Apparatus and method for controlling functional units in a manufacturing installation
US6256544A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 13, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 13, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG05B2219/25234
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
To improve a manufacturing installation comprising a plurality of functional units carrying out at least one function and cooperating in the manufacturing installation, each of the functional units comprising at least one actor and at least one sensor for function control and/or function monitoring, such that it is less susceptible, it is proposed that the functional unit comprise at least one intelligent control unit which operates independently of a central computer and in accordance with a function control program of its own stored in a program memory, with the control unit controlling the at least one actor and/or evaluating signals of the at least one sensor in accordance with the function control program.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.