Control system and method therefor

• US 20030158615A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Patrick Weber, Suresh Viswanathan
• Inventors: Weber, Patrick, Viswanathan, Suresh
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/96
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2203/025 Speed of the article
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/5122 by displacement of the conveyor-guiding means, e.g. of the loose pulley-type B65G47/5127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A flexible control system and method of controlling a processing operation. The control system and method may be employed to control a high speed manufacturing system for processing articles of manufacture requiring processes to be performed on the articles at a pre-selected processing rate includes a trunk for simultaneously conveying a plurality of the articles of manufacture at the pre-selected processing rate in a first mode of motion from the beginning of the manufacturing system to the end of the system. At least one branch processing station is positioned intermediate the beginning and the end of the trunk wherein the branch processing station during its operation performs at least one process on articles of manufacture conveyed on the branch processing station and where the articles are conveyed in a second mode of motion. At least one transfer device is positioned intermediate the trunk and the branch processing station to continuously extract articles of manufacture from the trunk and transition the movement of the extracted articles of manufacture from the first mode of motion to the second mode of motion for transfer to the branch processing station. The transfer device also extracts each of the processed articles of manufacture from the branch processing station and transitions the movement of the articles from the second mode of motion to the first mode of motion for transfer to the trunk.

Claims

1. A system for communicating data between a client and a processing device, said system comprising:

a client comprising a client processor and a user interface application;

a server comprising a server processor and an interface agent proxy; and

a processing device comprising a processor, an application, and an interface agent, wherein the client communicates data with the processing device via the interface agent proxy.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the interface agent proxy is implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the interface agent is implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

4. The system as defined in claim 3, wherein the interface agent is substantially independent of user interface implementation.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the server comprises a web server.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein the user interface application comprises a web browser.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the server comprises a plurality of interface agent proxies for communicating with a plurality of processing devices via interface agents.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the processing device comprises a controller for controlling a processing operation.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the interface agent communicates in a client and server relationship via an object stream.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the processing device comprises a plurality of controllers, wherein the client and server communicate with the processing device through a proxy and an adapter.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the client communicates through the proxy in one controller and the server communicates through the adapter in another controller.

12. A system for communicating data between a plurality of clients and processing devices, said system comprising:

a plurality of clients each comprising a client processor and a user interface application;

a plurality of processing devices each comprising a processor, an application, and an interface agent; and

a server comprising a server processor and a plurality of interface agent proxies, wherein one of said plurality of clients communicates data with at least one of said processing devices via one of the interface agent proxies.

13. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of interface agent proxies is implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

14. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the interface agent in each of the plurality of processing devices is implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the interface agent is substantially independent of user interface implementation.

16. The system as defined in claim 12, wherein the server comprises a web server.

17. A system for communicating messages amongst a plurality of controllers, said system comprising:

a plurality of controllers each configured to communicate with at least another one of the plurality of controllers;

software agents provided in one or more of the plurality of controllers, each of the software agents representing a component within the system and being executable with any one or more of said controllers; and

a protocol adapted to allow each of the software agents to communicate messages with other of said plurality of software agents, such that the software agents can be implemented in any of said plurality of controllers without substantial reconfiguration.

18. The system as defined in claim 17 further comprising encapsulation data such that said system is implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

19. The system as defined in claim 17, wherein the controllers communicate in a client and server relationship via an object stream.

20. The system as defined in claim 19 further comprising a plurality of controllers, wherein a client and server communicate through a proxy and adapter.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the client communicates through a proxy in one controller and the server communicates through an adapter in another controller.

22. A system for communicating messages amongst a plurality of controllers, said system comprising:

a plurality of controllers each configured to communicate with at least another one of the plurality of controllers;

software agents provided in one or more of the plurality of controllers, each of the software agents representing a component within the system and being executable with any one or more of said controllers;

a protocol adapted to allow each of the software agents to communicate messages with other of said plurality of software agents; and

an interface agent proxy implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

23. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the software agents include an interface agent implemented substantially independent of a specific operating system.

24. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the software agents can be implemented on any of said plurality of controllers without substantial reconfiguration.

25. The system as defined in claim 22, wherein the controllers communicate in a client and server relationship via an object stream.

26. The system as defined in claim 25 further comprising a plurality of controllers, wherein a client and server communicate through a proxy and adapter.