Location based programming and data management in an automated environment

• US 8,032,250 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Farchmin, David Walter, Brandt, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick; Michael D
• Application Number:
  US12/201,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/116, 700/221, 709/222, 709/229
• US Class Current: 700/221
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32085 Layout of factory, facility, cell, production system planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and system for providing information related to a set of automated resources that may cooperate in an environment to perform an automated process, the method comprising the steps of associating a specific environment location with the automated process, determining the locations of resources with respect to the specific location and, where resources are proximate the specific location, providing information related to the automated process. Also a method for facility communication between distributed resources where location or an attribute akin thereto is used to tag data and to monitor network data for specific required data.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating automation resource configuration in an industrial automation environment, the method comprising the steps of:

dynamically identifying relative positions of automation resource locations compared to other automation resource locations within a physical space;

the automation resources to be combined to perform an automation process within the physical space, wherein the automation process includes a plurality of sub-processes within the automation process; and

automatically associating at least one of the sub-processes with each automation resource as a function of the automation resource locations, wherein the associated sub-process is to be performed by the associated automation resource.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a sub-set of the automation resources are programmable and wherein each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the step of associating includes the step of programming the programmable resources with the sub-process program codes.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of, after sub-process association, monitoring automation resource locations and, when at least one automation resource location is altered, providing an indication that the at least one automation resource location has been altered.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least a sub-set of the automation resources are programmable and each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the step of associating includes the step of programming the programmable resources with the sub-process program codes and, wherein, the step of providing an indication includes re-programming at least one of the programmable resources as a function of the automation resource location change.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the automation process is an automated process and wherein the step of associating the sub-processes with the automation resources includes associated separate automated sub-processes as a function of the automation resource locations.

6. The method of claim 1 further including the step of providing a transmitter for each of the automation resources to be combined, the step of identifying automation resource locations including causing the automation resources to transmit signals within the physical space, receiving the signals and using the transmitted signals to identify automation resource locations.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of providing access points within the physical space, the step of receiving the transmitted signals including receiving the signals at the access points.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying automation resource locations includes the steps of, for each automation resource, providing a wireless information device that includes a transmitter, positioning the wireless information device proximate the automation resource, causing the wireless information device to transmit a signal, receiving the transmitted signal and using the received signal to identify automation resource locations.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of, for each sub-process associated with an automation resource, providing information about the sub-process to a system operator.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the information provided includes at least one of (i) information confirming that the automation resource is to be combined with other proximate resources, (ii) information instructing the operator how to combine the automation resource, (iii) information usable by a controller to control the automation resource, (iv) information regarding required I/O linkages, (v) information to configure at least one interface to be associated with the automation resource, (vi) information for performing diagnostics on the automation resource, and (vii) information for programming the automation resource to perform a portion of the automation process.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the information provided includes information confirming that the automation resource is to be combined with other proximate automation resources.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the information provided includes information instructing the operator how to combine the automation resource.

13. A system for facilitating automation resource configuration in an industrial automation environment, the system comprising:

a processor programmed to;

dynamically identifying relative positions of automation resource locations compared to other automation resource locations within a physical space;

the automation resources to be combined to perform an automation process within the physical space, wherein the automation process includes a plurality of sub-processes within the automation process; and

automatically associating at least one of the sub-processes with each automation resource as a function of the automation resource locations, wherein the associated sub-process is to be performed by the associated automation resource.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein at least a sub-set of the automation resources are programmable and wherein each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the processor associates by programming the programmable automation resources with the sub-process program codes.

15. The system of claim 13 further including a location determiner and an indicator, each of the determiner and indicator linkable to the processor, the determiner for determining automation resource locations, wherein, the processor is further programmed to, after sub-process association, monitor automation resource locations and, when at least one automation resource location is altered, provide an indication via the indicator that the at least one automation location has been altered.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least a sub-set of the automation resources are programmable and each sub-process is associated with a sub-process program code and wherein the processor associates by programming the programmable automation resources with the sub-process program codes, the processor further re-programming at least one of the programmable resources as a function of an automation resource location change.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the automation resources includes a transmitter that transmits signals within the space, the processor receiving the signals and using the transmitted signals to identify automation resource locations.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein access points are located within the physical space and are linked to the processor, the processor receiving the transmitted signals via the access points.

19. The system of claim 13 further including a wireless information device that includes a transmitter that can transmit a signal from a location proximate an automation resource, the processor identifying the automation resource location by receiving the transmitted signal and using the received signal to identify the automation resource location.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor further, for each sub-process associated with an automation resource, providing information about the sub-process to a system operator.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes at least one of (i) information confirming that the automation resource is to be combined with other proximate resources, (ii) information instructing the operator how to combine the automation resource, (iii) information usable by a controller to control the automation resource, (iv) information regarding required I/O linkages, (v) information to configure at least one interface to be associated with the automation resource, (vi) information for performing diagnostics on the automation resource, and (vii) information for programming the automation resource to perform a portion of the automation process.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes information confirming that the automation resource is to be combined with other proximate automation resources.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the information provided includes information instructing the operator how to combine the automation resource.