Paint sprayer distributed control and output volume monitoring architecture

Abstract

A paint sprayer distributed control and output volume monitoring architecture is provided, in particular a sprayer (1) for spraying a fluid, comprising a pump (9), an electric motor (4) driving the pump (9), a drive cycle indicator (27A-C), a wireless module (23) configured to send and receive information, and a control circuit (21). The drive cycle indicator (27A-C) outputs an indication of a cycle state of the pump (9). The control circuit (21) is configured to receive the plurality of cycle state indications of the pump (9), determine a plurality of output values representing paint sprayed fluid output volumes over a plurality of time windows based on the plurality of cycle state indications of the pump (9), store the plurality of output values in a memory (22), and cause the wireless module (23) to transmit one or more stored plurality of output values from the sprayer.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese national phase patent application No. 201980076973.4, which corresponds to the PCT application with international application number PCT / US2019 / 052463, international application date of September 23, 2019, entitled "Distributed Control and Output Volume Monitoring Architecture for Paint Sprayer", which entered the Chinese national phase on May 21, 2021.

[0002] This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 735,524, filed September 24, 2018; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 755,181, filed November 2, 2018; U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 789,219, filed January 7, 2019; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 792,107, filed January 14, 2019, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Background Technology

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to fluid distribution systems. More specifically, this disclosure relates to displacement pumps for fluid jetting systems.

[0004] Fluid distribution systems, such as those used for spraying paint and other fluids, typically utilize axial displacement pumps to draw fluid from a source and drive it downstream. The axial displacement pump includes a piston or diaphragm that is reciprocated along its longitudinal axis to pump the fluid and generate pressure sufficient to atomize the fluid from the nozzle, creating a spray fan for applying the fluid to a surface. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one example, this disclosure describes a spraying system comprising a handheld portable paint sprayer for spraying a spray fluid, the sprayer including: a piston pump for outputting pressurized paint for spraying; an electric motor for driving the pump; a drive cycle indicator configured to output multiple cycle state indications of the pump; a wireless module configured to wirelessly transmit and receive information; and control circuitry configured to receive the multiple cycle state indications of the pump, determine multiple output values ​​representing paint spray output volumes over multiple time windows based on the multiple cycle state indications of the pump, store the multiple output values ​​in a memory, and cause the wireless module to transmit one or more of the stored output values ​​outward from the sprayer.

[0006] In one example, this disclosure describes a method for tracking fluid volume, the method comprising pressurizing and spraying paint using a pump output of an injector for spraying, generating multiple cycle state indications of the pump, using control circuitry of the injector, determining multiple output values ​​representing paint spray output volumes over multiple time windows based on the multiple cycle state indications of the pump, and transmitting one or more of the multiple output values ​​outward from the injector using a wireless module of the injector.

[0007] In one example, this disclosure describes a system for monitoring the use of an injector, the system comprising an injector for injecting fluid, the injector including a memory configured to store a plurality of fluid output values ​​of the injector, the plurality of fluid output values ​​representing the fluid output volume of the injector over time, and a handheld computer device configured to receive the plurality of fluid output values ​​from the injector and configured to operate in an accessible mode or an inaccessible mode, in which the handheld computer device is in a first position, wherein a wireless connection to a network server via a continuous or near-continuous communication path is accessible, and in an inaccessible mode, the handheld computer device is in a second position outside the range of the continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server. In the accessible mode, the handheld computer device is configured to transmit at least some of the plurality of fluid output values ​​to the network server. In the inaccessible mode, the handheld computer device is configured to receive at least some of the fluid output values ​​from the injector, store the received fluid output values ​​in the memory of the handheld device, and switch from the inaccessible mode to the accessible mode in response to determining that a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server is accessible for transmitting the stored fluid output values.

[0008] In one example, this disclosure describes a method for monitoring the use of an injector, the method comprising, in a first instance, operating a handheld computer device in an accessible mode, wherein the handheld device is in a first location where a wireless connection to a network server via a continuous or near-continuous communication path is accessible. In the accessible mode, the method includes transmitting at least some of a plurality of fluid output values ​​received from the injector to the network server. In a second instance, the method includes operating the handheld computer device in an inaccessible mode, wherein the handheld computer device is in a second location outside the range of the continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server. In the inaccessible mode, the method includes receiving at least some of the fluid output values ​​from the injector, storing the received fluid output values ​​in the memory of the handheld device, and switching from the inaccessible mode to the accessible mode in response to determining that a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server is accessible for transmitting the stored fluid output values.

[0009] In one example, this disclosure describes a method comprising receiving, by a handheld computer, user credentials of a handheld computer user and identification information of an injector wirelessly connected to the handheld computer; receiving, by the handheld computer, via wireless communication from the injector a plurality of fluid parameter values ​​representing fluid output by the injector over time, wherein the plurality of fluid parameter values ​​includes a first set of fluid parameter values ​​generated during user use of the injector and a second set of fluid parameter values ​​generated prior to user use of the injector; determining whether user credentials are authorized to view one or more of the plurality of fluid parameter values ​​including the first set of fluid parameter values ​​and the second set of fluid parameter values; wirelessly transmitting the plurality of fluid parameter values ​​to a network server remotely connected to the injector and the handheld computer; and, in response to determining that the user credentials are not authorized to view the second set of fluid parameter values, preventing the user from viewing at least the second set of fluid parameter values ​​on the handheld computer; displaying at least some of the first set of fluid parameter values ​​by the handheld computer, despite determining that user credentials are not authorized to view the second set of fluid parameter values; and displaying the second set of fluid parameter values ​​by the handheld computer based on user credentials indicating a user capable of viewing the second set of fluid parameter values.

[0010] In one example, this disclosure describes a system including an injector and a handheld computer, the handheld computer including a wireless transceiver, a display device, and control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive user credentials of a user of the handheld computer and identification information of the injector wirelessly communicating with the handheld computer, receive via the wireless transceiver multiple fluid parameter values ​​from the injector representing fluid output by the injector over time, wherein the multiple fluid parameter values ​​include a first set of fluid parameter values ​​generated during user use of the injector and a second set of fluid parameter values ​​generated before user use of the injector, and determine whether the user credentials are authorized to view the multiple fluid parameter values ​​including the first set of fluid parameter values ​​and the second set of fluid parameter values. One or more of the values ​​cause the wireless transceiver to wirelessly transmit the plurality of fluid parameter values ​​to a network server remote from the injector and the handheld computer. In response to determining that the user credentials are not authorized to view a second set of fluid parameter values ​​among the plurality of fluid parameter values, the user is prevented from viewing at least a second set of fluid parameter values ​​at the handheld computer via a display device. The display device displays at least some of the first set of fluid parameter values, even though it is determined that the user credentials are not authorized to view the second set of fluid parameter values ​​among the plurality of fluid parameter values. The display device displays the second set of fluid parameter values ​​based on the user credentials indicating that a user is authorized to view the second set of fluid parameter values.

[0011] In one example, this disclosure describes a system comprising: an injector including a pump that outputs pressurized fluid for injection; an electric motor driving the pump; injector control circuitry configured to generate data indicating the injection volume; and a wireless module configured to wirelessly transmit information including the data indicating the injection volume. The system includes control circuitry external to the injector, configured to receive the data indicating the injection volume, update an injection volume maintenance log by updating the data indicating the injection volume from the injector, maintain the injection volume maintenance log in a memory, compare the injection volume maintenance log with an injection volume threshold, and issue an alarm when the injection volume maintenance log exceeds the injection volume threshold.

[0012] In one example, this disclosure describes an ejector system including an ejector for ejecting a jet fluid, the ejector comprising: a pump that outputs pressurized jet fluid for ejection; an electric motor that drives the pump; a pressure sensor that measures the fluid pressure output from the pump; and a wireless module configured to wirelessly transmit and receive information. The system also includes control circuitry configured to receive multiple pressure values ​​when the pump operates during a window period, determine a summed pressure metric for the window based on the multiple pressure values ​​received during the window period, and cause the wireless module to transmit the summed pressure metric.

[0013] In one example, this disclosure describes an injector system comprising: a pump that outputs pressurized jet fluid for injection; an electric motor that drives the pump; a pressure sensor configured to sense actual pressure downstream of the pump; a wireless module configured to wirelessly transmit and receive information; a pressure control input for a user input to set the pump output pressure; and control circuitry configured to receive a threshold pressure wirelessly received via the wireless transceiver, receive a pump output pressure setting, and control the operation of the injector based on the threshold pressure, the pump output pressure setting, and the actual pressure, wherein the control circuitry causes the electric motor to drive the pump output to the pump output pressure setting unless the pump output pressure setting is greater than the threshold pressure, in which case the control circuitry causes the electric motor to drive the pump output to the threshold pressure.

[0014] In one example, this disclosure describes a system for tracking paint spray volume. The system includes one or more sprayers for spraying fluid for multiple jobs, one or more handheld computer devices communicatively connected to the sprayers, each of the one or more handheld computer devices configured to receive information indicating one or more jobs from the multiple jobs, receive user selection of a job among the one or more jobs, receive information from the one or more sprayers indicating the amount of fluid sprayed by the one or more sprayers, the one or more handheld computer devices communicatively connected to the one or more sprayers, and output information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed in association with the selected job among the one or more jobs. The system also includes a network server configured to receive corresponding information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for the corresponding job from each of the one or more handheld computer devices, update corresponding spray volume logs based on the corresponding information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for the corresponding job, wherein the spray volume logs are associated with multiple jobs respectively, and each spray volume log includes information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed at the associated job, and generates information based on the spray volume logs for displaying the corresponding amount of fluid sprayed for the multiple jobs.

[0015] In one example, this disclosure describes a system for tracking paint spray volume, the system including one or more injectors for spraying fluid for multiple jobs and a network server configured to receive information generated by the one or more injectors indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for a corresponding job, and to update a corresponding spray volume log based on the information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for the corresponding job, wherein the spray volume logs are associated with multiple jobs respectively, and each spray volume log includes information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed at the associated job, and information generated based on the spray volume logs for displaying the corresponding amount of fluid sprayed for the multiple jobs.

[0016] In one example, this disclosure describes a method for fluid jet assignment, the method comprising receiving multiple job profiles corresponding to multiple painting projects, respectively, for one or more paint sprayers; generating multiple jet volume datasets with the one or more paint sprayers; transmitting the multiple jet volume datasets; receiving the multiple jet volume datasets; receiving inputs that associate the multiple jet volume datasets with the multiple painting projects, respectively; determining jet volume values ​​for the multiple painting projects based on the multiple jet volume datasets associated with the multiple painting projects, respectively; and generating outputs based on the jet volume values.

[0017] Details of one or more examples are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the specification, the drawings, and the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the fluid ejector.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded view of a fluid ejector.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic block diagram of the components of various devices used to monitor fluid ejectors in a wireless network.

[0021] Figure 4A This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for generating time-based usage information on an injector.

[0022] Figure 4B It is shown Figure 4A The flowchart shows a variant of the operation that is divided into two concurrent processes, A and B.

[0023] Figure 4C This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for generating time-based injection pressure information on an injector.

[0024] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of connecting a handheld computer to a jet injector, thereby moving data generated on the jet injector to a web server via the handheld computer.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for attaching the injector to a handheld computer.

[0026] Figure 7 It is a flowchart illustrating various aspects of the operation's characteristics.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic block diagram of a system used to track generation efficiency.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of outputting a notification from a web server in response to receiving injector identification data associated with an uninterpreted state of the injector.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of remotely setting the injector pressure threshold using a handheld computer with a wireless connection.

[0030] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for limiting the output pressure of an injector to a threshold pressure received from a handheld computer via wireless communication.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of generating a maintenance alarm for an injector using data received from a handheld computer via wireless communication.

[0032] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of generating a maintenance alarm for an injector using data received from a handheld computer via wireless communication.

[0033] Figure 14 This is a sample performance data report for the injector.

[0034] Figure 15 This is a sample job data report for multiple injectors. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The pump according to this disclosure causes a piston to reciprocate within a cylinder to pump various fluids, examples of which include paint, water, oil, dyes, topcoats, aggregates, coatings, putty, sealants, and solvents. One class of fluids is architectural coatings, which include paints used for roofs, ceilings, walls (internal and external), and floors of structures. Paint will be used herein as an example, although any embodiment mentioned herein can be used with any type of fluid. Piston pumps can produce high fluid pumping pressures, such as between 1,000 and 5,000 psi or even higher, although 2,000 to 3,500 psi is a typical range. High fluid pumping pressures are useful for atomizing paint from a nozzle into a spray for applying the paint as a coating to a surface.

[0036] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of fluid ejector 1. Figure 1 A handheld computer 14 is also shown. The handheld computer 14 can be any type of portable handheld computer. As shown, the handheld computer 14 is a cellular phone, more specifically a smartphone, but it can also be a tablet or other type of portable device. The handheld computer 14 is wirelessly connected to both the fluid jet 1 and an information network such as the Internet via cellular, Wi-Fi, or other types of data transmission connections. The handheld computer 14 is portable and designed to be fully supported by a single hand and is typically carried by a person while working.

[0037] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of fluid ejector 1. We will discuss it together. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The fluid jet 1 includes a frame 6. In this embodiment, the frame 6 includes legs for supporting the fluid jet 1 on the floor. The frame 6 may additionally or alternatively include wheels or other ground contact supports. In any case, the fluid jet 1 can be carried by a single person or otherwise moved for transport to use in various work locations. The frame 6 fully supports the main housing containing the motor 4 and controller 5. The motor 4 is mounted on the frame 6. The fluid jet 1 is portable and includes a handle 10 fixed to the frame 6 for manually picking up and carrying the fluid jet system 1. Some larger embodiments of the fluid jet 1 can be rotated by tilting and pushing the fluid jet 1.

[0038] The controller 5 supplies power to the motor 4. The motor 4 can be an electric brushless rotor-stator motor, etc. In other forms, the motor 4 can be a gas (combustion), pneumatic, or hydraulic power motor, etc. In this embodiment and various other embodiments, the motor 4 outputs rotational motion. The motor 4 causes the driver 7 to rotate, which in the illustrated embodiment includes drive components 7A-7C. The drive components 7A-7C in this embodiment include various components for converting the rotational motion output by the motor 4 into linear reciprocating motion, such as gears, eccentric wheels, and cranks. The drive components 7A-7C may include different components, such as anti-rotation yokes or other mechanisms for converting the rotational motion into linear reciprocating motion. The driver 7 is connected to the top of the piston 13 of the pump 9 to reciprocate the piston 13 relative to the cylinder 12 of the pump 9. The pump 9 can be mounted on the frame 6, for example with a clamp, to support or otherwise hold the cylinder 12 in place during the reciprocating motion of the piston 13.

[0039] Pump 9 draws in paint through suction hose 2B. The end of suction hose 2B can be submerged in a container of paint or other fluid to be sprayed. Pump 9 pressurizes the paint and outputs it through hose 2A to spray gun 3. Spray gun 3 includes a triggering device that can be manually actuated to open an internal valve (not shown) and release the paint in a fan-shaped atomized spray pattern. Once controller 5 is switched on to power motor 4 and pump 9 is started, fluid ejector 1 can be operated to spray by pulling the triggering device of spray gun 3.

[0040] In typical operation, fluid sprayer 1 will be used for painting projects at remote locations. Some small projects can be completed in an hour, while others may take days, weeks, or months. Each painter typically handles multiple projects at a time and may be involved in multiple projects during a single day. Sometimes a painter owns fluid sprayer 1 and may have several fluid sprayers. Sometimes, painters are employed by a contractor company that owns multiple fluid sprayers and employs multiple other painters. In this case, fluid sprayer 1 may be physically held in that location for several days, while multiple painters from the same employer operate fluid sprayer 1.

[0041] Whether fluid sprayer 1 belongs to an individual painter or is part of a sprayer team, its usage needs to be tracked. This is for several reasons. The first is to track production efficiency and costs associated with painting projects. The primary cost drivers of painting projects are the cost of the paint being sprayed and the labor of the painter operating fluid sprayer 1. Painting projects are typically priced based on the square feet of the surface to be painted, with the cost of paint and labor hours factored into the price. It is then necessary to track how efficiently the painter completes the project. The painter attempts to manage the amount of paint sprayed and the labor hours to avoid exceeding the paint gallons or time assumptions under the price.

[0042] Another reason to track the use of fluid ejector 1 is to ensure it is used when expected and not used when expected to be idle (e.g., during the off-duty hours of night shift workers). Another reason to track usage is to manage the maintenance of fluid ejector 1. For example, the seals of pump 9 should be replaced after a certain number of gallons have been ejected, and continuing to eject after that number without maintenance risks fluid ejector 1 failing midway through the project.

[0043] This disclosure provides features for monitoring the generation efficiency of fluid ejector 1, including, as part of a fluid ejector fleet, tracking usage, generation efficiency, and maintenance, as further illustrated herein. For example, the example techniques described in this disclosure provide practically applicable solutions to improve the operation of fluid ejector 1 (e.g., ensuring fluid ejector 1 is properly maintained before failure, ensuring fluid ejector 1 is used effectively, etc.). As described in more detail, the example techniques utilize computing resources available in a device such as handheld computer 14 and / or resources available in a cloud-based infrastructure to monitor the generation efficiency of fluid ejector 1, including, as part of a fluid ejector fleet, tracking usage, generation efficiency, and maintenance.

[0044] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of components of various devices used for monitoring fluid ejector 1 in a wireless network is shown. As shown, fluid ejector 1 includes control circuitry 21. Control circuitry 21 may be one or more control boards and may be the same as controller 5. In this embodiment, control circuitry 21 includes processor 24 operatively connected to memory 22. Processor 24 may be a microprocessor, integrated chip, controller, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuitry. In some examples, processor 24 may be described as processing circuitry. Memory 22 may be one or more non-volatile semiconductor memory chips or other types of memory for storing firmware, software, and / or other types of executable program instructions executable by processor 24 for managing the operation of fluid ejector 1, as well as storing data and other information that may be generated and / or received by fluid ejector 1. For example, memory 22 may include dedicated space for firmware and temporary memory space (e.g., first-in-first-out buffer) as the same or separate chips.

[0045] Control circuitry 21 may include a clock module, or processor 24 may operate a counting routine or other clock function to determine the current time and date. In some examples, handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and / or network server 35 may include a clock module and / or operate a counting routine or other clock function to determine the current time and date, in addition to control circuitry 21 that includes a clock module or processor 24 that includes a clock module or other clock function to determine the current time and date. As described in more detail, control circuitry (e.g., one or a combination of control circuitry 15 of handheld computer 14 or control circuitry 21 of fluid ejector 1, or possibly other control circuitry) may be configured to determine timing information (e.g., a time window defined by the difference between two events) to determine usage information of fluid ejector 1.

[0046] Determining the usage information of fluid ejector 1 associated with timing information (e.g., time window) allows the control circuitry to generate usage information in a grouped manner for easy storage in memory (e.g., ...). Figure 3 The memory 22 shown (or the memory of other devices) is in the memory and is easy to transfer. In this way, Figure 3 The exemplary component shown can operate in such a way as to facilitate efficient memory storage and bandwidth usage while providing usage information for monitoring the generation efficiency of the fluid ejector 1.

[0047] exist Figure 3 In the example, control circuitry 21 includes a wireless module 23, which may be a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit and receive data with one or more remote computing devices, such as handheld computer 14. In some embodiments, wireless module 23 may be separate from control circuitry 21, but operatively connected to control circuitry 21. As further explained herein, wireless module 23 may wirelessly communicate with handheld computer 14. In some embodiments, wireless module 23 may be configured for wireless communication over a limited distance, such as less than 50 feet or less than 25 feet. For example, wireless module 23 may be configured for short-range transmission and reception of data using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz. TM Protocol communication. The wireless module 23 is operatively connected to the processor 24 for receiving commands from and providing data to the processor 24. In some embodiments, the wireless module 23 can send commands and / or data to the processor 24, making the communication bidirectional.

[0048] Although the above examples describe wireless module 23 as communicating directly with handheld computer 14 over a limited distance, the technology disclosed herein is not limited thereto. In some examples, wireless module 23 may be configured to communicate indirectly with a network (such as the Internet) via cellular network 41 (such as a cellular base station, WiFi base station, or orbital satellite base station). Thus, in some examples, wireless module 23 may use cellular network 41 to communicate with handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, or network server 35 instead of Bluetooth communication. In such examples, handheld computer 14 does not need to be near fluid injector 1 and may use its connection to a network (e.g., the Internet) to communicate with fluid injector 23. For example, wireless module 23 may be used to upload and download data from the Internet (e.g., via cloud computing).

[0049] Furthermore, in some examples, such as when the wireless module 23 is configured to communicate using the cellular network 41, the fluid injector 1 can communicate directly with the network server 35 and / or the personal computer 29, instead of through the handheld computer 14. In cases where the fluid injector 1 communicates with the network server 35 and / or the personal computer 29 without using the handheld computer 14, at least some, and possibly all, of the functions of the handheld computer 14 can be offloaded to other devices (e.g., the personal computer 29 and / or the network server 35). Therefore, the handheld computer 14 may not be necessary in all examples.

[0050] The control circuit 21 further includes a motor controller 25. In some embodiments, the motor controller 25 is not part of the control circuit 21, but is still part of the controller 5. The motor controller 25 is operatively connected to the processor 24 for receiving instructions from the processor 24 and for providing data to the processor 24. The motor controller 25 may include one or more integrated chips for managing the operation of the motor 4. The motor controller 25 may output one or more signals to the motor 4 to drive the motor 4 and / or may directly supply power to the motor 4.

[0051] The electric motor 4 can be a brushed or brushless DC motor. The electric motor 4 can be a rotor-stator design. In some cases, the electric motor 4 can be a combustion engine, such as an electric motor powered by gasoline or diesel. In this case, the operation of the electric motor 4 can still be managed by the electric motor controller 25, such as by increasing or decreasing the power output of the electric motor 4 as needed (e.g., by regulating the fuel supply). In some cases, no electric motor controller 25 is connected to the processor 24, and the electric motor controller 25 can be a mechanical mechanism for increasing and decreasing the output of the electric motor 4, such as by increasing or decreasing the fuel supply to the electric motor 4. As previously mentioned, the electric motor 4 causes the piston 13 to reciprocate relative to the cylinder 12 via drive components 7A-7C.

[0052] The fluid ejector 1 includes a pressure sensor 28. The pressure sensor 28 can be a pressure transducer that measures the hydraulic pressure of paint flowing out of or pumped downstream of pump 9. For example, the pressure sensor 28 can be located anywhere in the paint line between pump 9 and spray gun 3, although it is typically located near the outlet of pump 9. The pressure sensor 28 can be part of a hose fitting attached to the output of pump 9. The pressure sensor 28 can be a force collector type with a diaphragm, piston, Bourdon tube, or bellows that measures the strain or deflection of an element caused by a force applied to the area and can generate a signal indicating pressure based on the strain or deflection.

