| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 700021000 | Failure protection or reliability | 37 |
| 20080269918 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING THE RESTARTING OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL EQUIPMENT - The present invention relates to a method for managing the restarting of automatic control equipment, consisting in:
| 10-30-2008 |
| 20090105848 | REDUNDANT FIELDBUS SYSTEM - A redundant fieldbus system provides power and communications in a parallel physical configuration between the host system and attached field devices irrespective of any single point failure in the network. In case of a fault, the redundant fieldbus system automatically eliminates the faulty section of the network, switches power and communications to the healthy portion of the network and terminates the network for signal integrity. A device coupler for the system may include a fault detector coupled to an auto-termination circuit that terminates a fieldbus cable when a fault is detected. The device coupler may include fault detection and isolation coupled to each set of spur terminals used to connect field devices to the device coupler. A field device for the system may include circuitry for deselecting a faulty cable while maintaining connection to a healthy cable. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090105849 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING SAFETY INSTRUMENTED SYSTEMS IN A FIELDBUS ARCHITECTURE - An apparatus, system and process is provided for communicating safety-related data, over an open system, from a sender to a receiver. Safety-related components, including function blocks, flexible function blocks, resource blocks and transducer blocks, as well as, safety-related objects are provided. Also, an extended safety-related protocol provides for authenticating communications between safety-related components over an existing black channel, such as one using a fieldbus Architecture. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090149968 | CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT - A control apparatus for controlling procedure of a controlled apparatus includes an update controller that determines, when the software is updated, whether a post-update software is to be selected based on an actual operation result of operating the controlled apparatus using the post-update software. The update controller puts the pre-update software back in use if the operation result is not within a predetermined acceptable range. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090177290 | Safety controller - The present invention relates to a SPC comprising at least one data processing means for realizing a first data channel | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090192633 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR AN INTEGRAL LOCAL SUBSTRATE CENTER FINDER FOR I/O AND CHAMBER SLIT VALVES - Systems and apparatus are provided for locating the center of a substrate. The invention includes a frame, mounted between a slit valve assembly and a transfer chamber wall in substrate processing equipment; at least one emitter, housed in the frame, and adapted to emit a signal; at least one sensor, housed in the frame, and adapted to receive the emitted signal; and a controller adapted to determine a center of a substrate based on the signal received by the sensor. Numerous other aspects are provided. | 07-30-2009 |
| 20090216344 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A DEVICE AND A SERVER - A device for communicating between an electronic module ( | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090216345 | Fault-Tolerant Wireless Irrigation System - A node of a fault-tolerant system relies upon a primary communication mechanism, when possible, for primary connection to a central server. The node monitors its primary connection to the server. While the primary connection is active, the node operates in a supervised mode, in that it generally does not perform a certain subset of tasks without having received real-time commands from the server to perform those tasks. However, when the node detects that it is no longer connected to the server, the node transitions into a fail-over mode. The node operates in the fail-over mode until the node detects that primary connection is re-established. While in fail-over mode, the node may execute a stored set of fail-over instructions that were provided by the server. The node may also attempt to establish a backup connection to the server via a second and different type of communication mechanism. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090222107 | Modular safety switching system - A modular safety device ( | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090271007 | MOTION CONTROL SYSTEMS - A system for debugging motion control software used to communicate with a motion control system, comprising a set of hardware motion control attributes, a set of common motion control attributes a motion control device, a set of software drivers, a software application, and a motion component. A selected software driver is capable of causing debug information to be sent to a debug target and converting a common motion control attribute to a hardware motion control attribute. The software application calls a motion component function to cause the motion component function to call a driver function. The called driver function causes the selected software driver to convert a common motion control attribute to a hardware motion control attribute, exchange a hardware motion control attribute with the motion control device, and cause debug information to be sent to the debug target. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090276060 | Mobile Function Block for a PLC Based Distributed Control System - Methods and architectures are described that provide function block mobility between PLCs. Each PLC configured with Mobile Function Blocks (MFBs) may forward and execute MFBs from each other. To enable MFB mobility over a communication bus, each PLC having one or more configured MFBs requires a Communication Function Block (CFB) and an MFB directory data block. Each PLC maintains an MFB directory data block to store its MFB directory which is used when other PLCs send requests to check the availability of MFBs they need to run new tasks. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090299493 | SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A PLANT - The invention relates to a system for operating a plant. The plant comprises a data equipment. The data equipment is provided at the location of the plant itself. The 5 data equipment comprising a data structure divided into at least a first data storage device ( | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100023137 | Detection systems for power equipment - Improved methods to detect when a human body contacts a predetermined portion of a machine are disclosed. The methods distinguish contact with a person from contact with other materials. The methods are particularly applicable in woodworking equipment such as table saws to distinguish contact between a person and the blade of the saw from contact between the blade and wet or green wood. