Method for service and maintenance of a machine element
The invention relates to a method for the service and maintenance of a machine element, such as a sensor, a pump, an engine, a valve and/or the like, comprising the use of a portable data processing device equipped with a display, including at least a data logging feature used for logging measuring data from a given machine element under diagnostics, such as about its operating time, clearances, pressure, temperature values and/or the like, preferably by using a wireless data transfer, such as an infrared, bluetooth, radio frequency arrangement and/or the like. The measuring data logged from the machine element in the process of conducted maintenance and/or a description regarding a procedure performed thereon, such as a service report, a service cost calculation and/or the like information, are transmissible further to a service and maintenance system for a further processing thereof, such as for updating the service and cost information regarding this particular machine element.
In the above described operation, the traditional way of working is still largely in use, such that, upon leaving for a site, the maintenance man brings along a folder required for service and maintenance, said folder enabling this person to run through the service procedures required by a given designated actuator, such as e.g. a valve. The maintenance task is accompanied by necessary checkups, e.g. by reading the data recorded in the memory of a valve, such as e.g. in a data logger, regarding e.g. operating times, clearances, etc. for the valve. This is followed by subjec- ting the valve to service and maintenance operations required thereby, which the maintenance man logs in
the memory. After this, the maintenance man goes and returns the service folder, along with the information obtained by himself about the valve in a separate report, to be used by a service and maintenance organization. At this point, the entries logged by a maintenance man are usually recorded manually in a database, as a result of which it is possible to print out the actual service reports, as well as generally also a cost calculation report regarding the procedu- res performed, as well as, if necessary, also an invoice for the customer regarding the maintenance work carried through.
The above described traditional process is highly inconvenient as the maintenance man is forced to carry the necessary folders back and forth, as well as to manually log the procedures performed by himself, which have to be further interpreted, stored, and printed out by other people in the next phase. Of course, it is possible today to utilize, especially in the process of recovering data contained in any given machine element to be serviced, e.g. a portable computer or the like, by means of whose infrared port, for example, the maintenance man is capable of wire- lessly downloading the data recorded in the data logger of a machine element to be serviced. This arrangement, as such, is not capable of providing a decisive remedy to the actual main problem, although it can be used to reduce the amount of manual labour to some extent.
It is an object of a method according to this invention to provide a decisive improvement regarding the foregoing problems, and thus, to raise essentially the available prior art. In order to accomplish this object, a method of the invention is principally
characterized in that, prior to launching a relevant procedure, a service and maintenance system is accessed for delivering/ordering to a data processing device, preferably in a wireless mode, such as through the intermediary or the like use of a radio-frequency operating telephone, a modem and/or the like, service information required for the service and maintenance of a discussed machine element, such as a service manual, a check list and/or the like.
In this context, the benefits offered by a method of the invention can be said to include its simplicity and reliability in operation, thereby facilitating significantly the performance of the maintenance and overhaul processes. When applying a method of the invention, it is not necessary for a service and maintenance system to sustain e.g. the current amount of maintenance folders, since one and the same "folder" can be used simultaneously in a number of sites in an electronic format. Thus, if there is an on-site situation that the machine element to be serviced is not the same as originally expected, the situation can be readily corrected by ordering from a service and maintenance system the data relating to this particu- lar machine element, e.g. on the basis of an identification read wirelessly therefrom. This makes it possible to operate at each site always in real time, such that the information available on site is always up to date and correct, and without having to make a separate search for it.
In a preferred application of the method, e.g. a service manual required at any given time can be ordered e.g. with a conventional GSM or WAP telephone from the server of a service and maintenance system, which delivers it further to a portable data proces-
sing device carried by the maintenance man. Thereafter, the service manual is readily displayable on a preferably A4-size screen of the data processing device for commencing procedures .
In a further implementation of the invention, it is possible that a description regarding a procedure conducted, such as a service report, a service cost calculation and/or the like, will be dictated into the memory of a data processing device through the intermediary of a microphone and a voice recording feature present therein, whereafter the measuring data logged from a machine element under diagnostics, along with the dictation relating thereto, is compiled, e.g. by the operating system of the data processing device, into an integrated information package which is further transmissible from the data processing device, e.g. through the intermediary of a GSM network, electronically to a service and maintenance system for further processing.
The invention will now be described in detail with reference made to the accompanying drawing, which depicts one preferred operating principle regarding a method of the invention.