[0053] Typically, pump 9 generates pressures between 500 and 8000 psi for atomizing paint during spraying. The user can set the desired pressure level via inputs to controller 5 (e.g., a potentiometer dial) stored in memory 22. Processor 24 can then receive outputs from pressure sensor 28 and, consequently, regulate the output of motor 4 driving pump 9 by controlling motor controller 25 to approach and maintain the selected pressure.

[0054] The fluid ejector 1 includes a pump circulation sensor 27, which serves as an example of a drive circulation indicator. An example of the pump circulation sensor 27 is... Figure 2 The pump circulation sensor is shown as pump circulation sensor 27A, pump circulation sensor 27B, pump circulation sensor 27C, and pump circulation sensor 27D. Unless otherwise specifically described, pump circulation sensor 27 may refer to any one or more of pump circulation sensor 27A, pump circulation sensor 27B, pump circulation sensor 27C, or pump circulation sensor 27D.

[0055] The pump cycle sensor 27 can take several forms and can measure the movement or other parameters of various components. The function of the pump cycle sensor 27 is to provide the processor 24 with an indication of the completion of one or both of the cycles or phases of the pump 9, or the progress within the cycle. For example, the pump cycle sensor 27 can track and provide an output indicating the full cycle (e.g., upstroke and downstroke), half cycle (e.g., upstroke or downstroke), or a smaller portion of the cycle (such as a quarter or a tenth of the stroke), as well as other options for cycle increments. The pump cycle sensor 27 can be a linear encoder or a Hall effect sensor (e.g., measuring the stroke or cycle of the piston 13 relative to the cylinder 9). Figure 2 The pump circulation sensor 27A can be an encoder or Hall effect sensor that measures the rotation of any drive component 7A–7C (e.g., pump circulation sensor 27A). Figure 2 Pump cycle sensors 27B-27C, such as those for piston 13, have a direct relationship to a complete rotation or degree of rotation of piston 13. For example, one of the drive components 7A-7C can have a 24:1 relationship between its complete rotation and one cycle of pump 9. Other ratios are also possible.

[0056] The pump circulation sensor 27 can measure the parameters of the motor 4. For example, Figure 2 An example of a pump circulation sensor 27D is shown, which can be configured to measure partial or complete rotation of the rotor, shaft, armature, or commutator of the electric motor 4. For convenience, reference numeral 26 is used in the figures. Figure 2 The diagram shows one or more of the rotor, shaft, armature, or commutator of the electric motor 4. The pump circulation sensor 27 can be an encoder or a Hall effect sensor that senses partial or complete rotation of a rotating component of the electric motor 4, such as a rotor, shaft, armature, or commutator. In some cases, the pump circulation sensor 27 can be a sensor that measures the voltage or current of one or more channels connected to the armature and / or stator windings of the electric motor 4 when that channel is not used to drive the electric motor 4 to measure the induced current indicating rotation. Similar to the drive components 7A-7C, the rotation of components of the electric motor 4 can be directly correlated with the position of the piston 13 or otherwise correlated with the circulation of the pump 9 to determine the state of the pump 9's circulation.

[0057] As described above, pump circulation sensor 27 is an example of a drive circulation indicator. The above describes some exemplary ways in which pump circulation sensor 27 can determine the circulation state of pump 9 (e.g., by directly determining the circulation state based on sensing drive components 7A-7C or based on the correlation between piston 13 and the circulation of pump 9). However, the above examples should not be considered limiting. Drive circulation indicators (such as pump circulation sensor 27) can be configured in various ways to determine the circulation state of pump 9.

[0058] Pump circulation sensor 27 outputs to control circuit 21. For example, pump circulation sensor 27 may provide an output directly or indirectly to processor 24. Processor 24 may track the cycles of pump 9 based on the output received from pump circulation sensor 27 to determine how much fluid pump 9 has discharged. For example, the diameter and displacement of piston 13 may be known and / or associated values, coefficients, or representative data that may be stored in memory 22. For each partial or full cycle of pump 9 sensed by pump circulation sensor 27, the volume of fluid discharged by pump 9 during a partial or full stroke can be calculated. That is, the volume of fluid discharged by pump 9 during each stroke can be expressed as a ratio: (volume / stroke). This ratio can also be considered as a scaling factor. For example, twenty cycles of pump 9 may correspond to one-tenth of a gallon pumped (e.g., 0.1 gallon / 20 cycles). Therefore, if pump 9 cycles 40 times, it is known that pump 9 outputs two-tenths of a gallon (e.g., 40 cycles * 0.1 gallon / 20 cycles equals 0.2 gallons). In another example, a quarter-stroke of piston 13 could correspond to pumping 0.01 gallons, such that each measured quarter-stroke could be used to increase the total running volume of pumped volume by 0.01 gallons (e.g., 0.01 gallons / 0.25 cycles). As shown, a ratio or coefficient representing the volume pumped per pump cycle increment could be stored in memory (e.g., memory 22) and used to track the volume pumped over a time period, for example, by multiplying the cycle increment over that time period by the ratio or coefficient, or by adding the total running volume for each indication that a received pump cycle has been completed.

[0059] As previously mentioned, the pump circulation sensor 27 can directly measure the movement of piston 13, or indirectly measure the movement of piston 13 by measuring the movement of drive components 7A-7C, components of motor 4, or other components or aspects of pump 9 that can be used to identify and count partial and / or full circulation and / or corresponding fluid output of pump 9.

[0060] In addition to showing the components of injector 1, Figure 3 Example components of a handheld computer 14 are shown. As previously described, the handheld computer 14 can be a telephone or a tablet computer. The handheld computer 14 includes control circuitry 15. The control circuitry 15 can be a single circuit board or can consist of multiple circuit boards operatively connected. The control circuitry 15 includes a processor 18 operatively connected to memory 16. The control circuitry 15 may include a clock module, or the processor 18 may operate a counting routine or other clock function to determine the current time and date. The processor 18 and memory 16 can be similar to any version of the processor 24 and memory 22 previously described, and therefore, for the sake of brevity, the previous discussion regarding processor and memory options will not be repeated.

[0061] The control circuitry 15 further includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 19 or a module for another type of satellite geolocation system. The GPS module 19 communicates with the processor 18. The GPS module 19 can receive multiple location signals from the GPS network 42, which can be used (e.g., by the processor 18) to determine specific coordinates of the handheld computer 14 on Earth (i.e., the geographic location of the handheld computer 14). Other methods may exist for determining specific coordinates of the handheld computer 14, and the GPS module 19 provides some example methods. In other embodiments of the technology disclosed herein, the GPS module 19 is not included in the handheld computer 14.

[0062] The control circuit 15 also includes a wireless module 17. The wireless module 17 can be used for wireless communication with the cellular network 41 (such as a cellular network). In other possibilities, the wireless module 17 can additionally or optionally be used to connect to other types of wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi networks. The wireless module 17 is used for bidirectional data communication over the cellular network 41 or other networks. For example, the wireless module 17 can be used to upload and download data from the Internet, such as a data management server network (e.g., in a cloud computing manner).

[0063] The handheld computer 14 also includes one or more interfaces 20. These interfaces 20 may include a display, touchscreen, keyboard, buttons, and / or other inputs and outputs. The one or more interfaces 20 may receive data from the processor 18 for purposes such as displaying on the screen. Similarly, the processor 18 may receive data or other signals from the one or more interfaces 20 corresponding to input from a user, such as input received in the form of user gestures (e.g., touch gestures, swipe gestures, press gestures, two-finger gestures, or other gesture inputs). Although in Figure 3 Not shown in the example, but the handheld computer 14 may include a rechargeable battery. The one or more interfaces 20 may include and / or take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) presented on a display screen (such as a touchscreen display) of the handheld computer 14. The GUI may present graphical information to the user at the display screen. The GUI may include one or more graphical controls, such as selection areas, buttons, radio buttons, menus, drop-down menus, or other graphical controls configured to receive user input.

[0064] Figure 3A personal computer 29 is also shown. The personal computer 29 can be a desktop, laptop, tablet, or other type of computing device. In various embodiments, the personal computer 29 does not communicate directly with the injector 1, but rather receives data indirectly from the injector 1 via a handheld computer 14, a cellular network 41 (or other wireless network), and a web server 35. Various other embodiments are not limited to this. For example, as described above, in some examples, the fluid injector 1 can bypass the handheld computer 14 and communicate directly with the personal computer 29.

[0065] The personal computer 29 includes control circuitry 30. This control circuitry 30 includes memory 31 and a processor 33, which can be configured or otherwise function as other processor and memory components as described elsewhere herein. Control circuitry 30 includes a communication module 32. Communication module 32 can be configured for wireless and / or wired data communication, including sending and receiving data. Communication module 32 can be a card for wireless connection to a data network and ultimately to the Internet. For example, communication module 32 may include a chip, an antenna, and / or other circuitry for wireless communication according to the IEEE 802.11 standard (commonly known as Wi-Fi). Communication module 32 may additionally or alternatively include a network interface card for wired connection to the data network and the Internet.

[0066] The personal computer 29 includes one or more interfaces 34. These interfaces 34 may be a screen (e.g., a computer monitor), a touchscreen, a keyboard, a mouse, and / or other input or output components. The one or more interfaces 34 may receive data from the processor 33 for displaying or otherwise representing data, and may also pass input from the user to the processor 33.

[0067] Network server 35 may be one of many network servers 35 that manage data in a distributed manner (such as cloud computing). Network server 35 includes control circuitry 36. Control circuitry 36 may be similar to control circuitry 30 and may also be a single or multiple circuit boards. Memory 37, processor 39, communication module 38, and interface 40 may operate similarly to memory 31, processor 33, communication module 32, and one or more interfaces 34 of personal computer 29. However, it is expected, but not required, that network server 35 has a larger memory capacity and a more powerful / faster processor 39.

[0068] As further described herein, the injector 1, handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and network server 35 work together to monitor the performance and production efficiency of the injector 1. Furthermore, the injector 1 may be one of a plurality of injectors, and the handheld computer 14 may be one of a plurality of handheld computers, enabling the network server 35 and personal computer 29 to manage data from the injector fleet. While the following examples provide techniques for generating and retrieving data from the fluid injector 1 via the handheld computer 14, it should be understood that these and other functions can be performed using a variety of other types of injectors and handheld computers. Furthermore, in some examples, the fluid injector 1, handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and network server 35 may operate together to perform the example techniques described in this disclosure. For example, in some cases, control circuitry may refer to one or a combination of the control circuitry 15 of the handheld computer 14, the control circuitry 21 of the fluid injector 1, the control circuitry 30 of the personal computer 29, or the processor 39 of the network server 35.

[0069] Figure 4A A flowchart is shown of the process for generating time-based usage information on injector 1. This process can be executed by control circuitry 21. More specifically, the process can be executed by processor 24 and memory 22 by receiving inputs from pump circulation sensor 27 and pressure sensor 28. Figure 4B This shows the process divided into two concurrent processes, A and B. Figure 4A Variations of the process. Processes A and B can both be executed by control circuit 21. In some cases, processes A and B can both be executed by processor 24 (which can be a single processor for processes A and B or a corresponding processor). In some cases, process A is executed by processor 24, while process B is executed by wireless module 23 (which itself may include a processor). As described above, Figure 4A and 4B The example technique can be implemented by control circuit 21 or in combination with other control circuits.

[0070] Figure 4AThe process includes step 50, where control circuitry 21 opens a new time window. For each opened window, a jet volume log count can be created in memory 22. The log, as referred to herein, can be a table, array, queue, linked list, hash table, or other type of organized storage in memory that stores similar data collected over time for later retrieval. The log count can be an increment of the log of a data type as an event is identified. For each opened window, a clean volume log count can be created in memory 22. This clean volume log count can be a table, array, queue, linked list, hash table, or other type of log where data can be stored in an organized manner for later retrieval. In various embodiments, each time window has only one clean volume log and only one jet log associated with it, although other types of logs tracking other data can be maintained. Similarly, each clean log is associated with only one corresponding time window, and each jet volume log is associated with only one corresponding time window.

[0071] Each time window represents a predetermined amount of time. In various embodiments, this predetermined amount of time is one hour (60 minutes), such that each open time window represents the volume of paint sprayed within one hour. Other time window durations are also possible. In various embodiments, all time windows will have the same duration, one time window will be open at all times, and only one window will be open at any given time, such that the window opens and closes continuously. The time window can be synchronized with the hour of a standard time, such that the window opens at the top of each standard time hour (e.g., 9am, 10am, 11am, etc.). Each saved time window entry may include data indicating the standard time and date of the window (e.g., August 5, 2018, 9am-10am). Time zone and other time offset data may also be saved in the time window entry. In some cases, the sprayer 1 may not be able to identify its location (e.g., GPS chip or Wi-Fi connection, etc.), and therefore no location information is saved in association with the time window or other collected information.

[0072] Other methods of forming time windows are possible. For example, the clock module of control circuit 21 can increment once per second for the duration of the time window (e.g., 3600 increments for a 1-hour time window). The clock module can be activated when the fluid ejector 1 is positioned for ejection and stop counting when the fluid ejector 1 is not positioned for ejection (e.g., based on an accelerometer or gyroscope in the fluid ejector 1). In some examples, the clock module can be continuously counting.

[0073] The process also includes step 51, where control circuitry 21 determines whether the current time window has expired. For example, step 51 might assess whether the current time is outside the window's definition (e.g., an in-vehicle clock indicates it is currently at 10:01:01 am, while the time window spans 9:00:01 am to 10:00:00 am). In step 51, control circuitry 21 might check a counter that increments by a predetermined amount of time (such as one hour) corresponding to the duration of the time window. While a newly opened time window is unlikely to expire in an iteration shortly after it opens, step 51 is useful for subsequent iterations when returning to the previous step.

[0074] If the current time window has actually expired at step 51 (assuming multiple iterations of the process), the process proceeds to step 52, where control circuit 21 can close the current time window, and the process returns to step 50, where a new window is opened. If the current time window has not expired at step 51, the process proceeds to step 53.

[0075] In step 53, control circuit 21 may receive an indication of pump circulation. This indication may be received by processor 24 from pump circulation sensor 27. The indication of pump circulation may be an indication that the rotating or reciprocating element has completed a cycle or a portion of a cycle, as previously described. In some cases, the indication may be zero, or the indication may not be received, either indicating that pump 9 is not driven by motor 4, or that pump 9 is otherwise not circulating. In some cases, the indication received from pump circulation sensor 27 may indicate that a certain volume of fluid has been pumped, for example, an indication corresponding to a partial or full cycle of pump 9. In some embodiments where the fluid volume is counted in tenths, the indication may indicate an increment of 0.1 gallons of fluid pumped according to pump circulation sensor 27.

[0076] In step 54, control circuit 21 may receive an indication of pressure parameters. These pressure parameters may be the output of pressure sensor 28, which measures the paint pressure downstream of pump 9 and upstream of spray gun 3, and is then received in step 54. In some cases, the received indication of pressure parameters may be the current pressure setting instead of the measured pressure. Note that the order of steps 53 and 54 may be reversed, or they may be concurrent (e.g., simultaneous).

[0077] After receiving an indication of the pressure parameter in step 54, control circuit 21 in step 55 refers to (e.g., correlates) the indication of the pressure parameter relative to an injection threshold. The referenced pressure parameter (e.g., correlated) is the pressure parameter received in this iteration of the process, and subsequent loops of the process will refer to the updated pressure parameter received in the corresponding loop. The injection threshold may be a threshold that distinguishes between the injection pressure generated by pump 9 and a lower cleaning pressure generated by pump 9. For example, step 55 may determine whether the pressure parameter of step 54 is greater than (or equal to) a stored injection pressure threshold representing the injection pressure.

[0078] As an example, as described in step 53 above, control circuit 21 can receive an indication of the circulation state of pump 9 and determine multiple fluid output values ​​representing the fluid output volume changing over time based on the indication of the circulation state of pump 9. Control circuit 21 can store these multiple fluid output values ​​in its memory 22. For example, as described above, memory 22 can store a proportion or coefficient value indicating the volume of fluid ejected by pump 9 in each cycle. Based on the circulation state of pump 9, control circuit 21 can determine the volume of fluid ejected by fluid ejector 1 (e.g., a proportion or coefficient value multiplied by the number of strokes in the cycle). Control circuit 21 can perform multiple such measurements over time (e.g., within a time window) to determine multiple fluid output values.

[0079] Each fluid output value can be associated with a fluid pressure. For example, a first fluid output value among multiple fluid output values ​​can be based on a first cycle state of pump 9, and the first fluid pressure can be the injection pressure during the first cycle. A second fluid output value among multiple fluid output values ​​can be based on a second cycle state of pump 9, and the second fluid pressure can be the injection pressure during the second cycle. In this example, the first fluid pressure is associated with the first fluid output value, and the second fluid pressure is associated with the second fluid output value.

[0080] The control circuit 21 can be configured to compare a corresponding fluid pressure associated with a given fluid output value with the threshold. Based on the result of the comparison, the control circuit 21 can determine whether to store the associated fluid output value. As described in more detail elsewhere in this disclosure, if the fluid pressure is less than or equal to the threshold, the fluid ejector 1 is in a non-atomizing flushing mode (e.g., a cleaning mode or a flushing mode), which does not cause wear and tear on the fluid ejector 1. If the fluid pressure is greater than the threshold, the fluid ejector 1 is being used for its intended purpose (e.g., spraying a paint coating and is in a paint spraying mode, also known as a fluid atomizing spraying mode), which tends to cause wear and tear on the fluid ejector 1. In some examples, storing information about when the fluid ejector 1 is operated for its intended purpose (e.g., in a fluid atomizing spraying mode) may be more important than when the fluid ejector 1 is in a non-atomizing flushing mode (e.g., a cleaning mode), such as for determining whether the fluid ejector 1 should be repaired or is nearing the end of its life.

[0081] For example, control circuit 21 can compare a first fluid pressure associated with a first fluid output value to a threshold, and compare a second fluid pressure associated with a second fluid output value to a threshold. Control circuit 21 can store the first fluid output value in the jet log tracking volume based on a first fluid pressure higher than the threshold, and not store the second fluid output value in the jet log tracking volume based on a second fluid pressure not higher than the threshold. Furthermore, control circuit 21 can store the second fluid output value in the cleaning log tracking volume based on a second fluid pressure not higher than the threshold, and not store the first fluid output value in the cleaning log tracking volume based on a first fluid pressure higher than the threshold.

[0082] In various embodiments, the injection threshold can be a pressure value higher than 5 PSI, higher than 50 PSI, higher than 100 PSI, higher than 200 PSI, or higher than 400 PSI. In different embodiments, the injection threshold can be a pressure value between 5-500 PSI, 50-500 PSI, 100-500 PSI, 200-500 PSI, 300-500 PSI, or 300-400 PSI.

[0083] Before returning to step 55, a discussion of the cleaning procedure will be helpful. The operator of sprayer 1 will typically spray paint at pressures above 500 PSI, and more likely between 1000 and 4000 PSI, to adequately atomize the sprayed fluid to form the desired spray fan shape, which will then evenly coat the sprayed surface. At the end of a spraying session (e.g., at the end of a job and / or at the end of a day), the operator typically flushes and cleans sprayer 1 (including pump 9) with water or other solvents to remove paint before it dries, which would otherwise risk jamming pump 9 or clogging the fluid lines. This flushing is typically performed below 500 PSI, and usually below 400 PSI, because atomization of the flushing fluid is not required and a high flow rate is needed rather than high pressure. The operator can set the output pressure between 100 and 400 PSI (e.g., manually using a pressure dial, or automatically by selecting a cleaning mode) and feed water into the intake hose 2B. The operator can also remove the atomizing nozzle in the spray gun 3 to switch the sprayer 1 from high-pressure, low-volume spraying to high-flow, low-pressure cleaning. Based on the pressure setting, the processor 24 controls the motor controller 25 to maintain the measured pressure at the pressure setting evaluated by the pressure sensor 28. The pump 9 is used to move the cleaning fluid through the sprayer 1, but for several reasons, the volume of the pumped cleaning fluid should not be counted as the volume of sprayed paint (e.g., gallons). The first reason is that if coating generation efficiency and / or paint consumption are being tracked, the cleaning volume should not be considered as the coating volume. Moreover, pumping the cleaning fluid at low pressure does not put pressure on the components of the sprayer 1 and does not cause wear to the components that would occur with high-pressure pumping of paint.

[0084] Step 55 distinguishes between the pumped clean volume and the pumped jet volume by comparing the measured or set pressure with a jet threshold. If the received pressure parameter is higher than the jet threshold, the indication received in the pump cycle of step 53 is assumed to involve (i.e., classified as) jetting, and the pumped volume is assigned to the jet log instead of the clean log. If the received pressure parameter is lower than the jet threshold, the indication received in the pump cycle of step 53 is assumed to be designed (i.e., classified as) clean, and the pumped volume is assigned to the clean log instead of the jet log. Therefore, control circuit 21 can store a first fluid output value associated with a first fluid pressure above a threshold in the jet log tracking volume, and a second fluid output value associated with a second fluid pressure not above a threshold in the jet log tracking volume. Furthermore, control circuit 21 can store a second fluid output value associated with a second fluid pressure not above a threshold in the clean log tracking volume, and a first fluid output value associated with a first fluid pressure not above a threshold in the clean log tracking volume.

[0085] As an alternative to using pressure parameters, in some embodiments, the user uses one or more interfaces 20 on the injector 1 (e.g., buttons) to indicate whether a spraying or cleaning mode (e.g., non-atomizing flushing mode) has been entered. In such an example, at step 55, the control circuit 21 may check whether the injector 1 is in fluid atomizing spraying mode or cleaning mode, and allocate a spraying or cleaning volume accordingly in the corresponding spraying or cleaning volume log.

[0086] If the pressure parameter is less than the injection threshold in step 55, the process proceeds to step 56, and control circuit 21 increments the cleaning log volume count. This cleaning log volume count can be stored in memory and associated with the open time window. If the pressure parameter is greater than the injection threshold in step 55, the process proceeds to step 57, and the injection volume log count associated with the open time window is incremented. The volume increment for cleaning or injection can correspond to an indication of a pump cycle received in step 53. For example, if an indication of a piston cycle completion is received, the displacement volume of a piston cycle (and / or an indication of piston cycle completion only) can be incremented in the cleaning volume log or the injection volume log. In some cases, if an indication of partial piston cycle completion is received, the displacement volume of that partial piston cycle (and / or an indication of partial piston cycle completion only) can be incremented in the cleaning volume log or the injection volume log.

