System for monitoring a continuous manufacturing process
DCFirst Claim
1. A monitoring system for monitoring the manufacture of a continuous web of paper having one or more pre-determined characteristics in a paper manufacturing machine comprising:
- a plurality of monitoring means which comprises one or more video cameras for monitoring the paper web, each monitoring means addressing the paper web at a different location of interest along the paper manufacturing machine and for producing a video image of the paper web at the location;
digital converting means for converting the video image into a digitized video signal;
digital data storage means for receiving said digitized video signal and storing digitized segments thereof, each of which comprises a plurality of digitized clips, said digitized segments and clips of a predetermined length covering real time operation of said machine, said digitized segments being stored such that earlier prior stored digitized data in said segment is removed as new digitized data is stored in said segment to maintain said stored segment at or about said predetermined length;
computer control means for controlling the operations of said monitoring system, said means in communication with said digital data storage means, said computer control means in communication with a distributive control system for controlling said machine, said control system having one or more deviation detectors for detecting deviations from predetermined characteristics as said paper web passes through said machine; and
one or more video monitors in communication with said computer control means and for displaying the image of digitized video signals under the control of said computer control means;
wherein an occurrence of a deviation from the predetermined characteristics of said web, said distributive control system transmits a deviation signal comprising the time, date and location of said deviation event to said computer control means, and in response thereto said computer control means identifying the digitized data segment corresponding to said deviation event, extracting the deviation event clip, the preceding clip preceding said break event clip to form a display clip and displaying said display clip on a video monitor.
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Abstract
The invention is a system for monitoring a process in which process data relating to a predetermined characteristic of the process is collected and stored in digital format and extracted based upon a predetermined criterion for display. A plurality of monitors are strategically positioned at various locations of interest to observe the predetermined characteristic. Data obtained by the monitors are converted into digital format and stored. A central control is provided for retrieving the digital data in accordance with a predetermined criterion and transmitting the retrieved data to a display unit. The predetermined criterion for display may be specified as a deviation from the predetermined characteristic, and a plurality of deviation detectors may be coupled to the system for obtaining and relaying information relating to such deviations. Upon deviation, the central control may be adapted to retrieve digital data based on time and location of the deviation.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A monitoring system for monitoring the manufacture of a continuous web of paper having one or more pre-determined characteristics in a paper manufacturing machine comprising:
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a plurality of monitoring means which comprises one or more video cameras for monitoring the paper web, each monitoring means addressing the paper web at a different location of interest along the paper manufacturing machine and for producing a video image of the paper web at the location; digital converting means for converting the video image into a digitized video signal; digital data storage means for receiving said digitized video signal and storing digitized segments thereof, each of which comprises a plurality of digitized clips, said digitized segments and clips of a predetermined length covering real time operation of said machine, said digitized segments being stored such that earlier prior stored digitized data in said segment is removed as new digitized data is stored in said segment to maintain said stored segment at or about said predetermined length; computer control means for controlling the operations of said monitoring system, said means in communication with said digital data storage means, said computer control means in communication with a distributive control system for controlling said machine, said control system having one or more deviation detectors for detecting deviations from predetermined characteristics as said paper web passes through said machine; and one or more video monitors in communication with said computer control means and for displaying the image of digitized video signals under the control of said computer control means; wherein an occurrence of a deviation from the predetermined characteristics of said web, said distributive control system transmits a deviation signal comprising the time, date and location of said deviation event to said computer control means, and in response thereto said computer control means identifying the digitized data segment corresponding to said deviation event, extracting the deviation event clip, the preceding clip preceding said break event clip to form a display clip and displaying said display clip on a video monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A monitoring system for continuously monitoring a process for the manufacture of a product, said process comprising:
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a plurality of monitoring means for continuously monitoring a pre-determined characteristic of the process and collecting monitored data, each monitoring means addressing a different location of interest of the process, and each said monitoring means for monitoring and collecting data in real time relative to said location; data converting means for converting said collected data into digitized data; digital data storage means for storing segments of said digitized data, each of said segments comprised of one or more digitized data clips, said segments and said clips of pre-determined lengths which cover the operations of said process at a relevant location over a pre-determined period of time, said digitized data segments being stored such that as new digitized data is stored in said segment, earlier prior stored digitized data in said segment is removed from said segment to maintain said segment at or about said pre-determined length; a distributive control system for controlling the process, said control system having one or more deviation detectors for monitoring said pre-determined characteristic and for detecting deviation events in said pre-determined characteristic, each of said detectors addressing a different location of interest along the process and for transmitting a signal of said deviation event, and the time and location of said event; and control means in communication with said control system and said digital data storage means, said control means for controlling said monitoring system and for extracting one or more digitized data clips on receipt of said deviation event signal to form one or more extracted clips, said control means also for identifying data storage means containing said digitized data segment corresponding to the time and the location of said deviation event, for extracting said deviation event clip to form a display clip and for displaying said display clip. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification