Visualization profiles and templates for auto-configuration of industrial automation systems

• US 8,473,854 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2008
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: McGreevy, Robert Joseph, Pantaleano, Michael John, Fuller, Bruce Gordon, Tooke, Ian Edward, Albert, Kevin John, Baier, John Joseph, Pingel, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): ITURRALDE, ENRIQUE W
• Application Number:
  US12/193,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20100050097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/762, 715/763, 715/771, 715/866, 700/96, 700/247
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A visualization system utilizing pre-configured visualization profiles and templates to reduce the level of effort and time required to commission an industrial automation visualization system. The preconfigured visualization profiles and templates include graphic displays, informational reports and data sampling and collection strategies appropriate for the specific sector of manufacturing or industry.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising;

a profiles component configured to store preconfigured visualization profiles;

a templates component configured to store preconfigured visualization templates;

a selection component configured to retrieve at least one of a preconfigured visualization profile of the stored preconfigured visualization profiles or a preconfigured visualization template of the stored preconfigured visualization templates;

a runtime component configured to generate the industrial automation visualization from the at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile or the preconfigured visualization template and

a display component configured to display the industrial automation visualization and provide to the runtime component a tag name for the industrial automation visualization and associated graphic update rate for the tag name by interrogating a preconfigured visualization template, wherein the graphic update rate for the tag name in the preconfigured visualization template overrides an associated graphic update rate for the tag name in an associated preconfigured visualization profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection component is further configured to retrieve the preconfigured visualization profile based on a profile name.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the selection component is further configured to retrieve the preconfigured visualization template based on a template name.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an editor component configured to enable a user to add or delete elements to the at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile or the preconfigured visualization template, wherein the editor component is further configured to prevent a user from deleting an element specified as non-modifiable.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a configuration component configured to enable a user to modify elements of the at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile or the preconfigured visualization template, wherein the configuration component is further configured to prevent a user from modifying an element specified as non-modifiable.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising an interface component configured to accept manual or automatic input data associated with the at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile and the preconfigured visualization template.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the profile component is further configured to store at least one of user modified preconfigured visualization profiles or user created visualization profiles; and

the template component is further configured to store at least one of user modified preconfigured visualization templates or user created visualization templates.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a scheduler component configured to schedule at least one of a time or an event when a scheduled action is executed based the on at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile or the preconfigured visualization template.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the elements of the preconfigured visualization profile that can be modified comprise at least one of:

a rate to archive tag data to a data store;

or

a rate to update a graphic display with tag data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the time comprises at least one of a preconfigured time of day or a preconfigured period of time.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the runtime component is further configured to send timer data to an industrial controller by interrogating the preconfigured visualization profile for timer data, wherein the timer data comprises:

a timer preset value for defining a timing period;

a timer address for determining the timer'"'"'s location in the industrial controller; and

a timer action for facilitating notification of timer completion.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the runtime component is further configured to send counter data to an industrial controller by interrogating the preconfigured visualization profile for counter data, wherein the counter data comprises:

a counter preset value for defining a counting limit;

a counter address for determining the counter'"'"'s location in the industrial controller; and

a counter action for facilitating notification of counter completion.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein runtime component is further configured to request tag data from an industrial controller by interrogating a preconfigured visualization profile tag database comprising at least one tag, wherein the at least one tag comprises:

an address in the industrial controller;

a tag name representing the address in the industrial controller; and

a type of tag data represented at the address in the industrial controller.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the runtime component is further configured to download recipe data to an industrial controller by interrogating a preconfigured visualization profile recipe, wherein the recipe data comprises:

a tag name representing an address in the industrial controller associated with the recipe data; and

a value associated with the tag name.

