# US 10,401,816 B2 · Legacy control functions in newgen controllers alongside newgen control functions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,401,816 B2 - Document ID: US10401816B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/655,642 - Filed: 2017-07-20 - Published: 2019-01-24 - Granted: 2019-09-03 - Earliest claimed: 2017-07-20 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Applicants: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Ramakrishnan Ganapathi; Shylaja Munihanumaiah; Dhanalakshmi Saravanan; James Schreder - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10401816B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/0426: {Programming the control sequence} - G06F 9/44536: {Selecting among different versions} - G05B 2219/23424: Select construction element from function library - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract This disclosure provides a device and method for implementing legacy and improved control functions in controllers, including but not limited to in industrial control systems and other systems. A method includes maintaining, by a device having a controller and a memory, a function library having a plurality of legacy control functions and a plurality of improved control functions. The method includes receiving a process to be executed by the controller. The method includes, when calling a function of the process, determining whether a device setting indicates that the function is to be executed by one of the plurality of improved control functions. The method includes, when the device setting indicates that the function is to be executed by one of the plurality of improved control functions, executing the function using the one of the improved control functions, and otherwise executing the function using one of the legacy control functions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: maintaining, by a device having a controller and a memory, a function library having a plurality of legacy control functions and a plurality of improved control functions; receiving a process to be executed by the controller, wherein the process includes a function, and wherein one of the plurality of legacy control functions corresponds to the function and one of the plurality of improved control functions corresponds to the function; when calling the function of the process, determining whether a device setting of the device indicates that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function; when the device setting indicates that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function, executing the function using the improved control function that corresponds to the function; and when the device setting does not indicate that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function, executing the function using the legacy control function that corresponds to the function. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device setting is a user selection received by the device from a user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device setting is a user selection configured into the device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein device setting indicates a default mode of operation of the device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the function library is part of a control library. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the function library is part of a control library that is associated with a support class. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a replacement device capable of functioning as a legacy device using one or more of the legacy control functions, and wherein the improved control functions are not supported by the legacy device. ### Claim 8 A device comprising: a controller; and a memory, wherein the memory stores a function library having a plurality of legacy control functions and a plurality of improved control functions, the controller configured to: receive a process to be executed, wherein the process includes a function, and wherein one of the plurality of legacy control functions corresponds to the function and one of the plurality of improved control functions corresponds to the function; when calling the function of the process, determine whether a device setting of the device indicates that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function; when the device setting indicates that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function, execute the function using the improved control function that corresponds to the function; and when the device setting does not indicate that the function is to be executed using the improved control function, execute the function using the legacy control function that corresponds to the function. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the device setting is a user selection received by the device from a user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the device setting is a user selection configured into the device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein device setting indicates a default mode of operation of the device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the function library is part of a control library. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the function library is part of a control library that is associated with a support class. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the device is a replacement device capable of functioning as a legacy device using one or more of the legacy control functions, and wherein the improved control functions are not supported by the legacy device. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory machine-readable medium encoded with a function library having a plurality of legacy control functions and a plurality of improved control functions and encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a device to: receive a process to be executed, wherein the process includes a function, and wherein one of the plurality of legacy control functions corresponds to the function and one of the plurality of improved control functions corresponds to the function; when calling the function of the process, determine whether a device setting indicates that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function; when the device setting indicates that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function, execute the function using the the improved control function that corresponds to the function; and when the device setting does not indicate that the function is to be executed using the improved control function that corresponds to the function, execute the function using the legacy control function that corresponds to the function. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the device setting is a user selection received by the device from a user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the device setting is a user selection configured into the device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the device setting indicates a default mode of operation of the device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein function library is part of a control library. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the function library is part of a control library that is associated with a support class.