Remote monitoring and control of an I/O module

• US 20070142926A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hopsecger, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/10
• 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: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

An industrial automation monitoring and/or control system comprises a receiver component that receives a request for a web page associated with a network adaptor. An execution component executes instantiated objects within the web page to effectuate at least one of monitoring and control of an input/output module that is communicatively coupled to the network adaptor.

Claims

1. An industrial automation monitoring and/or control system, comprising the following computer-executable components:

a receiver component that receives a request for a web page associated with a network adaptor; and

an execution component that executes instantiated objects within the web page to effectuate at least one of monitoring and control of an input/output module that is communicatively coupled to the network adaptor.

2. The system of claim 1, the web page is an HTML web page.

3. The system of claim 1, the instantiated objects are applets that are interdependent upon one another.

4. The system of claim 1, the web page is dedicated to a network adaptor connected to multiple input/output modules.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that ensures that an initiator of the request is authorized to execute the web page.

6. The system of claim 5, the security component utilizes at least one of a virtual private network (VPN) and a firewall to ensure that the initiator of the request is authorized to execute the web page.

7. The system of claim 5, the security component analyzes one or more of a username, password, personal identification number, and biometric indicia in connection with ensuring that the initiator of the request is authorized to execute the web page.

8. The system of claim 1, the instantiated objects include one of a counting object, a comparison object, a multiplier object, a divider object, an addition object, and a subtraction object.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a requestor component that requests a Java plug-in to execute the instantiated objects upon the receiver component receiving the request.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a converter component that converts results of the execution from data formatted in accordance with web protocols to data formatted in accordance with an industrial automation protocol.

11. The system of claim 10, the industrial automation protocol is the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP).

12. The system of claim 10, the industrial automation protocol is one of EthernetIP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, ProfiBus, and FieldBus.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an editor component that enables the instantiated objects to be edited.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a library of objects that are accessible through the editor component, the editor component employed to instantiate a subset of objects within the library of objects within a project.

15. The system of claim 13, the editor component is accessible by way of a web page dedicated to the network adaptor.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a selection component that facilitates selection of a project associated with the instantiated objects.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a saving component that facilitates saving the instantiated objects with respect to a selected project.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a compiler component that automatically generates an HTML file, the requested web page is the HTML file.

19. A methodology for remotely monitoring and/or controlling an I/O module comprising the following computer-executable acts:

providing a homepage with respect to a network adaptor, the homepage is accessible by way of the Internet and the network adaptor is configured to communicate with the I/O module;

providing an editor applet within the homepage; and

automatically creating an HTML Netlist of functional objects provided to the editor applet, the Netlist configured to at least one of control and monitor the I/O module.

20. The method of claim 19, the functional objects include one or more of a comparison object and a mathematical operator object.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a library of function objects that are accessible by way of the editor applet.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising automatically launching an HTML page that comprises the Netlist, the HTML page employable to at least one of monitor and control the I/O module.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising archiving the created Netlist on a local or network drive.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising saving the created Netlist within the network adaptor.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

executing the HTML Netlist; and

converting data supplied by applets within the executing HTML Netlist to data that conforms to an industrial automation protocol.

26. The method of claim 25, the industrial automation protocol is one or more of CIP, ProfiBus, FieldBus, EtherNetIP, DeviceNet, and ControlNet.

27. A methodology for remotely monitoring and controlling one or more I/O module(s), comprising:

receiving a request for an HTML page associated with a network adaptor that is connected to one or more I/O modules, the HTML page includes instantiated Java applets; and

executing the Java applets to at least one of monitor and control the one or more I/O modules.

28. A system for monitoring and/or controlling an I/O module from a remote location, comprising:

computer-implemented means for building an HTML page that includes one or more instantiated objects that facilitates at least one of monitoring and controlling the I/O module; and

computer-implemented means for executing the instantiated objects.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising means for converting data from the I/O module to data that conforms to a web server.