# US 9,904,266 B2 · Real-time debugging systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,904,266 B2 - Document ID: US9904266B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/870,679 - Filed: 2013-04-25 - Published: 2014-10-30 - Granted: 2018-02-27 - Earliest claimed: 2013-04-25 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: John Ronald Burr; Richard William Shaw; Christina Ann Romanik; Muralidhar Venkata Subrahmanya Duvvuri - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9904266B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/0428: {Safety, monitoring (G05B19/0423 takes precedence)} - G05B 2219/24041: Pc as detachable debug, monitor device for control system - G05B 2219/33148: CLS client server architecture, client consumes, server provides services - G05B 2219/33297: Diagnostic, test, debug - G05B 2219/34256: Api application programming interface - 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) ## Abstract Embodiments of the disclosure relate to real-time debugging systems and methods. In one embodiment, a system that includes a server module and a client module can be provided. The server module can be executable on a first computer and can be adapted to use a native communications format for interactive transfer of industrial automation data between the first computer and at least one industrial automation element. The client module, which can be executable on the same computer as the server module or on a different computer, can include a debugging application configured to use a universal communications format for communicatively interacting with the server module for accessing the industrial automation data and debugging one or more programming portions associated with the industrial automation data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a client module configured to use a proprietary communications format when communicatively interacting with a server module for debugging one or more programming portions of industrial automation data transferred interactively between the server module and at least one industrial automation element, wherein the debugging comprises eliminating the usage of a breakpoint and is executed in real-time, thereby allowing interactive transfer of industrial automation data between the server module and the at least one industrial automation element without interruption. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the industrial automation data comprises at least one of supervisory, control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, distributed control systems (DCS) data, or programmable logic controller (PLC) data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the industrial automation data is transferred interactively between the server module and the at least one industrial automation element by using a standards-based communications format that is compliant with at least one interoperability standard for industrial automation and related domains. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the standards-based communications format comprises one of an OPC-DA standard, an OPC-AE standard, an OPC-HDA standard, or an OPC-UA standard. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein each of the client module and the server module is located in a computer that is configured to prevent exposure of the industrial automation data outside the computer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the server module is configured to expose the industrial automation data to the client module, inside the computer only upon fulfillment of an authorization procedure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the client module and the server module are co-located in a computer, and wherein the client module executes the debugging of the one or more programming portions of the industrial automation data by using a debugging program compiled and linked using one or more stubs provided by the server module. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: using a proprietary communications format for communicatively coupling a client computer to a server computer; and using a debugging application in the client computer to debug one or more programming portions of industrial automation data that is transferred between the server computer and at least one industrial automation element, wherein the debugging application comprises eliminating the usage of a breakpoint and is executed in real-time, thereby allowing interactive transfer of industrial automation data between the server computer and the at least one industrial automation element without interruption. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the industrial automation data comprises at least one of supervisory, control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, distributed control systems (DCS) data, or programmable logic controller (PLC) data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the industrial automation data is transferred interactively between the server computer and the at least one industrial automation element by using a standards-based communications format that is compliant with at least one interoperability standard for industrial automation and related domains, provided by the OPC Foundation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the standards-based communications format comprises one of an OPC-DA standard, an OPC-AE standard, an OPC-HDA standard, or an OPC-UA standard. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: preventing exposure of the industrial automation data outside the client computer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: executing an authorization procedure; and providing the industrial automation data to the client computer subject to fulfillment of the authorization procedure. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored instructions executable by a computer for performing operations comprising: using a standards-based communications format for interactively transferring industrial automation data between a server module and at least one industrial automation element; using a proprietary communications format for communicatively coupling the server module to a client module, the client module comprising a debugging application that includes eliminating the usage of a breakpoint; and executing the debugging application to debug one or more programming portions associated with the industrial automation data in real-time, thereby allowing interactive transfer of industrial automation data between the server module and the at least one industrial automation element without interruption. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the industrial automation data comprises at least one of supervisory, control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, distributed control systems (DCS) data, or programmable logic controller (PLC) data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the standards-based communications format is compliant with at least one interoperability standard for industrial automation and related domains, provided by the OPC Foundation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the standards-based communications format comprises one of an OPC-DA standard, an OPC-AE standard, an OPC-HDA standard, or an OPC-UA standard. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further including instructions for: executing an authorization procedure; and providing the industrial automation data to the client module subject to fulfillment of the authorization procedure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the debugging application is compiled and linked by using one or more stubs provided by the server module.