Control system apparatus with change updates

• US 7,899,070 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Thibault, Richard L., Couper, Gerald S., Canna, Bruce S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thong H
• Application Number:
  US11/929,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 717/153, 717/134, 707/10, 707/203
• US Class Current: 370/419
• 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 19/4186 by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31083 In server store virtual nodes for controlled machines, with states for map
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31161 Java programcode or simular active agents, programs, applets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33148 CLS client server architecture, client consumes, server provides services
• 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 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system for process control comprises a server digital data processor and a client digital data processor that are coupled by a network, such as the Internet or an Intranet. The server digital data processor, which is additionally coupled to a control/sensing device and any associated interface equipment (collectively, referred to as “process control apparatus”), includes a command processor that transfers information between the network and the process control apparatus. The client digital data processor includes an information client (e.g., a so-called Internet web browser) capable of requesting and receiving an applet from the server digital data processor. The information client, further, defines a hardware-independent and operating system-independent virtual machine environment within the client digital data processor. The client digital data processor executes, within that virtual machine environment, an applet for configuring the client digital data processor as a “process controller” that establishes communications over the network with the command processor and that monitors and/or controls the process control apparatus via those communications.

Claims

1. A system that controls operational parameters and/or monitors one or more characteristics of a process (hereinafter referred to as “

process control”

) employed in a factory and/or facility (hereinafter referred to as a “

plant”

) by the manufacturing, service, environmental or other industry, comprising

A. a plurality of control/sensing devices that monitor and/or control a plant process,

B. a server digital data processor that is coupled to the plurality of control/sensing devices and that provides an interface for communicating with them,

C. a digital data processor coupled to the plurality of control/sensing devices via the server digital data processor, the digital data processor executing a program that configures the digital data processor as a controller for the plant process for monitoring and/or controlling the one or more control/sensing devices, the program comprising any of (i) a JAVA applet, (ii) an intermediate language program, (iii) a byte code program, (iv) a downloaded program that executes in a virtual machine environment, (v) a program that executes in a web browser,

D. the server digital data processor responding to a request for a data value that controls and/or reflects the status of at least one of the plurality of control/sensing devices by transmitting to the digital data processor a keyword followed by that data value, and transmitting one or more subsequent changes thereto.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the program configures the digital data processor to generate the request.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the program configures the digital data processor to report the data value and subsequent changes thereto.

4. A system of claim 1, wherein the program configures the digital data processor to process the data value and subsequent changes thereto.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the digital data processor and the server digital data processor are coupled by way of a network.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the digital data processor generates a request for the program.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the server digital data processor maintains one or more objects that at least one of control and reflect a status of at least one of the plurality of control/sensing devices.

8. A system that controls operational parameters and/or monitors one or more characteristics of a process (hereinafter referred to as “

process control”

) employed in a factory and/or facility (hereinafter referred to as a “

plant”

) by the manufacturing, service, environmental or other industry, comprising

A. a plurality of control/sensing devices that monitor and/or control a plant process,

B. a server digital data processor that is coupled to the one or more control/sensing devices via an interface,

C. a client digital data processor in communication coupling with the plurality of control/sensing devices and with the server digital data processor,

D. the client digital data processor executing a program that configures the client digital data processor as a controller for the plant process, the program comprising any of (i) a JAVA applet, (ii) an intermediate language program, (iii) a byte code program, (iv) a downloaded program that executes in a virtual machine environment, (v) a program that executes in a web browser,

E. at least one of the server digital data processor and the interface associated with the one or more control/sensing devices (i) maintaining an object that stores a data value that controls and/or reflects the status of the one or more control/sensing devices, and (ii) responding to a request for that object by transmitting to the client digital data processor a keyword followed by the stored data value, and similarly transmitting one or more subsequent changes thereto.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the client digital data processor and the interface are coupled by way of a further digital data processor.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the interface executes at least in part on the further digital data processor.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the client digital data processor is coupled to the further digital data processor by a network.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the client digital data processor transmits to the further digital data processor a request for the data value.

13. A control system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the server digital data processor and the interface associated with the one or more control/sensing devices provides services for any of (i) creating a named such object, (ii) destroying such an object, (iii) accessing information in such an object, (iv) updating information in such an object, (v) determining, from an object name, a physical address associated with such an object, and (vi) providing notification of changes in at least selected information stored in such an object.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the program configures the client digital data processor to request such services.

15. A system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the server digital data processor and the interface associated with one or more control/sensing devices provides services for any of getting and setting a value of such object.

16. A system according to claim 8, wherein the client digital data processor is coupled to the server digital data processor by a network.

17. A system according to claim 8, wherein the server digital data processor is coupled to the one or more control/sensing devices by any of a bus and a network.