[0087] Note that some embodiments do not include a cleaning log volume count. In this case, no cleaning log volume count is maintained in memory, and therefore it does not increment if the pressure parameter is less than the injection threshold. Checking the pressure parameter associated with the injection threshold is still useful for distinguishing between injection and cleaning volumes so that cleaning volumes are not counted as injection volumes. In this case, the pump cycle indication is not counted or otherwise stored in any memory after the comparison in step 55. Distinguishing between injection and cleaning pump volumes may be useful, but is not necessary, because paint is more expensive than cleaning fluids (typically water), injection represents the productivity of a painter's project, and injection at high pressure wears down the motor 4, drive components 7, and pump 9 faster than low-pressure cleaning, among other reasons.

[0088] Note that if there is no increment or other type of advance or change in the pump cycle indication compared to previous iterations of the cycle and step 53, then for this cycle of the algorithm in Figure 4, there is no increment, increase, or other change in the cleaning volume log or jet volume log. If such a check indication has not changed, the process can proceed directly from step 53 to step 51. In some embodiments, as part of step 53, the process checks the current indication of the pump cycle frequently (e.g., 1 / 4 or 1 / 10 of a second, or multiple times per second), and if there is a change relative to the last check, the lifetime pump cycle counter stored in memory 22 is incremented, the lifetime pump cycle counter representing the total pump cycles during the current lifetime of the injector 1. Instead of the lifetime pump cycle counter, the counter can be a pump cycle counter representing a wider time range than a one-hour time window (e.g., reset daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly). Then, lifetime or other counter checks can be performed periodically (e.g., once per second or every ten seconds, but less frequently than checks indicating the pump cycle) to see if there has been a change relative to the last time the counter was checked (e.g., one second ago or the last cycle iteration). If a change exists, the amount of change is used to calculate or otherwise determine (e.g., by subtracting the counter level at the time of the last check from the current counter level) the volume pumped since the last check, which is used to increment the log, as discussed further in conjunction with steps 56 and 57.

[0089] After the increment in step 56 or 57, the process returns to step 51 to check if the current time window has expired. If the current time window has expired, it is closed in step 52, and the injection volume (also known as the fluid output value) that was incremented or otherwise counted for that time window is stored in memory 22. Thus, at the end of the time window, such as after one hour or otherwise representing one hour, the method calculates the volume injected (and optionally pumped for cleaning purposes) within that time window. Because the process involves counting the number of injection volume increments allocated in each successive window, it tracks generation efficiency over time periods comprising multiple time windows.

[0090] In some embodiments, incrementing steps 56 and 57 may store in memory 22 checks (or other types of increments) associated with time windows used for jet volume logs and / or cleaning volume logs. Each check may represent a full or partial pump cycle, but in either case, it is known (e.g., stored in memory 22) or can be calculated (e.g., based on the displacement of piston 13) how much fluid will be pumped per full or partial pump cycle. After the time window closes, the checks performed within the time window may be summed to calculate the total volume of jetting or rinsing during the cleaning process with the time window. Alternatively, these checks may be summed to a running volume value during the process of the time window, which is updated with each pump cycle increment.

[0091] For example, for a time window, five different checks or increments can be saved in step 57 in association with the spray volume log. These checks or increments can be totaled later to calculate the total spray volume for that window. Alternatively, a counter can be maintained during the window and incremented each time step 57 occurs. For example, for the first occurrence of step 57, the counter would be 1, and after the second occurrence, the counter would be 2, after the third occurrence, the counter would be 3, and so on. As another alternative, step 57 can include calculating and saving the amount sprayed instead of saving checks or increments. For example, the first occurrence of step 57 could count 0.1 gallons sprayed, the second occurrence of step 57 could increase the total count to 0.2 gallons sprayed, and the third occurrence of step 57 could increase the total count to 0.3 gallons sprayed.

[0092] Below is an example table that corresponds to data stored in memory 22 for multiple time windows. As shown, each time window extends for one hour, and various types of data are stored for each time window. This data includes window sequence numbers (which are sequentially increasing and non-repeating to provide a reference independent of the time of each window), the date of the window, the time range of the window, the spray volume pumped during the window, and the cleaning volume pumped during the window. In some cases, only the date and time, rather than the window sequence number, are used to distinguish datasets corresponding to different time periods. The table shows the time before the work segment (where no spray or cleaning volume is recorded), the time when the work occurs (including the transition from spray to cleaning), and the time after the work segment (where no spray or cleaning volume is recorded), which can be reviewed later to track production efficiency and paint usage, as well as to additionally describe the use of sprayer 1.

[0093]

[0094] In some embodiments, the data types described above are the only data types saved for tracking generation efficiency. For example, the large amounts of pressure and pump cycle data received in steps 53 and 54 are not saved, or are saved only once the current cycle is completed, or are saved only until the time window is closed, but in any case are not referenced or otherwise used after the time window is closed. Only one injection volume value and one cleaning volume value are saved for each time window, which can be calculated based on thousands of measurements, thereby minimizing data storage and data transmission. For example, the pressure and pump cycle data of steps 53 and 54 are not saved as part of the injection volume and cleaning volume log, nor are the pressure and pump cycle data of steps 53 and 54 transmitted out of injector 1. That is, for example, when the corresponding time window is closed, the pressure and pump cycle data can be deleted (i.e., removed from memory). Therefore, in some examples, for each time window, only the total running output volume (injection and / or cleaning volume) can be stored, thereby reducing the amount of data stored in the injector's memory. In this way, the example technology can package and reduce the amount of data that needs to be stored and transmitted, thereby improving memory storage and transmission bandwidth, while ensuring that enough data is available to track the generation efficiency of injector 1 (e.g., it may include the generation efficiency of injector 1 or the generation efficiency of the user of injector 1).

[0095] exist Figure 4A In some embodiments, if the pump cycle indication in step 53 is the same as the last iteration of the process (e.g., pump 9 has not been driven or circulated in any other way since the last iteration), the process cycles back to the window step (e.g., step 51) without updating the jet volume log in step 57 or updating the cleaning log in step 56 (e.g., pump cycle information was not saved or otherwise recorded for the iteration of the process).

[0096] Figure 4B Flowcharts for processes A and B are shown. Processes A and B can be... Figure 4A This is part of the process in the embodiments. As previously described, processes A and B can be executed by control circuitry 21 (or possibly other circuitry combined with control circuitry 21). Process A can be executed by processor 24, which can be one or two processors that execute the respective processes A and B. In some embodiments, process A can be executed by processor 24, while process B can be executed by wireless module 23.

[0097] Figure 4A and 4B The steps with similar reference numerals between the embodiments are in Figure 4A and 4BThe two embodiments can be identical. An additional step includes step 57A, where the injection volume log count is updated if it is determined via step 55 that the pressure parameter is greater than the injection threshold. The update in step 57A may include increasing the total running volume of the injection volume stored in memory 22. For example, if the current iteration of process A measures an output of .0001 gallons based on the pump cycle indication received in step 53, the total running volume of the injection volume may be increased by .0001 gallons. Alternatively, step 57A may store the injection volume count in a log in memory 22, where iterations of process A create serial injection volume log entries (if any), which may be later totaled or otherwise aggregated.

[0098] An embodiment of process A also includes step 58A, in which an updated jet volume log count is sent. Step 58B includes receiving an updated jet volume log count for process B. The sending in step 58A may include transmission between components of control circuitry 21, such as between the processor and / or the wireless module. For example, during the execution of process A, processor 24 may send the updated jet volume log count to wireless module 23 executing process B. The transmission may also include sending the data to memory 22 for temporary storage before it is referenced in memory 22 in step 58B.

[0099] Process B includes step 59, which determines whether the jet volume log count has changed. If no updated jet volume log count is received in step 58B, or if an updated jet volume log count is received but at the same time as the last time an updated jet volume log count was received in the last iteration of Process B (e.g., equal to the jet volume log count stored in memory 22 in the last iteration), then Process B may return to step 51 to determine whether the current time window has expired. However, if the jet volume log count has changed since the last iteration of Process B (e.g., not equal to the jet volume log count stored in memory 22 in the last iteration), then the jet volume log for the current time window is updated in step 57B. In step 57B, an updated jet volume log for the current time window is allocated or otherwise saved in association with the currently open time window. The updated jet volume log for the current time window can be the total run volume of the amount jetted within the open time window, where each update increases the total run volume by the amount measured for the current iteration (e.g., the amount received in step 58B, or the calculated difference between the amount received in step 58B and the last iteration of process B).

[0100] Figure 4CA flowchart is shown for the process of generating time-based pressure information on injector 1. This process can be executed by control circuitry 21. More specifically, the process can be executed by processor 24 and memory 22 by receiving inputs from pump circulation sensor 27 and pressure sensor 28. Typically, injector 1 collects pressure measurements when pump 9 is operating during a time window. Pressure measurements collected when pump 9 is not operating are not saved. Injector 1 calculates a total pressure parameter, such as average pressure, based on the pressure data collected within the time window, to represent the pressure metric for that time window, according to the closure of the window.

[0101] Step 160 includes opening a new time window. Step 161 includes determining whether the current time window has expired. Step 168 includes closing the current time window. Step 160 can be the same as step 50, step 161 can be the same as step 51, and step 168 can be the same as step 52, such that the time windows for the two processes are the same. Alternatively, the operation of the time window for pressure data can be performed similarly to any time window operation mentioned herein. Therefore, Figure 4A The process can be with Figure 4C The processes run simultaneously, and similar steps between processes can be the same. In other embodiments, steps 160, 161, and 168 can operate similarly to steps 50, 51, and 52, respectively, but can correspond to different time windows of different time periods. For example, Figure 4A The length of the process time window can be less than Figure 4C The length of the process time window (e.g., 1 hour and multiple hours (e.g., 24 hours)). Due to the similarity of the steps, the opening and closing of the time window will no longer be relevant, but any time window options referenced herein are possible for this embodiment.

[0102] Step 162 includes checking the pump status. Checking the status of pump 9 may include determining whether pump 9 is currently circulating, such as whether piston 13 is reciprocating. Checking the status of pump 9 can be performed by receiving a signal from pump drive cycle sensor 27. Checking the status of pump 9 may include determining whether motor 4 is running (e.g., outputting rotational motion to pump 9). Checking the status of pump 9 may include determining whether processor 24 and / or motor controller 25 is delivering drive power to motor 4. Comparisons may be performed to determine whether the position of a component (e.g., a drive component on which sensor components are mounted) has changed since the last data was received, on a quarter-second or other short periodic basis.

[0103] Step 163 includes determining whether pump 9 is operating. The evaluation in step 163 is performed based on the information collected in step 162. Step 163 may include comparing the output of the most recently received pump drive cycle sensor 27 with the output of a second most recently received pump drive cycle sensor 27 to determine whether the state of the pump has changed. Step 163 may include a binary determination of whether the motor controller 25 delivers drive power to the motor 4.

[0104] If step 163 determines that pump 9 is not running (“No”), the process returns to a time window step, such as step 161 or another step. If step 163 determines that pump 9 is running (“Yes”), the process continues to step 164. In step 164, the measured pressure is received. Step 164 can be the same as step 54 or any other step mentioned herein for measuring pressure or otherwise receiving pressure data. The process proceeds to step 165, where the measured pressure is compared to a pressure threshold. Based on this comparison, in step 166, if the measured pressure is greater than the pressure threshold, the process proceeds to step 167. If the measured pressure is less than the pressure threshold, the process can return to an evaluation time window, such as step 161. The pressure comparisons in steps 165 and 166 can be similar to the comparison in step 55. For example, the pressure threshold can be the same value, and the check can be performed only once, and the result of the check is used to drive each process. The purpose of the check is that some operations of pump 9 may not correspond to injection. For example, some low-pressure operations involve cleaning pumps that do not cause much wear to pump components (e.g., by pumping water rather than polishing paint) and do not indicate high-pressure airless jetting that would apply greater mechanical stress to components due to high pressure. This pressure threshold could be 400 psi. This pressure threshold could be 500 psi. This pressure threshold could be between 50 psi and 700 psi. Other thresholds are also possible, including higher and lower thresholds.

[0105] If it is determined in step 166 that the measured pressure is greater than the pressure threshold, the process can save the measured pressure from step 164 to the pressure log in step 167. Recording the measured pressure may include an indication of saving each pressure value in memory 22. After saving the measured pressure, the process returns to windowing steps, such as step 161, to determine whether the current window has expired. In this way, Figure 4CThe process can be iteratively looped on a periodic basis, such as once every quarter second, once per second, once every ten seconds, once per minute, or on some other periodic basis. Dwell steps can be inserted into the loop to ensure that each iteration is performed on the scheduled periodic basis. For each iteration of the loop where pump 9 is driven, the measured pressure is stored in the pressure log. For any iteration of the loop where pump 9 is not driven, the measured pressure is not stored because this pressure does not indicate the pressure at the time of injection. Saving pressure measurements only in the pressure log at the time of injection means that the pressure log for each time window will only indicate the injection pressure, not the pressure that might have been measured in the window when not injecting, which may include fluctuations due to spikes and / or user-controlled pressure variations.

[0106] When the iteration of loop step 161 determines that the duration of the current time window has expired, the process moves to step 168, where the current time window is closed. Based on the closure of the window, the process in step 169 uses the pressure log generated during the time window to calculate the total pressure parameter for the time window (e.g., a public time window). This total pressure parameter can be the average pressure calculated from all recorded (e.g., step 167) measured pressure values ​​(e.g., step 164) within the time window. For example, all pressure values ​​can be summed together and then divided by the number of pressure values. In some embodiments, the pressure log includes a first number representing the total number of runs for all pressure values ​​and a second number representing the number of values ​​contributing to the total number of runs, such that calculating the average pressure for the time window involves dividing the first number by the second number. Alternatively, the median or pattern pressure value can be calculated for the time window. The total pressure parameter then indicates the injection pressure used within the time window. This process can be repeated to calculate different total pressure parameters for different time windows (including consecutive time windows) to understand the variation of the total pressure parameter across multiple time windows.

[0107] Such total pressure parameters can be used to understand the quality of the spray. Low-pressure spraying generally produces better finish and less paint loss, while high-pressure spraying can provide higher hourly production efficiency. Reporting the total pressure parameters for a time window can provide an indication of whether the painter is producing quality and paint efficiency or speed for that specific time window. The purpose of recording pressure measurements of the total pressure parameters only from when pump 9 is being driven is to ensure that pressure measurements during non-spraying periods do not indicate spray quality, even if the measured pressure may be close to the spray pressure. Similarly, the pressure threshold check in step 166 can distinguish between cleaning and spraying, where pressure measured during cleaning will corrupt the total pressure parameters (if included).

[0108] After calculating the total pressure parameter value, the pressure log for the time window can be deleted from memory 22, while the total pressure parameter value can be saved. As discussed further herein, this total pressure parameter value can be wirelessly transmitted to handheld computer 14 and then to network server 35. Saving the total pressure parameter value only after the window is closed, while deleting most or all pressure measurements (as well as pump status indicators) from the time window, saves space in memory 22 and allows for more efficient transmission to handheld computer 14 and network server 35.

[0109] In some embodiments, the measured pressure values ​​and / or pump status indicator data are wirelessly transmitted from the injector 1 to a handheld computer 14, and the handheld computer performs... Figure 4C The steps are as follows. However, this system may not be ideal because data may be lost when the injector 1 is not wirelessly communicating with the handheld computer 14. Therefore, regardless of whether the handheld computer 14 is within range of the injector 1, the calculation of the total pressure parameter on the injector 1 is captured, allowing the total pressure parameter of multiple window time windows to be uploaded when within range.

[0110] therefore, Figures 4A to 4C The example shown describes a handheld portable paint sprayer 1 for spraying jet fluid. Control circuitry 21 can be configured to receive multiple cycle status indications from pump 9 and determine multiple output values ​​representing the jet fluid output volume over multiple time windows. The output values ​​(e.g., jet fluid output values) may refer to the fluid output value when the sprayer 1 is in a fluid atomization spray mode. For example, as described above, in some examples, the output value may indicate the jet fluid output volume when the sprayer 1 is in a fluid atomization spray mode, and exclude the fluid output value when the sprayer 1 is in a non-atomization flushing mode (e.g., cleaning mode or flushing mode). Control circuitry 21 may store multiple time windows in memory 22 (e.g., see [link to memory]). Figures 4A to 4C The device generates multiple jet fluid output values ​​(or simply "output values") on the injector and enables the wireless module 23 to transmit one or more of the stored output values ​​outward from the injector.

[0111] For example, as described in more detail, the handheld computer 14 may request output values ​​stored in memory 22 that have not previously been output from memory 22. In such an example, the wireless module 23 may transmit some of the stored output values, but not all of them (e.g., not all previously transmitted output values). As another example, based on the connection of the handheld computer 14 to the cellular network 41, the handheld computer 14 may request all or some of the stored output values.

[0112] Whether injector 1 is outputting a jet of fluid (e.g., paint) can be based on whether injector 1 is in a fluid atomizing spray mode or a non-atomizing flushing mode. Control circuit 21 can determine the jet of fluid output value based on whether injector 1 is operating in a fluid atomizing spray mode (e.g., paint spraying mode). There can be various ways in which control circuit 21 can determine whether injector 1 is in a fluid atomizing spray mode or a non-atomizing flushing mode. As an example, control circuit 21 can rely on the operating mode selected by the user (e.g., by indicating whether it has entered a fluid atomizing spray mode (e.g., paint spraying mode) or a non-fluid atomizing spray mode (e.g., non-spraying mode) through one or more interfaces 20 on injector 1).

[0113] In some examples, control circuitry 21 can determine whether a cycle status indication of pump 9 is associated with injector 1 in either a fluid atomization spray mode or a non-atomization flushing mode. For example, for a particular indication among the multiple cycle status indications, control circuitry 21 can determine whether the pressure associated with that particular indication is greater than a spray threshold or whether injector 1 is in a fluid atomization spray mode. In such an example, when the pump's cycle status indication is associated with injector 1 in a paint fluid atomization spray mode, control circuitry 21 can determine a spray fluid output value used to indicate the cycle status.

[0114] For example, to determine multiple output values, control circuit 21 can be configured to determine whether one or more of a plurality of cycle status indicators of the pump are associated with the injector 1 in a fluid atomization jet mode or a non-jet flushing mode. Control circuit 21 can use one or more of the plurality of cycle status indicators associated with the injector 1 being in a fluid atomization jet mode to determine one or more of a plurality of output values ​​(e.g., output values ​​representing the volume of jet fluid output).

[0115] Similarly, in some examples, control circuitry 21 can be configured to track volume in a non-atomizing flushing mode (e.g., a non-jet mode). In these examples, as referenced... Figure 4A As shown, control circuit 21 can determine whether the indication of the circulation status of pump 9 is associated with injector 1 in fluid atomization jet mode or non-atomization flushing mode, and when the indication of the circulation status of pump 9 is associated with injector 1 in non-atomization flushing mode, it determines the non-jet fluid output value for the indication of circulation status from a plurality of circulation status indications (e.g., storing the output value of non-atomization flushing mode in the cleaning log tracking volume in memory 22).

[0116] For example, control circuit 21 can be further configured to determine a plurality of non-atomizing flushing output values. To determine the plurality of non-atomizing flushing output values, control circuit 21 can be configured to determine whether one or more of a plurality of cycle status indicators of pump 9 are associated with injector 1 in either a fluid atomizing flushing mode or a non-atomizing flushing mode. Control circuit 21 can use one or more of the plurality of cycle status indicators associated with the injector in a non-jet flushing mode to determine one or more of the plurality of non-atomizing flushing output values.

[0117] As mentioned above Figures 4A to 4C One exemplary way the control circuit 21 can determine whether the current time window among multiple time windows has expired is based on a count of the cycles (e.g., partial or full cycles) of the pump 9. However, the control circuit 21 may not count in each individual cycle. For example, in some examples, if the pump cycle indication (e.g., step 53) among the received multiple cycle status indications is not associated with the injector 1 in fluid atomization spray mode (e.g., the measured pressure is too low, or the pressure set by the user is too low), the control circuit 21 may not increment the count cycle.

[0118] For example, control circuit 21 may be configured to generate data indicating the spray volume (e.g., multiple fluid output values ​​including output values ​​for injector 1 in fluid atomization spray mode and optionally for injector 1 in non-atomization flushing mode). To generate data indicating the spray volume, control circuit 21 may count all or part of the pump cycles of pump 9 and generate data indicating the spray volume based on the count of all or part of the pump cycles of pump 9. In some examples, control circuit 21 may count pump cycles if injector 1 is in fluid atomization spray mode, and not count pump cycles if injector 1 is in non-atomization flushing mode. For example, to generate data indicating the spray volume, control circuit 21 may be configured to determine whether injector 1 is operating in fluid atomization spray mode (e.g., paint spray mode) or non-atomization flushing mode (e.g., non-paint spray mode). As an example, for each indication of a pump cycle, control circuit 21 may determine whether the indication of the pump cycle is associated with injector 1 in fluid atomization spray mode or non-atomization flushing mode. When the injector 1 operates in the fluid atomization spray mode, the control circuit 21 can generate data indicating the spray volume based on the count of all or part of the cycles of the pump 9.

[0119] As an example, control circuit 21 may determine a first fluid output value associated with a first pressure based on a first indication of the pump's circulation state, and determine a second fluid output value associated with a second pressure based on a second indication of the pump's circulation state. Control circuit 21 may determine that the first fluid output value is one of the output values ​​(e.g., a jet fluid output value, which represents the jet fluid output volume) based on the first pressure being greater than a threshold, and determine that the second fluid output value is not one of the output values ​​(e.g., not a jet fluid output value representing the jet fluid output volume) based on the second pressure being less than the threshold.

[0120] In this example, control circuit 21 can increment the count of pump 9 cycles for a first fluid output value and can not increment the count of pump 9 cycles for a second fluid output value. Control circuit 21 can store the first fluid output value in the jet log tracking volume (e.g., based on determining that the first fluid output value is one of the output values ​​representing the jet fluid output volume) and not store the second fluid output value in the jet log tracking volume (e.g., based on determining that the second fluid output value is not one of the output values ​​representing the jet fluid output volume). In the example of maintaining the cleaning log volume, control circuit 21 can store the second fluid output value in the cleaning log (e.g., based on determining that the second fluid output value is not one of the output values ​​representing the jet fluid output volume) and not store the first fluid output value in the cleaning log (e.g., based on determining that the first fluid output value is one of the output values ​​representing the jet fluid output volume).

