Vibration treatment method and graphical user interface

• US 9,176,001 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2011
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bonal Technologies, Inc. (Bonal International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bonal Technologies, Inc. (Bonal International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Thomas B., Hebel, Thomas E., Hebel, August G. III
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wan, Jasmine
• Application Number:
  US13/019,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 715/771, 715/768, 701/101, 348/65, 347/105, 359/463, 228/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 10/00 Modifying the physical properties by methods other than heat treatment or deformation
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 9/50 for welded joints
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A graphical user interface for vibration treatment includes control buttons hidden for display of certain screens, and/or a vibration amplitude meter that includes at least one peak amplitude bar and a present amplitude bar extending alongside the at least one peak amplitude bar and graphically coded for an in-range condition and at least one out-of-range condition. Related methods, computer program products, and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A vibration treatment system, comprising:

vibration treatment equipment including a force inducer and a transducer; and

a computing apparatus to monitor input from the force transducer and control output to the force inducer, and including;

at least one input device to receive data from a user;

at least one output device to present data to the user, and including a graphical user interface that includes;

a vibration amplitude meter including;

an origin,

a range limit oppositely disposed from the origin,

at least one peak amplitude bar representative of a peak amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit, and

a present amplitude bar representative of a present amplitude signal received from at least one of the transducer or the processor and extending from the origin toward the range limit alongside the at least one peak amplitude bar, wherein the present amplitude bar is graphically coded for an in-range condition and at least one out-of-range condition,

wherein the at least one peak amplitude bar includes two amplitude bars disposed on either side of the present amplitude bar, and wherein the present amplitude bar is color-coded a first color for an in-range condition, color-coded a second color for an above-range condition, and color-coded a third color for a below-range condition, wherein the colors are different,

a memory storing program instructions and data; and

a processor coupled to the input and output devices and memory and responsive to the program instructions for causing the system to perform a method of vibration treatment.

2. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the first color is green, the second color is red, and the third color is blue.

3. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the vibration amplitude meter also includes a graphically coded border disposed at least on either side of the present amplitude bar.

4. The system set forth in claim 3 wherein the border is coded for a plurality of amplitude ranges.

5. The system set forth in claim 4 wherein the border is color-coded a first color for a first amplitude range and color-coded a second color for a second amplitude range.

6. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein the interface also includes a frequency section including a plurality of graphical vibration frequency control buttons and a numerical vibration frequency meter.

7. The system set forth in claim 6 wherein the interface also includes a timer section including a numerical chronometer, and a job section including a plurality of graphical job control buttons.

8. The system set forth in claim 7 wherein all of the control buttons are displayed in a default screen and at least one of the control buttons becomes hidden in at least one other screen.

9. A method of vibration treatment of an object comprising the steps of:

a) providing to a user a graphical user interface including a vibration amplitude meter and a vibration frequency control;

b) receiving a first scan request from the user via the vibration frequency control;

c) applying increasing amounts of mechanical vibration to the object in response to receipt of the first scan request;

d) monitoring frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to the object in step c);

e) storing a first frequency corresponding to maximum amplitude from the first scan;

f) displaying to the user via the vibration amplitude meter of the graphical user interface, an amplitude origin, a range limit oppositely disposed from the origin, at least one peak amplitude bar representative of a peak amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit, and a present amplitude bar representative of a present amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit alongside the at least one peak amplitude bar, wherein the present amplitude bar is displayable in an in-range graphical code and in at least one out-of-range graphical code; and

g) receiving from the user via the vibration frequency control, a vibration setting to fix the frequency of vibration to be applied to the object to a level such that the present amplitude bar displays the in-range graphical code, and if the present amplitude signal changes such that the present amplitude bar displays the at least one out-of-range graphical code, then allowing the user to adjust mechanical vibration applied to the object via the vibration frequency control until the present amplitude bar again displays the in-range graphical code.

10. The method set forth in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

h) applying mechanical vibration to the object at the fixed frequency from step g) for a first time;

i) terminating the application of mechanical vibration upon expiration of the first time;

j) receiving a second scan request from the user via the vibration frequency control;

k) applying increasing amounts of mechanical vibration to the object in response to receipt of the second scan request;

l) monitoring frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to the object in step k);

m) storing a second frequency corresponding to maximum amplitude from the second scan; and

n) receiving from the user via the vibration frequency control, a vibration setting to fix frequency of vibration to be applied to the object to a level such that the present amplitude bar displays the in-range graphical code.

11. The method set forth in claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

o) applying mechanical vibration to the object at the fixed frequency from step n) for a second time;

p) terminating the application of mechanical vibration upon expiration of the second time;

q) receiving a subsequent scan request from the user via the vibration frequency control;

r) applying increasing amounts of mechanical vibration to the object in response to receipt of the subsequent scan request;

s) monitoring frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to the object in step r);

t) storing a subsequent frequency corresponding to maximum amplitude from the subsequent scan; and

u) determining that vibration treatment is complete, if a difference between the second and subsequent frequencies is less than a predetermined amount, otherwise repeating steps q) through u).

