OPERATOR INTERFACE TERMINAL FOR CORRELATING DATA POINTS TO TIME POINTS

• US 20080300694A1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Wall, Brian Alexander, Dorgelo, Eric Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• 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 2219/35312 Display working state, process

Abstract

An operator interface terminal receives individual data points from a machine at individual time points. The operator interface terminal correlates the individual data points to the individual time points as the data points are received. The operator interface terminal transfers the data points correlated to the time points to a central information system. The operator interface terminal receives a control instruction from an operator. The operator interface terminal processes the control instruction to transfer a control signal to the machine, wherein the control signal drives the machine to operate based on the control instruction.

Claims

1. A method of operating an operator interface terminal, the method comprising:

receiving individual data points from a machine at individual time points and correlating the individual data points to the individual time points as the data points are received;

transferring the data points correlated to the time points to a central information system;

receiving a control instruction from an operator; and

processing the control instruction to transfer a control signal to the machine, wherein the control signal drives the machine to operate based on the control instruction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the data points correlated to the time points to the operator.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving an operator comment correlated to one of the time points from the operator.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising transferring the operator comment correlated to the one time point to the central information system.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving an operator comment correlated to one of the data points from the operator.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising transferring the operator comment correlated to the one data point to the central information system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the machine does not transfer the data points to the central information system.

8. An operator interface terminal comprising:

a machine interface configured to receive individual data points from a machine at individual time points;

processing circuitry configured to correlate the individual data points to the individual time points as the data points are received;

a central information system interface configured to transfer the data points correlated to the time points to a central information system;

an operator interface configured to receive a control instruction from an operator;

the processing circuitry is further configured to process the control instruction to generate control information; and

the machine interface is further configured to transfer a control signal to the machine based on the control information, wherein the control signal drives the machine to operate based on the control instruction.

9. The operator interface terminal of claim 8 wherein the operator interface is further configured to display the data points correlated to the time points to the operator.

10. The operator interface terminal of claim 9 wherein the operator interface is further configured to receive an operator comment correlated to one of the time points from the operator.

11. The operator interface terminal of claim 10 wherein the central information system interface is further configured to transfer the operator comment correlated to the one time point to the central information system.

12. The operator interface terminal of claim 9 wherein the operator interface is further configured to receive an operator comment correlated to one of the data points from the operator.

13. The operator interface terminal of claim 12 wherein the central information system interface is further configured to transfer the operator comment correlated to the one data point to the central information system.

14. The operator interface terminal of claim 8 wherein the machine does not transfer the data points to the central information system.

15. A software product for an operator interface terminal that receives individual data points from a machine at individual time points, transfers the data points correlated to the time points to a central information system, receives a control instruction from an operator, and transfers a control signal to the machine based on control information, wherein the control signal drives the machine to operate based on the control instruction, the software product comprising:

software configured to direct processing circuitry in the operator interface terminal to correlate the individual data points to the individual time points as the data points are received, to store the data points correlated to the time points in a storage system, to retrieve the data points correlated to the time points from the storage system, and to process the control instruction to generate the control information for the control signal; and

a memory device that stores the software.

16. The software product of claim 15 wherein the software is configured to direct the processing circuitry to process the data points correlated to the time points to generate display information, and wherein the operator interface terminal is configured to display the data points correlated to the time points based on the display information.

17. The software product of claim 16 wherein the operator interface terminal is configured to receive an operator comment correlated to one of the time points from the operator, and wherein the software is configured to direct the processing circuitry to store the operator comment correlated to the one time point in the storage system.

18. The software product of claim 17 wherein the software is configured to direct the processing circuitry to retrieve the operator comment correlated to the one time point from the storage system, and wherein the operator interface terminal is configured to transfer the operator comment correlated to the one time point to the central information system.

19. The software product of claim 16 wherein the operator interface terminal is configured to receive an operator comment correlated to one of the data points from the operator, and wherein the software is configured to direct the processing circuitry to store the operator comment correlated to the one data point in the storage system.

20. The software product of claim 19 wherein the software is configured to direct the processing circuitry to retrieve the operator comment correlated to the one data point from the storage system, and wherein the operator interface terminal is configured to transfer the operator comment correlated to the one data point to the central information system.