[0121] Figures 5 to 7 This is a flowchart illustrating communication between different system components, particularly between injector 1, handheld computer 14, network server 35, and personal computer 29, which can be achieved via short-range wireless communication, cellular network 41, and / or the Internet. These transmissions can be performed by wireless module 23, wireless module 17, communication module 32, and communication module 38. Such communication can utilize methods mentioned herein, as well as other possible communication technologies. The arrows crossing the dashed lines between columns associated with injector 1, handheld computer 14, network server 35, and / or personal computer 29 indicate wired and / or wireless communication facilitated by wireless module 23, wireless module 17, communication module 32, communication module 38, cellular network 41, and / or other infrastructure for digital communication between injector 1, handheld computer 14, network server 35, and personal computer 29.

[0122] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of connecting a handheld computer 14 to the injector 1, thereby moving data generated on the injector 1 to a network server 35 via the handheld computer 14. The flowchart illustrates the sending and receiving of communication between the injector 1, the handheld computer 14, and the network server 35. As will be discussed further, two modes (Mode A and Mode B) are shown, depending on the connection between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35. More specifically, Mode A is used when a wireless connection exists between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35 when requesting data retrieval from the injector 1. Mode B is used when there is no connection between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35 when requesting data retrieval from the injector (i.e., the communication path from the handheld computer 14 to the network server 35 is inaccessible), but it can be used at a later time (i.e., the communication path from the handheld computer 14 to the network server 35 is accessible). Both flowcharts assume that a wireless connection for data transfer has been established between the injector 1 and the handheld computer 14.

[0123] As an example, the handheld computer 14 can be configured to operate in an accessible mode (Mode A) or an inaccessible mode (Mode B). For Mode A and Mode B, the handheld computer 14 can be in different locations. For example, the handheld computer 14 can be configured to operate in an accessible mode, wherein the handheld computer 14 is in a first location where a wireless connection to the network server 35 via a continuous or near-continuous communication path is accessible. The handheld computer 14 can be configured to operate in an inaccessible mode, wherein the handheld computer 14 is in a second location outside the range of a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server 35. In one or more examples, the handheld computer 14 can be configured to ferry data from when the handheld computer 14 is in the second location and in inaccessible mode to when the handheld computer 14 is in the first location and in accessible mode.

[0124] As described in more detail, in the accessible mode, the handheld computer 14 can transmit at least some of the multiple fluid output values ​​received from the injector 1 to the network server 35. For example, the handheld computer 14 can receive data stored on the injector 1 that has not previously been transmitted to the network server 35 and transmit that data (referred to as archived data). However, in some examples, when the handheld computer 14 is in the accessible mode, the handheld computer 14 can receive substantially all (including all) of the data from the injector 1.

[0125] The handheld computer 14 can determine whether a communication path to the network server 35 is inaccessible or accessible based on one or more attempted communications with the network server 35. For example, the handheld computer 14 can attempt to establish wireless communication with the network server 35 on a periodic basis. The handheld computer 14 can determine that a communication path to the network server 35 is inaccessible in response to one or more failed communication attempts, such as one or more communication attempts that do not result in a response message from the network server 35 for a threshold duration (e.g., a threshold number of seconds, minutes, or other threshold duration). The handheld computer 14 can determine that a communication path to the network server 35 is accessible in response to one or more successful communication attempts, such as one or more communication attempts that result in receiving a response message from the network server 35. In some examples, the handheld computer 14 can determine which of the modes, Mode A and Mode B, to use in response to the determination that a communication path to the network server 35 is accessible (i.e., Mode A) or inaccessible (i.e., Mode B).

[0126] Mode A includes step 60, in which a data request (e.g., from a user) is received on handheld computer 14. The data request may be received by processor 18 from one or more interfaces 20. Receiving the request may include opening an application on handheld computer 14, selecting a specific injector 1 from other injector options (e.g., multiple injectors within wireless range or injectors previously connected to handheld computer 14), and / or the user selecting a data refresh or update option from injector 1. Upon receiving the request, handheld computer 14 (e.g., via wireless module 17) sends a data history query in step 61, and the query is received by a web server in step 62. The data query request sent in step 61 can be considered an archived data request from processor 18, which identifies the most recent fluid output value in a time series of archived fluid output values ​​associated with injector 1 stored by web server 35.

[0127] For example, the memory 37 of the network server 35 can store data (e.g., fluid output values, pressure values, etc.) of multiple fluid ejectors, including fluid ejector 1. The data for each of the multiple fluid ejectors can be stored as a separate table, or typically in a manner where the data for each ejector can be accessed individually. In some examples, simultaneous group access to data for multiple ejectors may be possible (e.g., for batch downloads, etc.).

[0128] In some examples, the handheld computer 14 can be configured to upload data (e.g., fluid output values) from the injector 1 for storage in the network server 35. Then, at a later time, after new data has been stored in the injector 1's memory 22, the user may wish to upload the new data to the network server 35's memory 37. However, there is a possibility that another user may have already uploaded the new data to memory 37 at some intermediate time.

[0129] For example, at a work site, there may be multiple users of injector 1, each with their own handheld computer. For instance, if there are two users of injector 1, there may be a first handheld computer and a second handheld computer. In such an example, the first user of the first handheld computer can utilize injector 1 and upload data from injector 1 to network server 35. Then, when the second user of the second handheld computer uses injector 1, he or she may not know whether data needs to be stored in memory 37.

[0130] Furthermore, in some examples, a second user of the second handheld computer can use injector 1, and when finished, memory 22 can store data from injector 1 when the first user used injector 1 and new data from the second user using injector 1. However, memory 37 already stores data from the first user using injector 1, and retransmitting and restoring data from the first user using injector 1 may not be efficient in terms of memory and bandwidth.

[0131] Therefore, in some examples, before storing the data in memory 37, the handheld computer 14 can first receive information indicating the most recent data (e.g., a serial number or timestamp) stored in memory 37 of the injector 1. The handheld computer 14 can then request only the newest data since the most recent data stored in memory 37 from the injector 1 and upload only the newest data. In this way, if there is an increment between the data stored in memory 37 and the data stored in memory 22, only that difference is transmitted to be stored in memory 37, which improves memory and bandwidth efficiency.

[0132] The transmission for the query in step 61 may include wireless transmissions via cellular, Wi-Fi, or other types of networks. The query may uniquely identify the handheld computer 14 that sent the query, the user making the request, and / or the injector 1 currently connected to the handheld computer 14.

[0133] As described above, network server 35 stores historical injection information of injector 1 in memory 37. The historical injection information stored by network server 35 can be considered archived injection information, which can be stored as a time series of archived fluid output values. This injection information may include information previously transmitted using mode A and / or mode B. This injection information may be... Figure 4A and Figure 4B The process generates spray volume logs and / or cleaning volume logs. For example, network server 35 may store a spray volume log containing the amount of paint sprayed in each of multiple time windows. Network server 35 may also store a cleaning volume log containing the volume of fluid rinsed in each of multiple time windows. Network server 35 receives a query in step 62. Then, in step 63, network server 35 identifies the most recent spray volume and cleaning volume logs that network server 35 has stored associated with sprayer 1. Network server 35 can identify the most recent logs received associated with sprayer 1 by looking at the timestamp of the data (e.g., the time and date of the time window saved in association with the time window data) and / or sequence number information (e.g., each sequential time window can be given a progressively higher sequence number). The request may also include the sequence number of sprayer 1, and the data stored by network server 35 may include a reference to the sequence number of sprayer 1, such that network server 35 can only find the most recent logs of sprayer 1, and not the most recent logs of different sprayers.

[0134] Then, in step 64, the network server 35 sends the identifier of the most recent data in the log. The identifier of the most recent data may be the most recent time window and / or the highest previously received sequence number. In step 65, the handheld computer 14 receives the identifier of the most recent data sent by the network server 35.

[0135] Based on the identifier of the most recent data received in step 65, the handheld computer 14 then sends a request to the injector 1 for any jet volume log or cleaning volume log data that is more recent than the identified most recent data. For example, if the most recent data is identified as the time window of 4-5 pm on 08 / 30 / 2018, the request is for any jet volume log or cleaning volume log data newer than 4-5 pm on 08 / 30 / 2018. If the most recent data is identified as having a sequence number of 10,200, the request is for any jet volume log or cleaning volume log data with a sequence number greater than 10,200 (e.g., 10,201, 10,202, etc.). The request transmitted to the injector 1 in step 65 can be considered an archived fluid output value update request, requesting the injector 1 to transmit archived fluid output value updates that only include those fluid output values ​​stored by the injector 1 that are more recent than the identifier of the most recent data.

[0136] exist Figure 5 In the example, in step 67, injector 1 receives a request for injection volume log or cleaning volume log data from handheld computer 14. In step 68, the control circuitry of injector 1 (e.g., wireless module 23 and / or processor 24) then identifies any injection volume log or cleaning volume log data newer than the most recent identified data already stored in network server 35. For example, if the most recent injection volume log or cleaning volume log data is identified as the time window of 08 / 30 / 2018 4-5pm, processor 24 identifies all time window data stored in memory associated with time windows after 08 / 30 / 2018 4-5pm, which can be a single time window (e.g., 08 / 30 / 2018 5-6pm) or possibly multiple time windows (08 / 30 / 2018 6pm-09 / 05 / 2015 8am). Such data can be the injection volume and cleaning volume pumped within each time window and may not include pump cycle or pressure measurement data. If the most recent data is identified as having a sequence number of 10,200, then processor 24 identifies any jet volume log or clean volume log window data with a sequence number greater than 10,200, which can be data for a single time window (e.g., 10,201) or data for multiple time windows (10,201-10,300).

[0137] In step 69, injector 1 then sends the identified newer data to handheld computer 14. The identified newer data sent to handheld computer 14 in step 69 can be considered as an archived fluid output value update sent by injector 1 in response to receiving an archived fluid output value update request from handheld computer 14. In step 70, handheld computer 14 receives the updated data. In step 71, handheld computer sequentially sends the updated data to network server 35. In step 72, network server receives the updated data and stores it in memory 31.

[0138] In this way, in accessible mode, the handheld computer 14 can transmit at least some of the multiple fluid output values ​​to the network server 35. As an example, at least some of the multiple fluid output values ​​refer to archived data. However, in some examples, the handheld computer 14 can transmit virtually all of the multiple fluid output values ​​stored on the injector 1 (e.g., including previously transmitted data).

[0139] When there is a continuous or near-continuous connection between the injector 1, handheld computer 14, and network server 35, the process of Mode A can be repeated on a periodic basis (e.g., once a week, or based on timed window closing, such as once an hour). The advantage of Mode A is that, based on data already received by network server 35, data is selectively transferred from injector 1 to handheld computer 14 and then to network server 35, thus transferring only new data. This mode saves power usage, data transfer, and processor usage compared to transferring data already received by network server 35. In some examples, in response to determining that a communication path to network server 35 is accessible, the process of Mode A for requesting data from injector 1 and transferring that data to network server 35 can be automatically initiated by handheld computer 14. In some examples, automatic initiation of handheld computer 14 can include initiating data transfer without receiving user input for initiating data transfer at handheld computer 14.

[0140] Mode B illustrates the communication technique when there is no continuous or near-continuous connection between injector 1, handheld computer 14, and network server 35. In Mode B, handheld computer 14 receives a data request from the user in step 73, which can be substantially the same as step 60. Handheld computer 14 can then check for the existence of a connection to network server 35 (e.g., via cellular network 41), and if it determines that there is no current data connection to network server 35 (i.e., the communication path is inaccessible), handheld computer 14 sends a data request to injector 1 in step 74. In step 75, injector 1 receives the data request from handheld computer 14. This data request can be for injector volume or clean volume log data, such as for each time window. In response to this data request, injector 1 sends complete historical data to handheld computer 14 in step 76. The complete historical data can include injector volume and / or clean volume log data for all time windows and / or sequentially numbered entries (i.e., a time series of data) stored in memory 22. The complete historical data may exclude pressure and pump cycle data used to calculate the injection and cleaning volumes for each time window, and instead include only the single total injection volume and single total cleaning volume for each time window. Alternatively, the handheld computer 14 may store records in memory 26 of the most recently timestamped or sequence number logs sent to the network server 35, and may send only the newer logs without sending logs previously sent to the network server 35. In some cases, even if some data has previously been transmitted to the network server 35, the historical data may also include usage information representing the hourly, daily, and / or yearly value of the time window. In step 77, the handheld computer 14 receives the complete historical data.

[0141] Then, the handheld computer 14 stores the complete historical data in memory 16 until it can transfer the complete historical data to the network server 35, which requires a connection between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35. In some cases, the jet 1 will be used in a remote location without a cellular data connection, making it impossible for the handheld computer 14 to communicate with the network server 35, although the handheld computer 14 will be able to collect usage data from the jet 1, as shown in the previous steps. At a later time, the user can bring the handheld computer 14 into the range of the network server 35, either at the end of the day or on a later date than when the handheld computer 14 receives the complete historical data, to complete steps 79-80. Thus, the handheld computer 14 can store usage data in response to determining that the communication path to the network server 35 is inaccessible at a first time (e.g., when the handheld computer 14 is collecting data from the jet 1 at a first location), and can transfer usage data to the network server 35 at a second time later than the first time in response to identifying that the communication path to the network server 35 is accessible at a second time, at a second different location.

[0142] Once the handheld computer 14 is able to communicate with the network server 35, such as via a cellular or other type of data connection, in step 78, the handheld computer 14 sends the complete historical data to the network server 35 in step 79. For example, in response to determining that a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server 35 is accessible for transmitting the stored fluid output values, the handheld computer 14 can switch from an inaccessible mode (e.g., automatically without user intervention, but user-intervention-based switching is possible) to an accessible mode.

[0143] Furthermore, although the above examples describe a handheld computer 14 receiving all fluid output values ​​from injector 1, the techniques described in this disclosure are not limited thereto. In some examples, even in an inaccessible mode, the handheld computer 14 may receive some fluid output values ​​from injector 1 (e.g., if the handheld computer 14 determines that some data stored on injector 1 is now stale, or if the handheld computer 14 tracks the last data sent to network 35), and store the received fluid output values ​​in the handheld computer 14 until the handheld computer 14 is able to transition from an inaccessible mode to an accessible mode in response to determining that a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server is accessible for transmitting the stored fluid output values.

[0144] In some examples, in an inaccessible mode, the handheld computer 14 is configured to receive a first number of fluid output values ​​from the injector 1, and in an accessible mode, the handheld computer 14 is configured to receive a second number of fluid output values ​​from the injector 1. The first number of fluid output values ​​may be greater than the second number of fluid output values. For example, in an inaccessible mode, the handheld computer 14 may receive substantially all of the data from the injector 1 (e.g., all, all but the earliest few minutes of data, 90% or more of the data), but in an accessible mode, the handheld computer 14 may receive only data that has not previously been transmitted to the network server 35.

[0145] In step 80, network server 35 receives the complete historical data. Network server 35 can then reconcile the most recently received complete historical data with the data it has already received, and use any new data that network server 35 has not previously received to update the jet volume and cleaning volume data logs in memory 37.

[0146] In Mode B, the handheld computer 14 physically transfers data from within the wireless range of the jetpack 1 but outside the range of the cellular network 41 to within the range of the cellular network 41 (but possibly outside the wireless range of the jetpack). Conversely, the handheld computer 14 primarily functions as a node within two overlapping wireless networks that do not communicate directly with each other in Mode B.

[0147] In Mode B, the complete historical data is transmitted between injector 1 and handheld computer 14 because neither injector 1 nor handheld computer 14 is aware of what data has been collected by network server 35 or otherwise transmitted from injector 1. Typically, injector 1 does not include a log of what data has been transmitted to handheld computer 14 or other devices. Furthermore, handheld computer 14 does not store spray volume or cleaning volume log data from injector 1 (because it is assumed that users with their individual handheld computers 14 will frequently switch injectors, such as for different colors and / or when working with a team of injectors), and does not have a data history recording which data has been transmitted. Therefore, all historical data is retrieved from injector 1 and sent to network server 35. The aim is that various different handheld computers, such as handheld computer 14, can be used with injector 1, so that an operator with one handheld computer 14 can use injector 1 in the morning, while different operators with different handheld computers 14 can use injector 1 in the afternoon, with network server 35 serving as a central collection point for the data.

[0148] Therefore, this disclosure describes examples in which the handheld computer 14 is configured to operate in an accessible mode (e.g., mode A) where a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server 35 is accessible, or in an inaccessible mode (e.g., mode B) where a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server 35 is inaccessible. The communication path to the network server 35 can be a cellular communication path (e.g., via a cellular network) or a WiFi communication path. In one or more examples, the handheld computer 14 may operate differently depending on whether it is in an accessible or inaccessible mode. For example, in an accessible mode, the handheld computer 14 may ensure that only newly stored fluid output values ​​stored in memory 22 are uploaded to the network server 35. However, when the handheld computer 14 operates in an inaccessible mode, it may temporarily store multiple fluid output values ​​in memory 16 for eventual transmission to the network server 35.

[0149] In accessible mode, handheld computer 14 can be configured to send an archived data request to network server 35 to request an identifier for the most recent fluid output value in a time series of archived fluid output values ​​associated with injector 1. This archived fluid output value update request may include an identifier for the most recent fluid output value in a time series of archived fluid output values ​​associated with injector 1.

[0150] The handheld computer 14 can receive from the network server 35 the identifier of the most recent fluid output value in the time series of archived fluid output values ​​associated with the injector 1. The identifier of the most recent fluid output value may include at least one of the time and date of the most recent fluid output value or the sequence number of the most recent fluid output value. The handheld computer 14 can then send an archived fluid output value update request to the injector 1 to request the injector 1 to transmit an archived fluid output value update that includes only those fluid output values ​​that are more recent than the identifier of the most recent fluid output value in the time series of archived fluid output values ​​associated with the injector 1. The handheld computer 14 can transmit the more recent fluid output values ​​to the network server 35 for storage in the memory 37.

[0151] In an inaccessible mode, the handheld computer 14 can be configured to receive multiple fluid output values ​​from the injector 1, representing the fluid output volume of the injector 1 over time. In response to determining that a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server 35 is inaccessible (e.g., the wireless module 17 of the handheld computer 14 cannot connect to a cellular network or WiFi), the memory 16 of the handheld computer 14 can store the multiple fluid output values. In this case, in response to determining that a continuous or near-continuous communication path to the network server 35 is accessible, the handheld computer 14 can transmit the multiple fluid output values ​​to the network server 35.

[0152] For example, in response to determining that a communication path to network server 35 is accessible, handheld computer 14 can automatically transmit multiple fluid output values ​​to network server 35 without receiving user input to initiate the transmission at handheld computer 14. Handheld computer 14 can be configured to periodically attempt communication with network server 35 and, in response to a successful communication attempt with network server 35, determine that a communication path to network server 35 is accessible.

[0153] This disclosure describes various examples of multiple fluid values. For example, similar to elsewhere, multiple fluid output values ​​may include values ​​representing the volume of fluid output by ejector 1 within multiple time windows. These multiple time windows may represent multiple consecutive time periods, each of which has a predetermined duration. As described above, such as references Figures 4A to 4C For each of the multiple time windows, the control circuit 21 of the injector 1 can be configured to open the corresponding time window, calculate and recalculate the corresponding fluid output value as an indication of each increase in the running value of the cycle state received within the corresponding time window, and close the corresponding time window after a predetermined duration, such that the fluid output volume value of the corresponding time window is the running value at the end of the predetermined duration.

[0154] In some embodiments, the handheld computer 14 adds location information from the GPS module 19 to the spray volume and clean volume logs between receiving spray volume and clean volume log location information from the injector 1 and the web server 35. This is because the injector 1 may not include a GPS module, but general location information is still useful for later reference from the web server 35, for example, for retrieving information from the personal computer 29 on the web server 35 to the team manager to understand where the injector is being used. This addition of location information can occur between steps 70 and 71.

[0155] Figure 6This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of connecting the injector 1 to the handheld computer 14 according to various embodiments. As shown, regardless of whether the user of the handheld computer 14 is authorized to associate with a specific injector 1, the web server 35 may or may not grant permission to view historical data. Even if the web server 35 refuses the right to view historical data, the handheld computer 14 can still connect to the injector 1 and the data transfer from the injector 1 to the web server 35, but the handheld computer 14 may, upon approval, prevent the user from viewing historical data.

[0156] When injector 1 is powered on, in step 81, injector 1 broadcasts identification information (e.g., injector identifier (ID)). Broadcasting the injector ID may include information via a short-range wireless protocol (such as BLUETOOTH). TM The broadcast information can be made from the wireless module 23 of the injector 1. This broadcast information may include the model number of the injector 1, the serial number of the injector 1, and / or any specific name previously assigned to the injector 1. This information may be stored in the memory 22 of the injector 1 or in the wireless module 23 of the injector 1.

[0157] In step 82, the handheld computer 14 receives identification information (e.g., injector ID) broadcast from the injector 1, such as model, serial number, and / or injector assignment name. The handheld computer 14 can receive the broadcast via its wireless module 17. In a small area (e.g., within a radius of approximately 100 feet), multiple injectors can simultaneously broadcast their respective injector IDs, allowing the handheld computer 14 to simultaneously receive multiple injector IDs from these multiple injectors within the small area.

[0158] In step 83, the handheld computer 14 may present the user with one or more injector IDs corresponding to the number of injector IDs received. These injector IDs may be presented as distinct icons (one for each injector) on the screen (e.g., a touchscreen) of one or more interfaces 20. The presentation may include displaying the model number, serial number, and / or an assigned name as part of the icon. The handheld computer 14 may then receive a selection for one of the injectors in step 84. This selection may include the user touching one of these icons associated with a specific injector on the touchscreen of the one or more interfaces 20. The user selection is received by the processor 18. The user selection indicates which of the injectors the user wants to communicate with. Based on the selection, the handheld computer 14 may initiate bidirectional communication with the selected injector to exclude other injectors that have not been selected.

[0159] Based on the selection of a specific injector, handheld computer 14 sends a request to network server 35 in step 85 to communicate with the selected injector. This request may include the model number, serial number, and / or the assigned name of the selected injector. In step 86, network server 35 receives the request. After receiving the request, in step 87, network server 35 checks the registration of the selected injector to determine whether the injector (e.g., injector 1) has been previously registered. In this way, network server 35 may include a registry of some or all injectors of one or more types that have been manufactured. Specifically, at manufacturing time, the model number and serial number of each injector are stored in memory 37 of network server 35. Network server 35 may also store indications of whether injectors have been registered, including information about the injector owner. Injector 1 may not store or contain any information indicating whether injector 1 has been registered (e.g., in memory 22), although it is possible for injector 1 to store such information. In some examples, it is network server 35 that records and tracks injector registrations.

