US 2019/0204802 A1 · DISTRIBUTED FINITE STATE MACHINE CONFIGURATION FOR CONTROLLING A PHYSICAL ASSET

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments pertain to a system that can include a high-level controller coupled to a low-level controller for controlling a physical asset. In one exemplary implementation, the high-level controller executes a first finite state machine for controlling a power generation unit via a network. The low-level controller executes a second finite state machine that may have fewer states than the first finite state machine. The second finite state machine places the low-level controller in a default mode of operation for controlling the power generation unit under various conditions such as when the high-level controller is controlling the physical asset during a normal mode of operation; when the high-level controller is revising the first finite state machine; when the high-level controller is controlling the physical asset using a revised first finite state machine; and/or upon detecting a loss of communications between the high-level controller and the low-level controller.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a high-level controller in communication with a physical asset via a network through a network connection, the high-level controller configured to execute a first finite state machine for controlling the physical asset during a normal mode of operation;
and
a low-level controller configured to execute a second finite state machine for controlling the physical asset during a default mode of operation, the second finite state machine configured to place the low-level controller in the default mode of operation upon detecting a loss of communications between the high-level controller and the low-level controller.

A method comprising:

utilizing a high-level controller to execute a first finite state machine for controlling a physical asset during a normal mode of operation;
utilizing a low-level controller configured to execute a second finite state machine for controlling the physical asset during a default mode of operation;
detecting a loss of communication between the high-level controller and the low-level controller;
and
placing the low-level controller in the default mode of operation upon detecting the loss of communication between the high-level controller and the low-level controller.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Distributed finite state machine configuration for controlling a physical asset

Life of this patent

Distributed finite state machine configuration for controlling a physical asset

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20