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.

1 . A method in a robot of providing hardware abstraction for robot control software, the method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of resource drivers for the robot, where the plurality of resource drivers includes resource drivers for which no corresponding hardware is present on the robot; 
 detecting a hardware configuration for the robot;  
 automatically detecting resources that are available on the robot based on the detected hardware configuration;  
 receiving a request from the robot control software to use a type of resource;  
   automatically selecting a resource from the available resources that corresponds to the type of resource requested by the robot control software;    exchanging a first information with the robot control software, where the first information is related to use of the selected resource and is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a robot;    exchanging a second information with a low-level device driver corresponding to the resource, where the second information is related to the use requested by the robot control software, where the second information is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a corresponding device, and where the second information is different than the first information; and    converting between the first information and the second information based on the detected configuration of the robot.    
   
   
       2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , where the first information is linear velocity and the second information is angular velocity.  
   
   
       3 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the method is embodied in an application program interface (API).  
   
   
       4 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 including a security parameter with a method call;    verifying a security ticket when access is requested to a resource; and    controlling access to the resource based on the security ticket.    
   
   
       5 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of resource drivers for the robot, where the plurality of resource drivers includes resource drivers for which no corresponding hardware is present on the robot;    detecting a hardware configuration for the robot;    automatically detecting resources that are available on the robot based on the detected hardware configuration;    receiving a request from the robot control software to use a type of resource;    automatically selecting a resource from the available resources that corresponds to the type of resource requested by the robot control software;    exchanging a first information with the robot control software, where the first information is related to use of the selected resource and is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a robot;    exchanging a second information with a low-level device driver corresponding to the resource, where the second information is related to the use requested by the robot control software, where the second information is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a corresponding device, and where the second information is different than the first information; and    converting between the first information and the second information based on the detected configuration of the robot.    
   
   
       6 . A method in a motion device of providing hardware abstraction for motion control software, the method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of resource drivers for the motion device, where the plurality of resource drivers includes resource drivers for which no corresponding hardware is present on the motion device;    receiving a request from the motion control software to use a type of resource;    automatically selecting a resource from the available resources that corresponds to the type of resource requested by the motion control software;    exchanging a first information with the motion control software, where the first information is related to use of the selected resource and is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a motion device;    exchanging a second information with a low-level device driver corresponding to the resource, where the second information is related to the use requested by the motion control software, where the second information is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a corresponding device, and where the second information is different than the first information; and    converting between the first information and the second information based on the motion device.    
   
   
       7 . The method as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the method is embodied in an application program interface (API).  
   
   
       8 . The method as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the type of resource comprises a motion controller.  
   
   
       9 . The method as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 including a security parameter with a method call; 
 verifying a security ticket when access is requested to a resource; and  
   controlling access to the resource based on the security ticket.    
   
   
       10 . The method as defined in  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 maintaining a reservation count parameter that is updated based on access to a resource; and    controlling access to the resource based on the count.    
   
   
       11 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of resource drivers for the motion device, where the plurality of resource drivers includes resource drivers for which no corresponding hardware is present on the motion device; receiving a request from the motion control software to use a type of resource;    automatically selecting a resource from the available resources that corresponds to the type of resource requested by the motion control software;    exchanging a first information with the motion control software, where the first information is related to use of the selected resource and is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a motion device;    exchanging a second information with a low-level device driver corresponding to the resource, where the second information is related to the use requested by the motion control software, where the second information is provided in a unit of measure that is related to a corresponding device, and where the second information is different than the first information; and    converting between the first information and the second information based on the motion device.