Control server, control terminal, control system, and recording medium storing control communication program

• US 7,467,231 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2001
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Japan Holdings Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Digital Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Minoru, Yamada, Masaaki, Saito, Masao, Kato, Satoshi, Kegoya, Kentaro, Yagi, Nobuhiro, Tanigawa, Shunu
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgess; Barbara N
• Application Number:
  US10/221,779
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,833 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/230, 709/232, 709/246, 709/223, 709/243, 709/244, 709/247, 715/733, 715/746, 715/864, 715/866, 345/733, 345/744, 345/746, 345/864, 345/866
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24084 Remote and local monitoring, local result to remote, remote takes action
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31161 Java programcode or simular active agents, programs, applets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Screen data is generated by a screen generating processor (74) of a control host computer (7) and transmitted to a programmable display apparatus (5). In accordance with the screen data, the programmable display apparatus (5) inquires a PLC (3) or the like about a state of a device (21), so as to update the display or transmit a control instruction depending on an input result. On the other hand, a control host computer (7) has a public server section (77) to transmit to a client apparatus (9) via the Internet an applet, which is generated by a compiler (76) compiling the screen data. The client apparatus (9) executes the applet to transmit to the public server section (77) an or the control instruction inquiry similar to those the programmable display apparatus (5) makes. In this way, the display is updated in accordance with a response. This realizes a control system, which allows a display content of the programmable display apparatus (5) to be remotely checked from a remote area remote from the programmable display apparatus (5), without newly generating a display screen.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

a control apparatus for controlling a device;

a storing apparatus for storing device data indicating a state of the device in regions designated by addresses;

programmable display apparatuses, in accordance with screen data composed of a combination of (a) first ones of the addresses designating the device data corresponding to displays on display regions on a screen, (b) second ones of the addresses designating the device data corresponding to inputs entered onto input regions on the screen, and (c) processing instruction words for specifying a display component to be displayed on the display regions and specifying input operation on the input region, for changing the device data corresponding to the input regions;

a terminal apparatus; and

a control server including (a) a display apparatus-end communication means, connected to the programmable display apparatuses, for receiving the screen data indicating the screens of the programmable display apparatuses, (b) a terminal-end communication means capable of communicating with a terminal apparatus, and (c) a converting means for converting the screen data received from the display apparatus-end communication means into an applet executable on the terminal apparatus,

the converting means generating, as the applet, data for giving an instruction for changing the device data in response to an input entered onto a screen region of the terminal apparatus that is indicated by the screen data,

the terminal-end communication means displaying the same screens as the screens displayed on the programmable display apparatuses by executing the applet, and requesting the terminal-end communication means to change the device data,

the terminal-end communication means transmitting to the terminal apparatus the data generated by the converting means, and upon receiving the request from the terminal apparatus executing the applet, instructing the programmable display apparatuses to change the device data.

2. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the terminal-end communication means communicates with the terminal apparatus via the Internet.

3. The control system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, each programmable display apparatus includes (a) a designated protocol communication means for communicating with a control apparatus for controlling a device in a. designated protocol that is designated to the control apparatus, (b) a common protocol communication means for communicating with the control apparatus, regardless of which type the control apparatus is of, in a common protocol that is preset, and (c) a relay means for relaying communication in the designated protocol and communication in the common protocol by converting the protocols from one to the other, and

the terminal end communication means, when the addresses of the devices indicate which device is to be controlled by the control apparatus, transmits to that programmable display apparatus that is connected with the control apparatus, an instruction for changing the contents of the addresses in the common protocol.

4. The control system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the terminal-end communication means communicates with the terminal apparatus via the Internet.

5. A method of communicating comprising the steps of:

receiving screen data indicating a screen of a programmable display apparatus by a control system, said control system comprising;

a control apparatus for controlling a device;

a storing apparatus for storing device data indicating a state of the device in regions designated by addresses;

programmable display apparatuses, in accordance with screen data composed of a combination of (a) first ones of the addresses designating the device data corresponding to displays on display regions on a screen, (b) second ones of the addresses designating the device data corresponding to inputs entered onto input regions on the screen, and (c) processing instruction words for specifying a display component to be displayed on the display regions and specifying input operation on the input region, for changing the device data corresponding to the input regions;

a terminal apparatus; and

a control server including (a) a display apparatus-end communication means, connected to the programmable display apparatuses, for receiving the screen data indicating the screens of the programmable display apparatuses, (b) a terminal-end communication means capable of communicating with a terminal apparatus, and (c) a converting means for converting the screen data received from the display apparatus-end communication means into an applet executable on the terminal apparatus,

the converting means generating, as the applet, data for giving an instruction for changing the device data in response to an input entered onto a screen region of the terminal apparatus that is indicated by the screen data,

the terminal-end communication means displaying the same screens as the screens displayed on the programmable display apparatuses by executing the applet, and requesting the terminal-end communication mans to change the device data,

the terminal-end communication means transmitting to the terminal apparatus the data generated by the converting means, and upon receiving the request from the terminal apparatus executing the applet, instructing the programmable display apparatuses to change the device data;

converting the thus received screen data into an applet executable on the terminal apparatus; and

transmitting the thus converted applet by communicating with the terminal apparatus via a network.

6. A computer recording medium storing executable instructions providing a communication control program, the communication control program being for operating, as a control system comprising:

a control apparatus for controlling a device;

a storing apparatus for storing device data indicating a state of the device in regions designated by addresses;

programmable display apparatuses, in accordance with screen data composed of a combination of (a) first ones of the addresses designating the device data corresponding to displays on display regions on a screen, (b) second ones of the addresses designating the device data corresponding to inputs entered onto input regions on the screen, and (c) processing instruction words for specifying a display component to be displayed on the display regions and specifying input operation on the input region, for changing the device data corresponding to the input regions;

a terminal apparatus; and

a control server including (a) a display apparatus-end communication means, connected to the programmable display apparatuses, for receiving the screen data indicating the screens of the programmable display apparatuses, (b) a terminal-end communication means capable of communicating with a terminal apparatus, and (c) a converting means for converting the screen data received from the display apparatus-end communication means into an applet executable on the terminal apparatus,

the converting means generating, as the applet, data for giving an instruction for changing the device data in response to an input entered onto a screen region of the terminal apparatus that is indicated by the screen data,

the terminal-end communication means displaying the same screens as the screens displayed on the programmable display apparatuses by executing the applet, and requesting the terminal-end communication mans to change the device data,

the terminal-end communication means transmitting to the terminal apparatus the data generated by the converting means, and upon receiving the request from the terminal apparatus executing the applet, instructing the programmable display apparatuses to change the device data.