IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,544,917
Granted Patent B2
US 12,544,917 · App. 18/027,748 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Device for acquiring positional relationship between robot and working machine, control device, system, method, and computer program

Inventors: Toshiro Watanabe (Yamanashi, JP); Masahiro Morioka (Yamanashi, JP); Kenichiro Abe (Yamanashi, JP); Seigo Kato (Yamanashi, JP); Hiroyuki Uchida (Yamanashi, JP); Zheng Tong (Yamanashi, JP); Masanori Itou (Yamanashi, JP)
Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
B25J9/1628B25J9/1682
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,544,917
App. No.
18/027,748
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device for acquiring a positional relationship between a robot coordinate system set in a robot and a working machine coordinate system set in a working machine installed outside the robot, includes a position data acquisition unit that acquires, when a finger part of the robot is placed in a predetermined position and posture with respect to the working machine, first position data indicating the position and posture of the finger part with respect to the robot coordinate system, and second position data indicating the position and the posture of the finger part with respect to the working machine coordinate system; and a positional relationship acquisition unit that acquires third position data indicating the positional relationship using the first position data and the second position data.

Claims (35)

1 . A device configured to acquire a positional relationship between a robot coordinate system set for a robot and a working machine coordinate system set for a working machine disposed outside the robot, the device comprising a processor configured to:

acquire first position data indicating a position and orientation of a hand-tip portion of the robot relative to the robot coordinate system and second position data indicating a position and orientation of the hand-tip portion relative to the working machine coordinate system, when the hand-tip portion is arranged at a same predetermined position and orientation relative to the working machine for the first position data and the second position data;

acquire the positional relationship based on the first position data and the second position data; and

control the robot and the working machine based on the acquired positional relationship.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the robot so as to bring the hand-tip portion into contact with a contact portion provided at a known position in the working machine coordinate system to arrange the hand-tip portion at the same predetermined position and orientation, the contact portion being provided for representing the same predetermined position and orientation in the working machine coordinate system.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the robot or the working machine includes a contact detection sensor configured to detect that the hand-tip portion is in contact with the contact portion, and wherein the processor executes an operation to arrange the hand-tip portion at the same predetermined position and orientation, based on detection data from the contact detection sensor.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor acquires the second position data based on detection data from a position detection sensor configured to detect the position of the hand-tip portion in the working machine coordinate system.

5 . A device configured to acquire a positional relationship between a robot coordinate system set for a robot and a working machine coordinate system set for a working machine disposed outside the robot, the device comprising a processor configured to:

acquire first position data indicating a position and orientation of a hand-tip portion of the robot relative to the robot coordinate system and second position data indicating a position and orientation of the hand-tip portion relative to the working machine coordinate system, when the hand-tip portion is arranged at a predetermined position and orientation relative to the working machine;

acquire the positional relationship based on the first position data and the second position data; and

control the robot and the working machine based on the acquired positional relationship wherein the working machine includes a movement mechanism, and

wherein a position detection sensor includes a touch probe configured to detect the position of the hand-tip portion in the working machine coordinate system, by being moved by the movement mechanism so as to come into contact with the hand-tip portion arranged at the predetermined position and orientation.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a teaching command for arranging the hand-tip portion at the same predetermined position and orientation.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the teaching command includes a direct teaching command for moving the hand-tip portion in response to external force applied to the robot.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the same predetermined position and orientation are a target position and orientation when the robot performs predetermined work on the working machine.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to acquire, based on the first position data or the second position data acquired before and after a change in relative position of the robot and the working machine occurs, displacement data indicating a difference between the relative position before the change and the relative position after the change.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to correct an operation program for causing the robot or the working machine to execute a predetermined operation at the relative position before the change, using the acquired displacement data.

11 . A device configured to acquire a positional relationship between a robot and a working machine, the device comprising a processor configured to:

acquire the positional relationship based on first position data indicating a position and orientation of a hand-tip portion of the robot relative to the robot and second position data indicating a position and orientation of the hand-tip portion relative to the working machine when the hand-tip portion comes into contact with a contact portion at a same predetermined position and orientation relative to the working machine for the first position data and the second position data; and

control the robot and the working machine based on the acquired positional relationship.

12 . A control device for a robot or a working machine, the control device comprising the device of claim 1 .

13 . A system comprising:

a robot;

a working machine disposed outside the robot; and

the control device of claim 12 .

14 . A method of acquiring a positional relationship between a robot coordinate system set for a robot and a working machine coordinate system set for a working machine disposed outside the robot, the method comprising:

acquiring first position data indicating a position and orientation of a hand-tip portion of the robot relative to the robot coordinate system and second position data indicating a position and orientation of the hand-tip portion relative to the working machine coordinate system, when the hand-tip portion is arranged at a same predetermined position and orientation relative to the working machine for the first position data and the second position data;

acquiring the positional relationship based on the first position data and the second position data acquired; and

controlling the robot and the working machine based on the acquired positional relationship.

15 . A method of acquiring a positional relationship between a robot and a working machine, the method comprising acquiring the positional relationship based on first position data indicating a position and orientation of a hand-tip portion of the robot relative to the robot and second position data indicating a position and orientation of the hand-tip portion relative to the working machine when the hand-tip portion comes into contact with a contact portion at a same predetermined position and orientation relative to the working machine for the first position data and the second position data; and

controlling the robot and the working machine based on the acquired positional relationship.

16 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium configured to store a computer program configured to, in order to acquire a positional relationship between a robot coordinate system set for a robot and a working machine coordinate system set for a working machine disposed outside the robot, cause a processor to:

acquire first position data indicating a position and orientation of a hand-tip portion of the robot relative to the robot coordinate system and second position data indicating a position and orientation of the hand-tip portion relative to the working machine coordinate system, when the hand-tip portion is arranged at a same predetermined position and orientation relative to the working machine for the first position data and the second position data; and

acquire the positional relationship based on the first position data and the second position data, wherein the robot and working machine are controlled based on the acquired positional relationship.

17 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium configured to store a computer program configured to cause a processor to execute the method of claim 15 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: WATANABE, TOSHIRO; MORIOKA, MASAHIRO; ABE, KENICHIRO; KATO, SEIGO; UCHIDA, HIROYUKI; TONG, ZHENG; ITOU, MASANORI
To: FANUC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064030/0899 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-165446 · Sep 30, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230373083A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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