Method of and apparatus for automatically generating control programs for computer controlled systems

An apparatus for automatically generating an execution program for controlling apparatus, comprising:

• a memory which stores modules in the form of graphic information and functions and interconnections thereof;
• a display which displays graphic information;
• an input apparatus which inputs a selection command for selecting graphic information for display by said display means and a store command for storing graphic information displayed on said display in said memory;
• a processor, responsive to said selection command, which selectively reads out modules from said memory corresponding to inputted graphic information and displays graphic information representing said modules on said display, and responsive to said store command, which stores said read-out modules in said memory as a program;
• and
• a language translator which translates said program of said stored modules into an execution program to be executed by a controller which controls the apparatus.

An apparatus for automatically generating a program for controlling apparatus comprising:

• a memory which stores standard modules in the form of graphic information respectively describing functions of the apparatus and interconnections thereof;
• a display which displays graphic information;
• input means for inputting a selection command for selecting graphic information for display by said display and a store command for storing graphic information displayed on said display in said memory;
• a processor, responsive to said selection command, for selectively reading out standard modules from said memory corresponding to inputted graphic information and displays said graphic information on said display, and responsive to said store command, for storing said read-out standard modules in said memory;
• and
• language translation means for translating said modules into a program to be executed by a controller.

An apparatus for automatically generating a program for controlling apparatus, comprising:

• a first memory which stores standard modules in the form of graphic information respectively describing functions of the apparatus;
• and
• a language translator which translates said graphic information into a program to be executed by a controller which controls the apparatus based on the translated program;
• said language translation means comprises:
• a second memory,
• first translation means for translating said graphic information representing said stored standard procedures in said first memory into a machine instruction language and storing said machine instruction language in said second memory on a unit basis, and
• second translation means for translating the machine instruction language stored in said second memory into a machine instruction language with an absolute address.

A method of modifying a program for controlling apparatus comprising the steps of:

• designating by input apparatus one of a plurality of interconnected modules stored in a memory, reading said module from said memory, and displaying said module on a screen of a display, said module being represented by a high level language in the form of a graphic information respectively describing functions of the apparatus;
• designating with said input apparatus said module to be modified as displayed on said screen, and modifying said module on said screen;
• and
• entering a store command from said input apparatus and storing said modified module on said screen in said memory to permit translation of said modified module into a program to be executed by a controller which controls the apparatus based on the translated execution program.

An apparatus for modifying a program for controlling apparatus comprising:

• a memory which stores modules in the form of graphic information respectively describing functions of the apparatus;
• a display which displays graphic information on a screen;
• an input apparatus which inputs a selection command for selecting graphic information representing said modules and interconnections thereof for display by said display, a modification command for designating a module to be modified as displayed on said display, and a store command for storing said graphic information displayed on said display in said memory;
• a processor, responsive to said selection command, which selectively reads out modules from said memory corresponding to graphic information and displaying said graphic information of said modules and interconnections thereof on the screen of said display, and responsive to said store command, which stores said read-out modules and interconnections thereof in said memory;
• and
• a language translator which translates said stored control arrangement into a program to be executed by a programmable controller which controls the devices of said apparatus based on the translated program to attain the functions of said devices,
• wherein said processor including apparatus, responsive to a modification command, which modifies said displayed control arrangement so that said program stored in said memory is automatically modified, and
• wherein a module to be modified is a coordinate value on said screen, and said contents to be modified are addition, deletion or change of a high level language of said displayed graphic information, wherein if the contents to be modified are addition or change, said high level language to be added or changed is read from said memory to modify said module.

A method for automatically generating an execution program for controlling apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• inputting an operation procedure of the apparatus in the form of graphic information;
• and
• generating an execution program for controlling the apparatus based on the input operation procedure in accordance with a predetermined relation between the respective modules;
• and
• inputting connection information representing relations between the modules, wherein said step of generating an execution program generates the execution program based on the inputted operation procedure in accordance with a predetermined relation among the respective modules, the connection information and execution programs corresponding to the respective modules.

A method for automatically generating an execution program for controlling apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• inputting a plurality of partial operation procedures in the form of graphic information respectively describing functions and interconnections of the partial operation procedures;
• generating programs in an intermediate level language and execution programs based on the inputted partial operation procedures;
• storing each of said partial operation procedures together with the corresponding program in the intermediate level language and the corresponding execution program in a memory as a module;
• and
• generating an execution program for controlling the apparatus based on the stored execution programs.

