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US 11,036,656 B2Granted
I/O mesh architecture for an industrial automation system
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsPaul Francis McLaughlin, Christopher Paul Ladas, Angela Lee Lordi, James Michael Schreder, Stanley Robert Gorzelic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An industrial automation system employing a mesh topology of input/output allows flexibility in pairing field devices and controllers though the I/O mesh. Field devices can be connected to the geographically closest I/O module channel without regard to the location of the necessary controller. Modular prefabrication and deployment of the I/O modules becomes less complex and less time consuming thereby reducing costs.
Claims18
An industrial automation system comprising:
- a plurality of input/output (I/O) interfaces, each I/O interface connected to a plurality of I/O modules, each I/O module comprising a plurality of channels, each channel connected to a field device and configured to receive signals from and transmit signals to the field device, wherein the plurality of channels of the I/O modules are connected in a mesh configuration to form an I/O mesh;
- a plurality of controllers, wherein each controller is configured to connect to and receive signals from and transmit signals to any one of the channels of each I/O modules of the mesh configuration,
- an I/O network communicatively connected between the plurality of controllers and the plurality I/O modules, at least one of the plurality of controllers transmitting control instructions to any one channel of the plurality of channels of any one of the plurality of I/O modules and the plurality of controllers receiving control information from any one channel of the plurality of channels of any one of the plurality of I/O modules, wherein each channel represents a datum of a process, each datum using a specific channel connected to a specific controller based on the plurality of channels of the I/O modules configured in the mesh configuration;
- and
- wherein at least one of the plurality of controllers receives control information from the I/O network and transmits control instructions through the I/O network, along any one of the connected channels to an associated field device.
2 more elements
An industrial automation system comprising:
- a plurality of input/output (I/O) interfaces connected in a mesh configuration, each I/O interface wirelessly connected to plurality of field devices and configured to receive inputs from and transmit outputs to the field devices, wherein the plurality of channels of the I/O modules are connected in the mesh configuration to form an I/O mesh;
- a plurality of controllers, wherein each controller is configured to connect to and receive inputs from and transmit outputs to any one of the field devices through the mesh configuration of I/O interfaces,
- an I/O network communicatively connected between the plurality of controllers and the plurality I/O modules, at least one of the plurality of controllers transmitting control instructions to any one channel of the plurality of channels of any one of the plurality of I/O modules and the plurality of controllers receiving control information from any one channel of the plurality of channels of any one of the plurality of I/O modules, wherein each channel represents a datum of a process, each datum using a specific channel connected to a specific controller based on the plurality of channels of the I/O modules configured in the mesh configuration;
- and
- wherein at least one of the plurality of controllers receives control information from the I/O network and transmits control instructions through the I/O network, along any one of the connected channels to an associated field device.
2 more elements
A method in an industrial automation system comprising:
- configuring a plurality of channels of a plurality of I/O modules in a mesh configuration to form an I/O mesh;
- communicating inputs from field devices of a plurality of field devices to corresponding channels of the plurality of input/output (I/O) modules;
- providing the inputs though the I/O mesh to a plurality of controllers, wherein the inputs are communicated to any of the controllers in the plurality of controllers;
- providing outputs from the plurality of controllers though the I/O mesh to the plurality of channels;
- wherein the outputs are communicated to any of the channels in the plurality of channels;
- communicating the outputs from the channels to the field devices,
- providing an I/O network communicatively connected between the plurality of controllers and the plurality I/O modules, at least one of the plurality of controllers transmitting control instructions to any one channel of the plurality of channels of any one of the plurality of I/O modules and the plurality of controllers receiving control information from any one channel of the plurality of channels of any one of the plurality of I/O modules wherein each channel represents a datum of a process, each datum using a specific channel connected to a specific controller based on the plurality of channels of the I/O modules configured in the mesh configuration;
- and
- wherein at least one of the plurality of controllers receives control information from the I/O network and transmits control instructions through the I/O network, along any one of the connected channels to an associated field device.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.