Method for providing networked engineering tool services

• US 20050108693A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Lo, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/140
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method and system for generating programming code and/or configuration data for programmable controller and the networks on which they operate is disclosed. In one embodiment, programming code is generated on a centralized server having a web-enabled engineering tool. The engineering tool operates on client devices that are in communication with the server over a network, such as the Interntet. Preferably, the engineering tool runs in a browser application (or other network-interfacing-application) on the client device and a user generates the programming code on the server with the aid of the client device. By centralizing the engineering tool, which may contain a configuration editor and a configuration management tool having version management functionality, a new business paradigm for providing engineering tool services to customers having programmable controllers. In addition, new methods and tools for collaborative engineering of programming code are enabled.

Claims

1. A method for generating configuration data comprising the steps of:

maintaining a server on a network; and

maintaining on the server a configuration editor that is adapted for running on a client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration editor is adapted to run in a network-interfacing-application on the client device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the network-interfacing-application is a web-browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration editor comprises a graphical editor.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising maintain on the server an engineering tool for developing programming code for a programmable controller.

7. A method for providing engineering tool services comprising the steps of:

maintaining on a server an engineering tool for generating programming code and configuration data for programmable controllers, the engineering tool configured to operate on a client device that is in communication with the server;

compiling programming code that is generated with the engineering tool on the server; and

running simulation software on the server for testing the compiled programming code.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving value.

9. A method for providing engineering tool services comprising the steps of:

maintaining on a server an engineering tool for generating programming code and configuration data for programmable controllers, the engineering tool configured to operate on a client device that is in communication with the server;

compiling programming code that is generated with the engineering tool on the server; and

interfacing a testing programmable controller with the server, the testing programmable controller configured to test programming code and configuration data.