Real-time control process for a controller of an industrial technical process, and a real-time operating process for a computing device

• US 7,058,460 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Dolansky, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US10/933,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20050055107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 700/9, 700 19- 21, 700/65, 700/79, 700/82, 700/83, 700/95, 700/96, 700/169, 700180-182, 700/306, 702/188, 709/201, 709/208, 709217-219, 709/230, 710/110, 340/3.1, 713/100, 713 1- 5, 713/10, 713/11, 714/100, 714/7, 714 1- 5, 714/10, 714/13, 714/47
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/052 Linking several PLC's

Abstract

Measuring units measure state signals of an industrial technical process. The entirety of the state signals represents an image of the process. The measuring units transmit the state signals to a common logic unit which transmits the image of the process at least partially via a transmission medium to a computing device. The computing device executes a control program to determine at least a portion of the control state for the process and transmits the portion to the logic unit via the transmission medium. The control state includes control signals for a number of control devices. The logic unit transmits to each of the control devices the control signals intended for the respective control device. The control devices affect the process accordingly. The above steps are repeatedly executed in real-time with a cycle time in a range of milliseconds or less.

Claims

1. A real-time control process for a controller of an industrial technical process, comprising the steps of:

a) a plurality of measuring units measuring state signals of the process, wherein the measured state signals represent a complete image of the process;

b) each of the measuring units transmitting the measured state signal measured by the measuring unit to a single logical device;

c) the logical device transmitting at least a portion of the complete image of the process via a transmission medium to a computing device;

d) the logical device receiving via the transmission medium from the computing device at least a portion of a control state for the process, wherein the control state comprises control signals for a plurality of control devices; and

e) the logical device transmitting to each of the control devices the control signals intended for the respective control devices, wherein each of the control devices affects the process in accordance with the control signals transmitted to the corresponding controller,

wherein the logical device checks during each cycle if the computing device has transmitted to the logical device the control state or the portion of the control state, and wherein the logical device determines emergency output signals, if the computing device has not transmitted the control state or the portion of the control state to the logical device, and transmits the emergency output signals to the plurality of control devices.

2. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein steps a) to e) are repeatedly executed with total cycle time of less than approximately 1 ms for a single cycle.

3. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein steps a) to e) are repeatedly executed with total cycle time of less than approximately 100 μ

s for a single cycle.

4. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a computer network, the Internet or a local area network (LAN), or a combination thereof.

5. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a point-to-point connection.

6. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises at least one transmission medium segment with a wireless link.

7. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises at least one transmission medium segment with a wired link.

8. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein the industrial technical process comprises a production process.

9. The real-time control process of claim 8, wherein the production process comprises a machining process of a machine tool.

10. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein before step (a), the logical device receives a real-time portion of a computer program to be executed by the logical device.

11. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein before step (a), the logical device transmits parameter data of the process to the computing device.

12. The real-time control process of claim 1, wherein before step (a), the logical device unit transmits via the transmission medium to the computing device a control program to be executed by the computing device.

13. A real-time control process for a controller of an industrial technical process, comprising the steps of:

a) a plurality of measuring units measuring state signals of the process, wherein the measured state signals represent a complete image of the process;

b) each of the measuring units transmitting the measured state signal measured by the measuring unit to a single logical device;

c) the logical device transmitting at least a portion of the complete image of the process via a transmission medium to a computing device;

d) the logical device receiving via the transmission medium from the computing device at least a portion of a control state for the process, wherein the control state comprises control signals for a plurality of control devices; and

e) the logical device transmitting to each of the control devices the control signals intended for the respective control devices, wherein each of the control devices affects the process in accordance with the control signals transmitted to the corresponding controller,

wherein steps a) to b) are repeatedly executed with a total cycle time of less than approximately 20 ms for a single cycle, and wherein before step (a), the logical device transmits via the transmission medium to the computing the cycle time.

14. A real-time control process for a controller of an industrial technical process, comprising the steps of:

a) a plurality of measuring units measuring state signals of the process, wherein the measured state signals represent a complete image of the process;

b) each of the measuring units transmitting the measured state signal measured by the measuring unit to a single logical device;

c) the logical device transmitting at least a portion of the complete image of the process via a transmission medium to a computing device;

d) the logical device receiving via the transmission medium from the computing device at least a portion of a control state for the process, wherein the control state comprises control signals for a plurality of control devices; and

e) the logical device transmitting to each of the control devices the control signals intended for the respective control devices, wherein each of the control devices affects the process in accordance with the control signals transmitted to the corresponding controller,

wherein steps a) to e) are repeatedly executed with a total cycle time of less than approximately 20 ms for a single cycle, and

wherein before step (a), the logical device receives from the computing device via the transmission medium the cycle time.

15. A real-time control process for a computing device comprising the steps of:

a) the computing device receiving from a single logical device via a transmission medium at least one portion of an image of an industrial technical process;

b) the computing device executing a control program and determining based on the at least one transmitted portion of the image of the process at least one portion of a control state of the process; and

c) the computing device transmitting the determined portion of the control state via the transmission medium to the logical device,

d) repeatedly executing steps a) to c) with a total cycle time of less than approximately 20 ms for a single cycle.

wherein before step (a), the computing device receives from the logical device the cycle time via the transmission medium.

16. The real-time control process of claim 15,

wherein steps a) to c) are repeatedly executed with total cycle time of less than approximately 1 ms for a single cycle.

17. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein steps a) to c) are repeatedly executed with total cycle time of less than approximately 100 μ

s for a single cycle.

18. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein the transmission medium comprises a computer network, the Internet or a local area network (LAN), or a combination thereof.

19. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein the transmission medium comprises a point-to-point connection.

20. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein the transmission medium comprises at least one transmission medium segment with a wireless link.

21. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein the transmission medium comprises at least one transmission medium segment with a wired link.

22. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein the control program comprises a control program for a production process.

23. The real-time control process of claim 22, wherein the production process comprises a machining process of a machine tool.

24. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein before step (a), the computing device transmits to the logical device a real-time portion of a computer program to be executed by the logical device.

25. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein before step (a), the computing device receives from the logical device parameter data of the process.

26. The real-time control process of claim 15, wherein before step (a), the computing device receives from the logical device the control program via the transmission medium.

27. A real-time control process for a computing device comprising the steps of:

a) the computing device receiving from a single logical device via a transmission medium at least one portion of an image of an industrial technical process;

b) the computing device executing a control program and determining based on the at least one transmitted portion of the image of the process at least one portion of a control state of the process; and

c) the computing device transmitting the determined portion of the control state via the transmission medium to the logical device,

d) repeatedly executing steps a) to c) with a total cycle time of less than approximately 20 ms for a single cycle,

wherein before step (a), the computing device transmits to the logical device the cycle time via the transmission medium.