Process control system including a method and apparatus for automatically sensing the connection of devices to a network

Claim 2

A process control system comprising: a control process; a plurality of controllers coupled to the process, the controllers implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in the control process; a workstation coupled to the plurality of controllers and including a user interface; and a software system including a network operating system and implementing a routine for automatically sensing a connection of a controller to a network and incorporating the controller into the network operating system, the routine for automatically sensing a connection of a controller to a network and incorporating the controller into a network operating system including: means for connecting a controller to the network; means operative in the connected controller for sending a request to confirm a network address assignment, the request being accompanied by the controller media access control (MAC) address; a network configuration service including: means for receiving the request to confirm; means for searching a table of configured field devices for a matching MAC address; means operative when the MAC address matches for generating field device and network information including a network address from a device table; means operative when the MAC address does not match for generating field device and network information including a network address from MAC address-based default information and adding the default information to the device table; and means operative when the MAC address does not match for assigning the connected controller under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration previously existing in the device table.

Claim 3

A process control system according to claim 1 wherein the software system further comprises: a software routine responsive to automatic sensing of a connection of a controller to the network for automatically configuring an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 3, wherein the network configuration service operates from a master configuration workstation in the network.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 3 wherein the connected controller is assigned under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration previously existing in the device table via an Explorer™ user interface by a drag-and-drop technique.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 3 wherein the controller is added to the device table as a new device by a method including the steps of: selecting, by the user, an ACN Segment for connecting the controller; setting, by the user, a device type, a device name and a comment field; assigning a device ID; and generating a device name based on the device ID.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 3 wherein assigning the connected controller comprises: automatically assigning a next sequential device ID; automatically assigning network addresses and subnet masks associated to the device ID.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 3 wherein assigning the connected controller comprises: automatically assigning a next sequential device ID; and user-interactively setting network addresses and subnet masks.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 3, wherein when the connected controller is assigned as a field device configuration previously existing in the device table, the previously existing field device configuration is a controller-type field device having an unassigned MAC address.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 10 further comprising: initiating the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user.

Claim 15

A method according to claim 10 further comprising: initiating the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to automatic sensing of a connection of a controller to a network.

Claim 16

A method according to claim 10 further comprising : initiating the method of automatically configuring an I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user, the auto-configure command being directed to a controller in the control system so that all I/O subsystems in the controller are automatically configured.

Claim 17

A method according to claim 10 further comprising: initiating the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user, the autoconfiguration command being directed to a I/O subsystem in a controller in the control system so that all I/O Cards in the I/O subsystem in the controller are automatically configured.

Claim 18

A method according to claim 10 further comprising: initiating the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user, the autoconfiguration command being directed to a I/O Card in a controller in the control system so that the I/O Card in the I/O subsystem in the controller is automatically configured.

Claim 19

A method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining whether an I/O Card exists in the engineering database for the card position; if the I/O Card exists in the engineering database, determining whether the Card Type in the engineering database matches the Card Type sensed at the card position, if the Card Type in the engineering database does not match the Card Type sensed at the card position executing: generating a graphic notification of the mismatch; interrogating a user to determine whether the engineering database is to be changed to include the sensed Card Type; and changing the Card Type in the engineering database to the sensed Card Type if requested by the user.

Claim 20

A method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining whether an I/O Port exists in the engineering database for the port address; if the I/O Port exists in the engineering database, determining whether the Port Type in the engineering database matches the type of the sensed I/O Port sensed at the port address; if the Port Type in the engineering database does not match the type of the sensed I/O Port then: requesting advisement of the user to determine whether the engineering database is to be updated to match the sensed I/O Port; and changing the Port Type in the engineering database to the sensed Port Type if requested by the user.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 10, further comprising: determining whether an I/O Device exists in the engineering database for the device address; if the I/O Device exists in the engineering database, determining whether the Device Type in the engineering database matches the type of the sensed I/O Device sensed at the device address; if the Device Type in the engineering database does not match the type of the sensed I/O Device then: requesting advisement of the user to determine whether the engineering database is to be updated to match the sensed I/O Device; and changing the Device Type in the engineering database to the sensed Device Type if requested by the user.

Claim 22

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein implementing the software system according to claim 1.

Claim 23

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein that implements the method according to claim 3.

Claim 24

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein that implements the method according to claim 10.

