Method and apparatus for providing audio messages from industrial equipment
OwnerMichael McMeekininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for providing audible messages detailing machine issues in a manufacturing process when a manufacturing machine is not operating properly comprises a transmitter associated with each machine and one or more receivers. The transmitter communicates with the manufacturing machine to identify issues and transmits a corresponding message to specific receivers based on unit identifies and network addresses. The receiver includes a message storage element, an audio playback element, and selection controls to configure the radio frequency channel, the unit address, and the network address.
Claims7
A system for delivering audio messages to one or more human operators in a manufacturing process comprising:
- a plurality of communication elements, each associated with a production machine in the manufacturing process, and each comprising:
- a transmitting processor;
- memory connected to the transmitting processor;
- an industrial controller connection element connected to the transmitting processor;
- and
- a transmitter connected to the transmitting processor,
- wherein the transmitting processor is configured to:
- receive a fault code via the industrial controller connection;
- identify at least one receiver associated with the fault code by filtering fault codes based on an identity of the production machine to identify a first set of receivers and filtering fault codes based on a nature of a system failure to identify a second set of receivers, the at least one receiver being in the first set and the second set;
- and
- transmit a signal to the identified at least one receiver via the transmitter, the signal comprising an indication of the fault code;
- and
- one or more receivers, each comprising:
- a receiving processor;
- memory connected to the receiving processor;
- a data storage element connected to the receiving processor, the data storage element storing an audio representation for each of a plurality of fault codes associated with potential faults from the corresponding production machine in a plurality of languages;
- a speaker connected to the receiving processor;
- and
- a data reception element connected to the receiving processor,
- wherein the receiving processor is configured to:
- receive the signal comprising the fault code;
- identify a desired language from the plurality of languages;
- and
- play the audio representation of the fault code via the speaker in the desired language.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.