MXPA06004764A - Method and means for downloading data from a machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for downloading data from a machine having a touch screen or PLC to govern its operation, the device includes a handheld control unit that is operably associated with the touch screen or PLC such that the touch screen or PLC can be downloaded from the touch screen onto the device and information from the device can be transmitted to a personal computer to be viewed or printed. Additionally, a method of downloading the data from a machine having a touch screen or PLC to a handheld control unit and downloading this information to a personal computer such that the information can be viewed or printed.

Description

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DOWNLOADING DATA FROM A MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is concerned with a data information retrieval system. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a method and apparatus for downloading data from a meat processing machine to a portable or remote device and then sending that information to a controller, such as a personal computer (PC) to generate reports. . When machine reports are generated for a meat processing machine in an installation, it must sit on the monitor or contact screen of a machine and read information regarding that machine. This information must be written and then physically taken to a computer where the information is entered and interpreted. This manual process of registration and calculation allows human error when carrying the information and also implies the need for an individual to continuously verify and take information to a computer to enter the data. Consequently, there is a need in the art to provide a device that allows the information to be automatically transferred to the device of a machine, in such a way that the device can be used as an intermediary to transmit the information of the machine to other sources, such as like a computer.

Specifically, the technical problem that is solved by the present invention is that currently the meat processing machines process information about the meat and the machine and that the data must be carried manually by an individual. This process can be very tedious, take time and can lead to inaccuracies. Thus, a system is desired that improves the carrying of manual calculations of a machine that verifies a meat processing machine. The background of the invention includes the German patent DE19522937. This disclosure teaches a device that receives information from a car communication device and communicates with a computer. This device does not properly achieve the objectives of the present invention because its disclosure does not teach a system for verifying a meat processing device. Nor does this revelation teach what kind of parameters would be detected by a meat detection device, to provide information to an intermediary device or a computer. Another reference is U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0195640 to Krocker. This reference teaches a system for servicing a computer controlled machine. This machine sends a signal to a service tool that relays information to a computer or. a second service tool that can relay information to other areas. Again, Krocker does not teach using a device in a meat processing machine. It also does not teach detection parameters that are associated with a meat processing machine. The American publication No. 2003/0115019 of Doddek teaches a system and method for analyzing and providing exception-based reports for machine data. Again, the Doddek reference does not teach or contemplate retrieving information regarding a meat processing machine, nor does it teach how to detect parameters of a meat processing machine. For this device, the following specifications must be present: 1. Ability to be able to transfer files to a controller, such as a PC. 2. Ability to print this driver information. 3. Ability to recover data from numerous machines in a plant. 4. The portable unit or remote device could be part of the specific machines. 5. Additional information on a screen, such as a contact screen, may need to be transferred such as time, pressure settings, initials of the person collecting the data, name of the product that is in operation, recipe, etc. Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method for downloading data from a machine to an intermediary device, in such a way that the device is able to transfer files from the machine to a controller. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system in which information carried from a machine by an intermediary device can be sent to a controller that prints this information. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can recover data from numerous machines in a plant. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate portable unit that is part of the specific machine from which the information is taken. Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate portable device that is capable of retrieving information from a screen, such as time, pressure settings, initials of the person collecting the data, the name of the product that is in operation, the recipe and another one of such information. These and other objects, elements or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention involves a method and means for downloading data from a machine, for example, in order to extract operational data from the machine by wireless or wired means. The elements of this invention are: 1. A system that would allow information to be downloaded or transferred from a machine to an intermediary device, such as a portable device. 2. Information in the intermediary device that can be downloaded to a controller. 3. Information that can be observed or printed as documents or reports. (The information would consist of the information shown on the "handling information screen" of the contact screen.) 4. Method options for transferring information from the machine to the portable device include, but are not limited to: infrared frequency transfer (GO); radio frequency (RF) transfer and cable connection transfer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES As best shown in Figure 1, the present invention involves an information retrieval system 10. The system has at least one machine 12 having a screen, such as a contact screen or PLC 14 that govern this information. Additionally in this system there is an intermediate device, such as a portable control unit 16 which is operatively associated with the contact screen or PLC, in such a way that it can be selectively operated to download data from the contact screen or PLC. The portable control 16 can have its own screen 18, such that an observer can observe the information of the machine 12 to be transmitted. The portable control unit 16 transmits information taken from the machine 12 to at least one controller, such as a personal computer (PC) 20 which may have a printer 22 operatively connected thereto, to print the information retrieved. In operation, the method for downloading data from the machine 12 involves carrying the portable control unit 16, which is operatively associated with the contact screen or PLC 14, which can be selectively operated to download data from the contact screen or PLC. to a PC, to transmit this information to the PC to be observed and / or printed. This information is transmitted from the contact screen or PLC 14 to the portable control unit 16 and then transmitted from the portable control unit 16 to the PC. Optionally, the machine 12 is a meat processing machine that processes information on its contact screen 14, such as the amount of time the device is in operation, the pressure settings of the device, the initials of the person bringing together the devices. data, the name of the product that is in operation, the recipe that is used to manufacture the product or any other information regarding the meat product that is processed. The skilled in the art will understand that the portable control 16 can be wired to the PC 20 or could be connected to the PC via a wireless system. Similarly, the portable control 16 can be wired to the contact screen or PLC 14. Optionally, the portable device 16 can be a PALM unit that is associated with the PC 20 and either connected to an auxiliary port or a data port GO and downloaded to a standard format, Excel, Word, Lotus or WordPad. This information is not apt to be manipulated but only seen and printed. The skilled in the art will also appreciate that once the data is downloaded into the PC20 of the portable device 16 that the information can be observed or printed as documents or reports. Optionally, this information could be titled "administration information screen" on screen 18 of portable device 16. Additionally, the skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many methods that can be used to transfer information from the machine's contact screen. 14 to the portable device 16. The methods include but are not limited to an infrared transfer, radiofrequency transfer or cable connection transfer. In addition, the skilled in the art will understand that the portable unit 16 can be part of a specific machine 12 and will be able to receive data from numerous machines within a plant. For example, six machines could transmit information at the same time to portable device 16. Finally, the skilled in the art will understand that portable device 16 can transmit information to a plurality of different computers 20. Thus, all of the objectives have been met. affirmed

Claims (7)

1. CLAIMS 1.- A method for downloading data from a meat processing machine, characterized in that it provides a meat processing machine; provides an intermediary device that is operatively associated with the meat processing machine; selectively actuating the intermediate device to transfer data from the meat processing machine to the intermediary device and formulate the data transferred to be observed.
2. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the data transferred are selected from the group consisting of operating time, pressure adjustments, initials of the person collecting the data, name of the product that is in operation, recipe that is used to make the product and meat processing information.
3. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the step of transmitting the transferred data to a controller.
4. 4. A system for downloading data from a load processing machine, characterized in that it comprises a meat processing machine; an intermediate device operatively associated with the meat processing machine, in such a way that the data is transferred from the meat processing machine to the intermediate device and the intermediary device is operable to formulate the transferred data to be observed.
5. 5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the data transferred are selected from the group consisting of time of operation, pressure settings, initials of the person collecting the data, name of the product that is, operation recipe that is used to make the product and meat processing information.
6. 6. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a controller operatively associated with the intermediary device.
7. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the meat processing machine has a contact screen that governs its information and the intermediary device is a portable control that has a screen in such a way that an operator observes information of the meat processing machine that has been transmitted to the portable control and where the portable control transmits information taken from the machine to a personal computer.