Programmable intelligent controller and application system based on programmable intelligent controller

Abstract

The present application relates to a programmable intelligent controller and an application system based on the programmable intelligent controller. The programmable intelligent controller includes: at least one software controller, the software controller serving as at least one of a bus controller and an object controller; the object controller being used to connect at least one controlled object, the at least one controlled object being mapped as an object mapping in an information space, the object mapping being an object control program; the bus controller being used to control the operation of the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to a control instruction, so as to control the controlled object connected to the object controller, so that the controlled object connected to the object controller performs the target operation specified by the control instruction. The programmable intelligent controller provided by the present application and the application system based on the programmable intelligent controller can realize networked control of controlled objects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of intelligent controllers, in particular to a programmable intelligent controller applied in the field of industrial technology and an application system based on the programmable intelligent controller. Background Art

[0002] With the development of industrial and intelligent technologies, the application of Internet technologies and Internet of Things technologies in industry is increasing. Traditional industrial control uses systems such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) to control production.

[0003] However, the PLC system with a network is only a traditional Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and cannot truly realize networked control and operation of equipment control and industrial production.

[0004] Traditional data acquisition systems can only collect data from within the equipment in a one-way manner and cannot prove the data quality. The collection process will also affect the safety and stability of the equipment, and it cannot control the data, making it impossible for the results of data analysis to directly promote the industry.

[0005] These traditional technologies are designed solely for device control, not internet-based control of devices. Consequently, these control systems' inherent technical architectures struggle to model information and are limited to single-point digital control, which can easily lead to data silos. Currently, some are using PLC networks or multiple soft PLC systems, touted as Industrial Internet solutions. These solutions fail to incorporate advanced IT technologies and instead simply leverage advances in integrated circuit technology to integrate more PLCs. This increases application complexity and reduces system reliability, offering no real improvement over multi-PLC systems or FCS systems connected via field networks and fieldbuses. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a new type of programmable intelligent controller and an application system based on the programmable intelligent controller to solve the above technical problems.

[0007] A programmable intelligent controller, comprising:

[0008] at least one software controller that functions as at least one of a bus controller and an object controller;

[0009] The object controller is used to connect at least one controlled object, the at least one controlled object is mapped as an object mapping in the information space, and the object mapping is an object control program;

[0010] The bus controller is used to control the operation of the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to the control instruction, so as to control the controlled object connected to the object controller, so that the controlled object connected to the object controller performs the target operation specified by the control instruction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller includes a bus controller and an object controller, the object controller is connected to the at least one controlled object, the object mapping of the at least one controlled object is connected to the bus controller through a control bus, the bus controller sends control instructions to the object mapping through the control bus, the object mapping transmits the control instructions of the bus controller to the object controller, and the object controller controls the controlled object according to the control instructions.

[0012] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller includes a management bus and a control bus; the management bus is used to manage all software controllers and controlled objects that are not connected to the object controller in real time; the control bus is used to enable the software controller to control the controlled objects that are connected to the object controller in real time.

[0013] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller is constructed by using a modeling technique for mapping the controlled object to an information space, and both the bus controller and the object controller include modeled virtual workstations.

[0014] In one embodiment, the virtual workstation includes a management bus interface and a control bus interface; the programmable intelligent controller accesses a new virtual workstation in one direction / vertical direction through the control bus to perform one direction / vertical expansion; the programmable intelligent controller accesses a new virtual workstation in another direction / horizontal direction through the management bus to perform another direction / horizontal expansion.

[0015] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller includes at least two software controllers; the at least two software controllers are used to form at least two different networks to improve the security of the programmable intelligent controller.

[0016] In one embodiment, the at least two software controllers form a control network, which includes a device network and an operation network; the device network is used to connect controlled objects, and the operation network is used to provide a user operation portal.

[0017] In one embodiment, the at least two software controllers are used to form a management network, which includes an external network and a system network; the external network is used to connect to an external system, and the system network is used to connect to an internal management system.

[0018] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller includes an access layer, a model layer, a service layer and an application layer to model the controlled objects connected to the programmable intelligent controller into virtual workstations; the access layer adopts a software-defined network method to convert the connections within the programmable intelligent controller into network connections; the model layer realizes modeled data representation by adopting controller technology and knowledge graph; the service layer is realized by container cloud technology; and the application layer is realized by adopting a virtual workstation method.

[0019] The programmable intelligent controller described above creates a software controller within the programmable intelligent controller through a software-defined approach. This software controller can serve as either a bus controller or an object controller, or both simultaneously. Thus, one or more controlled objects connected to the programmable intelligent controller can be connected to the object controller and mapped as object mappings in the information space. The object controller can then run the object mappings obtained by mapping the controlled objects according to control instructions, thereby controlling the controlled objects through the connection with the controlled objects. The controlled objects then execute the target operations specified by the control instructions, thereby achieving networked control of equipment control and, in turn, networked control and operation of industrial production. Furthermore, the software controller of the programmable intelligent controller can be implemented through a software-defined approach, effectively enabling incremental development and improving the reliability and development efficiency of the software system.

[0020] An application system based on a programmable intelligent controller, the application system comprising the programmable intelligent controller according to any of the aforementioned embodiments; and

[0021] An organization model for executing tasks according to a target, selecting target virtual workstations from virtual workstations corresponding to controlled objects, and organizing the selected target virtual workstations into a target execution system;

[0022] The connection model is used to connect and form the virtual workstations of the target execution system.

