IP Library Granted Patent US 12,405,595
Granted Patent B2
US 12,405,595 · App. 17/636,315 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

System and method for controlling at least one machine, more particularly a collective of machines

Inventors: Andreas Spenninger (Karlsfeld, DE); Sven Parusel (Munich, DE); Simon Haddadin (Munich, DE)
Assignee: FRANKA EMIKA GmbH
G05B19/4155G05B2219/31455
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,405,595
App. No.
17/636,315
Granted
Sep 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for controlling at least one machine which is assigned an individual machine language including defined command variables, the machine undergoing a change of state in the course of the control, having a control module which is designed to transform command variables of an interaction language into corresponding command variables of an individual machine language depending of the type of machine and/or the machine language assigned thereto.

Claims (23)

1. A system for controlling at least one machine (K i ), which is assigned an individual machine language comprising defined command variables (R 1 , . . . , R i ), the at least one machine (K i ) undergoing a state change (Z i ) in a course of the control, comprising:

a human-machine interface (HMI) associated with an interaction language comprising defined command variables (r 1 , . . . , r i ); and

a control module which is configured, depending on a type of the at least one machine (K i ) and/or the machine language assigned thereto, with respect to a command variable (r 1 , . . . , r i ) of the interaction language and/or with respect to a command variable (R 1 , . . . , R i ) of the individual machine language to generate a control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) which is designed to transform the command variable (r 1 , . . . , r i ) of the interaction language into an associated command variable (R 1 , . . . , R i ) of the individual machine language, wherein the control module is further configured, depending on the type of the at least one machine (K i ) and/or the machine language assigned thereto, with respect to a status variable (s 1 , . . . . s i ) of the interaction language and/or with respect to a status variable (S 1 . . . . S i ) of the individual machine language to generate an inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . ., f −1 ), which is designed to transform a status variable (S 1 , . . . , S i ) of the individual machine language into an associated status variable (s 1 , . . . . s i ) of the interaction language.

2. The system according to claim 1 , in which the control module is further configured to generate the control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) depending on the inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) and/or vice versa.

3. The system according to claim 1 , in which the control module is further configured to change the control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) and/or the inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) during the state change of the machine (K i ).

4. The system according to claim 1 , in which a plurality of machines (K 1 , . . . , K i ) is provided, each of which is assigned an individual machine language, and in which the control module is designed to generate a control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) and an inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) for each machine (K 1 , . . . , K i ).

5. The system according to claim 4 , in which the control module is further configured to generate the control functions (f 1 , . . . , f i ) and the inverse control functions (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) synchronously or asynchronously with respect to the machines (K 1 , . . . , K i ).

6. The system according to claim 1 , in which the at least one machine (K i ) is a robot or a part of a robot.

7. A method for controlling at least one machine (K i ), which is assigned an individual machine language comprising defined command variables (R 1 , . . . , R i ), by means of a control module which interacts with a human-machine interface (HMI), which is assigned an interaction language comprising defined command variables (r 1 , . . . , r i ), the machine (K i ) undergoing a state change (Z i ) in a course of the control, comprising steps:

recognizing a type of the at least one machine (K i ) and/or the machine language assigned to it;

generating, depending on the type of the at least one machine (K i ) and/or the machine language associated therewith, a control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) with respect to a command variable (r 1 , . . . , r i ) of the interaction language and/or with respect to a command variable (R 1 , . . . , R i ) of the individual machine language; and

transforming the command variable (r 1 , . . . , r i ) of the interaction language into an associated command variable (R 1 , . . . , R i ) of the individual machine language using the control function (f 1 , . . . , f i );

wherein the method further comprises:

depending on the type of machine (K i ) and/or the machine language associated therewith, generating an inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) with respect to a status variable (s 1 , . . . , s i ) of the interaction language and/or with respect to a status variable (S 1 , . . . , S i ) of the individual machine language; and

transforming the status variable (S 1 , . . . , S i ) of the individual machine language into an associated status variable (s 1 , . . . , s i ) of the interaction language using the inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ).

8. The method according to claim 7 , in which the control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) is generated depending on the inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) and/or vice versa.

9. The method according to claim 7 , in which the control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) and/or the inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) are changed during the state change (Z i ) of the machine (K i ).

10. The method according to claim 7 , in which a plurality of machines (K 1 , . . . , K i ) is provided, each of which is assigned an individual machine language, comprising:

generating a control function (f 1 , . . . , f i ) and an inverse control function (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) for each machine (K 1 , . . . , K i ), wherein the control functions (f 1 , . . . , f i ) and the inverse control functions (f 1 −1 , . . . , f i −1 ) are generated synchronously or asynchronously with respect to the machines (K 1 , . . . , K i ).

11. A computer system comprising a data processing device, the data processing device being configured to perform the method according to claim 7 on the data processing device.

12. A non-transitory digital storage medium having electronically readable control signals, the control signals being capable of interacting with a programmable computer system to perform the method according claim 7 .

13. A non-transitory computer program product comprising program code stored on a machine-readable medium for performing the method according to claim 7 , when the program code is executed on a data processing device.

14. A computer program comprising program codes, stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein the program codes, when run on a data processing device, carries out the method according to claim 7 .

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2025
From: FRANKA EMIKA GMBH
To: FRANKA ROBOTICS GMBH
Reel/Frame 073261/0220 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2025
From: FRANKA ROBOTICS GMBH
To: FR ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Reel/Frame 073261/0679 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 18, 2025
From: AGILE ROBOTS HANOVER GMBH
To: FRANKA ROBOTICS GMBH
Reel/Frame 074015/0484 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2025
From: SPENNINGER, ANDREAS; PARUSEL, SVEN; HADDADIN, SIMON
To: FRANKA EMIKA GMBH
Reel/Frame 071697/0597 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2019 005 787.2 · Aug 20, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220283568A1 · Sep 8, 2022
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