Systems and methods that employ an extensible architecture to define configuration functionality

• US 7,861,223 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Peters, Kevin W., Schmidt, Gregory, Steinbeck, Gregory G., Patel, Rahul P., Ryback, Tomasz R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Insun
• Application Number:
  US10/951,193
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32137 Configure, connect, combine different program modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32142 Define device, module description using xml format file
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

The subject invention relates to systems and methods that generate modules profiles for industrial control modules (e.g., I/O, scanners, adapters . . . ). A module profile generally includes a set of components, interfaces and/or plug-ins that determine possible configurations for a module. Such entities are packaged in an XML based format to provide a dynamic module profile, wherein a definition type can be dynamically changed. Development and/or configuration of a module can be achieved through an industrial software development environment via a graphical hierarchical representation of configuration options defined in the module profile. In addition, the module profile provides for separately installable/release independent utilization via XML and COM based interfaces, wherein an end-user does not have to wait for a new software release in order to add a new module.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate dynamic configuration functionality additions and changes for a control module, comprising:

a processor;

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

an input component configured to receive specification information for a control module;

an assembler component configured to select one or more predefined components to be included in a module profile for the control module and to define how the one or more predefined components are to be assembled therein based on the specification information;

a behavior manager configured to define the behavior of at least one of the predefined components based on the specification information; and

a packaging component configured to automatically generate the module profile by assembling the one or more predefined components, the module profile comprising an object model for the control module that defines at least one configuration option for the control module and that facilitates selection of a setting for the at least one configuration option,

wherein the module profile is configured to render the least one configuration option on a programming interface as a hierarchy of the at least one configuration option, and is configured to dynamically add or change module configuration functionality for the control module without requiring recompilation of core code associated with the module profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the module profile is an extensible markup language (XML) description that specifies a structure and organization for system the control module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the module profile defines at least one of a module type, a definition type, a tag, a range, a data type, a tag minimum value, a tag maximum value, and or an enumeration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the module profile renders the at least one configuration option for the control module as a hierarchical selection tree of nested configuration options.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pre-defined components comprise at least one plug-in that expands functionality associated with a standard component or interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one plug-in translates data from one set of selections to another set of selections.

7. The system of claim 1, the module profile defines a dynamic translation from a first module definition type to a second module definition type upon receiving a command to change from the first module definition type to the second module definition type.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more predefined components include at least one of a dynamic-link library (DLL) an extensible markup language (XML) file, or a component object model (COM) object.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the module profile defines a behavior associated with at least one of a connection or a configuration of the control module.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is one of an I/O module, a scanner module, an adapter module, or a network bridge module.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the module profile is installable on base control system software to provide I/O support for the physical control module.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the hierarchical selection tree organizes the nested configuration options from least restrictive to most restrictive.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the input component is configured to receive input that at least one of selects one of the one or more predefined components or creates a new component for inclusion in the module profile.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the module profile includes an extensible markup language (XML) description of a set of communication transactions applicable to the control module, the XML description driving an extensible messaging facility that facilitates communication with the control module.

15. A method for dynamically configuring functionality associated with a control module, comprising:

employing a processor executing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium to implement the following acts;

receiving specification information relating to a control module to be configured for use within a control system;

selecting at least one predefined component to be incorporated into an object model of the control module based on the specification information;

assembling the at least one predefined component into the object model;

defining a behavior of the at least one component based on the specification information;

packaging the object model to automatically form a module profile that defines at least one configuration option for the control module, the module profile configured to display the least one configuration option defined by the module profile on a user interface as a tree structure of hierarchical elements of the at least one configuration option;

employing the module profile to select a setting for the at least one configuration option and to load the setting on the control module for operation within the control system; and

dynamically modifying a definition type of the module profile to modify a definition type of the control module through the tree structure without requiring recompilation of core code associated with the module profile.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selecting the at least one predefined component comprises selecting from a set of interfaces, extensions, or plug-ins.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying the module profile as a tree structure of hierarchical elements within a user interface; and

receiving input via the tree structure to select the setting for the at least one configuration option.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising modifying a definition type of the control module through the tree structure in the user interface.

19. A method for generating a module profile for a control module, comprising:

employing a processor executing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium to implement the following acts;

receiving specification information relating to a control module to be configured for use within a control system;

selecting at least one component, at least one interface, or a combination thereof, from a set of standard components and interfaces;

selecting one or more plug-ins that extend functionality defined by the at least one component or interface;

assembling the at least one selected component, the at least one interface, or the combination thereof, and plug-in into an object model of the control module bases on the specification information;

defining a behavior of the object model based on the specification information;

packaging the object model to automatically generate a module profile for the control module that defines at least one configuration parameter for the control module and that is configured to receive input selecting a setting for the at least one configuration parameter and to load the setting on the control module for operation within the control system, the module profile configured to display the at least one configuration parameter defined by the module profile on a programming interface as a tree structure of hierarchical elements of the at least one configuration parameter; and

dynamically modifying a definition type of the module profile to modify a definition type of the control module through the tree structure without requiring recompilation of core code associated with the module profile.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising defining a behavior of the at least one component, the at least one interface, or the at least one plug-in.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising assembling the at least one component, the at least one interface, or the combination thereof, and the at least one plug-in for a family of control modules as a re-useable extensible markup language (XML) based group of elements that define available configuration options.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising defining at least one of a module type, a definition type, a tag, a range, a data type, a definition type, a tag minimum value, a tag maximum value, or an enumeration in the XML based group.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising defining a structure and organization of the module profile through an extensible markup language (XML) description.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising installing the module profile on base control system software to provide I/O support for the control module.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising rendering the module profile on the base control system software as a hierarchical selection tree of nested configuration options, wherein the input selecting the setting for the at least one configuration parameter is received via the hierarchical selection tree.

26. A system having a processor that facilitates dynamic configuration additions or changes for a control module, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable storage medium operationally coupled to the processor and storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, implement components comprising;

means for defining a set of configuration options for a control module as a dynamically modifiable package based on received specification information relating to the control module;

means for acquiring at least one of a component, an interface, an extension, or a plug-in in accordance with the set of configuration options;

means for assembling the at least one of the component, the interface, the extension, or the plug-in to automatically generate a module profile representing the control module, the module profile comprising an object model for the control module that defines the set of configuration options for the control module and that facilitates selection of a setting for the set of configuration options wherein a behavior of the object model is defined based on the specification information;

means for employing the module profile to display the set of configuration options in a selectable hierarchy of elements; and

means for interacting with the selectable hierarchy of elements to select values for the set of configuration options and to dynamically configure the control module in accordance with the values, the dynamic configuring comprising dynamically modifying a definition type of the module profile to modify a definition type of the control module without requiring recompilation of core code associated with the module profile.