15. The system of claim 1, the runtime component is further configured to validate access to configuration aspects of an industrial automation visualization system by interrogating preconfigured visualization profile security data, wherein the security data comprises:

a list of security checkpoints;

a list of secured areas associated with a security checkpoint; and

a security response required for passing the security checkpoint.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the runtime component is further configured to access user defined data by interrogating profile specific data of the preconfigured visualization profile.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component is further configured to display a graphic image by interrogating the preconfigured visualization template for a list of template shapes respectively comprising:

a shape name;

a shape type;

a shape position;

a shape size;

a shape color;

a shape value;

a shape fill; and

at least one shape action.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component is further configured to navigate a list of preconfigured visualization associated with each other based on at least one of industry type, production line type, and unit operation type by interrogating a template chain list included within the preconfigured visualization template.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component is further configured to generate a report by interrogating the preconfigured visualization template for a report framework, the report framework comprises:

a report heading comprising at least;

a title of the report;

a date of the report; and

a time of the report; and

a report body comprising at least;

a list of tag names required for generating the report;

a list of tables required for at least one of formatting the report or displaying tag data associated with the report;

a list of charts required for displaying the report; and

a list of calculations required for manipulating the tag data before displaying the tag data on the report.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component is further configured to generate a list of preconfigured reports associated with each other based on at least one of industry type, production line type, and unit operation type by interrogating a report chain list included within the preconfigured visualization template.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component is further configured to interrogate the preconfigured visualization template and execute a template event, wherein the template event comprises:

a tag name to monitor for the template event condition;

the template event condition; and

an action to take when the template event condition is recognized.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the display component is further configured to interrogate the preconfigured visualization template and execute a report event, wherein the report event comprises:

a tag name to monitor for the report event condition;

the report event condition; and

an action to take when the report event condition is recognized.

23. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

selecting at least one of a preconfigured visualization profile or a preconfigured visualization template;

generating an industrial automation visualization from the at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile or the preconfigured visualization template;

retrieving a tag name for the industrial automation visualization and associated graphic update rate for the tag name from the preconfigured visualization template, wherein the graphic update rate for the tag name in the preconfigured visualization template overrides an associated graphic update rate for the tag name in an associated preconfigured visualization profile; and

displaying the industrial automation visualization.

24. The method of claim 23, the method further comprising:

sending timer data to an industrial controller by interrogating the preconfigured visualization profile for timer data, wherein the timer data comprises;

a timer preset value for defining a timing period;

a timer address for determining the timer'"'"'s location in the industrial controller; and

a timer action for facilitating notification of timer completion.

25. The method of claim 23, the method further comprising:

sending counter data to an industrial controller by interrogating the preconfigured visualization profile for counter data, wherein the counter data comprises;

a counter preset value for defining a counting limit;

a counter address for determining the counter'"'"'s location in the industrial controller; and

a counter action for facilitating notification of counter completion.

26. The method of claim 23, the method further comprising:

requesting tag data from an industrial controller by interrogating a preconfigured visualization profile tag database comprising at least one tag, wherein the at least one tag comprises;

an address in the industrial controller;

a tag name representing the address in the industrial controller; and

a type of tag data represented at the address in the industrial controller.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause at least one device to perform operations comprising:

selecting at least one of a preconfigured visualization profile or a preconfigured visualization template;

generating an industrial automation visualization from the at least one of the preconfigured visualization profile or the preconfigured visualization template;

retrieving a tag name for the industrial automation visualization and associated graphic update rate for the tag name from the preconfigured visualization template, wherein the graphic update rate for the tag name in the preconfigured visualization template overrides an associated graphic update rate for the tag name in an associated preconfigured visualization profile and

displaying the industrial automation visualization.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, the operations further comprising:

sending timer data to an industrial controller by interrogating the preconfigured visualization profile for timer data, wherein the timer data comprises;

a timer preset value for defining a timing period;

a timer address for determining the timer'"'"'s location in the industrial controller; and

a timer action for facilitating notification of timer completion.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, the operations further comprising:

sending counter data to an industrial controller by interrogating the preconfigured visualization profile for counter data, wherein the counter data comprises;

a counter preset value for defining a counting limit;

a counter address for determining the counter'"'"'s location in the industrial controller; and

a counter action for facilitating notification of counter completion.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, the operations further comprising:

requesting tag data from an industrial controller by interrogating a preconfigured visualization profile tag database comprising at least one tag, wherein the at least one tag comprises;

an address in the industrial controller;

a tag name representing the address in the industrial controller; and

a type of tag data represented at the address in the industrial controller.