Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Square D Company

David K Johnson

Kenwood H Hall

Eric G Dorgelo

John Joseph Baier

Charles Martin Rischar

Jan Bezdicek

Kevin Michael Tambascio

Dale Sapach

Dale Robert Sapach

Mark S Weber

Daniel Cernohorsky

Robert Sapach Dale

An alarm provision system comprises a recognizer component that receives an alarm/event and recognizes the alarm/event. A provision component analyzes hierarchical relationships associated with an industrial environment and automatically provides a subscribing entity with the alarm/event and at least one other alarm/event that is related to the received alarm/event, the provision of the at least one other alarm/event is based at least in part upon the analysis of the hierarchical relationships.

Subscribing to alarms and events in a hierarchy

A field device in an industrial environment comprises a clock that is synchronized with a clock of at least one other field device. A timestamp generator component creates a timestamp for at least one of an alarm and an event created within the field device, the timestamp accords to the synchronized time. An alarm generator component analyzes data produced and/or consumed by the field device and generates an alarm and/or event based at least in part upon the analysis.

Generation of timestamps within field devices

Systems and methods that dynamically generates alarms in real time are disclosed. An interface component receives instructions for generating alarms. A builder component dynamically creates alarms in real time based on instructions received and information stored on a data repository. The information comprises at least one or more of user roles, language spreadsheet and device characteristics. The system can further comprise a publisher component that packages alarms for delivery to web servers and/or another network. A proxy component for implementing the subject invention with legacy controllers is also disclosed.

Dynamic messages

An alarm configuration system comprises a receiver component that receives parameters relating to an industrial process. An alarm generator component automatically configures an alarm during run-time based at least in part upon an analysis of the received parameters. Thus, the alarm generator component can alter alarm instructions during run-time within an industrial environment.

Run-time configuration of alarms and events

Systems and methods that can enhance protection of alarms and events within an industrial control environment are provided. An alarm security component employs cryptographic mechanisms and techniques to encrypt alarms and/or events related to field devices of an industrial controller system. Also included is a two-way mutual authentication using cryptography, thereby ensuring that an alarm is a valid alarm and that the clients using the alarms are authorized alarm clients. Effectively, the innovation can regulate access to alarms and events by unauthorized external entities (e.g., monitors and/or users) by employing cryptographic mechanisms.

Alarm/event encryption in an industrial environment

An alarm generation system within an industrial automation environment comprises a packaging component that packages contextual data together with an alarm. A provision component relays the packaged contextual data and the alarm to an appropriate device. Thus, customized alarms can be provided for certain recipients given particular situations.

Customized industrial alarms

A transfer network interface module provides a communication link between a data communications network bus connecting a plurality of processor based devices and a redundant processing system. The redundant processor system has first and second processor based devices communicatively coupled to at least one other remote based device by means of the data communication network. The first processor based device operates on an active status and the second processor based device operates on a backup status until a switch occurs. The switch causes the second processor based device to begin operation on active status. The transfer network interface device is communicatively disposed between the first and second processor based devices and the data communications network and permits continuous communication between either of the first and second processor based devices and the remote processor based device regardless of which of the first and second processor based devices is on active status. Each transfer network interface module has a thumbmwheel switch for setting a unique address and a mutually common address on the data communications network.

Growing community of inventors

Waukesha, WI, United States of America

David K Johnson