Method and Display Equipment for Displaying a Key Parameter of a Food Treatment Machine and a Food Treatment Machine

Abstract

A method for displaying a key parameter of a food treatment machine, a food processing machine, or a food packaging machine, the method includes displaying a time history of the key parameter from a first time in the past to a current time on a first display region of a display equipment, and for at least one event that has occurred between the first time and the current time, an event position is determined in the first display region, and an event symbol is displayed at the determined event position in the first display region.

Claims

1. Method for displaying a key parameter of a food treatment machine, a food processing machine, or a food packaging machine, by means of display equipment on the food treatment machine, wherein the method comprises: displaying a time history of the key parameter from a first time in the past to a current time in a first display region of the display equipment, wherein for at least one event that has occurred between the first time and the current time, determining an event position in the first display region, and displaying an event symbol at the determined event position in the first display region.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein an event interval is allocated to the at least one event, wherein a starting position for the event interval and an ending position for the event interval in the first display region are determined, and an event interval symbol, is displayed between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein a marking is displayed at the current position corresponding to the current time.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the display equipment has a second display region, wherein an event position for at least one future event, in the second display region is determined and an event symbol is displayed at the determined event position in the second display region.

5. Method according to claim 4, wherein an event interval is allocated to the at least one event, wherein a starting position for the event interval and an ending position for the event interval in the first display region are determined and an event interval symbol is displayed between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

6. Method according to claim 4, wherein the first display region and the second display region are arranged adjacent to one another, wherein the second display region is preferably to the right of the first display region.

7. Method according to claim 4, wherein the event interval symbol extends from the first display region into the second display region.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the display device comprises a touch-sensitive screen.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein when the event symbol is selected by a user by touching the event symbol, contextual information about the event is displayed in the display device.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein when a user touches the display equipment or performs a swiping gesture on the display equipment, there is a switch back and forth between a first depiction status and a second depiction status, wherein in the first depiction status the first display region and the second display region are depicted smaller than in the second depiction status.

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the history of the key parameter is displayed with a lower detail accuracy in the first depiction status than in the second depiction status.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein a priority is allocated to the at least one event, wherein a display color is determined using the priority and the event symbol and the event interval symbol are displayed in the determined display color.

13. Method according to claim 1, wherein a key parameter list of prespecified key parameters is displayed in the display equipment, wherein when a user selects a key parameter from the key parameter list, a time history of the selected key parameter from the first time in the past to the current time is displayed in the first display region.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein a key parameter selection symbol is displayed in the display equipment, and when a user selects the key parameter selection symbol, the key parameter list is displayed.

15. Display equipment for a food treatment machine, a food processing machine, or a food packaging machine, that is configured to display a time history of a key parameter from a first time in the past to a current time in a first display region of the display equipment, wherein the display equipment is further configured to determine an event position in the first display region for at least one event that occurred between the first time and the current time, and to display an event symbol at the determined event position in the first display region.

16. Display equipment according to claim 15, wherein an event interval is allocated to the at least one event and the display equipment is further designed to determine a starting position for the event interval and an ending position for the event interval in the first display region, and to display an event interval symbol between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

17. Display equipment according to claim 15, wherein the display equipment has a second display region, wherein the display equipment is further designed to determine for at least one future event an event position in the second display region, and to display an event symbol at the determined event position in the second display region.

18. Display equipment according to claim 15, wherein an event interval is allocated to the at least one event, wherein the display equipment is further configured to determine a starting position for the event interval and an ending position for the event interval in the first display region, and to display an event interval symbol between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

19. Display equipment according to claim 15, wherein the first display region and the second display region are arranged connecting to one another, wherein the second display region is arranged to the right of the first display region.

20. Food treatment machine, a food processing machine, or a food packaging machine, comprising the display equipment according to claim 15.

21. Food treatment machine according to claim 20, wherein the food treatment machine is configured to receive the time history of the key parameter from a further food treatment machine and to display the time history of the key parameter from the further food treatment machine in the display equipment.

22. Food treatment machine according to claim 20, wherein the food treatment machine is configured to receive an event from a first food treatment machine and to determine an event position for the event in the first display region and to display an event symbol at the determined event position in the first display region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0038] Further details, features, and advantages of the invention may be found in the drawings, and in the following description of the preferred embodiments with the drawings. The drawings merely illustrate embodiments of the invention and do not limit the inventive thought.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a display that is shown with a method for displaying a key parameter according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a further display that is shown with a method for displaying a key parameter according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of a further display that is shown with a method for displaying a key parameter according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a schematic depiction of a further display that is shown with a method for displaying a key parameter according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Equivalent parts are always provided with the same reference numbers in the various figures and as a rule are therefore only identified or mentioned once.

[0044] The depiction in FIG. 1 shows a display of display equipment 1 for a food treatment machine, in particular a food processing machine or a food packaging machine. The display equipment 1 according to the exemplary embodiment comprises a touch-sensitive screen with a screen surface area. Information can be displayed thereon and inputs of a user, for example touches on certain regions of the screen or swipe gestures, can be detected.

[0045] The display equipment 1 is designed to display a time history 11 of a key parameter from a first time in the past to a current time in a first display region 10 of the display equipment 1. The first display region 11 is arranged on the lower end of the screen surface area of the display equipment 1. The history 11 is depicted as a curve over time. The current time is marked by a marking 12 embodied as a point or filled circle. In the present exemplary embodiment, the key parameter is a speed of a component in the food treatment machine.

[0046] As can further be seen from the depiction in FIG. 1, the display equipment 1 is furthermore designed to determine an event position in the first display region for at least one event that occurred between the first time and the current time, and to display an event symbol 13, 14 at the determined event position in the first display region. In the present case, a plurality of (here, exactly two) event symbols 13, 14 are displayed in the first display region 10.

