Editing and configuring device

• US 7,881,812 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Chand, Sujeet
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US11/238,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 700/3, 700/9, 700/8, 700/2, 700/11, 700/20, 700/18, 700/86, 700/23
• US Class Current: 700/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13051 Display status of I-O in intelligible, easy to understand language
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13106 Natural language, use simple words like move, rotate,
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13137 Interpreter considers hierarchy of plc in system structure for programming it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31225 System structure, plc's and pc's communicate over lan
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides an editor system for employment in an industrial automation environment that enhances programmability of at least one of a controller and an industrial process. An interface component can facilitate the receipt of instructions relating to programming a programmable logic controller. A programming assist component communicatively coupled to the interface component can program the programmable logic controller in accordance with the received instructions; the programmable logic controller is programmed in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model that utilizes a naming convention.

Claims

1. A method that facilitates programming within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

employing one or more processors executing computer executable instructions embodied on one or more computer readable storage mediums to perform the following acts;

implementing a hierarchically structured data model that utilizes a naming convention, the hierarchically structured data model represents a physical hierarchical location within an industrial automation environment of at least one of a device, a tag, or a variable, the naming convention is based upon a hierarchy of the hierarchical structured data model and is indicative of position in the hierarchy;

providing a programming environment based at least in part upon the hierarchically structured data model;

traversing the hierarchically structured data model to program one or more names in an industrial process according to the naming convention;

programming a controller associated with the industrial process based at least in part upon the traversed hierarchically structured data model, wherein programming the controller includes assigning the one or more names to at least one of the device, the tag, or the variable; and

recognizing a physical location of at least one of the device, the tag, or the variable without a binding to the controller based upon the one or more names.

2. The method of claim 1, the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

modifying at least one of a tag, a name for a device without a physical address, a name for a logical variable without a physical address, a reference for a device without a physical address, or a reference for a logical variable without a physical address;

or

creating at least one of a tag, a name for a device without a physical address, a name for a logical variable without a physical address, a reference for a device without a physical address, or a reference for a logical variable without a physical address.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising offline configuring of at least one of a device or a logical variable within the industrial automation environment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing authorization at a granular level based at least in part upon the hierarchically structured data model.

6. The method of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISAS95 or ISA_S88.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of a log, a bridge between disparate networks, a search, or a translation between disparate instructions.

8. A system for programming within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

a processor;

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

a hierarchically structured data model that utilizes a naming convention, the hierarchically structured data model represents a physical hierarchical location within an industrial automation environment of at least one of a device, a tag, or a variable, the naming convention is based upon a hierarchy of the hierarchical structured data model and is indicative of position in the hierarchy;

a programming environment based at least in part upon the hierarchically structured data model; and

a programming assist component that traverses the hierarchically structured data model in to program one or more names in an industrial process according to the naming convention, the programming assist component programs a controller associated with the industrial process based at least in part upon the traversed hierarchically structured data model, wherein programming the controller includes assigning the one or more names to at least one of the device, the tag, or the variable, the programming assist component recognizes a physical location of at least one of the device, the tag, or the variable without a binding to the controller based upon the one or more names.

9. The system of claim 8, the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a component that provides at least one of a log, a bridge between disparate networks, a search, or a translation between disparate instructions.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one of:

the programming assist component modifying at least one of a tag, a name for a device without a physical address, a name for a logical variable without a physical address, a reference for a device without a physical address, or a reference for a logical variable without a physical address;

or

the programming assist component creating at least one of a tag, a name for a device without a physical address, a name for a logical variable without a physical address, a reference for a device without a physical address, or a reference for a logical variable without a physical address.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising the programming assist component offline configuring of at least one of a device or a logical variable within the industrial automation environment.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising a security component providing authorization at a granular level based at least in part upon the hierarchically structured data model.

14. The system of claim 8, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISAS95 or ISA_S88.

15. A system for programming within an industrial automation environment, 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 programming in a programming environment based at least in part upon a hierarchically structured data model that traverses the hierarchically structured data model to program one or more names in an industrial process according to the naming convention, wherein the hierarchically structured data model utilizes a naming convention, the hierarchically structured data model represents a physical hierarchical location within an industrial automation environment of at least one of a device, a tag, or a variable, the naming convention is based upon a hierarchy of the hierarchical structured data model and is indicative of position in the hierarchy,

the means for programming programs a controller associated with the industrial process based at least in part upon the traversed hierarchically structured data model, wherein programming the controller includes assigning the one or more names to at least one of the device, the tag, or the variable, and

the means for programming recognizes a physical location of at least one of the device, the tag, or the variable without a binding to the controller based upon the one or more names.

16. The system of claim 15, the physical hierarchical location is indicative of at least a portion of a factory-level, a cell-level, a subcell level, an input within a subcell, or an output within a subcell.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising at least one of:

the means for programming modifying at least one of a tag, a name for a device without a physical address, a name for a logical variable without a physical address, a reference for a device without a physical address, or a reference for a logical variable without a physical address;

or

the means for programming creating at least one of a tag, a name for a device without a physical address, a name for a logical variable without a physical address, a reference for a device without a physical address, or a reference for a logical variable without a physical address.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising the means for programming offline configuring of at least one of a device or a logical variable within the industrial automation environment.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising the means providing authorization at a granular level based at least in part upon the hierarchically structured data model.

20. The system of claim 15, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISAS95 or ISA_S88.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising means for providing at least one of a log, a bridge between disparate networks, a search, or a translation between disparate instructions.