Location based programming and data management in an automated environment

• US 20060129640A1
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandt, David D., Farchmin, David Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32085 Layout of factory, facility, cell, production system planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and system for providing information related to a set of automated resources that may cooperate in an environment to perform an automated process, the method comprising the steps of associating a specific environment location with the automated process, determining the locations of resources with respect to the specific location and, where resources are proximate the specific location, providing information related to the automated process. Also a method for facility communication between distributed resources where location or an attribute akin thereto is used to tag data and to monitor network data for specific required data.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication between a set of resources in an environment wherein at least a sub-set of the resource set is linked via a network, at least a first of the resources generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying the physical location of the first resource within the environment as a first location;

when the first resource generates data, tagging the data as produced at the first location; and

transmitting the location tagged data onto the network.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of, via a second resource, monitoring the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location and consuming at least some of the data tagged as produced at the first location.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the location includes transmitting a signal from the first resource to a receiver and using the received signal to identify the location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a second resource transmits data on the network indicating that the data is produced at a second physical location within the environment and wherein the method further includes the steps of, via the first resource, monitoring the network for data produced at the second location and consuming at least some of the data produced at the second location.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the step of specifying a process zone within the environment and wherein the step of identifying includes determining that the first resource is within the process zone.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of tagging includes indicating that the data packets are generated by a resource located within the process zone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the environment is an automated industrial environment and the step of identifying location includes identifying location within the automated environment.

8. A method for establishing communication between a plurality of resources in an environment wherein the resources communicate via a network, at least a first of the resources located at a first physical location within the environment generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, tagging data generated thereby to indicate that the data is produced at the first location and transmitting the location tagged data onto the network, the method comprising the steps of:

for at least a second resource, monitoring the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location; and

when data tagged as being produced at the first location is identified, using at least some of the data to perform a function.

9. A method for facilitating resource configuration where a set of resources are to be combined to perform a process within a space wherein the process includes a plurality of sub-processes, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying resource locations within the space; and

associating the sub-processes with the resources as a function of the resource locations.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein at least a sub-set of the resources are programmable and wherein each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the step of associating includes the step of programming the programmable resources with the sub-process program codes.

11. The method of claim 9 further including the steps of, after sub-process association, monitoring resource locations and, when at least one resource location is altered, providing an indication that the locations have been altered.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least a sub-set of the resources are programmable and each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the step of associating includes the step of programming the programmable resources with the sub-process program codes and, wherein, the step of providing an indication includes re-programming at least one of the programmable resources as a function of the location change.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the process is an automated process and wherein the step of associating the sub-processes with the resources includes associated separate automated sub-processes as a function of the resource locations.

14. A system for establishing communication between a set of resources in an environment wherein at least a sub-set of the resource set is linked via a network, at least a first of the resources generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, the system comprising:

a location determiner for identifying the physical location of the first resource within the environment as a first location;

a processor for;

when the first resource generates data, tagging the data as produced at the first location; and

transmitting the location tagged data onto the network.

15. The system of claim 14 further including a second resource linked to the network wherein the second resource monitors the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location and consumes at least some of the data tagged as produced at the first location.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the location determiner includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, a first of the transmitter and receiver associated with the first resource, the transmitter transmitting a signal to the receiver useable to identify the location of the first resource.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein at least a second resource transmits data on the network indicating that the data is produced at a second physical location within the environment and wherein the first resource monitors the network for data produced at the second location and consumes at least some of the data produced at the second location.

18. A system for establishing communication between a plurality of resources in an environment wherein the resources communicate via a network, at least a first of the resources located at a first physical location within the environment generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, tagging data generated thereby to indicate that the data is produced at the first location and transmitting the location tagged data onto the network, the system comprising:

a processor associated with at least a second resource, the processor programmed to;

monitor the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location; and

when data tagged as being produced at the first location is identified, use at least some of the data to perform a function.

19. A system for facilitating resource configuration where a set of resources are to be combined to perform a process within a space wherein the process includes a plurality of sub-processes, the system comprising:

a processor programmed to;

identify resource locations within the space; and

associate the sub-processes with the resources as a function of the resource locations.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein at least a sub-set of the resources are programmable and wherein each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the processor associates by programming the programmable resources with the sub-process program codes.

21. The system of claim 19 further including a location determiner and an indicator, each of the determiner and indicator linkable to the processor, the determiner for determining resource locations, wherein, the processor is further programmed to, after sub-process association, monitor resource locations and, when at least one resource location is altered, provide an indication via the indicator that the locations have been altered.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein at least a sub-set of the resources are programmable and each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the processor associates by programming the programmable resources with the sub-process program codes, the processor further re-programming at least one of the programmable resources as a function of a location change