[0023] In one embodiment, the target execution system includes an industrial production management system, the virtual workstation of the industrial production management system is a control virtual workstation, and the software controller forming the control virtual workstation is the bus controller;

[0024] The industrial production management system includes a plurality of management nodes, each management node uses a virtual workstation corresponding to one of the controlled objects managed by the industrial production management system as a virtual equipment workstation, and the software controller forming the virtual equipment workstation is the object controller;

[0025] The bus controller is used to run the management and control logic program and transmit management instructions to the object controller via a management bus or a control bus;

[0026] The object controller is used to run the object mapping obtained by mapping the controlled object according to the management instruction, so as to manage the controlled object that is not connected to the object controller in real time.

[0027] In one embodiment, the target execution system includes an industrial production management system and an industrial production control system, wherein the industrial production control system is a controlled object managed by one of the management nodes of the industrial production management system, and the equipment virtual station of one of the management nodes is used as a control virtual station of the industrial production control system;

[0028] The industrial production management system includes a plurality of control nodes, each control node uses a virtual workstation corresponding to one of the controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system as a virtual equipment workstation; the controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system include controlled equipment;

[0029] The bus controller is used to run the management and control logic program and transmit control instructions to the object controller via the management bus or the control bus;

[0030] The object controller is used to run the object mapping obtained by mapping the controlled object according to the control instruction to control the controlled object connected to the object controller in real time.

[0031] The above-mentioned application system based on programmable intelligent controller, since the bus controller and / or object controller of the programmable intelligent controller include modeled virtual workstations, the organization model can execute tasks according to the target, select the target virtual workstation from the virtual workstations, organize the selected target virtual workstations into a target execution system, and then connect the control logic program of the target execution system with one of the software controllers in the connection model to form a virtual workstation of the target execution system, thereby realizing networked control of the specific execution system in the industrial scene based on the virtual workstation, and then realizing networked control and operation of industrial production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a programmable intelligent controller according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a programmable intelligent controller according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of network division of a programmable intelligent controller in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the CPS system structure within the application system of a programmable intelligent controller in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of an industrial application system based on a programmable intelligent controller in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of an industrial application system based on a programmable intelligent controller in another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, a programmable intelligent controller 100 is provided, which may include at least one software controller 110. The software controller 110 may be used as at least one of a bus controller 111 and an object controller 112.

[0040] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the software controller 110 includes a bus controller 111 and an object controller 112. The software controller 110 is created in the programmable intelligent controller 100 and can be developed using a general programming language.

[0041] In this embodiment, at least one software controller is created in at least one Programmable Intelligent Controller (PIC), and the software controller can serve as either a bus controller or an object controller, or can serve as both a bus controller and an object controller.

[0042] When the software controller is used as an object controller, it is used to connect to the controlled object. When the software controller is used as a bus controller, it transmits instructions to the object controller via the control bus.

[0043] The software controller can be implemented based on the software defined network (SDN). When the controller network includes controllers with both bus controller and object controller roles, the controller network formed by multiple controllers can be arranged in layers.

[0044] In any two adjacent layers of software controllers, the software controller at the upper layer is generally called a bus controller, and the software controller at the lower layer is generally called an object controller. In other words, bus controller and object controller are relative terms; a software controller can be either a bus controller or an object controller.

[0045] The programmable intelligent controller 100 connects to external objects via an external object connection device 120. External object connection device 120 can be a network cable, various industrial buses, or other suitable connection devices. In practice, the programmable intelligent controller 100 is configured to connect to at least one controlled object 130, which is mapped to an object mapping 113 in the information space. This object mapping 113 can be an object control program.

[0046] The controlled object 130 is an external object that needs to be controlled by the programmable intelligent controller, and may also be referred to as an external controlled object. The controlled object 130 can be a physical object or a non-physical object. In certain embodiments, the controlled object can be a physical controlled device, apparatus, machine tool, manufacturing system, production workshop, smart factory, etc. For example, the controlled object is an automated guided vehicle (AGV), machine tool, boiler, production system, processing line, etc. The controlled object 130 can also be information, processes, methods, and rules, especially information, processes, methods, and rules in industrial applications. Information can include various information, especially information used in industrial scenarios, including material application, processing information, approval information, work order information, quality information, etc. Processes include various processes, especially various prescribed processes used in industrial scenarios. For example, processes can include production processes, warehousing processes, outbound processes, approval processes, testing processes, inspection processes, etc. Methods include various methods, especially various methods used in industrial scenarios. The methods may include heat treatment methods, quenching methods, rough processing methods, fine processing methods, biochemical reaction methods, engineering management methods, project management methods, safety management methods, etc.

[0047] The object mapping 113 is the object control program, which is a program used to control the controlled object 130. In certain embodiments of the present application, the programmable intelligent controller supports general-purpose programming languages, and the object control program is developed using a general-purpose programming language, such as Java. This allows workers in industrial environments to define the software controller of the programmable intelligent controller based on the software-defined network without having to learn a specific programming method. They can then use the software controller as the controller body and independently develop the object control program using a general-purpose programming language. The object control program can then be run through the software controller to control the controlled object. This increases the reuse rate of software program code, thereby improving the reliability and development efficiency of the programmable intelligent controller.

[0048] In this embodiment, when the software controller 110 of the programmable intelligent controller 100 is used as a bus controller 111, the bus controller 111 is used to control the operation of the object mapping 113 obtained by mapping the controlled object 130 according to the control instructions to control the controlled object 130 connected to the object controller 112.

