Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated

Rockwell Technologies, Inc.

Rockwell Automation Germany Gmbh & Co Kg

Kevin M Zomchek

Wayne R Foster

Suresh Ramanujan Nair

Burt Sacherski

Yongyao Cai

Brian J Taylor

Timothy P Wolfe

Rebecca R Jaeger

Lee A Lane

Ashley M Killian

Michelle L Poublon

Linxi Gao

Homer S Sambar

Paul C Brown

Derek William Jones

Richard W Boyd

Rudolf Papenbreer

Richard Galera

Thomas Helpenstein

Norbert Machuletz

Dirk Lorenz

William E Waltz

Brian Haley Schriver

James J Boschuetz, Jr

A method includes sending a first safety instruction to a machine in response to, within an entry window of time, receiving an open alert that a movable barrier is in an open state, where the movable barrier is at an entry point of an enclosure protecting personnel from the machine, receiving tag information of a person from a reader at the movable barrier, and confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The method includes sending a second safety instruction to the machine in response to, within the entry window of time, receiving the open alert, and without receiving tag information or confirming that the tag information belongs to a person authorized to enter the enclosure. The first and second safety instructions are different and the first safety instruction is less restrictive than the second safety instruction in terms of actions to prevent injury.

Radio frequency identifier apparatus for access control and user identification

A method for predicting end-of-life for a component includes determining a baseline lifetime model for a component connected to a machine functional safety system. The component is part of a system with physical devices. The method includes monitoring environmental conditions and usage conditions of the component and modifying the baseline lifetime model based on the monitored environmental and usage conditions to produce a modified lifetime model for the component. The method includes tracking a lifetime progress of the component with respect to the modified lifetime model and sending an alert in response to lifetime progress of the component reaching a lifetime threshold associated with the modified lifetime model.

Predicting end of life for industrial automation components

A method for derivation of a machine signature includes receiving sensor information from a primary sensor, where the primary sensor is positioned to receive information from a portion of an industrial operation, and receiving sensor information from one or more secondary sensors. The secondary sensors are arranged to provide additional information about the industrial operation indicative of current operating conditions of the industrial operation. The method includes using the sensor information from the secondary sensors and machine learning to determine if the portion of the industrial operation is operating in a normal condition and, in response to determining that the portion of the industrial operation is operating normally, using sensor information from the primary sensor during the normal operating condition to derive a primary sensor signature for the sensor information from the primary sensor.

Monitoring machine operation with different sensor types to identify typical operation for derivation of a signature

A component includes a housing mounted at an entry point of an enclosure protecting a machine. The component includes a first RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a first RFID tag in close proximity to the first RFID sensor indicating a closed status of a movable barrier of the enclosure at the entry point. Opening of the movable barrier allows entry to the enclosure. The component includes a second RFID sensor, in the housing, that reads a second RFID tag of an authorized person. The component includes a barrier access module that sends an open alert that the movable barrier is in an open state in response to the first RFID sensor not being close enough to read the first RFID tag, and an identification module that sends tag information unique to a person from the second RFID tag.

A component for light curtain alignment includes a light intensity receiver that receives a plurality of light intensity signals from beam receivers of a receiver unit of a light curtain. The light curtain includes a transmitter unit with beam transmitters arranged linearly on the transmitter unit. The light curtain includes the receiver unit with the plurality of beam receivers arranged linearly. Each beam receiver is configured to receive light from a corresponding beam transmitter. The component includes a light intensity transmitter configured to transmit, from the light curtain, the plurality of light intensity signals received by the light intensity receiver, where each light intensity signal is from one or more beam receivers, and a trip transmitter that transmits a trip signal in response to determining that a light intensity signal from a beam receiver of the plurality of beam receivers is below a trip threshold.

Light curtain alignment using beam intensities

In distribution networks for safety sensors and devices, aspects of the invention provide routing individualized status signals in parallel to potential safety sensor locations in addition to serially routing safety signals to provide substantially increased protection. A shorting plug that electrically shorts together an individualized status signal to a voltage reference level at a safety sensor location, in addition to electrically shorting together the safety signals for electrical continuity, provides individualized status information for each potential safety sensor location in addition to the serial safety information provided by the safety signals. Another aspect of the invention provides a remote monitoring device coupled to one or more adapter ports, with each adapter port coupled to one or more safety sensors, wherein adapter ports are coupled via cabling with cable endings of the same type, thereby preventing circumvention of a safety sensor simply by coupling together adjacent cables.

Distribution networks for safety sensors and devices

Aspects of the present invention provide an RFID system for safely controlling an auto guided vehicle, an automated robot or other moving object ('AGV'). The system may include a plurality of radio frequency identification ('RFID') tags, and each may store a unique identification in a first memory location, a position in a second memory location and/or an instruction in a third memory location. An AGV having an RFID transceiver or antenna and a computer with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a predetermined table may read one or more of the memory locations. The table comprises a plurality of data elements with certain data elements associated with particular RFID tags. The AGV safely determines its location upon matching the one or more memory locations read with one or more data elements, or triggers a fault upon failing to match. The AGV may also predict the next RFID tag.

Radio frequency identification in safety applications

The present invention relates to a safety switching device for actuating actuators in a fail-safe manner, and further relates to an emergency shut-off circuit comprising a safety switching device according to the present invention. The safety switching device includes at least one first and second safety input for receiving a first and second input signal, at least one first and second safety output for transmitting a first and second output signal, and a control unit for evaluating said input signals and for generating said output signals. The first and second safety outputs further comprise a feedback loop said that couples the output signals back to the control unit such that the control unit is operable to perform a test routine for testing said output signals.

Safety switching device with universal signal input

A method and system for diagnostic coverage of safety components monitors the state of a safety chain and each of the safety devices in the chain. A fault condition is detected if one of the safety devices indicates that the safety chain should be open but the safety chain indicates that it is closed. In order to prevent an inadvertent reset of the fault condition by opening the safety chain via a second safety device, the fault condition is latched until the monitoring system verifies that the faulty safety device has been corrected.

Method and apparatus for diagnostic coverage of safety components

A modular emergency stop device including a switch unit and a control unit. The switch unit includes a switch which converts from a normal state to an emergency state when an emergency stop is necessary and a housing for the switch. The control unit includes a controller which controls a power source for a machine and a housing for the controller. The switch unit's housing and the control unit's housing are adapted to be selectively coupled together and uncoupled from each other. The switch is operably coupled to the controller when the housings are coupled together whereby the controller may appropriately control the machine's power source when the switch is converted to the emergency state. To replace the switch, the switch's housing is uncoupled from the controller's housing to remove the switch unit and a new switch unit is coupled to the controller's housing.

Modular emergency stop relay system

Modular relay with network communications

A safety relay configuration for linking a power source to a device to be powered via at least one output wherein output contacts all have to be closed to provide power to the device, the configuration including first and second three contact relays or four contact relays, each relay including a first NC contact and at least two NO contacts and, wherein the second relay first contact is linked in parallel with the first relay second contact forming a first parallel configuration, the first relay first contact is linked in parallel with the second relay second contact forming a second parallel configuration, the first parallel configuration is linked in series with the first relay coil between the power source and ground, the second parallel configuration is linked in series with the second relay coil between the power source and ground and the relay third contacts are linked within the outputs between the power source and the device. Where the relays have four contacts, the relay fourth contacts are linked within the outputs between the power source and the device.

Growing community of inventors

Milwaukee, WI, United States of America

Kevin M Zomchek