Method for Operating an Automatic Cleaning Machine

• US 20150106710A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meiko Maschinenbau GmbH & Company KG (Stiftung Oskar Und Rosel Meier)
• Original Assignee: Meiko Maschinenbau GmbH & Company KG (Stiftung Oskar Und Rosel Meier)
• Inventors: Dirschus, Jrgen, Huber, Philipp
• Granted Patent: US 9,585,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/04 Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/08 Other manual input
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/36 Other output
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an automatic cleaning device, in particular an industrially usable dishwasher or cleaning and disinfection device with a man-machine interface and a display with buttons. Symbols for the operation and/or an ongoing process are illustrated on the man-machine interface. An interaction of an operator with the man-machine interface is effected via buttons. Depending on the requirements of the operator, context-sensitive help is retrieved via a retrieval, said help accessing a stored information supply comprising image formats, PNG formats, drawings, maintenance lists, spare parts lists and/or databases, which are offered to the operator.

Claims

1. Method for operating an automatic cleaning device, in particular an industrially usable dishwasher or a cleaning and disinfection device with a man-machine interface and a display with buttons, with the following method steps:

a) symbols for operation and an ongoing process are displayed on the man-machine interface,

b) an interaction of an operator with the man-machine interface is effected via buttons, and

c) depending on the requirement of the operator, context-sensitive help is retrieved and is displayed, said help accessing a stored information supply comprising images and/or drawings and/or spare parts lists, and/or maintenance lists and/or audiovisual files and/or databases, which are offered to the operator or service technician.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the man-machine interface is operated on at least an operator level and at least a further service level.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that information stored for messages or status information is displayed in the form of image file formats.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that information stored for messages or status information is made available in the form of audiovisual data.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the offered operating levels and their functions and intervention options are explained via the context-sensitive help with the information displayed in the man-machine interface.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that multimedia libraries are made available by means of the control of the cleaning device, on the one hand on the man-machine interface and also, on the other hand, via a wireless data connection for a mobile device.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that findings or solutions to problems can be stored via the man-machine interface of the automatic cleaning device within a library which is integrated into the control system of the automatic cleaning device.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a current situation can be documented in the form of images, videos or audiovisual sequences and can be stored in the machine control.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the stored situations can be retrieved once more by means of the man-machine interface.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the context-sensitive help conveys information on fields and control elements in dialogue fields, description of windows or screen elements or message texts.

11. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that information can be stored via a wireless data connection internally within the control system, depending on the authorization of the user.

12. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control of the cleaning device comprises a document server on which operating instructions and/or service instructions and/or spare parts lists and/or circuit diagrams are stored.

13. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the control of the cleaning device has an Internet access, so that the information stored in the control can be kept up-to-date by means of a data synchronization with external sources.

14. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the context-sensitive help guides the user, taking account of the authorization level allocation, via images and/or audiovisual content to a presumed fault.

15. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a status and/or fault display indicates limit values, and a history of the last activities allocated to a sensor/actuator which are derivable directly from a help window as service information.