Granted Patent B2

US 12,569,939 · App. 17/812,560 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Inventors: Yasunori Chiba (Yokohama, JP); Hiromasa Takahashi (Minato, JP); Masahiro Saito (Yokohama, JP)

Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

B23K31/125B25J9/163B25J9/1664B25J9/1679B25J9/1684

Abstract

Claims (90)

1 . A processing system,

the processing system teaching an operation to a robot,

the robot including:

a 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 manipulator to which the detector is mounted,

the processing system teaching the operation to the robot by performing position teaching processing,

the position teaching processing including:

causing the detector to perform a probe of a weld portion of a joined body, the probe 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 based on first intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe, the first plane being along the first and second directions;

setting a teaching point of the robot based on a first position of the detector in the first plane when a distance between the center position and the first position is not more than a first threshold; and

when the distance is greater than the first threshold, moving the detector along the first plane to a second position to reduce the distance after moving the detector away from the weld portion, and setting the teaching point based on the second position, the distance between the center position and the second position being shorter than the distance between the center position and the first position,

the processing system performing inspection processing after the position teaching processing,

in the inspection processing, a plurality of other joined bodies of the same type as the joined body being inspected using the teaching point,

the processing system performing orientation teaching processing after the position teaching processing,

the orientation teaching processing including:

causing the detector to perform the probe of the weld portion;

calculating a tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in a first orientation based on second intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe;

setting the teaching point based on the first orientation when the tilt is not more than a second threshold; and

when the tilt is greater than the second threshold, moving the detector to a second orientation to reduce the tilt, and setting the teaching point based on the second orientation, the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the second orientation being less than the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the first orientation.

2 . The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

the position teaching processing includes:

causing the detector to detect the reflected wave in a state in which the detector contacts the joined body via a liquid; and

when setting the teaching point, causing the detector to approach the weld portion along a third direction perpendicular to the first plane, and setting the teaching point based on a position in the third direction after approaching one of the first position or the second position.

3 . The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein, in the inspection processing,

a position of the detector is set to a position of the teaching point,

the detector is caused to perform the probe of a weld portion of one of the plurality of joined body, and

the weld portion is inspected based on third intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe.

4 . The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

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

5 . A robot system, comprising:

the processing system according to claim 1 ; and

the robot.

6 . The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein

when the position teaching processing is performed, the manipulator is moved to a position adjacent to the weld portion, and then the detector is caused to perform the probe.

7 . A control device, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to:

cause a robot to perform a probe of a weld portion of a joined body, the probe including a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave, a result of the probe including first intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave, the robot including a detector and a manipulator, the detector being mounted to the manipulator;

set a teaching point of the robot based on a first position of the detector when a distance in a first plane between a center position of the weld portion and the first position is not more than a first threshold, the first plane being along two-dimensional arrangement directions of a plurality of detection elements included in the detector;

when the distance is greater than the first threshold, move the detector along the first plane to a second position after moving the detector away from the weld portion, and set the teaching point based on the second position, the distance between the center position and the second position being shorter than the distance between the center position and the first position;

perform an inspection processing after setting the teaching point, in the inspection processing, a plurality of other joined bodies of the same type as the joined body is inspected using the teaching point; and

perform orientation teaching processing after the position teaching processing, the orientation teaching processing including:

causing the detector to perform the probe of the weld portion;

calculating a tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in a first orientation based on second intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe;

setting the teaching point based on the first orientation when the tilt is not more than a second threshold; and

when the tilt is greater than the second threshold, moving the detector to a second orientation to reduce the tilt, and setting the teaching point based on the second orientation, the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the second orientation being less than the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the first orientation.

8 . The control device according to claim 7 , wherein

before setting the teaching point, the processing circuitry is further configured to move the manipulator to a first position.

9 . A teaching method,

the teaching method teaching an operation to a robot,

the robot including

a 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 manipulator to which the detector is mounted,

the teaching method comprising teaching the operation to the robot by a position teaching,

the position teaching including:

causing the detector to perform a probe of a weld portion of a joined body, the probe 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 based on first intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe, the first plane being along the first and second directions;

setting a teaching point of the robot based on a first position of the detector in the first plane when a distance between the center position and the first position is not more than a first threshold; and

when the distance is greater than the first threshold, moving the detector along the first plane to a second position to reduce the distance after moving the detector away from the weld portion, and setting the teaching point based on the second position, the distance between the center position and the second position being shorter than the distance between the center position and the first position,

the teaching method further comprising inspection processing after the position teaching processing,

in the inspection processing, a plurality of other joined bodies of the same type as the joined body being inspected using the teaching point,

the teaching method further comprising orientation teaching processing after the position teaching,

the orientation teaching processing including:

causing the detector to perform the probe of the weld portion;

calculating a tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in a first orientation based on second intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe;

setting the teaching point based on the first orientation when the tilt is not more than a second threshold; and

when the tilt is greater than the second threshold, moving the detector to a second orientation to reduce the tilt, and setting the teaching point based on the second orientation, the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the second orientation being less than the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the first orientation.

10 . The teaching method according to claim 9 , wherein

the position teaching includes:

causing the detector to detect the reflected wave in a state in which the detector contacts the weld portion via a liquid; and

when setting the teaching point, causing the detector to approach the weld portion along a third direction perpendicular to the first plane, and setting the teaching point based on a position in the third direction after approaching one of the first position or the second position.

11 . The teaching method according to claim 9 , wherein

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

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

the program causing a computer to execute the teaching method according to claim 9 .

13 . The teaching method according to claim 9 , wherein

when the position teaching processing is performed, the manipulator is moved to a position adjacent to the weld portion, and then the detector is caused to perform the probe.

14 . A teaching method, comprising:

causing a robot to perform a probe of a weld portion of a joined body, the probe including a transmission of an ultrasonic wave and a detection of a reflected wave, a result of the probe including first intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave, the robot including a detector and a manipulator, the detector being mounted to the manipulator;

setting a teaching point of the robot based on a first position of the detector when a distance in a first plane between a center position of the weld portion and the first position is not more than a first threshold, the first plane being along two-dimensional arrangement directions of a plurality of detection elements included in the detector, the center position being calculated from a result of the probe; and

when the distance is greater than the first threshold, moving the detector along the first plane to a second position to reduce the distance after moving the detector away from the weld portion, and setting the teaching point based on the second position, the distance between the center position and the second position being shorter than the distance between the center position and the first position,

the teaching method further comprising an inspection processing after setting the teaching point,

in the inspection processing, a plurality of other joined bodies of the same type as the joined body is inspected,

the teaching method further comprising orientation teaching processing,

the orientation teaching processing including:

causing the detector to perform the probe of the weld portion;

calculating a tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in a first orientation based on second intensity data of an intensity of the reflected wave obtained by the probe;

setting the teaching point based on the first orientation when the tilt is not more than a second threshold; and

when the tilt is greater than the second threshold, moving the detector to a second orientation to reduce the tilt, and setting the teaching point based on the second orientation, the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the second orientation being less than the tilt with respect to the weld portion of the detector in the first orientation.

15 . The teaching method according to claim 14 , wherein

before setting the teaching point, the manipulator is moved to a first position.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (28)