Intelligent binding and selection of hardware via automation control objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11726457-B2
Application number	US-202217734507-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2022
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods and devices for facilitating object-based industrial automation control. An automation control library comprised of a plurality of objects may be maintained in association with one or more industrial automation applications. Code defining the execution of an industrial automation process may be received. A plurality of objects in the object library for implementing the industrial automation control process may be identified. The plurality of identified objects may be matched to one or more hardware components based on one or more operational requirements included in the code, and available hardware resources for performing the automation control process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for facilitating object-based industrial automation control, comprising:
a memory for storing executable program code; and
a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to:
receive code defining instructions for execution of an industrial automation control process;
bind a plurality of objects for implementing the industrial automation control process to the code, wherein each of the plurality of objects corresponds to in an aspect of the industrial automation control process;
match the plurality of objects to one or more industrial controllers capable of executing the code;
select one of the one or more industrial controllers; and
deploy the code to the selected one of the one or more industrial controllers for execution.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers comprises further computer-executable instructions operative to receive a user input selecting the one of the one or more industrial controllers.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers comprises further computer-executable instructions operative to receive a user input specifying a number of industrial controllers that are to execute the code.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers comprises further computer-executable instructions operative to receive a user input specifying a type of industrial controller for executing the code.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein matching the plurality of objects to one or more industrial controllers is based, for each object, at least in part on operations associated with the object in the code and the ability of the industrial controller to meet requirements of the operations.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the plurality of objects has an associated use type used for binding a corresponding physical counterpart of the industrial automation control process to the respective object.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the code comprises ladder logic instructions, and wherein the processor is responsive to further computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to:
convert the ladder logic instructions into a plurality of operations for implementing the industrial automation control process.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the matching the plurality of objects to the one or more industrial controllers is based at least in part on a scan time of one or more available industrial controllers and a number of operations in the ladder logic.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the code comprises a plurality of placeholders and the computer-executable instructions for binding the plurality of objects comprises computer executable instructions operative to replace the plurality of placeholders with the plurality of objects in the code.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for replacing the plurality of placeholders with the plurality of objects in the code comprises computer executable instructions operative to receive a user selection of at least one of the plurality of objects to replace at least one of the plurality of placeholders.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein matching the plurality of objects to one or more industrial controllers is based at least in part on available hardware resources.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein matching the plurality of objects to one or more industrial controllers is based at least in part on load balancing constraints of available industrial controllers.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions, that when executed by a processor, facilitate object-based industrial automation control, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor for:
receiving code defining instructions for execution of an industrial automation control process;
binding a plurality of objects for implementing the industrial automation control process to the code, wherein each of the plurality of objects corresponds to in an aspect of the industrial automation control process;
matching the plurality of objects to one or more industrial controllers capable of executing the code;
selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers; and
deploying the code to the selected one of the one or more industrial controllers for execution.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers comprises further instructions executable by the processor for receiving a user input selecting the one of the one or more industrial controllers.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers comprises further instructions executable by the processor for receiving a user input specifying a number of industrial controllers that are to execute the code.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions for selecting one of the one or more industrial controllers comprises further instructions executable by the processor for receiving a user input specifying a type of industrial controller for executing the code.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein matching the plurality of objects to one or more industrial controllers is based, for each object, at least in part on operations associated with the object in the code and the ability of the industrial controller to meet requirements of the operations.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein a subset of the plurality of objects has an associated use type used for binding a corresponding physical counterpart of the industrial automation control process to the respective object.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the code comprises ladder logic instructions, and wherein the instructions comprise further instructions executable by the processor for:
converting the ladder logic instructions into a plurality of operations for implementing the industrial automation control process.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the matching the plurality of objects to the one or more industrial controllers is based at least in part on a scan time of one or more available industrial controllers and a number of operations in the ladder logic.

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Stump Andrew R
• Josipovic Srdjan
• Ericsson Matthew R
• Kalan Michael D
• Carrara Anthony
• Como Christopher W
• Billi-Duran Sharon M

Classifications

• G05B19/418 Primary

  Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible manufacturing systems [FMS], integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] or computer integrated manufacturing [CIM] · CPC title

• G05B19/041

  Function-oriented details · CPC title

• G05B19/05

  Programmable logic controllers, e.g. simulating logic interconnections of signals according to ladder diagrams or function charts · CPC title

• G05B2219/13052

  Display of ladder diagram · CPC title

• G05B19/056 Primary

  Programming the PLC · CPC title