IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,318,921
Granted Patent B2
US 12,318,921 · App. 17/867,956 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Processing system, robot system, control device, processing method, control method, and storage medium

Inventors: Yasunori Chiba (Yokohama, JP); Hiromasa Takahashi (Minato, JP); Masahiro Saito (Yokohama, JP)
Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
B25J19/026B25J9/1653G01N29/043G01N29/069G01N29/11G01N29/225G01N29/265B23K31/125G01N2291/0234G01N2291/044G01N2291/106G01N2291/267G05B2219/37217
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,318,921
App. No.
17/867,956
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a processing system sets a detector to a prescribed position. The detector includes a plurality of detection elements arranged along a first direction and a second direction. The second direction crosses the first direction. The processing system causes the detector to perform a probe of a weld portion of a joined body. The probe includes a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave. The processing system calculates a center position of the weld portion in a first plane along the first and second directions based on intensity data. The intensity data is of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe. The processing system performs a position adjustment of moving the detector along the first plane to reduce a distance between the center position and a position of the detector in the first plane.

Claims (75)

1. A processing system, comprising:

a control device configured to control a detector, the detector including a plurality of detection elements arranged along a first direction and a second direction, the second direction crossing the first direction; and

a processing device,

the control device configured to

set the detector to a prescribed position, and

cause the detector to perform a probing process of a weld portion of a joined body, the probing process including a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave,

the processing device configured to calculate a center position of the weld portion in a first plane along the first and second directions based on intensity data, the intensity data being of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probing process, and

the control device configured to perform a position adjustment of moving the detector along the first plane to reduce a distance between the center position and a position of the detector in the first plane, wherein

the control device is configured to

calculate a reference distance using a plurality of movement distances of the detector in a plurality of previous position adjustments, and

correct the prescribed position using at least a portion of the plurality of movement distances when the reference distance is greater than a first threshold.

2. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device is configured to calculate the reference distance by averaging the plurality of movement distances or calculating a predicted value based on the plurality of movement distances.

3. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device is configured to calculate the reference distance using the movement distances remaining after an outlier is excluded from the plurality of movement distances.

4. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to

determine whether or not misalignment of the joined body exists, and

calculate the reference distance using the movement distances remaining after excluding, from the plurality of movement distances, the movement distance of the position adjustment of the joined body for which the misalignment is determined to exist.

5. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the weld portion is provided in a plurality of parts on the joined body,

the position adjustment, the probing process, and the setting of the prescribed position are performed for each of the weld portions, and

when misalignment of the one of the joined bodies is detected, an amount of the misalignment is used to correct the prescribed position for at least a portion of the weld portions.

6. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the control device is configured to set the detector to a prescribed orientation,

the processing device is configured to calculate a tilt of the detector with respect to the weld portion based on the intensity data, and

the control device is configured to perform an orientation adjustment by rotating the detector to reduce the tilt.

7. The processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the control device is configured to

calculate a reference angle using a plurality of rotation angles of the detector in a plurality of previous orientation adjustments, and

correct the prescribed orientation using at least a portion of a plurality of the rotation angles when the reference angle is greater than a second threshold.

8. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing device is configured to inspect the weld portion using the intensity data.

9. The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the processing device is configured to calculate a centroid position of an intensity in the intensity data as the center position.

10. A robot system, comprising:

the processing system according to claim 1 ; and

a robot including

the detector, and

a manipulator to which the detector is mounted.

11. A control device, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

cause a detector to perform a probing process of a weld portion of a joined body at a prescribed position, the probing process including a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave, and

perform a position adjustment of moving the detector to reduce a distance in a first plane between a center position of the weld portion and a position of the detector, the center position being calculated from a result of the probing process, the first plane being along two-dimensional arrangement directions of a plurality of detection elements included in the detector, wherein

the processing circuitry is configured to

calculate a reference distance before the probing process by using a plurality of movement distances of the detector in a plurality of previous position adjustments, and

correct the prescribed position using at least a portion of the plurality of movement distances when the reference distance is greater than a first threshold.

12. The control device according to claim 11 , wherein

intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave is acquired in the probing process, and

a centroid position of an intensity in the intensity data is calculated as the center position.

13. A processing method, comprising:

setting a detector to a prescribed position, the detector including a plurality of detection elements arranged along a first direction and a second direction, the second direction crossing the first direction;

causing the detector to perform a probing process of a weld portion of a joined body, the probing process including a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave;

calculating a center position of the weld portion in a first plane along the first and second directions based on intensity data, the intensity data being of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probing process; and

performing a position adjustment of moving the detector along the first plane to reduce a distance between the center position and a position of the detector in the first plane,

a reference distance being calculated using a plurality of movement distances of the detector in a plurality of previous position adjustments, and

the prescribed position being corrected using at least a portion of the plurality of movement distances when the reference distance is greater than a first threshold.

14. The processing method according to claim 13 , wherein

the reference distance is calculated using the movement distances remaining after an outlier is excluded from the plurality of movement distances.

15. The processing method according to claim 13 , wherein

the detector is set to a prescribed orientation,

a tilt of the detector with respect to the weld portion is calculated based on the intensity data, and

an orientation adjustment of rotating the detector to reduce the tilt is performed.

16. The processing method according to claim 15 , wherein

a reference angle is calculated using a rotation angle of the detector for a plurality of previous orientation adjustments, and

the prescribed orientation is corrected using at least a portion of a plurality of the rotation angles when the reference angle is greater than a second threshold.

17. The processing method according to claim 13 , wherein

a centroid position of an intensity in the intensity data is calculated as the center position.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program,

the program causing a computer to execute the processing method according to claim 13 .

19. A control method, comprising:

causing a detector to perform a probing process of a weld portion of a joined body at a prescribed position, the probing process including a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave; and

causing a computer to perform a position adjustment of moving the detector to reduce a distance in a first plane between a center position of the weld portion and a position of the detector, the first plane being along two-dimensional arrangement directions of a plurality of detection elements included in the detector,

a reference distance being calculated before the probing process by using a plurality of movement distances of the detector in a plurality of previous position adjustments, and

the prescribed position being corrected using at least a portion of the plurality of movement distances when the reference distance is greater than a first threshold.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program,

the program causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 19 .

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jul 18, 2025
From: TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 072053/0393 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: CHIBA, YASUNORI; TAKAHASHI, HIROMASA; SAITO, MASAHIRO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060872/0842 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-118966 · Jul 19, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230012625A1 · Jan 19, 2023
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