Manipulator system and method for identifying operating devices

Abstract

A manipulator system includes at least one manipulator and a control device assigned to the manipulator; and at least one mobile operating device for controlling the at least one manipulator. In addition, an electronic display device is provided, which is arranged to display at least one optically readable identifier, and at least one optical reading device is provided and arranged to detect the displayed optically readable identifier. The manipulator system is arranged to release control of the manipulator by means of the mobile operating device when the optically readable identifier has been correctly detected by the optical reading device.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a mobile operating device which is arranged for controlling at least one manipulator of a manipulator system, the manipulator system having a control device assigned to the manipulator and the mobile operating device having a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising the following method steps: a) transmitting data of at least one optically readable identifier from the control device to the mobile operating device and display of the optically readable identifier on an electronic display device, wherein the electronic display device is assigned to the mobile operating device, or transmitting data of the at least one optically readable identifier from the mobile operating device to the control device and display of the optically readable identifier on an electronic display device assigned to the control device; b) displaying the at least one optically readable identifier on the electronic display device assigned to the control device or the mobile operating device, wherein the data of the optically readable identifier comprises data including at least one of status parameters of the manipulator system or control variables; c) detecting the optically readable identifier by means of an optical reading device, wherein the optical reading device is assigned to the respective other one of the control device or mobile operating device; and d) releasing control of the manipulator to the mobile operating device when the optically readable identifier has been correctly detected by the optical reading device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein i) the optical reading device is assigned to the control device, wherein the electronic display device is assigned to the mobile operating device and wherein the electronic display device is integrated in a housing of the mobile operating device, or ii) wherein the optical reading device is assigned to the mobile operating device, and wherein the electronic display device is assigned to the control device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data of the at least one optically readable identifier are dynamically generated by means of the one control device or mobile operating device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the method steps a) to c) are repeated in defined time intervals, wherein the defined time intervals are less than 15 minutes.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile operating device comprises a wireless handheld device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile operating device includes a graphical user interface (GUI).

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the defined time intervals are less than 10 minutes.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the defined time intervals are less than 5 minutes.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the optical reading device is integrated in a housing of the mobile operating device.

10. A manipulator system comprising: at least one manipulator and a control device assigned to the manipulator; at least one mobile operating device which is arranged for controlling at least one of the at least one manipulator or the control device; at least one electronic display device which is arranged to display at least one optically readable identifier, and at least one optical reading device which is arranged to detect the displayed optically readable identifier, wherein the manipulator system is arranged to release control of the manipulator or the control device to the mobile operating device when the optically readable identifier has been correctly detected by the optical reading device, wherein the optically readable identifier comprises data including at least one of status parameters of the manipulator system or control variables, wherein the mobile operating device comprises a first wireless communication device and the control device comprises a second wireless communication device, and the first and second wireless communication devices are arranged to transmit data of the optically readable identifier, and wherein the electronic display device is arranged to display the optically readable identifier according to the transmitted data.

11. The manipulator system according to claim 10, wherein the optical reading device is assigned to the control device, wherein the electronic display device is assigned to the mobile operating device, and wherein the electronic display device is integrated in a housing of the mobile operating device.

12. The manipulator system according to claim 10, wherein the optical reading device is assigned to the mobile operating device, and wherein the electronic display device is assigned to the control device, and wherein the optical reading device is integrated in a housing of the mobile operating device.

13. The manipulator system according to claim 10, wherein the optical reading device comprises one of a camera, an optical scanner or a laser scanner.

14. The manipulator system according to claim 10, wherein the optically readable identifier is variable in time and comprises a one- or two-dimensional code.

15. The manipulator according to claim 10, wherein the mobile operating device is a hand-held mobile operating device.

16. The manipulator according to claim 10, wherein the manipulator system comprises a plurality of manipulators, wherein the plurality of manipulators are assigned to the control device, and wherein an optical reading device or an electronic display device is assigned to each manipulator.

17. The manipulator system according to claim 10, wherein the mobile operating device includes a graphical user interface (GUI).

18. The manipulator system according to claim 14, wherein the optically readable identifier comprises a QR code.

19. The manipulator system according to claim 15, wherein the hand-held mobile operating device is selected from the group consisting of laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones and smart watches.

20. A method for identifying a mobile operating device which is arranged for controlling at least one manipulator of a manipulator system, the manipulator system having a control device assigned to the manipulator and the mobile operating device having a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising the following method steps: a) displaying at least one optically readable identifier on an electronic display device, wherein the electronic display device is assigned to the control device or the mobile operating device; b) detecting the optically readable identifier by means of an optical reading device, wherein the optical reading device is assigned to the respective other control device or mobile operating device; and c) releasing control of the manipulator to the mobile operating device when the optically readable identifier has been correctly detected by the optical reading device, wherein in method step a) several optically readable identifiers are displayed in chronological order, and wherein the step of releasing the control of the manipulator to the mobile operating device takes place only when the several optically readable identifiers have been correctly detected by the optical reading device.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) In the following, the invention is described in more detail with reference to the figures:

(2) FIG. 1A shows a schematic representation of a manipulator system for identification of mobile operating devices before or during identification;

(3) FIG. 1B shows a schematic representation of the manipulator system for identification of mobile operating devices according to FIG. 1A after successful identification;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a further manipulator system for the identification of mobile operating devices, and

(5) FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of a procedure for the identification of mobile operating devices.

