Method and apparatus for automatically generating a SCADA system

• US 6,957,110 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eutech Cybernetics
• Original Assignee: Eutech Cybernetics
• Inventors: Bhave, Pramond V., Wewalaarachchi, Bandu
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perez-Daple, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US09/970,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20020193888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 700 17- 19, 700 23- 25, 700/83, 700/86, 700/87, 700/97, 703/24
• US Class Current: 700/86
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32404 Scada supervisory control and data acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0208 characterized by the configuration of the monitoring system

Abstract

A method for automatically configuring a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system using an as-built drawing. The electronic as-built file is scanned for devices selected from a menu. A list is compiled of selected devices, including location and relational information for each device. Selected graphical information from the electronic as-built file is then converted into a preferred SCADA graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automatically generating a supervisory control data acquisition system comprising:

identifying devices on an as-built electronic data file, wherein the as-built electronic data file is an electronic representation of a drawing file showing the final location of floors, walls and building system components;

creating and storing a list of objects that represent identified devices based on default icons defined for specified device types;

identifying device-specific information and device relational information from the as-built electronic data file;

configuring each stored object in the list of objects with said respective device-specific information; and

generating a graphical user interface for control of the devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a graphic from the as-built electronic data file showing the relationship between selected devices.

3. The method of claim 1 where in the as-built electronic data file is in the DXF format.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a device type and a device address for a specific device from said as-built electronic data file; and

binding the object corresponding to such specific device to said device address.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising using attributes of drawing elements to specify the binding address and to specify a user interface icon.