EXTENSIBLE DEVICE OBJECT MODEL

• US 20150227617A1
• Filed: 04/27/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Copass, Benjamin J., Keller, Michael R., Stegemeyer, Michael L., Rustad, James S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,823,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/86 Mapping to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Systems and/or methods are provided relating to an extensible framework. The extensible framework provides constructs with which device developers can model devices within the framework to enable a host application utilizing the framework to interact with the devices. New devices can be supported by the framework without disrupting existing devices or the host application.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory, communicatively coupled to a processor, the non-transitory memory storing executable instructions comprising;

a node creation component that instantiates a node creator based on data source information for a data source of a device, device specific information comprising a device identity for the device, and a mapping description that specifies a data object, a translator, and a connection for the device in response to the device specific information, wherein the device is in an industrial automation environment, the data object stores data and methods for interacting with the device, the translator converts raw data from the device into a format of the data object, and the connection enables communication between the data source and the translator; and

the node creator instantiating a node in an extensible framework based the mapping description, the node comprising the data object, the translator, and the connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device specific information further comprises node type information that specifies a node type for the node.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device specific information further comprises device class information, device type information, and device revision information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node comprises a module that represents a portion of the device, the module comprising one or more data objects in a data object container.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the device is a composite device and the module represents a sub-component of the device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device includes at least one of a controller, a field device, a sensor, a drive, or an I/O module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection enables communication from the data source over a network connection comprising one or more of a physical wire, an Ethernet medium, a fiber optic medium, or a wireless communications channel.

8. A method comprising:

instantiating, by use of a processor, a node creator based on data source information for a data source of a device, device specific information comprising a device identity for the device, and a mapping description that specifies a data object, a translator, and a connection for the device in response to the device specific information, wherein the device is in an industrial automation environment, the data object stores data and methods for interacting with the device, the translator converts raw data from the device into a format of the data object, and the connection enables communication between the data source and the translator; and

instantiating a node in an extensible framework based the mapping description, the node comprising the data object, the translator, and the connection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device specific information further comprises node type information that specifies a node type for the node.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the device specific information further comprises device class information, device type information, and device revision information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the node comprises a module that represents a portion of the device, the module comprising one or more data objects in a data object container.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the device is a composite device and the module represents a sub-component of the device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the device includes at least one of a controller, a field device, a sensor, a drive, or an I/O module.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the connection enables communication from the data source over a network connection comprising one or more of a physical wire, an Ethernet medium, a fiber optic medium, or a wireless communications channel.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations comprising:

instantiating a node creator based on data source information for a data source of a device, device specific information comprising a device identity for the device, and a mapping description that specifies a data object, a translator, and a connection for the device in response to the device specific information, wherein the device is in an industrial automation environment, the data object stores data and methods for interacting with the device, the translator converts raw data from the device into a format of the data object, and the connection enables communication between the data source and the translator; and

instantiating a node in an extensible framework based the mapping description, the node comprising the data object, the translator, and the connection.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device specific information further comprises node type information that specifies a node type for the node.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device specific information further comprises device class information, device type information, and device revision information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the node comprises a module that represents a portion of the device, the module comprising one or more data objects in a data object container.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the device is a composite device and the module represents a sub-component of the device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device includes at least one of a controller, a field device, a sensor, a drive, or an I/O module.