Safety Controller And Method For Loading A New Operating Program Onto The Safety Controller

• US 20080010638A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johannes Klopfer, Klaus Wohnhaas
• Original Assignee: Johannes Klopfer, Klaus Wohnhaas
• Inventors: Klopfer, Johannes, Wohnhaas, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]

Abstract

The invention relates to a safety controller and to a method for loading a new operating program onto such a safety controller. The safety controller has an input module for automatically reading process signals, a failsafe signal processing module for automatically processing the process signals, and a failsafe output module which produces control signals as a function of the signal processing module. The signal processing module comprises at least one programmable processor and at least one read only memory. A current operating program for the processor is stored in a non-volatile form in the read only memory. A download device for transferring a new operating program is provided in the safety controller, with the download device enabling or inhibiting the transfer of a new operating program in a failsafe manner as a function of enabling information.

Claims

1. A method of loading a new or updated operating program onto a safety controller that includes a signal processing module having a memory, a programmable processor and a current operating program stored in said memory, comprising the steps of:

storing in said memory first hardware information data identifying at least the signal processing module of the safety controller,

providing the new or updated operating program with second hardware information data identifying the minimum required hardware for said new or updated operating program, and

controlling the transfer of said new or updated operating program into said memory based upon a comparison of said first and second hardware information data.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of transferring the new or updated operating program into said memory as a function of enabling information including said first and second hardware information data.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of failsafely inhibiting the transfer step if said first and second hardware information data does not correspond in a predetermined manner.

4. A method for loading a new operating program into a safety controller for failsafe control of a safety-critical process, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a safety controller having a current operating program,

providing a new operating program,

providing enabling information,

transferring the new operating program into a read only memory in the safety controller as a function of the enabling information.

5. An operating program for a safety controller having a signal processing module, the operating program comprising program code for implementing safety control rules in the safety controller when the operating program is run in the signal processing module, and comprising integrated enabling information adapted to inhibit or enable a transfer of the new operating program to the safety controller.

6. The operating program of claim 5, wherein the enabling information is stored in the operating program in a failsafe manner.