[0160] exist Figure 6 In this example, network server 35 can send an approval or rejection instruction to handheld computer 14 in step 88. For instance, if injector 1 is not registered, network server 35 can send a communication to handheld computer 14 prompting it to request the user to register injector 1. During registration, the user can enter the owner's name of injector 1 (which can be a company name or an individual). The owner's name can be sent back to network server 35 and stored in memory 37 in association with the injector ID. Network server 35 can then store an indication in memory 37 that injector 1 has been registered, so that injector 1 will be identified as registered in future connection requests. The owner's name can be associated with other injectors jointly owned.

[0161] Registering sprayer 1 may also include creating an owner account or associating a new sprayer 1 with an existing owner account. The owner account may allow or deny user accounts the right to view and / or modify some or all of the historical data. User accounts may be created using handheld computer 14 and are typically created by a painter not associated with any particular sprayer. The owner account may have permissions to allow or deny specific user accounts the right to view historical data generated by or transmitted from sprayer 1. At the time of registering sprayer 1 or on a later date, using handheld computer 14 or personal computer 29, the user of the owner account may enter or select which user accounts will be allowed to view the historical data, and this entry or selection may be stored in the memory 37 of network server 35.

[0162] User accounts may include specific user identifiers (e.g., username and / or number). Users can use the user identifier and password to log in to programs (e.g., applications or "apps") running on handheld computer 14. The combination of user identifier and password can be considered user credentials. This program facilitates communication with injector 1 and network server 35 discussed herein. Network server 35 may maintain a list in memory 37 of all user accounts authorized by the owner account to view the historical data of injector 1 (and other injectors), while disallowing all other user accounts from viewing the historical data of injector 1.

[0163] If the check in step 87 determines that injector 1 is registered, it can be checked whether a specific user under the user account logged into the handheld computer 14 has been authorized by the owner account to view historical data. Both authorized and unauthorized users' handheld computers 14 can transmit injector data of injector 1 to the network server 35.

[0164] Depending on whether a specific injector 1 is registered, the network server 35 sends an approval or rejection message to the handheld computer 14 in step 88, approving authorized user accounts associated with injector 1 in the memory 37 of the network server 35, and rejecting any user accounts not approved by the owner account associated with injector 1 in the memory 37 of the network server 35. The handheld computer 14 receives the communication from the network server in step 89. Then, in response, the handheld computer 14 sends a data request to injector 1 in step 90. Injector 1 receives the data request in step 91 and then sends some or all of its historical data to the handheld computer 14 in step 92. Note that historical data refers to data that does not indicate the current operating state of injector 1. For example, in some cases, historical data may be information sensed, calculated, developed, or otherwise collected more than one hour ago. In some cases, historical data is information sensed, calculated, developed, or otherwise collected at least one day ago, or more than 12 hours ago, or more than 24 hours ago. In some cases, historical data may be data not from the current injection segment, or data that has not been collected since the last power-on of injector 1.

[0165] In step 93, handheld computer 14 receives data from injector 1. If approval was previously received in step 89, the program running on handheld computer 14 allows the user to view the transmitted historical data on handheld computer 14. If rejection is received in step 89, the program running on handheld computer 14 does not allow handheld computer 14 to display historical data to the user. Regardless of whether rejection or approval is received, handheld computer 14 sends the historical data to network server 35 in step 95. Network server 35 receives the historical data in step 96.

[0166] In this way, the handheld computer 14 can transfer data from the sprayer 1 to the network server 35, allowing or disallowing users of the handheld computer 14 from viewing historical data. The reason some users may not be allowed to view historical data is that different workers may use the sprayer daily. The owner of the sprayer 1 can trust some users to view historical data and may not trust other users to view historical data while using the sprayer 1. Historical data can be competitively sensitive, such as by including generation efficiency information that can reflect the owner's operations. Workers may typically work with multiple contracting companies at once, moving between projects, and if the owner believes a painter will work for a competitor, the owner may not want the painter to view historical data.

[0167] For example, the handheld computer 14 can receive user credentials of the user of the handheld computer 14 and identification information of the injector 1 that is wirelessly communicating with the handheld computer 14. The handheld computer 14 can receive multiple fluid parameter values ​​from the injector 1 representing the fluid in the injector 1 changing over time. In some examples, the multiple fluid parameter values ​​include a first set of fluid parameter values ​​generated during the user's use of the injector 1 and a second set of fluid parameter values ​​generated before the user uses the injector 1.

[0168] Fluid parameter values ​​can be various values ​​indicating the fluid output volume. As an example, a fluid parameter value can be the injection output value when injector 1 operates in the fluid atomization injection mode (e.g., an output value representing the volume of the ejected fluid). As another example, a fluid parameter value can be a pressure value (e.g., an actual pressure value measured by a pressure sensor or a pressure value set by the user).

[0169] For example, the handheld computer 14 can store historical data (e.g., a second set of fluid output values ​​generated before the user uses the injector 1) and concurrent data (e.g., a first set of fluid output values ​​generated by the user using the injector 1). The historical data can be the ejected fluid output values ​​and / or pressure values ​​when the user previously used the injector 1, and the concurrent data can be the ejected fluid output values ​​and / or pressure values ​​when the user currently uses the injector 1.

[0170] The handheld computer 14 can determine whether a user's credentials are authorized to view one or more of a plurality of fluid parameter values, including a first set of fluid parameter values ​​and a second set of fluid parameter values. For example, a first user may be authorized to view virtually any (including all) fluid parameter values ​​generated by injector 1. A second user may be authorized to view fluid parameter values ​​generated by injector 1 during use by the second user, but may not be authorized to view fluid parameter values ​​generated by other users (e.g., historical fluid parameter values). A third user may be authorized to observe some fluid parameter values ​​(e.g., pressure values ​​when the third user uses injector 1) but not others (e.g., the actual ejected fluid output value representing the fluid output volume when the third user uses injector 1). A third user may not be authorized to view any historical fluid parameter values.

[0171] In one or more examples, although the second and third users are limited in the amount of data they can view on their respective handheld computers 14, their respective handheld computers 14 can still be used to transfer data. In other words, even if the second and third users are prevented from viewing fluid parameter values ​​(or at least some fluid parameter values), their handheld computers can still transfer fluid parameter values ​​even if they cannot be viewed by the second and third users.

[0172] For example, the handheld computer 14 can enable the wireless transceiver 17 to wirelessly transmit multiple fluid parameter values ​​to a network server 35 located remotely from the injector 1 and the handheld computer 14. In response to determining that user credentials are not authorized to view a second set of fluid parameter values ​​among the multiple fluid parameter values, the handheld computer 14 can prevent users (e.g., the second and third users from the above examples) from viewing at least a second set of fluid parameter values ​​(e.g., historical fluid output values) at the handheld computer 14 via a display device (e.g., interface 20).

[0173] In some examples, control circuitry 15 may cause the display device of handheld computer 14 to display at least some of a first set of fluid parameter values ​​(e.g., pressure values ​​and fluid output values, or pressure values ​​but not fluid output values), even though it is determined that user credentials are not authorized to view a second set of fluid parameter values ​​(e.g., historical fluid output values ​​or historical pressure values). However, control circuitry 15 may cause the display device of handheld computer 14 to display a second set of fluid parameter values ​​based on user credentials indicating a user capable of viewing the second set of fluid parameter values.

[0174] Assuming in the example above, a third user uses injector 1. Following the third user, a fourth user can connect to injector 1 using his / her own handheld computer 14 and can then use injector 1. Similarly, the fourth user's handheld computer 14 can receive the fourth user's user credentials and identification information of the same injector 1 used by the third user. In this example, injector 1 communicates wirelessly with the fourth user's handheld computer 14.

[0175] The fourth user's handheld computer 14 can receive multiple fluid parameter values ​​(e.g., pressure values ​​or fluid output values ​​representing fluid output volume) from the injector 1 over time. These multiple fluid parameter values ​​include a third set of fluid parameter values ​​generated during the fourth user's use of the injector 1 and a fourth set of fluid parameter values ​​generated before the fourth user's use of the injector 1. The fourth user's handheld computer 14 can determine whether the fourth user's user credentials are authorized to view one or more of the multiple fluid parameter values, including the third and fourth sets, and causes the wireless transceiver of the fourth user's handheld device 14 to wirelessly transmit the multiple fluid parameter values ​​to the network server 35.

[0176] However, in this example, the fourth user can have more viewing privileges than the third user. For example, the third user is prevented from viewing the first and second sets of fluid output values ​​(but can be able to view parameter values, such as pressure). In some examples, in response to determining that the fourth user's user credentials are authorized to view the third and fourth sets of fluid parameter values, the fourth user's handheld device 14 can enable the fourth user to view the third and fourth sets of fluid parameter values ​​at the display of the fourth user's handheld computer 14.

[0177] In some examples, while third-party users may be prevented from viewing fluid output values ​​(e.g., values ​​representing fluid output volume), they may be able to view one or more values ​​used to generate those values. As an example, a third-party user might be authorized to view the pressure values ​​used to generate the fluid output values ​​(e.g., examples of fluid parameter values), but not authorized to view the actual fluid output values.

[0178] Furthermore, in some examples, it is possible to enable a third user to view the actual fluid output value while the third user is using ejector 1. However, once the third user has finished using ejector 1, even if a fluid output value was generated while the third user was using ejector 1, the third user is prevented from observing the fluid output value. In other words, the value captured by the third user's handheld computer 14 can be considered real-time data. The third user's handheld computer 14 can enable the user to view at least some of the first set of parameter values ​​(e.g., pressure value) while using the ejector, and prevent the user from viewing the first set of parameter values ​​(e.g., fluid output value, pressure value, or both fluid output value and pressure value) after a predetermined amount of time when the first set of parameter values ​​is no longer real-time data.

[0179] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating various aspects of the job features. As used herein, a "job" is a spraying project for which the manager of sprayer 1 completes the task. The term "manager" is used herein to refer to a person who instructs and supervises spraying operators, and may instruct and supervise one or more workers and one or more sprayers. The manager may be the business owner and owner of the paint sprayer, or may be designated by the owner to manage the painting operations. The manager may be the person operating the owner's account, while the workers (e.g., painters) operate user accounts on their handheld computers 14. The manager may be the owner. In some cases, the handheld computer 14 may be owned by the painting company and / or the handheld computer 14 may be individually owned by one or more workers.

[0180] Typically, managers will have competitive bids for projects to complete them, taking into account paint usage and labor. Managers can win projects through competitive bidding. Managers then focus on completing the project within budget based on the bids, which requires monitoring paint and labor usage. Jobs can be created by managers by documenting the project and assigning one or more sprayers.

[0181] In many cases, there are multiple injectors used in a single operation, such as Injector 1. Furthermore, the same injector may be used in multiple operations. Having separate data collection on how many injectors were used in one operation, or on how many specific injectors were used across multiple operations, can be difficult, and in many cases practically impossible, such as when such information is needed and processed within a relatively short timeframe. For example, if there are many operation sites in a town, it is practically impossible for managers to determine progress and injector information hourly or even daily. Moreover, simply collecting and presenting data may be insufficient, especially given a given amount of information.

[0182] Therefore, this disclosure describes an example technique that relies on wireless access linked to access timing to selectively retrieve packet data from a jetter (such as jetter 1) to determine job progress. Furthermore, jetter 1 can be used as a means of transmitting additional information such as job reports.

[0183] In some examples, given the number of injectors and the number of job locations, the injector-to-job-location arrangement may be particularly large, and ensuring that injectors are associated with the correct jobs may be computationally difficult. As described in more detail in one or more examples, this disclosure describes methods for storing, accessing, and otherwise processing information to ensure the resolution of technical problems that exist in managing jobs.

[0184] For example, as described in more detail, there may be one or more injectors (e.g., similar to injector 1) for spraying fluid at one or more work sites. Network server 35 may be configured to store work information, such as information indicating how to use one or more injectors at one or more work sites, and to receive information indicating how to use one or more injectors. Network server 35 may compare the received information with the stored work information and, based on the comparison, output information indicating the use of the injectors (e.g., for display on personal computer 29).

[0185] The administrator can use personal computer 29 to manage these jobs. Personal computer 29 can take various forms. It can be a desktop, laptop, tablet, or handheld mobile computer, such as a smartphone. Personal computer 29 can be the same as handheld computer 14. Personal computer 29 can be used to generate jobs. Although personal computer 29 is used in this example, it should be noted that handheld computer 14 can be used alternatively for the same function.

[0186] When a job is created, one or more sprayers and / or locations are associated with each job. The step of associating the sprayer and / or location with the job is performed by an administrator account, which may be the same as or different from the owner account. A painter using a handheld computer 14 (who may be a different person from the administrator or owner, or may be the same person) can connect to the sprayer 1 at the job location. Depending on the user's permissions and / or the location of the handheld computer 14 (e.g., determined by the GPS module 19), the painter using the handheld computer 14 can view one or more jobs associated with the sprayer 1, select one of these jobs, and then use the sprayer 1 to process the selected job (as described previously herein) while the handheld computer 14 collects usage data from the sprayer 1. The handheld computer 14 sends information to the network server 35 to track the generation efficiency of the selected job.

[0187] For example, job information defining the manner in which one or more injectors are used at one or more job locations may include data associating one or more injectors with one or more job locations (e.g., injector AD for job location A, injector EG for job location B, etc.). As another example, job information defining the manner in which one or more injectors are used at one or more job locations may include information about the dates or date ranges on which the one or more injectors are used at the one or more job locations. As yet another example, job information defining the manner in which one or more injectors are used at one or more job locations may include information indicating the users permitted to work at the one or more job locations.

[0188] A painter (e.g., a user) using a handheld computer 14 can wirelessly connect to sprayer 1. The handheld computer 14 can transmit the sprayer ID (e.g., as described above) and GPS location information to a network server 35. The network server 35 can examine the sprayer ID and GPS location information to identify one or more jobs associated with or near sprayer 1 or its GPS location, and send job information back to the handheld computer 14. For example, job information may include data that associates one or more sprayers with one or more job locations. The network server 35 can receive information identifying one or more sprayers (e.g., based on sprayer ID) and job location information identifying one or more job locations where the identified sprayers are located (e.g., based on GPS location). The network server 35 can compare whether an identified sprayer will be located at an identified job location based on information indicating which of the one or more sprayers are associated with which of the one or more job locations. For example, if a sprayer at a job location is being used, but should not be used because the sprayer is not associated with that job location, the network server 35 can output usage information indicating that the sprayer is being used inappropriately.

[0189] These jobs can then be presented to the user, who can select one of them. The user's usage data for injector 1 can then be sent from handheld computer 14 to network server 35 and saved in association with the selected job to indicate production efficiency within a specific time window (i.e., the time a worker uses injector 1 at that location). For example, information indicating how one or more injectors are used at one or more work locations includes information indicating how much fluid one or more injectors inject during a time period. The network server 35 can receive information indicating the usage data of the one or more injectors and compare the received information indicating the usage data of the one or more injectors with information indicating how much fluid one or more injectors inject during that time period. The network server 35 can output information indicating whether the usage data of one or more injectors is less than, equal to, or greater than the amount of fluid injected by one or more injectors during that time period.

[0190] Information regarding the use of sprayer 1, such as production efficiency and paint consumption, can be collected at network server 35 and then viewed via an administrator account from personal computer 29 (or another device). Note that multiple sprayers (used by one or more users) can work on the same job and send usage and production efficiency information to network server 35, which can aggregate the information for that job and then check it with the administrator using personal computer 29 to track the overall production efficiency of the sprayer team on that job.

[0191] Using personal computers 29, administrators in Figure 7 In step 100, a job is created. Creation and input are performed using the interface of personal computer 29. Note that handheld computer 14 can replace personal computer 29. Creating a job may include receiving a job name from the administrator, such as “Miller house” or “high school”. For example, the name could be a quick reference indicating the nature and / or location of the job. The location of the job can also be entered. The location can be a postal address. This location can be selected, alternatively or separately, from a map software program displaying a map, allowing the user to select a specific location. This feature can be useful when addresses have not yet been assigned due to buildings not yet being completed in the area, or when the project involves remote and / or non-addressable infrastructure (bridges, pipelines, signal towers, fences, etc.). Thus, in some examples, job information indicating how one or more sprayers will be used may include job location information, and the manner in which one or more sprayers will be used may include information about the sprayers used at the job location.

[0192] The entered location information can include a date or a date range. Such a date or date range can correspond to the planned completion time of the work. For example, the date input could be October 15, 2018. The date range could be October 10-20, 2018. Therefore, in some examples, job information indicating how one or more injectors will be used can include the date or date range during which the work will be completed in one or more jobs, and the manner in which one or more injectors will be used can include information about the injectors used on that date or within that date range.

[0193] Creating a job can also include assigning one or more sprayers 1 to the project (e.g., information indicating which sprayer 1 to use at one or more job locations). The manager can oversee the sprayer 1 team and can deploy the sprayers 1 as needed. For example, the manager can assign one specific sprayer 1 to a specific job, or multiple (e.g., three) specific sprayers 1 to a specific job, or one specific sprayer 1 to three specific jobs, etc. Additional information can be entered to create a job.

[0194] In step 101, the job input information is sent to the network server 35. In step 102, the network server 35 receives the job information. The job information is stored in the memory 37 on the network server 35, while the network server 35 waits for the job to begin. In this way, the network server 35 can store job information, including information indicating how to use one or more sprayers at one or more job locations.

[0195] In step 103, the dispenser 1 is connected to the handheld computer 14 at the location of the work site. This connection can occur in any of the ways mentioned herein. For example, the dispenser 1 can be connected via BLUETOOTH. TMThe protocol connects to a smartphone, which is a handheld computer 14. The handheld computer 14 then collects location information in step 104. Location information may include latitude and longitude coordinates from the GPS module 19. In another embodiment, the user may input the address of the location using one or more interfaces 20. In some cases, location information may be associated with a signal tower (e.g., cellular tower information) or a Wi-Fi module (e.g., wireless network identification information) wirelessly connected to the handheld computer 14. The handheld computer 14 may also collect operator information. In some examples, operator information may include the name or specific user account of the user using a program on the handheld computer 14 that interfaces with the injector 1 and the network server 35. In step 105, the handheld computer 105 sends the location, operator information, injector 1 ID, and / or other information to the network server 35. In step 106, the network server 35 receives the location, operator information, injector ID, and / or other information.

[0196] In step 107, network server 35 may refer to the job list to identify which jobs meet the criteria based on location, operator information, injector ID, date, and / or other information. For example, only those jobs created or otherwise associated with the owner and / or operator of injector 1 based on a previously registered injector ID may be identified. As an example, network server 35 may receive information identifying one or more injectors and information identifying one or more job locations where the identified injector is located. Network server 35 may determine whether the identified injector will be located at the identified job location based on information indicating which of the one or more injectors are associated with which of the one or more job locations (e.g., comparing the identified injector and the identified location with stored information on which injectors are associated with which job locations).

[0197] Additional or optional identification criteria for a job can be based on operator information. For a specific injector 1 or company, only a specific user account can view a specific job. When a job is created in step 100, the administrator can select which user account is allowed to view or add data associated with the specific job created, and in step 107, the network server 35 can identify only those jobs that are allowed to be viewed or contributed by the current operator or user account. For example, the job information may include information indicating the user authorized to work at the one or more job locations (e.g., authorized operators). In such an example, the network server 35 can determine which of the one or more handheld computers 14 should receive the job information. The network server 35 can then transmit the job information to the determined handheld computer among the one or more handheld computers 14.

[0198] Additional or optional identification criteria could be based on proximity, comparing the distance between the location indicated by the handheld computer 14 collected in step 104 and the work location collected in step 100. In some alternative embodiments, the injector 1 itself may have a GPS module and can generate its own location information to be transmitted via the handheld computer 14 to the network server 35 to indicate the location. Thus, as an example, the network server 35 can determine whether the injector is close to the identified work location. Based on whether the injector is close to the identified work location, the network server 35 can determine whether the injector is located at the identified work location.

[0199] As an example, multiple injectors may exist associated with a work location. In one example, network server 35 may receive information indicating the location of a specific injector. In this example, network server 35 may determine whether a specific injector is close to the work location. If the specific injector is close to the work location, network server 35 may determine whether the specific injector is associated with the work location and should be located at the identified work location or elsewhere.

[0200] The network server 35 may have a predetermined range, such as 100 feet, 1000 feet, 1 mile, 5 miles, or some other range, within which the job will be identified if it is within the range of the location of the handheld computer 14 (or, if the injector 1 generates its own location information, then injector 1). For example, if the predetermined range is 1000 feet, the network server 35 will identify all jobs with locations within 1000 feet of the location of the handheld computer 14, and will not identify those jobs with locations more than 1000 feet away from the location of the handheld computer 14.

[0201] Additional or optional identification criteria can be based on a date or date range associated with the job. When a job is created, it can have an associated date range. The date or date range can be a time window for job completion. The job can be identified if the current date is the same as or within the date range, while the web server 35 may not identify the job in the search if the current date is different from or outside the date range. In some cases, the job can be identified even if the current date is outside a specific time range of a date or date range. For example, the time range can be a 7-day window or a 30-day window (or other window), such that all jobs with a date or date range within the current date's 7-day or 30-day window (or other window) will be identified, while jobs outside the specific job's time range will not be identified. Extending the search within a time window to include job completion dates or date ranges beyond the planned completion date can be useful, as jobs may be delayed due to weather or other factors, and it may be desirable for painters to find jobs even if they are assumed to be completed, while still filtering out jobs outside that time range so as not to overwhelm the search for the correct job.

[0202] For example, information indicating how the one or more injectors will be used at the one or more work locations includes information indicating a time range for each of the work locations during which one or more of the one or more injectors will be used at the one or more work locations. Network server 35 can be configured to receive information identifying one or more injectors 1 and information identifying the work locations among the one or more work locations where the identified injector is located. Network server 35 can determine whether the identified injector will be used at the identified work location based on the information indicating the time range for each work location (e.g., comparing the time range with actual time to determine whether the injector is authorized to spray fluid at the work location).

[0203] The network server 35 may additionally or optionally identify only those jobs for specific user accounts of users of the handheld computers 14 for whom the administrator has approved the work or who are attempting to view job data. For example, the network server 35 may transmit job information to identify those handheld computers 14 associated with users who are permitted to work at the job location.

[0204] In some cases, the identified jobs can be those that meet a single criterion such as any of the criteria mentioned above. In other cases, the identified jobs can be those that meet multiple criteria.

[0205] A list of all jobs can be stored in the memory 37 of the network server 35. The step of identifying jobs based on criteria can be performed by the processor 39 of the network server 35, which compares the criteria with the jobs stored in the memory 37. Jobs that meet the criteria become identified jobs in the segment between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35, while jobs that do not meet the criteria do not become identified jobs in the specific segment between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35. In some cases, multiple jobs will be identified, while in other cases, only one job will be identified or no job will be identified. Although the network server 35 is shown identifying jobs from the stored job list based on criteria, the handheld computer 14 itself can search for and identify jobs based on the job list (including associated job information) sent by the network server 35 to the handheld computer 14 or otherwise stored in the memory 16 of the handheld computer 14.

