Programmable display device, and control system

• US 8,707,423 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Koara, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US12/293,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 726/16, 726/19, 726/29, 700/12, 700/15, 700/86, 711/162
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence

Abstract

A programmable display device includes a communication driver, a file system process unit that accesses the portable storage medium storing backup/restore target information that includes a target control device and target setting information respectively specifying the control device on which the backup/restore process is performed out of the control devices connected to the programmable display device and setting information, and a setting-information obtaining/writing process unit that accesses the control device via the communication driver based on the backup/restore target information and performs the backup/restore process of the setting information by accessing the portable storage medium via the file system process unit.

Claims

1. A programmable display device that is connected to Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) control devices that store setting information for performing a predetermined control process and perform the control process based on the setting information, and perform a backup or restore process of the setting information, the programmable display device comprising:

a communication process unit that accesses the PLC control devices executing sequence programs;

a file system process unit that accesses a storage medium that stores therein first information including target control device information for one of the PLC control devices and target setting information and is built in or detachable from the programmable display device, the target control device information specifying a PLC control device selected from the PLC control devices that is to be a target for the backup or restore process out of the PLC control devices connected to the programmable display device, the target setting information specifying setting information that is to be a target for the backup or restore process out of a plurality of pieces of setting information stored in the PLC control device specified in the target control device information;

a setting information obtaining/writing process unit that accesses the PLC control device via the communication process unit based on the first information in the storage medium in accordance with a request for performing the backup or restore process from outside, and performs the backup or restore process of the setting information by accessing the storage medium via the file system process unit;

wherein the storage medium stores therein a whole password, an individual password, and second information in which access to setting information of target PLC control devices specified in the first information is limited by the whole password, and the second information includes setting information of each of the PLC control devices to which access is limited by the individual password, and

wherein the setting information of the target PLC control devices are protected by a respective individual password and wherein the whole password authorizes the backup or restore of each of the target PLC control devices.

2. The programmable display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the programmable display device further includes;

a whole password authentication process unit that performs authentication of a password that is input from outside when performing the backup or restore by comparing the password with the whole password in the storage medium; and

an individual password input process unit that performs an authentication process with respect to the target PLC control device by obtaining the individual password corresponding to the target setting information in the first information from the second information when the authentication is performed normally by the whole password authentication process unit,

the setting information obtaining/writing process unit performs the backup or restore process of setting information specified by the target setting information after the authentication process is normally performed by the individual password input process unit.

3. The programmable display device according to claim 2, wherein the second information further includes a setting information password for authenticating access to each of the setting information, and

the individual password input process unit obtains a setting information password corresponding to the target setting information in the first information from the second information, and performs an authentication process to the target PLC control device.

4. The programmable display device according to claim 2, wherein the whole password and the individual password are written on the storage medium by the setting information obtaining/writing process unit at a time of the backup process for a first time.

9. The programmable display device according to claim 1, wherein the whole password provides access to each of the target PLC control devices and wherein during subsequent backup operation or restoration process using the whole password, individual password for at least one of the PLC control device is obtained to allow said subsequent backup operation or restoration process.

10. The programmable display device according to claim 1, wherein the individual passwords authorize modifiable access to the setting information of the respective PLC control device and wherein the whole password authorizes view access without modifications of the setting information.

11. The programmable display device according to claim 1, the programmable display device is a numeric controller.

5. A control system that performs a backup or restore process of setting information of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) control device, the control system comprising:

PLC control devices that execute sequence programs and store therein setting information for performing a predetermined control process and perform the control process based on the setting information;

a programmable display device that is connected to the PLC control devices and displays a state of the control devices and a display screen including a setting screen for the PLC control devices; and

a storage medium that is built in or detachable from the programmable display device, wherein

the storage medium stores therein first information including target control device information and target setting information, the target control device information specifying a PLC control device that is to be a target for the backup or restore process out of the control devices connected to the programmable display device, the target setting information specifying setting information that is to be a target for the backup or restore process out of a plurality of pieces of setting information stored in the PLC control device specified in the target control device information, and

the programmable display device includes;

a communication process unit that accesses the PLC control device;

a file system process unit that accesses the storage medium; and

a setting information obtaining/writing process unit that accesses the PLC control device via the communication process unit based on the first information in the storage medium in accordance with a request for performing the backup or restore process from outside, and performs the backup or restore process of the setting information by accessing the storage medium via the file system process unit,

wherein the storage medium stores therein a whole password, an individual password, and second information in which access to setting information of target PLC control devices specified in the first information is limited by the whole password, and the second information includes setting information of each of the PLC control devices to which access is limited by the individual password, and

wherein the setting information of the target PLC control devices are protected by a respective individual password and wherein the whole password authorizes the backup or restore of each of the target PLC control devices.

6. The control system according to claim 5, wherein:

the programmable display device further includes;

a whole password authentication process unit that performs authentication of a password that is input from outside when performing the backup or restore by comparing the password with the whole password in the storage medium; and

an individual password input process unit that performs an authentication process with respect to the target control device by obtaining the individual password corresponding to the target setting information in the first information from the second information when the authentication is performed normally by the whole password authentication process unit,

the setting information obtaining/writing process unit of the programmable display device performs the backup or restore process of setting information specified by the target setting information after the authentication process is normally performed by the individual password input process unit.

7. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the second information further includes a setting information password for authenticating access to each of the setting information, and

the individual password input process unit obtains a setting information password corresponding to the target setting information in the first information from the second information, and performs an authentication process to the target control device.

8. The control system according to claim 6, wherein the whole password and the individual password are written on the storage medium by the setting information obtaining/writing process unit at a time of the backup process for a first time.