Embedded database systems and methods in an industrial controller environment

• US 7,467,018 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Callaghan, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes; Michael B
• Application Number:
  US10/298,852
• Time in Patent Office: 2,220 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/246, 700/121, 700/19, 700/96, 700/146, 707/2, 707/10
• US Class Current: 700/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4186 by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31323 Database for CIM
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/84 Mapping; Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and processes that provide network database interactions in an industrial controller environment. A database protocol component operating in a control environment is provided to convert control or factory protocols to a native language format associated with a network database. Such databases may be accessed in a structured format, wherein one or more control components may be adapted in a client and/or server configuration to freely exchange data in the structured format associated with the database. The database protocol component sends commands and/or data in the structured format when exchanging data with the database while converting the structured format to one or more protocols associated with an industrial control system when receiving commands and/or data therefrom.

Claims

1. An industrial control system, comprising:

an industrial control component adapted to communicate across a network via a plurality of database protocols, wherein a protocol converter in the control component translates data between the database protocols and one or more industrial control protocols; and

at least one of a client and a server database to communicate with the industrial control component through employment of at least one controller tag element in accordance with the database protocol, wherein control data from a programmable logic controller of the industrial controller is exchanged with the database.

2. The system of claim 1, the client and server databases accesses the industrial control component via a query that employs the database protocol.

3. The system of claim 1, the industrial control component is adapted as at least one of a client and a server in order to exchange the data with the databases.

4. The system of claim 1, the database protocol is at least one of an SQL protocol, an XML protocol, and an SQLXML protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a protocol converter to translate data between the database protocols and one or more industrial control protocols.

6. The system of claim 5, the industrial control protocols including at least one of a data table format, a Control an Information Protocol (CIP), an Ethernet protocol, a ControlNet protocol, a DeviceNet protocol, a remote I/O protocol, a Data Highway protocol, a Data Highway+protocol, a Fieldbus protocol, a Modbus protocol, a Profibus protocol, and an OLE for Process Control (OPC) protocol.

7. The system of claim 5, the protocol converter translates between a row and column format and the industrial control data structures and protocols.

8. The system of claim 7, the protocol converter includes at least one of a row/column to data table converter, and a data table to row/column converter.

9. The system of claim 5, the protocol converter includes an SQL command interpreter to process one or more commands associated with the database protocols.

10. The system of claim 9, the commands include at least one of a select statement, a where clause, a from clause, a like clause, an operator, a create table statement, a constraint, an insert statement, an update statement, a delete statement, a drop table command, an aggregate function, a group by clause, a having clause, an order by clause, a conditional operator, a boolean operator, an in and between clause, a mathematical operator, a modulo operator, and a join function or operator to facilitate relational operations with a database.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data object having one or more rows and one or more columns.

12. The system of claim 11, the data object is associated with at least one of a name and a tag.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one application that employs the database protocols, the application is associated with at least one of data collection, monitoring, quality control, accounting, and material management.

14. The system of claim 13, the application at least one of sends a query, determines which industrial control components have reported, and determines from the query a “

who”

function indicating a network configuration.

15. The system of claim 13, the industrial control component reports at least one of a fault, a diagnostic, a maintenance condition and a status condition to the application in accordance with the database protocol.

16. The system of claim 1, the network is at least one of an Internet, an Intranet, and a factory network.

17. The system of claim 1, the industrial control component includes at least one of a programmable logic controller (PLCs), a communications module and an I/O module.

18. A method for exchanging data between an industrial control component and a database, comprising:

adapting at least one control component in the industrial controller to process a plurality of database languages through use of controller schema, wherein a protocol converter in the control component translates data between the database protocols and one or more industrial control protocols;

exchanging data with the control component in accordance with the one or more database languages, wherein the control component exchanges control data from/to a programmable logic controller (PLC).

19. The method of claim 18, the database language is at least one of an SQL language, an XML language, and an SQLXML language.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising converting data between the database languages and one or more industrial control protocols.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising translating between a row and column format and the industrial control protocols.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising processing one or more commands associated with the database languages.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of data collecting, data monitoring, quality controlling, accounting, and material managing to facilitate higher-level controls in an industrial control system.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of sending a query, determining the control component that has responded to the query, and determining from the query a function indicating a network configuration.

25. The method of claim 18, the database language is employed to report at least one of a fault, a diagnostic, a maintenance condition and a status condition.

26. A database and industrial control system, comprising:

means for adapting an industrial control system to automatically translate control data between an industrial protocol and a plurality of database protocols, wherein the control data is received from a programmable logic controller; and

means for exchanging the control data between an industrial control component and a database utilizing the database protocols.

27. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, comprising:

a first data field representing at least one of a row and a column expression relating to a database component associated with one or more database protocols; and

a second data field representing an industrial control data format derived from the first data field by utilizing at least one of a controller tag element and controller schema.

28. The medium of claim 27, the data structure is at least one of an SQL format, an XML format, and an SQLXML format.