Power supply communication system and method
First Claim
1. A system for controller configuration and programming, comprising:
- a controller connected to a power line network;
a configuration device connected to Internet, wherein the configuration device and the controller utilize at least an interface to communicate over the power line network and the Internet to enable remote controller configuration and programming, the configuration device further comprises a diagnostic tool for inconspicuously conducting data monitoring and gathering procedures without knowledge of the controller and without interfering with operating processes within the controller; and
the interface implements a peer-to-peer communication network.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for configuring and monitoring devices utilizing a power line network is provided herein. Each network device (e.g., programmable logic controller, machine, or sensor) contains a power line interface to facilitate communication over a power line network. The power line interfaces contain at least one unique identifier to distinguish the interface and its associated network device from other devices on the same network and thereby enable device message exchange. The ubiquity of power lines in an industrial environment or any environment for that matter provides an accommodating medium of communication, which the subject invention exploits to set-up, configure, and program industrial control devices connected thereto. Furthermore, the subject invention can utilizes power lines after configuration, during system operation, or upon device failure to monitor, diagnose, and/or predict the health of a system device.
37 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for controller configuration and programming, comprising:
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a controller connected to a power line network; a configuration device connected to Internet, wherein the configuration device and the controller utilize at least an interface to communicate over the power line network and the Internet to enable remote controller configuration and programming, the configuration device further comprises a diagnostic tool for inconspicuously conducting data monitoring and gathering procedures without knowledge of the controller and without interfering with operating processes within the controller; and the interface implements a peer-to-peer communication network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for controller configuration and programming, comprising:
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a controller connected to a power line; and a configuration device that can be connected to a wide area network (WAN), wherein the configuration device and the controller utilize at least an interface to communicate over the power line and the wide area network to enable remote controller configuration and programming, the configuration device further comprises a diagnostic tool for inconspicuously conducting data monitoring and gathering procedures without knowledge of the controller and also without interfering with operating processes within the controller. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification