Mobile Security Basic Control Device Comprising a Coding Device for a Mobile Terminal with Multi- Touchscreen and Method for Setting Up a Uniquely Assigned Control Link

Abstract

A mobile security basic control device (15) of a robot (1), has a hand-held housing (16), an emergency stop switching means (17) arranged at the housing (16), a communication device (18) for establishing a link in terms of control between the mobile security basic control device (15) and a robot controller (12) of the robot (1). A holder (19) is connected to the housing (16), which is designed to mount the mobile security basic control device (15) on a mobile terminal (20). The mobile terminal has a terminal control system (21) and a multi-touchscreen (22), which is designed to transmit inputs to the terminal control system (21) via the multi-touchscreen (22). The mobile security basic control device (15) comprises a coding device (25) which, in a state where the mobile security basic control device (15) is mounted on the mobile terminal (20) by means of the holder (19), is designed to automatically transmit at least one identification code identifying the mobile security basic control device (15) to the terminal control system (21) via the multi-touchscreen (22).

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A method for operating a robot (1) using a mobile terminal (20), the mobile terminal having a multi-touchscreen (22), the method comprising: mounting a mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) on the mobile terminal (20); via the multi-touchscreen (22) the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) transmitting at least one identification code identifying the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15); and via an emergency stop switch (17) on the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15), stopping the robot.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein: the mounting comprises a guide groove (23) of the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) receiving an edge section (29) of the mobile terminal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein: the groove (23) has a first groove wall (23.1) and a second groove wall (23.2), opposite the first groove wall (23.1) with the safety basic control apparatus (15) mounted on the mobile terminal (20), the second groove wall (23.2) abuts a rear (24) of the mobile terminal (20), opposite the multi-touchscreen (22).

19. The method of claim 16 wherein: the transmitting comprises two or more contact pins (28, 28a, 28b) contacting the multi-touchscreen (22) in a specific two-dimensional arrangement representing an identification code of the two or more contact pins (28, 28a, 28b).

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising: moving the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) along the edge section (29) of the mobile terminal as a slide control.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising: providing manual input by moving contact pins along the multi-touchscreen (22).

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising: providing manual input by bringing contact pins into physical contact with the multi-touchscreen (22) and breaking the physical contact between the contact pins and the multi-touchscreen (22).

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising: providing manual input by rotating a rotary disk (34) having contact pins, the rotary disk mounted in a manually rotatable manner in the housing (16), that only partially overlaps the multi-touchscreen (22), such that the angular position of the rotary disk (34) is the basis for a different subset of the further contact pins (28a, 28b) being in physical contact with the multi-touchscreen (22) and the respective complementary set of the further contact pins (28a, 28b) being outside the multi-touchscreen (22).

24. The method of claim 16 wherein: the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) has a luminous ring (36) constructed from multiple individually actuatable luminous segments (37); and the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) takes a switching state transmitted to the terminal controller (21) via the multi-touchscreen (22) by contact pins as a basis for actuating the individual luminous segments (37) of the luminous ring (36) in a specific manner.

25. A method for operating a robot (1) using a mobile terminal (20), the mobile terminal having a multi-touchscreen (22), the method comprising: mounting a mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) on the mobile terminal (20); via the multi-touchscreen (22) the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) transmitting at least one identification code identifying the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15); and providing manual input by moving contact pins along the multi-touchscreen (22).

26. The method of claim 25 wherein: the mounting comprises a guide groove (23) of the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) receiving an edge section (29) of the mobile terminal.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein: the providing manual input by moving contact pins along the multi-touchscreen (22) comprises moving the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) along the edge section (29) of the mobile terminal as a slide control.

28. A method for setting up an explicitly assigned control connection between a mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) and a mobile terminal (20) having a multi-touchscreen (22) for controlling a robot (1), the method comprising: transmitting an identification code from the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) to the mobile terminal (20) by virtue of the identification code being automatically input and transmitted by the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) as a multitouch input on the multi-touchscreen (22) of the mobile terminal (20) by virtue of the safety basic control apparatus (15) being put onto the mobile terminal (20); identifying the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15) by means of a terminal controller (21) of the mobile terminal (20) on the basis of the transmitted identification code; and enabling function control input means of the mobile terminal (20) by means of the terminal controller (21) in order to actuate functions of a robot (1) associated with the mobile safety basic control apparatus (15).

