IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,515,325
Granted Patent B2
US 12,515,325 · App. 18/270,265 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Drive system, control method, and control program

Inventors: Atsushi Ogawa (Kyoto, JP); Yukio Iname (Kyoto, JP); Teja Emmey (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
B25J9/1633
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,515,325
App. No.
18/270,265
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A drive system includes an actuator that is driven by a motor to generate displacement, a driver that drives the motor, and a controller that gives a control instruction to the driver. The controller creates a physical model based on displacement caused by application of an external load to the actuator; generates a first control instruction to the motor such that the actuator generates the displacement according to the physical model; determines a spring constant; generates a second control instruction to the motor so as to generate drive force calculated based on a product of the spring constant and the displacement generated in the actuator; and selects and validates one of the first and second control instructions.

Claims (45)

1. A drive system comprising:

an actuator that is driven by a motor to generate displacement, the actuator being arranged to support a plate on which a workpiece is to be disposed;

a driver configured to drive the motor; and

a controller configured to give a control instruction to the driver,

wherein the controller is configured to:

create a physical model based on displacement caused by application of an external load to the actuator, the application of the external load including an action of disposing the workpiece on the plate;

generate a first control instruction to the motor such that the actuator generates displacement according to the physical model;

determine a spring constant;

generate a second control instruction to the motor so as to generate drive force calculated based on a product of the spring constant and the displacement generated in the actuator; and

select and validate one of the control instructions of the first control instruction and the second control instruction.

2. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to validate the second control instruction when a predetermined switching condition is satisfied while the first control instruction is validated.

3. The drive system according to claim 2 , wherein the switching condition is based on an elapsed time after the external load is applied to the actuator.

4. The drive system according to claim 2 , wherein the switching condition is based on the displacement generated in the actuator.

5. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein

the first control instruction comprises a position instruction for designating a target position of the motor, and

the second control instruction comprises a torque instruction for designating torque to be generated by the motor.

6. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to create the physical model when a predetermined load is applied to the actuator from an outside.

7. The drive system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set the spring constant for each control period.

8. A control method for an actuator that is driven by a motor to generate displacement, the actuator being arranged to support a plate on which a workpiece is to be disposed, the control method comprising:

creating a physical model based on displacement generated by application of an external load to the actuator, the application of the external load including an action of disposing the workpiece on the plate;

determining a spring constant;

controlling the motor such that the actuator generates displacement according to the physical model; and

switching control of the motor so as to generate drive force calculated based on a product of the spring constant and the displacement generated in the actuator when a predetermined switching condition is satisfied while the motor is controlled such that the actuator generates the displacement according to the physical model.

9. A non-transitory storage medium encoded with a computer-readable control program for controlling an actuator that is driven by a motor to generate displacement, the actuator being arranged to support a plate on which a workpiece is to be disposed, the control program causing one or more processors to perform:

creating a physical model based on displacement generated by application of an external load to the actuator, the application of the external load including an action of disposing the workpiece on the plate;

determining a spring constant;

controlling the motor such that the actuator generates displacement according to the physical model; and

switching control of the motor so as to generate drive force calculated based on a product of the spring constant and the displacement generated in the actuator when a predetermined switching condition is satisfied while the motor is controlled such that the actuator generates the displacement according to the physical model.

10. The control method according to claim 8 , wherein the switching condition is based on an elapsed time after the external load is applied to the actuator.

11. The control method according to claim 8 , wherein the switching condition is based on the displacement generated in the actuator.

12. The control method according to claim 8 , wherein

the controlling comprises outputting a position instruction for designating a target position of the motor, as a control instruction, and

the switching comprises outputting a torque instruction for designating torque to be generated by the motor, as a control instruction.

13. The control method according to claim 8 , wherein the creating comprising creating the physical model when a predetermined load is applied to the actuator from an outside.

14. The control method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

setting the spring constant for each control period.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 ,

wherein the switching condition is based on an elapsed time after the external load is applied to the actuator.

16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the switching condition is based on the displacement generated in the actuator.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein

the controlling comprises outputting a position instruction for designating a target position of the motor, as a control instruction, and

the switching comprises outputting a torque instruction for designating torque to be generated by the motor, as a control instruction.

18. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , wherein the creating comprising creating the physical model when a predetermined load is applied to the actuator from an outside.

19. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 9 , further comprising:

setting the spring constant for each control period.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2023
From: OGAWA, ATSUSHI; INAME, YUKIO; EMMEY, TEJA
To: OMRON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064703/0587 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-004649 · Jan 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240058958A1 · Feb 22, 2024
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