INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION EQUIPMENT AND MACHINE PROCEDURE SIMULATION

• US 20150168937A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Michalscheck, Jimi, Michalscheck, Kelly
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13174 Pc, computer connected to plc to simulate machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2443 Stored procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

For machine procedure simulation, a synchronization module stores a plurality of equipment procedures in a procedure database. Each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code. The synchronization module further synchronizes the plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device. A retrieval module receives a first equipment reference code at the mobile device and retrieves a first equipment procedure indexed to the first equipment reference code. The first equipment procedure includes a machine simulation for the first equipment instance. A training module receives a procedure step directed to the machine simulation. In addition, the training module displays an operator simulation interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by use of a processor, a plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device, wherein each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code;

receiving a first equipment reference code for a first equipment instance at the mobile device;

retrieving a first equipment procedure of the plurality of equipment procedures indexed to the first equipment reference code, the first equipment procedure comprising a machine simulation for the first equipment instance;

receiving a procedure step directed to the machine simulation; and

displaying an operator simulation interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the procedure step comprises a lockout decision indicating that the first equipment procedure requires a lockout of the first equipment instance.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising receiving a procedure answer in response to a procedure question.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising generating a progress report based on at least one of the procedure step and the procedure answer.

5. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising generating a process certification in response to at least one of the procedure step and the procedure answer exceeding a certification threshold.

6. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising storing at least one of the procedure step and the procedure answer on a remote server.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising communicating a step instruction for the first equipment procedure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine simulation comprises:

at least one articulated element for the first equipment instance;

a motion matrix for each articulated element; and

at least one texture map applied to each articulated element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the operator simulation comprises an operator texture map of an operator.

10. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by use of a processor, a plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device, wherein each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code;

receiving a first equipment reference code for a first equipment instance at the mobile device;

retrieving a first equipment procedure of the plurality of equipment procedures indexed to the first equipment reference code, the first equipment procedure comprising a machine simulation for the first equipment instance;

training the first equipment procedure; and

recording operator actions to an audit report.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein training the operator comprises:

providing a step instruction for the first equipment procedure;

communicating a step question regarding the first equipment procedure;

receiving a step answer regarding the first equipment procedure;

storing the step answer;

providing a procedure description;

communicating a lockout query;

receiving a procedure step directed to the machine simulation in response to the lockout query;

displaying an operator simulation interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step;

storing the procedure step;

generating a progress report; and

generating a process certification.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising communicating the process certification.

13. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

synchronizing a plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device, wherein each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code;

receiving a first equipment reference code for a first equipment instance at the mobile device;

retrieving a first equipment procedure of the plurality of equipment procedures indexed to the first equipment reference code, the first equipment procedure comprising a machine simulation for the first equipment instance;

receiving a procedure step directed to the machine simulation; and

displaying an operator simulation interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step.

14. The program product of claim 13, wherein the procedure step comprises a lockout decision indicating that the first equipment procedure requires a lockout of the first equipment instance.

15. The program product of claim 13, the code further receiving a procedure answer in response to a procedure question.

16. The program product of claim 15, the code further generating a progress report based on at least one of the procedure step and the procedure answer.

17. The program product of claim 15, the code further generating a process certification in response to at least one of the procedure step and the procedure answer exceeding a certification threshold.

18. The program product of claim 15, the code further storing at least one of the procedure step and the procedure answer on a remote server.

19. The program product of claim 13, the code further communicating a step instruction for the first equipment procedure.

20. The program product of claim 13, wherein the machine simulation comprises:

at least one articulated element for the first equipment instance;

a motion matrix for each articulated element; and

at least one texture map applied to each articulated element.