Claim 25

A process control system comprising: a control process; a plurality of controllers coupled to the process, the controllers implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in the control process; a workstation coupled to the plurality of controllers and including a user interface; and a software system including a network operating system and a computable executable program code implementing a routine that automatically senses a connection of a controller to a network and incorporates the controller into the network operating system, the automatic sensing and incorporating routine including: a routine that connects a controller to the network; a routine that sends a request to confirm a network address assignment accompanied by a controller media access control (MAC) address; a network configuration service routine including: a routine that receives the request to confirm; a routine that searches a table of configured devices for a matching MAC address; a routine operative when the MAC address matches that generates field device and network information including a network address from a device table; a routine operative when the MAC address does not match that generates field device and network information including a network address from MAC address-based default information and adds the default information to the device table; and a routine operative when the MAC address does not match that assigns the connected controller under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration previously existing in the device table.

Claim 26

A process control system comprising: a control process; a plurality of controllers coupled to the process, the controllers implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in the control process; a workstation coupled to the plurality of controllers and including a user interface; and a software system including a network operating system and a computable executable program code implementing a routine that automatically senses a connection of a controller to a network and incorporates the controller into the network operating system, the automatic sensing and incorporating routine including: a routine that connects a controller to the network; a routine that sends a request to confirm a network address assignment accompanied by a controller media access control (MAC) address; a network configuration service routine including: a routine that receives the request to confirm; a routine that searches a table of configured devices for a matching MAC address; a routine operative when the MAC address matches that generates field device and network information including a network address from a device table; a routine operative when the MAC address does not match that generates field device and network information including a network address from MAC address-based default information and adds the default information to the device table; and a routine operative when the MAC address does not match that assigns the connected controller under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration previously existing in the device table.

Claim 27

A process control system according to claim 22 wherein the software system further comprises: a software routine responsive to automatic sensing of a connection of a controller to the network that automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system.

Claim 28

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein implementing the software system according to claim 22.

Claim 29

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein implementing a program that automatically senses when a controller is physically connected to a network and responds to the connection of the controller by incorporating the controller into a network operating system, the controller implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in a control process including: a routine operative in the connected controller that sends a request to confirm a network address assignment accompanied by the controller media access control (MAC) address; a routine operative by a network configuration service in response to the request to confirm including: a routine that searches a table of configured field devices for a matching MAC address; a routine that generates field device and network information including a network address from a device table when the MAC address matches; a routine that generates field device and network information when the MAC address does not match, the device and network information including a network address from MAC address-based default information and adding the default information to the device table; and a routine that assigns the connected controller under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration that previously exists in the device table.

Claim 30

A computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein implementing a program that automatically senses when a controller is physically connected to a network and responds to the connection of the controller by incorporating the controller into a network operating system, the controller implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in a control process including: a routine operative in the connected controller that sends a request to confirm a network address assignment accompanied by the controller media access control (MAC) address; a routine operative by a network configuration service in response to the request to confirm including: a routine that searches a table of configured field devices for a matching MAC address; a routine that generates field device and network information including a network address from a device table when the MAC address matches; a routine that generates field device and network information when the MAC address does not match, the device and network information including a network address from MAC address-based default information and adding the default information to the device table; and a routine that assigns the connected controller under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration that previously exists in the device table.

Claim 31

A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein the network configuration service operates from a master configuration workstation in the network.

Claim 32

A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein the connected controller is assigned under user control either as a new field device added to the device table or as a field device configuration that previously exists in the device table via an Explorer™ user interface by a drag-and-drop technique.

Claim 33

A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein the controller is added to the device table as a new field device using a routine including: an interactive, user-directed routine in which the user selects an ACN Segment for connecting the controller; an interactive, user-directed routine in which the user sets a device type, a device name, and a comment field; a routine that assigns a device ID; and a routine that generates a device name based on the device ID.

Claim 34

A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein the routine that assigns the connected controller further includes: a routine that automatically assigns a next sequential device ID; a routine that automatically assigns network addresses and subnet masks associated to the device ID.

Claim 35

A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein the routine that assigns the connected controller includes: a routine that automatically assigns a next sequential device ID; and an interactive, user-directed routine in which the user-interactively sets network addresses and subnet masks.

Claim 36

A computer program product according to claim 25 wherein when the connected controller is assigned as a field device configuration that previously exists in the device table, the previously existing device configuration is a controller-type field device having an unassigned MAC address.

