Apparatus and method for configuring, installing and monitoring spray coating application systems
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring and configuring a material application system of the type that uses different material application components including an application device such as a gun and a material delivery device such as a pump, the system comprising:
- a user input device remotely located from a manufacturer'"'"'s site for the system, the manufacturer'"'"'s site being a site from which material application components including guns and pumps for a material application system may be ordered, purchased or manufactured;
one or more customer sites each having at least one respective material application system thereat, said customer site being remotely located from said manufacturer'"'"'s site;
a manufacturer'"'"'s database that is accessible over a communication network;
a customer specific database that is accessible by said user input device over said network;
wherein manufacturer system users at said manufacturer'"'"'s site and customer system users at said customer'"'"'s site have access to said customer specific database;
said customer specific database comprising information relating to said material applications systems at said customer sites;
a configurator module accessible by said user input device via said network;
said configurator module presenting a menu of material application component selection options based on input data from said user input device;
said input data comprising material application system criteria and at least a choice of first and second guns and first and second pumps;
said configurator module verifying component compatibility to configure a valid material application system from said selected gun and pump material application components;
an application monitor module that receive operating data from a material application system at a customer site and that is accessible over said network; and
a remote access module that allows a system user to access said operating data.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and related methods for configuring and monitoring a material application system for installation and use at a site that is remotely located from the material application system manufacturing site. The system provides a configuration module that allows a customer or purchaser to configure a system electronically based on the customer'"'"'s spraying needs. The selected configuration may further be linked to a pricing and inventory database module to allow the customer to order the system components, and obtain price and delivery schedules. The configuration module is available to the customer via a secure web site over the Internet provided by a server accessed from a computer such as a personal computer. The system also provides an extranet, for example, via the Internet or other communication link, is used to provide an accessible database for historical data and configuration/installation information.
23 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring and configuring a material application system of the type that uses different material application components including an application device such as a gun and a material delivery device such as a pump, the system comprising:
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a user input device remotely located from a manufacturer'"'"'s site for the system, the manufacturer'"'"'s site being a site from which material application components including guns and pumps for a material application system may be ordered, purchased or manufactured; one or more customer sites each having at least one respective material application system thereat, said customer site being remotely located from said manufacturer'"'"'s site; a manufacturer'"'"'s database that is accessible over a communication network;
a customer specific database that is accessible by said user input device over said network;
wherein manufacturer system users at said manufacturer'"'"'s site and customer system users at said customer'"'"'s site have access to said customer specific database;
said customer specific database comprising information relating to said material applications systems at said customer sites;a configurator module accessible by said user input device via said network; said configurator module presenting a menu of material application component selection options based on input data from said user input device;
said input data comprising material application system criteria and at least a choice of first and second guns and first and second pumps;
said configurator module verifying component compatibility to configure a valid material application system from said selected gun and pump material application components;an application monitor module that receive operating data from a material application system at a customer site and that is accessible over said network; and
a remote access module that allows a system user to access said operating data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for monitoring and configuring a material application system of the type that uses different material application components including an application device such as a gun and a material delivery device such as a pump, the system comprising:
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a user input device remotely located from a manufacturer'"'"'s site for the system, the manufacturer'"'"'s site being a site from which material application components including guns and pumps for a material application system may be ordered, purchased or manufactured; one or more customer sites each having at least one respective material application system thereat, said customer site being remotely located from said manufacturer'"'"'s site; a manufacturer'"'"'s database that is accessible over a communication network;
a customer specific database that is accessible by said user input device over said network;
wherein manufacturer system users at said manufacturer'"'"'s site and customer system users at said customer'"'"'s site have access to said customer specific database;a configurator module accessible by said user input device via said network; said configurator module presenting a menu of material application component selection options based on input data from said user input device;
said input data comprising material application system criteria and at least a choice of first and second guns and first and second pumps;
said configurator module verifying component compatibility to configure a valid material application system from said selected gun and pump material application components;a database comprising information about a material application system at a customer site including configuration, material application components of the system, setup parameters, test data, repairs and modifications;
said database being accessible for viewing and updating database records so that said database provides current and historical information about said material application system, said database being accessible by a system user from said manufacturer'"'"'s site and from said customer sites over said communication network. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification