Electronic token to provide sequential event control and monitoring

• US 20070205860A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Nair, Suresh, Jones, Derek, Galera, Richard, Rollins, George, Dogul, James, Schuster, George, Delcher, Ray
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.610
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates initiating a sequence within an industrial automation environment. A radio frequency identification (RFID) component can receive data from an RFID tag. An event control component can invoke at least one event related to a device in a designated control sequence.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates providing initiating a sequence within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

an radio frequency identification (RFID) component that receives data from an RFID tag; and

an event control component that invokes at least one event related to a device in a designated control sequence.

2. The system of claim 1, the RFID component is at least one of an RFID reader, an RFID writer, and an RFID reader/writer.

3. The system of claim 1, the device is at least one of the following:

a blade;

a door;

a press;

a robot;

welder;

a machine;

a roller;

a welder;

a laser;

a scanner;

a belt conveyor;

a pump;

a press;

a fan;

a fly-wheel;

a movable machine part;

a vent for harmful fumes;

a drain for harmful material;

a heat source;

a cold source;

a container with a material;

a machine; and

an electrical source.

4. The system of claim 1, the RFID tag is a passive ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tag.

5. The system of claim 4, the RFID tag is associated with at least one of a badge, a pass, an identification card, an access pass, a keycard, a nametag, and a driver'"'"'s license.

6. The system of claim 5, the RFID tag includes biometric data that is at least one of an inductance, retina data, iris data, a facial pattern, a hand measurement, a fingerprint, and a voice pattern.

7. The system of claim 1, the event control component provides at least one of an approval and a denial in association with invoking the at least one event.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller that controls the device based at least in part upon the event implemented.

9. The system of claim 8, the controller directly controls the device based at least in part upon the wirelessly received data within the RFID tag.

10. The system of claim 1, the event is at least one of the following:

a safety shutdown;

a slow mode;

a non-movement mode;

a non-normal operation mode;

a normal operation mode;

a power down;

a power up;

a sequential process for the device;

a device access procedure;

a valve sequencing;

an exhaust sequencing;

a heat sequencing; and

a stepping mode.

11. The system of claim 1, the event is invoked in at least one of in series and in parallel.

12. The system of claim 1, the event control component further comprising an append component that manipulates the received data from the RFID tag.

13. The system of claim 12, the append component manipulates the received data by appending additional data therewith.

14. The system of claim 12, the append component manipulates the received data by re-writing a disparate data.

15. The system of claim 12, the event control component re-transmits the manipulated received signal to invoke a disparate event related to the device.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a verify component to employ a verification technique to ensure the RFID tag is associated with a correct entity.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a track component that can provide at least one of tracking the RFID tag and monitoring the event within the designated control sequence.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising a diagnostic component that provides diagnostics associated with at least one of the designated control sequence, a process related to the device, the device, and the at least one event.

19. The system of claim 1, the event control component utilizes at least one of dynamic, homogeneous, diverse redundancy, and state monitoring to enhance integrity.

20. The system of claim 1, the RFID tag includes at least one of a tag identification, event sequence data, event control data, user data, extended data, user defined data, reader identification, security data, location data, biometric data, access data, personal data, and automation environment data.

21. The system of claim 1, the event control component is at least one of a centralized function connected to a spatially separated event locations by a data transmission system and a separate read/write module located with one of the spatially separated event sequence mechanism.

22. A method that facilitates invoking a control sequenced event within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

receiving a signal at a radio frequency identification (RFID) component from an RFID tag;

decoding and translating data from the RFID tag; and

invoking at least one event in a designated control sequence related to a device based on the RFID tag data.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, verifying an entity utilizing the RFID tag with biometric data.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

storing an access level to the RFID tag respective to a status of the entity; and

allowing at least one of an approval and a denial to invoke an event based on the access level.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising appending the received data from the RFID tag to re-transmit and invoke a disparate event within the designated control sequence.

26. The method of claim 22, the RFID component is at least one of an RFID reader, an RFID writer, and an RFID reader/writer.

27. The method of claim 22, the device is at least one the following:

a blade;

a door;

a press;

a robot;

welder;

a machine;

a roller;

a welder;

a laser;

a scanner;

a belt conveyor;

a pump;

a press;

a fan;

a fly-wheel;

a movable machine part;

a vent for harmful fumes;

a drain for harmful material;

a heat source;

a cold source;

a container with a material;

an electrical source.

28. The method of claim 22, the RFID tag is a passive ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tag.

29. A system that facilitates invoking a control sequenced event within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for receiving data from an RFID tag; and

means for invoking at least one event related to a device in a designated control sequence.