System for operating at least one non-safety-critical and at least one safety-critical process

• US 20090125578A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Horn, Steffen, Lutz, Rahlves, Kalhoff, Johannes
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

For the operation of at least one non-safety-critical application process and at least one safety-critical application process, the invention proposes a data processing and transmission system with a data transmission network, at least one non-safety-related network element linked to the non-safety-critical application process and connected to the network, and with at least one safety-related network element linked to the safety-critical application process, as well as with at least one master unit connected to the network, and a server unit connected to the network separately from the master unit, wherein the safety-related server unit controls the at least one safety-critical application process, specifically by processing safety-relevant data necessary for controlling the safety-critical application process and by organizing the transmission of the safety-relevant data over the network by means of at least one of the network elements and/or the master unit.

Claims

1. Data processing and transmission system for the operation of at least one non-safety-critical application process and at least one safety-critical application process, comprising

a data transmission network,

at least one non-safety-related network element linked to the non-safety-critical application process and connected to the network and at least one safety-related network element, linked to the safety-critical application process via at least one I/O element,

at least one master unit connected to the network and

a server unit connected to the network separately from the master unit, for controlling the at least one safety-critical application process by processing safety-relevant data necessary for controlling the safety-critical application process, and by organizing the transmission of the safety-relevant data over the network by means of at least one of the network elements and/or the master unit,

wherein the master unit is constructed for providing operating means for transmitting the safety-relevant data and managing access rules during the data transmission via the network.

2. Data processing and transmission system according to claim 1, wherein an allocation unit is connected to the network and performs an allocation of the network elements connected to the network that are relevant to the control of the safety-critical application process.

3. Data processing and transmission system according to claim 2, wherein the allocation unit is constructed to determine which network components must be supplied with safety-relevant data, or obtain it, as well as parameter descriptions necessary for the safety-related server unit, and to generate data such as position, reference and behavior, and to transfer this information to the safety-related server unit which, based on this information, organizes the transmission of the safety-relevant data via the network.