Granted Patent B2

US 12,636,788 · App. 18/033,904 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventor: Atsushi Nobuhara (Yamanashi, JP)

Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION

B25J9/1689

Abstract

Claims (41)

1 . A robot control device connected to a line concentrator and constituting a virtual local area network together with at least one other robot control device connected to the line concentrator, the robot control device comprising:

a first memory configured to store a program; and

a processor configured to execute the program and control the robot control device to:

set a plurality of pieces of setting information about the virtual local area network;

store the plurality of pieces of setting information into a second memory; and

transmit, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to a piece of setting information selected from among the plurality of pieces of setting information,

wherein the robot control device is located separately from the line concentrator and serves as a leader, and

wherein the robot control device transmits an instruction to start follow motions to the at least one other robot control device via the line concentrator, after the virtual local area network is set in the line concentrator based on the setting request information.

2 . The robot control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to give instructions to execute programs, and to execute the program and control the robot control device to:

associate virtual local area network setting numbers accompanying the programs with the plurality of pieces of setting information, respectively, and store the virtual local area network setting numbers and the plurality of pieces of setting information into the second memory;

before giving an instruction to execute one program of the programs, output a request for setting to a piece of setting information corresponding to a virtual local area network setting number accompanying the one program to be executed; and

transmit, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to the piece of setting information corresponding to the setting number, the setting request information being created based on the setting request.

3 . The robot control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the program and control the robot control device to:

associate combination numbers indicating combinations of connections of robots for the virtual local area network with the plurality of pieces of setting information, respectively, store the combination numbers and the plurality of pieces of setting information into the second memory, and output a request for setting to a piece of setting information corresponding to an inputted combination number; and

transmit, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to the piece of setting information corresponding to the combination number, the setting request information being created based on the setting request.

4 . A robot control system comprising a plurality of robot control devices controlling a plurality of robots, respectively, and a line concentrator connected to the plurality of robot control devices and being capable of constituting a virtual local area network among at least two robot control devices among the plurality of robot control devices,

wherein one robot control device among the at least two robot control devices comprises:

a first memory configured to store a program; and

a processor configured to execute the program and control the one robot control device to:

set a plurality of pieces of setting information about the virtual local area network;

store the plurality of pieces of setting information into a second memory; and

transmit, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to a piece of setting information selected from among the plurality of pieces of setting information,

wherein the line concentrator sets the virtual local area network among the at least two robot control devices, based on the setting request information,

wherein the one robot control device and one or more robot control devices other than the one robot control device, among the at least two robot control devices, are located separately from the line concentrator, and the one robot control device serves as a leader, and

wherein the one robot control device transmits an instruction to start follow motions to the one or more robot control devices via the line concentrator, after the virtual local area network is set in the line concentrator based on the setting request information.

5 . The robot control system according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to give instructions to execute programs, and to execute the program and control the robot control device to:

associate virtual local area network setting numbers accompanying the programs that the one robot control device gives the instructions to execute, with the plurality of pieces of setting information, respectively, and store the virtual local area network setting numbers and the plurality of pieces of setting information into the second memory;

before giving an instruction to execute one program of the programs, output a request for setting to a piece of setting information corresponding to a virtual local area network setting number accompanying the one program to be executed; and

transmit, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to the piece of setting information corresponding to the setting number, the setting request information being created based on the setting request.

6 . The robot control system according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to execute the program and control the robot control device to:

associate combination numbers indicating combinations of connections of robots for the virtual local area network with the plurality of pieces of setting information, respectively, store the combination numbers and the plurality of pieces of setting information into the second memory, and output a request for setting to a piece of setting information corresponding to an inputted combination number; and

transmit, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to the piece of setting information corresponding to the combination number, the setting request information being created based on the setting request.

7 . A robot control method for a robot control system, the robot control system comprising a plurality of robot control devices controlling a plurality of robots, respectively, and a line concentrator connected to the plurality of robot control devices and being capable of constituting a virtual local area network among at least two robot control devices among the plurality of robot control devices, the robot control method comprising:

one robot control device among the at least two robot control devices

setting a plurality of pieces of setting information about the virtual local area network,

storing the set plurality of pieces of setting information, and

transmitting, to the line concentrator, setting request information requesting setting to a piece of setting information selected from among the plurality of pieces of setting information; and

the line concentrator

setting the virtual local area network among the at least two robot control devices, based on the setting request information,

wherein the one robot control device and one or more robot control devices other than the one robot control device, among the at least two robot control devices, are located separately from the line concentrator, and the one robot control device serves as a leader, and

wherein the one robot control device transmits an instruction to start follow motions to the one or more robot control devices via the line concentrator, after the virtual local area network is set in the line concentrator based on the setting request information.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)