Production machine with capability of transmitting production information and method for generating events regarding production information while operating the production machine

• US 6,999,832 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Polaris Innovations Limited (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Haller, Martin, Haueis, Norbert, Greenberg, Arieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US10/139,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 700/258, 700/159, 700/163, 700/83, 700/84, 700/12, 700/14, 700/27, 700/51, 700/52, 700/78, 700/96, 700/108, 700/117, 700/174, 702/187, 702176-178, 702/188
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A production machine has at least one signal output with the capability of transmitting production status information to a production control system or production monitoring system. Signal outputs of the production machine are picked up and the statuses of the signal outputs are passed on via data connections to an operator console. The product status information obtained in this way is transmitted together with the information input manually by an operator via a data connection to a computer system for evaluation. A method generates events regarding production information while the production machine is operating.

Claims

1. In a production machine having at least one of a keypad, a switch array, a touchpad, a touch-sensitive screen, and a sensor, a method of using the at least one of a keypad, a switch array, a touch-sensitive screen, a sensor, and a machine control of the production machine, for generating events regarding production information while operating the production machine, which comprises the following steps:

establishing an evaluation status model having a number of evaluation statuses, each of the evaluation statuses having precisely one corresponding time account;

establishing an interpretation status model having statuses with transitions therebetween, the transitions of the interpretation status model being established in accordance with events detected on the production machine;

assigning statuses of the interpretation status model to statuses of the evaluation status model;

increasing a time account of one of the evaluation statuses applicable at a particular time while operating the production machine by an amount corresponding to a time period in which the production machine is in the evaluation status concerned; and

generating events from signals generated by an operator with the at least one of the keypad, the switch array, the touch-sensitive screen, and the signal picked up by the sensor, and the signal picked up by the machine control.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining a filling status of a buffer zone of the production machine with the sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises measuring pressure within the production machine with the sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises measuring work progress of the production machine with the indexer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the machine control of the production machine is a plurality of signal lamps.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the production information is capacity utilization.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the production information is reliability of the production machine.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises, during the establishing of the interpretation status model, establishing the transitions between the statuses of the interpretation status model in accordance with manual inputs of the operator of the production machine.

9. The method according to claim 8, which further comprises:

describing the manual inputs of the operator with a status model; and

using the manual inputs as the events of the interpretation status model.

10. A method of using a sensor for generating events, which comprises:

operating a production machine according to the method of claim 1;

during the establishing of the interpretation status model, establishing transitions between the statuses of the interpretation status model in accordance with the signals of the sensor.

11. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises:

providing the production machine with a buffer zone having a filling status;

using a filling status sensor as the sensor; and

determining the filling status of the buffer zone with the filling status sensor.

12. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises:

using a pressure sensor as the sensor;

measuring a pressure within the production machine with the pressure sensor.

13. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises:

providing the production machine with an indexer; and

measuring work progress of the production machine with the indexer.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the signals assume discrete statuses;

and describing the signals with the status model; and

using the signals as the events of the interpretation status model.

15. A method of using a machine control of a production machine for generating events, which comprises:

providing the production machine with the machine control, the machine control having operating statuses;

operating the production machine according to the method according to claim 1;

during the establishing of the interpretation status model, establishing the transitions between the statuses of the interpretation status model in accordance with the operating statuses of the machine control of the production machine.

16. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises using signal lamps as the machine control of the production machine.

17. The method according to claim 15, which further comprises:

describing the operating statuses of the machine control of the production machine with a status model; and

using the statuses as events of the interpretation status model.

18. The method according to claim 17, which further comprises using signal lamps as the machine control of the production machine.