Location based programming and data management in an automated environment

• US 7,437,212 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Brandt, David D., Farchmin, David Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick; Michael D
• Application Number:
  US11/351,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/93, 700/95, 700/116, 700/221, 709/222, 709/229
• US Class Current: 700/221
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32085 Layout of factory, facility, cell, production system planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and system for providing information related to a set of automated resources that may cooperate in an environment to perform an automated process, the method comprising the steps of associating a specific environment location with the automated process, determining the locations of resources with respect to the specific location and, where resources are proximate the specific location, providing information related to the automated process. Also a method for facility communication between distributed resources where location or an attribute akin thereto is used to tag data and to monitor network data for specific required data.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communication between a set of resources in an environment wherein at least a sub-set of the resource set is linked via a network, at least a first of the resources generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying the physical location of the first resource within the environment as a first location;

when the first resource generates data to be transmitted on the network, tagging the data as produced at the first location and without a designated destination address;

transmitting the location tagged data onto the network;

via a second resource, monitoring the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location, identifying data tagged as produced at the first location and consuming at least some of the data tagged as produced at the first location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the location includes transmitting a signal from the first resource to a receiver and using the received signal to identify the location.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of specifying a process zone within the environment and wherein the step of identifying includes determining that the first resource is within the process zone.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of tagging includes indicating that the data packets are generated by a resource located within the process zone.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the environment is an automated industrial environment and the step of identifying location includes identifying location within the automated environment.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein, when the second resource is unable to determine that received data is tagged as being produced at the first location, consumption of the received data at the second resource is foregone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second resource monitors the network for data tagged as being produced at a subset of locations including the first location and wherein, when the second resource is unable to determine that received data is tagged as being produced at at least one of the subset of locations, consumption of the received data at the second resource is foregone.

8. A method for establishing communication between a set of resources in an environment wherein at least a sub-set of the resource set is linked via a network, at least a first of the resources generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying the physical location of the first resource within the environment as a first location;

the first resource generates data to be transmitted on the network,

tagging the data as produced at the first location;

transmitting the location tagged data onto the network without a designated destination address;

using a second resource to transmit data on the network indicating that the data is produced at a second physical location within the environment and without a designated destination address; and

via the first resource, monitoring the network for data produced at the second location, identifying data tagged as produced at the second location and consuming at least some of the data produced at the second location.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein, when the first resource is unable to determine that received data is tagged as being produced at the second location, consumption of the received data at the first resource is foregone.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first resource monitors the network for data tagged as being produced at a subset of locations including the second location and wherein, when the first resource is unable to determine that received data is tagged as being produced at at least one of the subset of locations, consumption of the received data at the first resource is foregone.

11. A method for establishing communication between a plurality of resources in an environment wherein the resources communicate via a network, at least a first of the resources located at a first physical location within the environment generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, tagging data generated thereby to indicate that the data is produced at the first location and transmitting the location tagged data onto the network without a designated destination address, the method comprising the steps of:

for at least a second resource, monitoring the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location; and

when data tagged as being produced at the first location is identified, using at least some of the data to perform a function.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein, when the second resource is unable to determine that received data is tagged as being produced at the first location, consumption of the received data at the second resource is foregone.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second resource monitors the network for data tagged as being produced at a subset of locations including the first location and wherein, when the second resource is unable to determine that received data is tagged as being produced at at least one of the subset of locations, consumption of the received data at the second resource is foregone.

14. A system for establishing communication between a set of resources in an environment wherein at least a sub-set of the resource set is linked via a network, at least a first of the resources generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, the system comprising:

a location determiner for identifying the physical location of the first resource within the environment as a first location;

a processor for;

the first resource generates data to be transmitted on the network, tagging the data as produced at the first location and without a designated destination address; and

transmitting the location tagged data onto the network; and

a second resource linked to the network wherein the second resource monitors the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location, identifies data tagged as being produced at the first location and consumes at least some of the data tagged as produced at the first location.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the location determiner includes at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, a first of the transmitter and receiver associated with the first resource, the transmitter transmitting a signal to the receiver useable to identify the location of the first resource.

16. A system for establishing communication between a set of resources in an environment wherein at least a sub-set of the resource set is linked via a network, at least a first of the resources generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, the system comprising:

a location determiner for identifying the physical location of the first resource within the environment as a first location;

a processor for;

when the first resource generates data to be transmitted on the network, tagging the data as produced at the first location; and

transmitting the location tagged data onto the network without a designated destination address; and

at least a second resource that transmits data on the network indicating that the data is produced at a second physical location within the environment and without a designated destination address; and

wherein the first resource monitors the network for data produced at the second location, identifies data tagged as produced at the second location and consumes at least some of the data produced at the second location.

17. A system for establishing communication between a plurality of resources in an environment wherein the resources communicate via a network, at least a first of the resources located at a first physical location within the environment generating data useable by other resources to perform various functions, tagging data generated thereby to indicate that the data is produced at the first location and transmitting the location tagged data onto the network without a designated destination address, the system comprising:

a processor associated with at least a second resource, the processor programmed to;

monitor the network for data tagged as being produced at the first location;

identify data tagged as being produced at the first location; and

when data tagged as being produced at the first location is identified, use at least some of the data to perform a function.