Web interface to an input/output device

• US 6,732,191 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Automation Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Baker, Richard A., Dube, Dennis J. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Rijue
• Application Number:
  US09/595,159
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 710/1, 710/18, 710/20, 710/36, 710/31, 710/105, 710/33, 710/39, 710/40, 712/225, 700/83, 700/67, 709/218, 709/219, 709/230, 709/250
• US Class Current: 710/1
• 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 2219/15038 Internet, tcp-ip, web server see under S05B219-40
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31156 Network structure, internet
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A control system allows a user to access an input/output device over a communication network using a web browser. The system includes an Internet web site between the network and the input/output module. The web site runs from an Ethernet board coupled directly to the input/output module back plane and includes a HTTP protocol interpreter, an input/output module, a TCP/IP stack, and an Ethernet board kernel. The web site provides access to the input/output module by a user at a remote location through the Internet. The web site translates the industry standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and HTTP protocols used on the Internet into data recognizable to the input/output module. Using this interface, the user can input or retrieve all pertinent data regarding the operation of the input/output device.

Claims

1. An interface module for receiving data requests from a remote location in order to provide access to an at least one input/output device from a communication network, the module comprising:

a central processing unit;

an operating system operating the central processing unit;

a network interface for communicating with the communication network;

a protocol stack;

a server task for communicating with the protocol stack for responding to received requests; and

a protocol task for communicating with the protocol stack for receiving and responding to protocol task requests.

2. The interface module of claim 1 further including a back plane driver for communicating with the protocol task and the server task.

3. The interface module of claim 1 wherein the communication network is the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

4. The interface module of claim 3 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

5. The interface module of claim 1 wherein the network interface is an Ethernet driver.

6. The interface module of claim 1 wherein the protocol stack is a Transmission Control Protocol stack.

7. The interface module of claim 1 wherein the protocol task includes a server task using a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) to deliver hypertext documents to the network interface.

8. The interface module of claim 7 wherein the HTTP task accepts a connection, parses an HTTP request, and calls the real time operating system to process the request.

9. The interface module of claim 3 wherein the interface module allows a user at a remote location to view data within the at least one input/output device from a browser connected to the Internet.

10. The interface module of claim 1 wherein the data transfer enabling means includes a dual TCP/IP stack.

11. The interface module of claim 10 wherein the dual TCP/IP stack comprises a first stack capable of handling a broad range of TCP/IP messages and a second stack capable of handling a less broad range of TCP/IP messages more quickly than the first stack.

12. An interface module for receiving data requests from a remote location in order to provide access to an at least one input/output device from a communication network, the module comprising:

a central processing unit;

a network interface for communicating with the communication network;

a protocol stack; and

,

a HTTP web server in communication with the protocol stack, the server providing a web browser with information on the status of the input/output device.

13. The interface module of claim 12 wherein the communication network is a world-wide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

14. The interface module of claim 13 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

15. The interface module of claim 12 wherein the network interface is an Ethernet driver.

16. The interface module of claim 12 wherein the protocol stack is a Transmission Control Protocol stack.

17. A control system for allowing a user access at a remote site through a communication network to information and data contained in an industrial control system having at least one input/output module, the system comprising:

means for coupling the remote site to the communication network, the coupling means including a web browser for interacting with the communication network;

a web site associated with the industrial control system and accessible through the communication network;

means for linking the industrial control system to the web site, the linking means including an interface module for coupling the at least one input/output module to the communication network;

means for coupling the interface module to the at least one input/output module, the coupling means for transferring data between the interface module and the at least one input/output module;

means for processing data requests received from the remote location over the communication network;

means for enabling a data transfer between the remote location and the industrial control system; and

means for interfacing a protocol task with the at least one input/output module, the interfacing means for receiving a data request from the enabling means, for accessing the industrial control system for the requested data, and for sending a response to the remote location through the enabling means, the response in a framework supplied by an operating system located in the at least one input/output module.

18. The control system of claim 17 wherein the communication network is a worldwide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

19. The control system of claim 18 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

20. The control system of claim 19 wherein the interface module means includes a network driver for receiving data requests from the web browser on the Internet and for sending a response back to the web browser.

21. The control system of claim 20 wherein the processing data requests means includes a client task for initiating a request received from the communication network and a server task for processing data requests received from the communication network.

22. The control system of claim 21 wherein the data transfer enabling means includes a protocol stack using a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) stack.

23. The control system of claim 22 wherein the protocol task interfacing means includes a server task using HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) to deliver hypertext documents to the network coupling means.

24. The control system of claim 23 wherein the framework creates a HTTP task, accepts a connection, parses the HTTP request and calls the operation system to process the request.

25. The control system of claim 24 wherein the data requests allow the user at the remote location to view data within the industrial control system from the browser, the data including any program information stored in memory associated with the industrial control system.

26. The control system of claim 24 wherein the data requests allow the user at the remote location to write data within the industrial control system from the browser, the data including any program information stored in memory associated with the industrial control system.

27. The control system of claim 25 wherein the data requests further include requests for configuration views and status of the at least one input/output module coupled to the control system.

28. The control system of claim 26 wherein the data requests further include requests for configuration views and status of the at least one input/output module coupled to the control system.

29. The control system of claim 27 wherein the data requests further allow the user at the remote location to view any program information stored in memory associated with the input/output module.

30. The control system of claim 28 wherein the data requests further allow the user at the remote location to view any program information stored in memory associated with the input/output module.

31. A control system for allowing access to an input/output device from a communication network using a browser at a remote location, the control system comprising:

an interface module having a microprocessor and a network interface for coupling the interface module to the communication network;

a driver for coupling the interface module to the input/output device and for transferring data between the interface module and the input/output device;

a protocol stack to enable data transfer between the remote location and the input/output device; and

,

a server task for processing data requests received from the communication network, the server task for interfacing a data request from the protocol stack accessing the input/output device for the requested data, and for sending a response to the remote location through the protocol stack and network interface, the response in a framework supplied by the operating system.

32. The control system of claim 31 wherein the communication network is a worldwide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

33. The control system of claim 32 wherein the Interface module functions as a web site on the Internet.

34. The control system of claim 33 wherein the protocol stack is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP stack.

35. The control system of claim 34 wherein the server task uses Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP) to deliver hypertext documents, and the framework for creating a HTTP task, accepting a connection, parsing the HTTP request and calling the operating system to process the request.

36. The control system of claim 35 wherein the data requests allow a user at the remote location to view data within the input/output device.

37. The control system of claim 35 wherein the data requests allow a user at the remote location to write data within the input/output device.

38. The control system of claim 36 wherein the data requests further include views of the input/output device configuration and status.

39. The control system of claim 38 wherein the data requests further allow the user at the remote location to view data and any program information stored in the memory associated with the input/output device.

40. The control system of claim 37 wherein the data requests further allow the user at the remote location to write data and any program information into the memory associated with the input/output device.