JPH11232751A - Library device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent human error by making a conveying robot recognize the kind of a recording and reproducing device and making the robot convey a record medium to the recording and reproducing device to automate an operation for inputting the kind of the device. SOLUTION: The library controller 11 received a movement instruction retrieves the housed position of a record medium from a memory 12 to transmit position information and the removing command/housing command of the record medium to a conveying robot controller 13. Then, when the controller 13 receives this command, it executes the removing/housing of the recording medium while moving respective driving shafts to the commanded position. Moreover, the controller 13 stores data of minute loading error values of learning markers by visual sensors in the memory, 12. The controller 13 reads out learning data to be transmitted from the memory 12 via the library controller 11 to calculate a proper access stopping position and controls the conveying robot.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to automation of a model input operation of a recording / reproducing apparatus mounted on a library apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Even in a library apparatus having a large-scale and complicated mechanism, there is an increasing demand from users for supporting an open apparatus. In response to this, in the library apparatus, the applicable models of the recording / reproducing apparatus have been expanded to meet various user requests. When the transfer robot inserts the recording medium into the recording / reproducing apparatus, first, the storage controller for the corresponding recording medium and the information on the recording / reproducing apparatus into which the recording medium is to be inserted are read from the memory attached to the library control apparatus, and based on this, It instructs the transport robot to issue a recording medium transport operation command. The transport robot accesses the storage shelf having the recording medium according to the operation command to take out the recording medium, and then accesses the recording / reproducing apparatus to insert the recording medium. However, due to the increase in the size of the library device and the diversification of the types of the recording / reproducing devices, the control information to be input to the library control device is enormous.

[0003]

In the prior art, the library control device needs to manage all information of the recording / reproducing device mounted on the library device. As the types of recording / reproducing devices are diversified, control information input to the library control device is complicated, and the amount of information managed by the library control device is enormous. Also,
Although the model information of the recording / reproducing apparatus is manually obtained by the library control apparatus, a demand for automation has been increased because of a human error.

According to the present invention, when an operation command for loading / unloading a recording medium into / from a recording / reproducing apparatus is issued from a library control apparatus, the transport robot automatically identifies the model of the recording / reproducing apparatus, and Can be constructed to have a function of operating to the optimum access position.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention utilizes a visual sensor mounted on the upper part of a transfer robot used for collecting information for correcting a stop position of the transfer robot. The library device has a 'learning' function of measuring an error between the device positions of all the storage shelves and the recording / reproducing device and the transfer robot stop position information using a visual sensor when the device is started. The measured values are transmitted to the library control device and stored as learning data. The learning data is reflected in the subsequent access operation by the transfer robot, and when the transfer robot executes the access operation, the stop position is finely corrected and the transfer robot can be stopped at an appropriate position. In the present invention, the model of the recording / reproducing device mounted on the library device is automatically identified in the learning operation when the library device is started.
When the library control device instructs the transfer robot to perform a learning operation to the recording / reproducing device, the transfer robot first assumes that the recording / reproducing device is mounted based on the control information input in advance to the transfer robot control device. Attempt a learning operation at the given mounting position. If the transfer robot cannot collect the learning data in the normal range during this learning operation, the transfer robot again performs the learning operation on the assumption that the recording and reproducing device of another model is automatically mounted on the transfer robot controller. I do. The transfer robot repeatedly executes this process within a specified range. In this way, the present invention constructs a control program for the transport robot that automatically identifies the model of the recording / reproducing device.

The operation based on the above configuration will be described.

When a recording medium is transported, the transport robot automatically identifies the model of the recording / reproducing apparatus,
The model input operation of the recording / reproducing device in the library device can be automated.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the library apparatus, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the transfer robot, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the library apparatus, FIG.
9 shows a recording / reproducing device determination flowchart of the transfer robot.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a storage shelf, 2 is a transport robot, 3 is a horizontal drive axis, 4 is a vertical drive axis, 5 is a rotary drive axis, 6 is an insertion / drawing axis, 7 is a handling axis, and 8 is a vertical axis. A drive shaft stopper (mechanism for mechanically holding potential energy), 9 denotes a recording medium (1/2 inch cartridge magnetic tape, 8 mm tape, optical disk, or magnetic disk).

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a host device, 11 denotes a library control device, 12 denotes a memory, 13 denotes a transfer robot control device, 14 denotes a vertical drive shaft motor drive device, 15 denotes a vertical drive shaft speed recognition device, and 16 denotes a vertical drive shaft speed recognition device. The drive shaft position recognition device 17 indicates an encoder output.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 18 denotes a visual sensor, 19 denotes a recording / reproducing device, and 20 denotes a learning marker.

