Internet object based interface for industrial controller

• US 7,290,030 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Jayme
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US09/904,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709223-224, 709/219, 719330-332, 700/53, 700/83
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31161 Java programcode or simular active agents, programs, applets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31196 SOAP, describes available services and how to call them remotely
• 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

Abstract

A remote operating program for a industrial controller executes on any browser enabled remote computer by connecting to Web server connected to the industrial controller to load an applet. The applet provides for a communication protocol with the server of the industrial controller that allows the applet to discover and use objects on the server that may be implemented by the remote operating program.

Claims

1. An industrial control system interface comprising:

a first interface program executing on a remote computer to provide an interface screen for an industrial controller;

a second interface program executing on a Web server communicating with the remote computer over the Internet and further communicating with an industrial control system controlling an industrial process through input and output data communicated with the industrial process;

the first and second interface program execute to provide a protocol so that the first interface program discovers and instances software objects related to the input and output data and stored on the Web server;

the first interface program uses pre-written software objects to implement the interface; and

the protocol provides for at least one persistence instruction that preserves an instance of a software object on the Web server after cessation of a communication session between the remote computer and the Web server.

2. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the SOAP protocol provides for a discovery instruction to be transmitted from the first interface program that causes the second interface program to provide characteristics of the software objects.

3. The industrial control system interface of claim 2, the characteristics are object properties, object constructors, object methods, and object events.

4. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the protocol provides for the communication of instructions between the first interface program and the second interface program using the SOAP protocol.

5. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, multiple instructions are transmitted in a single SOAP protocol message and wherein a call arrangement of the SOAP protocol is selected from the group consisting of sequential, nested, and a combination of both.

6. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the protocol provides for a constructor instruction creating an instance of a software object on the Web server.

7. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the protocol provides for a set property instruction setting a property of a software object on the Web server.

8. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the protocol provides for an invocation of a method of a software object on the Web server.

9. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the protocol provides for an event subscription instruction causing the receipt by the first interface program of event messages from software objects on the Web server.

10. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the first and second interface programs further execute to

connect the remote computer using a Web browser program to a first Web page providing the first interface program;

read the first interface program into the remote computer and execute it at the remote computer; and

connect the Web browser program to the Web server communicating with the industrial control system.

11. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the software objects are stored on a Web server other than the Web server communicating with the industrial control system.

12. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the first interface program is a Java applet.

13. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the software objects stored on the Web server include graphic display elements.

14. The industrial control system interface of claim 1, the software objects stored on the Web server include graphic control elements.

15. A method of remote communication with an industrial control system

executing a first interface program on a remote computer to provide an interface screen for an industrial controller;

executing a second interface program on a Web server communicating with the remote computer over the Internet and further communicating with an industrial control system controlling an industrial process through input and output data communicated with the industrial process; and

the first and second interface programs further execute to provide a protocol so that the first interface program may discover and instance software objects related to the input and output data and stored on the Web server, the protocol calls for a persistence command that retains a copy of a software object on the Web server after communication between the remote computer and the Web server is terminated; and

the first interface program may use pre-written software objects to implement the interface.

16. The method of claim 15, the SOAP protocol provides for a discovery instruction to be transmitted from the first interface program that causes the second interface program to provide a list of characteristics of the software objects.

17. The method of claim 16, the characteristics are object properties, object constructors, object methods and object events.

18. The method of claim 15, the protocol provides for the communication of instructions between the first interface program and the second interface program using the SOAP protocol.

19. The method of claim 15, multiple instructions are transmitted in a single SOAP protocol message and wherein a call arrangement of the SOAP protocol is selected from the group consisting of sequential, nested, and a combination of both.

20. The method of claim 15, the protocol provides for a constructor instruction creating an instance of a software object on the Web server.

21. The method of claim 15, the protocol provides for an set property instruction setting a property of a software object on the Web server.

22. The method of claim 15, the protocol provides for an invocation of a method of a software object on the Web server.

23. The method of claim 15, the protocol provides for an event subscription instruction causing the receipt by the first interface program of event messages from software objects on the Web server.

24. The method of claim 15, including the steps of:

connecting the remote computer via a Web browser program to a first Web page providing the first interface program;

reading the first interface program into the remote computer and executing it at the remote computer; and

connecting the Web browser program to the Web server communicating with the industrial control system.

25. The method of claim 15, the software objects are stored on a Web server other than the Web server communicating with the industrial control system.

26. The method of claim 15, the first interface program is a Java applet.

27. The method of claim 15, the software objects stored on the Web server include graphic display elements.

28. The method of claim 15, the software objects stored on the Web server include a graphic control elements.