US 12,259,714 B2
Cell controller
Masato Ryoki, Aichi (JP); Koji Eba, Aichi (JP); Akihito Kataoka, Aichi (JP); and Takatoshi Asai, Aichi (JP)
Assigned to OKUMA CORPORATION, Niwa-gun (JP)
Filed by OKUMA Corporation, Aichi (JP)
Filed on Nov. 10, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/523,082.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-188984 (JP), filed on Nov. 12, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0147027 A1, May 12, 2022
Int. Cl. G05B 19/418 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/41815 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1653 (2013.01); B25J 9/1682 (2013.01); G05B 2219/31074 (2013.01); G05B 2219/31078 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32252 (2013.01); G05B 2219/32393 (2013.01); G05B 2219/34348 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cell controller for controlling an operation of a machining cell including two or more machines and one or more robots, each of the two or more machines and the one or more robots being regarded as a plurality of work resources,
the cell controller being configured to:
receive a production program recorded with one or more processes to be executed at the time of producing only one article of a corresponding item in the machining cell among items produced in the machining cell; and
control the operation of the machining cell based on the production program,
wherein the production program includes at least one of a process number, a process name, a type of the plurality of work resources to be used, and identification information on a resource program for operating the work resource for each of the one or more processes,
wherein the cell controller comprising:
production management units provided corresponding to the items produced in the machining cell and configured to command loading of a new workpiece into the machining cell to produce an article of the corresponding item;
a plurality of sequence execution units configured to sequentially execute the one or more process recorded in the production program when receiving the command of the loading; and
a plurality of resource arbitration units provided corresponding to the plurality of work resources,
wherein a sequence execution unit, among the plurality of sequence execution units, transmits a command for a work resource, among the plurality of work resources, to a resource arbitration unit corresponding to the work resource, among the plurality of resource arbitration, and
wherein the resource arbitration unit arbitrates timing at which each of the plurality of sequence execution units uses the work resource associated with the resource arbitration unit.