Industrial controller automation interface

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a server computer in communication with a programmable logic controller through a first network to perform operations comprising:

• establishing one or more classes of objects, including defining at least one attribute or method for each object;
• assigning a project object to the programmable logic controller, the project object being associated with at least one program file object residing on the programmable logic controller and at least one data file object residing on the programmable logic controller;
• executing an automation interface exposed to a client application located on a remote device communicatively coupled to the server computer through a second network, wherein the automation interface is resident on the server computer, and wherein the server computer, the programmable logic controller, and the remote device are separate devices;
• receiving, via the automation interface from the client application through the second network, a request specifying the project object to upload from or download to the programmable logic controller associated with the project object;
• and
• based on the project object specified in the received request, executing, via the automation interface, the request through the first network with the programmable logic controller.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution, cause a server computer in communication with a programmable logic controller through a first network to perform operations comprising:

• establishing one or more classes of objects, including defining at least one attribute or method for each object;
• assigning a project object to the programmable logic controller, the project object being associated with at least one program file object residing on the programmable logic controller and at least one data file object residing on the programmable logic controller;
• executing an automation interface exposed to a client application located on a remote device communicatively coupled to the server computer through a second network, wherein the automation interface is resident on the server computer, and wherein the server computer, the programmable logic controller, and the remote device are separate devices;
• receiving, via the automation interface, a data request through the second network from the client application which specifies an attribute of an object associated with the project object;
• identifying, via the automation interface, the project object based on the attribute and the programmable logic controller associated with the project object;
• issuing, via the automation interface, a request through the first network to the programmable logic controller for data associated with the attribute of the object specified in the data request;
• receiving, via the automation interface, the requested data from the programmable logic controller;
• and
• transmitting, via the automation interface, the requested data to the client application.

A server computer, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising:
• an automation interface exposed to a client application residing on a remote device that is connected to the server computer through a first network, wherein the automation interface is in communication with a with a programmable logic controller through a second network and comprises one or more classes of objects, including at least one attribute or method defined for each object, wherein the server computer, the programmable logic controller, and the remote device are separate devices, and wherein the automation interface is configured to:
• assign a project object to the programmable logic controller, the project object being associated with at least one program file object residing on the programmable logic controller and at least one data file object residing on the programmable logic controller;
• receive, from the client application through the first network, a data request to upload control process data from a data file object, the data request specifying the control process data as an attribute of the project object or an object associated with the project object;
• and
• based on the specified control process data attribute in the received data request, execute the data request through the second network with the programmable logic controller associated with the project object associated with the specified control process data attribute.

A server computer, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising:
• an automation interface exposed to a client application residing on a remote device that is connected to the server computer through a first network, wherein the automation interface is in communication with a with a programmable logic controller through a second network and comprises one or more classes of objects, including at least one attribute or method defined for each object, wherein the server computer, the programmable logic controller, and the remote device are separate devices, and wherein the automation interface is configured to:
• assign a project object to the programmable logic controller, the project object being associated with at least one program file object residing on the programmable logic controller and at least one data file object residing on the programmable logic controller;
• receive, from the client application through the first network, a request specifying the project object to upload from or download to the programmable logic controller associated with the project object;
• and
• based on the project object specified in the received request, execute the request through the second network with the programmable logic controller.

A server computer, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions, comprising:
• an automation interface exposed to a client application residing on a remote device that is connected to the server computer through a first network, wherein the automation interface is in communication with a with a programmable logic controller through a second network and comprises one or more classes of objects, including at least one attribute or method defined for each object, wherein the server computer, the programmable logic controller, and the remote device are separate devices, and wherein the automation interface is configured to:
• assign a project object to the programmable logic controller, the project object being associated with at least one program file object residing on the programmable logic controller and at least one data file object residing on the programmable logic controller;
• receive, through the first network, a data request from the client application which specifies an attribute of an object associated with the project object;
• identify the project object based on the attribute and the programmable logic controller associated with the project object;
• issue a request through the second network to the programmable logic controller for data associated with the attribute of the object specified in the data request;
• receive the requested data from the programmable logic controller;
• and
• transmit the requested data to the client application.