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising: transmitting the identification code in the form of a specific two-dimensional arrangement of multiple touch contact points on the multi-touchscreen (22) of the mobile terminal (20), in particular characterized by the number of touch contact points, by the relative orientations of multiple touch contact points in relation to one another and/or by the orientation of a group of multiple touch contact points in contact with the multi-touchscreen (22) of the mobile terminal (20).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0073] In the figures:

[0074] FIG. 1 shows a schematic depiction of a robot having a robot arm and a robot controller, and also an exemplary embodiment of a mobile safety basic control apparatus according to the invention,

[0075] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the mobile safety basic control apparatus alone from above,

[0076] FIG. 3 shows perspective views of the mobile safety basic control apparatus both from above and from below, and also three variant embodiments with different identification codes,

[0077] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an exemplary mobile terminal in a style of a tablet computer with the mobile safety basic control apparatus in a state fitted to the mobile terminal,

[0078] FIG. 5 shows a sectional depiction of a region of the mobile terminal on which the mobile safety basic control apparatus is fitted to the mobile terminal,

[0079] FIG. 6 shows a first embodiment of the mobile terminal, in the case of which the terminal controller is configured to display robot axes on the multi-touchscreen that are able to be adjusted by the mobile safety basic control apparatus,

[0080] FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the mobile terminal, in the case of which the terminal controller is configured to display a menu on the multi-touchscreen allowing the menu or a menu item to be selected by the mobile safety basic control apparatus,

[0081] FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the mobile terminal, in the case of which the terminal controller is configured to display a robot program having program steps on the multi-touchscreen allowing the robot program or a program step to be selected by the mobile safety basic control apparatus,

[0082] FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the mobile terminal, in the case of which the terminal controller is configured to display a speed bar or a slider on the multi-touchscreen, wherein the speed bar or the slider can be adjusted by the mobile safety basic control apparatus,

[0083] FIG. 10 shows a variant embodiment of the mobile terminal, in the case of which the mobile safety basic control apparatus is mounted on the mobile terminal in a manner linearly adjustable in the style of a slider,

[0084] FIG. 11 shows a variant embodiment of the mobile safety basic control apparatus that has an input means in the style of a consent switch,

[0085] FIG. 12 shows a schematic depiction of the input means,

[0086] FIG. 13 shows schematic depictions of an operating means configured as a rotary disk in three different rotary positions,

[0087] FIG. 14 shows schematic depictions of an input means configured as a three-level consent key in its three different input means positions,

[0088] FIG. 15 shows schematic side depictions of the input means configured as a three-level consent key as shown in FIG. 14 in its three possible input means positions, and

[0089] FIG. 16 shows schematic side depictions of a modified embodiment of the input means configured as a three-level consent key as shown in FIG. 14 in its three possible input means positions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] FIG. 1 shows a robot 1 having a robot arm 2 and a robot controller 12. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the robot arm 2 comprises multiple members 14 arranged in succession and connected by means of joints 13. The members 14 are in particular a frame 3 and a carousel 4 mounted in a manner rotatable relative to the frame 3 about a vertically running axis A1. Further members of the robot arm 2 in the case of the present exemplary embodiment are a swing arm 5, an arm boom 6 and a preferably multiaxis robot hand 7 having an attachment apparatus, embodied as a flange 8, for attaching an end effector, which is not depicted in more detail. The swing arm 5 has the lower end, e.g. a swing arm support head, not depicted in more detail, mounted on the carousel 4 in a manner swivelable about a preferably horizontal rotation axis A2. At the upper end of the swing arm 5, the arm boom 6 is mounted again in a manner swivelable about a likewise preferably horizontal axis A3. The end of said arm boom carries the robot hand 7 with its preferably three rotation axes A4, A5, A6.

[0091] The arm boom 6 in the case of the present exemplary embodiment has an arm housing 9 mounted swivelably on the swing arm 5. On the arm housing 9, there is a hand basic housing 10 of the arm boom 6 mounted in a manner rotatable about the axis A4.

[0092] The robot arm 2 is mobile in its three basic axes by means of three electric drive motors 11 and in its three hand axes by means of three further electric drive motors.

[0093] The robot controller 12 of the robot 1 is configured or set up to execute a robot program by means of which the joints 14 of the robot arm 2 can be adjusted or moved in rotation in a manner automated according to the robot program or automatically in a manual driving mode. To this end, the robot controller 12 is connected to the actuatable electric drive motors 11, which are configured to adjust the joints 14 of the robot arm 2. The robot controller 12 has a mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 according to the invention connected to it for control purposes.

[0094] FIG. 2 to FIG. 16 show the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15, which has a handheld housing 16, an emergency stop switching means 17 arranged on the housing 16, and a communication apparatus 18 for connecting the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 to the robot controller 12 (FIG. 1) for control purposes. Moreover, the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 has a holder 19 connected to the housing 16. The holder 19 is configured for mounting the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 on a mobile terminal 20 (FIG. 4). The mobile terminal 20 has a terminal controller 21 and a multi-touchscreen 22. The multi-touchscreen 22 is configured to transmit inputs, i.e. information, data about the multi-touchscreen 22, to the terminal controller 21.

[0095] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, in particular as depicted in FIG. 2 to FIG. 5, the holder 19 is formed by a groove 23, formed in the housing 16 of the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15, having a first groove wall 23.1 that covers a section of the multi-touchscreen 22 in a state, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in which the safety basic control apparatus 15 is mounted on the mobile terminal 20. The groove 23 moreover has a second groove wall 23.2, opposite the first groove wall 23.1, that abuts a rear 24 of the mobile terminal 20, opposite the multi-touchscreen 22, in a state in which the safety basic control apparatus 15, as depicted in particular in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, is mounted on, i.e. affixed to, the mobile terminal 20, in order to hold the safety basic control apparatus 15 on the mobile terminal 20.

