System for programming a programmable logic controller using a web browser

• US 7,058,693 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• 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. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US09/524,171
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 709/218, 709/217, 709/220, 717/146, 717/100, 714/46
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A control system includes an Internet web interface to a network of at least one programmable logic control system running an application program for controlling output devices in response to status of input devices. The Web interface runs Web pages from an Ethernet board coupled directly to the PLC back plane and includes an HTTP protocol interpreter, a PLC back-plane driver, a TCP/IP stack, and an Ethernet board kernel. The Web interface provides access to the PLC back plane by a user at a remote location through the Internet. The interface translates the industry standard Ethernet, TCP/IP and HTTP protocols used on the Internet into data recognizable to the PLC. Residing in the PLC is a programming package accessible to a user through this interface which will allow the user to edit programs controlling the operation of the programmable logic controller system.

Claims

1. A system for programming application programs controlling a programmable logic controller from a communication network, comprising:

a. an interface module for coupling the programmable logic controller to the communication network;

b. a program editor resident in the programmable logic controller, the program editor for creating and editing the application programs;

c. at least one Web page resident in the programmable logic controller, the Web page linked to the program editor;

d. wherein the Web page is accessible to a user at a remote location using a web browser coupled to the communication network through the interface module; and

e. wherein the Web page allows the user at the remote location to access the program editor to edit the application programs controlling the programmable logic controller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the application programs are viewed as files within the programmable logic controller, accessible to the communication network using a standard File Transfer Protocol.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the application programs are converted by the programming editor and viewed on a web browser through either Java or HTML.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the programming editor further includes symbol editors and language editors and wherein all symbols are stored within the programmable logic controller, allowing any authorized personal computer coupled to the communication network to edit the application programs.

5. 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 programmable logic controller,

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.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the communication network is a world-wide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

8. The system of claim 7 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.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the HTTP task accepts a connection, parses an HTTP request, and calls the real time operating system to process the request.

10. The system of claim 9 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.

11. A system for programming application programs controlling a programmable logic controller from a communication network, comprising:

a. means for coupling the programmable logic controller to the communication network;

b. means resident in the programmable logic controller for creating and editing the application programs;

c. at least one Web page resident in the programmable logic controller, the Web page linked to the creating and editing means resident in the programmable logic controller;

d. wherein the Web page is accessible to a user at a remote location using a web browser coupled to the communication network through the coupling means; and

e. wherein the Web page allows the user at the remote location to access the creating and editing means to edit the application programs controlling the programmable logic controller.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the application programs are viewed as files within the programmable logic controller, accessible to the communication network using a standard File Transfer Protocol.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the creating and editing means includes a programming package whereby the application programs are converted by the programming package and viewed as either Java or HTML.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the programming package further includes symbol editors and language editors and wherein all symbols are stored within the programmable logic controller, allowing any authorized personal computer coupled to the communication network to edit the application programs.

15. The system of claim 11 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 communicating with the communication network,

a driver for communicating with the programmable logic controller,

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.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the communication network is a world-wide network known as the Internet using an Internet Protocol (IP).

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the interface module functions as a web site on the Internet, the interface module including a global IP address.

18. The system of claim 17 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.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the HTTP task accepts a connection, parses an HTTP request, and calls the real time operating system to process the request.

20. The system of claim 19 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.