METHOD FOR THE SECURE AND INTENTIONAL ACTIVATION OF FUNCTIONS AND/OR MOVEMENTS OF CONTROLLABLE INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
First Claim
1. Method for securely and intentionally activating or initiating machine functions, in particular traveling movements of a machine, such as a robot or a plant for example, by an operatorvia a control panel having a touch-sensitive position detection sensor for detecting the position of touch points or changes in their position, in particular in the form of a touch panel or touchscreen,which touch points are created by the contact of fingers or parts of the hand of an operator with the sensor surface of the touch-sensitive position detection sensor,and several selection fields are defined respectively as associated part-areas of the sensor surface of the position detection sensor,and haptically perceptible markings are applied to the sensor surface of the touch-sensitive position detection sensor by means of which the respective position of the selection fields can be felt and found by the operator without visual aid, andthe control panel has an evaluation unit or an evaluation unit is assigned to the control panel, which evaluation unit identifies the operating actions undertaken on the control panel and operating actions detected by the touch-sensitive position detection sensor on the basis of the position and change in position of detected touch points and performs or controls respectively assigned machine functions, in particular traveling movements,comprising the steps:
- permanent or temporary assignment of a plurality of machine functions to a combination of a selection field and a characteristic touch gesture or touch movement respectively by the evaluation unit;
selection of a selection field by the operator by dragging a finger on the sensor surface into the respective selection field to create a first touch point, whilst simultaneously creating other touch points on the sensor surface with other fingers, and then lifting the other fingers off the sensor surface whilst maintaining contact with the finger inside the selection field;
making of a characteristic touch gesture or touch movement by the operator;
initiation or control of the machine function assigned to the combination of selection field and touch gesture or touch movement by the evaluation unit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and devices allow the secure, intentional and error-free initiation of different and directly executable industrial functions of machines or similar using a comparatively large-area touch-sensitive entry device, in particular of the touchscreen type. Operating elements or selection fields are depicted on the entry device and the operator is able to find and actuate the operating elements without visual aid or control. Using such touch-sensitive entry device of the capacitive touchscreen type, the provided operating elements or selection fields are identified by applied haptically perceptible markings. In addition, in order to initiate an operating element or an industrial function that is associated with a selection field, the operator selects the field in a first step and makes an entry by a characteristic touch gesture in a second step. This allows the control system to differentiate accidental contact, such as unsighted feeling of an identified operating element, from a deliberate operating action, and thus to reliably prevent unintentional operating actions.
19 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Method for securely and intentionally activating or initiating machine functions, in particular traveling movements of a machine, such as a robot or a plant for example, by an operator
via a control panel having a touch-sensitive position detection sensor for detecting the position of touch points or changes in their position, in particular in the form of a touch panel or touchscreen, which touch points are created by the contact of fingers or parts of the hand of an operator with the sensor surface of the touch-sensitive position detection sensor, and several selection fields are defined respectively as associated part-areas of the sensor surface of the position detection sensor, and haptically perceptible markings are applied to the sensor surface of the touch-sensitive position detection sensor by means of which the respective position of the selection fields can be felt and found by the operator without visual aid, and the control panel has an evaluation unit or an evaluation unit is assigned to the control panel, which evaluation unit identifies the operating actions undertaken on the control panel and operating actions detected by the touch-sensitive position detection sensor on the basis of the position and change in position of detected touch points and performs or controls respectively assigned machine functions, in particular traveling movements, comprising the steps: -
permanent or temporary assignment of a plurality of machine functions to a combination of a selection field and a characteristic touch gesture or touch movement respectively by the evaluation unit; selection of a selection field by the operator by dragging a finger on the sensor surface into the respective selection field to create a first touch point, whilst simultaneously creating other touch points on the sensor surface with other fingers, and then lifting the other fingers off the sensor surface whilst maintaining contact with the finger inside the selection field; making of a characteristic touch gesture or touch movement by the operator; initiation or control of the machine function assigned to the combination of selection field and touch gesture or touch movement by the evaluation unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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4. (canceled)
Specification