[0049] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the programmable intelligent controller includes a software controller, which is used as an object controller; when used as an object controller, the software controller can be connected to a controlled object (such as an external physical entity device, etc.) and control the controlled object through the device mapping of the controlled object; the software controller itself can also directly include a software device to directly implement the corresponding function of the software device.

[0050] In certain embodiments of the present application, a programmable intelligent controller may include at least two software controllers, some of which may function as object controllers and some of which may function as bus controllers. The bus controller and the object controller are connected via a control bus or a management bus. The software controller functioning as the bus controller is configured to issue control instructions to the object mapping via the control bus. The object mapping then transmits the received control instructions to the software controller functioning as the object controller. The software controller functioning as the object controller then controls the connected controlled object according to the control instructions.

[0051] The controlled object 130 can complete a specified target operation, such as acquisition or measurement, by executing a control instruction issued by the bus controller.

[0052] The programmable intelligent controller described above creates a software controller within the programmable intelligent controller through a software-defined approach. This software controller can serve as either a bus controller or an object controller, or both simultaneously. Thus, one or more controlled objects connected to the programmable intelligent controller can be connected to the object controller and mapped as object mappings in the information space. The object controller can then run the object mappings obtained by mapping the controlled objects according to control instructions, thereby controlling the controlled objects through the connection with the controlled objects. The controlled objects then execute the target operations specified by the control instructions, thereby achieving networked control of equipment control and, in turn, networked control and operation of industrial production. Furthermore, the software controller of the programmable intelligent controller can be implemented through a software-defined approach, effectively enabling incremental development and improving the reliability and development efficiency of the programmable intelligent controller.

[0053] In one embodiment, a programmable intelligent controller may include a bus controller and an object controller. The object controller is connected to a controlled object. The object mapping of the controlled object is connected to the bus controller via a control bus. The bus controller issues control instructions to the object mapping via the control bus. The object mapping transmits the control instructions of the bus controller to the object controller. The object controller controls the controlled object according to the control instructions.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present invention, a programmable intelligent controller may include a bus controller and an object controller, both of which are software controllers. The bus controller is configured to transmit control instructions to the object mapping via a control bus. The object mapping then transmits the control instructions transmitted by the bus controller to the object controller. The object controller is configured to execute the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to the control instructions to control the controlled object connected to the object controller.

[0055] In this embodiment, each software controller can be configured with a control bus interface. The bus controller transmits control instructions to the object controller via the control bus, thereby controlling the object controller. The object controller controls the real-time connected controlled object by running the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping. Communication between object controllers at the same level can be achieved through the bus controller at the next higher level.

[0056] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller may include a management bus and a control bus; the management bus is used to manage all software controllers and controlled objects that are not connected to the object controller in real time; the control bus is used to enable the software controller to control the controlled objects that are connected to the object controller in real time.

[0057] Practically, all software controllers may include a management bus interface. This interface can receive management instructions transmitted via the management bus, enabling management of all software controllers and controlled objects that are not connected to the object controller in real time via the management bus. Furthermore, all software controllers may also include a control bus interface. When control is required, the control bus interface can receive control instructions transmitted via the control bus, enabling the software controller to control controlled objects that are connected to the object controller in real time.

[0058] In one embodiment, the programmable intelligent controller is constructed by using a modeling technique that maps controlled objects to information space, and both the bus controller and the object controller include modeled virtual stations.

[0059] Practically, programmable intelligent controllers are constructed using modeling techniques that map controlled objects to information spaces. These controllers contain two types of models: static models and dynamic models. Static models represent data, while dynamic models represent the combination of data and operations. Static models use key-value pairs and lists to combine basic data (such as integers, real numbers, strings, Booleans, etc.) and data blocks (such as audio, video, images, files, and data acquisition samples) into complete data assets. Dynamic models can be represented as virtual workstations, assembling data and programs into models with both data and actions.

[0060] In certain embodiments of the present application, the programmable intelligent controller models the controlled objects as object control models. Specifically, since the most basic model in the programmable intelligent controller is the virtual workstation, the virtual workstation uses a software controller as the controller body. When certain virtual workstations are designated for control and other virtual workstations are used for object mapping, the programmable intelligent controller can automatically allocate corresponding virtual workstations to implement corresponding functions and deploy the object control program and object connection program to the appropriate virtual workstation. In some embodiments, the object control program and the object connection program can be pre-set and encapsulated in the virtual workstation of the software controller. The software controller connects to the controlled object through a network, and the specific network connection method can be customized.

[0061] In certain embodiments of the present application, the object control program of the controlled object can be modeled as an operation model, and the object data of the controlled object can be modeled as a data model; connecting the operation model and the data model of the controlled object can form a virtual workstation corresponding to the controlled object; the virtual workstation uses a software controller as the controller body.

[0062] In certain embodiments of the present application, a programmable intelligent controller uses cyber-physical system (CPS) technology to map and generate SDN network nodes. These nodes contain a virtualized controller body and control logic, representing virtual workers and workstation operation processes, collectively referred to as virtual workstations, or software controllers. Typically, a software controller includes the controller body and control software that implements device control. When multiple software controllers are connected via a network, an entire controller network of programmable intelligent controllers can be realized. If the controller body of a software controller is implemented in software, the network of programmable intelligent controllers is no longer a physical network, but must be a software-defined network (SDN). The programmable intelligent controller of the present invention is a software controller created and implemented using software. Like hardware controllers such as PLCs, it includes the controller body and the control software, or control logic, required to control the devices. This software-implemented controller can be referred to as a software controller, software-defined controller, or virtual workstation, and is a node in an SDN network. The data in the software controller mapped as a network node includes virtual workstations, description data of the controlled devices, and the control logic program for the control devices.

