Method and device for interactive control of a machine

• US 7,890,880 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Hehl
• Original Assignee: Karl Hehl
• Inventors: Hehl, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta; Soumya
• Application Number:
  US10/562,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,398 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/713, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/7606 Controlling or regulating the display unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76648 Sequence, e.g. the order in which operations are conducted
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2945/76913 Parameter setting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/76 Measuring, controlling or regulating measuring in general G01; controlling or regulating in general G05

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for interactive control of a machine, whereby the operating parameters necessary for the working process of the machine are inputted into a data processing unit (12), for storing the operating parameters, using an input unit (10) with input fields in a form which guides the user. Working processes are thus carried out as a result of the inputs. A data set of the base rules for the working process of the machine is recorded in the data processing unit. A limited selection (11) of possible input choices is provided for the user by application of the data set based on the machine configuration and machine environment, which further comprise compatible parts for addition to the extant parts of a working process. Operator guidance is facilitated, whereby the user is provided with a limited selection (11), corresponding to the further parts of the process, on operating fields, by the input unit (10) on the surface (16) for manual input and/or for input using a manipulator (38).

Claims

1. A method for interactive control of a plastics material injection molding machine, where, via an input unit, which is provided with actuating fields, operating parameters necessary for an operating sequence of a machine are input, in a form which prompts an operator, into a data processing unit which stores these operating parameters, and subsequently one or more operating sequences are carried out in accordance with the stored operating parameters, the method comprising:

recording a data set covering basic rules of the operating sequence of the machine in the data processing unit and, by using the data set, providing the operator on a graphical user interface with visualization of a selected choice of input possibilities, based on a machine configuration and a machine environment, for additional parts of the operating sequence that can be added in a compatible manner into existing parts of the operating sequence;

providing to an operator, for manual input and/or for input by means of a manipulator, on the graphical user interface a selected choice of actuating fields corresponding to the additional parts of the operating sequence and for navigation on a navigation surface statically arranged on the graphical user interface;

wherein the navigation surface comprises at least three lines or three columns of actuating and input fields that are hierarchical from line to line or column to column and are represented in the graphical user interface with a plurality of navigation levels associated with one another such that the operator is able to visualize a path through the at least three lines or three columns of actuating and input fields; and

wherein, when the operator'"'"'s input is made, even at a hierarchically higher level input paths are visualized as a selected choice based on the operator'"'"'s input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the actuating fields are imaged as input fields.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation surface is represented with three lines.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of representing a parameter region on the graphical user interface for numeric and/or graphic representation of operating parameters.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of representing a sequence editor representing the operating sequence in a schematic manner on the surface graphical user interface in addition to the plurality of navigation levels.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating sequence comprises a plurality of sequence symbols, and, when a sequence symbol of the plurality of sequence symbols is tapped, parameter images associated with the sequence symbol are displayed on the respective navigation level.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the navigation levels comprise at least one top navigation level and at least one bottom navigation level and when three navigation levels are provided, the at least one top navigation level is represented symbolically in one line, and the at least one bottom navigation level is represented completely in the additional lines.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operating sequence comprises sequence symbols and in the event of an alarm, the sequence symbols of the operating sequence relating to the alarm are identified and wherein tapping the sequence symbols leads to the representation of a relevant parameter region.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing favorite fields that are preset or are presettable on the graphical user interface by the operator and when actuated the favorite fields lead to a jump, independent of the navigation, to a preset or presettable parameter group.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein when the favorite field is actuated, a parameter image edited last in the associated parameter group is displayed.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of representing tables on the graphical user interface for inputting operating parameters and wherein, from these, a preferably non-editable graphic representation of the required values converted therefrom is generated.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of representing an editable input diagram on the graphical user interface.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the representation of the input of the operating parameters for various directions of axes displacement of the plastics material injection molding machine is effected in the direction of axes displacement.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is carried out on a cyclically operating plastics material injection molding machine.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a program for the accomplishment of the method according to claim 1.

15. An apparatus for interactive control of a plastics material injection molding machine, the apparatus comprising:

a display unit;

a data processing unit;

an input unit with fields arranged on a graphical user interface for manual input and/or for input by means of a manipulator, by means of which fields, in a form which prompts an operator, operating parameters necessary for an operating sequence of the machine can be input into the data processing unit which stores the operating parameters for subsequently carrying out one or more operating sequences in accordance with the stored operating parameters, wherein the fields are actuating fields for navigation on a navigation surface statically arranged on the graphical user interface, and

a data set recorded in the data processing unit and covering basic rules of the operating sequence of the machine;

wherein the data set provides a selected choice of possible input possibilities for additional parts of the operating sequence, said possible input possibilities being offered to the operator, displayed on-surface the graphical user interface, and based on machine configuration and machine environment, such that the additional parts of the operating sequence can be added in a compatible manner into existing parts of the operating sequence;

wherein the navigation surface comprises at least three lines or three columns of actuating and input fields that are hierarchical from line to line or column to column and are represented in the graphical user interface with a plurality of navigation levels associated with one another such that the operator is able to visualize a path through the at least three lines or three columns of actuating and input fields; and

wherein, when the operator'"'"'s input is made, even at a hierarchically higher level possible input paths are visualized as a selected choice based on the operator'"'"'s input.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the actuating fields are imaged as the input fields.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the navigation surface includes three lines.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a parameter region provided on the graphical user interface for numeric and/or graphic representation of the operating parameters.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a sequence editor representing the operating sequence in a schematic manner on the graphical user interface in addition to the plurality of navigation levels.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the navigation levels comprise at least one top navigation level and at least one bottom navigation level and when three navigation levels are provided, sequence symbols for the at least one top navigation level is provided in one line, and elements of the at least one bottom navigation level where necessary are provided completely in the additional lines.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising identification means for identifying sequence symbols of the operating sequence related to an alarm.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising preset favorite fields or favorite fields that are presettable by the operator, said preset favorite fields or said favorite fields that are presettable by the operator being provided as jump keys on the graphical user interface for a jump independent of the navigation to a preset or presettable parameter group.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a linking of the jump keys with a parameter image last edited within the associated parameter group.

24. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising, on the graphical user interface, a non-editable graphic representation of required values converted from the input parameters and/or an editable input diagram.