Scalable architecture for a human machine interface device

• US 10,401,802 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Chalapuradudi Bandigowda, Anandkumar, Puthiyonnan, Suneesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Application Number:
  US13/753,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/052 Linking several PLC's
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23081 MMI design, operator workplace design
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25315 Module, sequence from module to module, structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25454 Retrofitting

Abstract

A human-machine interface device suitable for use in an automation system comprising a plurality of the human-machine interface devices, where each human-machine interface device includes at least one hardware resource, a system bus, and an interconnect circuit and is configured for interconnecting with at least one other human-machine interface device to form a device cluster, where the interconnect circuit provides a communication channel between individual system bus in each human-machine interface device forming the device cluster.

Claims

1. A human-machine interface device of an industrial automation system comprising a plurality of programmable-logic controllers and a plurality of the human-machine interface devices, the human-machine interface device comprising:

at least one hardware resource;

a system bus for providing a communication channel between the at least one hardware resource within a human-machine interface device of the industrial automation system including the plurality of programmable-logic controllers;

an interconnect circuit comprising at least one interconnect port configured for interconnecting the human-machine interface device to at least one other human-machine interface device to form a device cluster;

means for providing a communication channel between the at least one interconnect port and the system bus; and

a discovery module configured to retrieve information related to one of (i) processer type, (ii) processor capacity and (iii) memory capacity of the at least one hardware resource in at least one other human-machine interface device in the device cluster which facilitates an arbitration process so as to configure different modes associated with the human-machine interface device and the at least one other human-machine interface device.

2. The human-machine interface device according to claim 1, wherein the means for providing a communication channel comprise:

an interconnect bus configured to provide a communication channel between at least one interconnect port corresponding to the human-machine interface device; and

an interconnect bridge configured to provide a communication channel between the interconnect bus and the system bus within the human-machine interface device.

3. The human-machine interface device according to claim 1, wherein the interconnect circuit is configured for communicating at least one of multiplexed address/data signals, controls signals and interrupt signals.

4. The human-machine interface device according to claim 2, wherein the interconnect circuit is configured for communicating at least one of multiplexed address/data signals, controls signals and interrupt signals.

5. The human-machine interface device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an arbitration module configured to activate one of a master mode and a slave mode in the human-machine interface device such that at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster is configured in the master mode, and each remaining human-machine interface device in the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster is configured in the slave mode.

6. The human-machine interface device according to claim 1 further comprising:

a control module operable in a master mode for controlling at least one hardware resource on at least one human-machine interface device within the device cluster, and further operable in a slave mode for receiving control signals from another control module operating in a master mode on another human-machine interface device within the device cluster.

7. The human-machine interface device according claim 1 further comprising:

a display module operable in a master mode for logically partitioning a graphical user-interface into a plurality of portions, and for displaying individual portions on individual human-machine interface devices in the device cluster.

8. An industrial automation system comprising:

a plurality of programmable-logic controllers; and

a plurality of human-machine interface devices, each of the plurality of human-machine interface devices comprising;

at least one hardware resource;

a system bus configured to provide a communication channel between the at least one hardware resource within the human-machine interface device of the industrial automation system;

an interconnect circuit comprising at least one interconnect port configured to interconnect the at least one human-machine interface device to at least one other human-machine interface device to form a device cluster;

means for providing a communication channel between the at least one interconnect port and the system bus; and

a discovery module configured to retrieve information related to one of (i) processer type, (ii) processor capacity and (iii) memory capacity of at least one hardware resource in at least one other human-machine interface device in the device cluster which facilitates an arbitration process so as to configure different modes associated with the human-machine interface device and the at least one other human-machine interface device.

9. The industrial automation system according to claim 8, wherein the human-machine interface device further comprises:

an arbitration module configured to activate one of a master mode and a slave mode such that at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster is configured in a master mode, and each remaining human-machine interface human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster is configured in a slave mode.

10. The industrial automation system according to claim 8, wherein the human-machine interface device further comprises:

a control module operable in a master mode for controlling the at least one hardware resource on at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices within the device cluster, and further operable in a slave mode for receiving control signals from another control module on another human-machine interface device of the human-machine interface devices operating in a master mode within said device cluster.

11. The industrial automation system according to claim 8, wherein the human-machine interface device further comprises:

a display module operable in a master mode for logically partitioning a graphical user-interface into a plurality of portions, and for displaying individual portions on individual human-machine interface devices in the device cluster.

12. A method for operating an industrial automation system comprising a plurality of programmable-logic controllers and a plurality of human-machine interface devices, each of the plurality of human-machine interface devices of the industrial automation system comprising at least one hardware resource and a system bus configured to provide a communication channel between the at least one hardware resource within the plurality of human-machine interface devices of the industrial automation system, the method comprising:

interconnecting at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices of the industrial automation system including the plurality of programmable-logic controllers to at least one other human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface device to form a device cluster;

providing a communication channel between the system bus in each of the plurality of human-machine interface devices of the industrial automation system; and

retrieving information related to one of (i) processer type, (ii) processor capacity and (iii) memory capacity of the at least one hardware resource in at least one other human-machine interface device in the device cluster which facilitates an arbitration process so as to configure different modes associated with each of the human-machine interface devices.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising:

activating one of a master mode and a slave mode in the human-machine interface device such that at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices is configured in the master mode, and each remaining human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster is configured in the slave mode.

14. The method according to claim 12 further comprising:

operating at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in a master mode to control the at least one hardware resource within each human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster; and

operating each remaining human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices in the device cluster in a slave mode based on at least one control signal received from the at least one human-machine interface device operating in the master mode within the device cluster.