Conditional download of data from embedded historians

• US 7,672,740 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Jasper, Taryl J, Baier, John J., McGreevy, Robert J., Herbst, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US11/536,535
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/17, 700/19, 700/32, 700/48, 700/108, 700/169, 700/173, 707/3, 707/102
• US Class Current: 700/32
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Systems and methods that provide for event driven downloading, via defining storage thresholds in an embedded historian (e.g. micro historian). Upon reaching predetermined thresholds (e.g., low/high water marks), stored data in the embedded historians can automatically down load to a central plant historian. An automatic download engine is provided that down loads historian data based on satisfaction of such conditions defined for the download. The download engine can further include a detector component, which detects whether a predetermined condition (e.g., associated with the storage capacity of the micro-historians have been met. Moreover, a notification component can notify the embedded historians that the data have been permanently persisted in the central historian.

Claims

1. An industrial automation system, comprising:

a hierarchical data model with nodes that represent units associated with the industrial automation system;

a plurality of embedded historians that collect data associated with the industrial automation system, at least one of the embedded historians directly interfaces with at least one controller of the industrial automation system;

a download engine that downloads the data from the at least one of the embedded historians to a central plant historian upon the satisfaction of the predetermined criteria; and

a publish and subscribe component that identifies the at least one of the embedded historians to the download engine upon satisfaction of the predetermined criteria.

2. The industrial automation system of claim 1, the predetermined criteria is based upon storage capacity of the embedded historians.

3. The industrial automation system of claim 1, the download engine further comprising a detector component that detects satisfaction of the predetermined criteria.

4. The industrial automation system of claim 1, the download engine further comprising a notification component that notifies the at least one of the embedded historians of completion of download to the central plant historian.

5. The industrial automation system of claim 4, wherein upon the notification to an embedded historian of the successful completion of the download to the central plant historian, memory of the embedded historian avails itself for data override.

6. The industrial automation system of claim 1 further comprising an artificial intelligence component that facilitates initiation of download to the central plant historian.

7. The industrial automation system of claim 1 further comprising a Human Machine Interface (HMI) to graphically display a view of the industrial automation system.

8. The industrial automation system of claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) that forms an application view of a historian data collection and download system.

9. The industrial system of claim 1, the hierarchical organizational data model facilitates data identified for historian purposes to be automatically collected and downloaded.

10. The industrial system of claim 1, the embedded historian associates with at least one of:

a module in a chassis, a server, a sensor, or a factory component.

11. The industrial automation system of claim 1, the embedded historians reside in a backplane with the at least one controller of the industrial automation system.

12. The industrial automation system of claim 11, the embedded historians employ industrial specifications including at least one of:

shock vibration, sealing, or contamination proofing.

13. The industrial automation system of claim 1, the download engine generates a connection instance for the download.

14. The industrial automation system of claim 13, the connection instance is populated with information indicative of the at least one of the embedded historians corresponding to the download.

15. The industrial automation system of claim 14, the information indicative of the at least one of the embedded historians includes one or more of:

a connection identifier, an identifying message, or type of data for download.

16. A method of managing embedded historians within an industrial plant comprising:

representing industrial units associated with the industrial plant as nodes in a hierarchical data model;

collecting data via a plurality of volatile memory embedded historians;

detecting that a predetermined condition associated with one or more of the embedded historians has been satisfied;

identifying the one or more of the embedded historians to a central plant historian upon occurrence of the predetermined condition;

downloading the data to a central plant historian upon occurrence of the predetermined condition;

persisting data in the central plant historian;

notifying the one or more of embedded historians regarding the success or failure of the persistence of the data in the central historian; and

purging the data from the one or more of embedded historians upon notification of the successful persistence of the data in the central historian.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising determining that a predetermined storage capacity of the one or more of the embedded historians has reached a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising availing the volatile memory to data in the one or more of the embedded historians after notification of successful persistence of data to the central historian.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising defining a common organizational data model for the industrial plant.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising collecting historian data across various levels of the industrial plant.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising employing a polling mechanism for embedded historian detection and identification.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising incorporating an embedded historian as part of a controller.

23. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a download engine that downloads data from an embedded historian to a central plant historian upon a storage capacity of the embedded historian reaching a predetermined level, the embedded historian directly interfaces a control unit of an industrial plant;

a hierarchical data model with nodes that represent units associated with the industrial plant;

a detector component associated with the download engine to detect occurrence of the predetermined level;

a publish and subscribe component to identify the embedded historian to the download engine upon the embedded historian reaching the predetermined level; and

a notification component that sends a trusted confirmation to the embedded historian upon the successful persistence of the downloaded data in the central historian.

24. The computer implemented system of claim 23 further comprising a notification component that notifies the embedded historian of download completion.

25. The computer implemented system of claim 23 further comprising a data base that services an industrial plant.

26. The computer implemented system of claim 23, the download engine is part of an application that runs on a control unit of an industrial plant.

27. An industrial controller system comprising:

means for collecting and retaining data through a direct interface to an industrial process;

means for representing industrial units associated with the industrial process as nodes in a hierarchical data model;

means for downloading the data to a central location collecting data upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition;

means for identifying the data upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition;

means for detecting satisfaction of the predetermined condition;

means for transmitting a successful download to the central location collecting data through a trusted confirmation; and

means for purging the retained data directly collected through the direct interface with the industrial process after the transmission of the trusted confirmation.

28. The industrial controller system of claim 27 further comprising means for graphically displaying a view of an industrial automation system.

29. The industrial controller system of claim 27 further comprising means for representing industrial units associated with an industrial plant as nodes in the hierarchical data model.