(6) In particular, FIG. 1A shows a schematic representation of a manipulator system 1 for the identification of mobile operating devices no before or while the graphical user interface 113 (shown in FIG. 1B) of the mobile operating device 110 is released. The operating device no is preferably a smartphone or a tablet computer. The mobile operating device no comprises at least one electronic display device 111, namely a display, and a first wireless communication device 120.

(7) A control device 140 is assigned to the manipulator 160 of the manipulator system 1, which controls the manipulator. Furthermore, a second wireless communication device 130 and an optical reading device 150 are assigned to the control device 140. The control device 140 can comprise both software and hardware and can be integrated in the manipulator 160 or set up in a separate housing. In addition, the control device 140 can be set up to control several manipulators 160. Preferably, if the control device 140 is assigned several manipulators 160, each manipulator 160 is assigned an optical reading device 150 or electronic display device 270.

(8) The optical reading device 150 is preferably located in the immediate vicinity of the manipulator 160. To identify the mobile operating device 110, data 181 of an optically readable identifier 112 are transmitted to the first wireless communication device 120 by means of the second wireless communication device 130. According to the transmitted data 181, the electronic display device 111 of the operating device no displays the optically readable identifier 112.

(9) As shown in FIG. 1A, the optically readable identifier 112 is, for example, a QR code that can be captured by the optical reading device 150. If the optically readable identifier 112 is correctly detected by the optical reading device 150 (i.e., the identifier is detected without error and corresponds to the expected identifier according to the data 181), control of the manipulator 160 is released so that the manipulator can be operated using the graphical user interface 113 of the mobile operating device 110.

(10) A released control is shown, for example, in FIG. 1B. The same reference signs in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B each refer to the same components of the depicted manipulator system. A user can make entries on the mobile operating device 110 to control the manipulator 160 by means of the graphical user interface 113 of the mobile operating device 110. Preferably, the electronic display device 111, which also displays the graphical user interface 113, is a touch-sensitive screen, such as a capacitive touch screen. The inputs (operating commands) concerning the control of the manipulator 160 are sent to the second wireless communication device 130 via the first wireless communication device 120 by means of the data 182 and made available to the manipulator 160 via the control device 140.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a manipulator system 2 for identification of a mobile operating device 210. The mobile operating device 210 comprises a graphical user interface (GUI) 213, which is displayed on an electronic display device 211 assigned to the GUI. The graphical user interface 213 must first be released before the mobile operating device 210 can control the manipulator 260.

(12) Furthermore, the mobile operating device 210 comprises a first wireless communication device 220, which can send data 281 to a second wireless communication device 230. The second wireless communication device 230 is assigned to a control device 240 of the manipulator 260. An electronic display device 270 is also assigned to the control device 240. The electronic display device 270 is designed to display an optically readable identifier 272, which corresponds to the transmitted data 281.

(13) The mobile operating device 210 also includes an optical reading device 250, which is preferably integrated in the housing of the mobile operating device. The optical reading device 250 is designed to detect the optically readable identifier 272 displayed on the electronic display device 270. If the optically readable identifier 272 is detected by the optical reading device 250 and the acquired data matches the transmitted data 281, it can be assumed that the mobile operating device 210 is located near the electronic display device. After correct detection of the optically readable identifier 272, the graphical user interface 213 can be released. It can be released by displaying the graphical user interface 213 on the electronic display device 211 of the mobile operating device 210, or by only then enabling its operation.

(14) FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow chart of a method 3 for the identification of mobile operating devices. The method is described with reference to the example in FIG. 1A, but it also works in the same way as with the example in FIG. 2 In a first method step 310, a request is sent from a mobile operating device 110 or a control device 140, which determines whether a mobile operating device 110 is present in the vicinity of the control device 140.

(15) If a mobile operating device 110 is present near the control device 140, data 181 of at least one optically readable identifier 112 is transmitted from the control device 140 to the mobile operating device no in a second method step 320.

(16) After successful transmission of the data 181, an optically readable identifier 112 is generated from the data in a third method step 330 and displayed on the electronic display device 211. After displaying the identifier 112 in method step 330, the optically readable identifier is detected in a fourth method step 340 using the optical reading device 150. In a fifth method step 350, the identification is checked and the control of the manipulator 160 is released by means of a graphical user interface 113 of the mobile operating device 110 if necessary.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

(17) 1, 2 System 3 Method 110, 210 Operating devices 111, 211 Display device of the operating device 112, 272 Optically readable identifiers 113, 213 Graphical user interface GUI 120, 220 First wireless communication device 130, 230 Second wireless communication device 140, 240 Control device (software and/or hardware) 150, 250 Optical reading device 160, 260 Manipulator 181, 281 Data of the optically readable identifier 182 Data for operation 270 Display device of the control device 310 Establishment of connection 320 Transmission the optically readable identifier 330 Display of the optically readable identifier 340 Detection of the optically readable identifier 350 Release of the graphical user interface