Methods and systems for management and control of an automation control module

• US 7,433,968 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Fanuc Automation North America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GE Fanuc Automation North America Incorporated
• Inventors: Hietanen, David J., Chambers, Misty McCrea, Shelton, William Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Application Number:
  US10/388,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181297A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 700/292, 700/20, 700/19, 700/22, 700/2, 700/1, 700/18, 700/86, 700/87, 700/108, 700/169, 700/174, 700/79, 700/83, 700/76, 700/9, 700/31, 700/30, 718/1, 718/100, 709/218, 709/217, 709/223, 709/219, 709/206, 709/207, 709/224, 709/212, 709/246, 709/25
• US Class Current: 709/241
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31418 NC program management, support, storage, distribution, version, update
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server

Abstract

An automation control module (ACM) includes an ACM central processing unit (CPU) and a file transfer system electrically connected to the ACM CPU. The file transfer system is embedded within the ACM, and is configured to receive at least one update for at least one module from a network and transfer the at least one update to the at least one module.

Claims

1. An automation control module (ACM) comprising:

an ACM central processing unit (CPU) including a programmable logic controller (PLC) and an ACM CPU memory; and

a file transfer system comprising a file transfer system memory, said file transfer system electrically connected to said ACM CPU and embedded within said ACM, and configured to receive at least one update for at least one module from a network and transfer said at least one update to the at least one module without user intervention, wherein the at least one module is configured to apply the at least one update to one of a program and a firmware within the at least one module, wherein said file transfer system is configured to automatically transfer the at least one update via a backplane to update one of the firmware and the program using a file transfer protocol.

2. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein said file transfer system further comprises a file transfer server electrically connected to said ACM CPU and the network, said file transfer server configured to receive the at least one update for the at least one module from the network.

3. An ACM in accordance with claim 2 wherein said file transfer server configured to transfer said at least one update for at least one module to the at least one module.

4. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein said at least one update for at least one module comprises at least one of a program and data.

5. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein the at least one module comprises at least one of an input module, an output module, and an input/output (I/O) module.

6. An ACM in accordance with claim 2 wherein said file transfer server configured to store said at least one update for at least one module.

7. An ACM in accordance with claim 2 wherein said file transfer system memory is electrically connected to said file transfer server, said file transfer system memory configured to store said at least one update for at least one module and comprising said at least one update for at least one module, said file transfer server configured to retrieve said at least one update for at least one module from said file transfer system memory.

8. An ACM in accordance with claim 2 wherein said ACM CPU memory is electrically connected to said file transfer server, said ACM CPU memory configured to store said at least one update for at least one module and comprising said at least one update for at least one I/O module, said file transfer server configured to retrieve said at least one update for at least one module from said ACM CPU memory.

9. An ACM in accordance with claim 7 wherein said file transfer system memory comprises at least one of a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a removable memory, a flash memory, and a compact flash card.

10. An ACM in accordance with claim 8 wherein said ACM CPU memory comprises at least one of a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a removable memory, a flash memory, and a compact flash card.

11. An ACM in accordance with claim 2 wherein said file transfer system comprises a network interface electrically connected to said file transfer server and configured for connection to a network, said file transfer server configured to receive said at least one update for at least one module from the network using said network interface.

12. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ACM comprises a backplane interface electrically connected to said ACM and the backplane electrically connected to said backplane interface, said backplane configured for connection with the at least one module.

13. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ACM comprises an external interface electrically connected to said ACM and a cable electrically connected to said external interface, said cable configured for connection with the at least one module.

14. An ACM in accordance with claim 11 wherein said file transfer server configured to send said at least one update for at least one module to said network using said network interface.

15. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein said file transfer system embedded within said ACM.

16. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ACM comprises a backplane interface electrically connected to said ACM and the backplane is electrically connected to said backplane interface, said backplane configured for connection with said file transfer system.

17. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein the network comprises the Internet.