2 and 3, the library device includes a transfer robot 2, a storage shelf 1 attached to both sides of the transfer robot 2 in the horizontal movement direction, a recording and reproducing device 19 for recording and reproducing the recording medium 9, and a library control device. 11, memory for recording control information 12, transfer robot control device 13,
It comprises a vertical drive shaft motor drive device 14, a vertical drive shaft speed recognition device 15, and a vertical drive shaft position recognition device 16.
The transport robot 2 includes a horizontal drive shaft 3, a vertical drive shaft 4, a rotary drive shaft 5, an insertion / withdrawal shaft 6 for taking a recording medium into and out of a storage shelf, and a handling shaft 7 for holding a recording medium.
Consists of an axis.

First, the operation of the entire library apparatus is described by recording the recording medium 9 from an arbitrary storage shelf 1 to an arbitrary recording / reproducing apparatus 1.
9 will be described. In FIG. 3, a command to move the recording medium 9 to the recording / reproducing device 19 is issued from the host device 10 to the library control device 11. Upon receiving the move command, the library control device 11 searches the memory 12 for the storage position of the recording medium 9, and adds the position information to the instruction to take out the recording medium 9 and the target recording to the storage instruction of the recording medium 9. The instruction is divided into instructions to which the position information of the reproducing device 19 is added, and each instruction is issued to the transfer robot control device 13. The transfer robot control device 13 which has received the instruction to take out or store the recording medium 9 moves each drive shaft to the position indicated by the additional information, and
Take out and store.

The specific operation of the present invention will be described through a learning operation for the recording / reproducing device 19. When the library control device 11 receives a learning operation command of the recording / reproducing device 19 from the host device 10, the transfer robot control device 13 transmits the learning marker 18 attached to the recording / reproducing device 19.
The current value is instructed to the motor drive device 14 of each of the horizontal, vertical and rotational drive shafts in order to access. Upon receiving the current value instruction, the vertical drive shaft motor drive device 14 first performs speed control by the motor encoder output 17, and switches to position control when the drive shaft reaches near the target position, thereby achieving accurate positioning to the target position. I do. Horizontal, vertical,
When each of the rotation drive axes reaches the target position adjacent to the learning marker and the positioning is completed, the transfer robot 2 checks the horizontal / vertical / vertical position along the learning marker 20 in order to check an error in the mounting position of the learning marker 20. The visual sensor 18 is operated while sequentially moving each axis of insertion / drawing at a low speed. By this series of operations, the transfer robot 2 measures a slight error in the mounting position of the learning marker 20 and reports the data to the transfer robot controller 13. The transfer robot control device 13 further transmits the learning data to the library control device 11. The library control device 11 includes the transfer robot 2
Is stored in the memory 12 as learning data, and in the subsequent access operation by the transfer robot 2, the learning data of the access site is read from the memory 12 at any time and transmitted to the transfer robot control device 13. The transfer robot control device 13 reads the learning data transmitted from the memory 12 via the library control device 11, calculates an appropriate access stop position, and controls the transfer robot 2. With this series of operations, the transport robot can end the access operation without delay.

In the learning operation, when the proper learning data cannot be measured, the transport robot controller 13 determines that the model of the recording / reproducing apparatus 19 is different, and sets the model of the recording / reproducing apparatus 19 again. Repeat the learning operation. This series of operations is repeatedly executed until the transfer robot control device 13 determines the model of the recording / reproducing device 19 or until the number of learning operations specified by the transfer robot control device 13 ends. Thereby, the transport robot control device 13 can identify the model of the recording / reproducing device 19. The model of the recording / reproducing device 19 is stored in the internal data of the transport robot controller 13, and when the transport robot subsequently accesses the recording / reproducing device 19, the transport robot controller 13 refers to this data to determine the appropriate model. You can access any location.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the library controller can access the recording / reproducing apparatus only by the internal data of the transfer robot controller without recognizing the model of the recording / reproducing apparatus. It is possible to automate the operation of inputting the model of the recording / reproducing apparatus and prevent human error.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a library device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a transfer robot.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a library device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a learning mechanism of the transfer robot.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the recording / reproducing device determination of the transfer robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... storage shelf, 2 ... transfer robot, 3
... horizontal drive shaft, 4 ... vertical drive shaft, 5 ... rotary drive shaft, 6 ... insertion / extraction shaft, 7 ... handling axis, 8 ... stopper of vertical drive shaft, 9 ... recording medium, 10
... Host device, 11 Library control device, 12 ...
Memory, 13: transport robot control device, 14, vertical drive axis motor drive device, 15: vertical drive axis speed recognition device, 16: vertical drive axis position recognition device, 17: encoder output, 18: visual sensor, 19: recording and reproduction Device, 20 ... Learning marker.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording medium and a recording medium storage shelf, a recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing data on / from the recording medium, a transport robot / transport robot controller for transporting the recording medium, a recording medium, a recording / reproducing apparatus, and a transport robot Manages control devices,
A library control method for a transfer robot of a library device for controlling them according to an instruction from a higher-level device, the library having a function of automatically identifying a model of the recording / reproducing device and conveying a recording medium to the recording / reproducing device. apparatus.