Thin client solutions with HMI systems

• US 20020133634A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bieber, Jurgen
• Application Number:
  US09/812,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23081 MMI design, operator workplace design
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23255 Object oriented programming, OOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A control program is provided on a network server, and a plurality of parallel instances of the control program are deployed to a respective plurality of thin client terminals over a network. A process is then independently controlled from each of the plurality of thin client terminals, thereby providing multiple terminal server-client operation.

Claims

1. A method of independent process control comprising the steps of:

providing a control program on a network server;

deploying a plurality of parallel instances of the control program to a respective plurality of thin client terminals over a network; and

independently controlling a process from each of the plurality of thin client terminals, thereby providing multiple terminal server-client operation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of deploying comprises using an intermediate software layer for creating the plurality of instances of the control program.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the control program is an automated production process control program.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of the clients utilize at least one of a plurality of different operating systems.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of client terminals is a flying client having a wireless connection to the network.

5. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of different operating systems comprise Windows, Linus, Unix and Macintosh operating systems.