# US 9,740,429 B2 · Relay interface module for a distributed control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,740,429 B2 - Document ID: US9740429B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/315,818 - Filed: 2014-06-26 - Published: 2014-10-16 - Granted: 2017-08-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-26 - Assignees: ABB Schweiz AG - Applicants: ABB Research Ltd - Inventors: Sanjay Gosh; Mallikarjun Kande; Michael Wahler; Sanjeev Koul; Senthil Kumar Sundaram; Sunderam Sankaran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9740429B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0658: {Controller construction arrangements} - G05B 19/0423: {Input/output} - G05B 19/41845: {characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity} - G06F 3/061: {Improving I/O performance} - G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device} - G06F 13/1668: {Details of memory controller} - G05B 2219/25232: DCS, distributed control system, decentralised control unit - G05B 2219/25234: Direct communication between two modules instead of normal network - G05B 2219/33273: DCS distributed, decentralised controlsystem, multiprocessor - G06F 3/0607: {by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 3/0689: {Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD} - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A relay interface module that is commutatively connectable to at least one I/O device and a controller, wherein the relay interface module is configured to provide data from the I/O device to at least one controller in a distributed control system (DCS) via a communication interface. An application related to a particular I/O device may then be executed freely on any controller present in a DCS without losing real time connection with the associated I/O device. Data can be transferred from an I/O device to an associated application executed on a controller such that the real time connection between the I/O device and the application being executed is maintained. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A distributed control system comprising: a plurality of controllers including a first controller having at least one control application, and a second controller; at least one input/output (I/O) device for one of sending and receiving I/O data; a first communication interface module adapted to function as a relay interface module being communicatively connectable with the at least one I/O device and the first controller of the plurality of controllers, the first communication interface module comprising: a network interface for receiving and transmitting I/O data between the at least one I/O device and the first controller, and a memory module configured to store location data associated with at least one control application, wherein the location data comprises location information of the first controller on which the control application is being executed; and a second communication interface module connected to the second controller of the plurality of controllers; wherein the first communication interface module is configured to communicate with the second controller on one of a controller communication network and a dedicated communication network, via the second communication interface module; wherein the first controller is an original location on which the control application is executed, wherein the control application is associated with the at least one I/O device through a soft bridge comprised in the first communication interface module, wherein the distributed control system is configured for moving the control application to the second controller, wherein the location data is updated to indicate that the control application is being executed on the second controller, and wherein the first communication interface module is updated to route packets from the at least one I/O device to the second communication interface module based on the updated location data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first controller among the plurality of controllers is a remote. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one I/O device is a remote I/O device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The distributed control system of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface module adapted to function as a relay interface module is configured within a switch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The relay interface module of claim 1, in combination with a dedicated communication network which comprises: a wireless gateway. ### Claim 6 A method for transferring Input Output (I/O) data between an I/O device and a plurality of controllers in a distributed control system, the method comprising: associating a control application with the I/O device in a first communication interface module adapted to function as a relay interface module being communicatively connectable with the I/O device and a first controller of the plurality of controllers; transferring the control application from a first controller of the plurality of controllers to a second controller of the plurality of controllers; reading location data for the control application from a second communication interface module connected to the second controller of the plurality of controllers; and transferring I/O data by routing packets between the I/O device and the second controller among the plurality of controllers based on the location data by the second communication interface module and the first communication interface module, on one of a controller communication network and a dedicated communication network, wherein the location data comprises location information indicating that the control application is being executed on the second controller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein reading location data comprises: initiation of a master-slave communication that is enabled between the first and second communication interface modules. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising providing the location data via a wireless gateway. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, comprising providing the location data via a wireless gateway.