Safety Appliance Configuration Cloning

Abstract

The present application describes a method operable by a security unit including a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters. The method may involve accessing a memory card having stored thereon a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor. The method may involve determining, based on the flag, that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor. The method may involve determining whether a password stored on the card matches a sensor password of the sensor. The method may involve writing a sensor serial number of the sensor to the card in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 8192406, filed on March 15, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to automated systems, and in particular, to sensors for configuring automated or robotic devices and related systems and methods. Background Art

[0004] Automation systems can include mobile and / or fixed robots for performing various tasks for industrial automation. Mobile robots include, for example, automated guided vehicles, automated intelligent vehicles, etc. that facilitate routine, labor-intensive material handling tasks. Fixed robots include, for example, robotic arms that typically include multiple links connected by one or more joints. One or more joints of the robotic arm are driven by various types of actuators (e.g., electric motors, hydraulic devices, etc.) to control the joint motion of the robotic arm to position an end effector configured to perform a task.

[0005] An automation system may utilize one or more safety sensors or devices that detect, measure, analyze, and process various changes that occur on a production site, such as changes in position, length, height, displacement, and appearance. In some cases, configuring safety sensors with a large and complex set of configurable parameters may present challenges. Additionally, an automation system may include a large number of safety sensors that need to be programmed identically. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present application describes a first system configured to assist in the configuration of a security sensor. The system may include an automated device including a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters, wherein a sensor serial number and a sensor password are linked to the sensor. The system may include a removable memory card configured to be accessed by the automated device and having stored on the removable memory card a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the automated device. The system may include: a processor coupled to the sensor, and a memory storing computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: determine, based on the flag, that the parameter set is not unique to the device; determine whether a password stored on the card matches the sensor password; and in response to the password on the memory card matching the sensor password, configure the sensor to perform the security feature based on the parameter set from the card. In a related aspect, a method operable by a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters is provided.

[0007] In another aspect, the present application describes a second system configured to assist in security sensor configuration. The system may include a device including a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters, wherein the sensor serial number is linked to the sensor. The system may include a removable memory card configured to be accessed by the device and storing a parameter set and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the device. The system may include: a processor coupled to the sensor, and a memory storing computer executable instructions for causing at least one processor to: determine, based on the flag, that the parameter set is unique to the device; determine whether information in the flag corresponds to the sensor serial number; and in response to the information in the flag corresponding to the sensor serial number, configure the sensor to perform the security feature based on the parameter set.

[0008] The examples and features described in this section are intended only as an overview of the invention and should not be construed as limiting. Additional examples and features are described in more detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These drawings depict only several embodiments according to the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope thereof. In the drawings, similar reference numerals or symbols generally identify similar components unless context dictates otherwise. The drawings may not be drawn to scale.

[0010] Figure 1 An example implementation of a laser scanner configured for protection against hazardous equipment is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an example implementation of a laser scanner.

[0012] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating aspects of a technique for secure device configuration cloning according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating aspects of a technique for secure device configuration cloning according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating a first example method operable by a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters according to another embodiment.

[0015] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating a second example method operable by a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters according to yet another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The technology and related systems and methods for configuring the parameters of the sensors of the automation or robotic system will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The illustrated embodiments described herein are provided by way of illustration and are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented. It will be readily understood that the aspects and features of the present disclosure described below and shown in the accompanying drawings may be arranged, replaced, combined and designed in various different configurations by those of ordinary skill in the art, all of which are a part of the present disclosure.

[0017] An automated system may include one or more mobile robots and / or one or more fixed robots for handling various tasks. For example, to help efficiently move materials between locations in a factory or warehouse, fleets of mobile robots (also known as automated guided vehicles (AGVs)) may be utilized at order processing centers, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, etc.

[0018] Fixed robots may include robot arms configured for specific tasks (e.g., assembly operations, die casting, fettling machines, gas welding, arc welding, and pick and place operations). Examples of fixed robots include, but are not limited to: (i) Cartesian robots, whose axes form a cylindrical coordinate system; (ii) Cylindrical robots, whose axes form a cylindrical coordinate system; (iii) Polar robots, whose axes form a polar coordinate system; (iv) Selectively Compliant Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robots, which feature two parallel rotational joints to provide compliance in a plane; (v) Articulated robots, whose arms have at least three rotational joints; (vi) Parallel robots, whose arms have consistent prismatic or rotational joints; and (vii) Anthropomorphic robots, which are shaped in a manner similar to a human hand (i.e., with separate fingers and thumbs).

