Transmission device, transmission system, and robot

{
  "publication_number": "US10666282B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Transmission device, transmission system, and robot",
  "abstract": "There is provided a transmission device configured to serialize data of a change amount that is based on a signal acquired from a sensor, and transmit the data by simplex communication.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A transmission device comprising: one or more sensors, wherein at least a first sensor of the one or more sensors produces an analog signal output; an analog-to-digital conversion circuit configured to convert the analog signal from the first sensor into a digital signal, wherein a change amount of the analog signal is converted by the analog-to-digital conversion circuit into the digital signal; and a serializer configured to serialize the digital signal representing the change amount that is based on the analog signal acquired from the first sensor, and transmit the data by simplex communication.",
    "2. The transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the analog-to-digital conversion circuit is a delta sigma type analog-to-digital converter.",
    "3. The transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the serializer is further configured to serialize data of a change amount from a second sensor and transmit the serialized data by simplex communication, wherein the second sensor outputs a digital signal.",
    "4. The transmission device according to claim 3, wherein the second sensor includes an incremental encoder.",
    "5. The transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the simplex communication is wired communication.",
    "6. A transmission system comprising: a transmission device configured to serialize data of a change amount that is based on a signal acquired from a sensor, and transmit the data by simplex communication; and a receiving device configured to receive data transmitted by the simplex communication, and deserialize the data.",
    "7. The transmission system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor and the transmission device are provided in a robot including a robot arm having one end connected to a main body and another end that is made movable, on the other end side of the robot arm, and the receiving device is not provided on the robot arm.",
    "8. A robot comprising: a robot arm having one end connected to a main body, another end that is made movable, and a sensor provided on the other end side; a transmission device that is provided on the other end side of the robot arm, and configured to serialize data of a change amount that is based on a signal acquired from the sensor, and transmit the data by simplex communication; and a receiving device configured to receive data transmitted by the simplex communication, and deserialize the data.",
    "9. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the receiving device is provided in an accommodation member connected to the main body, and accommodating a driver configured to drive the robot.",
    "10. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the receiving device is provided on a base supporting the main body."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a transmission device, a transmission system, and a robot.\n\nFor example, there is developed a technology for achieving wire saving in a parallel link stage including a parallel link mechanism that is used in a robot or the like. As a technology for achieving the above-described wire saving by using serial communication, for example, there is a technology described in Patent Literature 1 described below.\n\nPatent Literature 1: JP 2010-82784A\n\nFor example, in the technology described in Patent Literature 1, a serial bus such as EtherCAT (registered trademark) is used. Nevertheless, in the case of transmitting data that is based on a signal acquired from a sensor, using the above-described serial bus, the following shortcomings can be generated.\n\nA delay time in the transmission of data is large\n\nAs the number of sensors increases, a delay time increases\n\nTemporal synchronization processing is required between a transmission device and a receiving device that are related to the transmission that uses a serial bus\n\nBecause packet communication is performed, delay is caused by processing related to the packet communication, and hardware cost and software cost increase\n\nIn addition, in a case where a signal acquired from a sensor is an analog signal, in a transmission device related to the transmission that uses a serial bus, analog-to-digital conversion of the analog signal is performed, and the transmission of the data is performed. In addition, in a receiving device related to the transmission that uses a serial bus, received data is assumed to be subjected to digital-to-analog conversion.",
  "cpc": [
    "H03M 1/20",
    "B25J 19/00",
    "G06F 13/4282",
    "H03M 9/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 19/00",
    "G06F 13/42",
    "H03M 1/20",
    "H03M 9/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sony Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hiromasa Masuda",
    "Naoki Komine",
    "Hirokazu YASUDA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-05-16",
  "publication_date": "2020-05-26",
  "grant_date": "2020-05-26",
  "priority_date": "2016-07-11",
  "application_number": "US-201716307295-A",
  "family_id": "60953024",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US5185736A",
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    "JPH06250715A",
    "JPH0966490A",
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    "JP2008126328A",
    "JP2008128861A",
    "US9525908B2",
    "JP2010082784A",
    "US9949639B2",
    "JP2012088281A",
    "US8964862B2",
    "US20140341584A1",
    "JP2015089577A"
  ]
}