EQUIPMENT CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ITS USE
(19)AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE(54) Title EQUIPMENT CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ITS USE(21) Application No: 2003241433 (22) Application Date: 2003.05.13(87) WIPONo: WO03/096596 (30) Priority Data (31) Number (32) Date 60/378,033 2002.05.13 (33) Country US(43) Publication Date : 2003.11.11(43) Publication Journal Date : 2004.01.15(71) Applicant(s) ROBOTIC CRANES, LP(72) Inventor(s) PRESSWOOD, Ronald, Gustav, Jr.;THOMPSON, Clark, James (H) Application NoAU2003241433 A1(19)AUSTRALIAN PATENT OFFICE(54) Title EQUIPMENT CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ITS USE(21) Application No: 2003241433 (22) Application Date: 2003.05.13(87) WIPONo: WO03/096596 (30) Priority Data (31) Number (32) Date 60/378,033 2002.05.13 (33) Country US(43) Publication Date : 2003.11.11(43) Publication Journal Date : 2004.01.15(71) Applicant(s) ROBOTIC CRANES, LP(72) Inventor(s) PRESSWOOD, Ronald, Gustav, Jr.;THOMPSON, Clark, James An equipment control system is disclosed, which includes a control unit through which all equipment control instruction are implemented and monitored, at least one piece of equipment to be controlled and at least one remote user interface, designed to allow a user to select and pass commands to the control unit and receive equipment status information from the piece of equipment via the control unit, which can refine the status information. A method for using the system is also disclosed. CLAIMS We claim: 1. An equipment control system comprising: a piece of equipment to be controlled, a control unit in two-way communication with the piece of equipment and a remote user interface (RUI) in two-way communication with the control unit, where the RUI forwards user commands and/or command protocols to the control unit and receives refined and/or raw equipment status data from the control unit and the control unit forwards command instructions corresponding to the user commands or command protocols to the equipment and receives raw equipment status data from the equipment or from sensors associated with the equipment.
2. An equipment control system comprising: at least one piece of equipment to be controlled, a control unit in two-way communication with the at least one piece of equipment and at least one remote user interface (RUI) in two-way communication with the control unit, where the RUI forwards user commands and/or command protocols to the control unit from a modifiable command and command protocol selection format and receives refined and/or raw equipment state data from the control unit and the control unit forwards command instructions corresponding to the user commands or command protocols to the equipment and receives raw equipment state data from the equipment or from sensors associated with the equipment.
3. A method for controlling a piece of equipment comprising the steps of : selecting a command or a command protocol selectable on a remote user interface (RUI) in two-way communication with a control unit ; forwarding the desired command or command protocol to the control unit; converting the command or command protocol into equipment executable instructions; determining whether the equipment is currently executing previous command and <Desc/Clms Page number 17> whether the command or command protocol includes an override and/or emergency command; if the command or command protocol includes an override and/or emergency command, immediately forwarding the equipment executable instructions to the piece of equipment;STDC0415 if the control unit determines that the piece of equipment is currently executing the previous command or command protocol, stacking the equipment executable instruction until the equipment is free and notifying the RUI that the command or command protocol is on hold; otherwise, forwarding the equipment executable instruction to the piece of equipment; and executing the instruction at the piece of equipment.
4. A method for controlling equipment comprising the steps of : selecting a command or command protocol selectable on a plurality of remote user interfaces (RUIs) in two-way communication with a control unit and in two-way communication with each other, where the command or command protocol is adapted to control a piece of equipment in two-way communication with the control unit; forwarding the selected command or command protocol from the RUI to the control unit and to the other RUIs as notification of issuance of a command or command protocol to a particular piece of equipment; converting the selected command or command protocol in the control unit into equipment executable instructions of the particular piece of equipment;STDC0428 checking whether the particular piece of equipment is currently executing previous command or command protocol or whether the selected command or command protocol includes an override and/or emergency command; if the selected command or command protocol includes an override and/or emergency command, then immediately forwarding the instructions to the particular piece of equipment;STDC0758 if the selected command or command protocol does not includes an override and/or emergency command and the particular piece of equipment is currently executing the previous command or command protocol, then sending a hold notice to the issuing RUI, waiting for the particular piece of equipment to complete execution of the previous command <Desc/Clms Page number 18> or command protocol, once free, forwarding the instructions to the particular piece of equipment and issuing a send notice to the issuing RUI; and if the selected command or command protocol does not includes an override and/or emergency command and the particular piece of equipment is free, forwarding the instructions to the particular piece of equipment.
5. A method for modifying the user interface display format including the step of either selecting a pre-defined display format from a selection menu, selecting a pre-defined display format and selecting a user preference, or reformatting the display format on the fly using format edit commands accessible from menus or entered directly from user interface commands or command strings.