Juxtaposition BASED Machine Addressing

• US 20140143429A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian A. Batke, Daniel P. Noonen, David Alan Vasko, David Michael Callaghan, David W. Farchmin, John Joseph Baier, Scot A. Tutkovics
• Original Assignee: Brian A. Batke, Daniel P. Noonen, David Alan Vasko, David Michael Callaghan, David W. Farchmin, John Joseph Baier, Scot A. Tutkovics
• Inventors: Farchmin, David W., Vasko, David Alan, Batke, Brian A., Noonen, Daniel P., Callaghan, David Michael, Baier, John Joseph, Tutkovics, Scot A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21053 Each unit, module has unique identification code, set during manufacturing, fMAC address
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25092 Customized control features, configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25096 Detect addresses of connected I-O, modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25099 Detect configuration I-O and select needed program
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25192 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25297 Identify controlled element, valve, and read characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for use with a plurality of resources integrated within a space for performing a process and a program run by a processor for controlling the process, the apparatus for associating the resources with the program and comprising a processor running a program to perform the steps of identifying at least a first reference point within the space, identifying the relative juxtaposition of at least a first resource with respect to the first reference point and associating the first resource with the program as a function of the relative juxtaposition of the first resource to the reference point.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a plurality of resources integrated within a space for performing a process and a program run by a processor for controlling the process, the apparatus for associating the resources with the program and comprising:

a processor running a program to perform the steps of;

identifying at least a first reference point within the space;

identifying the relative juxtaposition of at least a first resource with respect to the first reference point; and

associating the first resource with the program as a function of the relative juxtaposition of the first resource to the reference point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the program includes reference tags, each unique tag referencing a separate resource as one of a program input and a program output, the processor associating by using the relative juxtaposition of the first resource to identify a first of the reference tags to which the first resource is to be associated and associating the first tag with the first resource.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plurality of resources are linked via a communication network, the processor assigning a logical network address to each of the resources and wherein the processor associates by identifying the network address of the first resource and correlating the network address of the first resource with the first tag.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein each resource includes a unique MAC number and wherein the processor assigns a network address to each resource by, when a resource is linked to the network, obtaining the MAC number from the resource, associating an unused network address with the MAC number, transmitting the network address to the resource and storing the address at the resource.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the processor is also programmed to replace each instance of the first tag in the program with the address of the first resource.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the processor is also programmed to, for each of at least a sub-set of the resources in addition to the first resource:

identify the relative juxtaposition of the resource with respect to at least one of the reference point and one of the other resources;

use the relative juxtaposition of the resource to identify a reference tag to which the resource is to be associated; and

associate the identified tag with the resource.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor identifies the relative juxtaposition by identifying the locations of at least a sub-set of the plurality of resources and using the location information to determine the relative juxtaposition.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each of the tags is useable to identify a separate tag specified position and wherein the processor uses the relative juxtaposition of the first resource to identify a first of the reference tags by, for each of at least a sub-set of the tags, identifying the separate tag specified position, comparing the relative juxtaposition information to the tag specified position and, when the relative juxtaposition indicates the tag specified position, identifying the tag associated with the tag specified position.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the resources are linked via a network, the processor also programmed to, prior to associating, assign a logical network address to each of the reference tags, the processor associating by identifying the network address of the first tag and assigning the identified address to the first resource.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processor assigns a network address to each reference tag by identifying each tag in the program, identifying an unused network address and correlating the unused address with the tag.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the resources include components in an automated manufacturing facility.

12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least a sub-set of the resources includes actuators and sensors.

13. An apparatus for use with a plurality of network linked resources located within a space for performing a process, the apparatus for assigning a network address to at least a first resource to enable communication therewith and comprising:

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

identifying at least a first reference point within the space;

identifying the relative juxtaposition of the at least a first resource with respect to the at least a first reference point; and

assigning a first network address to the at least a first resource as a function of the relative juxtaposition of the at least a first resource to the reference point.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 also for use with a processor programmed to control the process, the program including program tags where each tag is associated with a unique network address and useable to identify a separate tag specified position, the processor assigning by, for each of at least a sub-set of the tags, identifying the separate tag specified position, comparing the relative juxtaposition information to the tag specified position and, when the relative juxtaposition indicates the tag specified position, assigning the address associated with the tag to the at least a first resource.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processor identifies the relative juxtaposition by identifying the relative juxtapositions of each of the plurality of resources.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor assigns a separate network address to each of the resources as a function of the relative juxtapositions of the resources.

17. An associating system for use with a plurality of resources to be linked via a network within an environment to perform a process and a processor running a program to control the process, the program including at least one of a program input and a program output tag for each of the resources, the apparatus for facilitating association of tags and resources and comprising:

at least a first information device;

a processor running a pulse sequencing program to perform the steps of;

associating a space within the environment with the process;

determining the location of the information device within the environment; and

when the information device is proximate at least a sub-space within the space, identifying the resources to be positioned within the sub-space, identifying the tags associated with the resources and indicating the tags associated with the resources.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the information device includes a display and provides a list of the tags associated with the resources and enables selection of one of the resources and wherein the processor is also programmed to identify a resource when the resource is first linked to the network and to associate a resource linked to the network with a tag selected contemporaneously therewith via the information device.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the information device is a wireless information device and the system further includes at least one access point linked to the processor.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein each of the resources is associated with a network address and wherein the processor associates by determining the resource address and correlating the resource address with the tag.