Editing lifecycle and deployment of objects in an industrial automation environment

• US 8,060,223 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• 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: Kalan, Michael D., Hood, Gavan W., Baier, John J., Chand, Sujeet, Hall, Kenwood H., Briant, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rapp; Chad
• Application Number:
  US12/478,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 700/86, 700/87, 717/101, 717/102, 717/107, 717/110, 717/170, 717/173
• US Class Current: 700/87
• 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 2219/13137 Interpreter considers hierarchy of plc in system structure for programming it
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13152 Modification of program
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

An editor in an industrial automation environment comprises an input component that receives modification data relating to at least one of lifecycle and deployment of an object, the object is associated with a programmable logic controller and configured in accordance with a hierarchically structured data model. An implementation component can implement the modification data with respect to the object. The editor can further comprise a security component that determines that an entity providing the data to the input component is authorized to implement the modification data.

Claims

1. A system for implementing state-based control in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

a hierarchically structured data model representing an industrial system, the data model comprising at least one object configured to implement state-based control of the industrial system; and

an editor configured to facilitate configuration of deployment data and lifecycle data for the at least one object, wherein the deployment data comprises a deployment service and an associated deployment event, and the lifecycle data comprises at least one lifecycle state and an associated at least one lifecycle event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one object is configured to be employed by a controller to effect the state-based control of the industrial system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein detection of the deployment event causes the at least one object to be deployed in a controller, and detection of the at least one lifecycle event causes the at least one object to transition to the associated lifecycle state, wherein deployment of the at least one object in the controller causes the controller to operate according to a current lifecycle state of the at least one object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the editor comprises a mapping component configured to map the at least one object to at least one program employed by a controller that does not support state-based control.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the editor is further configured to submit an inquiry to the controller to determine that the controller supports state-based control, and the mapping component is configured to map the at least one object in accordance with a data format supported by the controller.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the editor is configured to submit an inquiry to a controller to determine a network type on which the controller resides, and to package data to be delivered to the controller in a format supported by the network type.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering component configured to selectively return objects for configuration based on at least one of a user identity, a location, or a current task.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the lifecycle data includes a defined event that causes the at least one object to be de-commissioned.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lifecycle state library configured to store predefined lifecycle states together with actions associated with each of the predefined lifecycle states.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component configured to allows access control to be configured separately for the deployment data and the lifecycle data, the access control allowing the deployment data and the lifecycle data to be associated with respective different sets of authorized users.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one lifecycle event corresponds to at least one of a state of a process or a state of a machine within the industrial system.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a logging component configured to generate a log of configuration modifications applied to the at least one object, the log comprising entries identifying a modification performed, a time of the modification, and an identification of a user who performed the modification.

13. A method for configuring objects that facilitate state-based control, comprising:

providing a hierarchically structured data model of an industrial system comprising at least one object for implementing state-based control of the industrial system;

receiving first input for configuring a deployment event for the at least one object;

receiving second input for configuring at least one lifecycle state and a corresponding at least one lifecycle event for the at least one object, wherein the at least one lifecycle state corresponding to at least one control action;

transitioning the at least one object to the at least one lifecycle state in response to detecting the corresponding at least one lifecycle event; and

deploying the at least one object to a controller in response to detecting the deployment event to effect the control action.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

querying the controller to determine whether the controller supports state-based control;

mapping the at least one object to at least one program supportable by the controller in response to determining that the controller does not support state-based control; and

delivering the at least one program to the controller in response to detecting a state change associated with the program.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

querying the controller to determine a type of network on which the controller resides; and

packaging the at least one object prior to the deploying to enable transmission over the type of network.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request from to edit one or more objects; and

filtering the one or more objects based on at least one of a user identity or current location.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing at least one pre-defined lifecycle state and an associated at least one action in a data store for selection in connection with configuring the at least one object.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling read access and write access to the at least one object based on access control settings associated with the at least one object.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

configuring a first access control setting of the access control settings for the at least one object'"'"'s deployment data; and

configuring a disparate second access control setting of the access control settings for the at least one object'"'"'s lifecycle data.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components that, in response to execution by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving input data defining a deployment event for an object in a hierarchically structured data model of an industrial system, the object facilitating state-based control of a process in the industrial system;

receiving input data defining a set of lifecycle states for the object and a set of lifecycle events corresponding to the set of lifecycle states the set of lifecycle states corresponding to a respective set of control actions to be performed with respect to the process;

recognizing a state change in the process corresponding to a defined lifecycle event of the set of lifecycle events;

transitioning the object to a defined lifecycle state of the set of lifecycle states corresponding to the state change; and

deploying the object to a processor in response to detecting the deployment event to effect a control action corresponding to a current lifecycle state of the object.