Patent ID: 8295956
Filing Date: 2012-10-23
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A control device, comprising: a reservoir area in memory, in which element descriptions of possible elements of a production machine are stored, with each element description including at least a list of the available interfaces of the respective element, such that the elements able to be connected to one another are able to be determined by the control device, wherein the production machine is able to be controlled by the control device in accordance with a control program stored in the control device, wherein the production machine has at least two elements with interfaces, with said elements being connected to one another via said interfaces; a configuration area in the memory in which a plurality of required configuration descriptions are stored, one of which is selected as an active required configuration description that currently controls the production machine as a present configuration, wherein the required configuration descriptions at least include which elements the production machine features and via which interfaces the elements are connected to one another; a buffer separate from the configuration area for making changes in a selected configuration; and an operator interface for selecting by an operator a configuration and for changing possible elements in the selected configuration, via which the selected configuration of the plurality of required configuration descriptions is able to be requested by an operator of the production machine, output to the operator in response to the request from the operator, and stored in the buffer separate from the configuration area to be changed by the operator, wherein the changes by the operator are implemented by receiving a choice of element to be changed, receiving a choice of interface for the chosen element, determining which possible elements are connectable elements comprising those able to be connected to the chosen interface by taking into account which other elements are connected to other interfaces of the chosen element, accepting a choice of a connectable element from the operator, and storing the changes to the selected configuration in the buffer; and wherein the selected configuration is stored back into the configuration area as a new required configuration description in place of or in addition to the selected configuration, and wherein the new required configuration description is thereafter adapted to be selectable as the active required configuration description to control the production machine as the present configuration.