The invention relates to a method for the service and maintenance of a machine element, such as a sensor, a pump, an engine, a valve and/or the like, comprising the use of a portable data processing device equipped with a display D, including at least a data logging feature used for logging measuring data from a given machine element 1 under diagnostics, such as about its operating time, clearances, pressure, temperature values and/or the like, preferably by exploiting a wireless data transfer, such as an infrared IR,
bluetooth, radio frequency arrangement and/or the like. Measuring data ci logged from the machine element 1 in the process of the maintenance conducted and/or a description regarding a procedure performed thereon, such as a service report, a service cost calculation and/or the like information, are transmissible further to a service and maintenance system I for a further processing thereof, such as for updating the service and cost information regarding this particular machine element. Prior to launching a relevant procedure, the service and maintenance system I is accessed for delivering/ordering to a data processing device 2, preferably in a wireless mode, such as through the intermediary or the like use of a radio- frequency operating telephone MB, a modem and/or the like, service information mi required for the service and maintenance of the discussed machine element 1, such as a service manual, a check list and/or the like.
In a further preferred application of the method, a description regarding a conducted procedure di, such as a service report, a service cost calculation and/or the like, is dictated into a memory of the data processing device 2 through the intermediary or the like use of a microphone M and a voice recording feature VC included therein. This enables a considerable simplification in the preparation of an actual service report and a possible cost report, since the maintenance man is able to log all necessary information immediately in a storage in the form of electronically recordable dictation.
In another preferred application of the method, the measuring data ci logged from a machine element under diagnostics and the dictation di pertinent thereto are
compiled by the operating system of the data processing device 2 or in a corresponding manner into an integrated information package, such as a file or the like. Thus, in a yet another preferred application of the method, this integrated information package is delivered further in an electronic format, preferably in a wireless manner, such as by radio frequency, by way of a GSM V, GPRS, satellite network or the like, into the service and maintenance system I for further processing. At this point, if necessary, the compiled integrated information package is packed and/or encrypted by the operating system of the data processing device 2 or in a corresponding manner prior to delivering the same into the service and maintenance system I.
In this context, the information mi required in a procedure to be conducted as a preferred application of the method is ordered for the data processing device 2 from a server P or the like connected to the service and maintenance system I preferably by means of a mobile telephone, such as by using a GSM, WAP MB1, GPRS, satellite telephone or the like. Furthermore, in reference to the attached functional diagram, the information mi required in a procedure to be conducted is preferably delivered further in a wireless mode through the intermediary of a GSM V, GPRS, satellite network or the like into a memory of the data processing device 2 by way of a mobile phone MB' connected therewith, or a modem or the like included therein.
In this context, as a preferred application of the method, the machine elements covered by the service and maintenance system I are provided with an electronic identifier, which is preferably readable in a
wireless manner, such as by using an infrared IR, bluetooth, radio-frequency arrangement and/or the like, and by means of which the service information mi regarding exactly the machine element 1 under diagnos- tics is suppliable/orderable from the service and maintenance system I. This refers e.g. to the type of the situation in which the maintenance man receives e.g. in his telephone MB', directly via an infrared link IR, a piece of information regarding an identifi- cation code x of the machine element 1, after which the maintenance man uses his telephone again to establish a connection with the service and maintenance system I which, on the basis of the above-mentioned identification code, is able to supply the maintenance man with an appropriate service manual mi, e.g. directly to a portable data processing device 2 carried by the maintenance man, e.g. via a modem included therein. Particularly, when dealing with demanding process conditions, it is beneficial to utilize e.g. a data processing device 2 like the one shown in the enclosed operating diagram, which, in addition to a display D, is provided with an easy-to- use, a so-called soft-key keyboard SK functional on a smart-key principle for carrying out individual procedures for operating the software present in this particular device.
It is obvious that the invention is -not limited to the above disclosed or described applications but, within the scope of the basic inventive conception, it may of course be subjected to a wide variety of modifications. First of all, it is quite clear in this context that the portable data processing device can naturally be equipped also with a mobile telephone feature, such that it can be used directly to establish connections in order to make use also of conventional telephone
services or e.g. WAP services. However, this is probably not very advantageous in practice, since the operation of a data processing device equipped with a sufficiently large, e.g. a size A4 display, and with a keyboard sufficiently reliable in operation, is not guaranteed in conventional process conditions in the long run. Furthermore, this naturally increases dramatically the overall costs of a relevant data processing device and may additionally jeopardize its operating reliability, e.g. in view of typical process conditions. In this respect, the above type of a dual arrangement, wherein the maintenance man takes care of some of the matters with his own mobile phone and the actual process operations only by means of his data processing device, is preferred. The data processing device should be further provided with image transfer features for transmitting thereby e.g. a video or still picture obtained by a camera connected therewith. Naturally, it is further obvious that the downloading of data from a machine element, as well as the downloading of data from a portable data processing device into an actual service and maintenance system or the uploading of a service manual therein, can be performed just as well by means of wired connections.