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100036508 | ENABLING NON-INTEROPERABILITY AMONG TRANSCEIVERS OF DEVICES - Enabling non-interoperability among transceivers of devices. A method includes transmitting a signal at a predefined symbol rate by a first transceiver of a first device of a first plurality of devices. The predefined symbol rate is unique for each transceiver of each device of the first plurality of devices. The method also includes detecting the signal by a second transceiver of a second device of a second plurality of devices. The second transceiver has a symbol rate similar to the predefined symbol rate. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100131081 | Systems and methods for motion control - A system for communicating with a motion control system, comprising a set of motion operations, a set of functions, a set of security levels, and client software. The functions are capable of causing the motion control system to perform at least one motion operation. The client software is capable of calling at least one of the functions. The ability of the client software to call at least one of the functions is restricted based on at least one of the security levels. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100152867 | UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION OF AUTOMATION COMPONENTS - The invention relates to a method for the explicit identification of at least one component of an automation system. The aim of the invention is to propose a method for the explicit identification of automation components that prevents the disadvantages of the known solutions and simplifies project planning. This aim is attained using a method for the worldwide explicit identification of at least one component of an automation system, wherein the component is associated in a one-to-one fashion with location information by means of multidimensional coordinates, said information designating a point inside the component and being transmitted to the automation system and/or being provided for the automation system. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100222897 | DISTRIBUTED FAULT DIAGNOSIS - A distributed diagnosis algorithm based on a multi-signal digraph model of an overall system is provided. In addition, a model enables the generation of a fault-test dependency matrix (D-matrix), which summarizes the detection capabilities of tests designed for faults associated with each node. Each row represents a fault state and each column represents a test. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100241246 | PLANT CONTROL SYSTEM AND INTERLOCK FACTOR SPECIFYING METHOD - To provide a plant control system that has 1) a function of creating and executing a uniform control program for diagnosing an interlock condition, 2) a function of displaying a ladder circuit including only plural factor signals when plant equipment cannot be started, and 3) a function of displaying a ladder circuit including only plural factor signals and a trigger signal of the factor signals when the plant equipment is abnormally stopped. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100241247 | Embedded dynamic alarm control system - A system and method for performing modeling, prediction, optimization and control, which would permit what is, described herein as embedded alarm control. In the proposed method of embedding alarm control, the alarm limits are used to constrain the controlled variables dynamically such that the controller actions are affected to minimize and prevent alarm limit violations in addition to the constraints commonly included. It is proposed in the present invention that the alarm limits be incorporated as part of optimization and constrained control action calculation in a model predictive control. As an exemplary case, this method of incorporation of alarm limits within optimization and control is described and the results obtained from it are presented. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100280631 | Method and Apparatus for Controlling a Distributed Automation System - A method and an apparatus for controlling a distributed automation system, wherein the method comprises determining global constraint rules according to the cooperative relationships between function blocks in the distributed automation system, and establishing a mathematical model based on Membrane Calculus, performing the instantiation of the established mathematical model based on Membrane Calculus according to an executor corresponding to each of the function blocks in the distributed automation system, so as to produce control logics for output to the distributed automation system. If disturbance information is received from the distributed automation system, altering the parameters of the instantiation of the mathematical model based on Membrane Calculus are altered using the disturbance information, so as to produce control logics for outputting to said distributed automation system. The present invention is capable of effectively dealing with all types of unpredictable disturbances, thus improving the adaptability thereof. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100286797 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TESTING SAFETY AUTOMATION LOGIC OF A MANUFACTURING CELL - A method for testing the safety automation logic used in a manufacturing cell includes recording control signals of a safety-related component such as an E-Stop, light curtain, gate lock, or a safety mat using a host machine, and then disconnecting the component from the host machine. The recorded test signals are transmitted to an automation controller in accordance with a test scenario from a test scenario generator module (TSGM) to emulate operation of the component. The automation logic may be certified using the playback of the recorded test signals. A system for testing the safety automation logic includes the controller, host machine, and TSGM. The host machine records the control signals and plays back the test signals on the controller to emulate operation of the component. The automation control logic may be certified using the test signals, e.g., by comparing these to the test specification or standard. