Systems and methods for remotely controlling a machine

• US 6,529,590 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quincy Compressor LLC (Atlas Copco AB)
• Original Assignee: Coltec Industries Incorporated (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Centers, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/163,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 379/106.01, 379/102.01, 379/102.05, 379/93.02, 340/679, 340/680, 417/2, 417/3, 417/4-8, 417/12, 417/45, 417/51, 417/279, 417/286
• US Class Current: 379/106.01
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 2205/06 Pressure in a (hydraulic) circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/01 Load
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/02 Power
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/18 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/19 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/56 Number of pump/machine units in operation
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/72 preventing reverse rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/78 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/86 Detection
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/90 Remote control, e.g. wireless, via LAN, by radio, or by a wired connection from a central computer
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/00 Control of, monitoring of, or safety arrangements for, pumps or pumping installations specially adapted for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/08 characterised by varying the rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 28/24 characterised by using valves controlling pressure or flow rate, e.g. discharge valves or unloading valvesF04C28/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 16/2073 with a plurality of pressure sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 : by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 : Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 : Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods, including modem communications software, for controlling and/or monitoring one or more machines having an control board, such as, for example, compressors, from a remote location is disclosed. The systems and methods provide for each machine being controlled and/or monitored by an operator from the remote location. The machines are controlled and/or monitored using the modem communications software, presently preferably, resident on a personal computer (PC) at the remote location. The methods and systems, including the modem communications software, provide communications between the PC and the machine(s) through transmissions over a communications link established through a modem from a remote PC to a modem connected to the control board of a machine to provide instructions to or receive information from the machine control board and for the remote diagnosis of operating problems, such as, for example, compressor system operating problems, among other features.

Claims

1. A system for remotely controlling at least one machine, the system comprising:

at least one computer having a modem communications software computer program operatively programmed therein;

at least a first modem operatively connected to the computer;

at least one machine having at least one control board operatively connected thereto, the computer being located at a site remote from the at least one machine, the at least one machine being a compressor and the at least one computer can access a shutdown log for a single machine or any one of a plurality of machines in a network of machines, display the shutdown history of the machine, save the shutdown history to a file, or print the shutdown history at the remote location;

at least a second modem operatively connected to the control board for communication with the at least first modem; and

communication means, operatively connecting the at least first and the at least second modems, for transferring data in both directions between the at least one control board and the at least one computer.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of machines, each machine having a control board operatively connected thereto; and

network means for operatively connecting the plurality of machines together.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the each control board includes:

means, operatively connected to the network means, for communicating with each of the machine control boards.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each control board continuously maintains and exchanges operating status information with each of the other control boards operatively connected to the network;

and

each control board maintains full operating status information for each of the other control boards operatively connected to the network.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein status information of all networked machines is transmitted to a remotely located station for real-time monitoring and control purposes.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein, as demand increases, a startup sequence for the connected machines is transmitted to at least one of the networked machine control boards and the startup sequence is transmitted to the other machines in the network.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the plurality of machines are sequentially scheduled by an operator at the remote location such that the sequence assigned to a particular time will assure that the machines operating at that time will be operating as close to full load as possible.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one security means, operatively connected to the computer, for preventing unauthorized installation or use of the modem communications software installed on a computer.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one security means comprises:

a software locking key.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the software locking key is a hardware device that is operatively connected to a printer port positioned on the computer.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the at least one security means comprises:

the serial number of at least one of the machines being embedded within the modem communications software delivered to an end user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein, when the modem communications software running on the computer establishes communications with at least one machine at the remote location, the modem communications software requests at least one serial number of at least one of the machines.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein, if at least one of the serial numbers cannot be obtained, the modem communications software immediately breaks the electronic connection with the modem at the remote location.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein, if at least one of the serial numbers received do not match one of the authorized serial numbers embedded in the modem communications software, the modem communications software immediately breaks the electronic connection with the modem at the remote location.

15. The system of claim 2 wherein, with the modem communications software, an operator can monitor each machine having a control board in the network of machines via the at least second modem operatively connected to one control board operatively connected to at least one of the machines in the network.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein, with the modem communications software, an operator can monitor up to sixteen (16) machines in a single network.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein, with the modem communications software is capable of retrieving all of the information available in the at least one control board.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the information available comprises:

Loaded running hours, Unloaded running hours, Air filter hours, Fluid filter hours, and Separator element hours.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the information available comprises:

the condition of the Air filter, the condition of the Fluid filter, and the condition of the Separator element.

20. The system of claim 2 wherein, with the modem communications software installed on the computer at the remote location, includes:

means for modifying the sequence and schedule information of the networked machines.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the modifying means further comprises:

means for retrieving the sequence and schedule information from any machine in the network;

means for saving or modifying the sequence and schedule information; and

means for transmitting the sequence and schedule information back to the network of machines through the at least first modem and the at least second modem to the control board connected thereto.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein, using the modem communications software, machines in a network can be selectively unloaded and shut down by setting up a sequence that does not include that specific machine and scheduling the newly scheduled sequence for a day and time of the week that such shutdown of the machine is desired.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein, when that scheduled day and time is reached, any machines that are not included in the instruction sequence are shut down and are not allowed to run until they are included in a sequence that is scheduled at a later time.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein, such remote scheduling allows selectively off loading machines when there is no demand for the selected machines, or during high electrical peak demand periods when there might be a billing penalty if a machine that is not needed might start because of fluctuating facility air pressures.

