Invensys Systems, Inc.

Triconex Corporation

Blackhawk Network, Inc.

Leslie V Powers

Robert S Adamski

Paul J Van Dyk

Robin McCrea-Steele

David Barron

Robert A Hocker

David P Larson

A system and method for generating instantaneous safety availability information relating to an instrumented function is described. In one embodiment, a time of a test performed on an instrumented function component of the instrumented function is received, and an elapsed time between the time of the test and a particular time is determined. And based upon the elapsed time, the instantaneous safety availability information for the instrumented function is calculated.

System and method for continuous online safety and reliability monitoring

A system and method for managing a plurality of instrumented function components is disclosed. In one embodiment, operating information about the plurality of instrumented function components is received from an online safety availability application and status information for the plurality of instrumented function components is updated, within an asset management database, based upon the operating information. And based upon the status information, the plurality of instrumented function components are managed.

A system and method for fail-safe transmission of safety messages through communication channels containing non-safety-certified equipment is disclosed herein. Consistent with the disclosed method, digital signatures and/or encryption are used to authenticate both the origin and content of the safety messages. A watchdog timer ensures transition to a safe state if authenticated messages are not received periodically. In a particular implementation, the disclosed method includes generating a safety message indicating the state of a sensor. A digital signature is then generated to sign this safety message. The method further includes communicating the safety message and the digital signature to an actuator. Upon receipt, the safety message is authenticated using the digital signature. A watchdog timer ensures transition to a safe state if authenticated messages are not received periodically.

System and method for authentication and fail-safe transmission of safety messages

A system and method for continuous online safety and reliability monitoring is disclosed. The method includes the steps of obtaining operating information about at least one of a plurality of instrumented function components, which are part of an instrumented function, and determining a probability of failure on demand for the instrumented function based on the operating information. In variations, operating information includes status information, which may be received from and/or provided to an asset management application. In some variations, instantaneous probability of failure on demand, online mean time to failure (MTTF), and online safety integrity level (SIL) are also calculated for an instrumented function. In yet further variations, the system allows a user to predict probability of failure on demand values into the future based on hypothetical and/or future planned test times.

A computer system for generating a cause effect matrix as a user interface to develop a control program based on the cause effect matrix and to compile and download the resulting program into a programmable controller. A cause effect matrix diagram is used to develop a function block diagram program which is a standard IEC 1131-3 language. The function block diagram is translated into structured text which is compiled into intermediate code. The intermediate code is translated into the native code for the micro-processor of the target control system, including but not necessarily limited to the Motorola processor MPC-860. The automation of a cause effect matrix diagram to generate a function block diagram permits additional capability by allowing functions for causes, intersections, and effects. Because special functions may be included, the results of a cause generate timing functions or other computations before initiating the effect.

Cause effect diagram program

The programming of programmable controllers and other sequential computing devices is facilitated by automatically generating an order for evaluating function blocks in a function block diagram and by automatically detecting any errors in a function block diagram which would adversely affect the generation of a unique evaluation order, such as illegal cycles, disconnected subnetworks, and/or wired-OR connections. The nodes affected by the noted errors are graphically displayed to the user, who then may use a graphical interface to edit the network until all the noted errors have been corrected. A recursive procedure analogous to a topological sort may be used to automatically generate a unique evaluation order. The blocks upstream from each &ldquo;maximal&rdquo; output are visited recursively from the input of one block to the output of a preceding block until a &ldquo;minimal&rdquo; node is reached which either is not preceded by other blocks or is preceded only by blocks which have already been visited, whereupon the current block is assigned the next available sequence number and the same procedure is used to process any nodes that are upstream from the next downstream output.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Leslie V Powers