METHOD FOR OPERATING AN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM

• US 20110137447A1
• Filed: 08/04/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Original Assignee: KHS GmbH (Salzgitter AG)
• Inventors: Hermann, Thomas, Buchkremer, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,768,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0251 Abstraction hierarchy, e.g. "complex systems", i.e. system is divided in subsystems, subsystems are monitored and results are combined to decide on status of whole system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49829 Advancing work to successive stations [i.e., assembly line]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating an industrial system, wherein the system comprises at least one line (1, 2, 3, 4), wherein each line (1, 2, 3, 4) comprises at least one machine (10, 12, 14, 16), and wherein each machine (10, 12, 14, 16) comprises at least one component (110, 112, 114, 116), comprising the steps of detecting state data of each component (110, 112, 114, 116), of each machine (10, 12, 14, 16), and of each line (1, 2, 3, 4), transmitting the state data to at least one user unit, and displaying the state data by means of the at least one user unit. The present invention further relates to an industrial system for performing the method, and a computer program.

Claims

1. A process for operating an industrial system that includes at least one line, each line including at least one machine, and each machine including at least one component, the process comprising:

detecting status data for each component of each machine and each line,

transmitting the status data to at least one user unit, and

displaying the status data via the at least one user unit.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising arranging the status data in a hierarchic structure, whereby the status data of each component of the corresponding machine is arranged, which includes the respective components and the status data of each machine of the corresponding lines are assigned, which includes the respective machines and status data of each line is arranged next to the status data of all of the further lines.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising restricting display of the status data to one selected line, one selected machine or one selected component.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein restricting the display of the status data comprises automatically restricting the display based at least in part on the spatial positioning of the respective user unit in relation to the at least one line, the at least one machine, and/or the at least one component.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein each user unit is assigned to a corresponding user with a specific profile, and wherein the presentation of the status data is made dependent on the profile.

6. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving input data for a specific component, a specific machine or a specific line by each user unit,

transmitting the input data to the respective specific components, the respective specific machine or the respective specific line.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein each user unit is assigned to a corresponding user with a specific profile, and wherein the input data of only one user is transmitted to the respective specific component, the respective specific machine, or the respective specific line.

8. The process of claim 7, further comprising restricting the type of input data based at least in part on the profile.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein user units are configured to communicate with one another.

10. The process of claim 3, wherein the status data includes error messages that are displayed via the user unit regardless of the display restriction.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein one user with a specific profile is assigned to each user unit, and wherein the presentation of the error messages depends at least in part on the profile.

12. An industrial system for the execution of the process of claim 1, wherein at least one of the user units is a mobile user unit, and wherein a wireless network is provided for transmitting the status data or the input data.

13. The industrial system of claim 12, wherein the at least one mobile user unit has a device for external presentation.

14. A computer system configured to execute a computer program with a program coding facility for executing the process of claim 1.

15. A tangible computer-readable medium having encoded thereon software for executing the process recited in claim 1.