[0019] Safety sensors / components may be used with mobile and / or stationary robots (collectively referred to herein as "robots") for safety countermeasures in equipment and facilities. Safety sensors may be used for closure detection of mechanical guards, checking for intrusion into hazardous areas, and establishing safety circuits. Examples of safety sensors include, but are not limited to: safety laser scanners, safety light curtains, single beam safety sensors, limit switches, stop switches, safety relays, and safety network controllers.

[0020] Safety laser scanners or other systems for sensing the presence of objects and / or for measuring the distance to objects can be used in a variety of applications such as for guarding hazardous equipment (e.g., industrial machinery), for surveying, for security systems, for robot vision, robot guidance or path finding, etc. Figure 1A laser scanner 100 is shown configured for guarding hazardous equipment 102 (e.g., such as industrial machinery). Although various examples are provided herein with respect to laser scanners for machine guarding, the features and concepts disclosed herein can be applied to various other contexts such as rangefinders, surveying equipment, light curtains, motion detectors, navigation systems, autonomous vehicles, and the like.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the laser scanner 100 can emit light pulses and receive light reflected from the object 104, which can be measured and used to determine the presence of the object 104. In some applications, the laser scanner 100 can send light pulses in multiple directions so that the direction to the object can be determined. For example, the laser scanner 100 can step the light pulses across the angular field of view (such as in sub-degree increments), although other increments or other configurations can be used depending on the application. The laser scanner 100 can determine the distance to the object 104, such as by determining the flight time of the light traveling to the object and then returning to the laser scanner 100. For example, the distance to the object can be 1 / 2·c·t, where c is the speed of light and t is the flight time. Using the direction and distance information, the position of the object 104 can be determined. Actions can be taken in response to the determination of the position, direction and / or distance of the object. For example, if the object 104 (e.g., a person) enters the threshold distance, the dangerous device 102 can stop or an alarm or warning can be issued, etc.

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an example implementation of a laser scanner 100. The laser scanner 100 may have a light emitting system 106 that may be configured to emit light (such as by generating light pulses). The light emitting system 106 may have a laser such as a pulsed laser configured to output discrete laser pulses. The duration of the light pulse (e.g., laser pulse width) may also affect the resolution of the distance determination. For example, in some cases, if the light pulse is not fast enough, increasing the actual sampling rate may reduce the return trip for increasing the distance resolution. Faster lasers (e.g., generating laser pulses with shorter pulse widths) may be expensive. Some embodiments disclosed herein may involve upsampling to effectively increase the sampling rate, thereby increasing the resolution of the distance measurement while using cost-effective lasers and other components.

[0023] The laser scanner 100 may have a detection system 108 that may be configured to receive light of laser pulses reflected from an object 104 back to the laser scanner 100. The laser scanner 100 may have a controller 110 configured to control the operation of the laser scanner 100 as described herein. The controller 110 may include one or more hardware processors and may execute instructions stored in a computer-readable memory (e.g., in a non-transitory computer-readable medium). The laser scanner 100 may have a machine interface 114 that may output instructions to a corresponding hazardous device 102 (e.g., an industrial machine). For example, if an object (e.g., a person) is detected at a specified location or distance, etc., the laser scanner may stop the machine or move the machine to a safe configuration. Other output signals such as for warnings or alarms or data logging may also be provided.