[0206] For example, each of one or more handheld computers 14 may be associated with one or more injectors 1. In one example, a network server 35 may be configured to determine which of the one or more handheld computers 14 will receive job information and transmit the job information to the determined handheld computers 14. In one example, the network server 35 may transmit job information to one or more handheld computers 14, and each of the one or more handheld computers 14 may determine which job information it is associated with.

[0207] In step 108, the network server 35 sends the identified job to the handheld computer 14. The job information sent may include some or all of the information input from creating the job in step 100. This job information may include the job name, the job location, the names of one or more injectors assigned to the job, the type of injector associated with the job, and / or other information. In step 109, the handheld computer 14 receives the identified job. In step 110, the handheld computer 14 presents the identified job to the user, such as on a touchscreen. Presenting the job to the user may include presenting the job name, job location, and / or any other information input used to create the job in step 100. For example, the display on the handheld computer 14 may display multiple icons corresponding to the identified jobs, each icon indicating the name of the specific job and its location and / or time information (completion day or window), information about the assigned injectors, such as name or type, and / or other information. In step 111, the user of the handheld computer 14 can select one of the presented jobs, such as by touching a specific icon on the touchscreen, and the processor 18 of the handheld computer 14 receives an indication of which job has been selected. In some examples, the handheld computer 14 can select the job automatically. That is, instead of receiving an indication of the selected job via user input at a graphical user interface, the handheld computer 14 can automatically select the job without receiving user input for that selection. For example, the handheld computer 14 can automatically select a job in response to determining that only one job is identified and / or the selection criteria only indicate one job for the location and / or the user.

[0208] Based on task selection (e.g., user selection or automatic selection via handheld computer 14), injector usage information for injector 1 can be sent to network server 35 in step 112. For example, after receiving a selection in step 111, data previously and / or subsequently generated by injector 1 and sent to handheld computer 14 during the current segment between injectors 14 and the handheld computer 14 within injector 1 will be associated in memory with job 111 selected by handheld computer 14 and / or network server 35 when subsequently sent to network server 35. More specifically, memory entries for generating efficiency data (e.g., volume injected per hour) may include job association information (e.g., job name or ID), and various efficiency data entries may be aggregated across different time ranges for injector 1 and from other injectors 1 to track the overall generation efficiency of the job.

[0209] For example, in some examples, network server 35 can determine how much fluid a particular injector 1 is injecting (e.g., injector usage information) and compare the usage information of the particular injector 1 with information indicating how much fluid the particular injector 1 will inject over a time period. However, in some examples, network server 35 can determine how much fluid is being injected on a per-worksite basis, rather than per injector, by aggregating the usage information of injectors at each worksite. Network server 35 can receive information indicating usage data for each injector in the group and aggregate the received information indicating usage data for each injector to generate aggregated usage data for the group of injectors. Network server 35 can compare the aggregated usage data for the group of injectors with information indicating how much fluid the group of injectors will inject over the time period and output information indicating whether the aggregated usage data for the group of injectors is less than, equal to, or greater than the amount of fluid the group of injectors will inject over the time period.

[0210] As long as the handheld computer 14 remains wirelessly connected to the injector 1 (referred to herein as a segment), the association of injector usage data of the injector 1 with the selected job can continue, which may be, for example, the remainder of a workday. For example, the web server 35 can receive information from one or more handheld computers 14 associated with a corresponding injector in one or more injectors 1 located at a job location, indicating the volume of data injected for that job location. In some embodiments, data is sent only on a periodic basis, such as hourly or daily. In some cases, as long as the handheld computer 14 does not initiate a segment with a different injector 1, the association of injector 1 usage data with the selected job can continue, allowing the injector 1 to be turned off and on again to re-establish the connection and resume data generation and transmission to the handheld computer 14, while the generated data continues to be associated with the selected job. In some cases, as long as the handheld computer 14 is not used to select a different job, the association of injector 1 usage data with the selected job can continue. One or more interfaces 20 of the handheld computer 14 may include an icon for ending a segment, which, if selected by the user, ends the collection of further injector 1 usage data associated with the selected job. In some cases, before sending usage data, including job-related information, to the web server 35, the user may use one or more interfaces 20 of the handheld computer 14 to associate the usage data previously generated by the injector 1 and sent to the handheld computer 14 with the selected job.

[0211] In step 113, network server 35 receives usage information for injector 1. Network server 35 can receive usage information for multiple different injectors 1 for the same job, and can also receive usage information from a single injector 1 on multiple jobs. The injector 1 usage information can be stored in memory 37 for later retrieval. The usage information can later be referenced and sent to another device, such as personal computer 29, as shown in step 114. Personal computer 29 receives the usage information in step 115 to display it on one or more interfaces 34. The usage information sent and received can come from multiple injectors, multiple jobs, and multiple user accounts. For example, an administrator operating personal computer 29 may be able to access all usage information for all injectors 1 in their team, but may not be able to access the usage information for injectors 1 that the administrator does not indicate in network server 35's memory 37 as owned by a company associated with the administrator's account. Although the usage information is shown as being sent to personal computer 29, the same information can be sent to handheld computer 14 for viewing.

[0212] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a system for tracking generation efficiency. Components with similar reference numerals as previously shown and described can be identical to those in this system. For example, injectors 1A and 1B can be different embodiments of injector 1, while 14A-D of the HHC can be different embodiments of handheld computer 14. Two positions, position A and position B, are shown. Each position can be a single point with an indicated radius, or it can be a defined area. As shown, each of handheld computer 14A, handheld computer 14B, injector 1A, and injector 1B is located within position A. Each of handheld computer 14A, handheld computer 14C, injector 1A, and injector 1C is located within position B. As shown, handheld computer 14A moves from position A to position B. Similarly, injector 1A moves from position A to position B.

[0213] Operation AC is located at location A, making it possible for injectors 1A and 1B to complete operation AC. Operation DF is located at location B, making it possible for injectors 1A and 1C to complete operation DF. Workers can move between locations A and B to complete operation AF and can carry and / or leave the equipment as needed. For example, injector 1A is transportable to complete different operations at different locations. Any handheld computer 14A, 14B can be used at location A to wirelessly connect to injectors 1A, 1B to transfer data to network server 35 via cellular network 41. Similarly, any handheld computer 14A, 14C can be used at location B to wirelessly connect to injectors 1A, 1C to transfer data to network server 35 via cellular network 41. It is expected that users will consistently use their specific handheld computer 14 while using different injectors 1A-1C daily. Therefore, each injector 1A-C can be connected to a different handheld computer 14A-14C at different times.

[0214] Figure 8 The diagram illustrates several usage scenarios for the system. For example, an administrator can use personal computer 29 or handheld computer 14D to register an owner account for the painting company, which associates the company name (e.g., A+PaintWorks) with an account stored in the memory of network server 35. The administrator can then use the handheld computer 14D to register sprayers 1A and 1B while they are in short-range wireless proximity (e.g., if sprayers 1A and 1B and handheld computer 14D are both at location A). The administrator can then use the handheld computer 14D to register sprayer 1C while it is in close-range wireless proximity (e.g., if sprayer 1C and handheld computer 14D are both at location B). The administrator can use personal computer 29 or handheld computer 14D to create jobs AF. When creating jobs A and C, the administrator can associate sprayers 1A and 1B and location A with jobs A and C. When creating job B, the administrator can associate sprayer 1B and location A with job B. When creating a job DF, the administrator can associate injectors 1A, 1C, and location B with the job DF. Other criteria can be associated with each of the jobs AF, such as job date / range, user account, and / or any other criteria referenced herein.

[0215] A painter using a handheld computer 14A can reach location A with sprayer 1A and wirelessly connect the handheld computer 14A to sprayer 1A, as discussed herein. When connected to sprayer 1A, the painter can use the handheld computer 14A to transmit the sprayer ID of sprayer 1A and information about location A (e.g., address or global coordinates) to network server 35 via cellular network 41. Network server 35 can compare the sprayer ID of sprayer 1A and the information about location A with a job database to identify jobs A and C. In this example, network server 35 does not identify job B because the manager has not associated job B with sprayer 1A. In this example, network server 35 does not identify any jobs DF because these jobs are associated with location B, not location A.

[0216] Information about the identified jobs A and C can be transmitted from the network server 35 to the handheld computer 14A via the cellular network 41. The handheld computer 14A can then present the information about jobs A and C to the painter and receive a selection for either job from the painter. Assuming the painter selects job A, usage data from the sprayer 1A (e.g., previously or subsequently generated) is sent to the handheld computer 14A and then via the cellular network 41 to the network server 35 for storage on the server network 35 associated with the selected job A.

[0217] While remaining in position A, the painter can then use the interface on the handheld computer 14A to select job B, which results in deselecting job A, causing usage data from the sprayer 1A (e.g., previously or subsequently generated) to be sent to the handheld computer 14A and then via cellular network 41 to the network server 35 for storage on the server network 35 associated with the selected job B.

[0218] A second painter can wirelessly connect to sprayer 1B at location A using a handheld computer 14B. The handheld computer 14B sends the sprayer ID of sprayer 1B, information about location A, and information about the second painter's user account to the network server 35 via cellular network 41. The network server 35 compares this criterion with a list of stored jobs and identifies only job C, because when job C is created, it is associated with the second painter's sprayer 1B, location A, and user account, whereas the administrator does not associate jobs A and B with the second painter's user account. The second painter can select job C on the handheld computer 14B. Usage data from sprayer 1B (e.g., previously or subsequently generated) is sent to the handheld computer 14B and then via cellular network 41 to the network server 35 for storage on the server network 35 in association with the selected job C. The network server 35 then aggregates the usage data generated by sprayers 1A and 1B to track the generation efficiency of job C (e.g., spray volume per hour and total volume).

[0219] After job C is completed, the first painter can transport sprayer 1A and handheld computer 14A to location B. The first painter can connect to sprayer 1A or sprayer 1C using handheld computer 14A. In either case, the wireless connection to the sprayer and communication from handheld computer 14A to network server 35 can return the identified job DF for selection. Handheld computer 14C can wirelessly connect to sprayer 1A or 1C and another of network server 35 via cellular network 41 to return job DF. The first or second painter can then use sprayers 1A or 1C to generate usage data, which is transmitted by handheld computer 14A or 14C via cellular network 41 to network server 35 for association with the selected job or multiple jobs.

[0220] In this way, Figure 7 and Figure 8Examples are shown of aggregating information from different injectors used for one job or from a single injector used for different jobs. For example, one or more handheld computer devices 14 communicatively connected to one or more injectors 1. Each of the one or more handheld computers 14 can be configured to receive information indicating one or more jobs from multiple jobs. For example, a network server 35 can receive information associating one or more injectors 1 with one or more jobs, and transmit information indicating one or more jobs from multiple jobs to the handheld computer 14 based on the association of one or more injectors with jobs. As another example, the network server 35 can be configured to receive information associating one or more injectors with corresponding locations in one or more jobs, and transmit information indicating one or more jobs from multiple jobs to the handheld computer 14 based on the association of the corresponding locations with jobs. As another example, the network server 35 can be configured to receive information associating one or more jobs with user credentials, and transmit information indicating one or more jobs from multiple jobs based on the received user credentials. As another example, network server 35 may be configured to receive information that associates one or more jobs with one or more dates, date ranges, or time ranges within a data range, and to transmit information indicating one or more jobs from multiple jobs based on the current date and the received information that associates one or more jobs with one or more dates, date ranges, or time ranges within a data range.

[0221] Information that associates one or more injectors 1 with one or more jobs or with the corresponding location of one or more jobs may include information that associates one injector with one job, information that associates one injector with multiple jobs, or information that associates multiple injectors with one job.

[0222] The handheld computer 14 can receive user selections for one or more jobs. For example, a user can use interface 20 to view and select one or more jobs. The handheld computer 14 can receive information from one or more injectors 1 indicating the amount of fluid ejected by the one or more injectors 1, the one or more handheld computer devices 14 being communicatively connected to the one or more injectors 1, and output information indicating the amount of fluid ejected in association with a selected job from one or more jobs among a plurality of jobs.

[0223] The network server 35 can be configured to receive information from each of one or more handheld computers 14 indicating the amount of fluid injected for a corresponding job, and to update corresponding injection volume logs (as described above) based on the information indicating the amount of fluid injected for the corresponding job. These injection volume logs are associated with the plurality of jobs respectively, and each injection volume log includes information indicating the amount of fluid injected at those associated jobs. The network server 35 can generate information for display based on the injection volume logs indicating the corresponding amounts of fluid injected for the plurality of jobs.

[0224] As described above, multiple injectors 1 can be used for one job or one injector 1 can be used for multiple jobs. The network server 35 can be configured to aggregate fluid output values ​​from different injectors 1 to determine the amount of fluid (e.g., paint) sprayed on a job-by-job basis.

[0225] As an example, two or more of the multiple injectors 1 are used for the same job in multiple operations. In such an example, in order to receive corresponding information indicating the amount of fluid injected for the corresponding job from each of one or more handheld computers 14, a network server 35 is configured to receive the corresponding fluid volume injected by two or more of the multiple injectors 1 from the corresponding one or more handheld computers 14 communicatively connected to two or more of the multiple injectors 1. Also, in order to update the corresponding injection volume log, the network server 35 is configured to aggregate the corresponding fluid volumes injected by two or more of the multiple injectors 1 to update the injection volume log associated with the two or more jobs associated with the multiple injectors 1.

[0226] As another example, injector 1 in a plurality of injectors 1 is used for two or more of a plurality of jobs. In such an example, in order to receive corresponding information indicating the amount of fluid injected for a corresponding job from each of one or more handheld computers 14, a network server 35 is configured to receive, from the corresponding one or more handheld computers 14, the corresponding amounts of fluid injected by injector 1 at two or more of the plurality of jobs, which are communicatively connected to the injectors in the plurality of injectors. Furthermore, in order to update the corresponding injection volume logs, the network server 35 may be configured to update the first injection volume logs of the first job in the plurality of jobs based on the amount of fluid injected by the injector during a first job, and to update the second injection volume logs of the second job in the plurality of jobs based on the amount of fluid injected by the injector during a second job.

[0227] In this manner, this disclosure describes an example of a technique in which one or more injectors 1 are present for spraying fluid for multiple jobs. A network server 35 can be configured to receive information generated by the one or more injectors 1. This information can indicate the amount of fluid sprayed for a corresponding job. The network server 35 can update corresponding spray volume logs based on the corresponding information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for a corresponding job. These spray volume logs are associated with the multiple jobs respectively, and each spray volume log includes information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed at these associated jobs. The network server 35 can generate information for display based on the spray volume logs indicating the corresponding amounts of fluid sprayed for the multiple jobs. One or more handheld computers 14, one or more injectors 1, and the network server 35 can operate together in the manner described in this disclosure.

[0228] In some examples, network server 35 can receive multiple job profiles corresponding to multiple painting projects, each associated with one or more paint sprayers 1. The one or more sprayers 1 can be configured to generate multiple spray volume datasets and transmit these datasets (e.g., to a handheld computer 14 or directly to network server 35). Network server 35 can receive multiple spray volume datasets (e.g., directly from sprayer 1 or from handheld computer 14). Network server 35 can receive inputs that associate the multiple spray volume datasets with multiple painting projects, determine spray volume values ​​for the multiple painting projects based on the multiple spray volume datasets associated with the multiple painting projects, and generate outputs based on the spray volume values.

[0229] As an example, transmitting multiple jet volume datasets includes receiving information on one or more handheld devices indicating one or more jobs from multiple operations, receiving user selection of the job for the one or more jobs, receiving information from one or more injectors indicating the amount of fluid jetted by the one or more injectors communicatively connected to the one or more handheld computer devices, and outputting information indicating the amount of fluid jetted in association with the selected job among the one or more jobs.

[0230] In some examples, receiving input that associates multiple jet volume datasets with multiple painting projects includes receiving information indicating that a first jet value dataset generated by a first injector is associated with a painting project, and receiving information indicating that a second jet value dataset generated by a second injector is associated with the same painting project. In some examples, receiving input that associates multiple jet volume datasets with multiple painting projects includes receiving information indicating that a first jet value dataset generated by a first plurality of injectors is associated with a first painting project, and receiving information indicating that a second jet value dataset generated by a second plurality of injectors is associated with a different second painting project.

[0231] In some examples, determining the spray volume values ​​for multiple painting projects based on multiple spray volume datasets associated with multiple painting projects includes updating the corresponding spray volume logs based on corresponding information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for the respective job, wherein the spray volume logs are associated with the multiple jobs respectively, and each spray volume log includes information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed at the associated job.

[0232] The spray volume data calculated by the sprayer 1 and output via the handheld computer 14 can be used to manage the maintenance of the sprayer 1. The sprayer 1 includes various appliance components, such as pump components (e.g., packing, valves, pistons, etc.) and spray gun components, such as the spray tip. Each of these components should be replaced periodically to maintain the optimal performance of the sprayer 1; however, each component wears at a different rate and has a different lifespan, necessitating maintenance for different components at different times. The primary wear of components is due to the spraying of pressurized paint. Therefore, the spray volume data can be used to monitor component wear and trigger alarms. In some embodiments, the spray volume is compared to a threshold, and when the threshold is met or exceeded, an alarm is sent to the user to perform maintenance. This threshold can therefore represent the maintenance reminder level for inspecting or replacing components.

[0233] Multiple handheld computers 14 can process the spray data of a single injector 1, allowing one handheld injector 14 to handle all spray data of the injector 1 independently. Therefore, the maintenance threshold can be held by the network server 35, and the spray data can be compared with the determined threshold when maintenance is required. An alert can then be issued to the handheld computer 14 currently associated with the injector 1 when the maintenance threshold is reached. Furthermore, the maintenance threshold and spray data can be measured based on the lifetime spray volume of the injector 1.

[0234] Maintenance reminders can be set on a handheld computer 14 or a personal computer 29 and then transmitted to a network server 35 for storage. For example, multiple maintenance reminders can be entered into the handheld computer 14 associated with that particular injector 1.

[0235] When jet volume log information is received from handheld computer 14, network server 35 can perform a comparison of the jet volume with a threshold. When the threshold is met, a maintenance alert can be issued from network server 35 to personal computer 29 and / or handheld computer 14. In some examples, the injector does not perform the comparison of the jet volume with the threshold to generate the maintenance alert; instead, this comparison is performed by one of handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and network server 35. In such examples, the function of tracking output volume and maintenance alerts is offloaded from the injector to a remote device (e.g., handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and / or network server 35), thereby reducing the amount of data stored at the injector (i.e., saving the alert schedule and the corresponding threshold volume output), and reducing the processing burden on the injector's processor to perform threshold comparisons and save alerts.

[0236] In some examples, any one or more of the handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and / or network server 35 can track multiple alarms (e.g., maintenance reminders) for the injector relative to a common volume starting point. For example, multiple alarms can be generated relative to the injector's current lifetime volume output (e.g., current lifetime gallon output) to replace, for example, the tip of the injector during a first period of volume output (e.g., per first gallon) and the package of the injector during a second period of volume output (e.g., per second gallon, which may differ from the first gallon). More than two different thresholds, the period of volume output, or other maintenance thresholds, such as three or more different thresholds, can be used. In some examples, different thresholds for alarms can be generated relative to usage time rather than volume output.

[0237] Maintenance comparisons are performed by a handheld computer 14 or a network server 35. Data used for maintenance tracking is provided by the injector 1 and sent to the handheld computer 14 and possibly to the network server 35, as discussed herein. Maintenance logs may be based on the injection logs previously described herein. Since injection only records the injection volume when the pressure is above a threshold amount, maintenance tracking is performed using injection data representing pressures at or above a specific fluid pressure threshold, and not using collected injection data when pressures are below the specific fluid pressure threshold.

[0238] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation in which a notification is output from a network server 35 in response to receiving injector identification data associated with an injector indicating an uninterpreted state. Figure 9 The example operation is useful for locating injectors that may be misplaced, stolen, or otherwise unexplained. Figure 9Example techniques allow owners, foremen, or other users to log into an account on a web server 35 associated with a sprayer and indicate that the sprayer is unexplained (e.g., lost, stolen, or otherwise unexplained). After the sprayer is indicated as unexplained, and in response to receiving identification information for the sprayer (e.g., from a handheld computer 14 that uploads usage or other data for the sprayer), the web server 35 outputs a notification to the user associated with the account (e.g., the owner) and / or to the handheld computer 14 that sends the sprayer identification information and / or usage information to the web server 35. In some examples, the notification includes location information of the remote computing device that sent the sprayer identification information, such as the GPS coordinates of the remote computing device, thereby enhancing the ability of the owner or other users associated with the registered account to locate the sprayer. While this document shows and describes with respect to the handheld computer 14 and the personal computer 29... Figure 9 Example operations, but it should be understood that Figure 9 The technology can be performed using any computing device (or devices) that is remotely connected to and in communication with the network server 35.

[0239] like Figure 9 As shown, the handheld computer 14 is connected to a sprayer, such as sprayer 1 (step 116). For example, the handheld computer 14 may be a smartphone or other computing device of the user, such as a painter, which is connected at the location of the work site to a distributing sprayer (such as sprayer 1), as described in further detail above. This connection can occur in any manner described herein, such as via BLUETOOTH. TM The communication protocol is used in conjunction with a smartphone functioning as a handheld computer 14. For example, when the injector 1 is powered, the injector 1 can broadcast its identification information from the wireless module 23 via a short-range wireless protocol (e.g., Bluetooth). The broadcast injector identification information may include the injector 1's model number, the injector 1's serial number, a specific name previously assigned to the injector 1, or any other information that uniquely identifies the injector 1. The handheld computer 14 receives the injector identification information and / or injector usage information (e.g., fluid volume output information or other usage information) from the injector 1.

[0240] The handheld computer 14 identifies the injector 1 and, in some examples, transmits the injector 1 usage information to the web server 35 (step 118). In some examples, the handheld computer 14 transmits its location information, such as latitude and longitude coordinates identified by its GPS module 19. The handheld computer 14 can transmit the injector 1's identification information (and, in some examples, its location information) when it is wirelessly connected to the injector 1 or when it is not wirelessly connected to the injector 1. For example, the handheld computer 14 can transmit the injector 1's identification information, the injector 1's usage information, and / or its location information to the web server 35 while wirelessly connected to the injector 1, such as during operation at the work site. In other examples, such as when the wireless connection between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35 is unavailable when the handheld computer 14 is wirelessly connected to the injector 1, or when the wireless connection between the handheld computer 14 and the network server 35 becomes available (e.g., when the handheld computer 14 is within range of a cellular communication network or other wireless network), the handheld computer 14 may transmit the identification information of the injector 1, the usage information of the injector 1, and / or the location information of the handheld computer 14 to the network server 35.

