Method of simplifying machine operation

• US 6,684,264 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited
• Inventors: Choi, Christopher Wai-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Rijue
• Application Number:
  US09/596,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/15, 710/8, 710/12, 710/14, 710/17, 710/19, 710/29, 710/31, 710/36, 710/38-40, 710/18, 710/43, 710/72, 710/105, 700/200, 700/197, 700/204
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/7606 Controlling or regulating the display unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/76 Measuring, controlling or regulating measuring in general G01; controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Apparatus and method for controlling a molding machine includes structure and function for a human machine interface control panel having: (i) a flat panel display screen; (ii) a pointing device; (iii) a plurality of pushbuttons overlaid with or without icons; (iv) a housing containing the above and the associated electronics; (v) structure to uniquely identify each users preferred configuration; (vi) structure to connect to a remote controller for both digital information and video signal communication; (vii) a connection for receiving external power to drive the panel'"'"'s electronics and display; and (viii) software running in the remote controller to provide all the operating functions of the human machine interface.

Claims

1. Molding machine control apparatus, comprising:

a processor-controllable touch-sensitive display screen for displaying information at least in the form of icons representative of selectively operable machine functions;

a plurality of application specific control function buttons disposed along one side of said touch-sensitive display screen;

a plurality of basic control function buttons also disposed along a side of said touch-sensitive display screen; and

a computer program product comprising software code portions configured to control machine operation and to control information display on the touch-sensitive display screen, the software code portions, in use, to cause;

(i) movement of a component of the molding machine in response to an activation of at least one of said plurality of basic control function buttons;

(ii) movement in a component of the molding machine in response to an activation of at least one of said application specific control function buttons; and

(iii) changes in at least one of the icons in response to a touch of said touch-sensitive display screen.

2. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said software code portions, in use, further cause movement in a plurality of components of the molding machine in response to an activation of at least one of said application specific control function buttons.

3. Control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said software code portions, in use, further cause substantially simultaneous movement in the plurality of components of the molding machine in response to the activation of at least one of said application specific control function buttons.

4. Control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said software code portions, in use, further cause substantially sequential movement in the plurality of components of the molding machine in response to the activation of at least one of said application specific control function buttons.

5. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said software code portions, in use, further operate to prevent any movement of a molding machine component in response to a touch of said touch-sensitive display screen.

6. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said touch-sensitive display screen includes a central portion and an edge portion, and wherein activation of at least one of said plurality of basic control function buttons causes a change in the touch sensitive display screen central portion, but not in said edge portion.

7. Control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein activation of at least one of said plurality of application specific control function buttons causes a change in the touch sensitive display screen edge portion.

8. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein activation of at least one of said plurality of application specific control function buttons causes a change in at least one icon.

9. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said software code portions, in use, further cause storage of at least two different operator configurations, each such configuration corresponding to a different series of molding machine component movements, the control apparatus further comprising:

at least one data key which corresponds to one of the operator configurations; and

a data key reader for reading said at least one data key.

10. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of application specific control function buttons are disposed on two side edges of said display screen;

said icons are displayed on side edges of said touch-sensitive display screen;

said plurality of basic control function buttons are disposed on a bottom edge of said touch-sensitive display screen; and

molding machine activation icons are disposed in a central portion of said touch-sensitive display screen.

11. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software code portions, in use, further cause multiple machine functions to be assigned to an application specific control function button.

12. Control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said software code portions further cause selected measured operation parameters to be associated with and displayed on an application specific control function button.

13. A molding machine display, comprising:

a display screen having;

(i) a first screen area configured to display molding machine display indicia;

(ii) a second screen area configures to display molding machine function-actuating indicia;

(iii) a first plurality of buttons interactively coupled o said display screen and arranged to cause a charge in correspondingly assigned molding machine display indicia; and

(iv) a second plurality of buttons interactively coupled to said display screen and arranged to initiate a motion in a molding machine component.

14. The molding machine display according to claim 13, wherein said first plurality of buttons is disposed on a top side and a bottom side of said display screen, and wherein said second plurality of buttons is disposed on a left side and a right side of said display screen.

15. The molding machine display according to claim 14, wherein said first plurality of buttons are further configured to change a corresponding molding machine function-actuating indicia.

16. The molding machine display according to claim 14 wherein said first plurality of buttons are further configured to control a motion in a molding machine component.

17. The molding machine display according to claim 14, wherein said display screen comprises a touch screen device, and wherein molding machine component motions cannot be actuated through said touch screen device.

18. The molding machine display according to claim 17, wherein said touch screen device is configured to change corresponding molding machine display indicia.

19. The molding machine display according to claim 14, wherein, upon actuation, at least one of said first plurality of buttons is configured to cause a plurality of molding machine component motions in sequence.

20. The molding machine display according to claim 14, wherein, upon actuation, at least one of said first plurality of buttons is configured to cause a plurality of molding machine component motions in parallel.

21. The molding machine display according to claim 14, wherein each of said second plurality of buttons is configurable to cause at least two different functions.

22. The molding machine display according to claim 14, wherein said first plurality of buttons is disposed at a different location to said second plurality of buttons.

23. A human machine interface of a molding machine, the human machine interface comprising:

a touch screen display for displaying machine status icons and machine activation icons;

a plurality of programmable buttons disposed along a side of said touch screen display and configured to change said machine status icons;

a plurality of non-programmable buttons disposed along another side of said touch screen display and configured to control a motion of a part of the molding machine in response to actuation thereof; and

at least one of said plurality of programmable buttons being programmable to initiate control of a plurality of molding machine movements in response to actuation thereof.

24. The human machine interface according to claim 23, wherein the at least one of said plurality of programmable buttons is programmable to initiate control of a sequential plurality of molding machine movements in response to actuation thereof.

25. The human machine interface according to claim 23, wherein the at least one of said plurality of programmable buttons is programmable to initiate control of a substantially simultaneous plurality of molding machine movements in response to actuation thereof.

26. A human machine interface comprising:

a display screen for displaying a plurality of machine function icons which correspond to a plurality of molding machine movements, said display screen also displaying a plurality of configuration icons;

a plurality of buttons disposed along a side of said display screen, at least one of said buttons corresponding to one of the plurality of configuration icons and being actuable to configure the plurality of machine function icons into (i) a first configuration and (ii) a second configuration different from the first sequence; and

a memory device reader couplable to a processor of the human machine interface, the memory device reader for at least reading, in use, configuration command data from at least one portable memory device containing such configuration commands arranged to cause the display screen to display one of the first configuration and the second configuration.