System architecture and method for network-delivered automation-related content

Abstract

Content is generated on a host system based on real-time data from a controlled process collected over the internet from a customer's client automation system, such as a machine tool control system. The client system may request content from a host website. Instructions associated with the requested content, which may be in the form of software to be run on the client, is delivered to the client via download over the internet. The client, executing the software, captures real-time data associated with a controlled process and transmits it to the host, where content based on the data can be generated for the client and / or its owner. Data gathered by the host, and content generated on the basis of the data, may be made accessible to machine tool manufacturers. Also, data received by the host is associated with an identifier defined for each client system. A historical database for given client equipment can thereby be created.

Description

[0001] This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 950,726, filed Sep. 12, 2001. Application Ser. No. 09 / 950,726 claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 305,199, filed Jul. 13, 2001.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to the field of industrial automation and, more particularly, to the delivery of services or software relating to systems for automated machine tools. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] In the field of industrial automation, and particularly within the subfield concerning machine tools and their use, vendors specializing in control technology and software have provided software to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), which manufacture and market automated machine tools. The OEMs, in turn, supply automation equipment incorporating this technology and software to end-customers that are typically manufacturers of equipment that own, manage and operate the equipme...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] Moreover, the system and method according to the present invention make possible a data management service, according to which web-based archiving and administration of control-related data (e.g., NC program data, machine data and parameters) is possible. These data are available to the customer and enables with higher data security a quick resumption of production in the event of data losses.

[0016] The identification of the data uploaded from a machine tool to the host, in an embodiment of the present invention, with a code specific to the concerned machine tool, enables the creation of a time-history of selected aspects of the machine tool, that in turn provides a wealth of information to the machine tool user, as well as to the OEMs that serve them.

Problems solved by technology

While OEMs have provided crucial goods and services, they have been constrained by existing limits on their ability to provide services that take full advantage of detailed information regarding the operation of their machine tools.

This constraint stems from limits on the ability of existing systems to gain access to data at the heart of the machine tool control process.

For similar reasons, vendors of control systems and software for equipment, such as machine tools, have generally not been in a position to deliver knowledge-based performance improvements in their technology either directly, or in concert with OEMs, to end-customers.

This existing manual approach, however, does not make full use of available network and computing technology.

It is incapable of delivering real-time or computation-intensive services, or sophisticated machine-related services, such as axis analysis and optimization, machine data checks, wear analysis, machine inspection and acceptance, machine calibration, dynamic machine modeling, workpiece-related services, process analyses, software services, data management services and the like.

The existing approach to providing software and service-related content to users of automation equipment, such as machine tools, is also unable to provide such content with the economies often associated with computer-rendered, as opposed to manual, services.

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