DISTRIBUTED INTERFACE ARCHITECTURE FOR PROGRAMMABLE INDUSTRIAL CONTROL SYSTEMS

• Main Authors: GOLDMAN, CRAIG E, CRATER, KENNETH C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 03.02.2004
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; REGULATING; SELECTING; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

An integrated control system comprises one or more controllers each equipped to perform a control function and to gather data (ordinarily from sensors or a video camera) relevant to the control function. Each controller contains computer storage means, such as computer memory, for storing the relevant data and instructions, associated with the data, for causing a remote computer to generate a visual display incorporating the data in a predetermined format; and a communication module for establishing contact and facilitating data interchange with the remote computer. The remote computer, in turn, also includes a communication module compatible with the controller-home module, and which enables the remote computer to downloa d the data, including current video information and/or historical and/or reference video information, and associated instructions from one or more controllers. The remote computer also includes a facility for processing the instructions to create a user interface encode d by the instructions, and which incorporates the data. In this way, controller data is coupled to instructions for displaying that data, an d this totality of information is continuously accessible, on a freely selective basis, to the remote computer.