Numerical control device and numerical control method

{
  "publication_number": "US12287622B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Numerical control device and numerical control method",
  "abstract": "A numerical control device includes a control computation unit that controls a machine tool and a robot by using an NC program defined in a first coordinate system, the control computation unit includes a storage unit that stores the NC program including a first command, which is a command for the machine tool described in a first programming language, and a second command, which is a command for the robot described in the first programming language, and a program converting unit that converts the second command into a third command, which is a robot program used for controlling the robot, and the control computation unit controls the machine tool by using the first command and controls the robot by using the third command.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A numerical control device comprising: control computation circuitry configured to control a machine tool and a robot by using a numerical control program defined in a first coordinate system, wherein the control computation circuitry includes: a memory configured to store the numerical control program, the numerical control program including a first command and a second command, the first command being a command for the machine tool described in a first programming language, and the second command being a command for the robot described in the first programming language; and conversion circuitry configured to convert the second command into a third command, the conversion of the second command into the third command occurring during execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot, and the third command being a robot program used for controlling the robot, the control computation circuitry is configured to control the machine tool by using the first command and control the robot by using the third command, and both the second command for the robot and the first command for the machine tool are included in the same numerical control program.",
    "2. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the first command and the second command in the numerical control program are defined in the first coordinate system, the third command is defined in a second coordinate system and is described in a second programming language, and the conversion circuitry is configured to convert the second command into the third command during the execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot on the basis of an association between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system.",
    "3. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the numerical control program includes an instruction to synchronize the machine tool and the robot, the control computation circuitry further includes: first waiting circuitry configured to keep operation of the machine tool on standby until an operation of the robot associated with a first standby command is completed when the first standby command to wait for the operation of the robot is present in the first command during execution of the first command, and second waiting circuitry configured to keep operation of the robot on standby until operation an of the machine tool associated with a second standby command is completed when the second standby command to wait for the operation of the machine tool is present in the second command during execution of the second command.",
    "4. The numerical control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a display to display an editing screen for editing of the numerical control program and a state display screen displaying a state of the robot.",
    "5. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein upon receiving an instruction for an override of an operation of the robot, the control computation circuitry is configured to multiply the operation of the robot by an override factor.",
    "6. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the control computation circuitry is configured to send the third command to a robot controller during the execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot, and the robot controller controls the robot.",
    "7. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the second command for the robot immediately follows the first command for the machine tool in the numerical control program.",
    "8. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the second command for the robot immediately precedes the first command for the machine tool in the numerical control program.",
    "9. The numerical control device according to claim 1, wherein the first command for the machine tool constitutes a first system, the second command for the robot constitutes a second system, and the first system and the second system are included in the same numerical control program.",
    "10. A numerical control device comprising: control computation circuitry configured to control a machine tool and a robot by using a numerical control program defined in a first coordinate system, wherein the control computation circuitry includes: a memory configured to store the numerical control program, the numerical control program including a first command and a second command, the first command being a command for the machine tool described in a first programming language, and the second command being a command for the robot described in the first programming language; and accessing circuitry configured to access a robot interface upon receiving the second command, the accessing the robot interface occurring during execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot, the robot interface sending a command to the robot, the control computation circuitry is configured to control the machine tool on the basis of the first command and control the robot by accessing the robot interface by the accessing circuitry, and both the second command for the robot and the first command for the machine tool are included in the same numerical control program.",
    "11. The numerical control device according to claim 10, wherein upon being accessed with a function and command coordinates defined in a second coordinate system, the robot interface performs a process associated with the function and the command coordinates on the robot, and the accessing circuitry is configured to access the robot interface during the execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot with a function and command coordinates associated with the second command on the basis of an association between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system.",
    "12. The numerical control device according to claim 10, wherein the numerical control program includes an instruction to synchronize the machine tool and the robot, the control computation circuitry further includes: first waiting circuitry configured to keep operation of the machine tool on standby until an operation of the robot associated with a first standby command is completed when the first standby command to wait for the operation of the robot is present in the first command during execution of the first command, and second waiting circuitry configured to keep operation of the robot on standby until operation an of the machine tool associated with a second standby command is completed when the second standby command to wait for the operation of the machine tool is present in the second command during execution of the second command.",
    "13. The numerical control device according to claim 10, further comprising: a display to display an editing screen for editing of the numerical control program and a state display screen displaying a state of the robot.",
    "14. The numerical control device according to claim 10, wherein upon receiving an instruction for an override of an operation of the robot, the control computation circuitry is configured to multiply the operation of the robot by an override factor.",
    "15. A numerical control method comprising: controlling a machine tool and a robot by using a numerical control program defined in a first coordinate system, wherein the controlling includes: storing the numerical control program, the numerical control program including a first command and a second command, the first command being a command for the machine tool described in a first programming language, and the second command being a command for the robot described in the first programming language; converting the second command into a third command, the conversion of the second command into the third command occurring during execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot, the third command being a robot program used for controlling the robot; controlling the machine tool by using the first command; and controlling the robot by using the third command, and both the second command for the robot and the first command for the machine tool are included in the same numerical control program.",
    "16. The numerical control method according to claim 15, wherein the controlling includes sending the third command to a robot controller during the execution of the numerical control program to control the machine tool and the robot, and the robot controller controls the robot."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a numerical control device and a numerical control method for controlling a robot and a machine tool.\n\nOne example of numerical control devices is a control device that performs control of a machine tool for machining an object to be machined concurrently with control of a robot for conveying the object to be machined.\n\nA control device described in Patent Literature 1 controls a machine tool and a robot concurrently by executing numerical control programs created in advance for controlling the machine tool and robot programs created in advance for controlling the robot.\n\nWith the technology of Patent Literature 1, different programming languages are used for the numerical control programs and the robot programs; therefore, the robot cannot be controlled using the numerical control programs. Thus, for controlling the robot, robot programs for controlling the robot need to be created in addition to the numerical control programs.\n\nThe present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a numerical control device capable of controlling a robot by using numerical control programs.\n\nTo solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the object, a numerical control device according to the present invention includes a control computation unit that controls a machine tool and a robot by using a numerical control program defined in a first coordinate system.",
  "cpc": [
    "G05B 19/41825",
    "B25J 9/1658",
    "G05B 19/408",
    "G05B 19/4093",
    "G05B 19/41835",
    "G05B 2219/36242",
    "Y02P 90/02"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G05B 19/418"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Mitsubishi Electric Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Masakazu Sagasaki",
    "Kensuke Baba",
    "Takashi SUEDA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-01-09",
  "publication_date": "2025-04-29",
  "grant_date": "2025-04-29",
  "priority_date": "2019-01-09",
  "application_number": "US-201917417766-A",
  "family_id": "69568126",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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}