Industrial controller automation interface

• US 9,104,185 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Software Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: McKelvey, Jeffrey A., D'Amico, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, TUAN C.
• Application Number:
  US13/911,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20130268097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/05 Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/054 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41835 characterised by programme execution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13121 DDE direct data exchange, DLL dynamic library linking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13128 Relay ladder diagram, RLL RLD KOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13148 Object oriented programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13172 Remote programming from computer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15027 RS485, MPI multipoint interface, multiple transmitters, receivers connected
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15038 Internet, tcp-ip, web server see under S05B219-40
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15052 Communication processor, link interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31112 Interface, SIOMS standard I-O for mechatronic systems, device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31229 Supervisor, master, workstation controller, automation, machine control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An automation interface is provided for interacting with industrial controllers. The automation interface provides for programming, editing, monitoring and maintenance of industrial controllers programmatically from a local or remote location. The automation interface component is adapted to communicate with industrial controllers by integrating a computer process interface library into the automation interface component. The computer process interface library exposes the automation interface component to client application processes, so that the client application processes can communicate with the at least one industrial controller programmatically. The automation interface is provided with functionality for downloading, uploading and programming of control programs to the processors of the industrial controllers.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

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

an automation interface component configured with a plurality of project objects, wherein respective project objects are associated with industrial controllers, wherein the automation interface component is further configured to be accessed by a plurality of programming languages, and has a visible mode that includes a user interface and an invisible mode that does not include a user interface;

an application object configured to;

instantiate the automation interface for at least one network based client;

obtain respective project objects associated with at least one industrial controller of the industrial controllers;

expose the automation interface to the at least one network-based client; and

communicatively connect the automation interface to the at least one industrial controller and the at least one network-based client using the respective project objects associated with the at least one industrial controller;

a maintenance application configured to automatically determine when a first control program is to be replaced by a second control program based upon a specific process associated with the at least one industrial controller; and

wherein the automation interface is further configured to;

receive the first control program from the at least one industrial controller, wherein the first control program is utilized to control operation of at least one device associated with an industrial automation process controlled by the at least one industrial controller;

transmit the first control program to the at least one network-based client application;

receive the second control program generated by the at least one network-based client application based upon the determination by the maintenance application that the first control program is to be replaced by the second control program; and

instruct the at least one industrial controller to utilize the second control program to update the first control program.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation interface component is further configured to employ an Internet based protocol to connect to the at least one network-based client application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation interface component is further configured to transmit the first control program to the at least one network-based client application in response to an event detected by the at least one industrial controller.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the event is a preconfigured time-of-day.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the event is a change in at least one of a property or method of a programmable object associated with the automation interface component.

6. A method, comprising:

instantiating, by an application object executing in a system including at least one processor, an automation interface for at least one network based client, wherein the automation interface is configured with a plurality of project objects, wherein respective project objects are associated with industrial controllers, wherein the automation interface is further configured to be accessed by a plurality of programming languages, and has a visible mode that includes a user interface and an invisible mode that does not include a user interface;

obtaining, by the application object, respective project objects associated with at least one industrial controller of the industrial controllers;

exposing, by the application object, the automation interface to the at least one network-based client; and

communicatively connecting, by the application object, the automation interface to the at least one industrial controller and the at least one network-based client using the respective project objects associated with the at least one industrial controller;

automatically determining, by the application object, that a first control program is to be replaced by a second control program based upon a specific process associated with the at least one industrial controller;

receiving, by the automation interface executing in the system, the first control program from the at least one industrial controller, wherein the first control program is utilized to control operation of at least one device associated with an industrial automation process controlled by the at least one industrial controller;

transmitting, by the automation interface, the first control program to the at least one network-based client application;

receiving, by the automation interface, the second control program generated by the at least one network-based client application based upon the determination that the first control program is to be replaced by the second control program; and

instructing, by the automation interface, the at least one industrial controller to utilize the second control program to update the first control program.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, employing, by the automation interface, an Internet based protocol to connect to the at least one network-based client application.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the first control program to the at least one network-based client application in response to an event detected by the at least one industrial controller.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is a preconfigured time-of-day.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is a change in at least one of a property or method of a programmable object associated with the automation interface.

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

instantiating, by an application object, an automation interface for at least one network based client, wherein the automation interface is configured with a plurality of project objects, wherein respective project objects are associated with industrial controllers, wherein the automation interface is further configured to be accessed by a plurality of programming languages, and has a visible mode that includes a user interface and an invisible mode that does not include a user interface;

obtaining, by the application object, respective project objects associated with at least one industrial controller of the industrial controllers;

exposing, by the application object, the automation interface to the at least one network-based client; and

communicatively connecting, by the application object, the automation interface to the at least one industrial controller and the at least one network-based client using the respective project objects associated with the at least one industrial controller;

automatically determining that a first control program is to be replaced by a second control program based upon a specific process associated with the at least one industrial controller;

receiving, by the automation interface, the first control program from the at least one industrial controller, wherein the first control program is utilized to control operation of at least one device associated with an industrial automation process controlled by the at least one industrial controller;

transmitting, by the automation interface, the first control program to the at least one network-based client application;

receiving, by the automation interface, the second control program generated by the at least one network-based client application based upon the determination that the first control program is to be replaced by the second control program; and

instructing, by the automation interface, the at least one industrial controller to utilize the second control program to update the first control program.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, employing, by the automation interface, an Internet based protocol to connect to the at least one network-based client application.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the first control program to the at least one network-based client application in response to an event detected by the at least one industrial controller.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the event is a preconfigured time-of-day.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the event is a change in at least one of a property or method of a programmable object associated with the automation interface.