[0063] In certain embodiments of the present application, a software controller serves as the controller body of a virtual workstation. Depending on their function, software controllers can be categorized as bus controllers or object controllers. Generally, a bus controller that functions as a control and controls an object controller is referred to as controlling a virtual workstation; an object controller that functions as a control and controls a controlled object is referred to as an object virtual workstation. When the controlled object is a device, the object controller that functions as a control and controls the controlled device is referred to as a device virtual workstation.

[0064] See also Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a programmable intelligent controller in another embodiment of the present invention. The connection relationship between the control virtual station and the equipment virtual station can be referred to in this diagram. Figure 2The programmable intelligent controller 200 shown in FIG. 1 includes a bus controller and an object controller. Specifically, the bus controller can be a control virtual station 201, and the object controller can be a device virtual station 202. The programmable intelligent controller 200 is used to connect to and control external controlled objects. The programmable intelligent controller 200 can connect to an external controlled object 203 via an external object connection device 220. The external controlled object 203 can include a number of devices 203, namely, device 1, device 2, and device n. The external controlled object 203 is connected to the programmable intelligent controller 200 via the external object connection device 220. The external controlled object 203 can be mapped to a device mapping 205 using CPS technology. Specifically, devices 1, 2, and device n can be mapped to device mapping 1, device mapping 2, and device mapping n using CPS technology. The control virtual station 201 can transmit control instructions to the device mapping 205 via the control bus. Specifically, the control virtual station 201 transmits control instructions to device mapping 1, device mapping 2, and device mapping n via the control bus. The device virtual station 202 runs corresponding device mapping, for example, device virtual station 1 runs device mapping 1, device virtual station 2 runs device mapping 2, device virtual station n runs device mapping n, etc., thereby controlling the external controlled device connected to the device virtual station in real time.

[0065] Specifically, the programmable intelligent controller uses CPS technology to map external physical entity devices (i.e., controlled devices or controlled objects) to the information space, forming a device mapping within the information space. Since the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention is constructed using the modeling technology of CPS, the most basic model in the programmable intelligent controller is the virtual workstation. The programmable intelligent controller can use a software controller as a bus controller to control the virtual workstation; and use another software controller as an object controller to connect to the external physical device as the device virtual workstation. The control virtual workstation inside the programmable intelligent controller controls the device virtual workstation through the control bus, and the device virtual workstation obtains the device mapping by running the external device mapping connected to the device virtual workstation in real time, and transmits the control instructions of the control virtual workstation to the device in real time, thereby realizing the control of the external physical device.

[0066] In certain embodiments of the present invention, the virtual workstations of the programmable intelligent controller may include a management bus interface and a control bus interface. The programmable intelligent controller can be expanded vertically by continuously accessing new virtual workstations in the vertical direction through the control bus according to specific application requirements. The programmable intelligent controller can also be expanded horizontally by continuously accessing new virtual workstations in the horizontal direction through the management bus according to specific application requirements. In short, the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention can be expanded in one direction by continuously accessing new virtual workstations through the control bus, and can be expanded in another direction by continuously accessing new virtual workstations through the management bus.

[0067] In some embodiments, the programmable intelligent controller may include at least two software controllers. The at least two software controllers are used to form at least two different networks to improve the system security of the programmable intelligent controller.

[0068] Practically, the number of programmable intelligent controllers can be at least one. Each programmable intelligent controller can include at least two software controllers. In actual industrial application scenarios, multiple software controllers or even multiple programmable intelligent controllers will be used. When there are more than one software controllers, different software controllers need to communicate with each other, and then a control network can be formed between the at least two software controllers. In order to improve the security of the application system of the programmable intelligent controller, at least two different networks can be formed based on at least two software controllers of at least one programmable intelligent controller, and different networks respectively implement different functions.

[0069] In one embodiment, at least two software controllers form a control network, which may include a device network and an operation network, wherein the device network is used to connect controlled objects, and the operation network is used to provide a user operation portal.

[0070] It can be understood that "control" is the actual application scenario of the programmable intelligent controller, especially the content that is often involved in industrial application scenarios. If a network is used for communication, the programmable intelligent controller can form a control network. In actual industrial application scenarios, the programmable intelligent controller can control equipment, control operations, and control other types of objects. Then, in the embodiment of the present application, the control network can be divided into different sub-networks based on the different objects controlled. For example, the control network is divided into a device network and an operation network. The device network is used to connect the controlled objects, and the operation network is used to provide a user operation entrance. In this way, the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention realizes different control functions through different networks, which can improve the security of the programmable intelligent controller.

[0071] In one embodiment, at least two software controllers of the programmable intelligent controller can be used to form a management network, which includes an external network and a system network; the external network is used to connect to an external system, and the system network is used to connect to an internal management system.

