Machine maintenance using a machine controller and a service computer

• US 10,671,037 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Company KG (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Trumpf Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Company KG (Trumpf GmbH + Company KG)
• Inventors: Bauer, Klaus, Bock, Hans-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Poudel, Santosh R
• Application Number:
  US14/803,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20150323920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications

Abstract

A machine controller for controlling a machine includes a data memory configured to store maintenance data for at least one of the machine controller or the machine in an electronically processable manner, an imaging processing unit configured to at least partially read the maintenance data from the data memory and to generate image information relating to a graphical representation that includes a first representation area representing a first section of the maintenance data in a form designed for machine readability. The machine controller includes at least one of: a display unit configured to display the graphical representation based on the image information or a data transmission interface configured to transmit the image information indirectly or directly to a service computer to display or evaluate the graphical representation on the service computer.

Claims

1. A machine controller comprising:

a data memory configured to store maintenance data of at least one of the machine controller or an industrial machine tool, the stored maintenance data being electronically processable, wherein the machine controller is configured to communicate with a numerical control (NC), a memory-programmable control (PLC), or one or more further technical controllers of the industrial machine tool via an internal machine communication bus network of the industrial machine tool;

an imaging processing unit configured to at least partially read out the maintenance data from the data memory and generate image information of a graphical representation that includes a first representation area representing a first section of the maintenance data as a machine readable image that encodes the maintenance data, wherein the machine readable image is graphically hidden from human view within a second section of the maintenance data that includes user-readable information;

a display unit configured to display the graphical representation based on the image information on a screen; and

a data transmission interface configured to transmit the image information by transmitting a copy of the graphic representation displayed on the screen via a transmission protocol configured to exclusively transmit the image information from the machine controller,

wherein the machine controller is in electronic communication with, but separate from, the industrial machine tool and the industrial machine tool is configured to perform manipulations of one or more work pieces.

2. The machine controller of claim 1, wherein the first section of the maintenance data and the second section of the maintenance data at least partially include a same portion of the maintenance data.

3. The machine controller of claim 1, wherein the first section of the maintenance data and the second section of the maintenance data at least partially overlap in the graphical representation.

4. The machine controller of claim 1, wherein the imaging processing unit is configured to generate the image information of the graphical representation using a least significant bit steganography process.

5. The machine controller of claim 4, wherein the least significant bit steganography process comprises representing the first section of the maintenance data within least significant bits of color values associated with the second section of the maintenance data.

6. The machine controller of claim 1, wherein the transmission protocol comprises a remote desktop protocol (RDP).

7. A machine controller maintenance system comprising:

at least one machine controller for controlling a machine, the machine controller configured to communicate with a numerical control (NC), a memory-programmable control (PLC), or one or more further technical controllers of the machine via an internal machine communication bus network of the machine, the machine controller comprising;

a data memory configured to store maintenance data of at least one of the machine controller or the machine, the stored maintenance data being electronically processable;

an imaging processing unit configured to at least partially read out the maintenance data from the data memory and to generate image information of a graphical representation that includes a first representation area representing a first section of the maintenance data as a machine readable image that encodes the maintenance data;

a display unit configured to display the graphical representation based on the image information on a screen; and

a data transmission interface configured to transmit the image information by transmitting a copy of the graphic representation displayed on the screen via a transmission protocol configured to exclusively transmit the image information from the machine controller;

a service computer coupled to the data transmission interface to receive the image information by receiving the copy of the graphic representation displayed on the screen via the transmission protocol and configured to;

capture the first representation area based on the image information and read out the first section of the maintenance data from the first representation area, and

automatically initiate performance of automatic tests on the machine based on type and location information of the machine contained in the read out first section of the maintenance data; and

a central computer connected between the machine controller and the service computer, the central computer connected to the machine controller via a first communication link and connected to the service computer via a second, different, communication link, the first communication link comprising a wide area network and the second communication link comprising a local data network of a manufacturer of the machine.

8. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the service computer comprises a display unit configured to display the graphical representation of the image information.

9. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the graphical representation comprises a second representation area representing a second section of the maintenance data and including user-readable information in written form.

10. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 9, wherein the service computer is configured to display the second section of the maintenance data.

11. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the image information is transmitted from the machine controller, via the first communication link, to the central computer and from the central computer, via the second communication link, to the service computer.

12. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the transmission protocol comprises a remote desktop protocol (RDP).

13. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the machine is an industrial machine tool that is configured to perform manipulations of one or more work pieces.

14. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 7, wherein the machine readable image that encodes the maintenance data is graphically hidden from human view within a second section of the maintenance data that includes user-readable information.

15. The machine controller maintenance system of claim 14, wherein the imaging processing unit is configured to generate the image information of the graphical representation using a least significant bit steganography process, and

wherein using the least significant bit steganography process comprises representing the first section of the maintenance data within least significant bits of color values associated with the second section of the maintenance data.

16. A method of maintaining a machine controller for controlling a machine, the method comprising:

storing maintenance data of at least one of the machine controller or the machine, the stored maintenance data being electronically processable, wherein the machine controller is configured to communicate with a numerical control (NC), a memory-programmable control (PLC), or one or more further technical controllers of the machine via an internal machine communication bus network of the machine;

generating image information of a graphical representation that includes a first representation area representing a first section of the maintenance data as a machine readable image that encodes the maintenance data, wherein the machine readable image is graphically hidden from human view within a second section of the maintenance data that includes user-readable information;

displaying, by a display unit of the machine controller, the graphical representation based on the image information on a screen to an operator;

transmitting, by the machine controller, a copy of the graphical representation displayed on the screen via a transmission protocol configured to exclusively transmit the image information from the machine controller to a central computer via a first communication link that comprises a wide area network; and

transmitting, by the central computer, the copy of the graphical representation to a service computer via a second, different, communication link that comprises a local data network of a manufacturer of the machine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein displaying the graphic representation comprises at least partially overlapping the first section of the maintenance data and the second section of the maintenance data in the graphical representation.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

capturing, by using the service computer, the first representation area; and

reading out, by using the service computer, the first section of the maintenance data from the first representation area.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

automatically displaying the first section of the maintenance data on a service computer display unit of the service computer.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the machine is an industrial machine tool that is configured to perform manipulations of one or more work pieces.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmission protocol comprises a remote desktop protocol (RDP).

22. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the image information of the graphical representation comprise generating the image information using a least significant bit steganography process.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein using the least significant bit steganography process comprises representing the first section of the maintenance data within least significant bits of color values associated with the second section of the maintenance data.