Control system for controlling operation of a numerically controlled machine tool, and back-end and front-end control devices for use in such system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10795341-B2
Application number	US-201314909321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2013
Priority date	Jul 30, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control system for controlling operation of a numerically controlled machine tool (100), the system comprising a back-end control device (300) and a front-end control device (200) communicably connected to the back-end control device (300). The back-end control device (300) comprises a numerical controller (310), a programmable logic controller (320), a first communication interface (330) being communicably connected to the numerical controller (310) and the programmable logic controller (320), and an interface server module (410) of a second communication interface (400) being communicably connected to the first communication interface (330). The front-end control device (200) comprises an interface client module (420a) of the second communication interface (400) being adapted to communicably connect to the interface server module (410), second processing means (210) for executing a second operating system (213), a basic module application (211), and a plurality of control applications (212a-212g), the basic module application (211) being for accessing data in the numerical controller (310) and the programmable logic controller (320) via the one or more interface client modules (420a), the interface server module (410) and the first communication interface (330), a display unit (230) for displaying one or more control screens to a user, an input unit (240) for receiving control input operations from the user, and a first human-machine interface (250) being communicably connected to the display unit (230) and the input unit (240), and including a first graphical user interface (251) for controlling the one or more control screens displayed on the display unit (230) and for processing control input operations of the user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling operation of a numerically controlled machine tool, the system comprising:
a back-end control device; and
a front-end control device communicably connected to the back-end control device,
wherein the back-end control device comprises:
a numerical controller (“NC”),
a programmable logic controller (“PLC”),
a first memory for storing data, the first memory comprising one or more PLC registers of the programmable logic controller and one or more NC registers of the numerical controller,
at least one first processor for executing a first operating system on the basis of data stored in the first memory, and
a first communication interface (i) utilizing a first interface language protocol and an internal NC/PLC communication protocol, (ii) being communicably connected directly to the numerical controller, (iii) being communicably connected directly to the programmable logic controller, (iv) being communicably connected to the first memory by way of the internal NC/PLC communication protocol, and (v) being configured to convert between the internal NC/PLC communication protocol and the first interface language protocol which is utilized by the first communication interface;

wherein the back-end control device or the front-end control device comprises:
an interface server module of a second communication interface utilizing a plurality of interface language protocols, including the first interface language protocol and a second interface language protocol, and being communicably connected to the first communication interface by way of the first interface language protocol,
the interface server module being configured to convert between the first interface language protocol and one or more other interface language protocols of the plurality of interface language protocols, including interface language conversion from the first interface language protocol to the second interface language protocol and from the second interface language protocol to the first interface language protocol; and

wherein the front-end control device comprises:
one or more interface client modules of the second communication interface utilizing the second interface language protocol and/or a second internal communication protocol, and being adapted to communicably connect to the interface server module of the second communication interface by way of the second interface language protocol,
at least one second processor for executing a second operating system, a basic module application, and a plurality of control applications,
the at least one second processor, by executing the basic module application, being adapted to access data stored in the first memory via the one or more interface client modules of the second communication interface, the interface server module of the second communication interface and the first communication interface,
a second memory for storing data received from the numerical controller, the programmable logic controller and the first memory via the first communication interface, the interface server module of the second communication interface and the one or more interface client modules of the second communication interface,
a display for displaying one or more control screens to a user, and
a first human-machine interface being communicably connected to the display, and including a first graphical user interface for controlling the one or more control screens displayed on the display and for processing control input operations of the user.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one second processor, by executing the basic module application, is adapted to request data stored in the first memory by issuing control commands of the second interface language protocol and/or the second internal communication protocol to the one or more interface client modules, which are adapted to transfer the control commands of the second interface language protocol and/or the second internal communication protocol to the interface server module.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein
the interface server module is adapted to convert the received control commands of the second interface language and/or the second internal communication protocol to corresponding control commands of the first interface language protocol, and to transfer the converted control commands of the first interface language protocol to the first communication interface, which is adapted to request corresponding data from the first memory upon receipt of the converted control commands of the first interface language protocol.

4. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one second processor, by executing the basic module application, is adapted to control retrieval of new control application data and update data via one or more communication interfaces and/or data interfaces of the front-end control device, and to control installation of one or more new control applications on the basis of the retrieved new control application data and to control updating of one or more existing control applications based on the retrieved update data.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one second processor, by executing the plurality of control applications, is adapted to access data stored in the first memory through the basic module application,
the at least one second processor, by executing the basic module application, is adapted to store result information and/or statistical information received from one or more control applications into the second memory,
the at least one second processor, by executing one or more first control applications of the plurality of control applications, is adapted to observe data related to one or more second control applications of the plurality of control applications, and/or
the at least one second processor, by executing the one or more first control applications of the plurality of control applications, is adapted to modify data related to the one or more second control applications of the plurality of control applications.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first human-machine interface is configured to provide a plurality of sets of user operable widgets, each user operable widget being operable by the user,
the first graphical user interface is configured to control a plurality of first control screens such that each first control screen includes a configuration of a respective set of user operable widgets, and
the first graphical user interface is configured to switch among one or more of the first control screens displayed on the display on the basis of user input operations.

7. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second human-machine interface adapted to communicably connect to the first communication interface and the first human-machine interface, and including a second graphical user interface for controlling at least one second control screen,
the first graphical user interface being further configured to control displaying either one or more first control screens or a third control screen on the display,
wherein the third control screen includes a part corresponding to the at least one second control screen provided by the second graphical user interface.

8. The control system according to claim 7 , wherein
the first graphical user interface is configured to control the third control screen such that the third control screen further includes a configuration of a respective set of user operable widgets provided by the first human-machine interface.

9. The control system according to claim 7 , wherein
the second gr

Assignees

• Dmg Mori Ag
• Dmg Mori Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seitz Reinhold
• Schindler Dominic
• Pruschek Peter

Classifications

• G05B2219/34303

  PNC is plc, pic and nc cooperation · CPC title

• G05B19/414 Primary

  Structure of the control system, e.g. common controller or multiprocessor systems, interface to servo, programmable interface controller · CPC title

• G05B2219/36231

  Translate, convert machine independent to machine dependent program · CPC title

• G05B2219/31113

  General, vendor indenpendant display and control interface for sensor actuator · CPC title