Appeal No. 96-4181
Application 08/139,664
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for process control of robots with a flexible
assembly system (FAS). More particularly, the invention relates to handling of error or defect
information generated during the assembly of workpieces in a flexible assembly system (FAS).
Appellants define flexible assembly on page 1 of the specification as the ability of an automated or
robot system to assemble different parts into different assembled units. For example, at the beginning of
the workday a robot may be configured to place and secure circuit boards into the chassis of personal
computers. After completing a desired quantity of assemblies the robot may be instructed to assemble
components for a paper path in a xerographic copier. Although the materials and tools are different,
the work processes share similarities that can be modeled such that a unified architecture can be
developed to satisfy all types of flexible robot assembly applications.
The independent claim 1 is reproduced as follows:
1. A flexible, workpiece assembly system for automatically performing operations on a plurality of
similar workpieces located on a pallet, comprising:
a workcell for performing operations to modify at least one of said plurality of similar workpieces
present on the pallet;
a cell controller in communication with said workdcell, for controlling the operation of said workcell
in response to a set of preprogrammed requirements;
means, located at said workcell, for detecting a defect in the assembly of the plurality of similar
workpieces and generating an error message indicative of the defect, the error message including a first
signal identifying, by location on the pallet, one of the plurality of workpieces detected as having a defect and
a second signal, associated with said first signal, to indicate a nature of the defect therefor; and
a bus for communicating the error message to said cell controller, so that said cell controller may
initiate an appropriate response.
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Last modified: November 3, 2007