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Software Patent Abstract
A technical facility has a computer with service software stored
therein that has first, second and third service modules. The first
service module has a first service routine or a first group of service
routines that is available to an operator of the technical facility
without a training for application of the first service routine
or the first group of service routines. The second service module
has a second service routine or a second group of service routines
that is available to the operator only after a training. The third
service module has a third service routine or a third group of service
routines that is denied to the operator.
Software Patent Claims
We claim as our invention:
1. A technical facility comprising: a facility device; a computer
operable by an operator associated with said technical facility
to operate said facility device under normal operating conditions;
service software stored in said computer, necessary for servicing
said facility device, differing from said normal operating conditions,
said service software comprising a first service module for servicing
said facility device, a second service module for servicing said
facility device and a third service module for servicing said facility
device; said first service module being allocated to a first service
routine and being available to said operator associated with said
technical facility without training for usage of said first service
routine; said second service module being allocated to a second
service routine and being available to said operator associated
with said technical facility only after training for usage of said
second service routine; and said third service module being allocated
to a third service routine and access to said third service module
being always denied to said operator associated with said technical
facility.
2. A technical facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second
service routine is available by entering an identifier into said
computer.
3. A technical facility as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first
service module makes said first service routine freely available
to said operator associated with said facility.
4. A technical facility comprising: a facility device; a computer
operable by an operator associated with said technical facility
to operate said facility device under normal operating conditions;
service software stored in said computer, necessary for servicing
said facility device, differing from said normal operating conditions,
said service software comprising a first service module for servicing
said facility device, a second service module for servicing said
facility device and a third service module for servicing said facility
device; said first service module being allocated to a first group
of service routines and being available to an operator of said technical
facility without training for usage of said first group of service
routines; said second service module being allocated to a second
group of service routines and being available to said operator of
associated with said technical facility only after training for
usage of said second group of service routines; and said third service
module being allocated to a third group of service routines and
access to said third service module always being denied to said
operator associated with said technical facility.
5. A technical facility as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second
group of service routines is available by entering an identifier
into said computer.
6. A technical facility as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first
service module makes said first group of service routines freely
available to said operator associated with said technical facility.
7. A technical facility as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second
service module makes said service routines in said second group
of service routines available associated with said technical facility
to said operator respectively dependent on a type of training of
said operator associated with said technical facility.
8. A method for operating a technical facility comprising the steps
of: providing a computer at a technical facility operable by an
operator associated with said technical facility for operating a
facility device of said technical facility under normal operating
conditions; storing service software in said computer necessary
for servicing said facility device, differing from said normal operating,
said service software comprising a first service module for servicing
said facility device, a second service for servicing said facility
device module and a third service module for servicing said facility
device; allocating said first service module to a first service
routine available to said operator associated with said technical
facility without training for usage of said first service routine;
allocating said second service module to a second service routine
available to said operator associated with said technical facility
only after training for usage of said second service routine; and
allocating said third service module to a third service routine
and always denying access to said third service module by said operator
of said technical facility.
9. A method for operating a technical facility as claimed in claim
8, compromising making said second service routine available by
entering an identifier into said computer.
10. A method for operating a technical facility as claimed in claim
8 compromising making said first service routine freely available
to said operator associated with said technical facility via said
first module.
11. A method for operating a technical facility comprising the
steps of: providing a computer at a technical facility operable
by an operator of said technical facility for operating facility
device of said technical facility under normal operating conditions;
storing service software in said computer necessary for servicing
said facility device, differing from said normal operating, said
service software comprising a first service module for servicing
said facility device, and second service module for servicing said
facility device and a third service module for servicing said facility
device; allocating said first service module to a first group of
service routines available to said operator associated with said
technical facility without training for usage of said first group
of service routines; allocating said second service module to a
second group of service routines available to said operator associated
with said technical facility only after training for usage of said
second group of service routines; and allocating said third service
module to a third group of service routines and always denying access
to said third service module to said operator associated with said
technical facility.
12. A method for operating a technical facility as claimed in claim
11, compromising making said second group of service routines available
by entering an identifier into said computer.
13. A method for operating a technical facility as claimed in claim
11 compromising making said first group of service routines freely
available to said operator associated with said technical facility
via said first service module.
