METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CONFIGURE CONTROL SYSTEM TO LINK TO MACHINERY MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20110060428A1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computational Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: CSI Technology Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Steele, Kevin D., Rich, Michael D., Horn, Deane M., Hayzen, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,417 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/04 Programme control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers G05B19/418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32403 Supervisory control, monitor and control system, by operator or automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration

Abstract

A method performed by one or more computer processors imports data from a machinery monitoring system into a control system. The machinery monitoring system is a system that measures machine measurement parameters of a machine, and the control system is a system that controls processes in which the machine performs a function. The method includes accessing a first knowledge base containing information about communicating with the machinery monitoring system, and accessing a second knowledge base containing information about communicating with the control system. The method also includes extracting configuration information from the machinery monitoring system via a communication bus. Information is entered by a user for use in creating an import configuration file, which file is used in preparing the control system to receive data from the machinery monitoring system. The entering of information is performed via a user interface operatively connected to the one or more computer processors. Based on the information accessed from the first and second knowledge bases, the configuration information extracted from the machinery monitoring system, and the information entered by the user, the import configuration file is created for use in preparing the control system to receive data from the machinery monitoring system. Data from the machinery monitoring system may then be transferred into the control system based on the import configuration file.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more computer processors for importing data from a machinery monitoring system into a control system, wherein the machinery monitoring system measures one or more machine measurement parameters of a machine and the control system controls one or more processes in which the machine performs a function, the method comprising:

(a) accessing a first knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the machinery monitoring system and information about communicating with the machinery monitoring system;

(b) accessing a second knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the control system and information about communicating with the control system;

(c) extracting installation-specific configuration information from the machinery monitoring system via a communication bus;

(d) entering information to be used in creating an import configuration file, which file is to be used in preparing the control system to receive data from the machinery monitoring system, the entering performed via a user interface operatively connected to the one or more computer processors;

(e) based on the information accessed from the first and second knowledge bases in steps (a) and (b), and the installation-specific configuration information extracted from the machinery monitoring system in step (c), and the information entered in step (d), creating the import configuration file to be used in preparing the control system to receive data from the machinery monitoring system; and

(f) based on the import configuration file, transferring data from the machinery monitoring system into the control system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) includes:

entering a network address of a communication module associated with the machinery monitoring system; and

scanning the communication module to identify machine monitor units that are connected to the communication module.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) includes determining alarm limits associated with one or more machine measurement parameters measured by the machinery monitoring system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) includes:

selecting one or more machine monitor units of the machinery monitoring system to include in the control system configuration file;

selecting machine measurement parameters to include in the control system configuration file;

selecting an area within a control system database into which machine measurement data is to be imported; and

selecting whether to enable alarm limits in the control system that are transferred from the machinery monitoring system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (f) includes:

creating one or more datasets into which machine measurement data from one or more machine monitor units of the machinery monitoring system are to be transferred;

applying scaling to the transferred data for each selected machine measurement parameter;

defining alarm limits for the transferred data for each selected machine measurement parameter; and

assigning a name for each selected machine measurement parameter.

6. A method performed by one or more computer processors for importing data from a first processor-controlled system associated with a machine into a second processor-controlled system associated with the machine, wherein one or both of the first and second processor-controlled systems measure operational parameters of the machine or control a process in which the machine performs a function, the method comprising:

(a) accessing a first knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the first processor-controlled system and information about communicating with the first processor-controlled system;

(b) accessing a second knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the second processor-controlled system and information about communicating with the second processor-controlled system;

(c) extracting installation-specific configuration information from the first processor-controlled system via a communication bus;

(d) entering information to be used in creating an import configuration file, which file is to be used in setting up the second processor-controlled system to receive data from the first processor-controlled system, the entering of information performed via a user interface operatively connected to the one or more computer processors;

(e) based on the information accessed from the first and second knowledge bases in steps (a) and (b), and the installation-specific configuration information extracted from the first processor-controlled system in step (c), and the information entered in step (d), creating the import configuration file to be used in preparing the second processor-controlled system to receive data from the first processor-controlled system; and

(f) based on the import configuration file, transferring data from the first processor-controlled system into the second processor-controlled system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the first processor-controlled system is selected from the group consisting of a machinery monitoring system and a control system.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the second processor-controlled system is selected from the group consisting of a machinery monitoring system and a control system.

9. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for execution by one or more computer processors to import data from a machinery monitoring system into a control system, wherein the machinery monitoring system measures one or more machine measurement parameters of a machine and the control system controls one or more processes in which the machine performs a function, the instructions including:

first instructions for controlling one or more of the computer processors to access a first knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the machinery monitoring system and information about communicating with the machinery monitoring system;

second instructions for controlling one or more of the computer processors to access a second knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the control system and information about communicating with the control system;

third instructions for controlling one or more of the computer processors to extract installation-specific configuration information from the machinery monitoring system via a communication bus;

fourth instructions for controlling one or more of the computer processors to receive user entry of information to be used in creating an import configuration file, which file is to be used in preparing the control system to receive data from the machinery monitoring system, wherein the user entry of information is performed via a user interface operatively connected to one or more of the computer processors;

fifth instructions for controlling one or more of the computer processors to create the import configuration file to be used in preparing the control system to receive data from the machinery monitoring system, wherein the creation of the import configuration file is performed based on the information accessed from the first and second knowledge bases, and the installation-specific configuration information extracted from the machinery monitoring system, and the information entered by the user; and

sixth instructions for controlling one or more of the computer processors to transfer data from the machinery monitoring system into the control system based on the import configuration file.

10. A method performed by one or more computer processors for importing data from a first system into a second system, the method comprising:

(a) accessing a first knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the first system and information about communicating with the first system;

(b) accessing a second knowledge base containing generic configuration information about a data storage structure in the second system and information about communicating with the second system;

(c) extracting installation-specific configuration information from the first system via a communication bus;

(d) entering information to be used in creating an import configuration file, which file is to be used in preparing the second system to receive data from the first system, the entering performed via a user interface operatively connected to the one or more computer processors;

(e) based on the information accessed from the first and second knowledge bases in steps (a) and (b), and the installation-specific configuration information extracted from the first system in step (c), and the information entered in step (d), creating the import configuration file to be used in preparing the second system to receive data from the first system; and

(f) based on the import configuration file, transferring data from the first system into the second system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first system is selected from the group consisting of a machinery monitoring system and a control system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the second system is selected from the group consisting of a machinery monitoring system and a control system.