painting line and a welding line of an automobile body, or a selection or combination thereof, a desired work model, a desired work model, In order to activate a robot model and an offline teaching system in a desired process, a position-related process information file corresponding to the desired selection and combination is indispensable.

[0007]

Conventionally, this positional-related process information file has been created by inputting from a keyboard each time. For this reason, there has been a problem that the number of steps involved in the key input operation time for creating the positional relationship process information file is enormous. For example, if the number of robots arranged on one painting line is 50 and the number of vehicle bodies as workpieces is 5, 250 positional relationship process information files can be created by so-called manual input. Was needed.

Further, in order to change the state of the work, it is necessary to correct a large number of positional process information files.
In an example similar to the above, for example, in a vehicle body that is a work, it is necessary to modify the positional relationship process information file for 50 robots only by changing the opening angle of the door.

Furthermore, the number of models of car parts is as large as about 150 points per vehicle type, and it is necessary to define a position with respect to a reference position for each point. In this case, since the position definition of each part is independent, for example, when the opening angle of the door is changed, data representing a work model corresponding to a part constituting the door, for example, a door skin, a door panel, a hinge stiffener, etc. About each of the points
The position definition had to be changed by so-called manual input.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and is intended to easily create and modify a positional relation process information file for displaying a screen necessary for performing offline teaching on a screen. The aim is to provide a possible offline teaching system.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided a positional relation process information file for offline teaching in which data for displaying a robot and a work arranged during a predetermined process as images on a screen is described. The robot model and the work model are displayed on the screen by opening this position-related process information file, and the tool center point position of the tool model attached to the robot model is taught on the work model by the pointing device. In the offline teaching system that creates teaching data, when creating a new positional-related process information file, the robot and workpiece definition files must be
Each model file for displaying the robot model and the work model, a reference table for creating a position-related process information file, and a position-related process information file format are stored.
When a process name, a robot name, and a work name are input, the corresponding information is read from each of the definition files and each of the model files with reference to the positional relationship process information file creating reference table, and the positional relationship is read. It is characterized in that it is described in the format of the process information file and a new positional relationship process information file is created.

According to the present invention, when a process name, a robot name, and a work name are input when a new position-related process information file is created, the position-related process information file creation reference table is referred to. The corresponding information is read from each definition file and each model file and described in the format of the position-related process information file, and a new position-related process information file is created. Can be created easily and easily.

By preparing an interlock definition file between robots as a definition file, a new positional relation process information file including interlock definition information can be automatically created.

In this case, the work definition file has a file structure systematized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body, so that a procedure for automatically creating a position-related process information file can be performed.
And each definition file can be simplified to the minimum necessary.

Further, by setting the work model description portion of the positional relationship process information file to a file structure systematized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body, the handling of the positional relationship process information file itself is facilitated.

[0016]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an external configuration of an offline teaching device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic electrical block diagram thereof.

Incidentally, such an offline teaching device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-17362 by the present applicant.
This is a device having the same general configuration as the offline teaching device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6 (1994).

As shown in FIG. 1, an offline teaching device 10 has a graphic display 11 as a display means for displaying on a screen a work model, a robot model, a shift base model to which the robot model is attached, and the like, which are three-dimensional images. And a keyboard 12 functioning as an input means (pointing device) for data and the like.
, A mouse 13, and a control circuit main body 16 as a control means.

The control circuit body 16 includes a floppy disk drive (FDD) 15 which is a storage means for reading and writing files and the like from and to a floppy disk (FD) 14 which is a storage means for storing an offline teaching data file and the like. Built-in.

As shown in FIG. 2, a CPU 18 is connected to the control circuit body 16 on a bus 17 as a control means body. On the bus 17, a main memory 19 as a high-speed storage means and a hard disk drive (HDD) 20 as a storage and control means integrated with a hard disk as a large-capacity storage means are connected. Further, the graphic display 1 is provided on the bus 17 via each controller (not shown).
1, a keyboard 12, a mouse 13, and an FDD 15 are connected.

The offline teaching device according to the embodiment of the present invention is basically configured as described above.
The process of creating a new position-related process information file for starting up the offline teaching screen using 0 is described in detail based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 and the functional block diagram of the control circuit main unit 16 shown in FIG. explain. Note that the control subject is the CPU 18.

