SELECTIVE SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION FOR AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT

• US 20140344798A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Masatoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,665,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25229 Partition control software among distributed controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A controller corresponding to production equipment, requiring upgrade can be selected automatically, thereby reduction in operating rate can be reduced. When software is upgraded, version upgrade software relating to a predetermined action description and version information are transferred to a controller management apparatus (S1). A version change determination unit selects a controller including the predetermined action description described in the version information (S2 and S3). The selected controller downloads the new version of software to change the software (S4 and S5) after stopping operation of the production equipment. On the other hand, a controller not selected does not download the software, and the operation of the production equipment is not stopped.

Claims

1. A production system that produces a product comprising:

a plurality of controllers that control a plurality of pieces of production equipment, respectively, each controller including;

an action description storing unit that stores a command relating to an action of production equipment to operate the production equipment corresponding and connected to said each controller;

a software storing unit that stores software to control the production equipment on a basis of the command; and

a reception part that receives software transmitted, and

a controller management apparatus that manages the plurality of controllers, the controller management apparatus including;

an acquisition unit that acquires new version of software relating to a specific command, transmitted externally;

a version change determination unit that determines to select a controller requiring upgrade from among the plurality of controllers;

a transmission part that transmits the new version of software to the controller; and

a command storing unit that is connected to the action description storing unit via a network and stores the command,

wherein the version change determination unit determines, as a controller requiring upgrade, a controller in which the action description storing unit stores the specific command from among the plurality of controllers, and

wherein the controller management apparatus transmits the new version of software to the controller requiring upgrade, so that the software stored in the software storing unit in the controller is changed to the new version.

2. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the controller management apparatus automatically transmits the new version of software to the controller selected by the version change determination unit.

3. The production system according to claim 2, each controller further includes a software change unit that changes the software stored in the software storing unit, wherein the software change unit in the controller selected by the version change determination unit automatically changes the software stored in the software storing unit with the new version of software.

4. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the version change determination unit selects, as the controller requiring upgrade, a controller having software in a version older than the version acquired by the acquisition unit and in which the action description storing unit stores the specific command from among the plurality of controllers.

5. The production system according to claim 3, wherein while the software change unit changes the software stored in the software storing unit, a drive/stop unit in the controller where the software is being changed stops operation of the corresponding production equipment.

6. The production system according to claim 5, wherein after the software change unit changes the software stored in the software storing unit with the new version of software, the drive/stop unit resumes the operation of the production equipment.

7. The production system according to claim 1, wherein the controller requiring upgrade changes the software stored in the software storing unit with the new version of software during a stand-by state of the production equipment corresponding to the controller requiring upgrade.

8. The production system according to claim 1, wherein when the specific command in the new version of software relates to safety, the version change determination unit determines that all of the controllers require upgrade irrespective of the command stored in the action description storing unit in each of the plurality of controllers.

9. A method for controlling a production system comprising:

acquiring, by a controller management apparatus that controls a plurality of controllers arranged to control a plurality of pieces of production equipment, respectively, new version of software relating to a specific command, transmitted externally;

selecting, by a version change determination unit in the controller management apparatus, a controller including the specific command stored in an action description unit in the controller as a controller requiring upgrade from among the plurality of controllers; and

transmitting, by a transmission part in the controller management apparatus, the new version of software to the controller selected by the version change determination unit.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that makes a computer execute a method for controlling a production system, the method comprising:

acquiring, by a controller management apparatus that controls a plurality of controllers arranged to control a plurality of pieces of production equipment, respectively, new version of software relating to a specific command, transmitted externally;

selecting, by a version change determination unit in the controller management apparatus, a controller including the specific command stored in an action description unit in the controller as a controller requiring upgrade from among the plurality of controllers; and

transmitting, by a transmission part in the controller management apparatus, the new version of software to the controller selected by the version change determination unit.