FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to a Multifunctional Industrial Counter, more particularly, to a Durable Multifunctional Industrial Counter incorporating different characteristics of a Counter, a Timer, an Hour meter and a Rate Indicator.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Industrial counters, timers, hour meters or rate indicators, either electrical, mechanical or combination thereof have been used to measure various parameters during run time of a machine in the industries, and are well known in the art with their respective functions. The industrial mechanical counter, timer, hour meter or rate indicator create noise from the moving gears. Therefore, the same have been replaced by the electrical industrial counters, which are proved to be expensive and not completely reliable with respect to its cost.
The industrial electrical timer, counter, hour meter or rate indicator results in data loss due power failure, and battery backup of these said electrical timer, counter, hour meter or rate indicator may prove to be expensive and not completely reliable. In various scenarios said timer, counter, hour meter or rate indicators were not able to store the desired parameters and notify the maintenance personnel/operator.
To overcome aforesaid problems, electronic programmable timer, counter, hour meter or rate indicators have been introduced. One of the electronic programmable indicator is mentioned herein below.

U.S. Pat. No. 4941136 discloses a completely electronic programmable hour meter. The hour meter accumulates and displays run time of the device being measured. The hour meter can also count pulses. The meter can be preprogrammed with a maintenance timer limit, which is compared to the accumulated run time. If the accumulated run time equals or exceeds the preprogrammed time limit an alarm display flashes. The hour meter will store the accumulated run time for up to 5 years if power is interrupted. This memory retention occurs without use of a battery. The elapsed time is stored in a plurality of registers such that no register is written to more than a preselected number of times, nominally ten thousand, until all the registers have been updated the preselected number of times.
The aforementioned invention provides information about a device that produced to perform as a hourmeter and a counter but lack to perform as a timer & a rate indicator. Looking from the point of view of inventory in production unit, this increases inventory in production unit, which is difficult to handle.
Thus, there is need for a new and improved system, which eliminates the drawback of the prior art solution.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a system that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is object of the present invention to provide a multifunctional industrial counter that is used to totalize parts production, keep track of machine hours, indicate process time and show production rate.

It is another object of the present invention to facilitate any operation that is away from the production unit. The user can perform different operation from the production unit by the multifunctional industrial counter, whenever a remote reset wire shorts a common function wire to start remote reset function.
It is another object of the present invention, which facilitated a sleep mode operation. When there is no input signal or pulse for a longer period the device automatically shift to the sleep mode. In the sleep mode, the power will be very less, which will ultimately increase the battery life for continuous operation over a long period of time. The present invention results cost reduction and maintenance free operation.
Other objects, feature and advantage of the invention will be apparent from the drawing, and from the detailed description that follows below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Figure 1 shows a general layout of the multifunctional industrial counter. Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the front portion of the multifunctional industrial counter.
Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the rear portion of the multifunctional industrial counter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides a low power multifunctional industrial counter having a durable battery. The multifunctional industrial counter that is used to

totalize parts production, keep track of machine hours, indicate process time and show production rate.
Fig.1 illustrate a general layout of the multifunctional industrial counter. The layout shows a reset button (115) and a programmable stylus (114). The reset button (115) resets the value in a count or a timer mode. The programmable stylus (114) used in set up mode to advance from one parameter to next parameter, and to move between digits. The selection of the operation, display resolution, and scaling is easily selected by the reset button (115) and the programmable stylus (114). A Low Speed input wire (141a) receives a LS input signal of the counter, the hourmeter and/or the timer, the ratemeter whenever signal is held active, the microcontroller (122) processed it and display the processed output on a LCD screen (111). A High Speed input wire (141b) receives a high speed input signal of the Counter whenever a high frequency signal is fed, again the microcontroller (122) processed the signal and display output on the LCD screen (111). Processed reset output is generated by a reset enable wire (141c) and is used in the count and the timer mode operation to reset the count to zero at any time of operation. A remote reset wire (141d) shorts common function wire (141e) to a start remote reset function. The common function wire (141e) provides connectivity to power.
The displayed data on the LCD screen (111) can set or adjusted by plurality of user input device, which are the programmable stylus (114) and the reset button (115).
The user can connect desired input i.e. either to the low speed (LS) or the high speed (HS) input depending on the type of signals & modes of operation.

The invention allows above said remote reset function, in which a user needs to short a common function wire (141e) with the reset enable wire (141c). The one end of the reset enable wire (141c) is connected to a remote reset switch while other end shorts a common function wire. The remote reset function is associated to remote area, which is away from the production unit. Fig. 2, illustrate a front portion of the multifunctional industrial counter as per one embodiment. The front portion (110) includes said LCD display (111) having a mode display indicator (112) and a process value indicator (113); the reset button (115); the programmable stylus (114); and an internally incorporated lithium battery. The mode indicator (112) indicates programmed function like said count, rate, timer and hour meter. The reset button (115) resets the value in count or timer mode. The programmable stylus (114) used in set up mode to advance from one parameter to next parameter, and to move between digits. The selection of the operation, display resolution, and scaling is easily selected by the reset button (115) and the programmable stylus (114). The lithium battery provides continuous "ON" operation facilitating stabilized data in programmable memory.
Fig. 3, illustrate a rear portion of the multifunctional industrial counter as per one embodiment. The rear portion (120) includes a reset and program enabler jumpers (121). The reset and program enabler jumpers (121) work as a medium to send the input signals to the microcontroller (122). The reset button (115) and the programmable stylus (114) have two pin jumpers (124) which will be used to short or open the two pin headers (125) provided on the rear portion allowing access or inhibit to reset and programming functions. After the programming function is selected and setting is done, the jumpers

