US 2026/0267307 A1Published application

Redundant process automation control with conditional handover

AssigneeYokogawa Electric Corporation

InventorVien Nguyen

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Abstract

Implementations are disclosed for improving redundancy in process automation control systems. A secondary controller instance of process automation logic, executing on secondary hardware, monitors a primary controller instance on primary hardware. Upon detecting a primary controller error (e.g., hardware, software, or connectivity failure), the secondary controller assumes primary control. Control remains with the secondary controller until one or more conditions are met, where the one or more conditions are in addition to just the primary hardware being detected as back online. These conditions can include a successful handshake between the secondary hardware and the primary hardware, confirmation that the primary hardware has been continuously online for a defined threshold period (e.g., as determined by hardware specifications, software characteristics, and/or learned load times), or occurrence of a secondary controller error. This ensures continuous process automation control, even during primary controller recovery.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method implemented by one or more processors of a hardware component located within a process automation facility, the method comprising:

operating an instance of process automation logic as a secondary controller, wherein when operating as a secondary controller the instance of process automation logic is executing but not actively controlling one or more aspects of process automation;
during operating the instance of the process automation logic as the secondary controller:
monitoring for an error in operation of an additional instance of the process automation logic as a primary controller, the operation of the additional instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller being by an additional hardware component and including actively controlling the one or more aspects of process automation;
and
detecting the error during the monitoring;
in response to detecting the error during the monitoring:
operating the instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller, wherein when operating the instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller the instance of the process automation logic is actively controlling the one or more aspects of process automation;
and
continuing operating the instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller until one or more conditions occur, the one or more conditions being in addition to the additional hardware component being detected as online following detecting the error.

6 more elements

A distributed control node (DCN) comprising:

one or more processors operable to:
operate an instance of process automation logic as a secondary controller, wherein when operating as a secondary controller the instance of process automation logic is executing but not actively controlling one or more aspects of process automation;
and
during operating the instance of the process automation logic as the secondary controller:
monitor for an error in operation of an additional instance of the process automation logic as a primary controller, the operation of the additional instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller being by an additional DCN and including actively controlling the one or more aspects of process automation;
and
detect the error during the monitoring;
in response to detecting the error during the monitoring:
operate the instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller, wherein when operating the instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller the instance of the process automation logic is actively controlling the one or more aspects of process automation;
and
continue operating the instance of the process automation logic as the primary controller until one or more conditions occur, the one or more conditions being in addition to the additional hardware component being detected as online following detecting the error.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.