Device and method to configure same

• US 20070013326A1
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Johansson, Gunnar, Kling, Soren
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/66
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/108 characterised by physical layout of switches; switches co-operating with display; use of switches in a special way
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36121 Tree oriented menu, go to root, scroll up down, select mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 1/04 Means for controlling progress of starting sequence in dependence upon time or upon current, speed, or other motor parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 1/26 for starting an individual polyphase induction motor

Abstract

A motor controller for controlling an electric motor including a soft starter and a human-machine interface for control and configuration of the soft starter. The soft starter includes a visual display and a selector associated with the visual display. A method to configure a motor controller for controlling an electric motor, including a soft starter and a human-machine interface for control and configuration of the soft starter. A computer program and graphic user interface for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A motor controller for controlling an electric motor including a soft starter and a human-machine interface for control and configuration of the soft starter, said soft starter comprising a visual display and selection means associated with the visual display, characterised in that said human-machine interface comprising:

means for presenting visually one or more functions of the soft starter, and

selection means comprising means for selecting the one or more functions so displayed and/or navigating to another function or menu option according to the relative position on the visual display of the functions and/or menu options so displayed.

2. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein the selection means comprise means for selecting a setting or an option from one of two vertical positions and/or one of two horizontal positions relative to position in a display.

3. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein the selection means comprise means for selecting either from an option in a position on the left of two horizontal positions of the display or a position on the right in the display.

4. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein the selection means comprise means for selecting either from an option in a position in the upper part of two vertical positions in the display or a position in the lower part of two positions in a display.

5. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller may provide control and soft start functions to a plurality of electric motors.

6. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller may provide control and soft start functions to an AC electric motor running on one or more phases.

7. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller may provide control and soft start functions to an AC electric motor running at either of two selectable frequencies.

8. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises connections for an external by pass contactor.

9. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises one or more data ports capable of serial data transmission.

10. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises one or more connections for a field bus.

11. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises one or more memory means for processing data.

12. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises one or more memory means for storing data from configuration and/or data from measurements and operations.

13. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises a built-in by pass contactor.

14. The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein said motor controller comprises one or more connections for a data network compatible with an Ethernet standard.

27. Use of a motor controller according to claim 1, to configure and/or operate an electric motor to drive any application from the list of:

Centrifugal Pump, Hydraulic Pump, Centrifugal Fan, Axial Fan, Compressor, Conveyor, Crusher, Mixer, Bow Thruster.

28. Use of a motor controller according to claim 1, to configure and/or operate an electric motor controlled by the motor controller.

29. Use of a motor controller according to claim 1, to configure and/or operate an electric motor by means of a process running on one or more computers to supervise a function of a device arranged driven by at least one electric motor controlled by the motor controller.

30. A computer program comprising computer code means and/or software code portions for making a computer or processor perform any of the steps of claim 14.

31. The computer program product according to claim 30 comprised in one or more computer readable media.

34. A graphical user interface of a computerised device for displaying configuration functions, menu options and parameter settings for a motor controller for control and soft starting, soft stopping of one or more electric motors according to claim 1.

35. The graphical user interface according to claim 34, further comprising a representation of the visual display of the motor controller and the selection means of the controller in a graphical user interface on a computer display screen of a computing device.

36. The graphical user interface according to claim 34, wherein the computing device may be a portable computing device comprising any from the list of:

IR or Bluetooth equipped computer, mobile phone or PDA or other mobile computing device.

37. The graphical user interface according to claim 34, wherein the configuration data values displayed are arranged to be displayed upon activation of a part of the graphical representation of the visual display or selection means of the motor controller using a computer mouse, touch screen, stylus, keypad, keyboard or other computer display selection means.

15. A method to configure a motor controller for controlling an electric motor, including a soft starter and a human-machine interface for control and configuration of the soft starter, the method comprising:

presenting one or more functions of said soft starter and one or more menu options on a visual display of said soft starter,

selecting one of the one or more functions of said soft starter by activating a selection means of a plurality of selection means associated with the visual display, which selection means being the only one of the plurality that corresponds to the position of the function on the visual display.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting a function or operation by activating either the left or right activation means.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting a menu function or operation by activating either the left or right activation means.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting a function or operation by activating either the up or down navigation selection means.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

selecting an increased or decreased value by activating either the up or down navigation selection means.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

selecting a menu function or operation by activating either the up or down navigation selection means.

21. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting one of the one or more menu options on a visual display of said soft starter, by means of operating one of a plurality of selection means associated with the visual display, which selection means being the only one of the plurality that corresponds to the position of the menu option on the visual display.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting a value for a function of the soft starter via the visual display of said soft starter by means of operating one of a plurality of selection means associated with the visual display, which selection means being the only one of the plurality that corresponds to the position of the function value on the visual display or to a means to increase, decrease the function value.

23. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting an option by means of selecting a representation of a left selection button or a right selection button on a computer display screen of a computing device connected to the motor controller via a data port or field bus connection of the motor controller.

24. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting an option by means of selecting a representation of a upper selection button or a lower selection button on a computer display screen of a computing device connected to the motor controller via a data port or field bus connection of the motor controller.

25. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting an option by means of selecting one or more representations of a selection buttons on a computer display screen of a computing device connected to the motor controller in part via a wireless connection.

26. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

sending a data transmission using wireless communication means configured to operate according to a standard compatible issued by the Bluetooth Group.

32. A computer data signal for configuration of a motor controller, arranged to provide control and soft starting, running and soft stopping to one or more electric motors, embodied in a carrier wave, in that the signal comprises one or more configured functions and/or values for configuration data for said motor controller.

33. The computer data signal according to claim 32, wherein said computer data signal is communicated by a short range wireless means according to a standard such as any of:

Bluetooth, WLAN or similar.