Interoperably configurable HMI system and method

• US 7,962,659 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, Joseph Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): TSENG, CHENG YUAN
• Application Number:
  US11/529,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 710/8
• US Class Current: 710/8
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23067 Control, human or man machine interface, interactive, HMI, MMI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A configurable HMI is coupled to a configuration station and to one or more networked components, such as an industrial controller. Connections may be established with the networked component, such as to read from or write to registers within the component. A list of available connections or registers is accessed from the component by the HMI. The HMI then tabulates or otherwise presents the information in a listing to the configuration station. The configuration station may then be used to select a connection from the listing to alter programming of the HMI to establish the connection.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a human machine interface (HMI) comprising:

coupling the HMI to a controller;

coupling the HMI to a configuration station;

accessing data representative of connections from the controller via the HMI and generating a listing of the connections on the HMI;

enumerating an object programmed on the HMI;

serving a representation of a property of the enumerated object from the HMI to the configuration station and the listing in a format for viewing in a browser application of the configuration station; and

altering the property on the configuration station based upon the connections to establish a selected connection between the HMI and the controller, wherein the property is altered to cause the HMI to read data from or write data to the selected connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connections include identification of registers on the controller for accessing data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the connections include identification of registers on the controller for writing data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the HMI is coupled to the controller via a network link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing is generated in an extensible markup language.

6. A method for configuring a human machine interface (HMI) comprising:

coupling the HMI to a controller;

coupling the HMI to a configuration station;

accessing data representative of connections from the controller via the HMI;

enumerating an object programmed on the HMI;

serving a representation of a property of the enumerated object from the HMI to the configuration station;

generating a listing of the connections in the HMI;

serving the listing from the HMI to the configuration station in a format for viewing in a browser application of the configuration station; and

receiving from the configuration station an alteration of the property based upon the connections to establish a selected connection between the HMI and the controller to cause the HMI to read data from or write data to the selected connection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the connections include identification of registers on the controller for accessing data.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the connections include identification of registers on the controller for writing data.

9. A system for configuring a human machine interface (HMI) comprising:

an HMI configured to be coupled to a controller and to a configuration station, the HMI being configured to access data representative of connections from the controller and to enumerate an object programmed on the HMI, the HMI comprising a server for serving a representation of a property of the enumerated object from the HMI to the configuration station, the HMI being further configured to generate a listing of the connections and to serve the listing from the HMI to the configuration station in a format for viewing in a browser application;

wherein the HMI is further configured to receive a change in the property from the configuration station to establish a connection selected from the listing therefrom defining a register in the controller from which the HMI reads data or to which the HMI writes data, and to alter the object based upon the received change.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the HMI is configured to serve a design-time environment to the configuration station permitting changes to the property of the object.