[0241] Network server 35 receives the identification information of injector 1 and, in some examples, the location information of handheld computer 14 (step 120). Network server 35 then identifies the registered account associated with injector 1 (step 122). For example, network server 35 may store registered account information in memory 37 that associates injector 1 with, for example, an owner or other user (e.g., an owner account). A registered account can associate any one or more injectors with that account, which can be identified by network server 35 via injector identification information. For example, network server 35 may identify one of multiple registered accounts (e.g., owner accounts) associated with the identification information of injector 1, such as by searching a database or other data storage within memory of a computing device that is remotely connected to and communicatively linked to network server 35, or memory within memory 37 that associates injector identification information with registered accounts.

[0242] Network server 35 determines that the status associated with the identified injector 1 in the registered account indicates that injector 1 is unexplained (step 124). For example, network server 35 may store status information associated with any one or more injectors of the registered account. This status information may indicate (e.g., by the owner or other user associated with the registered account) whether the corresponding injector is in an explained or unexplained state. That is, the owner or other user associated with the registered account can provide login credentials, such as a username and password, to log in to the registered account associated with the injector at network server 35 and provide a status indication that the injector is unexplained (e.g., has an unknown location and / or job status) or explained (e.g., has a known location and / or job status). In some examples, the status information may include the injector's location, such as the location of the job to which the injector was assigned, or the injector's last known location. Figure 9 In the example, network server 35 determines that the status associated with the identified injector 1 (based on the received identification information of injector 1) indicates that injector 1 is not interpreted.

[0243] In response to determining that the injector identification information has been received and that the registered account includes an unexplained status associated with the identified injector 1, the network server 35 provides a notification to one or more users associated with the registered account (step 126). For example, the network server 35 may store, in association with the registered account, email addresses associated with one or more users of the registered account, short message service (SMS) addresses associated with one or more users of the registered account, voicemail addresses associated with one or more users of the registered account, or any other electronic communication addresses associated with one or more users of the registered account. The notification transmitted to the one or more users associated with the registered account may include an indication that the network server 35 has received the injector 1 identification information, an indication of the injector location based on location information received from the handheld computer 14, user credential information of the user connected to the injector 1 (e.g., a painter), and / or the time and date the handheld computer 14 connected to the injector 1. In some examples, the notification transmitted to one or more users associated with the registered account (e.g., the owner) may be transmitted without providing notification to the handheld computer 14 or the user of the handheld computer 14 that reports the status and location of the injector 1.

[0244] One or more users associated with a registered account receive a notification transmitted by web server 35 (step 128). For example, such as Figure 9As shown, a user can receive notifications on personal computer 29, for example, by retrieving notifications via email, logging into a registered account on web server 35 to retrieve notifications, or otherwise retrieving notifications via personal computer 29. Although Figure 9 The example describes using a personal computer 29 to retrieve notifications, but in some examples, a user associated with a registered account may use any computing device that can be communicatively connected to the web server 35 to retrieve notifications, such as another handheld computer 14 (e.g., a smartphone or tablet).

[0245] In some examples, such as Figure 9 In the example shown, network server 35 transmits a notification to the user of handheld computer 14, which transmits the injector identification information received by handheld computer 14 in step 132 (step 130). This notification may include the same information as (in step 126) or different information as the notification sent to the user associated with the registered account. For example, in some examples, the notification transmitted to handheld computer 14 may include an indication that injector 1 has an unresolved state. In some examples, the notification transmitted to handheld computer 14 may include an indication that injector 1 has an unresolved state and an indication of the registered account and / or the user associated with the registered account (e.g., the owner). Information about the notification is then displayed on the screen or other interface of handheld computer 14.

[0246] therefore, Figure 9The techniques described in the examples allow owners, foremen, or other users to have registered accounts associated with one or more sprayers to indicate that a sprayer is unexplained, such as when it is lost, not located at an assigned work location, stolen, or otherwise unexplained. In response to a connection between the sprayer and a computing device (e.g., handheld computer 14) that transmits the sprayer's identification information to a network server 35, the network server 35 transmits a notification to the user (e.g., the owner) associated with the registered account. This notification may alert the owner or other user that the sprayer has been used, and in some examples, alert the location of the handheld computer 14 transmitting the data. In examples where the handheld computer 14 transmits identification data while wirelessly connected to the sprayer, the location information of the handheld computer 14 may correspond to the location of the sprayer, thereby enabling the user of the account to identify the location of the sprayer's use (and possibly its physical location). This notification may be sent to the owner or other user of the registered account without notifying the user of the handheld computer 14, potentially leading to the recovery of a stolen sprayer. In some examples, a notification can be sent to the user of the handheld computer 14, thereby enabling the user of the handheld computer 14 (e.g., a painter) to notify the owner, foreman, or other users associated with the registered account of the location of the sprayer.

[0247] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of remotely setting the pressure threshold of injector 1 using a wirelessly connected handheld computer 14. Figure 10 The example operation enables users such as foremen, owners, or other users to remotely set the threshold pressure of the injector 1, such as the upper threshold pressure, using the wireless connection between the handheld computer 14 and the injector 1.

[0248] For example, at the work site, there may be different motivations for the painter and the foreman or owner. The painter may configure sprayer 1 to high-pressure mode to complete the task. However, the foreman or owner may want to configure sprayer 1 to low-pressure mode to ensure a better finish and reduce waste.

[0249] The injector 1 and / or the handheld computer 14 can output notifications based on a comparison of the threshold pressure with the measured pressure of the injector 1, such as when the measured pressure exceeds the threshold pressure. That is, the owner of the injector 1, the foreman to whom the injector 1 is assigned, or other users may desire to set an upper threshold pressure indicator for the application of fluid (e.g., paint) during the operation. Increased output pressure of the pump in the injector 1 increases the volumetric output of the injector 1, thereby providing painters or other users with an incentive to increase pressure to increase volumetric output and reduce the time required to complete the job.

[0250] However, pump pressure exceeding the upper threshold and corresponding volumetric output will reduce the finish quality of paint or other fluids applied during the operation, such as by leaving droplets, streaks, or generally undesirable fluid application thickness. Overpressurization can also lead to paint waste, which can be a significant cost driver. Overpressurization can also increase wear on injector 1, requiring earlier maintenance or causing earlier failure. Therefore, when the pump output pressure of injector 1 exceeds the operation's threshold pressure, it can advantageously alert the user of injector 1, the foreman or other supervisor of the operation, the owner of injector 1, or other users.

[0251] like Figure 10 As shown, the handheld computer 14 receives an indication of a pressure threshold (step 134). This threshold pressure can be an upper threshold pressure, i.e., a lower threshold pressure, for example, lower than the maximum achievable pressure of the pump of the sprayer 1. This threshold pressure can be changed based on the job assigned to the sprayer 1. The handheld computer 14 (or personal computer 22) can receive the indication of the threshold pressure wirelessly via one or more user interfaces 20 of the handheld computer 14, via communication from the network server 35 when the job assigned to the sprayer 1 is selected, or via user interaction with the handheld computer 14 or via communication with the network server 35. The ability to remotely change the threshold pressure allows the manager to set the maximum pressure according to various conditions, such as the painter's experience level, the nature of the project, the type of paint being sprayed, environmental factors, etc. Furthermore, if the worker desires a higher pressure, the worker can call the manager to request a higher lower pressure, and the manager can remotely increase the maximum pressure. Therefore, the maximum pressure threshold can be changed throughout the day depending on the changing work location conditions.

[0252] exist Figure 10 In the example, the handheld computer 14 transmits the threshold pressure to the injector 1 via wireless communication (step 136), the threshold pressure being transmitted via, for example, BLUETOOTH. TM Alternatively, other wireless communication protocols may be wirelessly received at injector 1 (step 138). In other examples, as further described below, the handheld computer 14 does not transmit the threshold pressure to injector 1, but instead compares the pressure received from injector 1 with the threshold pressure and provides a notification based on that comparison.

[0253] like Figure 10 As shown, the injector 1 senses the actual fluid pressure downstream of the pump 9 of the injector 1 via a pressure sensor 28 that measures the hydraulic pressure of fluid (e.g., paint) leaving or otherwise pumped downstream of the injector 1 (step 140). The injector 1 uses, for example, its control circuit 21 to compare the sensed actual fluid pressure with a threshold pressure (step 142). In an example where the threshold pressure is an upper threshold pressure, such as... Figure 10 In one example, injector 1 determines whether the actual fluid pressure exceeds a threshold pressure (step 144). In other examples, such as when the threshold pressure is a lower threshold pressure, injector 1 may determine whether the actual fluid pressure is less than the threshold pressure.

[0254] like Figure 10 As shown, in the example where the measured actual fluid pressure does not exceed the threshold pressure (the "No" branch of step 144), injector 1 continues to sense the actual fluid pressure downstream of the pump (step 140). Injector 1 may continue to repeat steps 140, 142, and 144 to measure the actual fluid pressure (step 140), compare the actual fluid pressure with the threshold pressure (step 142), and determine whether the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure during the operation of injector 1 (step 144). In some examples, injector 1 does not output an indication of the comparison result of the actual fluid pressure and the threshold pressure until injector 1 determines that the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold fluid pressure. In other examples, injector 1 outputs an indication that the actual fluid pressure does not exceed the threshold pressure until injector 1 determines that the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure.

[0255] In response to determining that the actual fluid pressure exceeds a threshold fluid pressure (the "Yes" branch of step 144), injector 1 outputs a notification (step 146). This notification may include any one or more of the following indications: an indication that the threshold pressure has been exceeded, the degree to which the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure (e.g., the difference between the measured pressure and the threshold pressure), the duration for which the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure, and the date and / or time on which the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure. In some examples, injector 1 may output this notification (in step 146) in response to determining that the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure for a threshold duration (such as one second, five seconds, one minute, or other threshold duration). In some embodiments, for a notification to be output in step 146, the measured pressure must exceed the pressure threshold for a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds), and exceeding the threshold pressure for a shorter duration will not result in a notification being output. In some embodiments, the measured pressure must exceed a pressure threshold for a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 seconds) while pump 9 continues pumping (e.g., as determined by pump circulation sensor 27 or motor controller 25) for outputting a notification in step 146, and a shorter duration of pressure exceeding the threshold and / or pump 9 not being driven during overpressure does not result in an output notification. It should be noted that even though the pressure threshold is exceeded, injector 1 continues to operate and spray (e.g., motor controller 25 does not limit the power of motor 4), allowing the paint to continue the job, but a notification is still sent so that the supervisor can be notified of spraying while overpressure is present.

[0256] The notification is received by the handheld computer 14 (step 148) and transmitted from the handheld computer 14 to, for example, a web server 35 and / or displayed on the display device of the handheld computer 14 (step 150). In the example where the handheld computer 14 sends the notification to the web server 35, the web server 35 may notify the owner or other users of the registered account associated with the injector 1.

[0257] although Figure 10 The examples illustrate and describe how injector 1 receives a threshold pressure and compares the sensed actual fluid pressure with the threshold fluid pressure to output a notification. However, it should be understood that in some examples, handheld computer 14 does not transmit the threshold pressure to injector 1 for comparison with the sensed actual fluid pressure. In such examples, injector 1 outputs the sensed actual fluid pressure (or an indicator of the measured pressure) to handheld computer 14 (e.g., periodically, such as at regular time intervals, regular fluid output volumes, or other intervals). In these examples, handheld computer 14 compares the actual fluid pressure received from injector 1 with the threshold pressure and outputs any notifications mentioned herein based on that comparison (e.g., such as when the actual fluid pressure exceeds the threshold pressure).

[0258] Therefore, Figure 10 The technology allows users of sprayer 1 (e.g., painters), foremen or other supervisors assigning work to sprayer 1, and / or owners of sprayer 1 to be notified when pressure exceeds a threshold. Therefore, Figure 10 The technology can help ensure that the output pressure of the injector 1 for a specific task is within the range required for that task, such as the output pressure range below the upper threshold pressure that promotes a uniform, high-quality distribution of fluid (e.g., paint) from the injector 1.

[0259] In this way, Figure 10 An example technique is illustrated in which, when pump 9 operates during a window, handheld computer 14 and / or web server 35 and / or control circuitry 21 of injector 1 (individually or in combination) can receive multiple pressure values ​​(e.g., based on the duration of pump 9 or the number of cycles (all or part)) and determine a total pressure metric for the window based on the multiple pressure values ​​received during the window. The handheld computer 14 or control circuitry 21 can cause a corresponding wireless module to transmit the total pressure metric. Examples of total pressure metrics include one of the average, pattern, or median values ​​of one or more pressure values.

[0260] There are various ways to receive pressure values. As one example, pressure values ​​can be received based on a user-selected pressure level. As another example, pressure values ​​can be determined based on pressure measurements from a pressure sensor.

[0261] Network server 35 can be configured to receive stress measurements. Network server 35 can then output information indicating the stress measurements to personal computer 29 for display.

[0262] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example operation for limiting the output pressure of injector 1 to a threshold pressure received from handheld computer 14 via wireless communication. Figure 11 The example operation allows a user, such as a foreman, owner, or other user, to remotely set the threshold pressure of the injector 1, such as the upper threshold pressure, using a wireless connection between the handheld computer 14 and the injector 1. The injector 1 then limits the output fluid pressure of the injector 1 to the received threshold pressure.

[0263] like Figure 11 As shown, the handheld computer 14 receives an indication of a pressure threshold (step 152). This threshold pressure can be an upper threshold pressure, i.e., a lower threshold pressure, for example, lower than the maximum achievable pressure of the pump of injector 1. This threshold pressure can change based on the job assigned to injector 1. For example, as cited herein, each job may have a maximum pressure limit input by a supervisor at or after its creation, and this maximum pressure limit is transmitted to injector 1. The handheld computer 14 may receive the threshold pressure indication via its user interface (graphical user interface), when a job assigned to injector 1 is selected, via communication from network server 35, or via user interaction with the handheld computer 14 or wirelessly via communication with network server 35.

[0264] The handheld computer 14 wirelessly transmits the threshold pressure to the injector 1, for example via Bluetooth or other wireless communication data protocols (step 154). The threshold pressure is wirelessly received by the injector 1 (step 156).

[0265] The injector 1 limits its output pressure so that the actual fluid pressure sensed by the injector 1 (e.g., via pressure sensor 28 of the injector 1) does not exceed the threshold pressure (step 158). For example, the motor controller 25 of the injector 1 can control the motor 4 such that the actual fluid pressure sensed via pressure sensor 28 of the injector 1 does not exceed the threshold pressure. For example, if the measured pressure measured by pressure sensor 28 exceeds the maximum threshold pressure determined by processor 24, processor 24 can cause motor controller 25 to reduce or stop the power delivery to motor 4 to slow down or stop pump 9, thereby creating a lower fluid pressure. If the measured pressure measured by pressure sensor 28 drops below the maximum threshold pressure determined by processor 24, processor 24 can cause motor controller 25 to increase or restore the power delivered to motor 4 to accelerate or cycle pump 9, thereby creating a lower fluid pressure. In some embodiments, the measured pressure must exceed the maximum threshold pressure for a predetermined duration, such as 2 seconds, before the power of motor 4 is reduced or cut off to avoid instantaneous pressure spikes interrupting the injection. In some examples, the control circuit 21 of the injector 1 adjusts the limit of the potentiometer dial corresponding to the controller 5 of the injector 1, such that the maximum input of the potentiometer dial corresponds to the threshold pressure.

[0266] therefore, Figure 11 The technology enables the use of a wireless connection between a handheld computer 14 and the injector 1 to remotely set the threshold pressure (e.g., upper threshold pressure) of the injector 1. The injector 1 limits the output fluid pressure to the received threshold pressure, thereby ensuring that the output pressure of the injector 1 does not exceed the threshold pressure.

[0267] For example, control circuit 21 can receive a threshold pressure and a pump output pressure setting (e.g., the actual pressure determined from a pressure sensor or based on a user-selected pressure level). Control circuit 21 can then control the operation of injector 1. For example, control circuit 21 can cause the motor to drive the output of pump 9 to the pump output pressure setting, unless the pump output pressure setting is greater than the threshold pressure, in which case control circuit 21 can cause the motor to drive the output of pump 9 to the threshold pressure.

[0268] While this document discusses, in various embodiments, the control circuitry 21 of injector 1 calculating a jet volume metric based on the cycle state of pump 9 and then wirelessly transmitting that jet volume metric to handheld computer 14, any such injector 1 embodiment may alternatively not calculate the jet volume, but instead wirelessly transmit the pump cycle metric to handheld computer 14 and (or, in the case of handheld computer 14 transmitting the pump cycle metric to web server 35), and handheld computer 14 may calculate the jet volume metric based on the pump cycle metric. For example, injector 1 may determine, store in memory 22, and transmit the number or fraction of pump cycles to handheld computer 14 within a time window (e.g., 1 second, 10 seconds, 1 minute, 1 hour). Based on the number or fraction of pump cycles within the time window, handheld computer 14 may calculate the jet volume for the same time window in the same manner as discussed herein for calculating the jet volume of injector 1. Injector 1 may determine, store in memory 22, and transmit the measured pressure to handheld computer 14 for use in the jet volume calculation as discussed herein. The calculated spray volume 14 can be used in any of the ways discussed herein, such as for tracking coating production efficiency, managing job data, or other actions including transmission to the web server 35. Instead of the handheld computer 14 calculating the spray metric, the number or fraction of pump cycles and / or measured pressure data over a time window can be transmitted to the web server 35, where the web server 35 can perform the calculations. Each reference for calculating the spray volume metric for the injector 1 can be modified by alternatively transmitting data for such calculations from the injector 1 and by alternatively calculating the spray volume metric using the handheld computer 14 and / or the web server 35.

[0269] therefore, Figure 10 and Figure 11 An example is shown in which the control circuitry 21 of injector 1 is configured to wirelessly receive threshold pressure (e.g., the control circuitry 21 can receive threshold pressure from a remote device such as a handheld computer 14 or a web server 35). There may be benefits to wirelessly receiving threshold pressure, rather than relying on a constant, pre-stored / pre-configured threshold pressure. For example, different work locations with different tasks may require different pressure levels. In this way, each injector 1 at different work locations can be configured for different threshold pressures.

[0270] The control circuit 21 of the injector 1 can control the operation of the injector 1 based on a threshold pressure and the actual pressure. For example, to control the operation of the injector 1, the control circuit 21 can limit the output pressure of the injector so that the actual pressure does not exceed the threshold pressure. The control circuit 21 can be configured to limit the output pressure of the injector 1 by controlling the speed of the motor 4 to ensure that the actual pressure does not exceed the threshold pressure.

[0271] As another example, to control the operation of injector 1, the control circuit 21 of injector 1 can be configured to compare a threshold pressure with the actual pressure and output a notification based on the comparison. For example, control circuit 21 can be configured to output a notification based on the comparison of the threshold pressure and the actual pressure in response to determining that the actual pressure exceeds the threshold pressure. In some examples, the notification includes an indication that the actual pressure exceeds the threshold pressure. In some examples, the notification includes an indication of the degree to which the actual pressure exceeds the threshold pressure.

[0272] As mentioned above, setting the threshold pressure to a level that reduces wear can be beneficial. One way to achieve wear reduction is to set the threshold pressure to be less than the maximum output pressure achievable by pump 9 of injector 1.

[0273] Figure 12 A flowchart is shown for tracking spray volumes associated with maintenance reminders and issuing alarms once maintenance thresholds are reached. A user can use a handheld computer 14 or a personal computer 29 to input one or more maintenance reminders for a specific injector 1. A network server 35 can receive (e.g., from the handheld computer 14) and save maintenance reminders for a specific injector 1. Each maintenance reminder can identify injector 1 by, for example, model number, owner-assigned injector name, and / or other unique identifier. Each maintenance reminder can include maintenance actions such as changing filler, changing tips, changing piston rods, changing pumps, or other actions associated with injector 1. Each maintenance reminder can include a maintenance threshold or indication of spray volume, such as pump circulation, measured in spray volume. For example, a first maintenance reminder could be to replace the packaging of a specific injector (e.g., identified by a serial number) after spraying 100 gallons of paint, and a second maintenance reminder could be to replace the tip nozzle of a specific injector after spraying 50 gallons of paint.

[0274] Return to Figure 12In the process, the handheld computer 14 receives a request for a maintenance reminder in step 170. Receiving this request may be achieved by the user inputting a maintenance reminder using one or more interfaces 20, such as the first maintenance reminder and / or the second maintenance reminder described above. If the handheld computer 14 is currently wirelessly connected to injector 1, a maintenance reminder can be automatically associated with injector 1 (e.g., using the serial number of injector 1). Alternatively, the maintenance reminder can be entered at personal computer 29, in which case injector 1 must be uniquely identified, such as by the user selecting a name of the injector associated with the user's account, such that the injector's serial number is retrieved from memory and sent. Assuming the handheld computer 14 receives a maintenance reminder, in step 171, the handheld computer 14 sends the maintenance reminder, including the underlying data referenced above, to network server 35. In step 172, network server 35 receives the maintenance reminder from handheld computer 14. In step 173, network server 35 sets a spray volume threshold (e.g., a maintenance reminder stored in memory) based on the received maintenance reminder request. Setting the spray volume threshold for the maintenance reminder may include activating a spray volume maintenance log in memory to track spray volumes specifically for maintenance reminders. When the spray volume maintenance log is first activated, it may be set to zero and then updated as spray volume data is received until the threshold amount is reached in the spray volume maintenance log.

[0275] In step 174, injector 1 generates injection volume data. The injection volume data can be any type of data referenced herein, including the volume of the injection. Alternatively, the injection volume data can be a pump cycle rather than a calculated injection volume. In step 175, injector 1 sends the generated injection volume data to handheld computer 14. Step 175 can occur periodically, with injections performed according to a schedule (e.g., every minute or hour) initiated based on the shutdown of each time window (mentioned above), and / or at the end of each injection segment. In step 176, handheld computer 14 receives the injection volume data. In step 177, handheld computer 14 sends the injection volume data to network server 35. In step 178, network server receives the injection volume data. In step 179, network server 35 can update the injection volume maintenance log based on the received injection volume data. For example, if the injection volume data generated by injector 1 indicates that 10 gallons were injected, the injection volume maintenance log can be increased by 10 gallons in step 179. In step 180, the network server compares the spray volume maintenance log used to maintain the threshold to determine if the threshold has been reached. If the spray volume maintenance log has not yet reached the threshold, no alarm is issued. Typically, steps 174-180 will be repeated many times as more spray volume data accumulates and the spray volume maintenance log increases, until the maintenance threshold is reached through the spray volume maintenance log. Assume multiple spray segments will take several days (where sprayer 1 is cyclically shut down and on another day, and / or handheld computer 14 is disconnected and then reconnected at a later time), and possibly different handheld computers 14 communicate with sprayer 1 at different times corresponding to different spray segments, and different handheld computers 14 relay different spray volume data to network server 35 to be stored in the same spray volume maintenance log until the maintenance threshold is reached. Once the comparison in step 180 determines that the spray volume maintenance log exceeds the maintenance threshold, network server 35 sends a maintenance alarm in step 181. Various devices can receive alerts from the network server 35, including handheld computers 14 currently or recently connected to injector 1, personal computers 29 associated with the owner or administrator of injector 1, and / or other devices. Figure 12 In the example flowchart shown, a maintenance alarm is received by the handheld computer 14 in step 182. The handheld computer 14 then outputs the maintenance alarm to the user in step 183 to instruct the user to perform maintenance on the injector 1.

