Communication device for an application device and system with a communication device and terminal device

Abstract

A communication device (11) for an application device (2) is shown and described. The application device (2) comprises an application device housing (5), an application device controller (6), and a user interface (7). The user interface (7) has a display (8) and at least one optical button (9) and is directly visible and operable from the outside of the application device housing (5). The application device controller (6) is designed to display information on the display (8) depending on a selection made by the user via the at least one optical button (9). The communication device (11) comprises a housing (12), a control unit (13), an interface (15), and a camera (16). The housing (12) can be positioned on the application device housing (5) so that the display (8) is within the field of view (20) of the camera (16). The control unit (13) is configured to recognize information displayed on the screen (8) in image data captured by the camera (16) and to transmit the recognized information via the interface (15) to an end device (25). The invention solves the problem of enabling a selection of the information to be displayed by the display (8). The problem is solved by the communication device (11) having an optical key actuation (17) for actuating the at least one optical key (9) and by the control (13) being designed and configured to select the information to be displayed by the display (8) using the optical key actuation (17).

Description

[0001] The invention relates, firstly, to a communication device for an application device and, secondly, to a system comprising such a communication device and an end device.

[0002] Such an application device comprises an application device housing, an application device controller, and a user interface.

[0003] The user interface includes a display and at least one optical button. The user interface is directly visible and operable from the outside, mounted on the application device housing. Often, the user interface has a cover, and the display and the at least one optical button are located beneath this cover from the user's perspective, so that the display is visible and the at least one optical button is operable through the cover. The cover is therefore transparent to the display and the at least one optical button.

[0004] The application device controller is designed to display information on the screen based on a user selection made via at least one optical button. This optical button comprises a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode. The application device controller is configured to emit infrared signals using the LED and to detect these infrared signals using the photodiode. These infrared signals are detected by the photodiode, for example, when they are reflected by a user's finger near the LED and the photodiode. The application device controller interprets this detection of the reflected infrared signals as an activation of the optical button.

[0005] The communication device comprises a housing, a control unit, an interface, and a camera. The housing can be positioned on the application device housing so that the display is within the camera's field of view. Thus, the camera is attached to the housing, and the housing is designed to fit the application device housing. During operation, the camera generates image data of its field of view.

[0006] The control unit is designed to recognize information displayed on the screen in image data captured by the camera and to transmit the recognized information via the interface to an end device.

[0007] The communication device described, which is known from the prior art, enables the transmission of information displayed on the application device to a terminal device that is usually located at a distance. However, the communication device does not allow the user to select the information displayed on the screen.

[0008] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a communication device which enables a selection of the information to be displayed by the display.

[0009] The problem is solved by a communication device with the features of claim 1. This communication device has an optical keypad for actuating the at least one optical key. Actuation is therefore contactless. The control unit is designed and configured to select the information to be displayed using the optical keypad. The optical keypad is mounted on the housing, so that when the housing is mounted on the application device housing, the at least one optical key can be actuated by the optical keypad.

[0010] The invention therefore enables not only the mere transmission of information displayed on the screen, but also the selection of the information to be displayed by the screen and its subsequent transmission via the interface to the terminal device.

[0011] In one configuration of the communication device, the controller has a memory and is designed to store the detected information. This allows the detected information to be transmitted even at a later time. Consequently, a connection to the terminal device via the interface is only temporary.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the control system is configured to cyclically select the information to be displayed. Accordingly, the control system is configured to transmit the detected information to the receiving device via the interface. In this embodiment, the detected information is continuously transmitted during operation of the communication device.

[0013] In a further embodiment, the control system can be controlled via the interface. The control system is therefore designed to be controllable via the interface. This allows, for example, the selection of information to be displayed by the control device's terminal device, and enables the querying of recognized information. The communication device is thus controllable by the terminal device.

[0014] There are application devices of the type described, in which the application device control can be controlled by user input using at least one optical button. This controllability is different from the user's selection of the information to be displayed. In a further embodiment of the communication device for such an application device, the control is designed and configured using optical button operation to control the application device. Thus, the application device can be remotely controlled by the communication device. Since, according to the above embodiment, the communication device can be controlled by the terminal device, the application device can ultimately also be controlled by the terminal device.

[0015] The application device has at least one optical button. Accordingly, the communication device also has at least one optical button actuation. Generally, the number of optical button actuations corresponds to the number of optical buttons. In one embodiment of the communication device, the at least one optical button actuation includes a photodiode and a light-emitting diode (LED). Furthermore, the control unit uses the photodiode to detect infrared signals emitted by the optical button and the LED to emit the detected infrared signals. Therefore, the communication device is configured to actuate the at least one optical button.