[0072] It can be understood that "management" is also an actual application scenario of programmable intelligent controllers, especially content that is often involved in industrial application scenarios. If a network is used for communication, the programmable intelligent controller can also form a management network. In actual industrial application scenarios, programmable intelligent controllers can manage external objects, content objects, and other types of objects. Then, in the embodiments of the present application, the management network can be divided into different sub-networks based on the different objects being managed. For example, the management network is divided into an external network and a system network; the external network is used to connect to the external system, and the system network is used to connect to the internal management system. In this way, different management functions can be realized through different networks, which can improve the security of the programmable intelligent controller, thereby effectively ensuring the security of the application system based on the programmable intelligent controller.

[0073] The programmable intelligent controller of the present invention forms different networks through at least two software controllers, divides the entire area of ​​the programmable intelligent controller according to different functions, and improves the security of the programmable intelligent controller and the application system.

[0074] In practice, programmable intelligent controllers include two basic system connection methods: real-time connection and non-real-time connection. Real-time connection can achieve device access and control through the control bus, while non-real-time connection achieves the connection and management of all components / devices of programmable intelligent controllers through the management bus. Figure 3 As shown, in order to facilitate the management of the programmable intelligent controller network by function, the network can be divided according to the direction. For example, the control network of the programmable intelligent controller can be divided into the device network in the south and the operation network in the north, and the management network of the programmable intelligent controller can be divided into the system network in the west and the external network in the east. Figure 3In the south, the controlled objects in the equipment network can be one or more of the controlled objects such as machine tools, inspection, shelves, AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), robots, cleaning, drying, pallets, etc. The controlled objects in the operation network in the north can be one or more of the controlled objects such as kanban, development, scheduling, operation, reporting, IT (Internet Technology), maintenance, management, etc. The system network in the west can be one or more of the controlled objects such as MES (Manufacturing Execution System), CAPP (Computer Aided Process Planning), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and other systems. The external network in the east can include one or more of the controlled objects such as external services, external displays, external systems, external supervision, external collaboration, external connections, etc.

[0075] In certain embodiments of the present invention, a programmable intelligent controller may include one or more of an access layer, a model layer, a service layer, and an application layer to model all controlled objects connected to the programmable intelligent controller as virtual workstations. The access layer is used to convert connections in the control system into network connections using a software-defined network approach; the model layer is implemented by defining a data model using controller technology and a knowledge graph; the service layer is implemented using container cloud technology; and the application layer is implemented using virtual workstations.

[0076] Specifically, the real-time connection inside the programmable intelligent controller is realized by using the cyber-physical system structure. The real-time connection system is connected to the external devices of the programmable intelligent controller through the control bus, such as Figure 4 shown. Figure 4 The diagram of the CPS system structure in the application system of a programmable intelligent controller in one embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. The application system can be an industrial application system or other types of application systems including the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the industrial application system of the programmable intelligent controller is designed according to the 5C hierarchy of cyber-physical systems. Specifically, the 5C hierarchy can include five layers: connection, transformation, networking, cognition, and configuration. The programmable intelligent controller is a fundamental component of the industrial application system and can be configured to include an access layer, a model layer, a service layer, and an application layer. Through this configuration, the programmable intelligent controller models all devices, information, processes, methods, and rules connected to the industrial application system as virtual workstations and system connections.

[0077] It is understandable that traditional programmable logic controllers PLCs have specific programming methods, and ordinary IT personnel need to go through long-term learning to write industrial control programs or software. The programmable intelligent controller of the present invention supports the use of ordinary IT software, such as Python, to write industrial control programs by adopting virtual workstation technology. In the embodiment of the present application, software development is carried out in the form of an industrial production line, allowing IT personnel to develop high-quality industrial software. The industrial software written by IT personnel here refers to industrial control software, data acquisition software, quality management software, logistics management software, equipment operation and maintenance software, and other software used in various industrial occasions. The programmable intelligent controller of the present invention provides a unified support platform for the above-mentioned development methods.

[0078] Moreover, the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention uses container cloud technology to realize a cloud-native system. Each virtual workstation in the programmable intelligent controller is a container, and each container can provide services to the outside world, which is called a microservice. The programmable intelligent controller uses cloud-native technology to achieve the unification of industrial intelligent systems and IT software systems. The industrial application system based on the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention can realize the transformation of existing industrial equipment, industrial production lines, factory management and industrial collaboration systems with new virtual industrial production line technology, thereby realizing intelligent manufacturing.

[0079] In certain embodiments of the present application, a software controller, when used as an object controller, may also include a software device. Thus, when used as an object controller, the software controller can not only connect to a controlled object and control the controlled device through object mapping, but can also directly control the software device it includes to achieve the target function corresponding to the software device.

[0080] In one embodiment, the present application further provides an application system comprising the programmable intelligent controller described in any of the above embodiments. The application system may be an industrial application system based on the programmable intelligent controller, or an application system in other fields based on the programmable intelligent controller.

[0081] like Figure 5 As shown, the present application also provides an application system 500 based on the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention, which can be an industrial application system or an application system in other application fields. Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the industrial application system 500 may include a programmable intelligent controller 510. The programmable intelligent controller 510 may be the programmable intelligent controller provided in any of the above embodiments.

[0082] In this embodiment, the industrial application system 500 may further include an organization model 520 for executing tasks according to targets, selecting target virtual workstations from virtual workstations corresponding to the controlled objects 550 , and organizing the selected target virtual workstations into a target execution system 560 .

[0083] The connection model 530 is used to connect the virtual workstations 570 that form the target execution system 560.

