Safety-oriented controller in combination with cloud computing

US9405282B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

• Carsten Hamm · Erlangen, DE
• Michael Kaever · Erlangen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 13, 2012
• Grant date: Aug 2, 2016
• Expiry date: Nov 4, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G05B19/0428
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A control device cyclically accepts each safety-oriented input signal from an industrial-technical process in a fail-safe manner, and transfers the safety-oriented input signals to a Cloud using a fail-safe protocol over a link to a computer network. The control device also accepts signals from the Cloud over the link to the computer network, using the fail-safe protocol for the industrial-technical process specific safety-oriented control signals, and decides based on additional information in a fail-safe manner whether it recognizes the safety-oriented control signals determined by the Cloud for the industrial-technical process as correct. Depending on the result of the decision, the device controls the industrial-technical process in accordance with the safety-oriented control signals in a fail-safe manner or places the industrial-technical process into a safe state in a fail-safe manner.