Method of operating a controller on a communication medium

• US 20060155397A1
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Focke & Company
• Original Assignee: Focke & Company
• Inventors: Breitenstein, Christian, Tengen, Thomas, Focke, Heinz, Focke, Doris, Olbrich, Hartmut, Focke, Jurgen
• Application Number:
  US10/797,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20060155397A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 19/28 Control devices for cigarette or cigar packaging machines
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• 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 is specified of operating a device for controlling and/or monitoring a production and/or packaging installation on a bus (33), the controller (30) comprising an interface (34) to be connected to the bus (33), a main memory (36) for the storage of a control program (31) and also means for executing the control program (31). Configuration data (40) are stored in a removable memory module (39). When the controller (30) is restarted, the configuration data (40) are read out and, by using the configuration data (40), an access is made to a remote memory (32) which can be reached via the bus (33) and which comprises a transfer to the controller (30) of data stored in the remote memory (32).

Claims

1. Method of operating a device for controlling or monitoring a production and/or packaging installation for the production and/or packaging of cigarettes, cigars and the like—

controller (30)—

on a communication medium, namely a bus (33), the controller (13) comprising an interface (34) to be connected to the communication medium, a main memory (36) for the storage of a control program (31) and also means for executing the control program (31), characterized in that configuration data (40) are stored in a removeable memory module (39) in that, when the controller (30) is restarted, the configuration data (40) are read out and in that, by using the configuration data (40), an access to a remote memory (32) which can be reached via the communication medium is made, which comprises a transfer to the controller (30) of data stored in the remote memory (32).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the configuration data (40) comprise a unique address of the controller (30) on the communication medium, and in that, when the controller (30) is restarted, the interface (34) is configured with the address.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that in the main memory (36) of the controller (30) there is stored an installation program (42) which is executed when the controller (30) is restarted, in that the execution of the installation program (42) comprises an access to the configuration data (40), in that by using the configuration data (40) an access is made to the remote memory (32) which can be reached via the communication medium, and in that this access comprises a transfer of the copy of the control program (31) stored in the remote memory (32) into the main memory (36) of the controller (30).

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that, during the transfer of the copy of the control program (31) into the main memory (36) of the controller (30), a reference to calling the installation program (42) is overwritten by a reference to calling the control program (31).

5. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that, during the transfer of the copy of the control program (31) into the main memory (36) of the controller (30), the installation program (42) in the main memory (36) is overwritten.

6. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the configuration data (40) comprise memory location data with regard to a memory location of the copy of the control program (31), in particular with regard to the memory location of a last copy of the control program (31).

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the transfer of the copy of the control program (31) into the main memory (36) of the controller (30) is carried out by using the memory location data from the last memory location.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the configuration data (40) comprise machine data with regard to a machine for which the control program (31) is provided, and that, when the controller (30) is restarted, before or with the start of the control program (31), a comparison is made between the machine data and machines codes read in from the controlled or monitored production or packaging installation, and in that the control program (31) is executed only when the machine codes match the machine data.

10. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that, during the transfer of the copy of the control program (31) into the main memory (36) of the controller (30), the installation program (42) in the main memory (36) is overwritten.

9. Device for controlling or monitoring a production and/or packaging installation for the production or packaging of cigarettes, cigars and the like—

controller (30)—

, comprising a main memory (36), in which a control program (31) can be stored, a device for executing the control program (31) and an interface (34) for connection to a communication medium, in particular a bus (33), characterized in that configuration data (40), which can be read out and evaluated when the controller (30) is restarted, are stored in a removeable memory module (39), the memory module (39) being fixed at an installation location of the controller (30) such that it can move.