[0024] The laser scanner 100 may have an input / output feature 112. For example, a user input element (e.g., one or more buttons, dials, switches, microphones, etc.) may be used to receive input from a user. A user output element (e.g., one or more lights, speakers, displays, printers, etc.) may be used to output information to a user. In some cases, user input and output elements (e.g., touch screen displays) may be combined. The input and output elements 112 may be used to configure the laser scanner 100, operate the laser scanner 100, and / or troubleshoot the laser scanner 100. The output element 112 may provide direction information, distance information, and / or position information about an object. By way of example, the laser scanner 100 may have a plurality of lights that may be selectively illuminated to indicate the direction of an object. Different colors or values ​​may be output to indicate the distance of the detected object from the scanner 100. The laser scanner 100 may output a first color of light (e.g., green) for a safe condition (e.g., where no object is determined to be in a dangerous position or range), and may output a second color of light (e.g., red) for a dangerous condition (e.g., where an object is determined to be in a dangerous position or range). The above features of the laser scanner 100 and other features may be configured for a specific task by setting or programming one or more parameters of the laser scanner 100.

[0025] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a safety sensor (e.g., laser scanner 100) may have a large and complex set of configurable parameters that need to be programmed. In addition, a large number of safety sensors with the same large and complex set of configurable parameters may need to be programmed the same (e.g., when commissioning an AGV formation). The systems and methods described herein provide a user with a quick and efficient way to program one or more safety sensors and sensors that typically do not involve individually connecting, configuring, and confirming each of one or more parameters in each individual sensor.

[0026] In one embodiment, a security sensor and / or an automated device including one or more security sensors may be configured / programmed to perform security features / tasks by utilizing a portable memory device (e.g., a removable memory card) while still preventing unauthorized reconfiguration of a security sensor that has been configured to perform the security feature.

[0027] Reference Figure 3 In one example, at step 1, the computer 202 can be used to pre-program a complete configuration of one or more parameters into a plurality of memory cards 204, 206, 208 using a card reader / writer (e.g., a built-in card reader of the computer 202). At step 2, the memory cards 204, 206, and 208 are installed into corresponding safety sensors 214, 216, and 218, respectively. Each safety sensor is configured to receive / accept its corresponding memory card, access the corresponding memory card, and use the information on the corresponding memory card to set / program / configure one or more parameters for the safety sensor. When the sensors 214, 216, and 218 are tested and debugged, the above steps 1 and 2 can be repeated until the commissioning of the sensor fleet is completed.

[0028] In order to Figure 3 For the technique shown in to succeed, each of the sensors 214, 216, 218 must be able to accept the cloned memory card 204, 206, 208 both physically (the slot is accessible) and logically at any point in time, i.e., a new configuration of sensor parameters from the cloned memory card 204, 206, 208 is accepted by (i) the secure sensor 214, 216, 218 or (ii) the software of the automation device that includes the secure sensor 214, 216, 218.

[0029] However, in order to maintain security, the goal of the present technology is to prevent unauthorized changes to the configuration in a unit (e.g., a sensor or device including a sensor), such as removal or swapping of a flash memory. Generally speaking, anyone without the correct access level (e.g., knowledge of a password) cannot modify the configuration in a unit.

[0030] In one embodiment, when shipped from the factory, each sensor has its own sensor serial number and sensor password required to modify its security configuration. A removable memory card used with such a sensor may contain or have stored thereon the following example fields: (i) the serial number of the sensor to which the card belongs; (ii) a password for reconfiguring access to the sensor (e.g., an encrypted password so that the actual password cannot be learned from reading the memory card file system, and then used with conventional configuration software to reconfigure the unit); (iii) a set of configuration parameters for the sensor; and (iv) a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) covering fields (i)-(iii) to ensure data integrity.

[0031] The cloning process on computer 202 may involve filling in the fields on the memory card, but leaving the serial number field blank as a "cloned" flag. A password is required for each unit in which each card is installed to prove that the correct access level is met (i.e., configuration / reconfiguration of the unit based on the parameter set stored on the card is authorized).

[0032] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 300 implemented by a processor (or controller) of a unit including a security sensor.

[0033] As shown, method 300 begins at decision block 302 where the processor determines whether the serial number field of the card is blank. If the serial number field of the card is blank, method 300 continues with the cloning card process by moving to decision block 304. If the serial number field is blank, this means that the card is from a cloning process. The password field of the card then needs to be checked against the actual unit password to ensure the appropriate access level to reconfigure the unit used during cloning. At decision block 304, the processor determines whether the password stored on the card matches the sensor password of the sensor.

