Process control device, process control system, and process control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891601-B2
Application number	US-201313930697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A process control device according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to control an industrial process implemented in a plant. The process control device includes: a virtualizer configured to run over a hardware in lieu of the hardware; and first and second controllers configured to run over the virtualizer and control operations of a plurality of field apparatuses configured to perform at least one of measurement and operation which are required to control the industrial process; an input distributor included in the virtualizer, the input distributor being configured to distribute a signal output from the field apparatus to the first and second controllers; and an output acquirer included in the virtualizer, and the output acquirer being configured to acquire outputs of the first and second controllers, and output any one of the outputs to at least one of the field apparatuses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A single controller comprising:
a memory storing a virtualizer software, a first software, a second software, and a third software, the first software having a first operating system and a first application software, the second software having a second operating system and a second application software, the third software having a third operating system and a third application software, at least one of the second operating system and the second application software being different from a corresponding one of the first operating system and the first application software, the first software having been used to control a first field apparatus connected to the single controller, the second software having not yet been used to control the first field apparatus, and the third application software having the same function as the first application software; and
a processor configured to install, in the single controller, the virtualizer software, the first software, and the second software, and to execute, upon receiving a first signal of measurement data from a second field apparatus, the virtualizer software, while controlling an industrial process implemented in a plant, to perform at least:
a) acquiring the first signal output from the second field apparatus;
b) distributing the first signal to the first software in the single controller;
c) distributing the first signal to the second software in the single controller;
d) executing the first software in the single controller to have the first software process the first signal to generate a second signal;
e) executing the second software in the single controller to have the second software process the first signal to generate a third signal;
f) executing the third software in the single controller to have the third software process the first signal to generate a fourth signal;
g) comparing the second signal and the third signal in the single controller to determine a difference in controllability to the first field apparatus between the first software and the second software;
h) comparing the second signal and the fourth signal in the single controller to determine a difference in controllability to the first field apparatus between the first software and the third software;
i) determining whether or not the first software is replaceable by the second software based on the difference in controllability to the first field apparatus;
j) determining whether or not the first software is replaceable by the third software based on the difference in controllability to the second field apparatus;
k) replacing the first software by the second software in a case that the first software is replaceable by the second software;
l) replacing the first software by the third software in a case that the first software is replaceable by the third software;
m) generating a fifth signal indicating the difference in controllability to the first field apparatus in a case that the first software is not replaceable by the second software, and
n) generating a sixth signal indicating the difference in controllability to the second field apparatus in a case that the first software is not replaceable by the third software.

2. A single controller comprising:
a memory storing a virtualizer software, a first software, a second software, and a third software, the first software having a first operating system and a first application software, the second software having a second operating system and a second application software, the third software having a third operating system and a third application software, at least one of the second operating system and the second application software being different from a corresponding one of the first operating system and the first application software, the first software having been used to control a first field apparatus connected to the single controller, the second software having not yet been used to control the first field apparatus, and the third application software having the same function as the first application software; and
a processor configured to install, in the single controller, the virtualizer software, the first software, and the second software, and to execute, upon receiving a first signal of measurement data from a second field apparatus, the virtualizer software, while controlling an industrial process implemented in a plant, to perform at least:
a) acquiring the first signal output from the second field apparatus;
b) distributing the first signal to the first software in the single controller;
c) distributing the first signal to the second software in the single controller;
d) executing the first software in the single controller to have the first software process the first signal to generate a second signal; and
e) executing the second software in the single controller to have the second software process the first signal to generate a third signal;
f) executing the third software in the single controller to have the third software process the first signal to generate a fourth signal;
g) sending the second signal and the third signal to a first device configured to compare the second signal and the third signal, determine a difference in controllability to the first field apparatus between the first software and the second software; and determine whether or not the first software is replaceable by the second software based on the difference in controllability to the first field apparatus;
h) sending the second signal and the fourth signal to a second device configured to compare the second signal and the fourth signal, determine a difference in controllability to the second field apparatus between the first software and the third software; and determine whether or not the first software is replaceable by the third software based on the difference in controllability to the second field apparatus;
i) receiving, from the first device, a first result of determination on whether or not the first software is replaceable by the second software;
j) receiving, from the second device, a second result of determination on whether or not the first software is replaceable by the third software;
k) replacing the first software by the second software in a case that the first software is replaceable by the second software;
l) replacing the first software by the third software in a case that the first software is replaceable by the third software;
m) generating a fifth signal indicating the difference in controllability to the first field apparatus in a case that the first software is not replaceable by the second software; and
n) generating a sixth signal indicating the difference in controllability to the first field apparatus in a case that the first software is not replaceable by the third software.

3. A method comprising:
installing, in a single controller, a virtualizer software, a first software, a second software, and a third software, the first software having a first operating system and a first application software, the second software having a second operating system and a second application software, the third software having a third operating system and a third application software, at least one of the second operating system and the second application software being different from a corresponding one of the first operating system and the first application software, the first software having been used to control a first field apparatus connected to the single controller, the second software having not yet been used to control the first field apparatus, and the third application software having the same function as the first application software;
executing, by the single controller upon receiving a first signal of measurement data from a second field apparatus, the virtualizer software while controlling an industrial process imp

Assignees

• Yokogawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kanbe Takahiro
• Yamamoto Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• G06F9/45533

  Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G05B19/042 Primary

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title