[0084] In practice, the programmable intelligent controller 510 may include a bus controller, which may be implemented as a control virtual workstation 511. The programmable intelligent controller 510 may include an object controller, which may be implemented as a device virtual workstation 512. The programmable intelligent controller 510 is connected to an external controlled object 550 via an external object connection device 540. For example, the programmable intelligent controller 510 may be connected to at least one controlled object 550, which may be mapped to an object mapping 513 in the information space. Specifically, in an application scenario, the organization model 520 may select a target virtual workstation from the virtual workstations corresponding to the controlled objects (such as each device virtual workstation 513) according to the target execution task, and organize the selected target virtual workstations into a target execution system 560. The connection model 530 connects the virtual workstations 570 that form the target execution system 560, which may specifically be the control virtual workstation 511.

[0085] In practice, the programmable intelligent controller can first construct a virtual workstation based on a software-defined network to form a software controller. The connection model then connects the software controller as the controller body with the object mapping obtained by mapping the controlled object to form an object control model. At this time, the virtual workstation is the virtual workstation corresponding to the controlled object.

[0086] In certain embodiments of the present application, when an application system based on the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention is applied in a specific industrial scenario, modeling techniques can be used to distinguish between software development and software organization. Software development here refers to the components related to various industrial operations, management, and maintenance activities that can be modeled by software. Such components may include machine tool control, tool detection, part detection, robot control, AGV control, sensor operation, etc. Software organization, on the other hand, refers to assembling these components into a complete production control system, such as an intelligent production line, an intelligent logistics conveyor line, or an intelligent quality inspection line. Traditionally, when developing these systems, such as production execution systems, programs corresponding to different device connections and operations are often written, resulting in industrial software that cannot be replicated or standardized. In the embodiments of the present application, an application system based on a programmable intelligent controller assembles software controllers and object mappings to form a unified model. This encapsulates the software for actual operations and control objects within the model, while the upper-level software is effectively a virtual production line. Simply inserting different models into the virtual production line creates complete industrial software. The software organization is a virtual production line, allowing for standardized organization of industrial software. Based on this, in the control system based on the industrial Internet, tasks can be executed according to the target through the organizational model, the target virtual workstations can be selected from the virtual workstations, and the selected target virtual workstations can be organized into a target execution system.

[0087] In one embodiment, the target execution system based on the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention may include an industrial production management system. The virtual workstation of the industrial production management system is a control virtual workstation, and the software controller that forms the control virtual workstation is a bus controller. The industrial production management system may include multiple management nodes, each management node uses a virtual workstation corresponding to one of the controlled objects managed by the industrial production management system as a device virtual workstation, and the software controller that forms the device virtual workstation is an object controller. The bus controller is used to run the management and control logic program and transmit management instructions to the object controller via the management bus or the control bus. The object controller is used to run the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to the management instruction to manage the controlled objects that are not connected to the object controller in real time.

[0088] Specifically, the target execution system may include an industrial production control system, and the industrial production control system may include an industrial production management system. The virtual workstation of the industrial production management system is used to control the virtual workstation, and the software controller that controls the virtual workstation is currently used as a bus controller. The industrial production management system may include multiple management nodes, each management node uses the virtual workstation corresponding to one of the controlled objects managed by the industrial production management system as an equipment virtual workstation, and the software controller of the equipment virtual workstation is used as an object controller. The control virtual workstation of the industrial production management system is also used to run the control logic program and transmit the management instructions to the equipment virtual workstation of the industrial production management system through the management bus. The equipment virtual workstation of the industrial production management system is also used to run the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to the management instruction to manage the controlled objects that are not connected to the object controller in real time.

[0089] It is understood that in certain embodiments of the present application, the industrial production control system may include at least one controlled object and at least two levels of software controllers, that is, the industrial production control system may include at least two virtual workstations. Each virtual workstation has a control bus interface, which can connect multiple virtual workstations through the control bus to achieve equipment control. For example, machine tool control in simple scenarios. Each virtual workstation also has a management bus interface, which can connect multiple virtual workstations through the management bus to form a larger-scale production system. For example, process management in complex scenarios.

[0090] Furthermore, in actual industrial application scenarios, controlled objects can be added and software controllers expanded based on industrial production control requirements. This expansion of the software controller can include expansion within the same hierarchy or by extending the hierarchy downwards or upwards. For example, if N new steps are added to a production process, each corresponding to a controlled object, a corresponding software controller can be expanded at the production process level for each newly added controlled object, and a corresponding object control program can be developed for each newly added controlled object, forming a virtual workstation corresponding to each newly added controlled object. For another example, if a step in a production process is broken down into multiple sub-steps, each corresponding to a controlled object, a software controller can be expanded downwards by one level, and a corresponding software controller can be expanded at that level for each newly added controlled object, and a corresponding object control program can be developed for each newly added controlled object, forming a virtual workstation corresponding to each newly added controlled object. In this case, the virtual workstations originally corresponding to the broken down steps can be considered control virtual workstations for these newly added virtual workstations.

[0091] Specifically, please refer to Figure 6This is an embodiment of an application system based on a programmable intelligent controller according to the present invention. The application system may include an industrial production management system. The industrial production management system may include the following components: PICMES (receiving orders, scheduling) → PICMES (dispatching work, production) → PIC Production (production process) → PIC Analysis (production result analysis) → PICMES (production status and results). The virtual workstation that controls this specific industrial production management system can be used to control the virtual workstation, and the software controller that controls the virtual workstation serves as a bus controller. The industrial production management system may specifically include five management nodes, corresponding to at least five equipment virtual workstations. For example, the PICMES (receiving orders, scheduling) management node is used to manage management tasks such as receiving orders and scheduling production. This management task can be considered a controlled object, and the virtual workstation corresponding to this controlled object serves as an equipment virtual workstation. For another example, the PIC Production (production process) management node is used to manage management tasks such as the production process. This management task can be considered a controlled object, and the virtual workstation corresponding to this controlled object serves as an equipment virtual workstation. Among them, the MES system is a production information management system for the workshop execution level of manufacturing enterprises.

