Embedded system and method for controlling, monitoring of instruments or devices and processing their data via control and data protocols that can be combined or interchanged
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method carried out by a computer system having an associated display screen and in operable communication with a network having one or more routers, each router in communication with one or more devices, the method comprising:
- providing a user interface through which a user defines one or more device classes, and creates one or more device instances of the device classes, wherein each device instance represents a device configured to communicate with the computer system via the network;
displaying a plurality of graphical device icons in an available devices display region, wherein each graphical device icon corresponds to one of the device instances;
enabling a user using a user input device, to select one or more of the graphical device icons, drag the one or more selected graphical device icons into a process definition region, and drop the one or more selected graphical device icons at corresponding selected locations in the process definition region;
displaying the one or more selected graphical device icons at the corresponding selected locations in the process definition region;
enabling the user to define a process to be carried out by one or more devices represented by the one or more selected graphical device icons; and
transmitting data representing at least a portion of the defined process to one or more routers associated with the one or more devices represented by the one or more selected icons.
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Abstract
A system is described herein where an embedded computer method for (‘router’) is provided for full-duplex (two-way) communication between devices and/or instruments and TCP/IP-based networking. This system uses a process development component, which configures the router to communicate with a range of devices. A controller is described that can manage a collection of routers. This controller layer can reside inside the hardware or within the data-publishing layer. Each router is physically connected to devices using physical communication ports. This method offers significant improvements over prior art with respect to open architecture process, control protocols, graphical icon usage, process development, validation, execution, monitoring and messaging. The result data from the device control protocol functions are available for named complex processes and/or inter-device communication in real-time based on data decision algorithms in various formats. This method also describes a secure distributed method of using private networks for the devices.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method carried out by a computer system having an associated display screen and in operable communication with a network having one or more routers, each router in communication with one or more devices, the method comprising:
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providing a user interface through which a user defines one or more device classes, and creates one or more device instances of the device classes, wherein each device instance represents a device configured to communicate with the computer system via the network;
displaying a plurality of graphical device icons in an available devices display region, wherein each graphical device icon corresponds to one of the device instances;
enabling a user using a user input device, to select one or more of the graphical device icons, drag the one or more selected graphical device icons into a process definition region, and drop the one or more selected graphical device icons at corresponding selected locations in the process definition region;
displaying the one or more selected graphical device icons at the corresponding selected locations in the process definition region;
enabling the user to define a process to be carried out by one or more devices represented by the one or more selected graphical device icons; and
transmitting data representing at least a portion of the defined process to one or more routers associated with the one or more devices represented by the one or more selected icons. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions causing a computer to implement a process, the process comprising:
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displaying a plurality of graphical device icons representing devices available on a network for carrying out one or more defined processes, wherein the one or more devices are in operable communication with a router that is in operable communication with the computer;
receiving user input comprising parametric data associated with a selected device;
validating the parametric data by determining whether parameters defined by the parametric data have been previously defined for a device class associated with the selected device;
if the parameters have been previously defined for the device class, prompting the user to change one or more of the parametric data;
if the parameters have not been previously defined for the device class, saving the parametric data. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system comprising:
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a distributed platform including a process development component, a validation component, a monitor and message component, a process execution component on a server, a router connected to one or more real or virtual devices, and one or more real or virtual devices, wherein the process development component, the monitor and message component, the process execution component, the router, and the one or more real or virtual devices are in operable communication via a computer network, wherein a user is enabled to securely interact with the distributed platform to construct one or more device classes, each device class including device parameters and an industry standard protocol, store the one or more device classes on the server, create one or more instances of a device class that represents a real or virtual device on the network, store the one or more instances, create a process including one or more devices and connectors with instructions, store the process, and execute the process, wherein prior to executing a step in the process, the process execution component validates data or parameters associated with the process, wherein execution of the process comprises sending the instructions to the devices wrapped inside a Remote Procedure Call (RPC), wherein results from execution of a process step are wrapped within an RPC, and received by the monitor and message component, wherein the monitor and message component stores the process step and corresponding results from execution of the process step, and wherein a user is enabled to retrieve the stored process step and corresponding results at a later time. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system comprising:
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a distributed framework including a user creation component and a validation component, wherein the user creation component and the validation component are in operable communication via a computer network, wherein a user is enabled to securely interact with the distributed framework to construct one or more user definitions, and store the one or more user definitions, wherein each user definition includes one or more user parameters and a user logon identifier (ID), wherein the validation component determines whether the user logon ID has been previously defined for a user definition;
if the user logon ID has been previously defined for a user definition, prompting the user to change the user logon ID;
if the user logon ID has not been previously defined for a user definition, saving the parametric data, and wherein a user is enabled to use a graphical user interface (GUI) to retrieve the stored user definition at a later time. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification