Claims
- 1. A method of creating a configuration file in a control processor from one or more barcode encoded data, the steps comprising:
detecting with an optical scanner, a set of barcode encoded configuration parameters of a control component on a control system wherein the control processor controls the operation of the control component; decoding within the optical scanner the detected set of barcode encoded configuration parameters; transmitting signals to the control processor, the signals representative of the decoded set of barcode encoded configuration parameters; detecting the transmitted signals at the control processor; decoding within the control processor, the transmitted signals containing control component specific configuration parameters; storing the control component specific configuration parameters in memory associated with the control processor; and creating and storing the configuration file in said memory, the configuration file containing the component specific configuration parameters for controlling the operation of the control component.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the decoded parameters in an optical scanner memory and batch transferring the parameters to the control processor.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of detecting the set of barcodes comprises, using an RF scanner and wirelessly transmitting the parameters to the control processor.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical scanner is an integrated module within the control processor.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical scanner is portable and attachable to the control processor.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the barcode encoded configuration parameters comprise a first set of parameters designating the physical attributes of the control component and a second set of parameters designating the operational features of the control component.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first set of parameters is included within a barcode encoded serial number of the control component.
- 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using one or more of the barcode encoded configuration parameters individually to correlate with a predetermined set of operating parameters stored in memory for creating the configuration file.
- 9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of correlating one or more of the configuration parameters individually within the first set of parameters with a set of predetermined parameters stored in memory for designating the physical attributes of the control component.
- 10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of correlating one or more of the configuration parameters individually within the second set of predetermined parameters stored in memory with a set of parameters designating operational features of the control component.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of decoding within the control processor comprises using a sequence table to identify the configuration parameters.
- 12. A method of creating a configuration file in a CNC from barcode encoded data, the steps comprising:
detecting with a barcode scanner, a set of barcode encoded configuration parameters of a control component to be added to a control system wherein the CNC controls the operation of the control component; decoding within the barcode scanner the detected set of barcode encoded configuration parameters; transmitting signals to the CNC representative of the decoded set of barcode encoded configuration parameters; detecting the configuration parameters at the CNC; transmitting the configuration parameters to a remote computer; executing a configuration tool at the remote computer, wherein the decoded configuration parameters are used as input data to the input requirements of the configuration tool; transmitting back to the CNC, an XML file containing the configuration data to be used in configuring the control component; storing at the CNC, the control component specific configuration parameters in local memory accessible by a CNC processor; and creating and storing configuration file containing the component specific configuration parameters for controlling the operation of the control component.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of detecting the configuration parameters at the CNC comprises using a sequence table to identify the configuration parameters.
- 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of storing the decoded parameters in a barcode scanner memory and batch transferring the parameters to the CNC.
- 15. The method of claim 12, wherein in the step of detecting the set of barcodes comprises, using an RF scanner and wirelessly transmitting the parameters to the CNC.
- 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the barcode scanner is an integrated module within the CNC.
- 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the barcode scanner is portable and attachable to the CNC.
- 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the barcode encoded configuration parameters comprise a first set of parameters designating the physical attributes of the control component and a second set of parameters designating the operational features of the control component.
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first set of parameters is included within a bar encoded serial number of the control component.
- 20. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of using one or more of the barcode encoded configuration parameters individually to correlate with a predetermined set of operating parameters stored in memory for creating a configuration file.
- 21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of correlating one or more of the configuration parameters individually within the first set of predetermined parameters stored in memory with a set of parameters designating physical attributes of the control component.
- 22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of correlating one or more of the configuration parameters individually within the second set of predetermined parameters stored in memory with a set of parameters designating operational features of the control component.
- 23. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration data sent back to the CNC in XML format contains only a set of input data to be entered into a configuration tool at the CNC for generating a configuration file.
- 24. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of sending a serial number of the control component to the remote computer for use in creating the configuration data sent back to the CNC in XML format.
- 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of correlating the serial number at the remote site with a sequence table.
- 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of using the sequence table to determine the configuration parameters of the control component.
- 27. A method of creating a configuration data in a CNC from barcode encoded data, the steps comprising:
detecting with a barcode scanner, a set of barcodes encoded configuration parameters of a control component to be added to a control system wherein the CNC controls the operation of the control component; decoding within the barcode scanner the detected set of barcode encoded configuration parameters; transmitting signals to the CNC representative of the decoded set of barcode encoded configuration parameters; detecting the transmitted signals at the CNC; executing a configuration tool, wherein the decoded configuration parameters are used to function as input data to the input requirements of the configuration tool; storing the control component specific configuration parameters in memory accessible by a CNC processor; determining whether other control components require modification to their configuration parameters, if so, creating a command file in XML format contain instructions for one or more of the other control components to modify their set of configuration parameters; creating and storing an executable configuration file containing the component specific configuration parameters for controlling the operation of the control component.
- 28. The method of claim 27. further comprising the step of transmitting the command file to one or more of the control components over a network.
- 29. A system for updating a configuration file from one or more barcode encoded data, the system comprising:
a CNC; a control component; a remote computer in communication with the CNC; a barcode scanner for detecting a set of barcode encoded configuration parameters of the control component to be added to a control system wherein the CNC controls the operation of the control component, the barcode scanner comprising a reader section for converting barcode images to electrical signals, and a decoder section for converting the electrical signals into useable data; means for transmitting the useable data to the CNC; means for detecting the configuration parameters at the CNC; means for transmitting the configuration parameters to a remote computer; a configuration tool resident and operational at the remote computer for generating a configuration file; means for transmitting back to the CNC, an XML file containing the configuration file to be executed in controlling the control component; means for storing the control component specific configuration parameters in local memory accessible by a CNC processor; and means for creating and storing an executable configuration file containing the component specific configuration parameters for controlling the operation of the control component.
- 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the configuration file in XML files contains only a set of input data to be entered into a configuration tool at the CNC.
- 31. The system of 29. further comprising the step of generating a configuration file for another control component affected by the addition of the control component.
- 32. The system of claim 29, further comprising processing means for correlating the serial number at the remote site with a sequence table.
- 33. The system of claim 29, wherein said processor means includes means for using the sequence table to determine the configuration parameters of the control component.
- 34. The system of claim 29, further comprising a barcode software resident within the decoder section for using an alpha-numeric set of barcodes.
- 35. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of using software in a reader section of barcode scanner to generate a signal to a decoder section of the barcode scanner.
- 36. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of using a barcode sequence to enter an operational program within the CNC.
- 37. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for generating at the remote computer, a set of instructions based on the control component serial number and operating parameters.
- 38. The method of claim 29, further comprising means for transmitting the set of instructions to the CNC in XML form.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to, and incorporates by reference herein in its entirety pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/461,702 filed Apr. 10, 2003.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60461702 |
Apr 2003 |
US |