Industrial controller interface providing standardized object access to proprietary software objects that interact with industrial controllers

• US 7,836,122 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Edwards, Jayme, Lillie, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US11/425,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 715/224
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31161 Java programcode or simular active agents, programs, applets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31196 SOAP, describes available services and how to call them remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server

Abstract

An interface for an industrial control system provides, at a server side, a set of objects for programmer use. Instances of object provider objects, linked to each of the software objects, provide a uniform interface for the software objects allowing software objects from different vendors to be used while preserving a common programmer interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing a uniform interface for an industrial controller comprising:

employing a processor executing computer executable instructions embodied on a computer readable storage medium to perform the following acts;

connecting a client to a first Web server communicating with the industrial controller;

executing an applet program at the client to enable the client to exchange data with the first Web server using a standard object protocol; and

providing at least two object providers, where a first object provider utilizes the standard object protocol to link a first software object with the client, wherein the first software object employs a first object protocol, wherein a second object provider utilizes the standard object protocol to link a second software object with the client, wherein the second software object employs a second object protocol, wherein the standard object protocol, first protocol, and second protocol are distinct protocols from each other, wherein the first object provider translates communications comprising object oriented instructions between the standard object protocol and the first protocol, wherein the second object provider translates communications between the standard object protocol and the second protocol, wherein at least one of the first or second software objects communicates with one or more industrial controllers.

2. The method of claim 1, the data exchanged between the client and the first Web server includes object-oriented instructions encapsulated within a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) envelope.

3. The method of claim 2, the retrieved instructions are passed to a parser that subsequently routes the instructions to at least one of the first or second object providers via an end point decoder.

4. The method of claim 3, the at least one of the first or second object providers is uninstanced for discovery of at least one of the first or second software objects by the client.

5. The method of claim 4, the discovery of the software object further comprises the steps of:

registering the uninstanced at least one of the first or second object providers with the endpoint decoder;

linking the at least one of the first or second object providers to a program that implements the at least one of the first or second object providers;

subsequently associating the at least one of the first or second object providers to the at least one of the first or second software objects; and

exposing the associated at least one of the first or second software objects through the at least one of the first or second object providers at a particular endpoint on a network.

6. The method of claim 5, the end point on the network is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator).

7. The method of claim 3, the client communicates with an instanced form of the at least one of the first or second object providers for access to the at least one of the first or second software objects.

8. The method of claim 7, the step of accessing the at least one of the first or second software objects further comprises:

instancing a combination object from a combination of the instanced at least one of the first or second object providers and an instanced form of the at least one of the first or second software objects; and

directing accessing instructions from the client to the instanced form of the at least one of the first or second software objects.

9. The method of claim 8, the instanced form of the at least one of the first or second object providers directs the instructions to the instanced form of the at least one of the first or second software objects.

10. The method of claim 8, further providing for persistence of the combination object by storing in a storage area on the first Web server, parameters necessary to restore the combination object.

11. The method of claim 3, the parser routes the instructions through an interceptor to the at least one of the first or second object providers.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

serving from the first Web server a first Web page;

redirecting the client to a second Web server through the first Web page;

loading the applet program into the client by the second Web server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the underlying object-oriented instructions by employing software on the first Web server to remove the SOAP encapsulation.

14. A system for providing a uniform industrial controller interface comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions to implement the system, including;

a web server that provides the uniform interface;

the uniform interface further comprises at least two object providers, wherein a first object provider utilizes a standard object protocol to link a first software object with a client program, wherein the first software object employs a first object protocol, wherein a second object provider utilizes the standard object protocol to link a second software object with the client program, wherein the second software object employs a second object protocol, wherein the standard object protocol, first protocol, and second protocol are distinct protocols from each other, wherein the first object provider translates communications comprising object oriented instructions between the standard object protocol and the first protocol, wherein the second object provider translates communications between the standard object protocol and the second protocol, wherein at least one of the first or second software objects communicates with one or more industrial controllers.

15. The system of claim 14, the uniform interface receives instructions from the client program, the instructions related to at least one of object discovery, object persistence, object constructors, and object access.

16. The system of claim 15, the object discovery, the object persistence, the object constructors, and the object access are each indicated by a separate application program.

17. The system of claim 16, the web server further comprises a parser to forward the instructions to an appropriate application program.

18. The system of claim 17, the parser routes messages to the application program through an interceptor, the interceptor is employed to at least one of verify a license, tally a billing required for a license fee for use of an object and provide security.

19. The system of claim 16, each of the application programs is associated with a universal resource indicator (URI).

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the communications comprises object oriented instructions.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second software objects is provided by a distinct vendor from each other.

22. The system of claim 14, the standard object protocol includes discover instructions to the web server and the object provider responds to the discover instructions by identifying object features of at least one of the first or second software objects.

23. The system of claim 22, the object features include parameters and methods of the at least one of the first or second software objects.

24. The system of claim 14, the web server provides a standard set of preconfigured I/O (Input/Output) objects that encapsulate physical inputs and outputs of the one or more industrial controllers.

25. The system of claim 24, each input and output of the one or more industrial controllers has an I/O object assigned to it.

26. The system of claim 14, further comprising one or more additional object providers that link the client program to one or more additional software objects employing one or more additional distinct protocols, the one or more additional object providers translates communications comprising object oriented instructions between the standard object protocol and the one or more additional protocols.

27. The system of claim 14, at least one of the first or second software objects is a graphical display object.

28. The system of claim 14, the standard object protocol is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP).

29. The system of claim 14, further comprising a second web server that includes a HMI (Human Machine Interface) applet such that a centrally distributed applet program facilitates constructing a variety of Human Machine Interfaces for different industrial processes.

30. The system of claim 14, the web server provides a HMI (Human Machine Interface) applet for constructing a Human Machine Interface.

31. The system of claim 14, the web server provides abstract objects.

32. A system for providing an object based interface for an industrial controller comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions to implement the system, including;

means for connecting a client to a Web server communicating with the industrial controller; and

means for directing communications from the client to the Web Server, wherein the communications comprise object oriented instructions, the means for directing comprises at least two object providers, where a first object provider utilizes the standard object protocol to link a first software object with the client, wherein the first software object employs a first object protocol, wherein a second object provider utilizes the standard object protocol to link a second software object with the client, wherein the second software object employs a second object protocol, wherein the standard object protocol, first protocol, and second protocol are distinct protocols from each other, wherein the first object provider translates communications comprising object oriented instructions between the standard object protocol and the first protocol, wherein the second object provider translates communications between the standard object protocol and the second protocol, wherein at least one of the first or second software objects communicates with one or more industrial controllers.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for creating a desired HMI (Human Machine Interface).