Method and operator control unit for configuring and monitoring a device with functional safety

• US 7,990,269 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Betz, Jochen, Bork, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rushing; Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/091,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,744 Days
• Field of Search: 340555-557
• US Class Current: 340/556
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/20 using multiple transmitters or receivers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for configuring a safety sensor such as a light barrier, with parameters which can be set on an application-specific basis, wherein an operator control unit equipped with input means is provided, which operator control unit is connected to the safety sensor under automatic interface and sensor identification, and the parameters on an application-specific basis are set using the input means, wherein a feedback message of the set parameters is simultaneously and automatically displayed in a visualized manner on a display unit (10) of the operator control unit. The present invention further relates to a corresponding operator control unit and to a method for monitoring a safety sensor with parameters which can be set on an application-specific basis.

Claims

1. Method for configuring a safety sensor (1, 100) with parameters which can be set on an application-specific basis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an operator control unit equipped with a display device and input means for setting application-specific parameters;

connecting said operator control unit to said safety sensor under automatic interface and sensor recognition;

using said operator control unit to automatically recognize the kinds of interface connected to said safety sensor and said connected safety sensor;

displaying on said display device an image including a first window, a second window and a third window, said first window showing current status of the parameters supported by the safety sensors of the recognized kinds, said second window showing settings that can be set through said input means, and said third window visualizing dynamically in real time light intensity of individual light beam; and

transmitting a newly set parameter value, when said newly set parameter value is inputted to said second window, to said safety sensor and using said newly set parameter value to update the display in said first window and the visualization in said third window.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a safety light barrier or a safety light grating is used as safety sensor (1, 100), with a plurality of light beams with a light intensity of a transmitter (5, 50) which can be set on an application-specific basis, with an amplification at a receiver (6, 60) which can be set on an application-specific basis, and/or with a switching threshold at the receiver (6, 60) which can be set on an application-specific basis.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the light intensity for each light beam of the safety grating is dynamically visually displayed in real time by means of a bar chart, wherein a bar of the bar chart images precisely the light intensity of a light beam.

4. Method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of blanking out one or more light beams of said safety sensor by means of said input means in a targeted manner.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein the set parameters are modified and the modification is instantaneously visually displayed on the display unit (10) of the operator control unit.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the set parameters are modified only after authorisation.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the authorisation is defined and realised by means of a predetermined password.

16. Method according to claim 3, wherein one or more light beams of the safety grating are blanked out in a targeted manner by means of the input means of the operator control unit.

17. Method according to claim 6, wherein the set parameters are modified and the modification is instantaneously visually displayed on the display unit (10) of the operator control unit.

18. Method according to claim 17, wherein the set parameters are modified only after authorisation.

8. Method for monitoring a safety sensor (1, 100) with parameters which can be set on an application-specific basis, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an operator control unit equipped with a display device and input means for setting application-specific parameters;

connecting said operator control unit to said safety sensor under automatic interface and sensor recognition;

using said operator control unit to automatically recognize the kinds of interface connected to said safety sensor and said connected safety sensor;

displaying visually on said display device simultaneously and automatically an acknowledgment of the set parameters and light intensities at a receiver,

displaying on said display device an image including a first window, a second window and a third window, said first window showing current status of the parameters supported by the safety sensors of the recognized kinds, said second window showing settings that can be set through said input means, and said third window visualizing dynamically in real time light intensity of individual light beam; and

transmitting a newly set parameter value, when said newly set parameter value is inputted to said second window, to said safety sensor and using said newly set parameter value to update the display in said first window and the visualization in said third window.

9. Operator control unit for configuring at least one safety sensor (1, 100) with parameters which can be set on an application-specific basis, wherein the operator control unit includes

connection means for connecting the operator control unit to the at least one safety sensor (1, 100),

detector means for the automatic interface and sensor recognition when the operator control unit is connected to the safety sensor, input means for setting and altering the application-specific parameters,

a display unit (10), and

a control unit for displaying on said display unit a first window, a second window and a third window, said first window showing current status of the parameters supported by the safety sensors of the recognized kinds, said second window showing settings that can be set through said input means, and said third window visualizing dynamically in real time light intensity of individual light beam, an acknowledgement of the set or altered parameters being simultaneously and automatically visually displayed on the display unit (10) of the operator control unit.

10. Operator control unit according to claim 9, wherein the operator control unit can be used for configuring a safety light barrier or a safety light grating with a plurality of light beams with a light intensity which can be set on an application-specific basis.

11. Operator control unit according to claim 10, wherein the light intensity for each light beam of the safety grating can be dynamically visually displayed in real time on the display unit (10) by means of a bar chart, wherein a bar of the bar chart images precisely the light intensity of a light beam.

12. Operator control unit according to claim 10, wherein one or more light beams of the safety sensor can be blanked out in a targeted manner by means of the input means of the operator control unit.

13. Operator control unit according to claim 12, wherein the set parameters can be modified by means of the input means and the modification can be instantaneously visually displayed on the display unit (10) of the operator control unit.

14. Operator control unit according to claim 13, wherein a modification of the set parameters via the input means can take place only after authorisation.

15. Operator control unit according to claim 14, wherein the authorisation is defined and realised by means of a predetermined password.

19. Operator control unit according to claim 11, wherein one or more light beams of the safety grating can be blanked out in a targeted manner by means of the input means of the operator control unit.

20. Operator control unit according to claim 19, wherein the set parameters can be modified by means of the input means and the modification can be instantaneously visually displayed on the display unit (10) of the operator control unit.