[0096] According to the invention, the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 has a coding apparatus 25 configured so as, in a state in which the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15, as shown in particular in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, is mounted on the mobile terminal 20 by means of the holder 19, to automatically transmit at least one identification code identifying the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 to the terminal controller 21 via the multi-touchscreen 22.

[0097] The topmost depiction in FIG. 3 shows the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 shown in FIG. 2 in a view from above. On the top of the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15, there is the emergency stop switching means 17. In the depiction halfway down in FIG. 3, the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 shown in FIG. 2 is depicted on its head, i.e. the emergency stop switching means 17 points downward and a base area 26 of the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 points upward. In the bottom row of FIG. 3, three exemplary coding apparatuses 25 are shown that have different identification codes. In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, the different identification codes are formed by contact pins 28 arranged differently on an inner area 27 of the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15.

[0098] In the case of the present exemplary embodiment, multiple contact pins 28 are accordingly arranged on the first groove wall 23.1, such that they are in physical contact with the covered section of the multi-touchscreen 22, as shown in particular in FIG. 5, when the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 is mounted on the mobile terminal 20. The coding apparatus 25 thus has two or more contact pins 28 that, in a state in which the safety basic control apparatus 15 is mounted on the mobile terminal 20 by means of the holder 19, are in physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22, specifically in a specific two-dimensional arrangement, representing the identification code, of the two or more contact pins 28 on the multi-touchscreen 22.

[0099] The holder 19 is configured to mount the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 on an edge section 29 of the mobile terminal 20. In this case, the holder 19 may be configured to mount the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 in a manner adjustable on the edge section 29 of the mobile terminal 20, as illustrated in the depictions of FIG. 6 to FIG. 9. As such, the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 can be selectively put at different positions on the mobile terminal 20 and removed again by means of one hand 30 of a user.

[0100] In a specific embodiment, it is possible, as shown in FIG. 10, for example, for the holder 19 to be configured to mount the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 in a manner displaceable along the edge section 29 of the mobile terminal 20. To this end, the holder 19 can have a guide groove 31, running parallel to the edge section 29 in a state in which the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 has been put on the mobile terminal 20, that interacts with a strip 32, corresponding to the guide groove 31, on the mobile terminal 20, such that the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 is mounted and guided on the mobile terminal 20 in a manner displaceable in rail-like or slotted-guide-like fashion, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 10, on the mobile terminal 20 parallel to the edge section 29.

[0101] In the case of the modified exemplary embodiment of FIG. 11, the safety basic control apparatus 15 has not only the emergency stop switching means 17 but also manual operating means 33 configured to bring two or more contact pins 28a, 28b into physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22, or to adjust their respective touching arrangement on the multi-touchscreen 22, on the basis of manual operation of the respective operating means 33. In such a variant of a manual operating means 33, a consent key and/or a rotary disk (rotatable operating means) can be formed, for example, as explained in even more detail in particular with reference to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16.

[0102] As depicted in particular in FIG. 12 to FIG. 14, the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 can have further contact pins 28a, 28b that are in physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22 and are configured to form a pattern that takes its position and/or angular position on the multi-touchscreen 22 as a basis for transmitting a piece of information associated with the respective position and/or angular position to the terminal controller 21, as illustrated in particular in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 13, for example, the further contact pins 28a may be arranged on a rotary disk 34, mounted in a manually rotatable manner in the housing 16 of the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15, that only partially overlaps the multi-touchscreen 22, such that the angular position of the rotary disk 34, as schematically illustrated in the depictions of FIG. 13, is the basis for a different subset of the further contact pins 28a being in physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22 and the respective complementary set of contact pins 28a being outside the multi-touchscreen 22.

[0104] In a variant embodiment as shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 16, the safety basic control apparatus 15 can have a manual input means 35 configured so as, in a first input means position A, to bring the further contact pins 28b into physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22 and, in a second input means position C, to break the physical contact between the further contact pins 28b and the multi-touchscreen 22.

[0105] The safety basic control apparatus 15 can accordingly have a manual input means 35 having three successive input means positions, wherein in the second input means position (C) a first group of further contact pins 28b and a second group of further contact pins 28b have had a physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22 broken, in the third input means position B the first group of further contact pins 28b is in physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22 and the second group of further contact pins 28b has had a physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22 broken, and in the first input means position A the first group of further contact pins 28b and the second group of further contact pins 28b are in physical contact with the multi-touchscreen 22.

[0106] Additionally, the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15, as depicted in particular in FIG. 2, can have a luminous ring 36 constructed from multiple individually actuatable luminous segments 37, and the mobile safety basic control apparatus 15 may in this case be set up to take a switching state transmitted to the terminal controller 21 via the multi-touchscreen 22 by the two or more contact pins 28 and/or the further contact pins 28a, 28b as a basis for actuating the individual luminous segments 37 of the luminous ring 36 in a specific manner.