INDUSTRIAL CONTROLLER AUTOMATION INTERFACE

• US 20160274574A1
• Filed: 05/31/2016
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Inventors: McKelvey, Jeffrey A., D'Amico, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 10,203,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 19/054 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41835 characterised by programme execution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13121 DDE direct data exchange, DLL dynamic library linking
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13128 Relay ladder diagram, RLL RLD KOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13144 GUI graphical user interface, icon, function bloc editor, OI operator interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13148 Object oriented programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13172 Remote programming from computer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15027 RS485, MPI multipoint interface, multiple transmitters, receivers connected
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15038 Internet, tcp-ip, web server see under S05B219-40
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15052 Communication processor, link interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31112 Interface, SIOMS standard I-O for mechatronic systems, device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31229 Supervisor, master, workstation controller, automation, machine control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31422 Upload, download programs, parameters from, to station to, from server
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An automation interface is provided for interacting with industrial controllers. The automation interface provides for programming, editing, monitoring and maintenance of industrial controllers programmatically from a local or remote location. The automation interface component is adapted to communicate with industrial controllers by integrating a computer process interface library into the automation interface component. The computer process interface library exposes the automation interface component to client application processes, so that the client application processes can communicate with the at least one industrial controller programmatically. The automation interface is provided with functionality for downloading, uploading and programming of control programs to the processors of the industrial controllers.

Claims

1. An automation interface device comprising at least one processor, nonvolatile storage and a network adapter, the nonvolatile storage including a compiled executable file that is exposed to both an application executed by the at least one processor and an application executed by a remote processor in communication with the automation interface device via the network adapter, the compiled executable file including an automation interface comprising:

an object tree associated therewith specifying at least an exposed program file object and an exposed control process data object,

a library of semantically related functions providing access to the exposed program file object and control process data object, and

a set of object classes specifying, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more allowable and programmatically accessible monitoring and storage methods.

2. The automation interface device of claim 1, wherein the automation interface has an invisible mode where no user interface is provided.

3. The automation interface device of claim 1, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible events.

4. The automation interface device of claim 1, wherein the object tree specifies a data files collection object representing a collection of control process data objects.

5. The automation interface device of claim 1, wherein the automation interface is exposed to a web service callable by a remote client through the Internet.

6. The automation interface device of claim 1, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible methods for accessing and editing data values in the memory of an industrial controller via the network adapter.

7. The automation interface device of claim 1, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible methods for accessing and editing a control program in the memory of an industrial controller via the network adapter.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause an automation interface device comprising at least one processor, nonvolatile storage and a network adapter, the nonvolatile storage including a compiled executable file including an automation interface, to perform operations comprising:

exposing the compiled executable file including the automation interface to an application executed by the at least one processor; and

exposing the compiled executable file including the automation interface to an application executed by a remote processor in communication with the automation interface device via the network adapter;

wherein the automation interface comprises;

an object tree associated therewith specifying at least an exposed program file object and an exposed control process data object,

a library of semantically related functions providing access to the exposed program file object and control process data object, and

a set of object classes specifying, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more allowable and programmatically accessible monitoring and storage methods.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising placing the automation interface into an invisible mode where no user interface is provided.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible events.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the object tree specifies a data files collection object representing a collection of control process data objects.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, the operations further comprising exposing the compiled executable file including the automation interface to a web service callable by a remote client through the Internet.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible methods for accessing and editing data values in the memory of an industrial controller via the network adapter.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible methods for accessing and editing a control program in the memory of an industrial controller via the network adapter.

15. A method, comprising:

exposing, by an automation interface device comprising at least one processor, a compiled executable file including an automation interface to an application executed by the at least one processor; and

exposing, by an automation interface device via a network adapter, the compiled executable file including the automation interface to an application executed by a remote processor in communication with the automation interface device;

wherein the automation interface comprises;

an object tree associated therewith specifying at least an exposed program file object and an exposed control process data object,

a library of semantically related functions providing access to the exposed program file object and control process data object, and

a set of object classes specifying, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more allowable and programmatically accessible monitoring and storage methods.

16. The method of claim 15, placing, by the automation interface device, further comprising placing the automation interface into an invisible mode where no user interface is provided.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible events.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the object tree specifies a data files collection object representing a collection of control process data objects.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising exposing, by the automation interface device, the compiled executable file including the automation interface to a web service callable by a remote client through the Internet.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of object classes also includes, for at least a class of exposed control process data objects, a set of one or more programmatically accessible methods for accessing and editing data values in the memory of an industrial controller via the network adapter.