Configuration apparatus and method of configuring an automation system

• US 10,114,346 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Original Assignee: Sick AG (Sick)
• Inventors: Moddemann, Jorg, Weddingfeld, Kllaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Rampuria, Satish
• Application Number:
  US15/132,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20160349714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 700 9- 55
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/011 details of the correcting means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15011 Configuration of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35412 Special interface for manual input to pc
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

To simplify a configuration of an automation system for a customer, a configuration apparatus for configuring an automation system of a customer is provided that comprises device components of one or more manufacturers, having a first software tool that is provided for inputting user data in customer-specific terminology is provided and stores the input user data in a data management sector; having a second software tool that is provided for receiving the user data and that has a calculation unit for determining configuration data from the user data, wherein the second software tool has at least one mapping algorithm that prepares the stored user data for the calculation unit into manufacturer-specific terminology, and wherein a storage of the user data and a storage of the configuration data by the second software tool can be carried out separately from the data management sector of the first software tool.

Claims

1. A configuration apparatus for configuring an automation system of a customer that comprises device components of one or more manufacturers,

wherein at least one first user interface inputs user data in customer-specific terminology and stores the input user data in a data management sector, wherein the customer-specific terminology comprises a first data format in which the customer describes the user data and the user data comprise automation system operation data,

wherein a second user interface is provided for receiving the user data and has determination unit for determining configuration data from the user data,

wherein the second user interface has at least one mapping technique that prepares the user data stored in customer-specific terminology for the determination unit into manufacturer-specific terminology,

wherein the manufacturer-specific terminology comprises a second data format in which the manufacturer describes the configuration data and the configuration data comprise component operating data of the device components,

wherein the at least one mapping technique of the second user interface has a conversion technique that converts the customer-specific terminological user data into manufacturer-specific terminological data and provides them to the determination unit which creates the configuration data,

wherein a storage of the user data and a storage of the configuration data permits carrying out by the second user interface separately from the data management sector of the first user interface,

and wherein the first and second user interface each comprise at least one input mask;

and wherein the input mask of the first user interface is to input the terminology of the customer and the input mask of the second user interface is to input the terminology of the manufacturer and therefore the customer does not have to read or become familiar with the manufacturer specific terminology.

2. The configuration apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the user data comprise automation system operating data.

3. The configuration apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the automation system operating data comprise load data, movement speed, movement profile or the like of the automation system.

4. The configuration apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the component operating data comprise acceleration ramps, braking ramps, scan region, reaction times or the like of the device components.

5. The configuration apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the customer-specific terminological user data from the data management sector of the first user interface allows linking to the at least one mapping technique of the second user interface by drag and drop.

6. A method of configuring an automation system of a customer that comprises device components of one or more manufacturers, the method comprising the steps:

inputting and storing user data in customer-specific terminology in a data management sector by a first user interface,

wherein the customer-specific terminology comprises a first data format in which the customer describes the user data and the user data comprise automation system operation data;

linking the user data stored in customer-specific terminology to at least one mapping technique of a second user interface;

converting the customer-specific terminologies of the user data in manufacturer-specific terminologies by the at least one mapping technique,

wherein the manufacturer-specific terminology comprises a second data format in which the manufacturer describes the configuration data and the configuration data comprise component operating data of the device components

and wherein the at least one mapping technique of the second user interface has a conversion technique that converts the customer-specific terminological user data into manufacturer-specific terminological data and provides them to a determination unit;

preparing configuration data from the user data converted in manufacturer-specific terminology by the determination unit; and

providing the manufacturer-specific terminological configuration data of the respective device components of the automation system in a further data management sector,

wherein a storage of the user data and a storage of the configuration data-permits carrying out by the second user interface separately from the data management sector of the first user interface,

and wherein the first and second user interface each comprise at least one input mask; and

wherein the input mask of the first user interface is to input the terminology of the customer and the input mask of the second user interface is to input the terminology of the manufacturer and therefore the customer does not have to read or become familiar with the manufacturer specific terminology.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the user data are input in customer-specific terminology by the first user interface.

8. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the conversion of the customer-specific terminological user data in manufacturer-specific terminology and the preparation of the manufacturer-specific terminological configuration data are carried out in a second user interface.

9. The method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the customer-specific terminological user data are linked to the second user interface by drag and drop from the first user interface.