Automation system network

• US 10,534,351 B1
• Filed: 10/08/2018
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quest Automated Services, LLC
• Original Assignee: Quest Automated Services, LLC
• Inventors: Martell, Ed, Da Silva, Hanz, Cooper, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasenge, Charles R
• Application Number:
  US16/154,356
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41835 characterised by programme execution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41855 by local area network [LAN], network structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/355 containing special suffixes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3025 Domain name generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An automation system network can have a host connected to a first device via a network with the first device having a processor that assigns a first address to the first device, imports factory information from a second device connected to the first device via the network, and assigns a second address for the second device. At least one automation activity may be executed with the first device and the first and second addresses are employed to conduct device-to-device communications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a host connected to a first device and a second device via a network, the first device comprising a processor;

assigning a first address to the first device with the processor in response to factory information imported from the first device, the first address comprising at least one identifier supplied by the host and at least one identifier corresponding with the factory information from the first device;

assigning a second address to the second device with the processor in response to factory information imported from the second device, the second address comprising at least one identifier supplied by the host and at least one identifier corresponding with the factory information from the second device;

executing at least one automation activity with the first device;

employing the first and second addresses to conduct device-to-device communications; and

conducting a first two-way communication between the second device and the host, the first two-way communication executes a functionality strategy generated by the in response to connection of the second device to the network, the functionality strategy comprising a translation aspect to allow communications between two different communications protocols respectively utilized by the first device and the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the factory information comprises a serial number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the factory information comprises an operational parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the factory information of each device is stored in a local memory of the respective devices programmed during manufacture of the second device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first address is hierarchical.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor is positioned within a housing and physically attached to the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective first address is different than the second address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a second two-way communication is conducted between the first device and the host concurrently with the first two-way communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first two-way communication is initiated by the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device-to-device communications pass directly between the first device and the second device in response to the at least one automation activity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a first device-to-device communication is initialized by the first device and a second device-to-device communication is initialized by the second device.

12. A method comprising:

activating a host connected to a first device via a network, the first device comprising a processor;

assigning a first address to the first device with the processor;

importing factory information with the processor from a second device connected to the first device via the network;

assigning a second address for the second device with the processor, the second address comprising at least one identifier supplied by the host, a first device identifier corresponding with the factory information, and a second device identifier corresponding with the factory information, the first and second device identifiers being different;

executing at least one automation activity with the first device; and

employing the first and second addresses to conduct device-to-device communications the device-to-device communication executes a functionality strategy generated by the in response to connection of the second device to the network, the functionality strategy comprising a translation aspect to allow communications between two different communications protocols respectively utilized by the first device and the second device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device and second device are each deployed with the respective first address and second address without reconfiguring the host or processor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device and second device are each deployed autonomously by the processor.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first device and second device are each deployed by updating at least one database during a time selected by the processor.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the device-to-device communications do not pass through the host.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the processor executes a retrofit procedure in response to the second device being connected to the network.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein at least two address identifiers are supplied by the host and at least two address identifiers are supplied by the factory information of the second device.