Remote access to chemical dispense system

• US 20040015269A1
• Filed: 07/02/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Jun, Weber, Bruce W., Bailey, Clyde A., Zoll, James M., Jungmann, Ronald D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/283
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/20 Measuring; Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/21112 Volumetric flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2211 Amount of delivered fluid during a period
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/8311 with means for controlling the motor driving the pumps or the other dispensing mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/833 Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A system for controlling and monitoring operations of a chemical dispense system from a remote location is disclosed. The chemical dispense system includes a formulator for preparing a chemical product using one or more component chemical concentrates. The chemical dispense system also includes an allocator for managing the distribution of formulated chemical products to a point-of-use such that the formulated products are distributed to the point-of-use by a specified plan or sequence. The allocator may also be used to manage the formulation of chemical products such that the chemical products are formulated based on a plan or sequence. The chemical dispense system includes a communications system that enables system operators to control and monitor allocation and/or formulation operations from a remote location. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling operations of the chemical dispense system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring formulation of a chemical product, the chemical product being formulated as a plurality of component chemical concentrates are dispensed to a dispense location through a dispense hose, wherein the method comprises:

sensing the component chemical concentrates flowing through the dispense hose to measure volumetric information associated with each component chemical concentrate; and

logging the volumetric information in records such that proof of delivery of a weight percent of each component chemical concentrate to the dispense location is recorded.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing the volumetric information logged in the records to generate account data associated with each component chemical concentrate.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the account data relates to financial information associated with a balance due on the weight percent of each component chemical concentrate dispensed to the dispense location.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

uploading the account data to a corporate server accessible to an authorized user over a network connection.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising an act of:

analyzing the volumetric information logged in the records to generate chemical data associated with each component chemical concentrate.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the chemical data represents a determination on whether a current weight percent of a specific component chemical dispensed to the dispense location is sufficient to form the chemical product such that the chemical product is formed with a predetermined weight percent of the specific component chemical concentrate.

7. A method for enabling a user to control and monitor operations of a chemical dispense system from a remote location, the method comprising:

receiving at a network server an instruction file specifying a task for the chemical dispense system to perform;

storing the instruction file in a queue on the network server for a predetermined period in time; and

transferring the instruction file to the chemical dispense system, wherein the instruction file is loaded into a human-machine interface for use by a controller in performing the specified task.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the instruction file requests formulation of a specific chemical product using a specified plurality of component chemical concentrates.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the instruction file requests distribution of a plurality of formulated chemical products in a specified sequence.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving at the network server a data file generated by the human-machine interface with data gathered by the controller during formulation of a specific chemical product.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data file specifies a volume of the specific chemical product formulated over a given period in time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

creating an invoice statement that lists a balance due on the specific chemical product based on the volume formulated over the given period in time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

submitting the invoice statement to a customer associated with the chemical dispense system on a periodic cycle measured by the given period of time.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the data file specifies a volume of at least one component chemical concentrate used by the chemical dispense system to formulate one or more chemical products over a given period in time.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

creating an invoice statement that lists a balance due on the at least one component chemical concentrate based on the volume used by the chemical dispense system over the given period in time.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

submitting the invoice statement to a customer associated with the chemical dispense system on a periodic cycle measured by the given period of time.

17. A method for installing a chemical dispense system having a human-machine interface enabling user interaction with a control system for controlling dispense operations of the chemical dispense system, the method comprising:

connecting the human-machine interface to a network server enabling an exchange of information to and from the human-machine interface; and

downloading device configuration files stored on the network server to the human-machine interface, wherein the device configuration files provide configuration information associated with the chemical dispense system; and

initializing the human-machine interface to await an instruction file specifying a task to be performed by the chemical dispense system such that in response to receipt of the instruction file, the control system is operable to initiate and manage performance of the task.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the chemical dispense system comprises a formulator operable perform the task of preparing a chemical product in response to receipt of the instruction file by the human-machine interface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the downloading act comprises transferring device configuration files for the formulator from the network server to the human-machine interface.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the chemical dispense system comprises an allocator operable to perform the task of distributing a plurality of formulated chemical products to a point-of-use in response to receipt of the instruction file by the human-machine interface.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the downloading act comprises transferring device configuration files for the allocator from the network server to the human-machine interface.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the chemical dispense system comprises a high volume dispenser.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the downloading act comprises transferring device configuration files for the high volume dispenser from the network server to the human-machine interface.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

downloading identification information specific to a customer associated with the chemical dispense system such that the customer is authorized to access the human-machine interface for controlling and monitoring operation of the chemical dispense system.

25. A communications system for enabling a user to control and monitor operations of a chemical dispense system from a remote location, the method comprising:

a network server receiving an instruction file specifying a task for the chemical dispense system to perform and storing the instruction file in a queue for a predetermined period in time; and

a universal communicator transferring the instruction file from the network server to the chemical dispense system such that the instruction file is loaded into a human-machine interface for use by a controller in performing the specified task.

30. The communications system of claim 25, wherein the chemical dispense system comprises an allocator for distributing chemical products to a point-of-use.

31. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the instruction file requests distribution of a plurality of formulated chemical products in a specified sequence.

26. The communications system of claim 26, wherein the chemical dispense system comprises a formulator for preparing a chemical products by combining a plurality of component chemical concentrates at a dispense location.

27. The communications system of claim 26, wherein the human-machine interface generates a data file using data gathered by the controller during formulation of a specific chemical product and the universal communicator transfers the data file from the human-machine interface to the network server.

28. The communications system of claim 27, wherein the data file specifies a volume of the specific chemical product formulated over a given period in time.

29. The communications system of claim 26, wherein instruction file requests formulation of a specific chemical product using a specified plurality of component chemical concentrates.

32. A computer program storage medium readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program for executing a computer process for enabling a user to control and monitor operations of a chemical dispense system from a remote location, the method comprising:

receiving at a network server an instruction file specifying a task for the chemical dispense system to perform;

storing the instruction file in a queue on the network server for a predetermined period in time; and

transferring the instruction file to the chemical dispense system, wherein the instruction file is loaded into a human-machine interface for use by a controller in performing the specified task.

33. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the instruction file requests formulation of a specific chemical product using a specified plurality of component chemical concentrates.

34. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the instruction file requests distribution of a plurality of formulated chemical products in a specified sequence.

35. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the computer process further comprises:

receiving at the network server a data file generated by the human-machine interface with data gathered by the controller during formulation of a specific chemical product.

36. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 35, wherein the data file specifies a volume of the specific chemical product formulated over a given period in time.

37. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 36, wherein the computer process further comprises:

creating an invoice statement that lists a balance due on the specific chemical product based on the volume formulated over the given period in time.

38. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 37, wherein the computer process further comprises:

submitting the invoice statement to a customer associated with the chemical dispense system on a periodic cycle measured by the given period of time.

39. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 35, wherein the data file specifies a volume of at least one component chemical concentrate used by the chemical dispense system to formulate one or more chemical products over a given period in time.

40. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 39, wherein the computer process further comprises:

creating an invoice statement that lists a balance due on the at least one component chemical concentrate based on the volume used by the chemical dispense system over the given period in time.

41. A computer program storage medium as defined in claim 40, wherein the computer process further comprises:

submitting the invoice statement to a customer associated with the chemical dispense system on a periodic cycle measured by the given period of time.