US 11,813,750 B2
Programming support apparatus, robot system, and programming support method
Yukiko Sawada, Fukuoka (JP); and Kanji Takanishi, Fukuoka (JP)
Filed by KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI, Kitakyushu (JP)
Filed on Oct. 17, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/655,254.
Application 16/655,254 is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP2018/016011, filed on Apr. 18, 2018.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-083091 (JP), filed on Apr. 19, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0047339 A1, Feb. 13, 2020
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1661 (2013.01) [G05B 19/41865 (2013.01); G05B 2219/34418 (2013.01); G05B 2219/50391 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A programming support apparatus comprising circuitry configured to:
store an execution flow as a sequence of work job programs in a storage device, including a first work job program in which a robot performs a first operation pattern that causes a change in physical state of one or more objects being manipulated by the robot, and a second work job program in which the robot performs a second operation pattern after the first operation pattern of the first work job program;
store an object association that relates the first work job program to the change in physical state of the one or more objects caused by the first operation pattern, wherein the object association is stored in the storage device separately from the execution flow;
store an environmental condition that must be satisfied for the robot to perform the second operation pattern;
estimate a physical state of the one or more objects based on the object association stored in the storage device without causing the robot to perform the first operation pattern of the first work job program in the execution flow;
compare the estimated physical state of the one or more objects with the environmental condition that must be satisfied for the robot to perform the second operation pattern of the second work job program;
modify the execution flow by changing the sequence of work job programs such that a third work job program in which the robot performs a third operation pattern is executed before the second work job program, in response to determining that the physical state of the one or more objects does not satisfy the environmental condition of the second operation pattern, wherein the stored object association is maintained after modifying the execution flow;
store a second object association that relates the third work job program to the change in physical state of the one or more objects caused by the third operation pattern, wherein the second object association is stored in the storage device separately from the execution flow;
re-estimate the physical state of the one or more objects based on both the object association of the first work job program and the second object association of the third work job program stored in the storage device, without causing the robot to perform the first operation pattern and the third operation pattern in the modified execution flow;
compare the re-estimated physical state of the one or more objects with the environmental condition of the second operation pattern;
generate an operation program based on the modified execution flow, in response to determining that the physical state of the one or more objects satisfies the environmental condition of the second operation pattern, wherein the third operation pattern of the third work job program is performed before the second operation pattern in the modified execution flow; and
transmit the operation program to control the robot based on the operation program.