Remote monitoring and control of an I/O module

• US 7,587,251 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Hopsecger, Edward C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US11/313,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/17
• 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: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

An industrial automation monitoring and/or control system comprises a receiver component that receives a request for a web page associated with a network adaptor. An execution component executes instantiated objects within the web page to effectuate at least one of monitoring and control of an input/output module that is communicatively coupled to the network adaptor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system to facilitate industrial automation monitoring or control, comprising:

at least one processor coupled to a memory, the processor executes;

a receiver component that receives a request for a web page associated with a network adaptor;

an execution component that executes instantiated objects within the web page to effectuate at least one of monitoring and control of an I/O module that is communicatively coupled to the network adaptor;

an editor component that enables creation of new objects or editing of instantiated objects;

a selection component that facilitates selection of a project associated with the instantiated objects;

a saving component that facilitates saving the instantiated objects with respect to a selected project on at least one of a local drive and a network server drive; and

a transaction component that enables the selection and purchase of additional objects to be utilized by the editor component while creating or editing web pages.

2. The system of claim 1, the web page is an HTML web page.

3. The system of claim 1, the instantiated objects are applets that are interdependent upon one another.

4. The system of claim 1, the web page is dedicated to a network adaptor connected to multiple I/O modules.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that ensures that an initiator of the request is authorized to execute the web page.

6. The system of claim 5, the security component utilizes at least one of a virtual private network (VPN) and a firewall to ensure that the initiator of the request is authorized to execute the web page.

7. The system of claim 5, the security component analyzes one or more of a username, password, personal identification number, and biometric indicia in connection with ensuring that the initiator of the request is authorized to execute the web page.

8. The system of claim 1, the instantiated objects include one of a counting object, a comparison object, a multiplier object, a divider object, an addition object, and a subtraction object.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a requestor component that requests a Java plug-in to execute the instantiated objects upon the receiver component receiving the request.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a converter component that converts results of the execution from data formatted in accordance with web protocols to data formatted in accordance with an industrial automation protocol.

11. The system of claim 10, the industrial automation protocol is the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP).

12. The system of claim 10, the industrial automation protocol is one of EthernetIP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, ProfiBus, and FieldBus.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a library of objects that are accessible through the editor component, the editor component employed to instantiate a subset of objects within the library of objects within a project.

14. The system of claim 1, the editor component is accessible by way of a web page dedicated to the network adaptor.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a compiler component that automatically generates an HTML file, the requested web page is the HTML file.

16. A method for remotely monitoring or controlling an I/O module comprising the following computer-executable acts:

providing a homepage with respect to a network adaptor, the homepage is accessible by way of the Internet and the network adaptor is configured to communicate with the I/O module;

providing an editor applet within the homepage;

automatically creating an HTML Netlist of functional objects provided to the editor applet, the Netlist configured to at least one of control and monitor the I/O module, where the HTML Netlist conveys relationships between the functional objects;

saving the created HTML Netlist in a project file format for later selection on at least one of a local drive and network drive; and

purchasing additional functional objects for use by the editor applet for at least one of creating or editing web pages.

17. The method of claim 16, the functional objects include one or more of a comparison object and a mathematical operator object.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a library of function objects that are accessible by way of the editor applet.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically launching an HTML page that comprises the HTML Netlist, the HTML page employable to at least one of monitor or control the I/O module.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising saving the created Netlist within the network adaptor.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

executing the HTML Netlist; and

converting data supplied by applets within the executing HTML Netlist to data that conforms to an industrial automation protocol.

22. The method of claim 21, the industrial automation protocol is one or more of CIP, ProfiBus, FieldBus, EtherNetIP, DeviceNet, and ControlNet.

23. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling one or more I/O module(s), comprising:

receiving a request for an HTML page associated with a network adaptor that is connected to one or more I/O modules, the HTML page includes instantiated Java applets;

executing the Java applets to at least one of monitor, control, or edit graphical rendering of the one or more I/O modules;

editing the instantiated Java applets;

selecting a project associated with the instantiated Java applets;

saving the instantiated Java applets with respect to a selected project on at least one of a local drive and a network server drive;

associating the java applets with a library of objects, the library of objects facilitating functionality of individual java applets; and

selecting and purchasing additional objects for creating or editing the HTML page.

24. A system for monitoring or controlling an I/O module from a remote location, comprising:

means for building an HTML page that includes one or more instantiated objects that facilitates at least one of monitoring and controlling the I/O module;

means for executing the instantiated objects;

means for editing the HTML page and the instantiated objects included therein;

means for selecting a project associated with the instantiated objects;

means for saving the instantiated objects with respect to a selected project on at least one of a local drive and a network server drive; and

means for selecting and purchasing additional instantiated objects to facilitate editing the HTML page in accordance with the requirements of the I/O modules being monitored or controlled.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for converting data from the I/O module to data that conforms to a web server.