Interface for remote monitoring and control of industrial machines

• US 20030109942A1
• Filed: 12/04/2001
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Connected Energy Corp. (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Connected Energy Corp. (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Sam, Goodlein, Mark D., Hann, Kevin R., Yeh, Thomas I., Spires, Timothy J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements

Abstract

An interface for connecting one of a plurality of industrial machines having different data format and storage configurations to a communications medium for remote monitoring and control, includes a programmable apparatus having a memory for storing data in predetermined locations and in a predetermined format, and for storing configuration information relating to the at least one of the machines; a configurable electrical interface responsive to the configuration information for receiving machine data from the machine and sending data to the machine; a data translator responsive to the configuration information, receiving data from the interface and transforming the data to the predetermined format; a processor responsive to the configuration information for reading data from and writing data to the predetermined locations in the memory; and a communications port connected to the communications medium.

Claims

1. A programmable interface apparatus for connecting one of a plurality of industrial machines having different data format and storage configurations to a communications medium for remote monitoring and control comprising:

(a) a memory for storing data in predetermined locations and in a predetermined format, and for storing configuration information relating to the at least one of the industrial machines;

(b) a configurable electrical interface responsive to the configuration information for receiving machine data from the industrial machine and sending data to the industrial machine;

(c) a data translator responsive to the configuration information, receiving data from the interface and transforming the data to the predetermined format;

(d) a processor responsive to the configuration information for reading data from and writing data to the predetermined locations in the memory; and

(e) a communications port connected to the communications medium.

2. The programmable interface apparatus of claim 1, in which the information relating to the industrial machine includes data transform information, and the data translator is responsive to the data transform information.

3. The programmable interface apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display coupled to the processor for displaying the data to a user.

4. The programmable interface apparatus of claim 1, in which the memory storing configuration information is non-volatile memory.

5. The programmable interface apparatus of claim 4, in which the memory storing configuration information is removable memory.

6. The programmable interface apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a configuration processor separate from the apparatus and removably connectable to the apparatus for processing configuration information and loading the configuration information into the memory.

7. The programmable interface apparatus of claim 1, in which the configuration information comprises configuration information for a plurality of industrial machines.

8. A method of connecting one of a plurality of industrial machines having different data format and storage configurations to a communications medium for remote monitoring and control, the method comprising:

(a) storing data in predetermined locations and in a predetermined format, and storing configuration information relating to the at least one of the industrial machines in a memory;

(b) receiving machine data from the industrial machine and sending data to the industrial machine through a configurable electrical interface responsive to the configuration information;

(c) receiving data from the interface and transforming the data to the predetermined format in a data translator responsive to the configuration information;

(d) reading data from and writing data to the predetermined locations in the memory with a processor responsive to the configuration information; and

(e) connecting a communications port to the communications medium.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising including data transform information in the information relating to the industrial machine, and the responding the data translator to the data transform information.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising coupling a display to the processor for displaying the data to a user.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the configuration information in a non-volatile memory.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing the memory storing configuration information.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising processing configuration information and loading the configuration information into the memory in a configuration processor separate from the apparatus and removably connectable to the apparatus.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising retaining configuration information for a plurality of industrial machines in the configuration information.