DE8628991U1 - Display device for a microprocessor-controlled device - Google Patents

Description

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Otis Elevator Company

New description

Display device for a microprocessor-controlled device

The innovation relates to a display device for a microprocessor-controlled device according to the generic term of the protection claim.

Modern microprocessor-based devices are quite capable of carrying out fault or failure tests using various sensors or probes and subroutines. They are also very capable of classifying faults according to the level of expertise required to correct the fault. For example, modern photocopiers have digital displays that can provide messages for system faults that can be corrected by the user, such as paper jams at various points in the paper path, and messages for system faults that require intervention by a service technician. Such a display is typically a multi-digit digital liquid crystal or light-emitting diode display device. When the system is fully operational, the display device can provide the user with an instruction message, such as WAIT or READY TO COPY or ADD PAPER. These instruction messages inform the user of an appropriate action to be taken in a sequence of actions.

An instruction message is useful in the case of a copier in an operational state, but is not particularly relevant for a device, e.g. an elevator or an escalator, in which no sequence of actions is to be carried out by the user or operator when it is operational. Users are used to simply getting on an escalator or simply pressing a hall call button on an elevator and entering the latter after opening the door(s). For aesthetic reasons, however, it may be undesirable for the display device to remain empty when the device is fully operational.

The aim of the innovation is to create a display device in which a display-free state is avoided when the device is fully operational.

This problem is solved by the feature characterized in the protection claim.

The microprocessor-controlled device is provided with a digital display device that can provide various fault or error messages relating to the operating status of the device. If there is no fault, i.e. if the device is fully operational or capable of operation, the display device shows a non-instructional message, such as the trade name or trademark of the supplier of the device.

A preferred embodiment of the innovation is explained in more detail below using the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1 shows schematically a common microprocessor-controlled device,

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* Fig. 2 is a front view of a digital display showing an error message, and

Fig. 3 is a front view of the display according to Fig. 2 in a direction-free message

giving condition.

Fig. 1 illustrates an apparatus 10, such as an elevator or escalator, having a device 12, e.g. in the form of a lift, and a microprocessor (μ�R) 14 for controlling the operation of the apparatus 12. Signals from various sensors associated with the apparatus 12 and various logic states 18 in the microprocessor software are processed in the microprocessor 14 to determine the presence of a fault. Various possible faults can be readily associated with a corresponding, very specific fault message (in a software look-up table) which is provided to a digital fault indicator 20 which displays or displays the fault message.

The fault message may be a simple alphanumeric message consisting of a classification code and a fault or error code. For example, the classification code may consist of one of the two letter "H" or "0" indicating the type of equipment faults to be corrected by the user (H) or the type of faults (0) that require a service technician to correct. The fault code may be a one- or multi-digit number indicating the specific fault within the class of faults designated by the classification code. A one-letter classification code and a two-digit (numeric) fault code may represent a variety of

of use cases, but the innovation should by no means be limited to this specific interpretation.
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The classification code and the error code are displayed in alphanumeric form on the error indicator 20 when an error occurs. For example, H-02 can indicate a specific error

(02) which can be repaired by the user (H), while 0-11 indicates a specific error (11) which must be repaired by a maintenance technician. In the latter case, the user (or operator) can report the error to the after-sales service company and attach a "Temporarily out of service" sign to the device 12.

Fig. 2 illustrates a typical four-digit, multi-segment liquid crystal error indicator 20, which displays the exemplary error message 0-11 mentioned. However, the innovation is not limited to segmented error indicators, but rather such error indicators can also have dot matrix displays with more or less than four digits.

In the embodiment shown, the error indicator 20 is mounted in a more or less conspicuous location, whereby it can contribute to the aesthetic appearance of the device 12 as a whole. If the device 12 is, for example, an escalator or an elevator, the error indicator 20 can be arranged on the ascent box (in the case of an escalator) or on a hall call board (in the case of an elevator). It can be undesirable that the error indicator 20 remains without an indication and does not provide any information when the device

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is fully operational (i.e. when there is no error or fault). In such a case, therefore, an instruction-free message (or indication) is provided on the error indicator 20.

Fig. 3 shows the fault indicator 20 in the fully operational or serviceable state of the device. In this case, the display OTIS (the name of the escalator or elevator supplier) appears on the elevator indicator 20. It is intended that in the fully operational state of the device a dot matrix will display the company name or logo of the supplier. Obviously, the operator of the device may prefer that in this state his trade name or company logo or simply a greeting message appear on the fault indicator.

This instruction-free message on the new error indicator contributes unobtrusively to the overall appearance of the device.

What is described is a digital error indicator for displaying an error message in the event of an error or malfunction of the associated device and, on the same surface, an instruction-free message when the device is in a fully operational state.

Claims (1)

-1- Otis Elevator Company New protection claim Display device for a microprocessor-controlled device for displaying a message, wherein the display device provides an error message on a display depending on an error of the device (10) and an instruction-free message on a display depending on a fully operational state of the device (10), and wherebi_i the error message includes a classification code character to indicate whether the error is within a class of errors that can be corrected by a user or within a class of errors that a maintenance engineer is responsible for correcting, and an error code character that indicates a specific error within the class of errors designated by the classification code character, characterized, that both displays (20) are provided on the same surface. 30