Electronic operator interface based controller and device automatic downloads

• US 8,489,210 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bliss, Ronald E., Oulton, Brian R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US12/410,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20100249956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 700/87, 700/9, 700/3, 700/110, 700/118, 700/47, 700/83, 715/763, 715/967, 717/113, 709/999.007, 709/201, 709/770, 709/812, 709/200
• US Class Current: 700/87
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• 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 2219/13197 Host and remote version of ladder program, avoid different versions
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31124 Interface between communication network and process control, store, exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31333 Database to backup and restore factory controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and/or methodologies for electronic operator interface based controller and device automatic downloads. More particularly, an electronic operator interface can determine if control logic or content used by an industrial controller has been updated, changed, or otherwise modified. If the content has been modified, then the electronic operator interface can automatically obtain the content and store a back-up copy in memory. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic operator interface can periodically update a backup copy of the content. Furthermore, the electronic operator interface can determine if the controller has lost its content, and restore the content from the most recent version saved in memory.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory storing computer-executable components; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising;

a monitoring component configured to determine whether there has been a modification of a version of control content maintained by an industrial controller to a modified version of the control content; and

a notification component configured to, in response to a determination that the modification of the version of the control content maintained by the industrial controller to the modified version of the control content has occurred, communicate a notification relating to the modification to an electronic operator interface to notify the electronic operator interface that the version of the control content has been modified to the modified version of the control content, and communicate the modified version of the control content to the electronic operator interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the industrial controller is configured to execute the control content to control an industrial process.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control content includes a set of computer executable code.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification component is configured to provide the notification to the electronic operator interface via a network connection.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the industrial controller is included in the electronic operator interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring component is configured to determine the industrial controller does not have a most recent version of the control content.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination that the industrial controller does not have the most recent version of the control content, the industrial controller receives the most recent version of the control content from the electronic operator interface.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a controller security component configured to obtain receive a security credential from an operator.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the security credential comprises a biometric identifier.

10. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a system including a processor, a modification of a version of control content maintained by an industrial controller to a modified version of the control content; and

in response to the detecting the modification of the version of the control content maintained by the industrial controller to the modified version of the control content,

transmitting, by the system, a notification relating to the modification to an electronic operator interface to facilitate notifying the electronic operator interface that the version of the control content has been modified to the modified version of the control content, and

transmitting, by the system, the modified version of the control content to the electronic operator interface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting, by the system, that the industrial controller does not have a latest version of the control content maintained by the electronic operator interface;

in response to the detecting the industrial controller does not have the latest version of the control content, receiving, by the system, the latest version of the control content from the electronic operator interface; and

restoring, by the system, the control content in the industrial controller using the latest version of the control content received from the electronic operator interface.

12. An industrial controller, comprising:

a memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

a processor, communicatively coupled to the memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to at least;

determine whether there has been a modification of a version of control content maintained by an industrial controller to a modified version of the control content; and

in response to a determination that there has been the modification of the version of the control content to the modified version of the control content,

communicate a notification relating to the modification to an electronic operator interface to notify the electronic operator interface that the version of the control content maintained by the industrial controller has been modified to the modified version of the control content, and

communicate the modified version of the control content to the electronic operator interface.

13. The industrial controller of claim 12, wherein the processor facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to determine that the control content maintained by the industrial controller is not a latest version of the control content.

14. The industrial controller of claim 13, wherein the processor facilitates execution of the computer-executable instructions to, in response to the determination that the control content maintained by the industrial controller is not the latest version of the control content, receive the latest version of the control content from the electronic operator interface.

15. A system, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable components; and

at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising;

an audit component configured to determine whether control content maintained by an industrial controller has been modified to modified control content based at least in part on a notification, to an electronic operator interface, that indicates the control content maintained by the industrial controller has been modified to the modified control content;

a transfer component configured to download the modified control content from the industrial controller to the electronic operator interface, in response to determining the control content maintained by the industrial controller has been modified to the modified control content; and

a backup component configured to maintain the modified control content in a data store associated with the electronic operator interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the audit component is further configured to determine that the industrial controller does not have a most recent version of the control content maintained in the data store associated with the electronic operator interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a restoration component configured to transmit the most recent version of the control content maintained in the data store associated with the electronic operator interface to the industrial controller, in response to the determining that the industrial controller does not have the most recent version of the control content.

18. A method, comprising:

determining, by a system including a processor, whether there has been a modification of a version of control content maintained by an industrial controller to a modified version of the control content based at least in part on a notification relating to the modification;

in response to determining that there has been the modification of the version of the control content to the modified version of the control content, downloading, by the system, the modified version of the control content from the industrial controller to an electronic operator interface; and

maintaining, by the system, the modified version of the control content in a data store associated with the electronic operator interface.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining, by the system, that the industrial controller does not have a latest version of the control content maintained in the data store associated with the electronic operator interface; and

in response to the determining that the industrial controller not having the latest version of the control content, transmitting, by the system, the latest version of the control content maintained in the data store to the industrial controller.

20. An electronic operator interface, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable components; and

at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the at least one memory, that facilitates execution of the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising;

an audit component configured to determine whether there has been a modification of control content maintained by an industrial controller to modified control content based at least in part on a notification relating to the modification;

a transfer component configured to download the modified control content from the industrial controller to the electronic operator interface, in response to a determination that there has been the modification of the control content to the modified control content; and

a backup component configured to maintain the modified control content in a data store associated with the electronic operator interface.

21. The electronic operator interface of claim 20, wherein the audit component is further configured to determine that the industrial controller does not have a most recent version of the control content maintained in the data store associated with the electronic operator interface.

22. The electronic operator interface of claim 21, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a restoration component configured to provide the most recent version of the control content maintained in the data store to the industrial controller, in response to the determining that the industrial controller does not have the most recent version of the control content.

23. The electronic operator interface of claim 20, wherein the audit component is configured to determine whether there has been the modification of the control content based at least in part on a mode of the industrial controller.