[0047] A first event symbol 13 symbolizes an event that occurred between the first time and the current time. The first event symbol 13 is designed like a STOP sign. In the inventive method, first an event position that corresponds to the time of the event relative to the time history 11 of the key parameter is determined in the first display region 10. Then the event symbol 13 corresponding to the event is displayed at the determined event position in the first display region 10. In addition, an event interval that identifies a temporal range in which the event was continuously present is allocated to this event. To make it possible to display this event interval, in the inventive method first a starting position for the event interval and an ending position for the event interval are determined in the first display region 10. Then a first event interval symbol 14, in this case a bar symbol, is displayed between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

[0048] A second event symbol 15 symbolizes a further event that occurred between the first time and the current time. This second event symbol is embodied like a triangular warning sign. An event interval for which initially a starting position for the event interval and an ending position for the event interval are determined in the first display region is also allocated to the second event. Then a second event symbol 16, in this case a bar symbol, is displayed between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

[0049] In addition, a priority is allocated to the first and second events. A display color is to each event symbol 13, 15 and to each event interval symbol 14, 16 using the priority of the associated event. The display of the event symbol 13, 15 and event interval symbol 14, 16 is then provided in the determined display color. In the present exemplary embodiment an event symbol type, in this case either a symbol like an octagonal STOP sign or a symbol like a triangular warning sign, is determined using the priority.

[0050] A second display region 20 connected to the first display region 10 to the right thereof is also provided in the display equipment 1. Thus, the second display region 20 is also arranged at the lower end of the screen surface area of the display equipment 1. No time history of the key parameter is displayed in the second display region 20. However, an event position is determined in the second display region 20 for each of a plurality of future events, in particular planned or forecasted events, and an event symbol 21 is displayed at each determined event position in the second display region 20. The distance between this event symbol 21 and the marking 12 of the current time depends on how far in the future each future event lies.

[0051] An event interval is also allocated to one of the future events. As already explained in connection with the first display region, a starting position and an ending position in the second display region 20 are determined for this event interval and an event interval symbol 22, in this case a bar symbol, is displayed between the determined starting position and the determined ending position.

[0052] According to the exemplary embodiment, a third display region 30 embodied as a menu bar and comprising a plurality of menu symbols is also provided on the display equipment. It can be provided that first and second display regions 10, 20 and/or the third display region 30 are always visible when the display equipment 1 is activated.

[0053] FIG. 2 depicts a first display region of display equipment operated according to a method in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment of the invention. This display device is initially disposed in a first depiction status in which, as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the first display region is depicted relatively small on the lower end of the screen surface area. In this status, further information can be displayed on the screen surface area above the first display region. If a user now touches the display equipment 1 or performs a swiping gesture on the display equipment 1, there is a change between the first depiction status and a second depiction status that is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this second depiction status, the first display region 10 and also the second display region 20 are depicted larger than in the first depiction status. In addition, in the second depiction status the history 11 of the key parameter is displayed with greater detail accuracy than in the first depiction status.

[0054] The depiction in FIG. 1 shows a plurality of event symbols 17.1-17.3, one event interval being allocated to each. Event interval symbols corresponding to the event symbols 17.1-17.3 are also illustrated. The event symbols 18.1-18.6 symbolize singular events that have taken place at a specific time prior to the current time (see marking 12).

[0055] The depiction in FIG. 3 illustrates display equipment 1 operated according to a method in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, when an event symbol 19 is selected by a user, for example by touching the event symbol 19, contextual information 40 about the event is displayed in the display device 1. The contextual information 40 is displayed above the first display region 10.

[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates display equipment operated according to a method in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment of the invention. In this exemplary embodiment, an event type selection symbol 50 is displayed, and, when a user selects the event type selection symbol 50, for example by touching it, an event type list 51 is displayed. The event type list opens in the manner of a drop-down menu when the event type selection symbol 50 is selected. When a user selects an event type from the event type list 51, only events of the selected event type or types are displayed in the first display region 10.

[0057] According to a modification of the exemplary embodiments depicted in the drawing, it can be provided that a key parameter selection symbol 60 is displayed in the display equipment, and, when a user selects the key parameter selection symbol 60, the key parameter list is displayed (see FIG. 2). When user selects a key parameter from the key parameter list, a time history 11 of the selected key parameter from the first time in the past to the current time is then displayed in the first display region 10 of the display equipment.

[0058] In the display equipment 1 described in the foregoing, a method can be used for displaying a key parameter of a food treatment machine, in particular a food processing machine or a food packaging machine, by means of display equipment 1 of the food treatment machine, wherein a time history 11 of the key parameter from a first time in the past to a current time is displayed in a first display region 10 of the display device 1, and wherein, for at least one event that occurred between the first time and the current time, an event position in the first display region 10 is determined and an event symbol 13, 15, 17.1-17.3, 18.1-18.6, 19 is displayed at the determined event position in the first display region 10. This makes it easier for a user to detect the current status of the food treatment machine, in particular following a change in user or a shift change.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0059] 1 Display equipment [0060] 10 First display region [0061] 11 Time history of the key parameter [0062] 12 Marking of the current time [0063] 13 Event symbol [0064] 14 Event interval symbol [0065] 15 Event symbol [0066] 17.1-17.3 Event symbol [0067] 18.1-18.6 Event symbol [0068] 19 Event symbol [0069] 20 Second display region [0070] 21 Event symbol [0071] 22 Event interval symbol [0072] 30 Third display region [0073] 40 Fourth display region, contextual information [0074] 50 Event type selection symbol [0075] 51 Event type list [0076] 60 Key parameter selection symbol