14. A method for operating a technical facility as claimed in claim
11 compromising making said service routines in said second group
of service routines available to said operator associated with said
technical facility via said second module respectively dependent
on a type of training of said operator associated with said technical
facility.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a technical facility having
service software stored on a computer of the technical facility
2. Description of the Prior Art
As used herein, "technical facility" means a technical
system such as, for example, a conveyor system or a technical apparatus
such as, for example, a magnetic resonance apparatus. Service software
is a computer program with which, in particular, maintenance or
repair of the facility can be undertaken. In a computerized technical
facility, the service software usually is stored on the computer
that controls the technical facility. During repair or maintenance,
i.e. during service performed at the technical facility, the service
software supports the person implementing the service. If, for example,
the technical facility is an X-ray apparatus or a computed tomography
apparatus, a newly installed X-ray tube can be adjusted and tested
with the assistance of the service software. The service software
also can be specifically employed for detecting an error that may
be presented in the technical facility.
For example, the service can be implemented for the operator of
the technical facility by specifically trained personnel of the
supplier or of the manufacturer of the technical facility. However,
the service also can be implemented by a service technician of the
operator of the technical facility. So that the operator's own service
technician can efficiently operate the service software, this service
technician may have to be suitably trained by the supplier or the
manufacturer under certain circumstances. The supplier or the manufacturer
also must make the service software accessible to the operator of
the technical facility.
The service software also can be employed for routine activities
such as, for example, regularly implemented quality measurements
at a computed tomography apparatus. This type of service is normally
not performed by a specifically trained service technician but by
the person who normally operates the technical facility as intended.
No special training is needed for this type of service; the service
software, however, must likewise be accessible to the operator.
As a rule, an operator's own personnel as well as a manufacturer's
personnel require access to the service software. Occasionally,
well-trained personnel of the operator of the technical facility
need access to various parts of the service software, for which
reason the operator of the technical facility normally has access
to the complete service software.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to allow more differentiated
access to the service software of the technical facility.
This object is achieved in a technical facility having service
software stored on a computer of the technical facility, the service
software including first, second and third service modules. The
first service module is allocated to a first service routine or
a first group of service routines and is available to an operator
of the technical facility without training for an application of
the first service routine or the first group of service routines.
The second service module is allocated to a second service routine
or a second group of service routines and is available to the operator
of the technical facility only after training for an application
of the second service routine or of the second group of service
routines. The third service module is allocated to a third service
routine or a third group of service routines and is denied to the
operator of the technical facility. The service software of the
technical facility thus is divided into three service modules, i.e.
into three levels. The first service routine or the first group
of service routines of the first service module correspond to a
first level and are available to the operator of the technical facility
without previous training. This service routine or these service
routines are program routines of the service software and are allocated,
for example, to applications that, in particular, are also routinely
implemented by the operator of the technical facility during its
proper use and for which no specific training is necessary. These,
for example, are regularly implemented quality checks, simple adjustment
settings or the installation of a replacement part for which implementation
no specific knowledge is required. The second service routine or
the second group of service routines allocated to the second service
module correspond to a second level and require training for being
applied. This service routine or service routines are more complicated
to apply than the first service routine or the first group of service
routines. An application of the second service routine or of the
second set of service routines can fundamentally be made available
to the operator of the technical facility. Since their application,
however, is more complicated than the application of the first service
routine or the application of the first group of service routines,
the operator is granted access to the second service routine or
to the second group of service routines only when the operator has
specifically trained personnel available. The third service routine
or the third group of service routines allocated to the third service
module and that thus correspond to the third level are completely
denied to the operator of the technical facility. This service routine
or these service routines are thus accessible only to the manufacturer
or to a person or group of persons authorized by the manufacturer.
It is thus assured that the operator has no access to specific service
routines of the technical facility that are exclusively reserved
for the manufacturer of the technical facility. One example of such
a service routine is a remote service via a remote information transmission
network. It also is assured that the operator only has access to
that part of the service software for which specific training is
needed when the operator has suitably trained personnel available.
