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Distributed control system

  • US 8,818,531 B2
  • Filed: 01/12/2011
  • Issued: 08/26/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling operations of a first machine, a second machine, and a third machine of a plurality of machines over a network in an industrial automation environment, each machine being automated machinery that is configured to perform at least one industrial automation operation and having at least a control unit, a sensor and a device, the method comprising:

  • identifying, using the first machine'"'"'s control unit, a first prerequisite operating condition associated with the first machine, wherein the first machine is configured to perform at least a first operation only upon meeting the first prerequisite operating condition;

    receiving, by the first machine and directly from the second machine over the network and without the use of a central controller, data indicative of at least one current operating condition associated with the second machine, the data indicative of the second machine'"'"'s at least one current operating condition generated using the second machine'"'"'s sensor and control unit;

    determining, using the first machine'"'"'s control unit, whether the at least one current operating condition meets the first prerequisite operating condition;

    if the at least one current operating condition meets the first prerequisite operating condition, performing the first operation on the first machine using the first machine'"'"'s device;

    if the at least one current operating condition does not meet the first prerequisite operating condition, not performing the first operation on the first machine using the first machine'"'"'s device;

    determining at least one current operating condition associated with the first machine;

    generating, using the first machine'"'"'s sensor and control unit, data indicative of the first machine'"'"'s at least one current operating condition;

    determining a location of the third machine without the use of a central controller; and

    sending, directly to the third machine at its determined location, the data indicative of the first machine'"'"'s at least one current operating condition, the first machine'"'"'s at least one current operating condition useable to determine one of performance and nonperformance of an operation on the third machine.

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