US 2016/0259313 A1 · SAFETY RELAY CONFIGURATION EDITOR

Abstract

A safety relay configuration system for configuring safety functions to be carried out by a safety relay is provided. The configuration system comprises a number of features that facilitate intuitive and simplified configuration of an industrial safety relay, including but not limited to features that guide the user through the configuration process using an intuitive sequential procedure, enforce design consistency throughout the configuration project by intelligently limiting user selections, and visually organize configuration and status information in a manner that efficiently utilizes display space and allows the user to quickly evaluate available configuration options. The configuration system organizes function blocks into columns according to function block type and uses pass-through blocks and signal flow line drawing rules to yield an organized program visualization that can be easily followed and interpreted.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for programming an industrial safety relay, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable components;
and
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising:
a configuration component configured to create a configuration program for a safety relay based on configuration input that manipulates graphical function blocks and signal flow lines between the graphical function blocks;
and
a graphical interface component configured to receive the configuration input and to display the graphical function blocks on an editing area of a configuration interface,
wherein the graphical interface component is configured to organize the graphical function blocks into four columns of the editing area, and
wherein the four columns are classified according to function block type.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

displaying graphical function blocks on an editing area of a configuration interface, wherein the displaying comprises arranging the graphical function blocks into four columns according to function block type;
receiving configuration input via manipulation of one or more of the graphical function blocks and signal flow lines between the graphical function blocks;
and
generating a configuration program for a safety relay based on the configuration input.

1 more element

A method for constructing a program for an industrial safety relay, comprising:

adding, by a system comprising at least one processor, graphical function blocks to an editing area of a configuration interface in response to first configuration input, wherein the adding comprises aligning the graphical function blocks into four columns classified according to function block type;
adding, by the system, signal flow lines between at least a subset of the graphical function blocks in response to receipt of second configuration input, wherein the signal flow lines programmatically associate the subset of the graphical function blocks;
and
creating, by the system, a configuration program for a safety relay based on the graphical function blocks and the signal flow lines.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Safety relay configuration editor

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Safety relay configuration editor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20