Method for operating an automatic cleaning machine

• US 9,585,539 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meiko Maschinenbau GmbH & Company KG (Stiftung Oskar Und Rosel Meier)
• Original Assignee: Meiko Maschinenbau GmbH & Company KG (Stiftung Oskar Und Rosel Meier)
• Inventors: Dirschus, Jrgen, Huber, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): BHARGAVA, ANIL K
• Application Number:
  US14/391,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0063 using remote monitoring or controlling of the dishwasher operation, e.g. networking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4293 Arrangements for programme selection, e.g. control panels; Indication of the selected programme, programme progress or other parameters of the programme, e.g. by using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/04 Operation mode, e.g. delicate washing, economy washing, reduced time, sterilizing, water softener regenerating, odor eliminating or service
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2301/08 Other manual input
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/26 Indication or alarm to the controlling device or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2501/36 Other output
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/17 Combination with washing or cleaning means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating an automatic cleaning device, in particular an industrially usable dishwasher or cleaning and disinfection device with a man-machine interface and a display with buttons. Symbols for the operation and/or an ongoing process are illustrated on the man-machine interface. An interaction of an operator with the man-machine interface is effected via buttons. Depending on the requirements of the operator, context-sensitive help is retrieved via a retrieval, said help accessing a stored information supply comprising image formats, PNG formats, drawings, maintenance lists, spare parts lists and/or databases, which are offered to the operator.

Claims

1. A method for operating an automatic cleaning device, in particular an industrially usable dishwasher or a cleaning and disinfection device with a man-machine interface and a display with buttons, with the following method steps:

a) symbols for operation and an ongoing process are displayed on the man-machine interface,

b) an interaction of an operator with the man-machine interface is effected via buttons, and

c) depending on the requirement of the operator, context-sensitive help is retrieved and is displayed, said contact-sensitive help accessing a stored information supply comprising at least one of images, drawings, spare parts lists, maintenance lists, audiovisual files, and databases, which are offered to the operator or to a service technician,

d) multimedia libraries are made available to the automatic cleaning device via the man-machine interface and a wireless data connection for a mobile device,

e) findings or solutions to problems are stored via the man-machine interface of the automatic cleaning device within a library which is integrated into a control system of the automatic cleaning device,

wherein at least one of a status and a fault display indicates limit values and a history of last activities allocated to a sensor/actuator, which are derivable directly from a help window as service information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the man-machine interface is operated on at least an operator level and at least a further service level.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that information stored for messages or status information is displayed in image file formats.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that information stored for messages of status information is made available in the form of audiovisual data.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that offered operating levels and their functions and intervention options are explained via the context-sensitive help with the information displayed in the man-machine interface.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a current situation can be documented in the form of images, videos or audiovisual sequences and can be stored in a machine control.

7. The method according claim 1, characterized in that stored situations can be retrieved once more by means of the man-machine interface.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the context-sensitive help conveys information on fields and control elements in dialogue fields, description of windows or screen elements or message texts.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that information can be stored via wireless data connection internally within the control system, depending on the authorization of the user.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that control of the cleaning device comprises a document server on which at least one of operating instructions, service instructions, spare parts lists, circuit diagrams are stored.

11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the context-sensitive help guides a user, taking account of authorization level allocation, via at least one of images and audiovisual content to a presumed fault.