Patent ID: 7961156

Claim:
A display and control device for a life support system including units connectable to an electric bus, the display and control device comprising: a plurality of display/control units, each display/control unit configured as a plug-in module and including: a display device having a plurality of activatable pixels, a display activation device which activates the pixels of the display device on the basis of data supplied, a transparent input device disposed on a surface of the display device that is to face an observer, an input evaluation device which evaluates inputs made via the input device, and a unit connector with which the display activation device and the input evaluation device are connected and by which the display/control unit can be connected to an electric bus, and a base unit on which the plurality of display/control units are arranged, the base unit configured for mechanical fixing of the display/control units and including: an electric bus for the communication of the display/control units connected thereto, a plurality of connector devices at which respective display/control units can be connected to the electric bus via the unit connector, and a configuration device which is connected with the electric bus and which, after connection of a display/control unit to the electric bus, transmits to the display/control unit configuration data determining display contents and input areas of the display/control unit to be utilized during subsequent operation with the life support system, wherein, after configuration of the display/control unit has been completed, failure of the configuration device during operation does not initially cause a deterioration in an overall function of the display and control device, wherein the configuration data further comprises an identification of a medical unit connectable to the electric bus from which data values are to be received, a criteria for evaluating the received data values and a format for displaying a result of the evaluation of the received data values.