First, a program for creating a positional relation process information file stored in the HDD 20 in advance is started {step S1 (FIG. 3), function F1 (FIG. 4)}.

As a result, a lookup table (hereinafter, also simply referred to as an LUT) 31 shown in FIG. As will be described in detail later, this LUT 31 has columns 31a to 31f, and uses a vehicle type name, a process name, and a robot name, which are work names, as keys.
This is a table in which data to be referred is written.

Then, next, a process name input prompting screen is displayed on the display 11. And the keyboard 12
The process name (also referred to as a line name) input by the user is captured (step S2, function F2). Here, the process name is a name of a desired process in which offline teaching is to be performed. For example, if a painting process of an automobile body is described as an example, a "intermediate coating process" is followed by a "enamel coating process". Step) and any subsequent steps such as a "clear coating step". In this embodiment, it is assumed that the process name is input as “process name =“ intermediate coating ””.

Next, a robot name input prompting screen is displayed on the display 11. Then, the robot name input by the keyboard 12 or the like is captured (step S3, function F3). Here, the robot name refers to "** in the coating line process, ** of ** (for example, any one of first to third is described.)" Station (also referred to as stage). (In **, for example, the right or left is described.) ** (** indicates progress,
The robot moves in a direction in which any of the backward movement and the work is described). In practice, the robot name is
For example, robot name = “2R1” is entered,
It means a robot that moves in the traveling direction of the work and is located on the right side of the second station. Note that the station name and the robot name may be input separately.

Further, a work name input prompting screen is displayed on the display 11. Then, the vehicle type name, which is the work name input from the keyboard 12 or the like, is captured (step S3, function F4). The model name is, for example, 5
It refers to any one of a vehicle type such as a specific door car, a specific door car, a specific door car, and a specific door car. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the vehicle type name = “S04” has been input as the vehicle type name. This means a specific passenger car with a name of "S" with four doors.

Actually, in steps S2 to S4, the offline teaching system utility is displayed on the screen, and the factory name, process name (line name), station name (stage name), robot name, work name (model name) are displayed. By hitting the corresponding scroll button on the screen with the mouse 13, each name can be selected by scrolling each name in each display window on the screen. For example,
A factory name can be selected from a plurality of factory names to a factory name = “Tokyo” by using a scroll button. Hereinafter, similarly, the process name is the process name = “intermediate coating”, the station name is the station name = “2”, and the robot name is the robot name = “R”.
1 ", and the vehicle type name can be selected with the scroll button as vehicle type name" S04 ".

Next, from the process name, robot name, and vehicle type name thus input and taken in, necessary work components to be subjected to offline teaching are read out by referring to the data in the column 31f of the LUT 31 (see FIG. 3). Step S
5).

Actually, after these work names are input, the "cell creation" button on the screen of the above-mentioned offline teaching system utility is pressed once.
The processing after step S5 is performed.

In step S5, the process name taken in step S2 is "process name" = "intermediate coating" and the robot name taken in step S3 is robot name = "2R".
From "1", the user is prompted to refer to the robot definition file in the column 31e of the LUT 31 and refers to the robot definition file (also referred to as a robot definition table) 32 shown in FIG. From FIG. 6, the role of the robot is “R side trunk”.
(It means that the robot is a robot arranged on the right side of the process and that paints the trunk.)

FIG. 7 related to the column 31f of the LUT 31
Reference is made to a work component definition file (referred to as a work component definition table or a component installation definition table) 33, and the role of the robot is the role of the robot = “R side trunk” and the model of the vehicle is “S04”. From the column, the work to be the target of the robot 2R1 is shown in FIG. 7 because the contents of the outer plate column of the trunk are “1” for the outer plate and “1” for the inner plate of the trunk in FIG. It can be seen that the inner and outer panels of the trunk.

That is, the work components read out in step S5 are the inner plate and the outer plate of the trunk corresponding to the vehicle type name "S04".

Note that "0" in the column of the work component definition file 33 shown in FIG. 7 indicates that the component is unnecessary, and "1" indicates that the component is required. . To explain the work component definition file 33 as a whole, “hood” means a so-called hood, “RF door” means a front door on the right side of the vehicle, and “RR door” means , Means the rear door on the right side of the vehicle. Further, in the robot role column of the work component definition file 33, "R side general purpose" means a robot arranged on the right side and has a role of painting general purpose parts, and "Top" means a vehicle. Means a robot that has a role of painting a roof or the like, which is arranged above the roof away from the roof.

