Pump unit, pump unit configuration system and method

Abstract

A pump unit including a pump and an inverter drive, the inverter drive including a motor for driving the pump, a control unit for controlling the motor and a storage unit operatively connected to the control unit. The storage unit has stored therein a control program which determines the range of functions and/or the mode of functioning of the pump unit. The motor is controllable by the control unit depending on the control program. The pump unit includes a communication unit which is configured for establishing a contactless communication link with an external configuration device and that configuration data is transmittable, via the communication link, from the configuration device to the pump unit. The control program stored in the storage unit is modifiable for changing the range of functions and/or the mode of functioning of the pump unit depending on the configuration data transmitted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Pump unit comprising a pump and an inverter drive, said inverter drive comprising a motor for driving the pump, a control unit for controlling the motor and a storage unit operatively connected to the control unit, said storage unit having stored therein a control program which determines at least one of the range of functions and a mode of functioning of the pump unit, and wherein the motor is controllable by the control unit depending on the control program, wherein the pump unit comprises a communication unit that is configured for establishing a contactless communication link with an external configuration device and wherein configuration data are transmittable, via the communication link, from the configuration device to the pump unit and wherein the control program stored in the storage unit is modifiable for changing at least one of a range of functions and the mode of functioning of the pump unit depending on the configuration data transmitted. 
     
     
         2 . Pump unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is operatively connected to the control unit and wherein the control program is modifiable by the control unit for changing the mode of operation of the control program. 
     
     
         3 . Pump unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the inverter drive comprises the communication unit. 
     
     
         4 . Pump unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the storage unit is at least partially integrated in the communication unit. 
     
     
         5 . Pump unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit is configured for establishing a radio communication link. 
     
     
         6 . Pump unit in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the communication unit is configured for establishing at least one of an RFID link, a near-field communication (NFC) link, a Bluetooth link and a wireless local area network (WLAN) link. 
     
     
         7 . Pump unit in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the communication unit comprises or forms a transponder. 
     
     
         8 . Method for changing at least one of a range of functions and a mode of functioning of a pump unit by use of a configuration device, wherein the pump unit comprises a pump and an inverter drive, said inverter drive having a motor for driving the pump, a control unit for controlling the motor and a storage unit operatively connected to the control unit, said storage unit having stored therein a control program which determines at least one of the range of functions and the mode of functioning of the pump unit, and wherein the motor is capable of being controlled by the control unit depending on the control program, the method comprising the following steps:
 providing a configuration application program on a configuration device that is spatially separate from the pump unit;   establishing a contactless communication link between the configuration device and a communication unit of the pump unit;   transmitting configuration data from the configuration device to the communication unit; and   modifying the control program in the storage unit for changing at least one of the range of functions and the mode of functioning of the pump unit depending on the configuration data transmitted.   
     
     
         9 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein a mobile configuration device is used as the configuration device. 
     
     
         10 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein a hand-held device is used as the configuration device. 
     
     
         11 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein a central data processing device is used as the configuration device for generating the configuration data. 
     
     
         12 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein a radio communication link is used as the communication link. 
     
     
         13 . Method in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein at least one of an RFID link, a near-field communication (NFC) link, a Bluetooth link and a wireless local area network (WLAN) link is used as the communication link. 
     
     
         14 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein a passive transponder is used as or in the communication unit. 
     
     
         15 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the configuration data comprise activation information or deactivation information and wherein at least part of the control program is activated or deactivated depending on the activation information or deactivation information, respectively. 
     
     
         16 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein the configuration data comprise operating parameter information for the pump unit and wherein the control program is changed or supplemented depending on the operating parameter information for changing the mode of operation of the control program. 
     
     
         17 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein a determination of at least one of an authorization level of a user, an identity of the user and a user profile of the user of the configuration device is carried out and wherein the control program is modifiable depending on at least one of the authorization level, the identity of the user and the user profile. 
     
     
         18 . Method in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein for determining at least one of the authorization level, the identity and the user profile of the user, user determination data input by the user through an input unit are detected and verified. 
     
     
         19 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein configuration option data are displayed to a user of the configuration device on a display unit, either in the form of or in combination with an input prompt for the user. 
     
     
         20 . Method in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the configuration option data are displayed depending on at least one of an authorization level determined, an identity of the user determined and a user profile determined. 
     
     
         21 . Method in accordance with  claim 8 , wherein configuration instruction data provided by a user on an input unit are detected, and the configuration data are generated based on said configuration instruction data. 
     
     
         22 . Method in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein the configuration data or a component thereof are generated by the configuration device from the configuration instruction data and wherein the configuration data are transmitted to the configuration unit. 
     
     
         23 . Method in accordance with  claim 21 , wherein a communication link is established, via a communication network, between the configuration device and a central data processing device which, depending on the configuration instruction data, generates change identification data and transmits the change identification data to the configuration device and wherein the configuration data are generated by the configuration device depending on the change identification data. 
     
     
         24 . Method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the configuration data are formed by or comprise the change identification data. 
     
     
         25 . Method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the change identification data and the configuration data generated depending on the change identification data comprise information indicating that the modification of the control program in terms of a change in at least one of the range of functions and the mode of functioning of the pump unit is only made for a predetermined or predeterminable period of time. 
     
     
         26 . Method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein information indicating when change identification data are transmitted from the central data processing device to the configuration device is stored in a second storage unit together with user identification data related to at least one of the identity and a user profile of the user. 
     
     
         27 . Computer program product with program code for carrying out the method in accordance with  claim 8  when the program code is executed on a configuration device. 
     
     
         28 . Computer program product in accordance with  claim 27 , further comprising a computer-readable medium, said computer-readable medium having stored thereon a configuration application program with the program code. 
     
     
         29 . Computer program product with program code for carrying out the method in accordance with  claim 8  when the program code is executed on a mobile configuration device. 
     
     
         30 . Pump unit configuration system comprising a pump unit and an external configuration device, said pump unit comprising a pump and an inverter drive, said inverter drive comprising a motor for driving the pump, a control unit for controlling the motor and a storage unit operatively connected to the control unit, said storage unit having stored therein a control program which determines at least one of a range of functions and a mode of functioning of the pump unit, and wherein the motor is controllable by the control unit depending on the control program, wherein the pump unit comprises a first communication unit that is configured for establishing a first contactless communication link with a second communication unit comprised by the external configuration device, wherein said first contactless communication link is establishable, via the first and second communication units, between the configuration device and the pump unit for transmitting configuration data from the configuration device to the pump unit, wherein the control program stored in the storage unit is modifiable for changing at least one of the range of functions and the mode of functioning of the pump unit depending on the configuration data transmitted. 
     
     
         31 . Pump unit configuration system in accordance with  claim 30 , further comprising a central data processing device which comprises a third communication unit, wherein a second communication link is establishable, via the second and the third communication units, between the configuration device and the central data processing device for transmitting at least one of configuration instruction data, change identification data, user determination data, user information data and payment information data between the configuration device and the central data processing device.