US 11,926,059 B2
Method and system for automatically securing the operation of a robot system controlled by a mobile operating device
Volker Schmirgel, Augsburg (DE); and Florian Laquai, Friedberg (DE)
Assigned to KUKA Deutschland GmbH, Augsburg (DE)
Appl. No. 17/616,806
Filed by KUKA Deutschland GmbH, Augsburg (DE)
PCT Filed May 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/064701
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 6, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/244997, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 208 314.5 (DE), filed on Jun. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0305659 A1, Sep. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); G05B 19/409 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1674 (2013.01) [B25J 13/08 (2013.01); G05B 19/409 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for automatically securing an operation of a robot system, wherein the operation is controlled by a mobile operating device, the method comprising:
periodically receiving presence signals by the robot system via a short-range first signal connection, the signals being transmitted to the robot system by the mobile operating device configured for operation of the robot system;
transmitting a configuration signal derived from the result of a presence check to the mobile operating device for requesting a configuration of a user interface of the mobile operating device, the user interface being provided for operating the robot system on the basis of the result of the presence check;
receiving an operating signal transmitted to the robot system by the mobile operating device via a second signal connection designed to be independent of the first signal connection, the operating signal containing a control command identified as safety-relevant according to a specified safety criterion for the robot system;
releasing the safety-relevant control command for execution by the robot system only when the presence check has ascertained that the last received presence signal satisfies a presence criterion which is specified with respect to the determination of a spatial proximity of the mobile operating device to the robot system;
subjecting each operating signal received via the second signal connection and containing a control command to a safety check prior to releasing the control command for execution thereof, wherein the safety check determines whether the control command is safety-relevant to a specified safety criterion; and
releasing the respective control command for execution by the robot system without, or independently of, a previous performance of the presence check or a result thereof only when the result of the safety check determines that the control command is not safety-relevant to the specified safety criterion.