[0034] If the password stored on the card matches the unit password, the processor determines that the cloning process is authorized, and the method 300 proceeds to block 306. At block 306, the blank serial number field is overwritten with the serial number of the sensor, and the cloned configuration of parameters is accepted as the sensor's own parameter configuration. From block 306, the method 300 proceeds to block 308, where the sensor continues normal operation (e.g., executing security features based on the parameters). In other words, the sensor serial number is used to overwrite the card blank serial number, and the cloned configuration is accepted for future use.

[0035] If the password stored on the card does not match the unit password, the processor determines that the cloning attempt is not authorized and the method 300 proceeds to block 312 where the unit may be transitioned to a secure locked state.

[0036] If the serial number field of the card is not blank, the method 300 proceeds to the normal card process by moving to decision block 310. At decision block 310, if the serial number from the card matches the sensor serial number, the card is identified as pre-existing and its security configuration is used. If the serial number from the card does not match the sensor serial number, the method 300 proceeds to block 312 where the unit may transition to a security locked state.

[0037] Unauthorized configuration attempts where (i) the card is from a different unit (based on serial number mismatch) or (ii) the password does not match can be detected and the unit can be switched to a secure lock state. The same is true if the CRC check on the data is invalid due to data corruption or unauthorized data manipulation.

[0038] Reference Figure 5 , a method 400 is provided by a security unit including a security sensor, the sensor being configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters. The method 400 may involve: at box 410, accessing a memory card having stored thereon a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor. The method 400 may involve: at box 420, determining, based on the flag, that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor. The method 400 may involve: at box 430, determining whether the password stored on the card matches a sensor password of the sensor. The method 400 may involve: at box 440, in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, writing a sensor serial number of the sensor to the card.

[0039] In one aspect, the flag may include a serial number field of the card. In a related aspect, block 420 may involve determining that the serial number field of the card is blank. In another related aspect, method 400 may also involve: in response to a password stored on the card matching the sensor password, writing the sensor serial number into the serial number field of the card.

[0040] In another aspect, the configuration of the sensor may include updating one or more sensor parameters based on the parameter set. In yet another aspect, the configuration of the sensor may include copying the parameter set from the card to the memory. In yet another aspect, the method 400 may also involve performing a CRC on at least one of the flag, the password, and the parameter set stored on the card to ensure data integrity.

[0041] In one aspect, the method 400 may also involve, in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, deleting the password stored on the card. In another aspect, the method 400 may also involve, in response to the password stored on the card not matching the sensor password, stopping configuration of the sensor based on the parameter set to prevent unauthorized configuration of the sensor. In yet another aspect, the memory may be part of the sensor.

[0042] In yet another aspect, the safety sensor may include a safety laser scanner, and the parameter set may include one or more of a response time, an operating mode, a protection boundary definition, a zone switching parameter, an object resolution, and an input and output configuration. In a related aspect, the apparatus may include an automated guided vehicle. In a further related aspect, the apparatus may include a robotic arm.

[0043] In one aspect, the safety sensor may include one of a safety light curtain, a single beam safety sensor, a limit switch, a stop switch, a safety relay, and a safety network controller. In another aspect, the password may include an encrypted password. In yet another aspect, the parameter set may be shared between a fleet of devices, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding card having a corresponding password and parameter set stored thereon.

[0044] Reference Figure 6 , a method 500 is provided that may be operated by a security unit including a security sensor, the sensor being configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters. The method 500 may involve: at box 510, accessing a memory card having a parameter set and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor stored thereon. The method 500 may involve: at box 520, determining that the parameter set is unique to the sensor based on the flag. The method 500 may involve: at box 530, determining whether information in the flag corresponds to a sensor serial number of the sensor. The method 500 may involve: at box 540, in response to the information in the flag corresponding to the sensor serial number, configuring the sensor to perform the security feature based on the parameter set.

[0045] In one aspect, method 500 may also involve preventing configuration of the sensor based on the parameter set in response to the information in the flag not corresponding to the sensor serial number.

[0046] In another aspect, the method 500 may further involve performing a CRC on at least one of the flag and the parameter set stored on the card.

[0047] The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in the text, the systems, devices, and methods can be practiced in many ways. Also as stated above, it should be noted that the use of specific terms when describing specific features or aspects of the present disclosure should not be construed as implying that the term is redefined herein to be limited to any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the technology associated with the term.