[0092] In one embodiment, the target execution system may include an industrial production management system and an industrial production control system. The industrial production control system is a controlled object managed by one of the management nodes of the industrial production management system, and the device virtual station of one of the management nodes is used as the control virtual station of the industrial production control system. The industrial production management system may include multiple control nodes, and each control node uses the virtual station corresponding to one of the controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system as the device virtual station. The controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system may include controlled devices. The bus controller of the application system is used to run the management and control logic program and transmit the control instructions to the object controller through the management bus or the control bus. The object controller of the application system is used to run the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to the control instructions to control the controlled object connected to the object controller in real time.

[0093] Specifically, the industrial production control system is a controlled object managed by one of the management nodes of the industrial production management system, and the software controller of the device virtual station of one of the management nodes is currently used as a bus controller to serve as the control virtual station of the industrial production control system. The industrial production management system may include multiple control nodes, each of which uses the virtual station corresponding to one of the controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system as the device virtual station. The controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system may include controlled devices. The control virtual station of the industrial production control system is also used to run the control logic program and transmit the control instructions to the device virtual station of the industrial production control system via the control bus. The device virtual station of the industrial production control system is also used to run the device mapping obtained by the controlled device mapping according to the control instruction to control the controlled object connected to the object controller in real time.

[0094] Specifically, continue to refer to Figure 6 , PIC personnel (prepare raw materials, install positioning chuck) → PIC material rack (manual loading) → PIC robot (take materials, start production) → PIC machine tool (production and processing) → PIC cleaning (cleaning and drying) → PIC three-coordinate (error detection) → PIC material rack (robot loading) → PIC manual (manual subsequent processing) is a specific industrial production control system, and the PIC production (production process) management node is used to control the industrial production control system. Then the virtual workstation corresponding to the management node can be used as the control virtual workstation. The industrial production control system can include 8 control nodes, which corresponds to at least 8 equipment virtual workstations. For example, the PIC machine tool (production and processing) control node is used to perform production and processing tasks. This task can be regarded as a controlled object, and the virtual workstation corresponding to the controlled object is used as the equipment virtual workstation. For example, the PIC cleaning (cleaning and drying) control node is used to perform cleaning and drying tasks. This task can be regarded as a controlled object, and the virtual workstation corresponding to the controlled object is used as the equipment virtual workstation.

[0095] As can be seen from the above examples, after a factory adopts the application system of the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention, it can modify the industrial production control system (such as production processes or management strategies) according to actual needs without worrying about the implementation of the underlying control system. After purchasing new physical equipment, the factory only needs to write the corresponding equipment control program and extended logic program to add the new physical equipment to the entire Industrial Internet system and implement new management or production processes.

[0096] The application system based on the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention can, according to specific application requirements, continuously access new virtual workstations in one direction / vertical direction through the control bus of the programmable intelligent controller to expand the application system in one direction / vertical direction. Alternatively, the application system can also, according to specific application requirements, continuously access new virtual workstations in another direction / horizontally through the management bus of the programmable intelligent controller to expand the application system in another direction / horizontally. The application system models all controlled objects into object control models through the programmable intelligent controller, thereby simplifying the design of the application system. Specifically, since the most basic model in the programmable intelligent controller of the application system is the virtual workstation, the virtual workstation uses a software controller as the controller body. In addition, the application system of the present invention can repeatedly call a large number of previously implemented virtual workstations without rewriting the virtual workstations, thereby improving the reliability and development efficiency of the entire application system.

[0097] In summary, in the embodiments of the present application, the programmable intelligent controller and the application system based on the programmable intelligent controller can realize device connection and control based on the method of bidirectional real-time mapping from physical space to information space of CPS technology. In addition, the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention and the application system based on the programmable intelligent controller can adopt SDN to realize the basic controller architecture, and multiple controllers are connected through the network to form a controller network, and the unified controller is decomposed into an industrial network and a collection of a series of network units. Furthermore, the programmable intelligent controller of the present invention and the application system based on the programmable intelligent controller can also generate SDN network nodes based on CPS technology mapping, which includes a virtualized controller body and control logic to form a virtual workstation.

[0098] Compared with the existing industrial Internet's cloud-edge system, the application system based on the programmable intelligent controller provided in this application (including but not limited to the industrial application system) adopts a unified modeling method to represent all digital assets from the cloud to the industrial site. However, since the cloud-edge system uses different technologies to deal with different scenarios, it cannot realize asset digitization, and it cannot use the same method to describe and operate digital assets.

[0099] Compared with traditional data acquisition systems, the programmable intelligent controller provided by this application is a controller itself, which can achieve complete CPS mapping. Since a closed-loop operation of data acquisition and control is formed, the data quality can be proven. In addition, the streamlined cloud native technology is used to implement the different requirements of the cloud, edge and end using the same cloud native technology, enabling industrial equipment to achieve direct cloud operation, laying the foundation for the construction of digital assets.

