Control server, control terminal, control system, and recording medium storing control communication program

• US 7,937,496 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Japan Holdings Ltd. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Digital Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Minoru, Yamada, Masaaki, Saito, Masao, Kato, Satoshi, Kegoya, Kentaro, Yagi, Nobuhiro, Tanigawa, Shunu
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Barbara N
• Application Number:
  US11/371,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/230, 709/243, 709/244, 709/246, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• 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 2219/24084 Remote and local monitoring, local result to remote, remote takes action
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31161 Java programcode or simular active agents, programs, applets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31186 TCP-IP internet protocol
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31457 Factory remote control, monitoring through internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

Screen data is generated by a screen generating processor (74) of a control host computer (7) and transmitted to a programmable display apparatus (5). In accordance with the screen data, the programmable display apparatus (5) inquires a PLC (3) or the like about a state of a device (21), so as to update the display or transmit a control instruction depending on an input result. On the other hand, a control host computer (7) has a public server section (77) to transmit to a client apparatus (9) via the Internet an applet, which is generated by a compiler (76) compiling the screen data. The client apparatus (9) executes the applet to transmit to the public server section (77) an or the control instruction inquiry similar to those the programmable display apparatus (5) makes. In this way, the display is updated in accordance with a response. This realizes a control system, which allows a display content of the programmable display apparatus (5) to be remotely checked from a remote area remote from the programmable display apparatus (5), without newly generating a display screen.

Claims

1. A control terminal apparatus, comprising:

a wide area network communication section capable of being connected, via a wide area network, to a local control system including a control unit for controlling a control object in accordance with a control program, and a control display apparatus for communicating with the control unit via a serial interface so as to display or control a control state of the control unit;

a control program generator configured to generate the control program; and

a serial port simulator for presetting which local control system having a control unit that is to receive the control program, and for receiving, as a proxy of a serial port, the control program for the control unit which the control program generator is about to output to the serial port, and transmitting, to the local control system, instruction data indicating the control program thus received and the control unit to receive the control program thus received, so as to instruct the wide area network communication section to give an instruction for updating the control program for the control unit to receive the control program thus received, while the control unit is not directly connected to the serial port simulator via the serial port;

wherein the local control system includes a control host computer of communicating with the control display apparatus via a network,

the control host computer includes a setting section for managing a control display apparatus connected to the network, and

the serial port simulator (i) communicates with the control host computer of the local control system in advance and looks UP memory contents of the setting section of the control host computer, (ii) displays choices of the control display apparatus and allows a user to specify the control display apparatus connected to the control unit to receive the control program, and (iii) transmits, to the wide area network communication section, an identifier indicative of the specified control display apparatus and of the control unit connected to the specified control display apparatus and a data string including a control program itself as the instruction data.

2. A control system comprising:

a local control system including a control unit for controlling a control object in accordance with a control program, and a control display apparatus for displaying or controlling a control state of the control unit, the control display apparatus having (a) a designated protocol communication section for communicating via a serial interface in a designated protocol designated to a type of the control unit so as to display or control the control state of the control unit, (b) a common protocol communication section for communicating with a network other than the serial interface, regardless of which type the control apparatus is of, in a common protocol that is preset, and (c) a relay for relaying communication between the designated protocol communication section and the common protocol communication section; and

a control terminal apparatus including (d) a wide area network communication section capable of being connected with the local control system via a wide area network, (e) a control program generator configured to generate the control program, and (f) a serial port simulator (i) for presetting which local control system having a control unit that is to receive the control program, (ii) for receiving, as a proxy of a serial port, the control program for the control unit which the control program generator is about to output to the serial port, and (iii) transmitting, to the local control system, instruction data indicating the control program thus received and the control unit to receive the control program thus received, so as to instruct the wide area network communication section to give an instruction for updating the control program for the control unit to receive the control program thus received, while the control unit is not directly connected to the serial port simulator via the serial port,

the local control system further including a display apparatus specifying section for specifying, via the wide area network, the control display apparatus connected to the control unit to receive the control program, in accordance with instruction data, which the local control system receives from the wide area network communication section via the wide area network, and instructing, in the common protocol and via the network, the control display apparatus to update the control program;

wherein the local control system includes a control host computer for communicating with the control display apparatus via a network,

the control host computer includes a setting section for managing a control display apparatus connected to the network, and

the serial port simulator (i) communicates with the control host computer of the local control system in advance and looks up memory contents of the setting section of the control host computer, (ii) displays choices of the control display apparatus and allows a user to specify the control display apparatus connected to the control unit to receive the control program, and (iii) transmits, to the wide area network communication section, an identifier indicative of the specified control display apparatus and of the control unit connected to the specified control display apparatus and a data string including a control program itself as the instruction data.

3. A non-transitory recording medium, storing therein a program for operating a computer as a control terminal apparatus including a control unit for controlling a control object in accordance with a control program, a wide area network communication section capable of being connected via a wide area network to a local control system having a control display apparatus for communicating with the control unit via a serial interface so as to display or control a control state of the control unit, the recording medium storing therein:

a control program generator configured to generate the control program; and

a program for operating the computer as a serial port simulator for presetting which local control system having a control unit that is to receive the control program, and for receiving, as a proxy of a serial port, the control program for the control unit which the control program generator is about to output to the serial port, and transmitting, to the local control system, instruction data indicating the control program thus received and the control unit to receive the control program thus received, so as to instruct the wide area network communication section to give an instruction for updating the control program for the control unit to receive the control program thus received, while the control unit is not directly connected to the serial port simulator via the serial port;

wherein the local control system includes a control host computer for communicating with the control display apparatus via a network,

the control host computer includes a setting section for managing a control display apparatus connected to the network, and

the serial port simulator (i) communicates with the control host computer of the local control system in advance and looks up memory contents of the setting section of the control host computer, (ii) displays choices of the control display apparatus and allows a user to specify the control display apparatus connected to the control unit to receive the control program, and (iii) transmits, to the wide area network communication section, an identifier indicative of the specified control display apparatus and of the control unit connected to the specified control display apparatus and a data string including a control program itself as the instruction data.