Method and apparatus for downloading data from a machine

• US 7,962,236 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marel, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Stork Townsend Incorporated
• Inventors: Pfeffer, Daniel W., McCloskey, Doug N., Simpson, Mike S., Basile, Vincent L. II, Joynt, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Douglas S
• Application Number:
  US10/577,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,422 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/116, 702/27, 235/385, 356/445
• US Class Current: 700/116
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13031 Use of touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13171 Portable, detachable programming unit
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23377 Touch screen, with representation of buttons, machine on screen
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24058 Remote testing, monitoring independent from normal control by pc

Abstract

A device for downloading data from a machine having a touch screen or PLC to govern its operation, the device includes a handheld control unit that is operably associated with the touch screen or PLC such that the touch screen or PLC can be downloaded from the touch screen onto the device and information from the device can be transmitted to a personal computer to be viewed or printed. Additionally, a method of downloading the data from a machine having a touch screen or PLC to a handheld control unit and downloading this information to a personal computer such that the information can be viewed or printed.

Claims

1. A method of downloading data from a meat processing machine characterized in

providing a meat processing machine that has a touch screen that governs information of the meat processing machine;

providing a hand held control that has a screen and that is operatively associated with the touch screen of the meat processing machine;

selectively actuating the hand held control to transfer information regarding a meat product being processed from the meat processing machine to the hand held control wherein an operator views the information from the meat processing machine that has been transmitted to the hand held control on the screen of the hand held control; and

formulating the transferred information to be viewed; and

providing a personal computer to receive the transferred information from the meat processing machine via the hand held control.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transferred data is selected from the group consisting of running time, pressure settings, initials of person gather data, name of product being run, recipe being used to make the product, and meat processing information.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting the transferred data to a controller.

4. A system for downloading data from a machine characterized in:

a meat processing machine that has a touch screen that governs information of the meat processing machine;

a hand held control that has a screen and that is operatively associated with the touch screen of the meat processing machine such that information regarding a meat product being processed is transferred from the meat processing machine to the hand held control by selectively actuating the hand held control;

the hand held control being operable to formulate the transferred information to be viewed on the screen of the hand held control; and

a personal computer to receive information regarding the meat product being processed transmitted from the meat processing machine via the hand held control.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the transferred data is selected from the group consisting of running time, pressure settings, initials of person gather data, name of product being run, recipe being used to make the product, and meat processing information.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising a controller operatively associated with the intermediary device.