Systems and methods for function block instantiation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772617-B2
Application number	US-201113174539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2011
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a system and a method. In one embodiment, a system includes a library configured to store reusable executable control information and a substitution information. The system further includes a controller configured to instantiate the reusable executable control information in a memory and to associate the substitution information with a field device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
defining, via a computer of a system, a reusable control information and a substitution information in a library, wherein the reusable control information comprises a function block and the substitution information comprises at least one attribute enabled during instantiation of the function block, and wherein the at least one attribute comprises a device tag placeholder;
enabling a user to enter the device tag placeholder before commissioning, wherein the device tag placeholder is representative of a physical device tag and of a second physical device tag;
instantiating the reusable control information in a controller;
substituting, only during commissioning of a field device and a second field device, the at least one attribute included in the substitution information with field device identification information comprising a first physical device tag uniquely identifying the field device and a second physical device tag uniquely identifying the second field device, wherein the first physical device tag and the second physical device tag are inputted by a user after prompting from the controller only during the commissioning, wherein the instantiating the reusable control information in the controller comprises copying the function block included in the reusable control information into a memory included in the controller and wherein copying the function block included in the reusable control information into the memory included in the controller comprises linking the field device to a function block tag configured to identify the function block.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function block comprises at least one of a display block, an analog input (AI) block, an analog output (AO) block, a discrete input block, a discrete output block, a diagnostic block, a multiple analog input block, a multiple analog output block, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control block, an enhanced PID control block, an advanced PID control block, an arithmetic block, a splitter block, a signal characterizer block, an integrator block, an analog alarm block, an input selector block, a setpoint ramp generator block, a timer and logic block, a lead lag block, an output signal selector and dynamic limiter block, a density block, a constant block, a custom block, a flow transducer block, or a flip-flop and edge trigger block.

3. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium comprising executable code, the executable code comprising instructions for:
defining, via a computer of a system, a reusable control information and a substitution information in a library, wherein the reusable control information comprises a function block and the substitution information comprises at least one attribute enabled during instantiation of the function block, and wherein the at least one attribute comprises a device tag placeholder;
enabling a user to enter the device tag placeholder before commissioning, wherein the device tag placeholder is representative of a physical device tag and of a second physical device tag;
instantiating the reusable control information in a controller as an executable control logic;
substituting, only during commissioning of a field device and a second field device, the at least one attribute included in the substitution information with field device identification information comprising a first physical device tag uniquely identifying the field device and a second physical device tag uniquely identifying the second field device, wherein the first physical device tag and the second physical device tag are inputted by a user after prompting from the controller only during the commissioning, wherein the instantiating the reusable control information in the controller comprises copying the function block included in the reusable control information into a memory included in the controller and wherein copying the function block included in the reusable control information into the memory included in the controller comprises linking the field device to a function block tag configured to identify the function block.

4. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the executable control logic comprises instructions configured to execute in the field device, or the controller, or a combination thereof.

5. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 3 , wherein the instructions for substituting the at least one attribute included in the substitution information with the field device identification information uniquely identifying the field device comprise instructions for substituting the device tag placeholder with a device tag information provided by the user.

6. A system comprising:
a hardware processor configured to execute a library configured to store reusable executable control information comprising a function block and a substitution information, wherein the substitution information comprises at least one attribute enabled during instantiation of the function block, and wherein the at least one attribute comprises a device tag placeholder; and
a controller configured to:
enable a user to enter the device tag placeholder before commissioning, wherein the device tag placeholder is representative of a physical device tag; and
instantiate the reusable executable control information in a memory of a field device and to associate the substitution information with the field device only during commissioning of the field device, wherein the controller is configured to substitute the device tag placeholder with a field device identification information comprising a first physical device tag uniquely identifying the field device inputted by a user only during the commissioning of the field device, wherein the controller is configured to instantiate the reusable executable control information in a second memory of a second field device and to associate the substitution information with a second field device only during commissioning of the second field device, wherein the controller is configured to substitute the device tag placeholder with a second field device identification information comprising a second physical device tag uniquely identifying the second field device inputted by a user only during the commissioning of the second field device, wherein the controller is configured to instantiate the reusable control information by copying the function block included in the reusable control information into a third memory included in the controller and wherein copying the function block included in the reusable control information into the third memory included in the controller comprises linking the field device to a function block tag configured to identify the function block.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the field device comprises a Fieldbus Foundation field device, a HART field device, a Profibus field device, or a combination thereof, and wherein the hardware processor is configured to graphically display the function block and the device tag placeholder.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the function block comprises at least one of a display block, an analog input (AI) block, an analog output (AO) block, a discrete input block, a discrete output block, a diagnostic block, a multiple analog input block, a multiple analog output block, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control block, an enhanced PID control block, an advanced PID control block, an arithmetic block, a splitter block, a signal characterizer block, an integrator block, an analog alarm block, an input selector block, a setpoint ramp generator block, a timer and logic block, a lead lag block, an output signal selector and dynamic limiter block, a density block, a constant block, a custom b

Assignees

• Kreft Dana Robert
• Grubbs Robert William
• Demaurice Andre Steven
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kreft Dana Robert
• Grubbs Robert William
• Demaurice Andre Steven

Classifications

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title

• G05B19/4186

  by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP · CPC title

• G05B19/056 Primary

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• G05B2219/13101

  Function block instance, only one function block exists, several instances · CPC title