Systems and methods for controlling production and/or distribution lines
Gespeichert in:
| Titel: | Systems and methods for controlling production and/or distribution lines |
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| Patent Number: | 11592,798 |
| Publikationsdatum: | February 28, 2023 |
| Appl. No: | 16/478368 |
| Application Filed: | November 16, 2017 |
| Abstract: | A system (100) for controlling a plurality of lines (10), with each line (10) being at least one of a production line and a distribution line, comprises: a first subsystem (30), hereinafter referred to as “master room subsystem”, comprising a first control device (40) hosting an OPC UA server (45); and, for each line (10), a second subsystem (50), hereinafter referred to as “line control subsystem”, comprising: (a) a second control device (60) on which an operating system is running, the second control device (60) hosting an OPC UA client (65); (b) at least one field device (70); and (c) a connection device (80) arranged for allowing communication between the field device(s) (70) and the second control device (60). The field device(s) (70) is connected to the second control device (60) through a point-to-point digital communication interface, the second control device (60) having one port per field device (70). |
| Inventors: | SICPA HOLDING SA (Prilly, CH) |
| Assignees: | SICPA HOLDING SA (Prilly, CH) |
| Claim: | 1. A system for controlling a plurality of lines, wherein each line is at least one of a production line and a distribution line, the system comprising: a master room subsystem, comprising a first control device hosting an OPC UA server; and, for each line, a line control subsystem, wherein the line control subsystem comprises: a second control device per line, on which an operating system is running, the second control device hosting an OPC UA client for OPC-UA-based communicating with the first control device via the OPC UA server, wherein the second control device is not a programmable logic controller, wherein the second control device is a smart camera; at least one field device; and a connection device per line, wherein the at least one field device communicates with the second control device via the connection device, wherein the at least one field device is connected to the connection device through a point-to-point digital communication interface and the connection device has one port per field device, wherein the connection device has an EtherNet/IP interface or an EtherCAT interface to communicate with the second control device via a network, and wherein the second control device has a Data Matrix recognition SDK and a PLC runtime environment to handle inputs and outputs of the connection device. |
| Claim: | 2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second control device has capabilities to decode a machine-readable representation of a code. |
| Claim: | 3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second control device has at least one of linear barcode recognition capabilities and two-dimensional barcode recognition capabilities. |
| Claim: | 4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the point-to-point digital communication interface is an IO-Link or IO-Link-compatible interface. |
| Claim: | 5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second control device is configured for monitoring the at least one field device and generating an alarm upon detecting that a field device is in an abnormal state. |
| Claim: | 6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the master room subsystem is configured for powering each field device through the connection device. |
| Claim: | 7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein, for at least one line, the line control subsystem comprises a field device being an encoder, and the first control device is configured for supplying codes to the encoder through the connection device. |
| Claim: | 8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the master room subsystem communicates with each line control subsystem using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to ensure a secure communication. |
| Claim: | 9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second control device comprises a local database in communication with the PLC runtime environment. |
| Claim: | 10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the PLC runtime environment communicates with the OPC UA client and the Datamatrix Recognition SDK, and the Datamatrix Recognition SDK communicates with the OPC UA client. |
| Claim: | 11. A method for controlling a plurality of lines, wherein each line is at least one of a production line and a distribution line, the method comprising operating: a master room subsystem, comprising a first control device hosting an OPC UA server; and, further operating for each line, a line control subsystem, comprising: a second control device per line, on which an operating system is running, the second control device hosting an OPC UA client for OPC-UA-based communicating with the first control device via the OPC UA server, wherein the second control device is not a programmable logic controller, wherein the second control device is a smart camera; at least one field device; and a connection device per line, wherein the at least one field device communicates with the second control device via the connection device, wherein the at least one field device is connected to the connection device through a point-to-point digital communication interface and the connection device has one port per field device, wherein the connection device has an EtherNet/IP interface or an EtherCAT interface to communicate with the second control device via a network, and wherein the second control device has a Data Matrix recognition SDK and a PLC runtime environment to handle inputs and outputs of the connection device. |
| Claim: | 12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the point-to-point digital communication interface is an IO-Link or IO-Link-compatible interface. |
| Claim: | 13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second control device monitors the at least one field device and generates an alarm upon detecting that a field device is in an abnormal state. |
| Claim: | 14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the master room subsystem powers each field device through the connection device. |
| Claim: | 15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein, for at least one line, the line control subsystem comprises a field device being an encoder, and the first control device supplies codes to the encoder through the connection device. |
| Patent References Cited: | 5682476 October 1997 Tapperson 7181674 February 2007 Cypher 20070019560 January 2007 Brewer 20070074282 March 2007 Black 20080027678 January 2008 Miller 20100005336 January 2010 Jordan et al. 20140040431 February 2014 Rao et al. 20140208390 July 2014 Brown et al. 20140303755 October 2014 Landgraf et al. 20170013064 January 2017 Knight 20170075344 March 2017 Spring 101441 December 2016 102014019981 June 2016 104322038 January 2015 104660682 May 2015 205844881 December 2016 102014114750 December 2015 164955 October 2010 2007137880 December 2007 2012079946 June 2012 WO-2015168543 November 2015 2016155857 October 2016 |
| Other References: | IO-Link Interface and System Specification V1.1.2, Jul. 2013, published by IO-Link Community, based in Karlsruhe, Germany. cited by applicant NEON-1020 smart camera from ADLINK Technology Inc., headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. cited by applicant EtherNet/IP™—CIP on Ethernet Technology, Technology Overview Series, PUB00138R6, ODVA, Michigan, USA, Mar. 2016, retrieved on Nov. 15, 2016. cited by applicant International Search Report and Written Opinion dated Feb. 14, 2018 with respect to Application No. PCT/EP2017/079444, 10 pages. cited by applicant International Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Dec. 14, 2018 with respect to Application No. PCT/EP2017/079444, 29 pages. cited by applicant Hua Rong, Rockwell Automation Co., How OPC UA Impact Automation, China Instrumentation, 2013, 3 pages. cited by applicant Notification of First Chinese Office Action in counterpart Chinese Patent Application No. 201780083615.7 dated Jul. 21, 2022 (and English language translation of Office Action). cited by applicant English translated abstract of AR-101441, Dec. 21, 2016, 1 page. cited by applicant English translated abstract of BR-102014019981, Jun. 28, 2016, 1 page. cited by applicant |
| Primary Examiner: | Dunn, Darrin D |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, P.C. |
| Dokumentencode: | edspgr.11592798 |
| Datenbank: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Abstract: | A system (100) for controlling a plurality of lines (10), with each line (10) being at least one of a production line and a distribution line, comprises: a first subsystem (30), hereinafter referred to as “master room subsystem”, comprising a first control device (40) hosting an OPC UA server (45); and, for each line (10), a second subsystem (50), hereinafter referred to as “line control subsystem”, comprising: (a) a second control device (60) on which an operating system is running, the second control device (60) hosting an OPC UA client (65); (b) at least one field device (70); and (c) a connection device (80) arranged for allowing communication between the field device(s) (70) and the second control device (60). The field device(s) (70) is connected to the second control device (60) through a point-to-point digital communication interface, the second control device (60) having one port per field device (70). |
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