(124) can be moved to 'Off' position or taken out from the header pins (125), to prevent unauthorized changes or accidental reset.
According to the present invention, wherein the set up procedure in the multifunctional industrial counter begins by setting the jumpers (124) to the 'ON' position. In 'ON' position the jumpers (124) enable the operation of the reset button (115) and the programming stylus (114). The programming stylus (114) activates a selection menu. The selection menu includes number of operation modes. As mentioned above the different operation modes are of basically of four types, i.e. the count mode, the hour meter mode, the timer mode and the rate mode. There are indicators for each of the operation mode. The indicators of each mode are illuminated. It is possible to switch from one mode to another by the reset button (115). The reset button (115) helps in selecting the different mode. After the particular mode is selected, the selected mode indicator flashes. The selected mode is entered in the set up by the programming stylus (114).
According to the present invention, the multifunctional industrial counter is selected to function as said count mode. In the count mode, the system operates as an eight digit decimal totalizer where leading zeroes are suppressed. In said mode, on enabling the reset button (115), the count can be reset to zero at any time. The count is reset to zero by the remote reset input signal. The remote reset input signal is required to be released to resume the count. The count is characterized by count logic, a decimal point position and a prescale value. The prescale is the value by which the input signal is operated on before being send to the LCD display (111). The input signal in the count mode is divided by the prescale value. The prescale value

for the count mode is 0001 and the prescale value of 0000 is invalid. The prescale value depends on the number of pulses forming one display unit. For example, if twenty pulses represent one display unit then the prescale value is set to 20. The value is set with the help of the stylus (114) and the reset button (115). The reset button (115) is depressed to increment the currently flashing number starting with the right most digit. For switching or scrolling to the next digit stylus (114) is used. The stylus (114) and the reset button (115) is used to select the count logic. The count logic is selected by depressing the stylus (114) until the digit on the far left of the LCD display (111) begins to flash. Then the reset button (115) is used to set the desired value. The default value is 1. The value of 1 indicates that the counting is to be done only on the falling edge of the input signal or else the counting is to be done on the rising and the falling edge of the input signal. In this way the values are indicated and the count logic is set. After setting the count logic, the stylus (114) is depressed to bring up the decimal point. The position of the decimal point can be changed by depressing the reset button (115). The reset button (115) can be successively pressed to move the decimal position one place to the left, upto a maximum of four places. The default parameter is zero places. The decimal point position serves as a cosmetic decimal point that will not affect the calibration.
According to the present invention, the multifunctional industrial counter is selected to function as said hour meter. In the hour meter mode, the system accumulates time. The time is accumulated, whenever the input signal is held active. The accumulated time is characterized by a display mode/ resolution. The display mode/ resolution can be a whole hour, tenth of an hour or

hundredth of an hour. The display mode / resolution can be selected by the reset button (115). The default mode/ resolution is a whole hour. After, setting the display mode/ resolution, the stylus (114) is used to return to the operating mode.
According to the present invention, the multifunctional industrial counter is selected to function as said timer. In the timer mode, the system accumulates time. The time is accumulated, whenever the input signal is held active. The accumulated time can be displayed in different modes/ resolution. The modes / resolution includes second, minute, tenth of minutes, hour, tenth of hour or hundred of hour. The desired mode is selected by scrolling between these modes by the reset button (115). The default mode is second. After, setting the display mode, the stylus (114) is used to return to the operating mode. Referring to the same embodiment, the multifunctional industrial counter is selected to function as said rate mode. In the rate mode, the system display events per time e.g. production, flow etc. In the rate mode, the unit can be used as a tachometer. The rate mode is characterized basically by a decimal point position and a prescale value. The prescale is the value by which the input signal is operated on before being send to the LCD display (111). The input signal in the rate mode is multiplied by the prescale value. The value of multiplication can be set in a range from 0.001 to 9.999. The default prescale value for the count mode is 1000 and the prescale value of 0000 is invalid. According to the present invention, the multifunctional industrial counter automatically activates a watchdog refresh module, IO port, timer module, LCD module, when battery power is supplied. The multifunctional industrial counter is facilitated to activate a sleep mode function when there is no input

signal/pulse for a longer period. In the sleep mode, the power will be very less, which will ultimately increase the battery life for continuous operation over a long period of time. The present invention results cost reduction and maintenance free operation.
The aforesaid description of the invention has been described for purpose of clarity and understanding. It is not intended to limit the invention to the precise from disclosed. Various modifications may be possible within the scope of the present invention.