[0276] Figure 12One aspect of the process is maintaining a jet volume maintenance log on the network server 35, and the network server 35 sets the jet volume maintenance log to zero when a maintenance reminder request is created. If multiple maintenance reminder requests are received simultaneously, such as for different components, multiple jet volume maintenance logs can be set to zero and then updated as the network server 35 receives jet volume data, because maintenance reminders will have different jet volume thresholds for different maintenance actions / components, hence the use of multiple jet volume maintenance logs.

[0277] In some embodiments, a jet volume maintenance log is maintained on network server 35. However, when a handheld computer 14 (for which the jet volume maintenance log is being maintained) establishes a connection with injector 1, the jet volume maintenance log is transmitted to and received by the handheld computer 14, allowing the handheld computer 14 to determine whether and when a threshold for the jet volume maintenance log is met, regardless of subsequent loss of connection with network server 35, and avoiding sending periodic data updates to network server 35. The handheld computer 14 then updates and tracks the jet volume maintenance log and determines whether a maintenance threshold has been reached, issuing an alarm if so. Then, at the end of a jetting segment, the updated jet volume maintenance log and / or jet volume are sent to network server 35, reflecting the jet volume output for the day in the jet volume maintenance log. Network server 35 can then store the updated jet volume maintenance log and send it to another handheld computer 14 later when another handheld computer 14 connects to injector 1 for another segment, thus repeating the monitoring process to reach the maintenance threshold of the jet volume maintenance log.

[0278] Figure 13 Is with Figure 12 The process is similar to the flowchart used to track injection volume maintenance logs and issue maintenance alerts. Figure 13 and Figure 12 One difference between the processes is that, Figure 13 During the process, injector 1 sends lifetime injection volume data to handheld computer 14, and then to network server 35. The lifetime injection volume data can be the total volume injected by injector 1 throughout its entire lifetime, and it is not reset or set to zero. In some embodiments, the lifetime injection volume data is a log when the injection volume valve is reached, and in some other embodiments, the lifetime injection volume data is a single value of the total lifetime injection volume. Instead of handheld computer 14 and / or network server 35 maintaining a separate injection volume maintenance log to track each maintenance reminder, Figure 13 The process sets each maintenance reminder to a specific value of the lifetime injection volume data, and issues an alarm if the lifetime injection volume data value reaches that specific value.

[0279] The process includes similar to Figure 12 In step 170 of the process, a request for setting a maintenance reminder is received. In step 190, the handheld computer 14 sends a request for current lifetime spray volume data to the injector 1. The injector 1 stores this lifetime spray volume data in memory 22. In step 191, the injector 1 receives the lifetime spray volume data request and sends the lifetime spray volume data to the handheld computer 14 in step 192. In step 193, the handheld computer 14 receives the lifetime spray volume data. In step 194, the handheld computer calculates a maintenance threshold based on the requested maintenance reminder and the lifetime spray volume data received from the injector 1. As previously mentioned, different maintenance reminders will have different spray volume thresholds. For example, a first maintenance reminder might be to replace the filler after spraying 100 gallons of paint, and a second maintenance reminder might be to replace the tip nozzle after spraying 50 gallons of paint. Therefore, a maintenance threshold for filler replacement can be set by increasing the current lifetime spray volume value by 100 gallons. Multiple maintenance thresholds can be set in this way, typically resulting in different maintenance thresholds being calculated from the same current lifetime spray volume value. In step 195, the handheld computer 14 sends the maintenance threshold to the network server 35, which receives the maintenance threshold in step 196. Note that step 194 can alternatively be performed by the network server 35 sending lifetime injection volume data to the network server 35 via the handheld computer 14. The handheld computer 14 and / or the network server 35 store the maintenance threshold in memory for reference.

[0280] It might be in another spraying segment or on another date. Figure 13The process continues, wherein in step 197, the sprayer 1 generates spray volume data. While generating spray volume data, the sprayer 1 updates the lifetime spray volume data, such as by increasing the lifetime spray volume log or value as more paint is sprayed within that segment. When spraying is performed periodically according to a schedule (e.g., every minute or hour) initiated based on the closing of each time window (refer to above) and / or at the end of each spray segment, in step 198, the sprayer 1 then sends the updated lifetime spray volume data to the handheld computer 14. The handheld computer 14 receives the lifetime spray volume value in step 199. The handheld computer 14 then sends the lifetime spray volume value to the network server 35 in step 200. The network server 35 receives the lifetime spray volume value in step 201. The network server 35 compares the lifetime spray volume value with a maintenance threshold to determine whether one of the thresholds has been met in step 202. If the threshold is met, the network server 35 sends a maintenance alert to the handheld computer 14 in step 203. In step 204, the handheld computer 14 receives the maintenance alert. In step 205, the handheld computer 14 outputs a maintenance alarm on one or more interfaces 20 to alert the user that maintenance is required. Note that steps 204 and 205 can be performed using only the handheld computer 14 currently interfaced with the injector 1, or using multiple handheld computers 14 and / or using a personal computer 29, which can be in the form of text messages, emails, or other types of messages. In some embodiments, the network server 35 sends the maintenance threshold to the handheld computer 14 currently interfaced with the injector 1, and the handheld computer 14 performs the comparison of step 202 and can send an alarm similar to that in step 203 to other devices and / or can output an alarm message in step 205.

[0281] In this manner, the handheld computer 14 or network server 35 can be configured to receive data indicating the jet volume. The handheld computer 14 and / or network server 35 can be configured to maintain a jet volume maintenance log in memory by updating the jet volume maintenance log with data indicating the jet volume from the injector 1. The handheld computer 14 and / or network server 35 can compare the jet volume maintenance log with a jet volume threshold and issue an alarm when the jet volume maintenance log exceeds the jet volume threshold.

[0282] The injector 1 can generate data indicating the injection volume in various ways. As an example, control circuit 21 can count all or part of the pump cycles of pump 9 and generate data indicating the injection volume based on the count of all or part of the pump cycles of pump 9. As another example, control circuit 21 can determine whether the injector 1 is operating in a fluid atomization injection mode or a non-atomization flushing mode, and when the injector is operating in fluid atomization injection mode, generate data indicating the injection volume based on the count of all or part of the pump cycles. In both examples, when the injector is operating in fluid atomization injection mode, the injection volume maintenance log is updated based on the count of all or part of the pump cycles. In some examples, control circuit 21 can be configured to determine the pressure of the output fluid and determine whether the injector 1 is operating in fluid atomization injection mode or a non-atomization flushing mode; control circuit 21 can be configured to determine whether the injector 1 is operating in fluid atomization injection mode or a non-atomization flushing mode based on the pressure of the output fluid.

[0283] As described above, multiple maintenance reminders can exist. For example, a first maintenance reminder for the first component can be triggered after a first number of gallons is dispensed via injector 1. A second maintenance reminder can be triggered for the second component after a second number of gallons is dispensed via injector 1.

[0284] For example, in the example above, the injection volume threshold is a first injection volume threshold associated with a first maintenance reminder, and the alarm is a first alarm for the first maintenance reminder. The handheld computer 14 and / or the network server 35 can be configured to compare the injection volume maintenance log with a second injection volume threshold associated with a second maintenance reminder, and to issue a second alarm associated with the second maintenance reminder when the injection volume maintenance log is greater than the second injection volume threshold. In this example, the first injection volume threshold and the second injection volume threshold are thresholds for different volumes. As an example, the first injection volume threshold is associated with the first maintenance reminder for replacing one of the packing, tip, piston rod, or pump, and the second injection volume threshold is associated with the second maintenance reminder for replacing the other of the packing, tip, piston rod, or pump.

[0285] In some cases, a first user may use sprayer 1 for a certain period of time, and during this time, may not have sprayed enough paint to trigger a maintenance alert. However, a second, subsequent user may use sprayer 1, and during the second user's use, the second user may have sprayed enough paint to trigger a maintenance alert. Since the first and second users may have their own counterparts in handheld computer 14, in some cases, the counterparts in handheld computer 14 may not be able to determine how much paint has been sprayed. Therefore, in some examples, network server 35 may be configured to maintain the total amount of paint output by sprayer 1 even when different users are using sprayer 1, so that network server 35 can determine whether sufficient use of sprayer 1 has occurred to trigger a maintenance alert alarm to be sent.

[0286] For example, a first handheld computer 14 that wirelessly communicates with the injector 1 can be configured to receive first data indicating the jet volume output by the injector 1 and transmit the first data indicating the jet volume to a network server 35. Subsequently, a second handheld computer 14 that wirelessly communicates with the same injector 1 can be configured to receive second data indicating the jet volume output by the injector 1 generated by a second subsequent use of the injector 1 and transmit the second data indicating the jet volume to the network server 35.

[0287] Network server 35 can be configured to update the jet volume maintenance log with first data indicating the jet volume to generate a first instance of the jet volume maintenance log, compare the first instance of the jet volume maintenance log with a jet volume threshold, and determine that the first instance of the jet volume maintenance log is not greater than the jet volume threshold. Network server 35 can then update the jet volume maintenance log with second data indicating the jet volume to generate a second instance of the jet volume maintenance log, compare the second instance of the jet volume maintenance log with the jet volume threshold, and issue an alarm based on the second instance of the jet volume maintenance log being greater than the jet volume threshold.

[0288] This article cites various alerts, reports, and data outputs. Figure 14This is an example of a report that can be output on a device such as a handheld computer 14, a personal computer 29, or another device. As shown, each time window is serialized. Each window represents a corresponding time period, and the corresponding time period is shown. In this example, each time period is one hour. For each time window, the injection volume corresponding to the injection volume that can be determined as described herein is indicated. Associated with each time window, the cleaning volume is also indicated, which can be determined as discussed herein. Associated with each time window, a measure of the injection pressure is indicated. Specifically, the average pressure for each time window is shown; however, another pressure parameter may be indicated alternatively or additionally. Each time window is also associated with a specific job. Jobs can be selected before, during, or after the time window. Job selection has been discussed herein for injection data associated with a specific job. Typically, when a job is selected, all subsequent time windows will have spray data generated within that time window related to the selected job, until the handheld computer 14 receives a command to deassociate that job with subsequent spray data and time windows, or selects a different job, or in some embodiments, if the injector's location moves outside the job's range (e.g., within the same range as the job used to select the job as described herein). Also associated with each time window is the lifetime spray volume of injector 1, in gallons in this example. Furthermore, spray volume maintenance log values ​​that can be built toward a maintenance threshold are shown in association with each time window. In this example, a package replacement maintenance reminder is set to 100 gallons reached in time window 13260 when a maintenance notification is issued. Figure 14 Example maintenance notifications are shown, which may appear on one or more interfaces 20 of a handheld computer 14 currently in the segment with injector 1. Figure 14 The report also shows daily totals of injection volume, cleaning volume, and average daily pressure based on the data for that day. Figure 14 The information can be issued as a report on handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, or another device as described above. The report can be displayed in real-time throughout the day during data collection and report filling, and / or can be published at the end of the injection phase, and / or can be retrieved the following day. The report can be stored in the memory 16 of handheld computer 14 and / or the memory 37 of web server 35 for retrieval, display, and / or transmission to another device.

[0289] Figure 15 Examples of reports that can be output on an interface such as a handheld computer 14, a personal computer 29, or other devices. Figure 15 The report can be a job report containing only information related to a specific task. Such information can be retrieved from the network server 35 by a handheld computer 14 or a personal computer 29 to track the progress of the task.

[0290] In this context, the job has a name (“Secondary”) and an identifiable location. In some cases, jobs may have uniquely identified serial numbers, which may be displayed in the report or used only by the processor to uniquely identify the job and avoid confusion with commonly used job names. A specific job report is displayed for one day, although other job reports may cover multiple days. As shown, the day is broken down into time windows corresponding to the respective hours. As shown, multiple injectors contribute to the job report. Specifically, Injector 1 and Injector 2 provide the data. For each injector, the spray volume, average pressure, and clean volume are displayed for each hourly time window. The report also sums the spray volume, average spray pressure, and total clean volume for each injector within the day / time period. The report may further include the total spray volume of all injectors that contributed spray volume data for that day or other time period, in which case the total spray volume would be 39.9 (24.0 ± 15.9). The report also includes the total spray volume calculated for each time window, summing all spray volume values ​​across all injectors and the time window of the job. The report also includes the total spray volume of the job currently in operation. As shown in the figure, the total spray volume continues from the previous day (35.5 gallons) and increases throughout the day with the contribution of the two injectors. The sum of the total spray volumes can be used to understand the overall production efficiency and cost.

[0291] Although not shown, the job report may include total working hours. In this case, the processor can review the spray logs to determine and identify how many time windows the sprayers were operating to output the total spray hours (or other intervals, such as quarter-hours or minutes). Note that the total spray hours can be calculated from data spanning several days and multiple sprayers. Total working hours are useful for understanding labor costs and estimating future labor costs for the same project repeated in future or similar projects.

[0292] Figure 15Two notifications that have been issued as part of the report are also shown. When a notification is shown as part of a report, it can be issued separately from the report. The first notification indicates that the injection pressure has exceeded the pressure limit. In this case, the injection pressure is based on the hourly injection pressure. The hourly injection pressure is compared to a threshold, as previously described, to determine if the user is injecting beyond the injection threshold set by the supervisor. In this case, injector 1 is injecting an average of 3000 psi per hour during the hour between 7 am and 8 am, which is higher than the 2700 psi pressure limit set by the supervisor for the job. In this case, the hourly average (or another pressure metric for the time window) can be compared to the pressure threshold, and an alarm is issued if the hourly average or other pressure metric for that time window exceeds the pressure threshold. In some cases, the alarm may include the identifier of the user using a handheld computer 14 connected to the specific injector that has exceeded the pressure limit (e.g., using the identifier of a registered user). In this case, the alarm indicates the pressure threshold, the pressure value exceeding the threshold, the injector identifier, the time window for exceeding the pressure limit, and the job that has exceeded the pressure limit.

[0293] Figure 15This also includes notifications when the job spray volume has been exceeded. When setting up a job, the supervisor can input volume limits or other thresholds. As shown, the total job spray volume can be monitored from data from several injectors over several days (or other time periods) to track progress toward job limits. When network server 35 receives spray data associated with a specific job, network 35 can compare the updated total job spray volume with a previously set job spray volume threshold and determine when the job spray volume threshold is met. When met, network server 35 can issue an alert. In this case, the job limit of 75 gallons (set by the supervisor) was exceeded within a time window of 3-4 pm. The alert indicates the job spray volume threshold, the time window for meeting the threshold, and the job's identifier. The alert can be sent to each handheld computer 14 currently providing spray data for the job, or to the job itself, or otherwise logged into at the job location. The alert can also be sent to the handheld computer 14 and / or personal computer 29 associated with the manager of the job. In some cases, daily reports can be sent to the manager's handheld computer 14 and / or personal computer 29. Reports can be generated and sent by network computer 35. In some cases, the report may include a percentage of job completion based on the current total spray volume and the expected total spray volume from previous inputs (e.g., 75% complete, or other parameters indicating the portion of the job completed). The report may also include the hourly average volume as a measure of the generation efficiency of one or more injectors (e.g., 6.5 gallons per hour for all injectors at the job site, or 2.5 gallons per hour for each injector at the job site). This measure is calculated by processor checks in the spray log to determine the average volume sprayed during the time window in which the job's total spray volume is divided by the number of hours (or other time window duration) that generated the spray data.

[0294] Figure 14 and Figure 15 The data type in the report is an example of data that the handheld computer 14 can transfer from the injector 1 when the user connects to and uses the injector 1. Although the user's handheld computer 14 is considered to transfer data to the web server 35, the handheld computer is not allowed to display the reported data on one or more interfaces 20 for the user to view.

[0295] This disclosure contains references to data and other information that may be generated by the injector 1, handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and / or network server 35. Any such data may be transferred between these devices and other devices and infrastructure via the tools disclosed herein. Any such data may be stored in the memory of any of the injector 1, handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and / or via network server 35. Any such data may be output through the interface of the injector 1, handheld computer 14, personal computer 29, and / or via network server 35. This disclosure includes many different examples of options, and specific aspects of these options may be combined with other embodiments. Therefore, it is contemplated that a single feature may be used in individual embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and that single feature may be interpreted and / or shown as a feature of a broader diagram in a sentence or part of a sentence associated with one of the embodiments. Therefore, the embodiments presented herein should not be construed as narrow and discrete examples of the only ways in which these features may be implemented, but rather as examples of some, not all, of the ways in which these particular features may be implemented.

[0296] This disclosure uses several embodiments and examples to highlight various aspects. Modifications may be made to the embodiments presented herein without departing from the techniques described herein. Similarly, the techniques are not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A system for tracking paint spray volume, the system comprising: One or more sprayers for spraying fluid, said fluid being paint, for multiple jobs at different locations, each sprayer being handheld, portable, and transportable to perform said multiple jobs at said different locations, each sprayer comprising: Pumps output pressurized fluid for jetting; An electric motor drives the pump; The injector control circuit is configured to generate data indicating the amount of fluid being injected; and A wireless module is configured to wirelessly transmit information including data indicating the amount of fluid being ejected; One or more handheld computer devices, communicatively connected to the one or more injectors via the wireless module, each handheld computer device being a smartphone, wherein each of the one or more handheld computer devices is configured to: Receive information indicating one or more jobs from the plurality of jobs; Receive user selection for a job in one or more of the jobs; Receive information from the one or more injectors, the information indicating the amount of fluid ejected by the one or more injectors, the one or more handheld computer devices being communicatively connected to the one or more injectors; and The output indicates information about the amount of fluid injected in association with the selected operation in one or more of the plurality of operations; and The network server is configured as follows: Each of the one or more handheld computer devices receives information indicating the amount of fluid to be injected for the corresponding job selected from the plurality of jobs; The respective injection volume logs are updated based on information indicating the amount of fluid injected for the corresponding job selected from the plurality of jobs, wherein each injection volume log is associated with one of the plurality of jobs, and each injection volume log includes information indicating the amount of fluid injected at the associated job; and Information indicating the corresponding fluid volume injected for the plurality of operations is generated based on the injection volume log for display.

2. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more injectors is configured to generate information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed, and wherein each of the one or more injectors is configured to: Counting all or part of the pump cycles for the corresponding pump; and Data indicating the amount of fluid injected is generated based on the count of all or part of the pump cycles of the corresponding pump. The corresponding injection volume log is updated based on the count of all or part of the pump cycles of the corresponding pump of the injector for the corresponding job selected from the plurality of jobs.

3. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to claim 1, wherein the network server is configured as follows: Receive information associating the one or more injectors with the one or more operations from the plurality of operations; and Based on the association between the one or more injectors and the one or more operations, information from the one or more operations is transmitted to the one or more operations.

4. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to claim 1, wherein the network server is configured as follows: Receive information that associates the one or more injectors with the corresponding locations of the one or more operations from the plurality of operations; and Based on the corresponding location and the association between the one or more jobs, information from the one or more jobs is transmitted to indicate the one or more jobs from the plurality of jobs.

5. The system for paint spray volume tracking according to any one of claims 3 and 4, wherein the information associated with the one or more sprayers to the one or more jobs or to the corresponding location of the one or more jobs includes one or more of the following: Information that associates an injector with a job; Associate a single injector with information from multiple operations; or Information that associates multiple injectors with a single operation.

6. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the network server is configured to: Receive information that associates the one or more jobs with user credentials; and Based on the received user credentials, information indicating one or more of the plurality of jobs is transmitted.

7. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the network server is configured to: Receive information that associates the one or more jobs with one or more of the dates, date ranges, or time ranges within the data range; and Information indicating one or more jobs from the plurality of jobs is transmitted based on the current date and received information that associates the one or more jobs with one or more dates, date ranges, or time ranges within the data range.

8. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The handheld computer device in the one or more handheld computer devices is configured to transmit at least one of the injector identifier (ID) of the at least one injector to which the handheld computer device is communicatively connected, or the location of the handheld computer device. The network server is configured as follows: Determine one or more of the plurality of operations associated with or near the at least one injector; and Information indicating one or more of the determined plurality of jobs is transmitted to the handheld computer device, the information indicating one or more jobs from the plurality of jobs as jobs selected by the user from the one or more jobs.

9. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to claim 8, wherein the location is based on one or more of a Global Positioning System (GPS) location, a user-input location, location information associated with a cell tower, or location information associated with a Wi-Fi module wirelessly connected to the handheld computer device.

10. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the network server is configured to store received information indicating the amount of fluid sprayed for a corresponding job and the association of the selected corresponding job in which the amount of fluid was sprayed.

11. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The one or more injectors mentioned above include two or more injectors used for the same operation in the plurality of operations. In order to receive information from each of the one or more handheld computer devices indicating the amount of fluid injected for a specific job among the plurality of jobs, the network server is configured to receive, from the respective one or more handheld computer devices communicatively connected to the two or more injectors, the amount of fluid injected by the two or more injectors. In order to update the corresponding ejection volume logs, the network server is configured to aggregate the corresponding fluid volumes ejected by the two or more ejectors to update the ejection volume logs associated with the same job.

12. The system for tracking paint spray volume according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The injector in one or more of the injectors is used for two or more of the plurality of operations. In order to receive information from each of the one or more handheld computer devices indicating the amount of fluid injected for a corresponding job in the plurality of jobs, the network server is configured to receive, from the corresponding one or more handheld computer devices of the injectors communicatively connected to the injectors, the amount of fluid injected by the injectors at two or more jobs in the plurality of jobs. In order to update the corresponding injection volume logs, the network server is configured to update the first injection volume logs of two or more of the plurality of jobs based on the amount of fluid injected by the injector at the first job, and to update the second injection volume logs of two or more of the plurality of jobs based on the amount of fluid injected by the injector at the second job.

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