Work component definition file 3 shown in FIG.
3 is complicated, so only a part is displayed.
Actually, there is a description of the role of the robot = “L side rear door” and the like, and a robot having this role of “L side rear door” includes an outer plate and an inner plate of an “LR door” (left rear door) (not shown). Is to be painted.

Next, when the vehicle type name is "S04", L
With reference to the UT 31, the structure of the corresponding work data file (also referred to as a work structure data file) is read (step S6). The work structure data file is determined in advance for each vehicle type, and the vehicle type name is “vehicle name =“ S0
In the case of "4", the work structure data file 35, a part of which is shown in FIG. 8, is read.

The work structure data file 35 is a file for indicating the name of a file for describing the structure of a model of a car part and the outer shape of the car part by using coordinate points in a rectangular coordinate space. Hood, roof, door,
It has a file structure that is systematized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body such as a trunk, in other words, has a tree-structured file structure, and is characterized by good visibility of file contents.

Further, since a tree structure is formed in units of functional blocks of car parts, the state description of the work can be minimized. That is, the work component definition file 3
3 and a lid opening degree file 37 to be described later can be constituted by a necessary minimum number of data.

In FIG. 8, the term "dummy" described in some of the blocks is shown.
Represents a model definition that does not have a work data file and is not displayed on the screen of the offline teaching system. For example, the location pin 351 is a dummy and indicates a reference position of a bogie on which a vehicle body as a work is mounted. Based on this reference position, a vehicle body, that is, a work (data) is arranged at a predetermined position in the process. The work riding position 352 is also a dummy, and indicates the position of the vehicle body on the trolley. Further, the work 353 is a dummy with a vehicle type name = “S04” and represents the entire vehicle body.

The necessary work components determined in step S5 are the outer plate and inner plate of the trunk corresponding to the vehicle type name "S04". 354 dummies,
The dummy with the trunk opening angle 355 and the dummy with the trunk 356 are selected, and then the trunk lid skin 357 as the outer plate level member, the trunk frame 358 as the inner plate level member, and the trunk hinge stiffener 359 which are actually displayed on the screen. , The trunk hinge arm 360 is automatically selected.

Next, with reference to the lookup table 31 for creating a positional relationship process information file, the installation positions of the parts constituting the work are read out from the vehicle type name (step S).
7). In this case, a lid opening file (also referred to as a lid opening table) 37 whose part is shown in FIG.
The trunk opening angle is read out as the trunk opening angle = “90 °” from the location corresponding to the vehicle type name = “S04” in the process “intermediate coating”.

FIG. 10 shows a logical form (also referred to as a template or a template of the position-related process information file) 41 of the position-related process information file schematically drawn for understanding this embodiment. I have. The positional relationship process information file format 41 includes a file name indicating the format (model) as a file name = “Template”, and other work model definition description fields, robot model definition description fields, interlocks, and the like. The definition description field is blank. By writing a definition description in each of these blank fields, a desired positional relation process information file is created. As described later, the definition description is automatically entered.

Therefore, based on the read results of steps S5 to S7, first, the description of the work model definition is synthesized in the form 41, and the blank portion of the work model definition description column is filled (step S8). That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the work model definition description synthesizing program F5
Thus, only the necessary part is selected from the work structure data file 35 based on the information of the work component definition file 33, and the lid opening information is added to the same position model description as the information item of the lid definition file. It is described in the blank part of the definition description column (see FIG. 11). Therefore, the work model description portion in the positional relation process information file reflects the structure of the work component definition file as it is.

Next, the LUT 3 is obtained from the process name and the robot name.
The robot definition file 32 is referred to via 1 and the type, type, installation position, and the like of the robot are read (step S9). In this case, since the process name is “process name =“ intermediate coating ”” and the robot name is “robot name =“ 2R1 ”,
The robot model is "V7GB", the robot type is "R" (R means a robot arranged on the right side of the process), and the controller model is "ERC" (What is a controller?) , A so-called robot controller.), And the controller version is “controller version =“ 2.35 ”(2.
35 indicates a version number. ), The installation position is the installation position = “5, 3, 4, 6, 2, 1” (5, 3,
4, 6, 2, and 1 represent spatial coordinates of three orthogonal axes of X, Y, and Z, and rotations Rx, Ry, and Rz of the axes, respectively. ) To the running shaft installation angle are read.