50. An ACM in accordance with claim 1 wherein the at least one module comprises a first module and a second module and the at least one update comprises a first update and a second update, and said file transfer system configured to transfer the first update via the backplane to the first module and transfer the second update via the backplane to the second module.

18. An automation control module (ACM) system comprising:

an ACM including a programmable logic controller (PLC) and an ACM system memory;

a network;

at least one module electrically connected to said ACM, wherein said at least one module includes a first module and a second module;

a computer electrically connected to said network and configured to communicate with said network; and

a file transfer subsystem electrically connected to and embedded within said ACM, said file transfer subsystem electrically connected to said network, said file transfer subsystem configured to receive at least one update for said at least one module from said computer using said network and transfer said at least one update for said at least one module to said at least one module without user intervention, wherein the at least one update includes a first update and a second update, said file transfer subsystem includes a file transfer server and a file transfer subsystem memory, and said file transfer server configured to automatically transfer the first update to update one of a firmware and a program within said first module, and said file transfer server configured to automatically transfer the second update to update one a firmware and a program within said second module, wherein said file transfer subsystem is configured to transfer the at least one update via a backplane to update one of the firmware and the program by applying a file transfer protocol.

19. An ACM in accordance with claim 18 wherein said ACM comprises a backplane interface electrically connected to said ACM and the backplane electrically connected to said backplane interface, said backplane configured for connection with said file transfer subsystem.

20. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said file transfer server electrically connected to said network, and said file transfer server configured to receive said at least one update for said at least one module from said computer using said network.

21. An ACM system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said file transfer server further configured to transfer said at least one update for said at least one module to said at least one module.

22. An ACM system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said file transfer server further configured to store said at least one update for said at least one module.

23. An ACM system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said file transfer subsystem memory is electrically connected to said file transfer server, said file transfer subsystem memory configured to store said at least one update for said at least one module, said file transfer server configured to retrieve said at least one update for said at least one module from said file transfer subsystem memory.

24. An ACM system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said ACM comprises an ACM central processing unit (CPU), said ACM system memory electrically connected to said file transfer server, said ACM system memory configured to store said at least one update for said at least one module, said file transfer server configured to retrieve said at least one update for said at least one module from said ACM system memory.

25. An ACM system in accordance with claim 23 wherein said file transfer subsystem memory comprises at least one of a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a removable memory, a flash memory, and a compact flash card.

26. An ACM system in accordance with claim 24 wherein said ACM system memory comprises at least one of a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a removable memory, a flash memory, and a compact flash card.

27. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said at least one update for said at least one module comprises at least one of a program and data.

28. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said at least one module comprises at least one of an input module, an output module, and an input/output (I/O) module.

29. An ACM in accordance with claim 20 wherein said file transfer subsystem further comprises a network interface electrically connected to said file transfer server and configured for connection to said network, said file transfer server configured to receive said at least one update for said at least one module from said computer using said network and said network interface, and send said at least one update for said at least one module to said computer using said network and said network interface.

30. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said ACM system comprises a backplane interface electrically connected to said ACM and the backplane is electrically connected to said backplane interface, said backplane configured for connection to said at least one module.

31. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said ACM system comprises an external interface electrically connected to said ACM and a cable electrically connected to said external interface, said cable configured for connection with said at least one module.

32. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said network comprises the Internet.

33. An ACM system in accordance with claim 20 wherein said file transfer server comprises a file transfer protocol server.

34. An ACM system in accordance with claim 18 wherein a user is required to enter a valid user name and user password to access said ACM system.

