Directory structure in distributed data driven architecture environment

• US 20060075066A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalan, Michael D., Baier, John J., Chand, Sujeet, Morse, Richard A., Briant, Stephen C., Marquardt, Randall A., Farchmin, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23301 Load program from file system of a controller
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25057 Configuration stored in distributed database for real time use
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32006 Operator addresses machines to give commands or retrieve data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32158 Object groups, for object replication, naming, messaging and retrieving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1012 based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• 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 67/303 Terminal profiles
• 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 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention employs systems and methods to provide addressing for appropriate access to data in automation devices. Data attributes can be related to a number of various factors in a data driven architecture such as the source of the data, the data subscriber and/or the path employed to convey the data from the source to the subscriber. In addition, data attributes can refer to the format, scale, units, length, visualization and transactional capabilities of the data. The subject invention can point to the appropriate address of the requested data wherein the data can have desired attributes associated therewith. In this manner, data can be selected based on the requirements of the requestor and/or the loading demands of network communication.

Claims

1. An industrial automation system that facilitates data exchange, comprising:

a first component that allows a party to request data from within a network; and

a second component that provides a network address for a data source based at least in part on one or more requirements of the requesting party, the one or more requirements are provided along with the request.

2. The system of claim 1, the requirements are one of part of the request, before the request, after the request and separate from the request.

3. The system of claim 1, the first component is a programmable logic controller.

4. The system of claim 1, the first component is an enterprise resource planning application.

5. The system of claim 1, the address is one of a logical, a virtual and a physical location.

6. The system of claim 1, the data has attributes that pertain to at least one of visualization, transaction services, scale, units and formatting.

7. The system of claim 1, the second component further provides a listing of data in a nested directory structure.

8. The system of claim 1, the address is associated with at least one of a data source, a data owner, a programmable logic controller, an intelligent controller, a server and a proxy server.

9. The system of claim 1, the requesting party is one of a database, an enterprise resource planning application, a manufacturing execution system application, an industrial controller, a human machine interface, a processor and a computer.

10. The system of claim 1, the second component utilizes artificial intelligence.

11. The system of claim 1, the second component employs a logical model representation to display the data.

12. The system of claim 11, the logical model representation is a Unified Plant Model.

13. The system of claim 1, the second component searches a plurality of prospective data addresses to choose the address provided to the requestor.

14. The system of claim 13, the search is performed in the background and the requester is unaware that the search is conducted.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third component that employs an algorithm to facilitate coupling an appropriate source with an appropriate subscriber utilizing the directory interface.

16. A computer implemented method to provide addressing for appropriate access to data in automation devices, comprising:

requesting data from an industrial control network;

searching data sources throughout the network for the data;

selecting data based on attributes associated with the data; and

receiving data from the address.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting data based on network loading demands at the time the data is accessed.

18. The method of claim 16, the attributes of the data are related to at least one of a server, a proxy server, a computer and a processor.

19. The method of claim 16, the attributes of the data relate to at least one of data format, length, scale, units, visualization and transactional capabilities.

20. A computer implemented method to utilize data comprising:

locating data from a source within a network to be utilize with a requesting application;

determining attributes associated with the data and requirements of the requesting application; and

implementing data with the requesting application.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining loading requirements of the network.

22. A computer implemented method comprising:

means for transmitting data to addresses throughout a data driven architecture;

means for adding attributes to data based on addresses; and

means for selecting data based on the attributes.