[0048] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the described technology. Such modifications and changes are intended to fall within the scope of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that components included in one embodiment may be interchangeable with other embodiments; one or more components from a depicted embodiment may be included with other depicted embodiments in any combination. For example, any of the various components described herein and / or depicted in the drawings may be combined, interchanged, or excluded from other embodiments.

[0049] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art may translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as the context and / or application requires. For clarity, various singular / plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein.

[0050] Directional terms used herein (e.g., top, bottom, side, upward, downward, inward, outward, etc.) are generally used with reference to the orientation shown in the accompanying drawings and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the top surface described above may refer to the bottom surface or the side surface. Thus, features described on the top surface may be included on the bottom surface, the side surface, or any other surface.

[0051] Those skilled in the art will understand that, in general, the terms used herein are generally intended to be "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least", the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to", etc.). Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number of claim recitations is intended to be introduced, such intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and that such intent is absent in the absence of such a recitation. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as implying that a claim recitation introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and an indefinite article such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and / or "an" should generally be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more"); the same is true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should generally be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., a bare recitation of "two recitations" without other modifiers generally means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Those skilled in the art will further understand that almost any transitional word and / or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, should be understood to encompass the possibility of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0052] As used herein, the term "comprising" is synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized by," and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

[0053] The above description discloses several methods and materials of the present invention. The present invention is susceptible to modification in methods and materials, as well as changes in manufacturing methods and equipment. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art by considering the practice of the present invention disclosed herein or disclosed herein. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but to cover all modifications and alternatives within the true scope and spirit of the present invention as realized in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system configured to assist in safety sensor configuration, the system comprising: an automation device including a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters, wherein a sensor serial number and a sensor password are linked to the sensor; a removable memory card configured to be accessed by the automation device and having stored thereon a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the automation device; a processor coupled to the sensor; A memory storing computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: Based on the flag, determining that the parameter set is not unique to the device; determining whether the code stored on the card matches the sensor code; and in response to a password stored on the card matching the sensor password, configuring the sensor to perform the security feature based on the set of parameters from the card, Wherein, the flag includes a serial number field of the card, Wherein determining that the parameter set is not unique to the device comprises determining that the serial number field of the card is blank.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory also includes computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: In response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, the sensor serial number is written to the serial number field of the card.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The operation of configuring the sensor includes updating the one or more sensor parameters based on the parameter set.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The operation of configuring the sensor includes copying the parameter set from the card to the memory.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory also includes computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is performed on at least one of the flag, the password and the parameter set stored on the card to ensure data integrity.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory also includes computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: In response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, the password stored on the card is deleted.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory also includes computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: In response to the password stored on the card not matching the sensor password, the configuration of the sensor based on the parameter set is stopped to prevent unauthorized configuration of the sensor.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The memory is part of the sensor.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The safety sensor comprises a safety laser scanner; and The parameter set includes one or more of a response time, an operating mode, a protection boundary definition, a zone switching parameter, an object resolution, and an input and output configuration.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The apparatus includes an automated guided vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The apparatus includes a robotic arm.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein: The safety sensor includes one of a safety light curtain, a single beam safety sensor, a limit switch, a stop switch, a safety relay, and a safety network controller.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein: The password includes an encrypted password.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein: The parameter set is shared among a fleet of devices, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding card having stored thereon a corresponding password and the parameter set.

15. A method operable by a security sensor, the sensor being configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters, the method comprising the steps of: accessing a memory card, the card storing a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor; Based on the flag, determining that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor; determining whether the password stored on the card matches a sensor password of the sensor; as well as writing a sensor serial number of the sensor onto the card in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, in, The flag includes a sequence number field; and The step of determining that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor includes determining that the serial number field is blank.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The step of writing the sensor serial number onto the card includes overwriting a blank serial number field with the sensor serial number of the sensor.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: In response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, the sensor is configured based on the parameter set to perform the security feature.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: In response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, the password stored on the card is deleted.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of: In response to the password stored on the card not matching the sensor password, the configuration of the sensor based on the parameter set is prevented.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computing device to: accessing a memory card on which is stored a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the safety sensor; Based on the flag, determining that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor; determining whether the password stored on the card matches a sensor password of the sensor; as well as in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, writing the sensor serial number of the sensor onto the card, in, The flag includes a sequence number field, and The step of determining that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor includes determining that the serial number field is blank.

