Motor and motor drive diagnostic system using barcode

• US 8,851,381 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Lundell, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/654,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.13, 701/33.2
• US Class Current: 235/462.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06112 the marking being simulated using a light source, e.g. a barcode shown on a display or a laser beam with time-varying intensity profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A motor drive system includes a motor drive configured to provide signals to an electric motor to drive the motor in operation. A barcode is disposed on the motor drive and is configured to be scanned by a user device to provide the user device with information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

Claims

1. A motor drive system comprising:

a motor drive configured to provide signals to an electric motor to drive the motor in operation;

a barcode disposed on the motor drive and configured to be scanned by a user device to provide the user device with information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

2. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the barcode directly encodes the information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

3. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the barcode encodes site information for a site to which the user device is directed to obtain the information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

4. The motor drive system of claim 3, wherein the site comprises a web site external to an organization in which the motor drive system is installed.

5. The motor drive system of claim 3, wherein the site comprises a network address internal to an organization in which the motor drive system is installed.

6. The motor drive system of claim 5, wherein the network address provides dynamic or historical information regarding operation of the motor drive.

7. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the barcode is a static barcode applied to a viewable portion of the motor drive.

8. The motor drive system of claim 1, wherein the barcode is a dynamic barcode generated by circuitry within the motor drive and displayed on a user viewable display.

9. The motor drive system of claim 8, wherein the barcode encodes the information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

10. The motor drive system of claim 8, wherein the barcode encodes site information for a site to which the user device is directed to obtain the information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

11. A motor drive system comprising:

an electric motor having a rotor and a stator;

an encoder configured to monitor linear or rotary movement of the rotor;

a motor drive configured to provide signals to the electric motor to drive the motor in operation, the motor drive comprising control circuitry configured receive feedback from the encoder and to drive the motor based on the signal; and

a barcode dynamically generated by the motor drive and displayed on a user viewable display disposed on the motor drive, the barcode encoding site information for a site to which the user device is directed to obtain information relating to the motor drive or operation of the motor drive.

12. The motor drive system of claim 11, wherein the site comprises a web site external to an organization in which the motor drive system is installed.

13. The motor drive system of claim 11, wherein the site comprises a network address internal to an organization in which the motor drive system is installed.

14. The motor drive system of claim 13, wherein the network address provides dynamic or historical information regarding operation of the motor drive.

15. The motor drive system of claim 11, wherein the site comprises information relating to an operational issue experienced by the motor drive, the encoder or the motor, or a combination thereof.

16. The motor drive system of claim 11, wherein the barcode comprises machine-readable data configured to encode the information, and the information comprises at least one of a uniform resource locator, a database query, plain text, or a combination thereof.

17. An industrial automation system comprising:

a motor drive configured to provide signals to an electric motor to drive the motor in operation;

a user viewable display disposed on the motor drive; and

a barcode dynamically generated by the motor drive and displayed on the user viewable display, wherein the barcode provides information relating to an operational issue experienced by the industrial automation system.

18. The industrial automation system of claim 17, wherein the barcode encodes site information for a site to which the user device is directed to obtain the information relating to the operational issue.

19. The industrial automation system of claim 18, wherein the site comprises a web site external to an organization in which the industrial automation system is installed.

20. The industrial automation system of claim 18, wherein the site comprises a network address internal to an organization in which the industrial automation system is installed.