Scalable Architecture For A Human Machine Interface Device

• US 20130204407A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: CHALAPURADUDI BANDIGOWDA, Anandkumar, PUTHIYONNAN, Suneesh
• Granted Patent: US 10,401,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/83
• 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 configured for use in an automation system comprising a plurality of the human-machine interface devices, each of the plurality of human-machine interface devices 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; and

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; and

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

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 any claim 1, further comprising:

a discovery module configured to retrieve information related to the at least one hardware resource in at least one other human-machine interface device in the device cluster.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. An automation system comprising 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; and

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; and

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

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

a discovery module configured to retrieve information related to at least one hardware resource within at least one other human-machine interface device in the device cluster.

11. The automation system according to claim 9, 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.

12. The automation system according to claim 9, 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.

13. The automation system according to claim 9, 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.

15. The method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of:

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.

16. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

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.

14. A method for operating an automation system comprising a plurality of human-machine interface devices, each of the plurality of human-machine interface device 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, the method comprising the steps of:

interconnecting at least one human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface devices to at least one other human-machine interface device of the plurality of human-machine interface device to form a device cluster; and

providing a communication channel between the system bus in each of the plurality of human-machine interface devices.