25. The system of claim 2 wherein all of the operating parameters of each of the plurality of machines can be remotely modified by commands initiated by the modem communications software and communicated to each of the plurality of machines through the at least first and the at least second modems.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the modifications comprise:

the machine load and unload pressure settings, the Auto-Dual timer setting, the target pressure setting, the time and date settings, the mode of operation and/or the number of lift valves that are open or closed.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the modem communications software further comprises:

alarm means, operatively positioned at the remote location, for notifying an operator if the machine should shut down other than for a scheduled shutdown.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the alarm means provides a description of the cause of the unscheduled shutdown at the remote location.

29. The system of claim 2 wherein the modem communications software further comprises:

means for analyzing the data collected from each machine to establish a usage trend.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the usage trend is utilized for automatically establishing and settingup a network of machines such that appropriate sequences and schedules are generated at the remote site and transmitted back to the network of machines.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring and recording means comprises:

means for efficiently utilizing the machines energy such that energy consumption is reduced.

32. A method for remotely controlling at least one machine, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one computer having a modem communications software computer program operatively programmed thereon;

operatively connecting at least a first modem to the computer;

providing at least one machine having at least one control board operatively connected thereto, the machine being located remote from the computer, the at least one machine being a compressor and the at least one computer can access a shutdown log for a single machine or any one of a plurality of machines in a network of machines, display the shutdown history of the machine, save the shutdown history to a file, or print the shutdown history at the remote location;

operatively connecting at least a second modem to the control board; and

operatively connecting the at least first and the at least second modems such that data is transferred between the at least one control board and the at least one computer in both directions.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of machines, each machine having a control board operatively connected thereto; and

providing network means for operatively connecting the control boards of the plurality of machines together.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

communicating with each of the control boards operatively connected to the network means.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein each operatively connected control board continuously maintains and exchanges operating status information with the all the other of the plurality of machine control boards on the network;

and

each control board maintains full operating status information on all of the other control boards in the network.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

transmitting status information of all networked machines to the remotely located computer for real-time monitoring and control purposes.

37. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

sequentially scheduling, at the remote location, such that the sequence assigned to a particular time will assure that the machines operating at that time will be operating as close to full load as possible.

38. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of:

operatively connecting at least one security means, to the computer for preventing unauthorized installation or use of the modem communications software installed on the computer.

39. The method of claim 38 further comprising the step of:

operatively connecting a software locking key to a printer port on the computer.

40. The method of claim 38 further comprising the step of:

embedding the serial number of the at least one machine within the modem communications software delivered to an end user.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising the step of:

after establishing communications with the at least one machine, requesting at least one serial number from the control board operatively connected to the at least second modem.

42. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

monitoring each of the plurality of machines having a control board in the network of machines via the at least second modem operatively connected to at least one of the control boards operatively connected to at least one of the machines in the network.

43. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of:

retrieving all of the information available in the control board.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein the retrieving step comprises the steps of:

retrieving Loaded running hours;

retrieving Unloaded running hours;

retrieving Air filter hours;

all retrieving Fluid filter hours; and

retrieving Separator element hours.

45. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

accessing a shutdown log for a single machine or any machine in a network;

displaying the shutdown history of the machine; and

saving the history to a file, or printing the history at the computer location.

46. The method of claim 33 further comprising the step of:

modifying the sequence and schedule information for the networked machines.

47. The method of claim 33 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving the sequence and schedule information from any machine in the network;

saving or modifying the sequence and schedules; and

transmitting the sequence and schedules back to the network of machines through the at least first modem and the at least second modem to the control board operatively connected thereto.

48. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

selectively unloading and shutting down the machines by setting up a sequence that does not include the specific machine; and

scheduling the newly scheduled sequence for a day and time of the week that such shutdown of the machine is desired.

49. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

remotely modifying all of the at least one machine operating parameters by commands initiated by the modem communications software on the computer; and

communicating the modifications to the at least one machine through the at least first and the at least second modems.

50. The method of claim 49 further comprising the step of:

if one of the at least one machines should shut down other than for a scheduled shutdown, activating an alarm at the computer location.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the alarm activating step comprises the step of:

providing a description of the cause of the unscheduled shutdown.

52. The method of claim 32 further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the data transferred from the at least one control board to the at least one computer; and

establishing a usage trend based thereon.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the establishing step comprises:

automatically establishing and settingup a network of machines;

generating appropriate sequences and schedules at the computer site; and

transmitting the sequences and schedules back to the machines.

54. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of:

monitoring and recording how much demand is placed on the at least one machine over time.

55. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of:

efficiently utilizing the machine'"'"'s energy such that energy consumption is reduced.

56. A system for remotely controlling at least one machine, the system comprising:

at least one computer having a modem communications software computer program operatively programmed therein;

at least a first modem operatively connected to the computer;

a plurality of machines, each machine having a control board operatively connected thereto, the computer being located at a site remote from the machines and each control board including means, operatively connected to the network means, for communicating with each of the other machine control boards, each control board being a peer of the other control boards so that each control board is a master control board;

network means for operatively connecting the control boards of the plurality of machines together;

at least a second modem operatively connected to at least one control board for communication with the at least first modem; and

communications means, operatively connecting the at least first and the at least second modems, for transferring data in both directions between the at least one control board and the at least one computer.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein, each control board is a peer of each of the other control boards in the network, so that no control board serves as the master and failure in any of the plurality of machines will not prevent continued network operation.