Then, the description of the robot model data file is combined with the read result of step S9, and the blank portion of the robot model description field in the positional relationship process information file format 41 is filled (step S10).
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the robot model description synthesizing program F6 receives the robot type, type, controller type, and controller version information of the robot definition file 32 and synthesizes a so-called robot driver description. Then, a description of the robot model is synthesized in response to the travel axis information, and described in a blank portion of the robot model definition description column (see FIG. 11).

Next, the LUT 3 is obtained from the process name and the robot name.
4, an interlock description synthesizing program F7 is started as shown in FIG. 4, and an interlock definition file between robots (interlock definition file) for preventing interference between robots created in advance corresponding to the process name and the robot name is prepared. The lock definition text) 39 is read and merged into a blank portion of the interlock description column in the positional relationship process information file format 41 shown in FIG. 10, and the blank portion is filled (FIG. 1).
1).

Next, the special function description synthesizing program F8
(See FIG. 4), referring to the description of the description column of the work model and the description of the description column of the robot model in the positional relation process information file 41 in the process of being created, the sensors and the work to be attached to the robot model. If there are jigs to be attached to the function model data file 5
Referring to FIG. 3, the model data of the sensors and jigs is merged into a blank portion of the special function description column in the positional relationship process information file format 41 (step S12).

Finally, the file name of the position-related process information file is, for example, file name = “S04 / intermediate / R
Side trunk "(file name input F9: FIG. 4). Thus, the file name indicating the format (model) is changed from the file name = “Template” by the position-related process information file name input program F10.
The file name in the positional relationship process information file format 41 is file name = “S04 / intermediate / R side trunk” (actually, for example, c: \ offdat \ tokyo \ cel)
¥ n2Rls04. cel ”), and FIG.
A newly created positional relation process information file 4 shown in FIG.
1A is completed. The completed new positional relationship process information file 41A is stored in the HDD 20 or the like.

Therefore, when actually performing the offline teaching, an offline teaching system as an application program is started up, and the newly created positional relation process information file 41A is opened. As shown in the figure, the robot model attached to the image of the shift base model 62 in the intermediate coating process 61 is a robot name = “2R1”, and a robot model 63 for painting with a robot model = “V7GB” is displayed as an image. And car model name = car model name
Body 64 as a work model corresponding to "S04"
Is launched at a predetermined position as an image.

Then, the mouse pointer 66 is moved by the mouse 13 to the tool center point position TCP of the tool 65, which is a painting gun attached to the robot model 63 on the screen, and a body 64 as a work model, in this case, the body 64 By moving the tool center point position TCP to a desired position on the middle R-side trunk 67 and clicking it, the painting process can be sequentially taught. Thus, offline teaching data can be created.

When the tool 65 is a paint gun,
As shown in FIG. 12, the tool center point position TCP is set to a predetermined position where the tip point of the tool 65 is extended, that is, a position where the discharged paint or rust preventive material is optimally applied.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment,
After starting the positional relation process information file creation program, the user inputs a desired process name, a desired robot name, and a desired work name (vehicle type name) to thereby store various programs F5 to F8 stored in advance. Is automatically executed, and a lookup table 31 for creating a position-related process information file is created.
(See FIG. 5), definition file groups 32, 33, 39 (FIG. 4)
Reference), and the data file groups 51 to 53 are referred to. This achieves the effect that the blank field of the positional relationship process information file format 41 is automatically filled, and the desired positional relationship process information file 41A can be automatically created.

Further, the positional relationship process information file 41A created by the above-described procedure has a file structure systematized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body, so that it is easy to handle. That is, for example, RF
By changing only the mounting angle of the door opening dummy 371 (see FIG. 8), the RF door can be mounted without changing the mounting positions and angles of a large number of work data corresponding to a large number of body parts constituting the RF door. .., Sash 376,..., Sash stiffener 379 shown in FIG. 8 can be automatically changed. The same applies to the entire vehicle body, engine room hood, trunk hood, door, tailgate, and the like.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can adopt various configurations without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a new position-related process information file is created,
When the process name, the robot name, and the work name are input, the corresponding information is read from each definition file and each model file by referring to the reference table for creating the position-related process information file, and Since the description is made in the form and a new positional-related process information file is created, the effect that the positional-related process information file can be created automatically and in a short time is achieved.

By preparing an interlock definition file between robots as a definition file, a new positional relation process information file including interlock definition information can be automatically created. Achieved.

Further, for example, even if the degree of opening of one door is changed, conventionally, it is necessary to search for a number of related position-related process information files by so-called flat input to correct all the work. Required an enormous amount of time,
Only by changing the opening of the door on the upstream side of the so-called tree configuration file, the angle of the workpiece on the downstream side is automatically corrected, so the effect that correction in a short time is possible is achieved. Is done.

In this case, the work definition file has a file structure systematized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body, so that the procedure for automatically creating the position-related process information file and each definition file can be simplified. The effect that handling becomes easy is achieved. In addition, the work model configuration schematically representing the actual vehicle body in the positional relationship process information file achieves an effect that the handling of the positional relationship process information file is facilitated.

Further, by providing the work definition file with a file structure systematized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body, an effect that the configuration of the vehicle body for offline teaching can be easily understood is achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external configuration diagram showing a configuration of a general offline teaching device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical internal configuration of the off-line teaching device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a process of creating a positional relationship process information file.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an automatic creation function of a positional relation process information file.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the contents of a lookup table for creating a positional relationship process information file.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a part of a content example of a robot definition file.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of a content example of a work component definition file.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a part of the contents of a work structure data file corresponding to a specific vehicle type.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a part of the contents of a lid opening file.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a positional relationship process information file format.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a newly created position-related process information file.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an initial screen in a state where an offline teaching system has been started based on a newly created positional-related process information file.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Off-line teaching device 31 Look-up table for creating position-related process information file 32 Robot definition file 33 Work component definition file 35 Work structure data file 37 Lid opening file 41 Position-related process information file format 41A … Position-related process information file

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Junichi Matsumoto 1-10-1 Shinsayama, Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-3-239447 (JP, A) JP-A-1 JP-A-166105 (JP, A) JP-A-7-168617 (JP, A) JP-A-4-98302 (JP, A) JP-A-5-80836 (JP, A) JP-A-1-312608 (JP, A) (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G05B 19/18-19/46 B25J 3/00-3/10 B25J 9/10-9/22 B25J 13/00-13/08 B25J 19/02-19/06

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A position-related process information file for offline teaching in which data for displaying a robot and a workpiece arranged during a predetermined process as images on a screen is described. Opens, the robot model and work model are displayed on the screen,
In the offline teaching system that creates teaching data by teaching the tool center point position of the tool model attached to the robot model on the work model using a pointing device, when creating a new positional-related process information file, , Robot and work definition files, robot model and work model display model files, a positional relation process information file creation reference table, and a position relation process information file format. When a robot name and a work name are input, the corresponding information is read from each of the definition files and each of the model files with reference to the reference table for creating the positional relationship process information file, and the location related process information file is read. In the form of a new location-related process information file. Off-line teaching system, characterized in that to create the file. 2. A position-related process information file for off-line teaching in which data for displaying a robot and a workpiece arranged in a predetermined process as images on a screen is described. Opens, the robot model and work model are displayed on the screen,
In the offline teaching system that creates teaching data by teaching the tool center point position of the tool model attached to the robot model on the work model using a pointing device, when creating a new positional-related process information file, Robot, workpiece definition file, robot interlock definition file, robot model and work model display model files, positional-related process information file creation reference table, and positional-related process information file format. When a process name, a robot name, and a work name are input, the corresponding information from each of the definition files and the model files is referred to by referring to the positional relationship process information file creation reference table. Read out the position-related process information file. Off-line teaching system characterized in that it describes the manner of creating a new positional relationship process information file. 3. The offline teaching system according to claim 1, wherein the work definition file has a file structure organized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body. 4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the work model description portion in the positional relation process information file has a file structure organized for each characteristic part of the vehicle body. An offline teaching system characterized by being performed.