MODULE STRUCTURE AND USE FOR INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20080188956A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalan, Michael D., Hood, Gavan W., Chand, Sujeet, Hall, Kenwood H., D'Mura, Paul R., Plache, Kenneth S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13063 Synchronization between modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23389 Modular program, each process has corresponding program module

Abstract

A logical module for an industrial automation system is provided. This includes one or more resources to perform an action and a logic component to control a state of the resources. A module employs the resources and the logic component to expose functionality of the module while providing generic interfaces to external components of the module.

Claims

1. A logical module for an industrial automation system, comprising:

one or more resources to perform an action;

a logic component to control a state of the resources; and

a module that employs the resources and the logic component to expose functionality of the module while providing generic interfaces to external components of the module.

2. The system of claim 1, the module is accessed across a network and executes on a programmable logic controller or a computer.

3. The system of claim 2, the network allows online or offline access to the modules.

4. The system of claim 1, the resources include active or passive resources.

5. The system of claim 1, the module includes at least one other nested module.

6. The system of claim 1, the module includes standard module behaviors and attribute patterns that are represented using common data model representations for module classes, module templates, and module inheritance.

7. The system of claim 6, the module classes and templates are maintained in libraries which facilitate access to desired system functionality.

8. The system of claim 1, the resources have various states associated therewith including S88 state classifications.

9. The system of claim 8, the resources are associated with a state machine.

10. The system of claim 1, the module can include an instance, a bound instance, a deployed instance, or an activated instance.

11. The system of claim 1, the module includes one or more attributes.

12. The system of claim 11, the attributes include one or more properties.

13. The system of claim 12, the properties include faults, status, and module availability.

14. The system of claim 11, the attributes include one or more command interfaces that are associated with one or more verbs.

15. The system of claim 14, the command interfaces are used as access points that include real time diagnostics and security.

16. The system of claim 14, the command interfaces include I/O mapping and material management logic routines.

17. The system of claim 11, the attributes include one or more alarm and event messages visible to external systems during execution of a module.

18. The system of claim 11, the attributes include one or more artifacts that include information that documents an operation or structure of a resource.

19. The system of claim 11, the attributes include one or more system messages that allow modules to listen for and publish data model messages to external components.

20. A computer readable medium having a data structure stored thereon to facilitate module interaction in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

a first data field to specify resources to perform one or more actions;

a second data field to specify logical sequences to execute the actions; and

a third data field that forms a control system module by associating the resources and the logical sequences.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, further comprising at least one resource control module (RCM).

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, the RCM further comprising an equipment control module, a management control module, a personnel control module, a segment control module, or a storage control module.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising a resource module to provide coordination of services.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, resource module further comprising an equipment module, a management module, a personnel module, a segment module, or a storage module.

25. A method to generate industrial control components, comprising:

defining one or more resources for a module;

defining logic to control the resources for the module; and

determining at least one standard interface to interact with the module.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising combining defining one or more capabilities for the module.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising associating the capabilities with a resource or an organizational unit.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising defining at least one template for the module.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising instantiating the module from the template.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising binding the module to at least one run time process.

31. A modular system for an industrial control environment, comprising:

means for specifying at least one resource that defines a control system action;

means for generating logic that performs the control system action; and

means for binding the logic and the resource to form an abstract module of the control system action.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for interfacing to the abstract module.