[0016] The LED requires an electrical power supply to operate. In a further development of the above embodiment, the communication device includes a power supply for the LED and a switch with a first and a second switching state. The switch is configured to interrupt the power supply to the LED in the first switching state and to ensure the power supply to the LED in the second switching state. Preferably, the switch is manually operable. When the switch interrupts the power supply, the LED cannot emit infrared signals that activate the optical button. Consequently, no information can be transmitted from the communication device to the application device. Information can only be transmitted from the application device to the communication device, specifically from the display to the camera.

[0017] In a further embodiment, the control system is configured to monitor the activation of at least one optical button by means of the optical button activation using the camera. With regard to the above embodiment, for example, the camera is configured to detect the infrared signals of the LED, and the control system is configured to evaluate the detected infrared signals by the camera as the activation of at least one optical button. Alternatively or additionally, the camera is configured to detect a change in the information displayed and to assign this change to the activation of at least one optical button.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the communication device features a touchscreen. The touchscreen is mounted on the housing, so that when the housing is positioned on the application device housing, the touchscreen is directly visible and operable from the outside for the user. Furthermore, the control system uses the touchscreen to reproduce at least one function of the user interface. Preferably, during operation of the communication device, the touchscreen reproduces the display and the at least one optical button of the user interface in both appearance and function. In this embodiment, the communication device is transparent to the user with respect to the application device.

[0019] In a further embodiment, the communication device has a display and at least one mechanical button. The display and the at least one mechanical button are mounted on the housing, so that when the housing is positioned on the application device housing, the display is directly visible to the user and the at least one mechanical button is directly accessible. The control system uses the display and the at least one mechanical button to reproduce a function of the user interface. This embodiment and the one described above can be alternatives to each other or complementary to each other. For example, part of the user interface is reproduced with the touch display and another part with the display and the at least one button.

[0020] In a further development of the above design, the display is configured to show a label for at least one mechanical key.

[0021] The housing can be mounted on the application device housing. During the mounting process, the housing conceals the application device housing from the user. Therefore, in a further embodiment to facilitate mounting the housing on the application device housing, the control unit is designed to display an image from the camera on the touchscreen or other display.

[0022] Preferably, the control system is further developed to display at least one alignment indicator, in particular an auxiliary line.

[0023] It was previously stated that the controller is configured. This configuration can be done in various ways. For example, the user can configure it manually. Another embodiment allows the controller to configure itself by evaluating image data from the application device's nameplate within the camera's field of view. This method of configuration is faster and more reliable than manual configuration.

[0024] In a further embodiment, the communication device can be positioned on the application device without any additional tools. Preferably, it can be positioned by simply placing it on top. This method of arrangement is particularly easy for the user to handle. If the user interface has a screen and the display and at least one optical button are located below the screen, then, for example, the communication device also has a screen, below which the camera and at least one optical button are located. When the communication device is positioned on the application device, the screen of the communication device and the screen of the application device are then opposite each other.

[0025] In another configuration, the interface is a mobile network, WLAN or Bluetooth interface.

[0026] In another embodiment, the application device is a measuring device or a field device.

[0027] In a further embodiment, at least one of the pieces of information to be displayed is one of the following: a measured quantity of a medium such as a mass flow rate or a volume flow rate or a density, a status of the application device, a fault of the application device.

[0028] The problem outlined above is also solved by a system comprising a communication device and an end device according to claim 15.

[0029] The communication device is configured according to one of the previously described designs and further training methods. The communication device and the terminal device are connected via the interface. Consequently, the terminal device also has an interface that is compatible with the interface of the communication device. The communication device can be controlled by the user via the terminal device.

[0030] In one configuration of the system, the terminal device includes software for controlling the communication device. For example, the terminal device is a smartphone and the software is an app.

[0031] The terminal device can also be used for the aforementioned configuration of the controller. In one embodiment, the terminal device is equipped with a camera and is configured to determine and execute a controller configuration by evaluating image data from the camera and a type plate on the application device. This execution also includes transferring the configuration from the terminal device to the communication device.

[0032] Furthermore, the statements regarding the communication device apply accordingly to the system and vice versa.

[0033] In detail, there are numerous possibilities for designing and further developing the communication device and system according to the invention. Reference is made, on the one hand, to the claims subordinate to claims 1 and 15, and on the other hand, to the following description of an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. The drawing shows Fig. 1. A view of a flow meter with an application device, Fig. 2a a front view of the application device, Fig. 2b a side view of the application device, Fig. 3a a front view of a communication device, Fig. 3b a side view of the communication device and Fig. 4. A view of a terminal device.