21. A system configured to assist in safety sensor configuration, the system comprising: an automation device including a security sensor configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters, wherein a sensor serial number and a sensor password are linked to the sensor; a removable memory card configured to be accessed by the automation device and having stored thereon a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the automation device; a processor coupled to the sensor; a memory storing computer executable instructions to cause the processor to determine whether the parameter set is unique to the device based on the flag; when the processor determines that the parameter set is not unique to the device, the instructions cause the processor to perform the following operations: determining whether the password stored on the card matches the sensor password; and in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, configuring the sensor based on the set of parameters from the card to perform the security feature; and When the processor determines that the parameter set is unique to the device, the instructions cause the processor to: determining whether the information in the tag corresponds to the sensor serial number; and in response to the information in the flag corresponding to the sensor serial number, configuring the sensor based on the parameter set to perform the security feature, Wherein, the flag includes a serial number field of the card, Wherein determining that the parameter set is not unique to the device comprises determining that the serial number field of the card is blank.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein: Determining that the information in the flag corresponds to the sensor serial number includes determining that a serial number stored in the serial number field of the card matches a sensor serial number of the sensor.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein: The memory also includes computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: In response to the information in the flag not corresponding to the sensor serial number, the configuring of the sensor based on the parameter set is prevented.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein: The memory also includes computer executable instructions for causing the processor to: A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is performed on at least one of the flag and the parameter set stored on the card.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein: The memory is part of the sensor.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein: The safety sensor comprises a safety laser scanner; and The parameter set includes one or more of a response time, an operating mode, a protection boundary definition, a zone switching parameter, an object resolution, and an input and output configuration.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein: The safety sensor includes one of a safety light curtain, a single beam safety sensor, a limit switch, a stop switch, a safety relay, and a safety network controller.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein: The parameter set is shared among a fleet of devices, each of which is configured to receive a corresponding card having stored thereon a corresponding password and the parameter set.

29. A method operable by a security sensor, the sensor being configured to perform a security feature based on one or more sensor parameters, the method comprising the steps of: accessing a memory card, the card storing a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor; determining, based on the flag, whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor; When it is determined based on the flag that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor, the method further comprises the following steps: determining whether the password stored on the card matches the sensor password; and In response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, writing the sensor serial number of the sensor to the card, and When it is determined based on the flag that the parameter set is unique to the sensor, the method further comprises the following steps: determining whether the information in the signature corresponds to a sensor serial number of the sensor; and in response to the information in the flag corresponding to the sensor serial number, configuring the sensor based on the parameter set to perform a security feature, in, The flag includes a sequence number field, and The step of determining that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor includes determining that the serial number field is blank.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein: The step of determining whether the information in the flag corresponds to the sensor serial number includes determining whether the serial number stored in the serial number field of the card matches the sensor serial number of the sensor.

31. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the steps of: In response to the information in the flag not corresponding to the sensor serial number, the configuration of the sensor based on the parameter set is prevented.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one computing device to: accessing a memory card on which is stored a password, a parameter set, and a flag indicating whether the parameter set is unique to the safety sensor; determining, based on the flag, whether the parameter set is unique to the sensor; When it is determined based on the flag that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor, the instructions cause the at least one computing device to: determining whether the password stored on the card matches a sensor password of the sensor; and in response to the password stored on the card matching the sensor password, writing a sensor serial number of the sensor onto the card, wherein when it is determined based on the flag that the parameter set is unique to the sensor, the instructions cause the at least one computing device to: determining whether the information in the flag corresponds to a sensor serial number of the sensor; as well as in response to the information in the flag corresponding to the sensor serial number, configuring the sensor based on the parameter set to perform a security feature, in, The flag includes a sequence number field, and The step of determining that the parameter set is not unique to the sensor includes determining that the serial number field is blank.

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