Honeywell International Inc.

Honeywell G.m.b.h.

Paul Francis McLaughlin

Joseph Pradeep Felix

James Michael Schreder

Jason Thomas Urso

Norman Raymond Swanson

John J Rosa-Bian

Robert W Bristow

Jethro F Steinman

Matthew Burd

Alexander Chernoguzov

Pankaj H Mody

David Barry Granatelli

James A Strilich

Andrew Duca

Jay William Gustin

Ananthapadmanabha Krishnamurthy

Kevin Staggs

Elliott H Rachlin

Prasad Samudrala

Harshal Haridas

Yu-Gene T Chen

W Russell Massey

Angela Lee Lordi

Karl T Kummer

Michael James Waynick

Christopher Paul Ladas

Indra Banerjee

Patrick S Gonia

Dinesh Kumar Kn

Tariq Samad

Nagaraja Sundaresh

Paul B Gerhart

Michael L Baker

William R Hodson

Vibhor Tandon

Ashish Sharma

Sai Krishnan Jagannathan

Ellen B Hawkinson

Amol Kinage

Brian Reynolds

Cathleen F Kilpatrick

Muslim Gulam Kanji

Ram Mohan Anugu

John Michael Prall

Joseph J Pane

Peter C Davis

Gary Drayton

Michael E Novak

Kamel Zerdoum

Joseph P Carmody

William Osei-Bonsu

Stanley Robert Gorzelic

Sunil S Bale

Shylaja Munihanumaiah

Pekka M Salpakari

William Russell Massey, Jr

Robert Altimari

Jay M Doyle

Ken Gorman

Markku K Vaat&auml;inen

Christopher Michael Gilbert

Jurgen Rudnick

Shane W Booker

Adrian Watson

Renee Drobish

Hieu T Duong

Kevin R McCracken

David A Eisner

Ian K Canavan

A method is disclosed for using an alternate communication path to send and receive data between a first network node and a second network node. The method includes establishing a first communication path between the first network node and the second network node that sends and receives data between the first network node and second network node and a second communication path between the first network node and the second network node that sends and receives data between the first network node and second network node. A diagnostic program tests the first and second communication paths for network failures causing the alternate network path to send and receive data between the first network node and second network node when a network failure in the first and second communication paths is detected and alerting a technician of the failure and that the first and second communication paths need repair. The first and second communication paths returning to normal operation upon the repair of the failure.

Method and apparatus for an alternate communication path for connected networks

An implementation is for one or more hardware-based non-transitory memory devices storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors disposed in a computing device, cause the computing device to monitor a logic block and a memory block to detect a fault condition, determine a subset of the logic block or the memory block that is impacted by the fault condition, and perform at least one action on the logic block and the memory block.

Self-healing process control system

A process control system (PCS) includes a cable connection including physical cables including a first cable for connecting between a process controller and an I/O access device, and an independent second cable for connecting the process controller and a second node being the I/O access device or another device. The I/O access device is for coupling to I/O module(s) to receive an output of the I/O access device. An output of the I/O module is coupled to a field device coupled to processing equipment. The process controller and I/O access device each include a processor and memory that implement send and receive logic for communicating using any of multiple redundancy protocols including a first and a second redundant protocol. The cable connection is for supporting simultaneously communicating between the process controller and the second node utilizing both the first redundant protocol and the second redundant protocol.

Multiple network redundancy protocols for data flow using the same physical interface

A process control system includes first type and second type controllers having different hardware architectures coupled together by a redundancy network for providing a controller pool. Primary application modules (AMs) are coupled to the controller platforms by a plant-wide network. The controller platforms are coupled by an input/output (I/O) mesh network to I/O devices to provide an I/O pool coupled to field devices coupled to processing equipment. A translating device translates states and values from one of the primary AMs running on a first type controller to generate a backup AM having an instruction set compatible with the second type controller. A controller application module orchestrator (CAMO) extends synchronization to the second type controller, makes the backup AM available to the second type controller, and then switches to utilize the second type controller as an active controller running the process.

Process control system with different hardware architecture controller backup

A process control system includes a process controller level including at least one process controller, and an input/output (I/O) module level including at least one I/O module. The process controller level and the I/O module level are communicatively coupled. and each include control logic comprising control hardware or algorithm blocks. The control logic in the process controller level and the I/O module level are configured to execute and exchange data to perform process control for a process run by the process control system in a distributed fashion across the process controller level and the I/O module level.

Industrial control system having multi-layered control logic execution

In an industrial automation system, a control device adapted to a container-based architecture has been developed. The control device may comprise one or more containers instantiated with control execution application, communication application, and or redundancy management application.