[0034] Fig. Figure 1 shows a flow meter 1 with an application device 2 in operation. The application device 2 is the controller of the flow meter 1. In this embodiment, the flow meter 1 is a magnetic-inductive flow meter. The application device 2 is connected to the other components 4 of the flow meter 1 both mechanically and electrically via a connection device 3.

[0035] Fig. Figure 2a shows the application device 2 in a front view and Fig. Figure 2b shows a side view. The application device 2 comprises an application device housing 5, an application device controller 6, and a user interface 7. The user interface 7 includes a display 8, three optical buttons 9, and a dial 10. From the user's perspective, the display 8 and the three optical buttons 9 are located below the dial 10. The display 8 is visible to the user through the dial 10, and the optical buttons 9 can be operated through the dial 10. The user interface 7 is mounted on the application device housing 3 and is directly visible and operable from the outside for the user. The application device controller 6 is configured to display information on the display 8 depending on a user selection made via the optical buttons 9. For example, the display 8 shows a flow rate of 500 l / h of a medium through the flow meter 1, which is a measured quantity of the medium.Furthermore, the application device control 6 can be controlled by user input using the optical keys 9. For example, the first optical key 9 ("Menu") is configured to display a menu with entries in the display 8, the second optical key 9 ("Up") to navigate through the entries, and the third optical key 9 ("Enter") to select an entry.

[0036] Fig. Figure 3a shows a communication device 11 in a front view and Fig.Figure 3b shows a side view. The communication device 11 comprises a housing 12, a control unit 13, a memory 14, an interface 15, a camera 16, an optical keypad 17 for each of the three optical keys 7, a touch display 18, and a disc 19. There are therefore a total of three optical keypads 17. In this embodiment, the interface 15 is a Bluetooth interface. The camera 16 and the three optical keypads 17 are located below the disc 19.

[0037] The housing 12 can be positioned on the application device housing 5 without any additional tools, so that the display 8 is within the field of view 20 of the camera 16. During operation of the communication device 11, the camera 16 generates image data from the field of view 20. The housing 12 is accordingly adapted to the application device housing 5. When the housing 12 is positioned on the application device housing 5, the screen 19 of the communication device 11 and the screen 10 of the application device 2 are opposite each other. The touch display 18 is attached to the housing 12, so that when the housing 12 is positioned on the application device housing 5, the touch display 18 is directly visible and operable from the outside for the user.

[0038] Each of the three optical key actuators 17 is designed to actuate only one of the three optical keys 9. For this purpose, each of the three optical key actuators 17 is mounted on the housing 12 such that, when the housing 12 is placed on the application device housing 5, it is opposite one of the three optical keys 9. Each of the three optical key actuators 17 has a photodiode 21 and a light-emitting diode 22. The control unit 13 uses the photodiodes 21 to detect infrared signals emitted by the optical keys 9 and uses the light-emitting diodes 22 to emit the detected infrared signals.

[0039] The communication device 11 has a power supply 23 for the three LEDs 22 and a switch 24 with a first switching state and a second switching state. The switch 24 is configured to interrupt the power supply to the LEDs 22 in the first switching state and to ensure the power supply to the LEDs 22 in the second switching state. The switch 24 can be operated manually by the user.

[0040] The controller 13 is configured to recognize information displayed on the display 8 in image data captured by the camera 16, to store this information in memory 14, and to transmit it via interface 15 to an end device 25. Recognized information can also be stored in memory 14 before being transmitted to the end device 25 via interface 15. Here, the display 8 and the three optical buttons 9 are within the field of view 20 of the camera 16. The controller 13 is configured to use this image data to replicate the display 8 and the optical buttons 9 on the touchscreen 18.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 13 is designed and configured, firstly, to select the information to be displayed by the display 8 and, secondly, to control the application device control unit 6 using the optical key presses 17.

[0042] Furthermore, the controller 13 is designed to perform this configuration independently by evaluating image data from a nameplate 26 of the application device 2 within the field of view 20 of the camera 16. For this purpose, the communication device 11 is held in front of the nameplate 26. Configurations suitable for application devices are stored in memory 14. Consequently, after recognizing the application device 2 based on the nameplate 26, the controller will use the appropriate configuration.