12. The method set forth in claim 11 further comprising the step of continuing to display the present amplitude bar during steps h) and o).

13. A computer program product including a non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions executable by a computer processor of a vibration treatment system to cause the vibration treatment system to implement steps of a method according to the following steps:

a) providing to a user a graphical user interface including a vibration amplitude meter and a vibration frequency control;

b) receiving a first scan request from the user via the vibration frequency control;

c) applying increasing amounts of mechanical vibration to the object in response to receipt of the first scan request;

d) monitoring frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to the object in step c);

e) storing a first frequency corresponding to maximum amplitude from the first scan;

f) displaying to the user via the vibration amplitude meter of the graphical user interface, an amplitude origin, a range limit oppositely disposed from the origin, at least one peak amplitude bar representative of a peak amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit, and a present amplitude bar representative of a present amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit alongside the at least one peak amplitude bar, wherein the present amplitude bar is displayable in an in-range graphical code and in at least one out-of-range graphical code; and

g) receiving from the user via the vibration frequency control, a vibration setting to fix the frequency of vibration to be applied to the object to a level such that the present amplitude bar displays the in-range graphical code, and if the present amplitude signal changes such that the present amplitude bar displays the at least one out-of-range graphical code, then allowing the user to adjust mechanical vibration applied to the object via the vibration frequency control until the present amplitude bar again displays the in-range graphical code.

14. A computer-controlled vibration treatment system, comprising:

at least one input device to receive data;

at least one output device to present data;

a memory storing program instructions and data; and

a processor coupled to the input and output devices and memory and responsive to the program instructions for causing the computer-controlled system to perform a method according to the following steps;

a) providing to a user a graphical user interface including a vibration amplitude meter and a vibration frequency control;

b) receiving a first scan request from the user via the vibration frequency control;

c) applying increasing amounts of mechanical vibration to the object in response to receipt of the first scan request;

d) monitoring frequency and amplitude of the vibration applied to the object in step c);

e) storing a first frequency corresponding to maximum amplitude from the first scan;

f) displaying to the user via the vibration amplitude meter of the graphical user interface, an amplitude origin, a range limit oppositely disposed from the origin, at least one peak amplitude bar representative of a peak amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit, and a present amplitude bar representative of a present amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit alongside the at least one peak amplitude bar, wherein the present amplitude bar is displayable in an in-range graphical code and in at least one out-of-range graphical code; and

g) receiving from the user via the vibration frequency control, a vibration setting to fix the frequency of vibration to be applied to the object to a level such that the present amplitude bar displays the in-range graphical code, and if the present amplitude signal changes such that the present amplitude bar displays the at least one out-of-range graphical code, then allowing the user to adjust mechanical vibration applied to the object via the vibration frequency control until the present amplitude bar again displays the in-range graphical code.

15. A vibration treatment system, comprising:

vibration treatment equipment including a force inducer and a transducer; and

a computing apparatus to monitor input from the force transducer and control output to the force inducer, and including;

at least one input device to receive data from a user;

at least one output device to present data to the user, and including

a graphical user interface that includes;

an amplitude section including a graphical vibration amplitude meter and a numerical vibration amplitude meter, wherein the graphical vibration amplitude meter includes;

an origin,

a range limit oppositely disposed from the origin,

at least one peak amplitude bar representative of a peak amplitude signal and extending from the origin toward the range limit, and

a present amplitude bar representative of a present amplitude signal received from at least one of the transducer or the processor and extending from the origin toward the range limit alongside the at least one peak amplitude bar, wherein the present amplitude bar is graphically coded for an in-range condition and at least one out-of-range condition,

wherein the at least one peak amplitude bar includes two amplitude bars disposed on either side of the present amplitude bar, and wherein the present amplitude bar is color-coded a first color for an in-range condition, color-coded a second color for an above-range condition, and color-coded a third color for a below-range condition, wherein the colors are different;

a frequency section including a numerical vibration frequency meter and a plurality of graphical vibration frequency control buttons, which include at least one of a frequency ramp button or a frequency incremental increase button selectable to initiate treatment;

a timer section including a numerical chronometer;

a job section including a plurality of graphical job control buttons, which include at least one of a job done button selectable to save job data, a job data button selectable to review job data, or a job settings button selectable to review and enter job settings;

wherein all of the control buttons are displayed in a default screen and at least one of the control buttons becomes hidden in at least one other screen including at least one of a scan screen during a scan mode or a vibration treatment screen during a vibration treatment setting mode;

a memory storing program instructions and data; and

a processor coupled to the input and output devices and memory and responsive to the program instructions for causing the system to perform a method of vibration treatment.

16. The system set forth in claim 15 wherein at least one of a timer set button, the job done button, or the job settings button are hidden in the scan screen during the scan mode.

17. The system set forth in claim 15 wherein at least one of amplitude buttons, the frequency ramp button, timer buttons, or job buttons are hidden in the vibration treatment setting screen during the vibration treatment setting mode.

18. The system set forth in claim 15 wherein amplitude and frequency control buttons are hidden in the vibration treatment screen during the vibration treatment mode.