System for programming a factory automation device using a web browser

• US 7,035,898 B1
• Filed: 08/09/2000
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/635,278
• Time in Patent Office: 2,085 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709/218, 709/230, 709/250, 709217- 9, 709/221, 709/227, 700/96, 700/9, 700/2, 700/19, 700/83, 700/90, 719/328
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network having a programming device operably connected to the communication network. A program package is embedded in the programming device and is used for creating and editing the application program. At least one web page is resident on the programming device and operably connected to the program package. The web page is accessible to a user using a web browser to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device.

Claims

1. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation controller on a communication network, comprising:

a programming device operably connected to the communication network and remotely located from the factory automation controller;

a program package embedded in the programming device, the program package for creating and editing the application program;

at least one web page resident on the programming device and operably connected to the program package, wherein the web page is accessible to a user using a web browser to edit the application program controlling the factory automation controller, wherein the factory automation controller is graphically depicted in the web page, and,

an interface module for operably connecting the programming device to the communication network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the web browser is resident within the programming device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the application program is viewed as an at least one file within the programming device, accessible on the communication network using a standard File Transfer Protocol.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the application program is converted by the program package and viewed on the web browser through either Java or HTML.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the factory automation device is a programmable logic controller.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication network is Ethernet.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface module includes:

a real time operating system operating a central processing unit;

a network interface for communicating with the communication network;

a driver for communicating with the programming device;

a protocol stack;

a client task for communicating with the protocol stack for initiating received requests;

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.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the communication network is a world-wide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the protocol stack is a Transmission Control Protocol stack and wherein the protocol task includes a server task using a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) task to deliver hypertext documents to the network interface.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the HTTP task accepts a connection, parses an HTTP request, and calls the real time operating system to process the request.

12. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network, comprising:

a programming device operably connected to the communication network wherein the programming device is resident within the factory automation device;

a program package embedded in the programming device, the program package for creating and editing the application program;

at least one web page resident on the programming device and operably connected to the program package, wherein the web page is accessible to a user using a web browser to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device, wherein the factory automation device is graphically depicted in the web page.

13. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network, comprising:

a programming device operably connected to the communication network;

a program package embedded in the programming device, the program package for creating and editing the application program wherein the program package further includes a symbol editor and a language editor and wherein all symbols are stored within the programming device, allowing any authorized device coupled to the communication network to edit the application program;

at least one web page resident on the programming device and operably connected to the program package, wherein the web page is accessible to a user using a web browser to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device, wherein the factory automation device is graphically depicted in the web page.

14. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation controller on a communication network, comprising:

a programming device operably connected to the communication network;

a program package embedded in the programming device, the program package for creating and editing the application program;

at least one web page resident on the programming device and operably connected to the program package, wherein the web page is accessible to a user using a web browser to edit the application program controlling the factory automation controller, wherein the factory automation controller is an output module, wherein the factory automation controller is graphically depicted in the web page.

15. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network, comprising:

a programming device operably connected to the communication network;

a program package embedded in the programming device, the program package for creating and editing the application program;

at least one web page resident on the programming device and operably connected to the program package, wherein the web page is accessible to a user using a web browser to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device;

further including an interface module for operably connecting the programming device to the communication network wherein the interface module includes a dual TCP/IP stack for data transferring comprising 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.

16. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation controller on a communication network, comprising:

means for coupling the factory automation controller to the communication network;

means for editing the application program resident in a programming device; and

an at least one Web page resident in the programming device, the Web page linked to the editing means resident in the programming device, wherein the Web page is accessible to a user using a web browser coupled to the communication network through the coupling means, and wherein the Web page allows the user to access the editing means to edit the application program controlling the factory automation controller wherein the factory automation controller is graphically depicted in the Web page, and wherein the coupling means includes an interface module, the interface module including;

a real time operating system operating a central processing unit;

a network interface for communication with the communication network;

a driver for communicating with the programming device;

a protocol stack;

a client task for communicating with the protocol stack for initiating received requests;

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.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the web browser is resident within the programming device.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the communication network is Ethernet.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the application program is viewed as files within the programming device, accessible to the communication network using a standard File Transfer Protocol.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the editing means includes a program package whereby the application program is converted by the program package and viewed as either Java or HTML.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the communication network is a world-wide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the protocol stack is a Transmission Control Protocol stack and wherein the protocol task includes a server task using a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) task to deliver hypertext documents to the network interface.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the HTTP task accepts a connection, parses an HTTP request, and calls the real time operating system to process the request.

25. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network, comprising:

means for coupling the factory automation device to the communication network;

means for editing the application program resident in a programming device; and

an at least one Web page resident in the programming device, the Web page linked to the editing means resident in the programming device, wherein the Web page is accessible to a user using a web browser coupled to the communication network through the coupling means, and wherein the Web page allows the user to access the editing means to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device, wherein the programming device is resident within the factory automation device, wherein the factory automation device is graphically depicted in the Web page.

26. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network, comprising:

means for coupling the factory automation device to the communication network;

means for editing the application program resident in a programming device located remotely from the factory automation device; and

an at least one Web page resident in the programming device, the Web page linked to the editing means resident in the programming device, wherein the Web page is accessible to a user using a web browser coupled to the communication network through the coupling means, and wherein the Web page allows the user to access the editing means to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device, wherein the program package further includes a symbol editor and a language editor wherein all symbols are stored within the programming device, allowing any authorized device coupled to the communication network to edit the application program.

27. A system for programming an application program controlling a factory automation device on a communication network, comprising:

means for coupling the factory automation device to the communication network, wherein the coupling means includes an interface module, the interface module including a dual TCP/IP stack for data transferring comprising 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;

means for editing the application program resident in a programming device; and

an at least one Web page resident in the programming device, the Web page linked to the editing means resident in the programming device, wherein the Web page is accessible to a user using a web browser coupled to the communication network through the coupling means, and wherein the Web page allows the user to access the editing means to edit the application program controlling the factory automation device.

28. A method of programming an application program for controlling a factory automation controller operably connected to a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a programming device located remotely from the factory automation controller for accessing the application program;

viewing the application program using a web browser operably connected to the programming device, wherein the web browser graphically depicts a symbol representing the factory automation controller;

editing the application program via a program package resident in the programming device, and

transferring the application program to the factory automation device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the web browser is resident within the programming device.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the application program is viewed as an at least one file within the programming device, accessible on the communication network using a standard File Transfer Protocol.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the application program is converted by the program package and viewed on the web browser through either Java or HTML.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the factory automation device is a programmable logic controller.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein the factory automation device is an output module.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein the communication network is Ethernet.

35. The method of claim 28 further including an interface module for operably connecting the programming device to the communication network.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the interface module includes:

a real time operating system operating a central processing unit;

a network interface for communicating with the communication network;

a driver for communicating with the programming device;

a protocol stack;

a client task for communicating with the protocol stack for initiating received requests;

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.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the communication network is a world-wide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the protocol stack is a Transmission Control Protocol stack and wherein the protocol task includes a server task using a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) task to deliver hypertext documents to the network interface.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the HTTP task accepts a connection, parses an HTTP request, and calls the real time operating system to process the request.

41. A method of programming an application program for controlling a factor automation device operably connected to a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a programming device for accessing the application program, wherein the programming device is resident within the factory automation device;

viewing the application program using a web browser operably connected to the programming device wherein the web browser graphically depicts a symbol representing the factory automation device; and

editing the application program via a program package resident in the programming device.

42. A method of programming an application program for controlling a factory automation device operably connected to a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a programming device located remotely from the factory automation device for accessing the application program;

viewing the application program using a web browser operably connected to the programming device; and

editing the application program via a program package resident in the programming device wherein the program package further includes a symbol editor and a language editor and wherein all symbols are stored within the programming device, allowing any authorized device coupled to the communication network to edit the application program.

43. A method of programming an application program for controlling a factory automation device operably connected to a communication network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a programming device for accessing the application program that includes an interface module for operably connecting the programming device to the communication network wherein the interface module further includes a dual TCP/IP stack for data transferring comprising 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;

viewing the application program using a web browser operably connected to the programming device; and

editing the application program via a program package resident in the programming device wherein the interface module further includes a dual TCP/IP stack for data transferring comprising 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.