ROBOT HAVING A CONTROLLER PROTECTED FOR A NETWORK FAILURE

Abstract

The invention relates to a robot having actuator-driven elements, which requires a desired operating voltage U.sub.B and/or a desired operating current I.sub.B in order to operate, comprising: a voltage and current source having an input interface, to which a primary voltage U.sub.P and a primary current I.sub.P are applied, wherein, during normal operation, the primary voltage U.sub.P is equal to a desired primary voltage U.sub.P,desired and the primary current I.sub.P is equal to a desired primary current I.sub.P,desired, and also having an output interface, to which an actual voltage U.sub.actual and an actual current I.sub.actual are supplied, wherein during normal operation: U.sub.actual=U.sub.B and I.sub.actual=I.sub.B, an energy store, which is integrated into the voltage and current source and which maintains the operating voltage U.sub.B and the operating current I.sub.B for a predefined period of time t following a failure or a drop in the primary voltage/primary current, a unit for monitoring the primary voltage U.sub.P applied to the input interface, wherein the unit is configured such that as soon as the applied primary voltage U.sub.P deviates by a predefined amount U from the desired primary voltage U.sub.P,desired, a stop signal is generated, and a control unit, which is connected to the unit and which is designed for controlling the robot and its actuator-driven elements, wherein the control unit is configured to control the robot with its elements into a predefined safe state upon receipt of the stop signal.

Claims

1. A robot having actuator-driven elements, the robot requiring a desired operating voltage U.sub.B and/or a desired operating current I.sub.B in order to operate, the robot comprising: a voltage and current source comprising: an input interface to which a primary voltage U.sub.P and a primary current I.sub.P are applied, wherein, during normal operation, the primary voltage U.sub.P is equal to a desired primary voltage U.sub.P,desired and the primary current I.sub.P is equal to a desired primary current I.sub.P,desired, and an output interface to which an actual voltage U.sub.actual and an actual current I.sub.actual are supplied, wherein during normal operation: U.sub.actual=UB and I.sub.actual=I.sub.B; an energy store integrated into the voltage and current source and configured to maintain the operating voltage U.sub.B and the operating current I.sub.B for a predefined period of time t following a failure or a drop in the primary voltage U.sub.P and/or primary current I.sub.P; a unit configured to monitor the primary voltage U.sub.P applied to the input interface and configured to generate a stop signal as soon as the applied primary voltage U.sub.P deviates by a predefined amount U from the desired primary voltage U.sub.P,desired; and a control unit connected to the unit and configured to control the robot and its actuator-driven elements, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the robot with its actuator-driven elements into a predefined safe state upon receipt of the stop signal.

2. The robot according to claim 1, in which actuators of the actuator-driven elements are connectable to the integrated energy store to recuperate electrical energy.

3. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the unit is configured in such a way that controlling the robot into the predefined safe state comprises a triggering of mechanical brakes of the actuator-driven elements.

4. The robot according to claim 1, in which the energy store comprises one or more capacitors, and/or one or more inductors, and/or one or more accumulators.

5. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the stop signal is transmitted as a symmetrical and encrypted data signal from the unit to the control unit via a data link configured to transmit symmetrical and encrypted data signals.

6. The robot according to claim 1, wherein the stop signal is transmitted as an optical signal from the unit to the control unit via an optical data link configured to transmit optical signals.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In the drawings:

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the proposed robot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the proposed robot having actuator-driven elements 105, which requires a desired operating voltage U.sub.B and/or a desired operating current I.sub.B for operation. The robot comprises a voltage and current source 101 having an input interface 107 to which a primary voltage U.sub.P and a primary current I.sub.P are applied, wherein during normal operation, the primary voltage U.sub.P is equal to a desired primary voltage U.sub.P,desired and the primary current I.sub.P is equal to a desired primary current I.sub.P,desired, and also having an output interface 108 to which an actual voltage U.sub.actual and an actual current I.sub.actual are applied, wherein during normal operation: U.sub.actual=U.sub.B and I.sub.actual=I.sub.B.

[0025] Voltage and current source 101 comprises an energy store 102 integrated therein, in the present case comprising a plurality of capacitors which, following a failure or a drop in the primary voltage/primary current, maintain the operating voltage U.sub.B and the operating current I.sub.B at the output interface 108 for a predefined period of time t.

[0026] Voltage and current source 101 further comprises a transformer 106, which transforms the primary voltage U.sub.P supplied to the input interface 107 into a low-voltage range and supplies it to output interface 108 as the actual voltage U.sub.actual.

[0027] The robot further comprises a unit 103 for monitoring the primary voltage U.sub.P applied to input interface 107, with the unit 103 being designed in such a way that as soon as the applied primary voltage U.sub.P deviates from the desired primary voltage U.sub.P,desired by a predetermined amount U, a stop signal is generated.

[0028] Finally, the robot comprises a control unit 104, which is connected to unit 103 and is designed for controlling the robot and its actuator-driven elements 105, with the control unit 104 being configured to control the robot with its elements 105 into a predefined safe state upon receipt of the stop signal.

[0029] In FIG. 1, the load current paths are indicated by bold arrows. The thinner arrows proceeding from unit 103 to control unit 104 and from there to the actuator-driven elements of the robot are data lines. Advantageously, the stop signal is an optical signal and the data lines are configured as optical fibers.

[0030] Although the invention has been further illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived from said examples by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exists. It is also clear that cited, exemplified embodiments are actually merely examples, and are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the foregoing description and the description of the FIGS. enable a person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments, and those skilled in the art with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept may make various modifications, for example as to the function or the arrangement of individual elements cited in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope as defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as the detailed explanations in the description.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0031] 101 voltage and current source/power supply unit [0032] 102 energy store integrated into the voltage and current source [0033] 103 unit [0034] 104 control unit [0035] 105 actuator-driven elements of the robot [0036] 106 transformer [0037] 107 input interface [0038] 108 output interface