Method and Process Automation System With a Central Computing Unit

A method for operating a process automation system which controls at least one of (i) an industrial process and (ii) traffic-control signals, the system comprising field devices arranged in a field of the industrial process and a central controller unit for controlling the industrial process through the field devices, the method comprising:

• transmitting, by at least one of the field devices, field data to the central controller unit;
• running, by the central controller unit, a control program comprising a browser executable application to generate control data for the at least one field device;
• receiving the field data at the browser executable application and processing the field data by the browser executable application to generate and send out the control data;
• executing, by the central controller unit, an internet browser program, the internet browser program running the application.

A process automation system configured to control at least one of an industrial process and traffic-control signals, the system comprising:

• field devices arranged in a field of the industrial process;
• a central controller unit for controlling the industrial process through the field devices by running a control program, the central controller unit comprising at least one computing device including an internet browser program which executes at least one instance of the internet browser program;
• a communication network structure coupling the field devices with the central controller unit;
• and
• a storage unit containing the control program as a browser executable application which receives field data from the field over the communication network structure, processes the received field data and generates and sends out control data to the field over the communication network structure, the storage unit being configured to provide the application to each executed internet browser program for running the application.

A web server device comprising:

• a first connecting unit for connecting the web server device to a first part of a communication network structure, the first connecting unit receiving field data from field devices over the first part of the communication network structure;
• a second connecting unit for connecting the web server device to a second part of a communication network structure, the second connecting unit forwarding at least a part of the received field data to at least one internet browser program over the second part of the communication network structure;
• a non-statutory tangible storage medium including a control program comprising a browser executable application which, when executed by an internet browser program, receives and processes field data from field devices of a process automation system and generates and sends out control data to field devices of the system;
• and
• a web server program for sending out the application to at least one requesting internet browser program.