Industrial automation equipment and machine procedure simulation

• US 9,400,495 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Michalscheck, Jimi, Michalscheck, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US14/633,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20150168937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 703/740, 703/796, 703/781, 703/610, 703/E17.005, 703/E17.001, 703/E17.064, 703/E17.046, 705/406, 705/317, 705/14.26, 705/14.38, 705/11, 705/30, 705/40, 705/29, 705/14.58, 705/14.67, 705/14.66
• 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 2219/13174 Pc, computer connected to plc to simulate machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2443 Stored procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

For machine procedure simulation, a synchronization module stores a plurality of equipment procedures in a procedure database. Each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code. The synchronization module further synchronizes the plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device. A retrieval module receives a first equipment reference code at the mobile device and retrieves a first equipment procedure indexed to the first equipment reference code. The first equipment procedure includes a machine simulation for the first equipment instance. A training module receives a procedure step directed to the machine simulation. In addition, the training module displays an operator simulation interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by use of a processor, a plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device, wherein each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code;

receiving a first equipment reference code for a first equipment instance at the mobile device;

retrieving a first equipment procedure of the plurality of equipment procedures indexed to the first equipment reference code, the first equipment procedure comprising a machine simulation for the first equipment instance;

receiving a step answer in response to a step question;

receiving a procedure step comprising a lockout decision indicating that the first equipment procedure requires a lockout of the first equipment instance that is directed to the machine simulation;

displaying an operator simulation that shows a simulated operator interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step lockout decision;

generating a progress report based on at least one of the procedure step and the step answer; and

generating a process certification in response at least one of the procedure step and the step answer exceeding a certification threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising storing at least one of the procedure step and the step answer on a remote server.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising communicating a step instruction for the first equipment procedure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine simulation comprises:

at least one articulated element for the first equipment instance;

a motion matrix for each articulated element; and

at least one texture map applied to each articulated element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operator simulation comprises an operator texture map of the simulated operator.

6. A method comprising:

synchronizing, by use of a processor, a plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device, wherein each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code;

receiving a first equipment reference code for a first equipment instance at the mobile device;

retrieving a first equipment procedure of the plurality of equipment procedures indexed to the first equipment reference code, the first equipment procedure comprising a machine simulation for the first equipment instance;

training the first equipment procedure;

receiving a procedure step comprising a lockout decision indicating that the first equipment procedure requires a lockout of the first equipment instance that is directed to the machine simulation;

displaying an operator simulation that shows a simulated operator interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step lockout decision;

recording operator actions to an audit report;

generating a progress report based on the procedure step; and

generating a process certification in response to the procedure step exceeding a certification threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein training the operator comprises:

providing a step instruction for the first equipment procedure;

communicating a step question regarding the first equipment procedure;

receiving a step answer regarding the first equipment procedure;

storing the step answer;

providing a procedure description;

communicating a lockout query; and

storing the procedure step.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising communicating the process certification.

9. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

synchronizing a plurality of equipment procedures to a mobile device, wherein each equipment procedure corresponds to an equipment instance of a plurality of equipment instances and each equipment instance corresponds to an equipment reference code;

receiving a first equipment reference code for a first equipment instance at the mobile device;

retrieving a first equipment procedure of the plurality of equipment procedures indexed to the first equipment reference code, the first equipment procedure comprising a machine simulation for the first equipment instance;

receiving a step answer in response to a step question;

receiving a procedure step comprising a lockout decision indicating that the first equipment procedure requires a lockout of the first equipment instance that is directed to the machine simulation;

displaying an operator simulation that shows a simulated operator interacting with the machine simulation in response to the procedure step lockout decision;

generating a progress report based on at least one of the procedure step and the step answer; and

generating a process certification in response at least one of the procedure step and the step answer exceeding a certification threshold.

10. The program product of claim 9, the code further storing at least one of the procedure step and the step answer on a remote server.

11. The program product of claim 9, the code further communicating a step instruction for the first equipment procedure.

12. The program product of claim 9, wherein the machine simulation comprises:

at least one articulated element for the first equipment instance;

a motion matrix for each articulated element; and

at least one texture map applied to each articulated element.