So that only trained personnel belonging to the operator have access
to the second service routine or the second group of service routines
of the second service module, the second service routine or the
second group of service routines of the second service module in
an embodiment of the invention are available only by means of an
identifier that can be entered into the computer of the technical
facility. The operator, thus, is only informed of the identifier
when his/her personnel are appropriately trained. The identifier,
moreover, can also be valid for a limited time.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention different service routines
of the second group of service routines of the second service module
are available to the operator of the technical facility dependent
on the type of training. Consequently, only those service routines
of the second group of service routines for which the operator has
appropriately trained personnel are available to the operator of
the technical facility. The operator is also provided with the opportunity
to decide what service routines of the second group the operator
would like to apply, i.e. for which of these service routines the
operator would like to have the operator's personnel trained. embodiment
of the invention, the first service routine or the first group of
service routines of the first service module is freely available
to the operator of the technical facility.
An advantage of the inventive technical facility is the allocation
of the service software functionalities to defined service routines.
These, for example, can be accessed or implemented via the potentially
limited-time identifiers, referred to as license keys. Specific
access authorizations to parts of the service software thus can
be designated for sale to a particular operator of the technical
facility. Among others, the following advantages are achieved: reduction
of the on-site activities of the supplier or manufacturer since
operator's personnel can be designationally trained; on-site support
of the supplier's own or, respectively, operator's own personnel
by trained personnel belonging to the operator; enhanced customer
linking by means of timed licensing; sales increase and market expansion
by marketing the supplier's own or the manufacturer's own competency
(training the operator's own personnel) additional sales increase
from technical training and sale of replacement parts based on the
increase in the size of the circle of customers or, respectively,
tending to the technical personnel of the customer, i.e. of the
operator of the technical facility.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an inventive technical facility.
FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a service software stored on
the technical facility shown in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a computed tomography apparatus 1 having a computer
1a. A computer program known to those skilled in the art runs in
the computer 1a, the computer program suitably controlling the computed
tomography apparatus 1 during an examination of a patient (not shown
in FIG. 1).
Service software, the structure of which is schematically shown
in FIG. 2, is also stored on the computer 1a. The service software
is a computer program that is modularly constructed and has three
service modules 21, 22 and 23. Each of the three service modules
21, 22 and 23 has a number of service routines, i.e. computer sub-programs
of the service software, that are allocated to different service
functions.
The service routines of the service module 21 are allocated to
service functions the application of which requires no specific
training. The operator's personnel can apply these service routines
as soon as the computed tomography apparatus 1 is installed and
ready to operate. An application of these service routines is possible
without entering a specific identifier into the computer 1a. In
the exemplary embodiment, moreover, the operator of the computed
tomography apparatus 1 need not pay any licensing fees to the manufacturer
of the computed tomography apparatus 1 for the use of the service
routines of the service module 21. Moreover, a license level L1
is allocated to the service routine or routines of the service module
21 in the exemplary embodiment.
The service module 21 has three service routines in the exemplary
embodiment. On the basis of the first service routine of these three
service routines, the operator's personnel such as, for example,
a medical-technical assistant (MTA) 2, who operates the computer
tomography apparatus 1 during an examination of the patient, or
service technicians 3a and 3b working for the operator, can check
the quality of images produced with the computed tomography apparatus
1. With the second service routine, it can display and evaluate
the content of an error memory 1b of the computer 1a of the computed
tomography apparatus 1 and, with the third service routine, it can
load an application license onto the computer 1a of the computed
tomography apparatus 1.
The service routines of the service module 22 are allocated to
service functions for the application of which specific training
is necessary. These service routines therefore are available only
to the operator of the computed tomography apparatus 1 when the
operator has appropriately trained personnel available. Training
is optional and can be essentially undertaken at any time by the
operator in the exemplary embodiment. As long as the operator has
no suitably trained personnel available, the personnel of the operator
cannot access the service routines of the service module 22, i.e.
the service functions allocated to the service module 22 cannot
be used as long as the operator does not have suitably trained personnel
available.
In the exemplary embodiment, the service routines of the service
module 22 are also divided into four groups. Each group of service
routines is allocated to a license level, which are the license
levels L2, L3, L4 and L5 in the exemplary embodiment.
The operator needs suitably trained personnel for each of these
groups of service routines. When, however, personnel of the operator
are trained for a higher license level, this personnel must already
have been trained for the license levels lying therebelow. When,
for example, personnel of the operator is trained for license level
4, then the personnel must already have been trained for license
levels 2 and 3.
