Service-oriented architecture for process control systems

• US 7,984,096 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lucas, J. Michael, Beoughter, Ken J., Nixon, Mark J., Gilbert, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs; Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US11/556,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20070106761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23424 Select construction element from function library
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25067 Graphic configuration control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31467 Display of operating conditions of machines, workcells, selected programs
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31469 Graphical display of process as function of detected alarm signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31472 Graphical display of process
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31474 Icon display for quick access of detailed information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32342 Real time simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0267 Fault communication, e.g. human machine interface [HMI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/14 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/12 characterised by design entry means specially adapted for CAD, e.g. graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for CAD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4488 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 : Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 : Animation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 : Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 : specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 : Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/40 : Controlling or monitoring, e.g. of flood or hurricane; Forecasting, e.g. risk assessment or mapping
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/40 : Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 : Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 : Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 : Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 : for process control and configuration

Abstract

A service-oriented architecture for process control systems is disclosed. In one example, a method for conveying process control information between a client process and a server process in a process control system establishes a server process including a plurality of process control services, each of which has a corresponding service interface. The example method also establishes a client process having a proxy for each of the plurality of services to which the client process establishes a communicative connection. Additionally, the example method provides port information associated with the service interfaces to the client process to enable the conveyance of process control information between the client process and the server process.

Claims

1. A method of conveying process control information between a client process and a server process in a process control system, comprising:

establishing the server process including a plurality of process control services, each of which has a corresponding service interface;

establishing the client process having a different proxy for each of the plurality of process control services to which the client process establishes a communicative connection, wherein establishing the client process comprises executing software on a processor-based stem to provide one or more process control related applications that can be independently versioned; and

providing endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process to enable the conveyance of process control information between the client process and the server process.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing the server process comprises executing software on a processor-based system to provide a server.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein establishing the server process including the plurality of process control services comprises establishing at least one of a discovery service, a session service, a runtime service, a database service, a versioning service, an historian service, an alarms and event service, or an Object Linking an Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) data service.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more process control related applications comprise at least one of a browser application, a configuration application, a maintenance application, or a diagnostic application.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process comprises providing a uniform resource identifier to the client process.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein providing the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process comprises calling a discovery service that locates the endpoint information.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein providing the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process comprises receiving a uniform resource identifier from the discovery service.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising establishing a session for the client process in the server process based on the endpoint information and at least one of the proxies.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising establishing another server process and conveying information between the client process and the other server process.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more process control related applications can be versioned independently from the process control services.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the process control services are substantially data independent such that the process controls services can be independently versioned.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the process control services can be independently versioned without altering the client process via which the communicative connection is established.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more process control related applications are substantially data independent.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the one or more process control related applications can be independently versioned without altering the process control services to which the client process establishes the communicative connection.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the process control services can be versioned independently from the one or more process control related applications.

16. An apparatus for conveying process control information between a client process and a server process in a process control system, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory and programmed to;

establish the server process including a plurality of process control services, each of which has a corresponding service interface;

establish the client process having a different proxy for each of the plurality of process control services to which the client process establishes a communicative connection, wherein the processor is programmed to establish the client process by executing software to provide one or more process control related applications that can be independently versioned; and

provide endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process to enable the conveyance of process control information between the client process and the server process.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the processor is programmed to establish the server process including the plurality of process control services by establishing at least one of a discovery service, a session service, a runtime service, a database service, a versioning service, an historian service, an alarms and event service, or an Object Linking an Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) data service.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the one or more process control related applications comprise at least one of a browser application, a configuration application, a maintenance application, or a diagnostic application.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the processor is programmed to provide the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process by providing a uniform resource identifier to the client process.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the processor is programmed to provide the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process by calling a discovery service that locates the endpoint information.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein the processor is programmed to provide the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process by receiving a uniform resource identifier from the discovery service.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the processor is programmed to establish a session for the client process in the server process based on the endpoint information and at least one of the proxies.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the processor is programmed to establish another server process and convey information between the client process and the other server process.

24. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

establish a server process including a plurality of process control services, each of which has a corresponding service interface;

establish a client process having a different proxy for each of the plurality of process control services to which the client process establishes a communicative connection, wherein the client process is established by providing one or more process control related applications that can be independently versioned; and

provide endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process to enable the conveyance of process control information between the client process and the server process.

25. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to establish the server process including the plurality of process control services by establishing at least one of a discovery service, a session service, a runtime service, a database service, a versioning service, an historian service, an alarms and event service, or an Object Linking an Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) data service.

26. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the one or more process control related applications comprise at least one of a browser application, a configuration application, a maintenance application, or a diagnostic application.

27. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to provide the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process by providing a uniform resource identifier to the client process.

28. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to provide the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process by calling a discovery service that locates the endpoint information.

29. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 28, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to provide the endpoint information associated with the service interfaces to the client process by receiving a uniform resource identifier from the discovery service.

30. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to establish a session for the client process in the server process based on the endpoint information and at least one of the proxies.

31. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to establish another server process and convey information between the client process and the other server process.

32. An apparatus for communicating process control information, comprising:

a client having a plurality of service interface proxies, each of which corresponds to one of a plurality of service interfaces of a server and each of which is configured to communicate process control information to a communication port of the server, wherein the client comprises one or more independently versionable process control applications configured to interoperate with at least one of a plurality of process control services provided by the server.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein the communication port is associated with a uniform resource identifier.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein the plurality of process control services comprises at least one of a discovery service, a session service, a runtime service, a database service, a versioning service, an historian service, an alarms and events service, or an Object Linking an Embedding (OLE) for Process Control (OPC) data service.