Central Production Visualization With Cached HMI Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for displaying and operating production equipment in the plastics processing industry are inefficient, requiring extensive setup time, software updates across multiple units, and strain on network bandwidth, while also lacking user-friendly interfaces and real-time monitoring capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method where symbols for production means are selectable on a central operating unit, with visualization components transferred and cached for faster response, allowing decentralized control software to interact with visualization software, enabling efficient data transfer and high-resolution monitoring, and allowing multiple instances of visualization components to run independently for improved overview and error detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all production equipment and software versions are pre-installed on the central control unit, then complete and correct display of user interface is possible, but device complexity and setup time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the control architecture into decentralized production equipment controllers and a central control unit. Each production equipment maintains its own control software locally, while the central control unit only hosts visualization software. This segmentation eliminates the need to pre-install all software versions centrally, reducing complexity while maintaining display correctness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication interface that acts as an intermediary between production equipment and the central control unit. This interface enables dynamic loading and transfer of visualization components from production equipment to the central control unit, allowing the system to adapt to different software versions without pre-installation, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Speed
If complete screen content is transmitted for monitoring, then real-time visualization is achieved, but network bandwidth is excessively burdened
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential visualization components and process data from the complete screen content. Instead of transmitting entire screen images, the patent transfers specific visualization elements and control data through the communication interface, achieving real-time visualization while significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial transmission of screen content by sending only the necessary visualization components and process parameters rather than complete screen images. This partial action approach maintains adequate real-time visualization performance while avoiding excessive network bandwidth usage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If software updates are performed on production equipment, then functionality is improved, but manual software synchronization across multiple control units is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service software synchronization through the communication interface. When software updates are performed on production equipment, the visualization components are automatically transferred to the central control unit through the interface without requiring manual intervention. This self-service mechanism maintains improved functionality while eliminating manual synchronization efforts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the central control unit automatically detects software updates on production equipment through the communication interface. This feedback triggers automatic transfer of updated visualization components, ensuring software versions remain synchronized without manual intervention, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining adaptability.
4Measurement precision
If high-resolution screen transmission is implemented, then monitoring quality is improved, but network bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the essential visualization components and process data at high resolution rather than complete screen images. The communication interface enables selective transfer of critical monitoring elements, achieving high monitoring quality while minimizing network bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial transmission of high-resolution content by sending only the necessary visualization components and process parameters at full resolution. This approach maintains adequate monitoring quality for critical parameters while avoiding excessive network bandwidth usage that would result from transmitting complete high-resolution screens.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for displaying and operating production means (2), in particular for the plastics processing industry, on one or more central operating units (30), preferably a computer or control station. At the central operating unit (30), symbols (33) for the production means (2) connected by means of a network (29) or for the management tools (34), such as configuration systems (35) or database systems (36), related to the production means (2) are provided and can be selected. After the selection of one or more symbols (33) on the screen (32) of the operating unit (30), the visualization, in particular the visualization component (101) from the associated production means (2) or management tool (34), is started or carried out at the operating unit (30). Subsequently, complete display and operation are possible by means of the interaction of the visualization software (31) provided at the operating unit (30) and control software (37) running decentralised in the production means (2).