MODULAR OBJECT AND HOST MATCHING

• US 20100082123A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Govindaraj, Subbian, Jasper, Taryl Jon, Staron, Raymond John, Jarrett, James Harry, Reichard, Douglas James, Seger, Daniel Baliey, Bliss, Ronald Eric, Hall, Kenwood Henry, Kretschmann, Robert John, Plache, Kenneth Scott, Kalan, Michael Dan, Brandes, Russell William
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/33
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

An object can be used in an industrial control configuration in relation to performing a function or task. Matching can occur such that an object with operational requirements can bind with a host that has capabilities that meet those operational requirements—matching can occur automatically as well as through user operation. Once matched, different functionality can be presented to a user pertaining to the object. To assist the user, the object can include external references, logic, local or private data, as well as others in addition to resources. To facilitate operation, capabilities and resources can be published in a directory that can be accessed by different entities—sometimes with security constraints in order to protect configuration integrity. Likewise, a subscription system can be employed such that when a change to a related entity is made, a notice can transfer to related entities and operation can alter based upon the change.

Claims

1. A system capable of implementation upon an industrial control environment or industrial information environment, comprising:

an evaluation component that appreciates at least one capability of at least one host and at least one operational requirement of at least one industrial modular object; and

a group component that matches a host and an industrial modular object based upon an operational requirement of the matched object being met by a capability of the matched host.

2. The system of claim 1, each industrial modular object is matched with one host if there is one matching host or matched with all hosts meeting operational requirement of the industrial modular object if there are two or more matching hosts.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an engagement component that presents a user with a host matching the operational requirement if there is one match or presents all hosts matching the operational requirement if there are two or more matches.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a facilitation component that enables the user to select at least one host to associate with the industrial modular object; and

an implementation component performs the selected association.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising an optimization component that suggests to the user a host to associate with the industrial modular object based upon estimated performance of the host, industrial modular object, industrial control configuration, actual performance of the host, industrial modular object, industrial control configuration, or a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a failure component that notifies a user through an engagement component that there is not a match for the industrial modular object when a match does not occur.

7. A method capable of implementation upon an industrial control environment or industrial information environment, comprising:

comparing at least one capability of a host against at least one operation requirement of an industrial modular object; and

determining if the host satisfies the at least one operation requirement.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising discovering what operation requirement is not satisfied if it is determined that the host does not satisfy the operation requirement.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising locating at least one host that meets an unsatisfied operation requirement and that is used in conjunction with the compared host.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising constructing a set of hosts that can be used to satisfy the operation requirement, the set of hosts includes the compared host and at least one located host.

11. The method of claim 10, construction of the set occurs such that a minimum number of hosts are used to satisfy the operation requirement.

12. The method of claim 7, the operation requirement is required, critical, preferred, optional, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising linking the host to the industrial modular object if it is determined that the host satisfies the operation requirement.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising modifying logic associated with the industrial modular object based upon contextual situation of the linkage.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the contextual situation of the linkage.

16. The method of claim 14, modifying the logic includes aggregating data with the industrial modular object or transforming the logic.

17. A computer program embodied upon a computer-readable medium comprising:

program code for evaluating an application designated for operation in conjunction with the industrial control configuration; and

program code for attempting to identify a host that can operate upon the application based upon a result of the evaluation.

18. A computer program embodied upon a computer-readable medium comprising:

program code for evaluating pieces of an object instance that require computing resources to execute; and

program code for binding at least a portion of the pieces to the computing resources based upon a result of the analysis.

19. The computer program of claim 18, further comprising program code for enabling a user to separate the binding from a physical control or information system through use of a logical view.

20. The computer program of claim 19, further comprising program code for deploying the logical view to multiple physical systems.