Peer-to-peer exchange of data resources in a control system

• US 9,628,557 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Gordon, Kevin G., Kalan, Michael D., Jasper, Taryl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Hee Soo
• Application Number:
  US14/226,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31082 NDDS network data delivery service, producers and consumers model
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31124 Interface between communication network and process control, store, exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31206 Exchange of parameters, data, programs between two station, station and central or host or remote
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31225 System structure, plc's and pc's communicate over lan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31324 Distributed real time knowledge, database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31329 Distributed, among several servers, directory service
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33341 Peer to peer, change master if overloaded
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36133 MMI, HMI: man machine interface, communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1456 Hardware arrangements for backup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1076 Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

System(s) and method(s) are provided for peer-to-peer exchange of data in a control system. Decentralized storage and multi-access paths provide complete sets of data without dependence on a specific or pre-defined data source or access paths. Data is characterized as data resources with disparate granularity. The control system includes a plurality of layers that act as logic units communicatively coupled through access network(s). Server(s) resides in a service layer, whereas client(s) associated with respective visualization terminal(s) are part of a visualization layer. Peer-to-peer distribution of data resource(s) can be based on available access network(s) resources and optimization of response time(s) in the control system. When client requests a data resource, all the locations of the data resource and the quickest source to retrieve it are automatically determined. The client stores copy of data resource. Peer-to-peer distribution of data resource(s) can be implemented within the service layer or the visualization layer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first operator interface terminal comprising a processor, control data stored in a memory location of an industrial controller communicatively coupled to the first operator interface terminal;

rendering, by the first operator interface terminal, the control data on a graphical element of a graphical screen of the first operator interface terminal; and

sending, by the first operator interface terminal, a data resource to a second operator interface terminal using a peer-to-peer protocol, wherein the data resource comprises at least one of the graphical screen or the graphical element and metadata that causes the control data in the memory location of the industrial controller to be rendered on the second operator interface terminal via the graphical element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending the data resource to the second operator interface terminal in response to detecting an update of at least one of the graphical screen or the graphical element implemented at the first operator interface terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to the detecting the updated, sending, by the first operator interface terminal, a request to a data management device for identification of one or more destination operator interface terminals that are to receive the data resource; and

receiving identification data from the data management device identifying the one or more destination operator interface terminals.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting the update comprises detecting generation of the graphical screen or a modification to the graphical screen.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the first operator interface terminal, an instruction from a server device to provide the data resource to the second operator interface terminal based on at least one network performance criterion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical screen is a first graphical screen, and the method further comprises:

receiving an instruction from a data management device to store a second graphical screen determined to be accessed at a frequency above a threshold frequency for delivery to other operator interface terminals in response to a determination that the first operator interface terminal allows faster retrieval than the second operator interface terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical screen is a first graphical screen, and the method further comprises:

receiving an instruction from a data management device to store a second graphical screen that is also stored on the second operator interface terminal for delivery to other operator interface terminals in response to a determination that the second graphical screen is accessed at a frequency that exceeds a threshold frequency.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical screen is a first graphical screen, the graphical element is a first graphical element, and the data resource is a first data resource, and the method further comprises:

receiving, by the first operator interface terminal, a second data resource from multiple other operator interface terminals using the peer-to-peer protocol, wherein the second data resource is at least one of a second graphical screen or a second graphical element of the second graphical screen.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, by the first operator interface terminal, the second data resource from the multiple other operator interface terminals over respective multiple peer-to-peer data paths.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering, by the first operator interface terminal, at least a subset of the control data to the second operator interface using the peer-to-peer protocol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending the data resource to the second operator interface terminal in response to detecting that the second operator interface terminal has been added to a set of peer-to-peer nodes including the first operator interface terminal.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon components that, in response to execution, cause an operator interface terminal comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

rendering a graphical screen comprising a graphical element on a display;

rendering, via the graphical element, control data retrieved from a memory location of an industrial controller communicatively coupled to the operator interface terminal; and

sending a data resource to another operator interface terminal using a peer-to-peer protocol, wherein the data resource comprises at least one of the graphical screen or the graphical element and metadata that instructs the other operator interface terminal to retrieve the control data from the memory location of the industrial controller and render the control data via the graphical element.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting an update of at least one of the graphical screen or the graphical element performed via the operator interface terminal; and

sending the data resource to the other operator interface terminal in response to the detecting.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

in response to the detecting, determining an identity of the other operator interface terminal based on identification information retrieved from a data management device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the detecting comprises detecting creation of the graphical screen or a modification to the graphical screen.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the sending comprises sending the data resource to the other operator interface terminal in accordance with at least one network performance criterion.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the graphical screen is a first graphical screen, the graphical element is a first graphical element, and the data resource is a first data resource, and the operations further comprise:

receiving a second data resource from multiple other operator interface terminals using the peer-to-peer protocol, wherein the second data resource is at least one of a second graphical screen or a second graphical element of the second graphical screen.

18. An operator interface terminal, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions configured to implement the system, comprising;

a display component configured to display control data retrieved from a memory location of an industrial controller via a graphical element of a graphical screen; and

a communication component configured to send a data resource to another operator interface terminal using a peer-to-peer protocol, wherein the data resource comprises at least one of the graphical screen or the graphical element and metadata that causes the other operator interface terminal to retrieve the control data from the memory location of the industrial controller and render the control data via the graphical element on the second operator interface terminal.

19. The operator interface terminal of claim 18, wherein the communication component is further configured to send the data resource to the other operator interface terminal in response to detection of a modification or an addition of at least one of the graphical screen or the graphical element.

20. The operator interface terminal of claim 18, wherein the communication component is further configured to receive a second data resource from one or more other operator interface terminals using the peer-to-peer protocol, wherein the second data resource is at least one of a second graphical screen or a second graphical element of the second graphical screen.