HMI devices with integrated user-defined behavior

• US 8,185,220 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lloyd, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLAND, STEVEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/821,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20100256785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/17, 700/18, 715/762, 715/763
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates utilizing a human machine interface (HMI). An interface component can facilitate receipt of data. A human machine interface (HMI) component communicatively coupled to the interface component can include a device with a pre-programmed primitive; the device employs a user-defined functionality via the received data.

Claims

1. A human machine interface (HMI) configured to interface with an industrial control system, the HMI comprising:

a memory that stores a representation of a HMI device comprising a default functionality defined by a first portion of control logic of a same programming paradigm as control logic of the industrial control system;

an interface component that receives a second portion of control logic that defines a custom functionality of the HMI device, wherein the second portion of control logic is of the same programming paradigm as the control logic of the industrial control system; and

a processor that appends the second portion of control logic to the first portion of control logic to add the custom functionality to the HMI device.

2. The HMI of claim 1, wherein the HMI device is a light emitting diode (LED), a dial, an analog control, a bar graph, a graph, a push button, a gauge, a visual indicator, a slider, a light indicator, a numeric read out, a read out, a numeric input, an input, or a graphical icon.

3. The HMI of claim 1, wherein the first portion of control logic or the second portion of control logic comprises ladder logic.

4. The HMI of claim 1, wherein the memory stores a third portion of control logic associated with a second HMI device.

5. The HMI of claim 4, wherein the interface component receives a fourth portion of control logic that creates a compound device comprising the HMI device and the second HMI device working together.

6. The HMI of claim 1, wherein the interface component receives the second portion of control logic from a remote service.

7. The HMI of claim 1, wherein the first portion of control logic and the second portion of control logic are encapsulated within the HMI.

8. A device, comprising:

an industrial controller capable of storing application programs comprising control logic; and

a human machine interface (HMI) communicatively coupled to the industrial controller, comprising;

a memory that stores a first portion of control logic, of a same programming paradigm as the control logic of the industrial controller, that provides a default functionality of a representation of an HMI device;

an interface component that receives a second portion of control logic, of the same programming paradigm as the control logic of the industrial controller, that provides a custom functionality of the HMI device; and

a processor that appends the second portion of control logic to the first portion of control logic to add the custom functionality to the HMI device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the HMI device is a light emitting diode (LED), a dial, an analog control, a bar graph, a graph, a push button, a gauge, a visual indicator, a slider, a light indicator, a numeric read out, a read out, a numeric input, an input, or a graphical icon.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the control logic comprises ladder logic.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the memory stores a third portion of control logic associated with a second HMI device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the interface component is configured to receive a third portion of control logic that creates a compound device comprising the HMI device and the second HMI device.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the interface component is configured to receive the second portion of control logic from a remote service.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the second portion of control logic and the first portion of control logic are encapsulated within the HMI.

15. A method for customizing a human machine interface (HMI) within an industrial control system, comprising:

storing a first portion of control logic that provides a default functionality to a representation of an HMI device in memory, wherein the first portion of control logic is of a same programming paradigm as control logic of the industrial control system;

receiving a second portion of control logic, of the same programming paradigm as the control logic of the industrial control system, that provides a custom functionality to the HMI device; and

employing a processor that appends the second portion of control logic to the first portion of control logic to add the custom functionality to the HMI device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the HMI device is a light emitting diode (LED), a dial, an analog control, a bar graph, a graph, a push button, a gauge, a visual indicator, a slider, a light indicator, a numeric read out, a read out, a numeric input, an input, or a graphical icon.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second portion of control logic comprises ladder logic.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiving the second portion of control logic further comprises receiving the second portion of control logic from a remote service.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising encapsulating the first portion of control logic and the second portion of control logic within the HMI.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing a third portion of control logic associated with a second HMI device in memory;

receiving a fourth portion of control logic that creates a compound device comprising the HMI device and the second HMI device; and

employing the processor to append the fourth portion of control logic to the third portion of control logic, the first portion of control logic and the third portion of control logic to create the compound device comprising the first HMI device and the second HMI device.