Method and system for remote control of a local system

• US 7,330,878 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Software, LLC (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys PLC
• Inventors: Cook, Jay S., Slavin, Sean, El-Sabaaly, Hatem K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot; Bharat
• Application Number:
  US10/696,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709/208, 709216-221, 709223-224, 709/229, 709227-228, 707/10, 719316-317, 719331-332, 700/1, 700 17- 18, 700/83, 700/90
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for remote control including a control system having a memory and a CPU for sending and receiving control information and instructions at a first location, a software application for manipulating the control information sent and received by the control system resident in the memory, a remote computer system having a CPU and memory at a second location communicating over a communication path with the control system at the first location and one desktop bound software application for manipulating the control information sent and received by the control system accessed by the remote computer system over the at least one communication path resident in the memory of the remote computer system. In variations, the control information includes alarm data, runtime data and historical data.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a factory automation control system via a remote computer, the remote computer including an object container, the method comprising:

requesting, via at least one of the remote computer, factory automation control system information, wherein the factory automation control system is configured to control an industrial process, and wherein the requesting includes requesting a web page, the web page being hosted by the factory automation control system;

receiving, from the factory automation control system, the factory automation control system information at the object container;

running an ActiveX control within a web browser in the object container so as to enable a user at the at least one of the remote computer to view the received factory automation control system information via the web page;

generating control instructions with the ActiveX control; and

sending the control instructions to the control system, wherein the control instructions effect changes in the industrial process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received factory automation control system information includes information selected from the group consisting of alarm information and history information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the running an ActiveX control within a web browser includes;

creating a local server by modifying a local runtime application;

providing an ActiveX object to host the local server; and

executing the local server.

4. A system for managing an industrial process at an industrial facility comprising:

an input/output (I/O) unit, wherein the I/O unit is configured to communicate with a corresponding node in the industrial process and is capable of generating process data;

a remote computer system configured to execute a desktop bound software application adapted with an ActiveX control to request, receive and manipulate said process data;

a control system computer coupled between said unit and said remote computer system, said control system computer executing a local software application comprising;

a data handler;

an Internet server application program interface (ISAPI) configured to receive a request from the remote computer system for said process data and send the request to said data handler, said data handler being configured to retrieve said process data from said I/O unit in response to said request; and

wherein said local software application is configured to send said process data to said remote computer system, and wherein said remote computer system is further configured to send control instructions to the control system computer, which effect changes in the industrial process.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the data handler is selected from the group consisting of an alarm handler and a history handler.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said local software application includes a web server configured to send said process data with a web page.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote computer system is further configured to create a local server by modifying a local runtime application, provide an ActiveX object to host the local server, and execute the local server.

8. A processor readable medium including computer executable instructions for communicating with a factory automation control system via a remote computers, the remote computer including an object container, the instructions including instructions for:

requesting, via at least one of the remote computers, factory automation control system information wherein the factory automation control system is configured to control an industrial process, and wherein the requesting includes requesting a web page, the web page being hosted by the factory automation control system;

receiving, from the factory automation control system, the factory automation control system information at the object container;

running an ActiveX control within a web browser in the object container so as to enable a user at the at least one of the remote computers to view the received factory automation control system information via the web page;

generating control instructions with the ActiveX control; and

sending the control instructions to the control system, wherein the control instructions effect changes in the industrial process.

9. The processor readable medium of claim 8 wherein the received factory automation control system information includes information selected from the group consisting of alarm information and history information.

10. The processor readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further include instructions for:

creating a local server by modifying a local runtime application;

providing an ActiveX object to host the local server; and

executing the local server.

11. A method for obtaining industrial factory automation control system data, the industrial factory automation control system being controlled by a control program executed by a local control system, the method comprising:

modifying a web browser so that the web browser includes an ActiveX control object;

requesting, via a remote computer, the industrial factory automation control system data from the local control system, wherein the requesting includes requesting a web page, the web page being hosted by the local control system;

receiving the industrial factory automation control system data at the remote computer;

displaying the industrial factory automation control system data with the web browser; and

sending, via the remote computer, control instructions to the industrial factory automation control system, wherein the control instructions effect changes in an industrial process.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

creating a local server by modifying a local runtime application;

providing an ActiveX object to host the local server, and

executing the local server.

13. A system for monitoring an industrial facility comprising:

a first computer at the industrial facility, the first computer including a deskbound application configured to monitor a factory automation control system at the industrial facility; and

a second computer remote from the first computer, the second computer including a web browser and an ActiveX component for executing an instance of the deskbound application, and wherein the second computer is configured to receive, via a communication path, factory automation control system data from the first computer so as to enable a user at the second computer to monitor the factory automation control system at the second computer, and wherein the ActiveX component displays a display output of the deskbound application in the web browser, and wherein said second computer is further configured to send control instructions to the first computer, which effect changes in an industrial process at the industrial facility.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second computer is further configured to create a local server by modifying a local runtime application, provide an ActiveX object to host the local server, and execute the local server.