Object-oriented operating system for a spray controller

• US 7,024,285 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spraying Systems Company
• Original Assignee: Spraying Systems Company
• Inventors: Saelens, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): RODRIGUEZ, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US10/463,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20040260429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 700/19, 700/283, 700/284, 239/69, 712/40, 712/233
• US Class Current: 700/283
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/085 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged B05B1/3006, B05B1/323, B05B7/1254 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23255 Object oriented programming, OOP

Abstract

A method and system for implementing a spray controller uses object-orientated software code and an interrupt-driven operating system for processing and interpreting the code.

Claims

1. An interrupt-driven system for controlling a spray system including a plurality of spray nozzles, a fluid supply, and a spray controller having a processing unit and memory, the interrupt-driven system comprising:

an application file residing in the memory, the application file being a binary version of a functional block representation created using an object-oriented software program, the functional block representation including a plurality of software objects representing the physical and logical properties of the spray system and including at least a regulator object and a spray gun object representing a spray gun in the spray system, the plurality of objects being interconnected to create the functional block representation, the regulator object generating a regulating control signal based on measured pressure data and flow rate data of the spray gun, the spray gun object generating operation control signals for controlling operation of the spray gun in response to the regulating control signal; and

a runtime engine residing in the memory for processing the application file, said runtime engine enabling communication between the plurality of objects and for processing interrupt signals provided by at least one of the plurality of objects, the interrupt signals being responsive to a stimulus detected by the spray controller.

2. The interrupt-driven system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of software objects comprises a data structure having internal data representative of a corresponding concept and an external interface implemented as a method.

3. The interrupt-driven system of claim 1 wherein the object-oriented software program is capable of accessing a function block library for providing the plurality of objects and interconnecting the objects to create the functional block representation.

4. The interrupt-driven system of claim 3 wherein at least certain of the plurality of software objects are capable of generating output data in response to a data input, the data being generated during execution of the runtime engine.

5. The interrupt-driven system of claim 4 wherein one or more of the plurality of software objects are capable of invoking an action in response to a command input.

6. The interrupt-driven system of claim 1 wherein the runtime engine facilitates the exchange of commands between one or more of the plurality of software objects according to a unique reference value assigned to the command, the command and corresponding reference value being specified in the application file.

7. A method for enabling operation of a spray controller for a spray system according to contents of an application file loaded into a storage medium located on the spray controller, the application file comprising one or more data structures and associated parameters that are representative of physical and logical properties of the spray controller, wherein the spray controller is capable of responding to interrupts generated during runtime, the method comprising:

initializing the one or more data structures specified by the application file for execution by a runtime engine; and

executing a set of function block code that corresponds to the one or more data structures executed by the runtime engine, wherein the function block code includes instructions for interacting with a physical component of the spray controller in response to processing of the one or more data structures and associated parameters that are representative of the physical and logical properties of that component, and wherein the function block code includes code for a regulator object and code for a spray gun object representing a spray gun, the regulator object generating a regulating control signal based on measured pressure data and flow rate data of the spray gun, the spray gun object generating operation control signals for controlling operation of the spray gun in response to the regulating control signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of executing further comprises transferring data from one data structure to another data structure, wherein the data being transferred includes the associated parameters of an object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of transferring includes specifying a unique logical address of the data structure in which the data is to be transferred from by the data structure requesting the transfer.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transferring further includes validating a command sent by the one data structure.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transferring further includes transferring a command from the one data structure to the data structure intended to receive the command in accordance with the unique logical address of the data structure intended to receive the command.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein each data structure specified in the application file has a unique logical address for being referenced by other data structures.

13. A control system for a sprayer of the type comprising a plurality of spray nozzles, a fluid supply system, and a spray controller including a processing unit and memory and being operable to provide output signals for controlling said plurality of spray nozzles, comprising:

means for receiving and storing in the memory spraying system characteristic data;

means for transmitting command signals to said plurality of spray nozzles to thereby control the flow of fluid;

an application file compiled from an object-oriented software program including a plurality of software objects, said objects being accessible from a function block library and representing certain physical and logical properties of the control system, said objects exchanging, with other of said objects, messages indicative of an operation to be carried out or a status of a sending object, said object-oriented software program being compiled into an application file located in the memory of the spray controller, the objects including at least a regulator object and a spray gun object representing a spray gun, the regulator object generating a regulating control signal based on measured pressure data and flow rate data of the spray gun, the spray gun object generating operation control signals for controlling operation of the spray gun in response to the regulating control signal; and

a runtime engine residing within the memory of the spray controller for processing the application file, said runtime engine enabling communication between the plurality of objects and for processing interrupt signals provided by at least one of the plurality of objects, the interrupt signals being responsive to a stimulus detected by the spray controller.