The operator must also pay specific licensing fees to the manufacturer
for license levels L3 through L5 if the operator would like to use
the service routines allocated to these license levels. The licensing
fees are graduated in the exemplary embodiment, with a higher license
level covering the license levels lying therebelow. When, for example,
the operator pays licensing fees for license level L5, then the
service routines allocated to the license levels L3 and L4 are also
available to the operator. No licensing fees are required for license
level L2 in the exemplary embodiment.
In the exemplary embodiment, license level L2 covers service routines
with which a configuration of the computed tomography apparatus
1 is supported, the current configuration of the computed tomography
apparatus 1 is displayed and simple tests and setting at the computed
tomography apparatus 1 are supported.
The license levels L3 through L5 cover further service routines
that can be applied for further service functions.
In the exemplary embodiment, the manufacturer offers the operator
suitable training. Specifically trained technicians 4a and 4b of
the manufacturer carry out the training in a training room 7 of
the manufacturer. After successful participation in a training,
the participants in the training receive a certificate that confirms
the successful participation.
In the exemplary embodiment, the operator's service technician
3a successfully participated in the training for license level L2.
The successful participation was confirmed. The operator was also
informed of an identifier allocated to the service routines of license
level L2 of the service module 22 so that the service routines of
the license level L2 can be called and applied. Upon entry of this
identifier into the computed 1a of the computed tomography apparatus
1, the service routines of the license level L2 of the service module
22 are available to the service technician 3a.
In the exemplary embodiment, the operator's service technician
3b successfully participated in a training for the service routines
of the license levels L2 through L5. Consequently, the service technician
3b is suitably trained for an application of the service routines
of the license levels L2 through L5 and can apply these. After the
operator paid the necessary licensing fees to the manufacturer,
the manufacturer informed the service technician 3b of a suitable
identifier that, when entered into the computer 1a of the computed
tomography apparatus 1, makes the service routines of the licensing
levels L2 through L5 of the service module 22 available to the service
technician 36.
The service module 23, finally, is reserved only for the manufacturer
of the computed tomography apparatus 1 and cannot be released to
the operator of the computed tomography apparatus 1. Only the manufacturer's
own personnel such as a service technician 8 can call and apply
these service routines. In the exemplary embodiment, the service
module 23 has three service routines. The computed tomography apparatus
1 is automatically monitored by means of the first service routine
of these three service routines. If an error of the computed tomography
apparatus 1 occurs, the computer 1a generates an corresponding error
message and--since it is connected to the Internet 5 in the exemplary
embodiment--sends this message via the Internet 5 to a computer
6 of the manufacturer that is likewise connected to the Internet
5. The operator's service technician 8 can subsequently read and
evaluate the error message. The service software can be serviced
and may be modified with the second service routine. With the third
service routine, the picture screen of the computer 1a of the computed
tomography apparatus 1 can be mirrored at the picture screen of
the manufacturer's computer 6 in order, for example, to be able
to perform remote maintenance of the computed tomography apparatus
1.
The inventive technical facility thus offers a merging of the sale
of service software access levels or service licenses with specific
training of the customer's technical personnel, i.e. of the service
technicians 3a and 3b of the operator of the computed tomography
apparatus 1. In particular, the manufacturer of the technical facility
carries this training out and can thus suitably adapt the educational
objective and level of the operator's personnel who have been trained.
The service software is also hierarchically divided, with a higher
license level covering the license levels lying therebelow. This
assured that the operator, i.e. the customer, does not receive access
to service routines that the operator need not apply.
Another advantage of the inventive technical facility is the promotion
and linking of the customer-manufacturer partnership as a result
of the training and certification. Further advantages include: enhancing
the customer dependency, particularly when the licensing is limited
in time. supporting the customer in terms of the customer's technical
development based on optionally acquired service software licenses.
customer linking and market expansion by means of designational
sale of competency.
The above-described exemplary embodiment, moreover, is to be understood
as being only by way of example. In particular, the inventive technical
facility is limited neither to a computer tomography apparatus 1
nor to a medical-technical apparatus in general.
Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled
in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within
the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably
and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the
art.
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