Selective software distribution for an industrial plant
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasatoshi Sasaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller corresponding to production equipment, requiring upgrade can be selected automatically, thereby reduction in operating rate can be reduced. When software is upgraded, version upgrade software relating to a predetermined action description and version information are transferred to a controller management apparatus (S1). A version change determination unit selects a controller including the predetermined action description described in the version information (S2 and S3). The selected controller downloads the new version of software to change the software (S4 and S5) after stopping operation of the production equipment. On the other hand, a controller not selected does not download the software, and the operation of the production equipment is not stopped.
Claims14
A production system, comprising:
- a plurality of pieces of production equipment arranged to operate in a predetermined operational sequence;
- a plurality of controllers provided so as to correspond to each of the plurality of pieces of production equipment, each of the plurality of controllers configured to store an action description information including an action command defining the operational sequence and software configured to control the production equipment corresponding to each controller based on the action description information;
- and
- a controller management apparatus configured to manage upgrade of a version of the software of the plurality of controllers,
- wherein the controller management apparatus is configured to select a controller storing an action description information, which includes an action command same as an action command relating to a new version of the software, among the plurality of controllers, based on the action description information stored by the controller to perform the upgrade of the version of the software of the selected controller, and
- wherein the controller management apparatus is configured to not select a controller storing an action description information, which does not include the action command same as the action command relating to the new version of the software, among the plurality of controllers, based on the action description information stored by the controller, and not perform the upgrade of the version of the software of the controller which is not selected.
A controller management apparatus for managing upgrade of a version of software stored by each of a plurality of controllers, the each of which is provided so as to correspond to each of a plurality of pieces of production equipment arranged to operate in a predetermined operational sequence, the software configured to control the production equipment corresponding to the controller based on an action description information which includes an action command defining the operational sequence,
- wherein the controller management apparatus is configured to select a controller storing an action description information, which includes an action command same as an action command relating to a new version of the software, among the plurality of controllers, based on the action description information stored by the controller to perform the upgrade of the version of the software of the selected controller, and
- wherein the controller management apparatus is configured to not select a controller storing an action description information, which does not include the action command same as the action command relating to the new version of the software, among the plurality of controllers, based on the action description information stored by the controller, and not perform the upgrade of the version of the software of the controller which is not selected.
A controller provided so as to correspond to each of a plurality of pieces of production equipment arranged to operate in predetermined operational sequence, the controller configured to store an action description information including an action command defining the operational sequence and software configured to control the production equipment corresponding to the controller based on the action description information,
- wherein, in upgrade of a version of the software of the controller, the controller is selected based on the action description information stored by the controller and the upgrade of the version of the software of the selected controller is performed, if the controller stores an action description information, which includes an action command same as an action command relating to a new version of the software, and
- wherein the controller is not selected based on the action description information stored by the controller and the upgrade of the version of the software of the controller which is not selected is not performed, if the controller stores an action description information, which does not include the action command same as the action command relating to the new version of the software.
A version upgrade method for performing upgrade of a version of software stored by each of a plurality of controllers, each of which is provided so as to correspond to each of a plurality of pieces of production equipment arranged to operate in a predetermined operational sequence, the software configured to control the production equipment corresponding to the controller based on an action description information including an action command defining the operational sequence, the version upgrade method comprising:
- selecting a controller storing an action description information, which includes an action command same as an action command relating to a new version of the software, among the plurality of controllers, based on the action description information stored by the controller to perform the upgrade of the version of the software of the selected controller, and
- not selecting a controller storing an action description information, which does not include the action command same as the action command relating to the new version of the software, among the plurality of controllers, based on the action description information stored by the controller, and not performing the upgrade of the version of the software of the controller which is not selected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.