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110022191 | PREVENTING DISRUPTIVE COMPUTER EVENTS DURING MEDICAL PROCEDURES - A computer-implemented system for process control has two operating modes: normal mode and active procedure mode, with automatic transition between them. In normal mode, the operating system, firewall and anti-virus are fully operational. When entering a time-critical phase of a process, a process control application signals the operating system and utilities, whereupon transition to active procedure mode automatically occurs, in which access by the system services and by other applications to the resources of the computer is selectively limited in favor of the process control application. Upon completion of the procedure, the system automatically returns to normal mode. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110153035 | Sensor Failure Detection System And Method - This disclosure relates to a system and method for detecting sensor failure and controlling a machine. The system includes a plurality of physical sensors, an electronic control module operably connected to the plurality of physical sensors, and a data storage unit operably connected to the electronic control module. The electronic control module is configured to retrieve calibration data associated with a plurality of input parameters, obtain a set of values of the plurality of input parameters, calculate a Mahalanobis distance of the set of values of the input parameters based on the calibration data, increment an evidence score of an input parameter if the Mahalanobis distance exceeds a threshold Mahalanobis distance value; and command a machine action when the evidence score of an input parameter exceeds an threshold evidence score value. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110160876 | ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM - An apparatus includes a command generation portion that generates the command signal, and a first monitoring portion that monitors an abnormality relating to actuation of the actuator control apparatus. The actuator control apparatus includes a control portion and a second monitoring portion. The control portion generates a control signal for controlling operation of the actuator in accordance with the above-described command signal. The second monitoring portion monitors an abnormality that relates to actuation of the actuator control apparatus and that is different in type from an abnormality monitored by the first monitoring portion. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110184535 | Apparatus and Method for Simulating a Control Program - An apparatus for accessing a controller, wherein a first control program for controlling a process runs in the controller and the process is actively controlled by a process image of first input signals, which are received by the controller, and first output signals, which are output to the process by the controller. The apparatus comprises an interface for interchanging data with the controller and a computation unit for executing program code instructions of a second control program. The apparatus also includes a comparison device which is configured such that the first output signals can be compared with second output signals and provide a comparison result, where the second output signals can be generated by the second control program, the program code instructions of which differ from the program code instructions of the first control program. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110218652 | DOMESTIC APPLIANCE COMPRISING A MEASURING UNIT AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING A MEASUREMENT VARIABLE - A method and apparatus for transmitting a measurement variable that is detected by a measuring unit and transmitted via a data transmission channel to a main control unit of a domestic appliance that is isolated from the measuring unit is disclosed. The measurement control unit is coupled to the main control unit via a data transmission channel through which a measurement variable detectable by the measuring unit can be transmitted to the main control unit. The data transmission channel is a line having a protective impedance. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110224807 | COMMUNICATION APPARATUS AND EVENT PROCESSING METHOD OF THE SAME - A communication apparatus in the present invention is an intercom ( | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110245935 | Control system having electronic control units and electronic control unit for the system - A control system has regular ECUs and a recovery ECU. Each regular ECU controls driving of current consumers, respectively, drivable by driving methods and connected through output channels. The recovery ECU has output drivers, respectively, producing driving currents based on the driving methods and channel changing blocks corresponding to the respective driving methods. When receiving information indicating failure of an output channel of one regular ECU, the recovery ECU specifies the driving method of the failed channel, controls the driver of the specified driving method to produce a driving current, and controls the changing block of the specified driving method to select one output channel, through which the current consumer connected with the failed ECU through the failed channel is also connected with the changing unit. The recovery ECU performs substitute driving instead of the failed ECU to supply the current to the consumer. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110264242 | ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM - An operation control apparatus includes a command generation portion that generates a command signal for commanding operation of a control surface, and first and second monitoring portions that monitor an abnormality of operation of first and second control portions, respectively, of the actuator control apparatus. The actuator control apparatus includes first and second control portions that generate a control signal for an actuator for driving the control surface and that are different in design, and a switching unit that switches the connection to the actuator from one of the first and second control portions to the other, when an abnormality is detected by the first and second monitoring portions. Accordingly, it is possible to monitor a generic failure, and realize redundancy enabling control of the overall operation of the actuator, from start to finish, when a generic failure has occurred, thus realizing further simplification and streamlining of the configuration. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110288659 | APPARATUS CONTROL METHOD AND SYSTEM - An apparatus control method and system. The method includes disabling by a computer processor of a computing system, an apparatus. The computer processor retrieves detection data, safety gear detection data, and safety gear indication data. The computer processor analyzes the detection data, the safety gear detection data, and the safety gear indication data and in response to results of the analysis, the computer processor enables the apparatus. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20120035746 | AUTOMATIC RECEIVING, INSPECTION, INVENTORY MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS - A system for managing an inventory of process control devices in a process plant includes a computer workstation, a database storing instrument specification data for one or more process control devices used for controlling a process performed in the process plant environment, a wireless gateway adapted to wirelessly communicate with wireless enabled process control devices in the process plant environment, a communication bus interconnecting the wireless gateway, the computer workstation, and the database, an inventory control application executed by the computer workstation. The inventory control application is adapted to interrogate a received process control device via the wireless gateway to receive device data from the received process control device identifying and describing the received process control device. The inventory control application is further adapted to access the database to retrieve instrument specification data for the received process control device and compare the received device data to the retrieved instrument specification data. The inventory control application ensures that the received process control device corresponds to the instrument specification data. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120253481 | HART CHANNEL INTERFACE COMPONENT INCLUDING REDUNDANCY - A channel interface component including redundancy within a control system with highway addressable remote transfer (HART) channels is provided. In one embodiment, a circuit includes: at least two highway addressable remote transfer (HART) channels, each HART channel including an input terminal and an output terminal configured to connect with a HART device via a current loop; an channel interface component coupled to each HART channel that is configured to support HART protocol signals for communications with the HART device, wherein the channel interface component includes a suicide relay switch for connecting or disconnecting each HART channel from the HART device; and a programmable logic device coupled to the channel interface component that is configured to perform modulation and demodulation of HART protocol signals for communications with the HART device. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20140249653 | USE OF PREDICTORS IN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH WIRELESS OR INTERMITTENT PROCESS MEASUREMENTS - A control technique that enables the use of slow or intermittently received process variable values in a predictor based control scheme without the need to change the control algorithm includes a controller, such as a PID controller, and a predictor, such as a model based predictor, coupled to receive intermittent feedback in the form of, for example, process variable measurement signals from a process. The predictor, which may be an observer like a Kalman filter, or which may be a Smith predictor, is configured to produce an estimate of the process variable value from the intermittent or slow process feedback signals while providing a new process variable estimate to the controller during each of the controller execution cycles to enable the controller to produce a control signal used to control the process. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140249654 | KALMAN FILTERS IN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS - A control technique that enables the use of received process variable values in a Kalman filter based control scheme without the need to change the control algorithm includes a controller, such as a PID controller, and a Kalman filter, coupled to receive feedback in the form of, for example, process variable measurement signals from a process. The Kalman filter is configured to produce an estimate of the process variable value from slow or intermittent process feedback signals while providing a new process variable estimate to the controller during each of the controller execution cycles to enable the controller to produce a control signal used to control the process. The Kalman filter is also configured to compensate the process variable estimate for process noise with non-zero mean value that may be present in the process. The Kalman filter may apply this compensation to both continuously and intermittently received process variable values. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20150100137 | HART CHANNEL INTERFACE COMPONENT INCLUDING REDUNDANCY - A channel interface component including redundancy within a control system with highway addressable remote transfer (HART) channels is provided. In one embodiment, a circuit includes: at least two highway addressable remote transfer (HART) channels, each HART channel including an input terminal and an output terminal configured to connect with a HART device via a current loop; an channel interface component coupled to each HART channel that is configured to support HART protocol signals for communications with the HART device, wherein the channel interface component includes a suicide relay switch for connecting or disconnecting each HART channel from the HART device; and a programmable logic device coupled to the channel interface component that is configured to perform modulation and demodulation of HART protocol signals for communications with the HART device. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150120004 | SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS - A signal processing apparatus includes an interface module and a signal processing module. The interface module includes an identification resistance for identifying the interface module, the interface module being connectable to a device configured to perform at least one of measuring of a measuring target and operating of an operation target. The signal processing module includes a first connection terminal connected to one end of the identification resistance, a first power source connected to the identification resistance via the first connection terminal, a detector configured to detect any one of voltage and electrical current at the first connection terminal, and a signal processor configured to process signals received from and transmitted to the device. | 04-30-2015 |
| 20160062323 | Physical Layer Diagnostics in a Fieldbus Device - A fieldbus device within a fieldbus network segment comprises a functional layer and includes an integral physical layer diagnostic (PhLD) element for measuring an electrical parameter of the fieldbus network segment. Placing the PhLD element within the fieldbus device itself provides for greater accuracy in monitoring electrical characteristics of the segment. | 03-03-2016 |
