Module class subsets for industrial control

• US 8,601,435 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weatherhead, N. Andrew, Carmount, Mark K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T
• Application Number:
  US11/774,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,339 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-108
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system that facilitates module design in an industrial environment is provided. The system includes a module component that defines operations to control an industrial process. At least one class component is defined within the module that identifies a generic operation for the module, where the class component executes one or more of the operations within the industrial control process.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates module design in an industrial environment, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory having stored therein computer-executable components to implement the system, the computer-executable components comprising;

a library comprising a plurality of equipment modules and a plurality of equipment phase modules, wherein;

the plurality of equipment modules respectively comprise one or more class components that codify at least one portion of equipment module functionality relating to control of an industrial process, the one or more class components comprising at least an equipment phase interface component that is common to the plurality of equipment modules,

the plurality of equipment phase modules respectively comprise one or more phase class components that codify at least one portion of equipment phase functionality, the one or more phase class components comprising at least an equipment module interface component that is common to the plurality of equipment phase modules, and

the equipment phase interface component is configured to receive parameter data from the equipment module interface component of an equipment phase module, of the plurality of equipment phase modules, for control of sequence logic executed by an equipment module, of the plurality of equipment modules.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipment modules further respectively comprise, as the one or more class components, at least an equipment interface component configured to exchange data between the plurality of equipment modules and at least one of a subordinate equipment module or a control module.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of equipment modules further respectively comprise, as the one or more class components, at least a coordination and control component configured to control a state of at least one of the subordinate equipment module or the control module via the equipment interface component.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipment modules further respectively comprise, as the one or more class components, at least a behavior component that defines one or more functional behaviors of the plurality of equipment modules.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the library classifies the plurality of equipment modules as at least one of a material transfer module, a generic module, or an equipment verification module according to the one or more functional behaviors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment phase interface component comprises a standardized interface that facilitates exchange of report data indicating state activity for the plurality of equipment modules.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipment modules further respectively comprise, as the one or more class components, at least one of a mode component, a permissive component, a command component, or a status component.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipment phase modules are configured to generate request data comprising an equipment phase request and to send the data to one of the plurality of equipment modules via the equipment phase interface component.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more phase class components further comprise at least a behavior component that defines one or more functional behaviors of the plurality of equipment phase modules.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of equipment phase modules at least one of send parameter data to the equipment module or receive report data from the equipment module via the equipment module interface component.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the library classifies the plurality of equipment phase modules as at least one of a material transfer phase module, a generic phase module, or an equipment verification phase module according to at least one of the parameter data or the report data respectively associated with the plurality of equipment modules.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the sequence logic comprises one or more sequence steps and is controlled at least in part by a command received from the equipment phase module via the equipment phase interface component.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of equipment modules are configured to send status data generated by the sequence logic to the equipment phase module via the equipment phase interface component.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment phase interface component is further configured to send status data generated by the equipment module to the equipment module interface component of the equipment phase module.

15. A method for generating modular control components, comprising:

selecting, by a system comprising one or more processors, an equipment module from a plurality of equipment modules that respectively comprise one or more class components that define at least a portion of control functionality, wherein the one or more class components comprise at least a standardized equipment phase interface component that is common to the plurality of equipment modules;

selecting an equipment phase module from a plurality of equipment phase modules that respectively comprise one or more phase class components that define at least a portion of equipment phase functionality, wherein the one or more phase class components comprise at least a standardized equipment module interface that is common to the plurality of equipment phase modules; and

receiving, by the equipment module, parameter data from the equipment phase module via the standardized equipment phase interface component of the equipment module, wherein the parameter data facilitates control of sequence logic executing on the equipment module.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising executing the sequencing logic to control at least one device comprising the a portion of an industrial process.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising classifying the plurality of equipment modules based at least in part on respective behaviors associated with the plurality of equipment modules.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing at least one International Society of Automation S88.01-1995 (S88) state associated with the equipment module.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending, by the equipment module, report data generated by the equipment module to the standardized equipment module interface component of the equipment phase module via the standardized equipment phase interface component.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components, comprising:

a set of equipment modules respectively comprising one or more first functional components relating to control of an industrial process and respectively classified as a member of one or more classes, wherein the set of equipment modules are respectively configured to employ the one or more first functional components to perform control of at least a portion of the industrial process, and wherein the one or more first functional components comprise at least an equipment phase interface component that is common to the set of equipment modules; and

a set of equipment phase modules that respectively comprise one or more second functional components relating to equipment phase functionality, and wherein the one or more second functional components comprise at least an equipment module interface component that is common to the set of equipment phase modules,

wherein the equipment phase interface component encodes functionality that allows the set of equipment modules to receive parameter data from the equipment module interface component.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more first functional components further comprise at least one of a mode component, a permissive component, a command component, a status component, a report component, a parameter component, a coordination component, or a sequence component.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more first functional components further comprise at least an equipment interface component that is common to the set of equipment phase modules and configured to exchange data between the set of equipment modules and at least one of a subordinate equipment module or a control module.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more first functional components further comprise at least a coordination and control component configured to control a state of at least one of the subordinate equipment module or the control module via the equipment interface component.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more first functional components further comprise at least a behavior component that defines one or more functional behaviors of the set of equipment modules.