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  Motion control systems and methodsUSPTO Application #: 20060241811Title: Motion control systems and methods Abstract: A method in a robot of providing hardware abstraction for robot control software. A plurality of resource drivers for the robot includes resource drivers for which no corresponding hardware is present on the robot. Resources that are available on the robot are automatically detected based a hardware configuration detected for the robot. A request is received from the robot control software to use a type of resource. A resource that corresponds to the type of resource requested by the robot control software is automatically selected. A first information related to use of the selected resource is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a robot. A second information related to the use requested by the robot control software is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a corresponding device. The method converts between the first information and the second information based on the detected configuration of the robot. (end of abstract) Agent: Michael R. Schacht Schacht Law Office, Inc. - Bellingham, WA, US Inventors: David W. Brown, Jay S. Clark USPTO Applicaton #: 20060241811 - Class: 700245000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Generic Control Systems Or Specific Applications, Specific Application, Apparatus Or Process, Robot Control The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060241811. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/084,673 filed on Mar. 18, 2005, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/316,451 filed on Dec. 10, 2002, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/021,669 filed on Dec. 10, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,236, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/191,981 filed on Nov. 13, 1998, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/656,421 filed on May 30, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,385, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/454,736 filed on May 30, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,897. [0002] This application is also a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/795,777 filed on Feb. 27, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,058, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety and which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/205,627 filed on Dec. 3, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,037, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/067,466 filed on Dec. 4, 1997, and which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/191,981 filed on Nov. 13, 1998, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/656,421 filed on May 30, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,385, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/454,736 filed on May 30, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,897. [0003] This application is also a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/633,633 filed on Aug. 7, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,941,543, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety and which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/191,981 filed on Nov. 13, 1998, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/656,421 filed on May 30, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,385, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/454,736 filed on May 30, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,897. [0004] The contents of all related applications listed above are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0005] The present invention relates to motion control systems and, more particularly, to software platforms that facilitate the creation of motion control software used by motion control systems. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0006] The purpose of a motion control device is to move an object in a desired manner. The basic components of a motion control device are a controller and a mechanical system. The mechanical system translates signals generated by the controller into movement of an object. [0007] While the mechanical system commonly comprises a drive and an electrical motor, a number of other systems, such as hydraulic or vibrational systems, can be used to cause movement of an object based on a control signal. Additionally, it is possible for a motion control device to comprise a plurality of drives and motors to allow multi-axis control of the movement of the object. [0008] The present invention is of particular importance in the context of a mechanical system including at least one drive and electrical motor having a rotating shaft connected in some way to the object to be moved, and that application will be described in detail herein. But the principles of the present invention are generally applicable to any mechanical system that generates movement based on a control signal. The scope of the present invention should thus be determined based on the claims appended hereto and not the following detailed description. [0009] In a mechanical system comprising a controller, a drive, and an electrical motor, the motor is physically connected to the object to be moved such that rotation of the motor shaft is translated into movement of the object. The drive is an electronic power amplifier adapted to provide power to a motor to rotate the motor shaft in a controlled manner. Based on control commands, the controller controls the drive in a predictable manner such that the object is moved in the desired manner. [0010] These basic components are normally placed into a larger system to accomplish a specific task. For example, one controller may operate in conjunction with several drives and motors in a multi-axis system for moving a tool along a predetermined path relative to a workpiece. [0011] Additionally, the basic components described above are often used in conjunction with a host computer or programmable logic controller (PLC). The host computer or PLC allows the use of a high-level programming language to generate control commands that are passed to the controller. Software running on the host computer is thus designed to simplify the task of programming the controller. [0012] Companies that manufacture motion control devices are, traditionally, hardware oriented companies that manufacture software dedicated to the hardware that they manufacture. These software products may be referred to as low level programs. Low level programs usually work directly with the motion control command language specific to a given motion control device. While such low level programs offer the programmer substantially complete control over the hardware, these programs are highly hardware dependent. [0013] In contrast to low-level programs, high-level software programs, referred to sometimes as factory automation applications, allow a factory system designer to develop application programs that combine large numbers of input/output (I/O) devices, including motion control devices, into a complex system used to automate a factory floor environment. These factory automation applications allow any number of I/O devices to be used in a given system, as long as these devices are supported by the high-level program. Custom applications, developed by other software developers, cannot be developed to take advantage of the simple motion control functionality offered by the factory automation program. [0014] Additionally, these programs do not allow the programmer a great degree of control over the each motion control device in the system. Each program developed with a factory automation application must run within the context of that application. [0015] In this overall context, a number of different individuals are involved with creating a motion control system dedicated to performing a particular task. Usually, these individuals have specialized backgrounds that enable them to perform a specific task in the overall process of creating a motion control system. The need thus exists for systems and methods that facilitate collaboration between individuals of disparate, complimentary backgrounds who are cooperating on the development of motion control systems. RELATED ART [0016] A number of software programs currently exist for programming individual motion control devices or for aiding in the development of systems containing a number of motion control devices. [0017] The following is a list of documents disclosing presently commercially available high-level software programs: (a) Software Products For Industrial Automation, iconics 1993; (b) The complete, computer-based automation tool (IGSS), Seven Technologies A/S; (c) OpenBatch Product Brief, PID, Inc.; (d) FIX Product Brochure, Intellution (1994); (e) Paragon TNT Product Brochure, Intec Controls Corp.; (f) WEB 3.0 Product Brochure, Trihedral Engineering Ltd. (1994); and (g) AIMAX-WIN Product Brochure, TA Engineering Co., Inc. The following documents disclose simulation software: (a) ExperTune PID Tuning Software, Gerry Engineering Software; and (b) XANALOG Model NL-SIM Product Brochure, XANALOG. [0018] The following list identifies documents related to low-level programs: (a) Compumotor Digiplan 1993-94 catalog, pages 10-11; (b) Aerotech Motion Control Product Guide, pages 233-34; (c) PMAC Product Catalog, page 43; (d) PC/DSP-Series Motion Controller C Programming Guide, pages 1-3; (e) Oregon Micro Systems Product Guide, page 17; (f) Precision Microcontrol Product Guide. [0019] The Applicants are also aware of a software model referred to as WOSA that has been defined by Microsoft for use in the Windows programming environment. The WOSA model is discussed in the book Inside Windows 95, on pages 348-351. WOSA is also discussed in the paper entitled WOSA Backgrounder: Delivering Enterprise Services to the Windows-based Desktop. The WOSA model isolates application programmers from the complexities of programming to different service providers by providing an API layer that is independent of an underlying hardware or service and an SPI layer that is hardware independent but service dependent. The WOSA model has no relation to motion control devices. [0020] The Applicants are also aware of the common programming practice in which drivers are provided for hardware such as printers or the like; an application program such as a word processor allows a user to select a driver associated with a given printer to allow the application program to print on that given printer. Continue reading... Full patent description for Motion control systems and methods Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Motion control systems and methods patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. 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