35. A method for management and control of an automation control module (ACM) using an ACM system, the ACM system including an ACM having an ACM memory, a network, a computer electrically connected to the network and configured to communicate with the network, at least one module electrically connected to the ACM, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and a file transfer subsystem embedded within the ACM, the file transfer subsystem including a file transfer subsystem memory, said method comprising:

receiving, by the ACM, at least one update for the at least one module from the computer using the network and the file transfer subsystem;

automatically transferring the at least one update for the at least one module from the ACM to the at least one module using the file transfer subsystem; and

updating one of a program and a firmware within the at least one module by applying the at least one update to the at least one module, wherein said automatically transferring the at least one update comprises communicating, without user intervention, the at least one update via a backplane to update one of the firmware and the program by using a file transfer protocol.

36. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein the at least one update includes at least one of a program and data, said method further comprising updating module data with the at least one update using the at least one module.

37. A method in accordance with claim 35 further comprising requiring a user input a valid user name and valid user password into the computer to access the file transfer subsystem.

38. A method in accordance with claim 35 wherein the file transfer subsystem further includes a file transfer server electrically connected to the network, said receiving at least one update for the at least one module from the computer using the network and the file transfer subsystem comprising receiving the at least one update for the at least one module from the computer using the network and the file transfer server.

39. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein said transferring the at least one update for the at least on module to the at least one module using the file transfer subsystem comprises transferring the at least one update for the at least one module to the at least one module using the file transfer server.

40. A method in accordance with claim 38 further comprising storing the at least one update for the at least one module on the file transfer server.

41. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein the file transfer subsystem memory electronically connected to the file transfer server, said method further comprising:

storing the at least one update for the at least one module in the file transfer subsystem memory; and

retrieving the at least one update for the at least one module using the file transfer server.

42. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein the ACM includes an ACM central processing unit (CPU) and the ACM memory is electronically connected to the file transfer server, said method further comprising:

storing the at least one update for the at least one module in the ACM CPU memory; and

retrieving the at least one update for the at least one module using the file transfer server.

43. A method in accordance with claim 38 wherein the file transfer subsystem further includes a network interface electrically connected to the file transfer server and configured for connection to the network, said receiving the at least one update for the at least one module from the computer using the network and the file transfer server comprising receiving the at least one update for the at least one module from the computer using the network, the network interface, and the file transfer server.

44. A method in accordance with claim 39 wherein the ACM system further includes a backplane interface electrically connected to the ACM and the backplane is electrically connected to the backplane interface and the at least one module, said transferring the at least one update for the at least one module to the at least one module using the file transfer server comprising transferring the at least one update for the at least one module to the at least one module using the file transfer sewer, the backplane interface, and the backplane.

45. A method in accordance with claim 39 wherein the ACM system further includes an external interface electrically connected to the ACM and a cable electrically connected to the external interface and the at least one module, said transferring the at least one update for the at least one module to the at least one module using the file transfer server comprising transferring the at least one update for the at least one module to the at least one module using the file transfer server, the external interface, and the cable.

46. An automation control module (ACM) comprising:

an ACM central processing unit (CPU) including a programmable logic controller (PLC);

an ACM CPU system memory; and

a file transfer system comprising a file transfer system memory different from said ACM CPU system memory, said file transfer system electrically connected to said ACM CPU, said system embedded within said ACM, and configured to receive at least one update for said ACM from a network and automatically transfer said at least one update to at least one of said ACM CPU and said ACM CPU system memory, wherein at least one of said ACM CPU and ACM CPU system memory configured to update a program within the ACM CPU by using the at least one update, wherein said file transfer system is configured to automatically transfer at least one update via a backplane to update a program within at least one input/output module by applying a file transfer protocol, said at least one input/output module electrically connected to said ACM.

47. An ACM in accordance with claim 46 wherein said file transfer system comprises a file transfer server electrically connected to said ACM CPU and the network, said file transfer server configured to receive at least one update for said ACM CPU from the network.

48. An ACM in accordance with claim 47 wherein said file transfer server configured to transfer at least one update for said ACM CPU to at least one of said ACM CPU and said ACM CPU system memory.

49. An ACM in accordance with claim 46 wherein said at least one update for said ACM CPU comprises at least one of a program and data.