Method and system for remotely monitoring time variant data

• US 7,376,712 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2000
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Limited (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Limited (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Granatelli, David B., Higgins, Michael David
• Primary Examiner(s): MEKY, MOUSTAFA M
• Application Number:
  US10/111,125
• Time in Patent Office: 2,902 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/224, 709/229, 709/219, 709200-203, 710/106, 710/109, 710/105, 717/109, 702183-184, 702/188
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31239 Cache for server to fast support client
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system (100) and method for remotely monitoring and controlling time variant data in an industrial plant (400). The system (100) includes a local server (102) and at least one remote server (104). The local server (102) includes a local server cache (206), a local controller (308), and a local operator station (1001). Each remote server (104) includes a remote server cache (901) and a remote controller (903). Wherein the local server cache (206) stores a plurality of data units (304), and the local controller (308) provides updated units (902) to the local server cache (206). Each remote server cache (901) stores a plurality of data units (902), and each remote controller (903) provides updated data units (902) to its corresponding remote server cache (901). The method operates such that each cache (206, 901) buffers controllers (308) and other servers (104) from unnecessary data requesting transactions, minimizing the data traffic in the system (100). A communication network hardware in the form of a Wide Area Network (WAN) (106) interconnecting all the servers (102, 104), and a unique data point identifier (204) associated with the at least one remote server (104) are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for remotely monitoring time variant data provided by a plurality of sensing devices, the system including:

a) a plurality of remote servers each configured for allowing a remote operator to select a local data unit and to specify a parameter that is at least one of a rate of update and a condition relating to the data unit whereby, upon selection, the respective server is adapted to provide a command signal containing an identifier indicative of the selected local data unit, a subscriber field for identifying the remote server generating the command signal, and a subscription field for indicating the parameter, the remote servers also including respective remote server cache for containing one or more remote data units corresponding to selected local data units;

b) a plurality of local servers each including a local server cache for containing one or more of the local data units designated by the identifiers, the local servers being responsive to the command signal, if the identifier corresponds to a data unit contained in the local server cache, for storing the subscriber field in the local cache and for pushing a data signal including the local data unit to the remote server identified in the subscriber field periodically based on the operator-specified parameter;

c) a plurality of local controllers being responsive to the time variant data provided by the sensing devices for updating the local data units in the local cache; and

d) a plurality of remote server processors associated with respective remote servers and which are responsive to the data signals addressed to the respective servers for updating a remote data unit to correspond with the selected local data unit.

2. A system according to claim 1 including a remote operating station associated with one of the remote servers for allowing a remote operator to access the local data units.

3. A system according to claim 1 including a plurality of remote operating stations associated with one of the remote servers for allowing a plurality of respective remote operators to access the local data units.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the remote server is adapted, upon operator selection of a local data unit, to determine whether one of the remote data units corresponds to the selected local data unit.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein, upon operator selection of a local data unit, the remote servers are adapted to determine the local server to which the selected data unit is local and to store in the associated cache mapping information indicative of the location of said local data unit.

6. A system according to claim 5 wherein, upon operator selection of a local data unit, the remote servers are adapted to determine whether the remote server cache stores mapping information indicative of the local server to which the selected data unit is local.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein, upon connection of a local server to the system, the local server is adapted to send to the remote servers information indicative of the data units local to it, including data point identifiers, and the remote servers are adapted to store mapping information indicative of the location of said local data units.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of remote servers are configured to allow an operator to specify a condition other than update time whereby upon selection the respective server of the data unit selected provides a command signal containing a subscription field indicating the specified condition.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of remote servers are configured to allow an operator to specify a temperature change value whereby upon selection the respective server of the data unit selected provides a command signal containing a subscription field indicating the temperature change.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the remote servers are adapted to allow respective remote operators to indicate that a local data unit is not required and, upon such an indication, to provide a command signal in which the subscription field indicates that the data unit is no longer required, and wherein the local server is adapted, upon receipt of such a command signal, to remove the subscriber field associated with said remote server from the local server cache, such that the local data unit is no longer pushed to the remote server.

11. A method of remotely monitoring time variant data provided by a plurality of sensing devices, the method including:

a) at a local server, storing one or more local data units designated by local data unit identifiers;

b) at a remote server, allowing a remote operator to select a local data unit and to specify a parameter including at least one of a rate of update and conditions relating to the data unit, and generating a command signal containing the identifier associated with the selected local data unit, a subscriber field for identifying the remote server generating the command signal, and a subscription field for indicating the parameter corresponding to the at least one of rate of update and the conditions;

c) at the local server, responding to the command signal by pushing a data signal including the selected local data unit to the remote server identified in the subscriber field periodically based on the parameter;

d) at the remote server, updating a remote data unit to correspond to the local data unit.

12. A method according to claim 11 including at a remote server, simultaneously allowing a plurality of remote operators access to the local data units.

13. A method according to claim 12 including at the remote server, upon operator selection of a local data unit, determining whether a remote data unit corresponds to the selected local data unit.

14. A method according to claim 11 including at a remote server, upon operator selection of a local data unit, determining the local server to which the selected data unit is local and storing in the associated cache mapping information indicative of the location of said local data unit.

15. A method according to claim 14 including, upon operator selection of a local data unit, determining whether the remote server cache stores mapping information indicative of the local server to which the selected local data unit is local.

16. A method according to claim 11 including at a local server, upon connection of said local server to a network of servers, sending to remote servers information indicative of the data units local to said local server, including data point identifiers;

and, at the remote servers, storing mapping information indicative of the local of said local data units.

17. A method according to claim 11 including at a remote server, receiving at the remote server a condition other than update time whereby upon selection the respective server of the data unit selected provides a command signal containing a subscription field indicating the specified condition.

18. A method according to claim 11 including at a remote server, receiving a specification of a temperature change value whereby upon receipt of the temperature change value, the respective server of the data unit selected provides a command signal containing a subscription field indicating the temperature change.

19. A method according to claim 11 wherein the remote servers allow respective remote operators to indicate that a local data unit is not required and, upon such an indication, to provide a command signal in which the subscription field indicates that the data unit is no longer required, and wherein the local server, upon receipt of such a command signal, removes the subscriber field associated with said remote server from the local server cache, such that the local data unit is no longer pushed to the remote server.