A method for automatically generating an execution program for controlling apparatus using an operation procedure input into a computer in the form of graphic information divided into modules respectively describing functions and interconnections of said apparatus, and from connection information representing the relation between the modules, comprising the steps of:

• storing the modules into a memory;
• generating programs in an intermediate level language respectively corresponding to the modules based on the inputted operation procedure in accordance with a predetermined relation between the respective modules and execution programs corresponding to the modules;
• and
• generating an execution program for controlling the apparatus corresponding to the inputted operation procedure based on the generated programs in the intermediate level language and said connection information.

An apparatus for controlling apparatus, comprising:

• a first processor representing an operation station of the apparatus;
• an input apparatus which inputs an operation procedure of the apparatus as graphic information into said first processor, in which said graphic information is divided into modules respectively describing the apparatus;
• a first translator, included in said first processor, which generates programs in an intermediate level language corresponding to the modules from said operation procedure respectively;
• a second translator, included in said first processor, which generates, based on said programs in an intermediate level language and inputted connection information representing the relation between said modules, an execution program for controlling the apparatus;
• and
• a second processor which executes said execution program and which controls said apparatus.

An apparatus for controlling apparatus, comprising:

• a first processor representing an operation station of the apparatus;
• an input apparatus which inputs operation procedures of the apparatus as graphic information into said first processor, in which said graphic information is divided into modules respectively describing the apparatus;
• a first generator, included in said first processor, which generates programs in an intermediate level language and execution programs corresponding to the modules from said operation procedures respectively, and which respectively groups each of the operation procedures together with the corresponding program in the intermediate level language and the corresponding execution program in a module;
• a second generator included in said first processor, which generates, based on said execution programs of said modules and inputted connection information representing the relation between said modules, an execution program for controlling the apparatus;
• and
• a second processor which executes said execution program and controls the apparatus.

A method of automatically generating a program for controlling apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• inputting operation procedures of the apparatus;
• generating programs described by intermediate-level language and operation execution programs respectively corresponding to the operation procedures in accordance with the operation procedures, and constituting a combination of a corresponding operation procedure, a program of intermediate-level language and an operation execution program as a module;
• and
• inputting in a computer information representing interconnections between the modules to thereby generate an operation execution program necessary for operating the apparatus based on the inputted information and the operation execution programs corresponding to the modules.

An apparatus for controlling apparatus by a first processor servicing an interface between the apparatus and an operator, comprising:

• an input apparatus which inputs in the first processor operation procedures of the apparatus;
• a first generator included in said first processor, which generates programs described by intermediate-level language and operation execution programs respectively corresponding to the operation procedures in accordance with the operation procedures, and which organizes a corresponding operation procedure, a program of intermediate-level language and an execution program language as a module;
• a second generator included in said first processor, which generates, in accordance with information representing interconnections between the modules inputted therein, an operation execution program necessary for operating the apparatus based on the operation execution programs corresponding to the modules;
• and
• a second processor which controls the apparatus including apparatus which loads the operation execution program necessary for operating the apparatus and which executes the operation of the operation execution program.

A method of modifying a program for controlling, comprising the steps of:

• reading a plurality of operation procedures from a memory and displaying on a screen graphic information representing the plurality of operation procedures thus read;
• modifying a position and contents of one of the plurality of operation procedures displayed on the screen;
• translating the one of the plurality of operation procedure thus modified being displayed on the screen into a program;
• and
• replacing the program thus translated for a program corresponding to the one of the plurality of operation procedures before the modification to form a program to be executed by a controller.

An apparatus for modifying a program for controlling, comprising:

• means for reading a plurality of operation procedures from a memory and displaying on a screen graphic information representing the plurality of operation procedures thus read;
• means for modifying a position and contents of one of the plurality of operation procedures displayed on the screen;
• means for translating the one of the plurality of operation procedure thus modified being displayed on the screen into a program;
• and
• means for replacing the program thus translated for a program corresponding to the one of the plurality of operation procedures before the modification to form a program to be executed by a controller.

A method for monitoring a program for controlling, comprising the steps of:

• displaying on a screen graphic information representing a plurality of operation procedures;
• permitting an operator to define connections between the plurality of operation procedures displayed on the screen;
• translating graphic information being displayed on the screen representing the plurality of operation procedures and the connections between the plurality of operation procedures into a program to be executed by a controller;
• and
• monitoring information representing the plurality of operation procedures and information representing the connections between the plurality of operation procedures displayed on the screen.