US 5,604,914 AGranted

Communication device for use with a factory automation network having multiple stations for accessing a factory automated device using address variables specific to the factory automated device

AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorAkiyoshi Kabe

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Abstract

In an automated factory environment which uses a plurality of stations, each having a communication device that incorporates the Manufacturing Message Specification (MSS) and is joined with other stations in a network that provides for communication using the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) communication, a method and apparatus for permitting programmed control of the plurality of stations on the basis of user-defined named variables, rather than specific vendor-defined device addresses is provided. A conversion table that has registered therein a correspondence between the named variable and an address for a specific device is used for control and communication. The table is loaded with appropriate address and named variable information by use of conventional program loading services provided in the MSS standard. The input may be from a remote station, from a management terminal or from a Factory Automation (FA) device.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A communication device for use in a manufacturing automation protocol network comprising at least a first and a second station, said communication device being operative with said first station, coupled to said second station via said manufacturing automation protocol network, and coupled to a factory automation device having a vendor-defined symbolic address variable which enables said second station to use a user-defined named variable to access said factory automation device, said communication device comprising:

a manufacturing message specification protocol comprising a downloading service and communicating said user-defined named variable between said first station and said second station;
a virtual manufacturing device which converts said manufacturing message specification protocol into a protocol dedicated to said factory automation device, said virtual manufacturing device comprising a variable conversion table;
and
a downloading/uploading device, operative in response to said downloading service of said manufacturing message specification protocol, which downloads from said second station contents of a variable conversion table of said second station in which said user-defined named variable is defined as corresponding to a symbolic address variable specific to said factory automation device, which registers said contents into said variable conversion table of said virtual manufacturing device, and which uploads to said second station said contents registered in said variable conversion table of said virtual manufacturing device;
and
wherein said downloading/uploading device provides said user-defined named variable from said second station to said first station upon implementation of a power on condition.

3 more elements

A factory automation manufacturing system comprising:

a manufacturing automation protocol network for communicating within a factory automation environment;
a plurality of stations, each said station being communicatively coupled to said manufacturing automation protocol network, at least a first and a second of said stations being operative to communicate with each other via said manufacturing automation protocol network, at least said first station comprising a communication device coupled to a factory automation device having a vendor-defined symbolic address variable which enables said second station to use a user-defined named variable to access said factory automation device, said communication device at said first station comprising:
(a) a manufacturing message specification protocol comprising a downloading service and communicating said user-defined named variable between said first station and said second station;
(b) a virtual manufacturing device which converts said manufacturing message specification protocol into a protocol dedicated to said factory automation device, said virtual manufacturing device comprising a variable conversion table;
and
(c) a downloading/uploading device, operative in response to said downloading service of said manufacturing message specification protocol, which downloads from said second station contents of a variable conversion table of said second station in which said user-defined named variable is defined at said second station as a symbolic address variable specific to said factory automation device, which registers said contents into said variable conversion table of said virtual manufacturing device, and which uploads to said second station said contents registered in said variable conversion table of said virtual manufacturing device;
and
wherein said downloading/uploading device provides said contents from said second station to said first station upon implementation of a power on condition.

5 more elements

A method of communicating within a factory automation system comprising a manufacturing automation protocol network and at least a first and a second station connected to said manufacturing automation protocol network for communication therebetween in accordance with a manufacturing message specification protocol, said first station being connected with a factory automation device having a vendor-defined symbolic address variable for accessing said factory automation device from said second station using a user-defined named variable and having a virtual manufacturing device for converting said manufacturing message specification protocol into a protocol dedicated to said factory automation device, said virtual manufacturing device comprising a variable conversion table wherein said user-defined named variable is registered convertibly into a symbolic address variable specific to said factory automation device, comprising the step of:

defining and storing in said variable conversion table said user-defined named variable without using a define-said-user-defined-named-variable service in said manufacturing message specification protocol at said first station, comprising the steps of:
defining said user-defined named variable in a variable conversion table of said second station as corresponding to said symbolic address variable specific to said factory automation device;
downloading contents of said variable conversion table of said second station in which said user-defined named variable is defined as corresponding to said symbolic address variable to register said user-defined named variable in said variable conversion table;
uploading to said second station said user-defined named variable registered in said variable conversion table;
and
downloading said named variable from said second station to said first station upon implementation of a power on condition.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/402,327Filed 10 Mar 1995 · continuation
Priority: JP 3-16984810 Jul 1991
Granted: 18 Feb 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G05B 19/4185
Total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible…:…
G05B 2219/13056
Plc programming: edit conversion, jump table interactively
G05B 2219/31367
From computer integrated manufacturing till monitoring: mMS manufacturing message specification, rs511, iso9506
G05B 2219/31368
From computer integrated manufacturing till monitoring: mAP manufacturing automation protocol