Methods for Identifying an Electronic Component

Abstract

A method for identifying an electronic component includes receiving an activity signal output by the electronic component when a light intensity incident on the electronic component exceeds a predeterminable threshold. The activity signal is assignable to the electronic component. The method further includes outputting the identification of the electronic component based on the received activity signal.

Claims

1. A method for identifying an electronic component, comprising: receiving an activity signal output by the electronic component when a light intensity incident on the electronic component exceeds a predeterminable threshold; assigning the received activity signal to the electronic component; and outputting an identification of the electronic component based on the received activity signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting the identification comprises: accessing a database in which, for a plurality of electronic components, a respective identification is stored as assigned to the corresponding electronic component; and outputting the identification stored in the database as assigned to the electronic component from which the activity signal was received.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activity signal comprises the identification of the electronic component.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predeterminable threshold is time-dependent, such that the activity signal is output by the electronic component when a light signal having a predefinable light intensity sequence is received by the electronic component.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: outputting the activity signal by the electronic component only when the light intensity of at least one predefinable wavelength and/or at least one predefinable wavelength range exceeds a respective predeterminable threshold.

6. A method for configuring a plurality of electronic components and a data network for identifying the electronic components, comprising: positioning an electronic component at a preparation position that is assignable to the electronic component; illuminating the positioned electronic component with a light beam; receiving an activity signal output by the illuminated electronic component; and storing an identification of the electronic component in a database of the data network as assigned to the preparation position of the electronic component.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: positioning the electronic component at a respective operation position; and assigning the identification of the electronic component in the database to the operation position of the electronic component and/or at least one property that is assignable to the operation position.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: illuminating the positioned electronic component with an illumination unit configured to guide a light beam onto the preparation position, wherein a position signal with the respective illuminated preparation position is output, on the basis of which position signal the identification is assigned to the corresponding preparation position.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: illuminating the positioned electronic component with a screen including a region of the screen that is assignable to the preparation position, wherein a position signal with the respective illuminated preparation position is output, on the basis of which position signal the identification is assigned to the corresponding preparation position.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the data network is configured to carry out the method.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein a computer program is configured to carry out the method.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the computer program is stored on a machine-readable storage medium.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein a process control unit is configured to carry out the method.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein an illumination unit is configured to carry out the method.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In the figures, schematically:

[0037] FIG. 1: shows two electronic components with a light source, a computer network and a mobile terminal,

[0038] FIG. 2: shows an installation with a plurality of electronic components and also a light source, a computer network and a data network,

[0039] FIG. 3: shows an arrangement for preparing the electronic components from FIG. 2,

[0040] FIG. 4: shows a method for identifying an electronic component as disclosed herein, and

[0041] FIG. 5: shows a method for configuring a plurality of electronic components and a data network for identifying the electronic components as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a first electronic component 1 and a second electronic component 2, which is merely indicated. The electronic components 1 and 2 are logged onto a computer network 11 in each case by Bluetooth and transmit sensor data to a server or to a mobile terminal 10 via a gateway of the computer network 11.

[0043] The electronic component 1 has a microcontroller 17 with a Bluetooth radio interface. A light sensor 14 such as a photodiode, for example, is connected to an analogue measurement input of the microcontroller 17. A transparent region 16 is provided in a housing 15 of the electronic component 1, said transparent region enabling the light sensor 14 to be illuminated from outside. The second electronic component 2 can be designed like the first electronic component 1, no details for the second electronic component 2 being shown in FIG. 1.

[0044] A light source 12 having a narrowly focused light beam 13 is directed onto the electrical component 1. The light source 12 can be a flashlamp (preferably an LED lamp) having an optical lens that concentrates the light beam 13 or causes it to emerge with a defined luminous cone that is as narrow as possible. A parallel, non-expanding light beam 13 comprising a circle of light of 1 cm, for example, is preferred. It is also possible to use a laser light source, for example a laser pointer. In this case, the light beam 13 can be expanded to 1 cm, for example.

[0045] The electronic components 1 and 2 logged onto the computer network 11 are displayed on a display 18 of the mobile terminal 10, e.g. as a list with an unambiguous identifier of the electronic component 1, 2 (for example as uuID). An indicator of a light sensor channel of an electronic component 1, 2 is displayed in each case after an entry of an electronic component 1, 2 in the list. The list of electronic components 1, 2 and the indicator (e.g. a button symbol or a symbol of an indicator lamp) are displayed e.g. by an app in which the necessary functions are realized using software and which is executed on the mobile terminal 10.

[0046] If the light intensity at the light sensor 14 of an electronic component 1, 2 exceeds a predeterminable threshold, then the indicator is activated (for example by lighting up, by a change of color and/or by flashing). The mobile terminal 10 can retrieve the necessary data (uuID, associated value of the sensor channel) from a server to which the electronic components 1, 2 communicate the data by Bluetooth via the computer network 11. In this respect, the mobile terminal 10 can be regarded as a display and input device for the computer network 11. However, the mobile terminal 10 can also itself be a destination of the data communicated by the electronic components 1, 2 and in this respect be regarded as part of the computer network 11.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows one exemplary application of the method described. Nine electronic components 1 to 9 are installed on an installation 19 such as a machine tool, for example. A computer network 11 provides a Bluetooth network, with the electronic components 1 to 9 being logged onto the latter. Via the computer network 11, the electronic components 1 to 9 communicate measurement data to a server (not shown). Let it be assumed that an engineer has the task of exchanging a specific one of the electronic components 1 to 9. That may be the case, for example, because a battery of the electronic component is dead. It may also be assumed that the engineer would like to service a specific component on which the electronic component is fitted.

