Architecture for control systems

• US 20060155387A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Pieronek
• Original Assignee: Donald Pieronek
• Inventors: Pieronek, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13101 Function block instance, only one function block exists, several instances
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13148 Object oriented programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15012 Configuration software for networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23255 Object oriented programming, OOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25009 Profinet-I-O, producer-consumer mode
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25232 DCS, distributed control system, decentralised control unit

Abstract

An architecture for control systems including multiple control devices. The control devices include standardized software objects having functions, application programs for engaging these functions and thereby defining the operation of the control devices, and an engine for executing the application programs. The standardized software objects implement different types of internal functions for the control devices and feature reference numbering and function calls shared in common with the other software objects of the same type that may be on different control devices across said system. The software application programs include standardized instructions reflecting the reference numbering and function calls shared across the system by the said software objects whose functions are used in building the functionality of the control devices in the application programs.

Claims

1. An architecture for a control system, comprising:

a plurality of control devices each of which devices includes;

(a) a set of software objects that implement different types of internal functions for the device including one or more functions having standardized function identifiers that are shared in common with other software objects of the same type on the different devices across said system,

(b) a software application program including instructions comprising standardized function calls based on said standardized identifiers to the functions within said software objects for engaging said internal functions and thereby defining the operation of the device, and

(c) an execution engine for running said application program;

whereby a common interface is provided to internal functions within control devices across all devices in said system.

2. The architecture of claim 1, in which:

said software objects also have standardized property and class identifiers.

3. The architecture of claim 1, in which:

each of said devices further includes a virtual control bus including shared memory for passing values between said objects.

4. The architecture of claim 3, wherein:

the software objects on the control devices implement shared messaging services that have standard characteristics in common with the services provided by other software objects on the different devices across said system, and in which said devices further include;

(a) producer and consumer software communications objects that include standardized internal communications related functions for the device for implementing network communications, and

(b) a virtual configuration bus including shared memory on said device for passing messages between devices.

5. The architecture of claim 1, in which:

Said software objects include;

a branch software object and a relay software object.

6. The architecture of claim 1, further including:

a tool device for monitoring, maintaining, and developing said application programs for the control devices including software objects that have standard identifiers in common with the other software objects on the different control devices across said system.

7. The architecture of claim 6, in which said tool device includes:

a display engine for interacting with said control devices for diagrammatically displaying the hardware features, application program features, and networking features of the control devices.

8. A control system composed of a plurality of control devices wherein each control device comprises:

a plurality of software objects of different types providing different functionality for said control devices according to their class type and including common class, functions and properties identified with reserved numbers according to their class, function and property type across said system;

an application program including instructions comprising function calls the functions within the software objects within the device for engaging said the functions within the software objects in the device and thereby defining the operation of the device; and

an execution engine for executing the application program.

12. The architecture of claim 8, in which:

said standardized software objects include;

a branch software object, a timer software object and a relay software object.

13. The control system of claim 8, further including:

a tool device for monitoring, maintaining, and developing said application programs for the control devices including standardized software objects that have class, functions and properties identified in common with the other software objects of the same type on the different control devices across said system.

14. The control system of claim 8, further including:

standardized producer and consumer software communications objects that include different types of internal communications related functions for the device for implementing network communications, and

wherein said application program includes sets of instructions that control the sending, and setting of variables within network messages as an integral part of the application program.

15. The control system of claim 8, wherein:

said application program includes IO driver functions.

9. The control system of claim 9, wherein:

said execution engine said execution engine comprises a set of functions within an engine object, and

said application program comprises a property of said engine object.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein each control device further includes:

a virtual object bus including shared memory on said device for passing values between objects,

standardized producer and consumer software communications objects that implement different types of internal functions for the device for implementing network communications, and

a virtual configuration bus including shared memory on said device for passing messages between devices.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein each control device includes:

means for translating common external function identifiers delivered over an external network to a internal format compatible said software objects for use within a device, and

means for translating internal function identifiers in a device to a common external format compatible with the overall control system for transmission over a network.

16. A process for operating a control system comprised of a plurality of control devices, operating under control of different application programs, said process including the steps of:

(a) provisioning said control devices with sets of standardized software objects that implement different types of internal functions for the device that can be combined to provide the functionality of the device and that have standard characteristics in common with other software objects of the same type on the different devices across said system;

(b) defining application programs in terms of standardized function calls for engaging the functions of said software objects that are based on said common characteristics and are compatible with software objects of the same type across said system; and

(c) configuring and monitoring said control devices using a tool device composed of a superset of said standardized software objects that have standard characteristics in common with the software objects on the different devices across said system.

17. The process of claim 16, further including the step of:

simulating the operation of one or more functional features of a control device using said tool device as an operating environment.

18. An architecture for control systems, comprising:

a) a plurality of control devices each of which devices includes;

(i) a set of standardized software objects that implement different types of internal functions for the device and that have standardized reference numbering in common with other software objects of the same type on the different devices across said system including shared function call references,

(ii) a portable software application program including instructions comprising standardized function calls based on said shared references to the functions within said software objects for engaging said internal functions and thereby defining the operation of the device,

(iii) an execution engine for running said application program, and

b) a tool device for monitoring, maintaining, and developing said application programs for the control devices including standardized software objects that comprise a superset of said software objects on one or more control devices and that have standardized reference numbering in common with the other software objects on the different control devices across said system.

19. The architecture of claim 18, in which:

said software objects also include standardized reference numbering for their shared classes and properties.

20. The architecture of claim 18, in which:

said standardized software objects include;

a branch software object, a timer software object and a relay software object.

21. The architecture of claim 18, in which:

said control devices further include;

(i) a virtual object bus including shared memory for passing values between objects,

(ii) standardized producer and consumer software communications objects that include different types of internal communications related functions for the device for implementing network communications, and

(iii) a virtual configuration bus including shared memory on said device for passing messages between devices.

22. A control system, comprising:

a plurality of control devices each of which devices includes;

(a) a set of software functions for the device including one or more functions having generic functionality useful in a variety of different applications and having standardized function identifiers that are shared in common with other functions of the same type on the different devices across said system,

(b) a software application program including instructions comprising standardized function calls based on said standardized identifiers to said functions for engaging said internal functions and thereby defining the specific operational functionality of the device, and

(c) an execution engine for running said application program;

whereby a common interface is provided to internal functions within control devices across all devices in said system.

23. The control system of claim 22, in which:

said functions are included in software objects that also have standardized property and class identifiers.

24. The control system of claim 22, in which:

each of said devices further includes a virtual control bus including shared memory for passing values between said objects.

25. The control system of claim 23, in which:

said software objects include a branch software object and a relay software object.

26. The control system of claim 22, in which:

said application program includes one or more device driver functions for controlling interactions with device hardware from within the application program.

27. A control system, comprising:

a plurality of control devices each of which devices includes;

(a) a set of software functions for the device including one or more functions having generic functionality useful in a variety of different applications and having standardized function identifiers that are shared in common with other functions of the same type on the different devices across said system,

(b) a software application program including instructions comprising standardized function calls based on said standardized identifiers to said functions for engaging said internal functions and thereby defining the specific operational functionality of the device and one or more device driver functions for controlling interactions with device hardware from within the application program, and

(c) an execution engine for running said application program;

whereby a common interface is provided to internal functions within control devices across all devices in said system.

28. The control system of claim 27, in which:

said functions are included in software objects that also have standardized property and class identifiers, and

said software objects include a branch software object and a relay software object.