[0100] Compared to traditional technologies such as PLCs, soft PLCs, and DCSs, the programmable intelligent controller provided by this application utilizes cloud computing technology to virtualize industrial controllers and industrial real-time networks, achieving horizontal expansion similar to IT servers. This completely changes the traditional technology of one controller controlling one device, implementing fully digital cloud-based control technology, breaking the limitations of field networks and fieldbuses, and enabling the management and control of virtual devices directly in the cloud. This achieves device virtualization, network virtualization, process virtualization, management virtualization, and even production line and factory virtualization.

[0101] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment methods can be implemented by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to memory, storage, database or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application may include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory may include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory or optical memory, etc. Volatile memory may include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. As an illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

[0102] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0103] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art could make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An application system based on a programmable intelligent controller, characterized in that: The application system includes a programmable intelligent controller; The programmable intelligent controller is constructed using CPS modeling technology. The programmable intelligent controller includes one or more of an access layer, a model layer, a service layer, and an application layer, so as to model all controlled objects connected to the programmable intelligent controller into virtual workstations, wherein the virtual workstations include virtual workers and workstation operation processes. The programmable intelligent controller uses container cloud technology to implement a cloud-native system. Each virtual workstation is a container, and each container can provide services externally. The different requirements of the cloud, edge, and end are all implemented using the same cloud-native technology, enabling industrial equipment to be directly operated in the cloud. The programmable intelligent controller includes a management bus, a control bus, and at least one software controller. The software controller can be implemented based on a software-defined network and serves as at least one of a bus controller and an object controller. The bus controller and the object controller are connected via the management bus or the control bus. The bus controller and / or the object controller both include modeled virtual workstations. The object controller is used to connect to at least one controlled object, and the at least one controlled object is mapped as an object mapping in an information space, and the object mapping is an object control program. The management bus is used to manage all software controllers and controlled objects that are not connected to the object controller in real time. The control bus is used to enable the software controller to control the controlled objects that are connected to the object controller in real time. The bus controller is used to control the operation of the object mapping obtained by the controlled object mapping according to the control instruction, so as to control the controlled object connected to the object controller so that the controlled object connected to the object controller performs the target operation specified by the control instruction; The virtual workstation includes a management bus interface and a control bus interface. The programmable intelligent controller is connected to a new virtual workstation in one direction through the control bus for expansion; the programmable intelligent controller is connected to a new virtual workstation in another direction through the management bus for expansion in the other direction. as well as An organization model for executing tasks according to a target, selecting target virtual workstations from virtual workstations corresponding to controlled objects, and organizing the selected target virtual workstations into a target execution system; The connection model is used to connect and form the virtual workstations of the target execution system.

2. The application system based on a programmable intelligent controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The programmable intelligent controller includes a bus controller and an object controller. The object controller is connected to the at least one controlled object. The object mapping of the at least one controlled object is connected to the bus controller via a control bus. The bus controller sends control instructions to the object mapping via the control bus. The object mapping transmits the control instructions of the bus controller to the object controller. The object controller controls the controlled object according to the control instructions.

3. The application system based on programmable intelligent controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The programmable intelligent controller includes at least two software controllers; the at least two software controllers are used to form at least two different networks to improve the security of the programmable intelligent controller.

4. The application system based on programmable intelligent controller according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The at least two software controllers form a control network, which includes a device network and an operation network; the device network is used to connect controlled objects, and the operation network is used to provide a user operation entrance.

5. The application system based on programmable intelligent controller according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The at least two software controllers are used to form a management network, which includes an external network and a system network; the external network is used to connect to an external system, and the system network is used to connect to an internal management system.

6. The application system based on programmable intelligent controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The programmable intelligent controller includes an access layer, a model layer, a service layer and an application layer, so as to model the controlled objects connected to the programmable intelligent controller into virtual workstations; the access layer is used to convert the connections within the programmable intelligent controller into network connections using a software-defined network method; the model layer realizes modeled data representation by using controller technology and knowledge graphs; the service layer is realized by container cloud technology; and the application layer is realized by using a virtual workstation method.

7. The application system based on a programmable intelligent controller according to claim 1, characterized in that: The target execution system includes an industrial production management system, the virtual workstation of the industrial production management system is a control virtual workstation, and the software controller forming the control virtual workstation is the bus controller; The industrial production management system includes a plurality of management nodes, each management node uses a virtual workstation corresponding to one of the controlled objects managed by the industrial production management system as a virtual equipment workstation, and the software controller forming the virtual equipment workstation is the object controller; The bus controller is used to run the management and control logic program and transmit the management instructions to the object controller via the management bus or the control bus; The object controller is used to run the object mapping obtained by mapping the controlled object according to the management instruction, so as to manage the controlled object that is not connected to the object controller in real time.

8. The application system based on programmable intelligent controller according to claim 7, characterized in that: The target execution system includes an industrial production management system and an industrial production control system, wherein the industrial production control system is a controlled object managed by one of the management nodes of the industrial production management system, and the equipment virtual station of one of the management nodes is used as a control virtual station of the industrial production control system; The industrial production management system includes a plurality of control nodes, each control node uses a virtual workstation corresponding to one of the controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system as a virtual equipment workstation; the controlled objects controlled by the industrial production control system include controlled equipment; The bus controller is used to run the management and control logic program and transmit the control instructions to the object controller via the management bus or the control bus; The object controller is used to run the object mapping obtained by mapping the controlled object according to the control instruction to control the controlled object connected to the object controller in real time.

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