[0048] The engineer may receive, displayed on the mobile terminal 2, the electronic components 1 to 9 of the installation 19 and information as to on which of the electronic components 1 to 9 or on which component of the installation 19 that is assigned to one of the electronic components 1 to 9 work is to be carried out. On the display 18 of the mobile terminal 2, by way of example, a list containing the electronic components 1 to 9 may be displayed, optionally with the respective component of the installation 19 to which the electronic component is assigned. Furthermore, the list may comprise an indicator for a respective light sensor channel of the electronic components 1 to 9.

[0049] In this regard, the following may be displayed on the display 18, for example:

TABLE-US-00001 Electronic component Component of the installation 19 Indicator 1 Exterior unit () 2 Pump unit () 3 Valve 1 magnet right () 4 Valve 1 magnet left () 5 Rail guide 1 () . . .

[0050] If the engineer uses the light source 12 to illuminate the electronic components 1 to 9 in question one after another, said engineer recognizes from the respective indicator on the display 18 of the mobile terminal 10 whether he/she has struck the correct one of the electronic components 1 to 9 with the light beam 13. In this way, said engineer can unambiguously identify a desired one of the electronic components 1 to 9 or a desired component of the installation 19. The following may be displayed on the display 18 of the mobile terminal 10, for example:

TABLE-US-00002 Electronic component Component of the installation 19 Indicator 1 Exterior unit (X) 2 Pump unit () 3 Valve 1 magnet right () 4 Valve 1 magnet left () 5 Rail guide 1 () . . .

[0051] The user could recognize from this indication, for example, that he/she is illuminating the electronic component bearing reference symbol 1 and that said electronic component is designated as exterior unit.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows an arrangement for preparing the electronic components 1 to 9 from FIG. 2. The electronic components 1 to 9 are provided as loose piece ware in a packaging 20. The electronic components 1 to 9 are removed therefrom and positioned on a tray 21 having suitable depressions or compartments. The depressions or compartments define preparation positions into which the electronic components 1 to 9 are positioned for preparation. The electronic components to 1 to 9 log on in a process control unit 22 via a computer network 11. An automated illumination unit 23 illuminates the electronic components 1 to 9 on the tray 21 one after another in rapid succession, but individually, and communicates the currently illuminated position as position signal 24 to the process control unit 22. From the position signal 24 and an activity signal on the light sensor channel of one of the electronic components 1 to 9, the process control unit 22 ascertains an unambiguous assignment 25 between an ID of the electronic component (uuID) and the preparation position of the electronic component (or the compartment on the tray 21). During the subsequent placement of the electronic components 1 to 9 from the tray 21 on components 26 of the installation 19, the processor control unit 22 knows which of the electronic components 1 to 9 with which ID is taken from the tray 21 and mounted on the component 26. Proceeding from the assignment 25, an unambiguous assignment of the ID of the electronic component to an ID of the component 26 (for example in the form of a serial number) can then be ascertained and stored in a database.

[0053] The placement of one of the electronic components 1 to 9 from the tray 21 on the component 26 can be carried out in an automated manner, e.g. by means of a pick-and-place robot. Alternatively, a user of the method can receive from the process control unit 22 an instruction as to from which compartment of the tray 21 an electronic component ought to be removed.

[0054] The illumination is carried out by an illumination unit 23 comprising a light source 27 having a pivotable light beam. Alternatively, it is possible to use a screen which is approximately of the size of the tray 21 and which is arranged above the tray 21. On a black background, by means of the screen, for example, white squares corresponding to the underlying compartments of the tray 21 can be displayed one after another.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows a method for identifying an electronic component 1 to 9 from the embodiment from FIG. 1 or 2 comprising the following method steps:

a) receiving an activity signal output by the electronic component 1 to 9 if a light intensity incident on the electronic component 1 to 9 exceeds a predeterminable threshold, wherein the activity signal is assignable to the electronic component 1 to 9,
b) outputting the identification of the electronic component 1 to 9 on the basis of the activity signal received in accordance with step a).

[0056] FIG. 5 shows a method for configuring a plurality of electronic components 1 to 9 and a data network 11 for identifying the electronic components 1 to 9 in accordance with the embodiment from FIG. 3. The method comprises the following method steps which are carried out once in each case for each of the electronic components 1 to 9:

A) providing the electronic component 1 to 9 at a preparation position that is assignable to the electronic component 1 to 9,
B) illuminating the electronic component 1 to 9 provided in accordance with step A) with a light beam in the preparation position,
C) receiving an activity signal output by the electronic component 1 to 9 illuminated in accordance with step B),
D) storing an identification of the electronic component 1 to 9 in a database of the data network 11 as assigned to the preparation position of the electronic component 1 to 9.

[0057] Optionally, the method furthermore comprises the following method steps which are carried out in each case once for each of the electronic components 1 to 9:

E) positioning the electronic component 1 to 9 at a respective operation position, and
F) assigning the identification of the electronic component 1 to 9 in the database to the operation position of the electronic component 1 to 9 and/or at least one property that is assignable to the operation position.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0058] 1 First electronic component [0059] 2 Second electronic component [0060] 3 Third electronic component [0061] 4 Fourth electronic component [0062] 5 Fifth electronic component [0063] 6 Sixth electronic component [0064] 7 Seventh electronic component [0065] 8 Eighth electronic component [0066] 9 Ninth electronic component [0067] 10 Mobile terminal [0068] 11 Computer network [0069] 12 Light source [0070] 13 Light beam [0071] 14 Light sensor [0072] 15 Housing [0073] 16 Transparent region [0074] 17 Microcontroller [0075] 18 Display [0076] 19 Installation [0077] 20 Packaging [0078] 21 Tray [0079] 22 Process control unit [0080] 23 Illumination unit [0081] 24 Position signal [0082] 25 Assignment [0083] 26 Component [0084] 27 Light source