[0043] The communication device 11 and the terminal device 25 form a system. The controller 13 can be controlled via the interface 15. Control is exercised via the terminal device 25. Consequently, the terminal device 25 has a terminal device interface 27 that is compatible with interface 15. The terminal device interface 27 is therefore also a Bluetooth interface. The terminal device is a smartphone with an app for controlling the communication device 10. Reference sign 1 flow meter 2 Application device 3 Connecting device 4 remaining components of the flow meter 5 Application device housings 6 Application Device Control 7 User Interface 8 ads 9 optical key 10. Disc of the application device 11 Communication device 12 cases 13 Control 14 storage 15 Interface 16 cameras 17 optical key operation 18" touchscreen 19. Disc of the communication device 20 field of vision 21 Photodiode 22 light-emitting diodes 23 Energy supply 24 switches 25 terminal device 26 Type plate 27 Terminal interface

Claims

[1] Communication device (11) for an application device (2), wherein the application device (2) comprises an application device housing (5), an application device controller (6) and a user interface (7), wherein the user interface (7) has a display (8) and at least one optical button (9) and is attached to the application device housing (5) in a way that is directly visible and operable from the outside for a user, wherein the application device control (6) is configured to display information on the display (8) depending on a user selection via the at least one optical button (9), wherein the communication device (11) comprises a housing (12), a control unit (13), an interface (15) and a camera (16), wherein the housing (12) can be arranged on the application device housing (5) so that the display (8) is in a field of view (20) of the camera (16), wherein the control (13) is designed to recognize information displayed on the display (8) in image data recorded by the camera (16) and to transmit the recognized information via the interface (15) to an end device (25), characterized by , that the communication device (11) has an optical keypad (17) for actuating the at least one optical keypad (9) and that the control (13) is designed and configured to select the information to be displayed by the display (8) using the optical key operation (17). [2] Communication device (11) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the controller (13) has a memory (14) and is designed to store the detected information. [3] Communication device (11) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by, that the control (13) is configured to perform a cyclical selection of the information to be displayed by the display (8). [4] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the control (13) can be controlled via the interface (15). [5] Communication device (11) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the application device control (6) can be controlled by user input using the at least one optical button (9), characterized by , that the controller (13) is designed and configured to control the application device controller (6) using the optical keypad (17). [6] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, that the at least one optical key actuation (17) has a photodiode (21) and a light-emitting diode (22) and that the control (13) is designed using the photodiode (21) to detect infrared signals emitted by the optical key actuation (9) and using the light-emitting diode (22) to emit the detected infrared signals. [7] Communication device (11) according to claim 6, characterized by , that the communication device (11) has a power supply (23) for the light-emitting diode (22) and a switch (24) with a first and a second switching state, that the switch (24) is configured to interrupt the power supply (23) in the first switching state and to ensure the power supply (23) in the second switching state, and that the switch (24) is preferably manually operable. [8] Communication device (11) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control (13) is designed to monitor the actuation of the at least one optical button (9) by the optical button actuation (17) using the camera (16). [9] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by , that the communication device (11) has a touch display (18), that the touch display (18) is attached to the housing (12) so that the touch display (18) is immediately visible and operable from the outside for the user when the housing (12) is arranged on the application device housing (5), and that the control (13) is configured using the touch display (18) to reproduce at least one function of the user interface (7). [10] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by, that the communication device (11) has a display and at least one mechanical button, that the display and the at least one mechanical button are attached to the housing (12) so that, when the housing (12) is arranged on the application device housing (5), the display is immediately visible to the user and the at least one mechanical button is immediately operable, and that the control (13) using the display and the at least one mechanical button for reproduction is designed as a function of the user interface (7). [11] Communication device (11) according to claim 10, characterized by that the display is designed to show a label for at least one mechanical button. [12] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized by, that the control (13) is designed to facilitate the arrangement of the housing (12) on the application device housing (5), to display an image from the camera (16) on the touch display (18) or on the display, and that preferably the control (13) is further designed to display at least one alignment indicator, in particular an auxiliary line. [13] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by , that the controller (13) is designed to perform a configuration of the controller (13) by evaluating image data of a nameplate (26) of the application device (2) in the field of view (20) of the camera (16). [14] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized by , that the communication device (11) can be arranged on the application device (2) without aids, preferably by placing it on top. [15] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized bythat the interface (15) is a mobile network or a WLAN or a Bluetooth interface. [16] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized by , that the application device (2) is a measuring instrument or a field device. [17] Communication device (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized by , that one of the pieces of information to be displayed is one of the following: a measurement of a medium such as mass flow or volume flow or density, a status of the application device (2), a fault of the application device (2). [18] System comprising a communication device (11) and a terminal device (25), characterized by, that the communication device (11) is configured according to one of claims 1 to 17, that the communication device (11) and the terminal device (25) are connected to each other via the interface (15) and that the communication device (11) can be controlled by the user via the terminal device (25). [19] System according to claim 18, characterized by , that the terminal device (25) has software for controlling the communication device (11). [20] System according to claim 18 or 19, characterized by , that the terminal device (25) has a camera and the terminal device (25) is designed to determine and implement a configuration for the control (13) by evaluating image data from the camera of a type plate (26) of the application device (2).

Images