Claim 37

A computer program product comprising: a computer system including a processor; a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein implementing a program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system including: a routine that interrogates an I/O Card at a user-specified card position to determine a Card Type and a number of I/O Ports in the I/O Card, the I/O Card capable of being connected to a controller, the controller implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in a control process; a routine that determines whether the interrogated I/O Card is previously defined in an engineering database; a routine operative if the I/O Card is not previously defined in the engineering database that defines an I/O Card of a suitable type and I/O Ports of a suitable number, the suitable type and number being predetermined for the card position; a routine that interrogates the I/O Ports of an I/O Card, the I/O Ports depending on a particular Card Type, to determine a Port Type and a number of I/O Devices on the I/O Port; a routine that determines whether the interrogated I/O Port is previously defined in the engineering database; a routine operative if the I/O Port is not previously defined in the engineering database for the port address that defines an I/O Port of a suitable type and I/O Devices of a suitable number, the suitable type and number being predefined; a routine that interrogates the I/O Devices of an I/O Port, the I/O Devices depending on a Port Type, to determine a Device Type; a routine that determines whether the interrogated I/O Device is previously defined in the engineering database; a routine operative if the I/O Device is not previously defined in the engineering database for the device address that defines an I/O Device of a suitable type, the suitable type being predefined; and a routine that creates instrument signal tags (ISTs) for primary signal sources on the I/O Ports and the I/O Devices.

Claim 38

A computer program product comprising: a computer system including a processor; a computer usable medium having computable readable code embodied therein implementing a program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system including: a routine that interrogates an I/O Card at a user-specified card position to determine a Card Type and a number of I/O Ports in the I/O Card, the I/O Card capable of being connected to a controller, the controller implementing a process control functionality in a plurality of field devices in a control process; a routine that determines whether the interrogated I/O Card is previously defined in an engineering database; a routine operative if the I/O Card is not previously defined in the engineering database that defines an I/O Card of a suitable type and I/O Ports of a suitable number, the suitable type and number being predetermined for the card position; a routine that interrogates the I/O Ports of an I/O Card, the I/O Ports depending on a particular Card Type, to determine a Port Type and a number of I/O Devices on the I/O Port; a routine that determines whether the interrogated I/O Port is previously defined in the engineering database; a routine operative if the I/O Port is not previously defined in the engineering database for the port address that defines an I/O Port of a suitable type and I/O Devices of a suitable number, the suitable type and number being predefined; a routine that interrogates the I/O Devices of an I/O Port, the I/O Devices depending on a Port Type, to determine a Device Type; a routine that determines whether the interrogated I/O Device is previously defined in the engineering database; a routine operative if the I/O Device is not previously defined in the engineering database for the device address that defines an I/O Device of a suitable type, the suitable type being predefined; and a routine that creates instrument signal tags (ISTs) for primary signal sources on the I/O Ports and the I/O Devices.

Claim 39

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that initiates the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user.

Claim 40

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that initiates the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to automatic sensing of a connection of a controller to a network.

Claim 41

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that initiates the method of automatically configuring an I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user, the auto-configure command being directed to a controller in the control system so that all I/O subsystems in the controller are automatically configured.

Claim 42

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that initiates the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user, the autoconfiguration command being directed to a I/O subsystem in a controller in the control system so that all I/O Cards in the I/O subsystem in the controller are automatically configured.

Claim 43

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that initiates the method of automatically configuring the I/O subsystem in response to an "auto-configure" command by a user, the autoconfiguration command being directed to a I/O Card in a controller in the control system so that the I/O Card in the I/O subsystem in the controller is automatically configured.

Claim 44

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that determines whether an I/O Card exists in the engineering database for the card position; a routine operative if the I/O Card exists in the engineering database that determines whether the Card Type in the engineering database matches the Card Type sensed at the card position; a routine operative if the Card Type in the engineering database does not match the Card Type sensed at the card position including: a routine that generates a graphic notification of the mismatch; a routine that interrogates a user to determine whether the engineering database is to be changed to include the sensed Card Type; and a routine that changes the Card Type in the engineering database to the sensed Card Type if requested by the user.

Claim 45

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that determines whether an I/O Port exists in the engineering database for the port address; a routine operative if the I/O Port exists in the engineering database that determining whether the Port Type in the engineering database matches the type of the sensed I/O Port sensed at the port address; a routine operative if the Port Type in the engineering database does not match the type of the sensed I/O Port including: a routine that requests advisement of the user to determine whether the engineering database is to be updated to match the sensed I/O Port; and a routine that changes the Port Type in the engineering database to the sensed Port Type if requested by the user.

Claim 46

A computer program product according to claim 32 wherein the program that executes on the processor and automatically configures an input/output (I/O) subsystem in a control system further includes: a routine that determines whether an I/O Device exists in the engineering database for the device address; a routine operative if the I/O Device exists in the engineering database that determines whether the Device Type in the engineering database matches the type of the sensed I/O Device sensed at the device address; a routine operative if the Device Type in the engineering database does not match the type of the sensed I/O Device including: a routine that requests advisement of the user to determine whether the engineering database is to be updated to match the sensed I/O Device; and a routine that changes the Device Type in the engineering database to the sensed Device Type if requested by the user.