Safety-oriented controller in combination with cloud computing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9405282-B2
Application number	US-201213713831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2011
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A control device cyclically accepts each safety-oriented input signal from an industrial-technical process in a fail-safe manner, and transfers the safety-oriented input signals to a Cloud using a fail-safe protocol over a link to a computer network. The control device also accepts signals from the Cloud over the link to the computer network, using the fail-safe protocol for the industrial-technical process specific safety-oriented control signals, and decides based on additional information in a fail-safe manner whether it recognizes the safety-oriented control signals determined by the Cloud for the industrial-technical process as correct. Depending on the result of the decision, the device controls the industrial-technical process in accordance with the safety-oriented control signals in a fail-safe manner or places the industrial-technical process into a safe state in a fail-safe manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An operating method for a control device for an industrial-technical process, the method comprising cyclical steps of:
accepting, by the control device, input signals indicating safe-operation from the industrial-technical process in a fail-safe manner;
transferring, by the control device, the input signals indicating safe-operation of the industrial-technical process to a Cloud using a fail-safe protocol over a link to a computer network;
receiving, by the control device, specific control signals indicating safe-operation from the Cloud using the fail-safe protocol for the industrial-technical process via the link to the computer network;
deciding, by the control device, based on additional information in a fail-safe manner, whether the control signals indicating safe-operation determined by the Cloud intended for the industrial-technical process are recognized as safe; and
depending on results of the decision, one of controlling the industrial-technical process in accordance with the control signals indicating safe-operation in the fail-safe manner and placing the industrial-technical process into a safe state in the fail-safe manner to prevent an occurrence of damage to material or to prevent personal injury;
wherein the control device, using the fail-safe protocol, accepts from the Cloud over the link to the computer network, in addition to the control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process, a signature uniquely identifying a computing path of the Cloud;
wherein the control device transfers safety-oriented input signals indicating safe-operation a further time to the Cloud using the fail-safe protocol via the link to the computer network;
wherein the control device accepts further control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process from the Cloud over the link to the computer network, using the fail-safe protocol, and accepts a further signature uniquely identifying a computing path of the Cloud;
wherein the additional information comprises further control signals indicating safe-operation accepted from the Cloud and the signatures of the computing path; and
wherein a check for correctness of the control signals indicating safe-operation transferred from the Cloud to the control device comprises the step of comparing the control signals indicating safe-operation accepted from the Cloud with a comparison between the signatures accepted from the Cloud.

2. The operating method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the control device, further control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process, using the input signals indicating safe-operation accepted in a fail-safe manner from the industrial-technical process;
wherein the additional information comprises the further control signals indicating safe-operation determined by the control device; and
wherein the check for correctness of the control signals indicating safe-operation transferred from the Cloud to the control device further comprises the step of comparing the control signals indicating safe-operation transferred to the control device with the further control signals indicating safe-operation determined by the control device itself.

3. The operating method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device transfers the input signals indicating safe-operation a further time to the Cloud using the fail-safe protocol via the link to the computer network;
wherein the control device accepts, using the fail-safe protocol, over the link to the computer network, in addition to the control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process, test information;
wherein the additional information comprises the test information; and
wherein the check for correctness of the control signals indicating safe-operation transferred to the control device further comprises the step of performing a check on the test information for a match with required test information.

4. The operating method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the control device accepts, in addition to the control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process, the test information.

5. The operating method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device accepts the control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process with the signature uniquely identifying a computing path of the Cloud.

6. The operating method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control device accepts the further control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process and the further signature uniquely identifying the computing path of the Cloud.

7. A control device for an industrial-technical process, comprising:
a processor device;
wherein the control device is configured to:
accept input signals indicating safe-operation from the industrial-technical process in a fail-safe manner;
transfer the input signals indicating safe-operation of the industrial-technical process to a Cloud using a fail-safe protocol over a link to a computer network;
receive specific control signals indicating safe-operation from the Cloud using the fail-safe protocol for the industrial-technical process via the link to the computer network;
decide, based on additional information in a fail-safe manner, whether the control signals indicating safe-operation determined by the Cloud intended for the industrial-technical process are recognized as safe; and
depending on results of the decision, one of control the industrial-technical process in accordance with the control signals indicating safe-operation in the fail-safe manner and place the industrial-technical process into a safe state in the fail-safe manner to prevent the occurrence of damage to material or to prevent personal injury.

8. An operating method for a control device for an industrial-technical process, the method comprising cyclical steps of:
accepting, by the control device, input signals indicating safe-operation from the industrial-technical process in a fail-safe manner;
transferring, by the control device, the input signals indicating safe-operation of the industrial-technical process to a Cloud using a fail-safe protocol over a link to a computer network;
receiving, by the control device, specific control signals indicating safe-operation from the Cloud using the fail-safe protocol for the industrial-technical process via the link to the computer network;
deciding, by the control device, based on additional information in a fail-safe manner, whether the control signals indicating safe-operation determined by the Cloud intended for the industrial-technical process are recognized as safe; and
depending on results of the decision, one of controlling the industrial-technical process in accordance with the control signals indicating safe-operation in the fail-safe manner and placing the industrial-technical process into a safe state in the fail-safe manner to prevent an occurrence of damage to material or to prevent personal injury;
wherein the control device transfers the input signals indicating safe-operation a further time to the Cloud using the fail-safe protocol via the link to the computer network;
wherein the control device accepts, using the fail-safe protocol, over the link to the computer network, in addition to the control signals indicating safe-operation intended for the industrial-technical process, test information;
wherein the additional information comprises the test information; and
wherein a check for correctness of the control signals indicating safe-operation transferred to the control device comprises the step

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Hamm Carsten
• Kaever Michael

Classifications

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G05B19/0428 Primary

  Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence) · CPC title