Method and apparatus for e-mail based communication with automated facilities and devices

• US 20030060900A1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Lange, Ronald, Lo, George, Schmoll, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 6,725,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33209 Protocol, mailbox, email, mail system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for communicating and controlling remotely devices in an automated facility by exchanging electronic messages (“E-mails”) between a server that controls the devices and an operator having a client device that has E-mail capabilities. An automation controller overseeing devices and stations within the facility is configured to send and receive over a network, such as the Internet, E-mail messages containing instructions and information. Accordingly, an operator may be alerted to alarm information, fault codes, and other operational parameters via E-mail, and after correcting the fault code or other problem, the operator may send an E-mail message to the automation controller that the situation has been corrected. The operator may also send and receive other information to and from the devices within the facility. The disclosed invention not only facilitates human-to-machine and machine-to-human E-mail communication, but also facilitates machine-to-machine communications via E-mail.

Claims

1. A system for establishing bi-directional communication between an operator and an automated facility, the system comprising:

an automation controller for the facility, the controller in communication with at least one field device within the facility, the controller adapted for controlling at least one operation of each of the at least one field device; and

an application for interfacing the controller with a network having electronic mail (“

E-mail”

) exchanging capabilities, the application adapted for sending E-mail messages from the controller to the one or more E-mail addresses and for receiving E-mail messages sent to the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein application is a plug-n-play application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises an OPC server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the OPC server comprises an alarm &

event interface, the alarm &

event interface interfacing the OPC server with the application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the E-mail messages sent to and from the controller are text-based messages.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the E-mail messages comprise alarm information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a rule-based application.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller is associated with an E-mail address for receiving E-mail messages.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller comprises an HMI.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller comprises a SCADA.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller comprises a PLC with OPC server functionality and E-mail capability.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the field device comprise an input/output device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises an intelligent device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises a PLC and wherein the PLC is connected to the automation controller via a serial connection.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises a PLC and wherein the PLC is connected to the automation controller via a network.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the application is configured to employ tunneling procedures.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the application is configured to tunnel a protocol with E-mail.

18. A rule-based method for remotely controlling the operations of devices in an automated facility comprising a field device interfaced with an automation controller that is configured to send and receive E-mail, the method comprising the steps of:

querying the field device to obtain information about the field device with the automation controller;

based on the information obtained from the query, generating an E-mail message; and

sending the E-mail message to an operator at an E-mail address that corresponds to the operator.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the E-mail message from the controller on an E-mail device; and

in response to the E-mail message from the controller, performing a physical operation at a facility before sending the response to the controller.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the E-mail messages are text-based messages.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the operator'"'"'s E-mail address is an E-mail address for a human operator.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the operator'"'"'s E-mail address is an E-mail address for an intelligent device.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of sending an E-mail message comprises sending the E-mail message over the Internet.

25. A method for enabling an operator to communicate with an automated facility comprising an automation controller in communication with a field device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from the facility an E-mail containing information about the field device;

generating a response E-mail; and

E-mailing the response E-mail to an E-mail address associated with the automation controller.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of E-mailing the response E-mail comprises sending the E-mail over a public network to the E-mail address.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the public network is the Internet

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of E-mailing the response E-mail comprises sending the E-mail from a wireless E-mail device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of generating the response E-mail comprises speaking into a device.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising tunneling a protocol with the response E-mail.

31. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling a portion of an automated facility comprising an automation controller and a plurality of field devices supervised by the controller and at least one operator for the facility, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring the automation controller to send E-mail messages over a network to an E-mail address; and

configuring the automation controller to receive E-mail messages from the operator.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of interfacing the automation controller with the Internet.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of providing the operator with a wireless E-mail device.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of configuring the controller to change an operating parameter of the field device in response to receiving an E-mail message from an operator.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the wireless E-mail device is adapted for receiving and sending E-mail messages.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising the step of instructing an operator to perform a physical operation in response to receiving a predefined E-mail message.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of configuring the controller to encrypt E-mail messages before sending them and decrypt E-mail messages received from the operator.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising configuring the controller to accept a protocol tunneled with E-mail.