Networked control system with real time monitoring

• US 6,978,225 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Retlich, Kevin, Blair, Dave, Luo, Jinghui
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsui, Carol S. W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/913,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 702 57- 59, 702 73- 74, 702/80, 702119-124, 702/179, 702/185, 702/182, 345/619, 345/667, 700/9, 700/28, 700/108, 340/853.2, 716/4, 716/18
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00

Abstract

A technique for monitoring operational parameters of networked components includes storing data within each component descriptive of the component. The data is polled by a monitoring station and provides a basis for monitor views compiled in real time. The monitor views provide a view of current levels of parameters controlled or monitored by each device, such as on virtual meters. Historical levels of operational parameters may be presented in virtual strip chart output. Textual descriptions of the components are provided, along with listings of key settings. More detailed data may be accessed by links between the monitor views and other user viewable representations for the system and the specific components.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a plurality of electrical components, the system comprising:

a network link for accessing parameter data from a plurality of networked electrical components; and

a monitoring station configured cyclically to access the parameter data via the network link and to generate a user viewable representation of the parameter data including a plurality of virtual meters displaying current and historical levels of selected parameters for each component; and

a database accessible by the monitoring station, the database including component data descriptive of the components, and wherein the user viewable representation includes descriptive indicia based upon the component data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected parameters for each component are determined by default from designation data for each component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected parameters for each component include at least one user selected parameter.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user viewable representation includes a display of parameter settings for the respective components.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user viewable representation is updated following cyclic access of the parameter data by the monitoring station.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user viewable representation includes historical event data for each component.

7. A system for monitoring operational parameters in an electrical control network, the system comprising:

a plurality of electrical control or monitoring components adapted to control or monitor delivery of electrical power to a load, each component including a memory object storing component designation data, wherein the memory object of each component stores physical location data for the respective component in the network;

a data network coupled to the components for transmitting parameter data;

a monitoring station coupled to the data network for accessing the parameter data from the components and configured to display a series of user viewable representations of the parameter data by component based upon the accessed parameter data and the designation data, wherein the monitoring station is configured to generate a physical view of the components based upon the physical location data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the monitoring displays including graphical presentations of parameter levels.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the components include a motor starter.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the components include a variable frequency motor controller.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the components include an overload relay.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the user viewable representations of the parameter data are accessible by a user from the physical view.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the user viewable representations include graphical representations of levels of selected parameters for each component.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical representations include virtual meters displaying current levels of selected parameters.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical representations depict historical levels of selected parameters.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the selected parameters are default parameters based upon a classification of each component.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the selected parameters is user selected.