Error display system

• US 20070126720A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masayuki, Nagata, Noriyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/961 Operator interface with visual structure or function dictated by intended use

Abstract

Upon detection of an error such as a malfunction occurring at a drive mechanism, a sensor transmits an error signal to a control section. The control section selects character information about details of the error corresponding to the error signal and an image representing the drive mechanism where the error occurs and a position of the sensor in the drive mechanism, and reads out the character information and the image from a storage part. Then, the control section allows a liquid crystal display device to display error information in which a first image of character information is combined with a second image of an error occurrence site in the drive mechanism. After correction of the error, an operator touches a GUI on a screen to thereby check an operation of the drive mechanism.

Claims

1. An error display system for displaying an error including an abnormality and a malfunction occurring at a drive mechanism, comprising:

display means for displaying information including an actuation status of the drive mechanism;

detection means for detecting an error occurring at the drive mechanism, and transmitting a result of the detection in form of a detection signal;

storage means for correlating details of an error occurring at the drive mechanism with details of the error detected by the detection means and image data of a drive mechanism where an error occurs, and storing the correlated details and image data as error information;

error information selection means for selecting error information corresponding to the detection signal transmitted from the detection means, reading out the error information from the storage means, and allowing the display means to display an image based on details of an error and image data each contained in the error information; and

actuation status check means for allowing the display means to display a status whether or not the error occurrence site displayed by the error information selection means is actuated normally.

2. The error display system according to claim 1, wherein

the image data stored in the storage means includes first image data indicating a position of the detection means on an image representing a configuration of the drive mechanism, and second image data for highlight giving a warning of occurrence of an error while containing character information about the detection means detecting the error and character information of an error occurrence site detected by the detection means,

the error display system further comprising:

image data creation means for utilizing the error information selected by the error selection means to create paired image data in such a manner that a second image outputted and displayed based on the second image data is superimposed on a first image outputted and displayed based on the first image data; and

switch means for switching an image to be displayed on the display means from the second image as an upper layer to the first image as a lower layer when the display means displays an image based on the image data created by the image data creation means, wherein

when the actuation status check means is manipulated in a state that the switch means switches the image to be displayed on the display means to the first image, the detection means in the error occurrence site is actuated to check an operation of the error occurrence site, and in one of a case that the drive mechanism is in a normal actuation status or a case that the drive mechanism is yet in an error occurrence status, the position of the detection means displayed on the first image is highlighted.

3. The error display system according to claim 2, wherein

the display means is of a touch panel type that designates an image by a touch of a portion corresponding to a displayed image,

the switch means is provided as a graphical user interface at a predetermined portion on the second image, and

the actuation status check means is provided as a graphical user interface at a predetermined portion on the first image, and alternately switches between highlight and non-highlight each time an operator touches the graphical user interface provided at the predetermined portion on the first image.

4. The error display system according to claim 2, wherein

the character information about the error occurrence site is a warning message indicating at least a name of the drive mechanism and details of the error in the drive mechanism.

5. The error display system according to claim 2, wherein

the character information about the error occurrence site contains at least error numbers from among details of errors and error numbers correlated with the details of the errors, registered in one of a manipulation manual and an error collection manual.

6. The error display system according to claim 2, wherein

each of the highlight on the second image and the highlight of the position of the detection means displayed on the first image is a change in color on a portion indicating the detection means.

7. The error display system according to claim 2, wherein

the highlight of the position of the detection means displayed on the first image and the warning of the second image is a change in intensity of light on a corresponding portion.

8. The error display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

display control means, in a case of concurrent occurrence of errors at plural sites in one of a predetermined drive mechanism and plural drive mechanisms, for comparing details of the errors based on detection signals transmitted from respective detection means with each other, and allowing the display means to display a stack of images where an image representing details of the error with high priority is superimposed on an image representing details of the error with low priority in consideration of a procedure for error correction.

9. The error display system according to claim 1, further comprising:

display control means, in a case of concurrent occurrence of errors at plural sites in one of a predetermined drive mechanism and plural drive mechanisms, for allowing the display means to sequentially display a lowermost layer of a stack of images each representing details of an error in a sequence of detection signals transmitted from respective detection means.