High availability for container based control execution

Methods and systems for synchronizing controllers in an automation control system, can involve arranging redundancy elements in an automation control system comprising a group of nodes, wherein the redundancy elements can include one or more primary controllers and a group of concurrent secondary controllers, and wherein a back-up to the primary controller can exist on any node. Such methods and systems can further involve backing-up of the primary controller by the one or more secondary controllers to allow the primary controller to maintain the one or more secondary controllers as a new, alternate secondary controller for a load balancing or an equipment update.

Multi-synch of a primary automation device with multiple secondaries

A method for use by a primary device associated with a secondary device of a redundant pair, the primary device issuing a synchronization request to its control database causing the primary device to send a tracked memory file storage of the primary device to the secondary device to update the secondary device control database and to periodically send on request of the primary device the cached changes made in the primary device to the secondary device to update the secondary device control database. The secondary device using the updated control database to identify communications connections and paths to I/O modules and peer devices assigned to the secondary device and to perform diagnostic testing of the communications connections and paths identified by the interrogation and send diagnostic messages upon detection of faults in the communication connections and paths identified.

Method and apparatus for the enhanced diagnostic coverage of a secondary device of a redundant controller pair

A system includes a shared data center having at least one data storage unit and at least one processing unit. The shared data center is configured to service one, two, or more industrial automation systems. For each of the one, two, or more industrial automation systems, the shared data center is configured to receive process-related data associated from at least one local device in at least one local system, analyze the process-related data from the local device, and provide instructions to at least one client device associated with the local system.

Shared data center based industrial automation system for one or multiple sites

A method of fault-tolerant process control includes providing a network process control system in an industrial processing facility (IPF) including a plant-wide network coupling a server to computing platforms each including computing hardware and memory hosting a software application for simultaneously supporting a process controller and another process controller or an I/O gateway. The computing platforms are coupled together by a private path redundancy network for providing a hardware resource pool. At least some of the computing platforms are directly coupled by an I/O mesh network to a plurality of I/O devices to field devices that are coupled to processing equipment. Upon detecting at least one failing device in the hardware resource pool, over the private path redundancy network a backup is placed into service for the failing device from the another process controller or I/O gateway that is at another of the computing platforms in the hardware resource pool.

Redundant controllers or input-output gateways without dedicated hardware

A apparatus having a control network and a first controller comprising a microprocessor configured to support communication functions, control execution functions, I/O functions, and control network interface functions, a second controller configured as a redundant partner to the first controller, and an I/O link and I/O modules.

Process control device having modern architecture and legacy compatibility

A process control system includes a first process controller coupled to a first set of input/output (I/O) modules that provided first channels, including an I/O software agent coupled to an I/O module pool that includes a first and at least a second I/O module collectively providing pooled channels. The first channels and the pooled channels are each coupled by a respective field device to first and second processing equipment, respectively. The I/O software agent is configured for enabling addition of the first set of I/O modules to the LO module pool, coupling of a plurality of additional process controllers in a controller pool to the first process controller, and enabling at least one of i) making any of the first channels available to any of the process controllers in the controller pool, and ii) making any of the pooled channels available to the first process controller.

On-process migration of controller(s) to utilize an IO pool

An apparatus is disclosed that is used in an industrial process control and automation system that operates using an open platform data communication protocol. The apparatus includes a processor and a memory, and a communications interface connected to at least one process instrument and arranged to transmit instructions to and receive data from the at least one process instrument and to a data network of the industrial process control and automation system that communicates using the open platform data communication protocol. The apparatus memory contains a system repository file containing process data information sent to the apparatus from the at least one process instrument, a stored function block definition file containing function blocks that define a control strategy for controlling the at least one process instrument and an engineering repository containing the characteristics and parameters for the function blocks associated with the at least one process instrument. The processor operates to communicate the process data from the system repository file to the industrial process control and automation system using the open platform data communication protocol and to receive instructions from the industrial process control and automation system to execute the control strategy.

Industrial process control and automation system having decoupled controllers

This disclosure provides an apparatus and method for integrating long-range wireless devices in industrial wireless networks. A wireless device manager is configured to function as a gateway for at least one industrial wireless network. The gateway is associated with at least one industrial wireless network protocol; and the wireless device manager comprises a first radio module configured to communicate directly with one or more devices over a distance of at least about two kilometers using a long-range wide area network protocol.

Apparatus and method for integrating long-range wireless devices in industrial wireless networks

A distribution system that provides for multicast transmission of the most important data that is of highest interest and value to client applications including HMI stations, historians, trend views, alarm management functions, advanced process controls, peer-peer communications and supervisory control. A blast list containing the types of data that are to be collected is formulated and stored in a system server and sent to embedded controllers which then multicasts that data to the system server and all console stations in the system.

Data distribution method for a process automation and internet of things system

Growing community of inventors

Ambler, PA, United States of America

Paul Francis McLaughlin