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Methods and apparatus for fault-detecting and fault-tolerant process control

  • US 7,043,728 B1
  • Filed: 06/08/1999
  • Issued: 05/09/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A computerized method of operation of a control system, comprisingA. with a first scheduler associated with a first process selecting a highest priority event associated with the first process, where the first process is any of a first computer process and a first computer thread,B. with a second scheduler associated with a second process the second process being loosely coupled with respect to the first process, selecting a highest priority event associated with the second process, where the second process is any of a second computer process and a second computer thread,C. with each of the first scheduler and the second scheduler, comparing for identity of the highest priority event selected by the first scheduler with the highest priority event selected by the second scheduler,D. with the first scheduler, responding to an agreement of identity indicated in step (C) by selecting a first sequence of instructions in the first process,E. with the second scheduler, responding to an agreement of identity indicated in step (C) by selecting a second sequence of instructions in the second process,F. with each of the first and second schedulers, comparing for identity of the selection made by the first scheduler with the selection made by the second scheduler,G. with the first scheduler, responding to an agreement of identity indicated in step (F) by executing, in the first process, the first sequence of instructions,H. with the second scheduler, responding to an agreement of identity indicated in step (F) by executing, in the second process, the second sequence of instructions,I. responding to a non-agreement of identity occurring more than a selected number of times in any of steps (C) and (F) by rolling back each of the first and second processes to prior states in which an agreement of identity indicating the first process and the second process executed their respective instruction sequences substantially identically was achieved, andJ. wherein each of the first and second processes execute on any of a process control field device, a block controller, a process controller, a process control plant server, a process control enterprise server, an industrial control device, an industrial control system, an environmental control device, an environmental control system, other control device, and other control system.

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