The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 01, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 23, 2000
Steven P. Blech, Twinsburg, OH (US);
Gregory A. Majcher, Broadview Heights, OH (US);
John P. Caspers, Racine, WI (US);
Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc., Mayfield Heights, OH (US);
Abstract
A method and system are provided for executing a control function or program which minimizes or overcomes the shortcomings of conventional systems. The invention allows a user of a distributed control system to place one or more control devices into a step mode, wherein the devices will execute a specified number of iterations of their internal logic or control programs, or execute such programs for a specified time period, and then stop or suspend execution. The user may then perform system diagnostics, for example, by interrogating certain modules to obtain output and input values, etc. The system may then be further iterated and the method repeated, so as to enable the identification of logic programming and/or hardware problems in a system.