METHOD FOR OPERATING AN AUTOMATION APPLIANCE, AND AUTOMATION APPLIANCE

• US 20070188296A1
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Brune, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,800,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.700
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output

Abstract

An automation appliance and a method for operating an automation appliance are disclosed. Media data, particularly audio and/or video data, are used to display data relating to the status and/or to the configuration of the automation appliance. The disclosed method for operating an automation appliance significantly improves user guidance.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automation appliance and an operator control appliance connected to the automation appliance, wherein the automation appliance comprises encoding means for encoding media data, and the operator control appliance comprises decoding means for decoding the media data, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting at least one data item from the operator control appliance to the automation appliance, said data item including a request for media data from the automation appliance,

generating with the encoding means media data in accordance with the received at least one data item,

transmitting the generated media data from the automation appliance to the operator control appliance, and

decoding the received media data with the decoding means for display on the operator control appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the media data comprises combining static media data from a first database, which includes static media data being stored on the automation appliance or static media data capable of being accessed by the automation appliance, and dynamic media data from a second database, which includes dynamic media data being stored on the automation appliance or dynamic media data capable of being accessed by the automation appliance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of combining static media data and dynamic media data comprises the steps of selecting or producing the data item on the operator control appliance by an operator, associating the static and dynamic media data with the data item selected by the operator based on a predetermined or dynamic relationship, encoding the combined static and dynamic media data, and transmitting the encoded media data the operator control appliance in response to the transmitted data item.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the dynamic media data comprise data relating to at least one of a status or a configuration of the automation appliance.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the static media data comprise screen masks and the dynamic media data comprise data relating to at least one of a individual status or configuration information of the automation appliance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the media data on the operator control appliance comprises rewinding the media data to positions which were already displayed or fast forwarding the media data to positions which have not yet been displayed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the media data comprise position identifiers to be used for verifying past process steps.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated media data are transmitted from the automation appliance to the operator control appliance via a transport layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media data comprise at least one of audio and video data.

10. An automation appliance comprising:

means for receiving from a remote appliance at least one data item which includes a request for media data,

a first database having stored therein static media data,

a second database having stored therein dynamic media data,

a combiner for combining the static and dynamic media data to form the media data,

an encoder for encoding the combined media data, and

an interface for transferring the encoded combined media data to the remote appliance for decoding and display.

11. The automation appliance of claim 10, wherein at least one of the static and dynamic media data comprises at least one of audio and video data.

12. A computer program comprising program code instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium, which when executed on a computer, causes the computer to

in response to receiving from a remote appliance at an automation appliance at least one data item, generate media data in accordance with the received at least one data item, and

transmit the generated media data from the automation appliance to the operator control appliance for decoding and display on the operator control appliance.

13. A computer-readable medium comprising a computer program having computer program instruction, which when executed on a computer cause the computer to

in response to receiving from a remote appliance at an automation appliance at least one data item, generate media data in accordance with the received at least one data item, and

transmit the generated media data from the automation appliance to the operator control appliance for decoding and display on the operator control appliance