Abstract:
Information available in an automation installation can be accessed via the automation installation by a computer that is coupled to the automation installation. The computer can access, via an interface, a search machine stored in the automation installation. The search machine selects the information available in the automation installation according to at least one criterion defined by an alphanumeric character string.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This application is based on and hereby claims priority to German Application No. 100 48 743.2 filed on Sep. 29, 2000, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to an automation installation having an interface which a computer coupled to the automation installation can use to retrieve information about the automation installation which is available in the automation installation.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Such automation installations are already known. By way of example, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,805,442 and 6,061,603.  
           [0006]    When accessing the information available in the automation installation, it is often necessary to access particular information specifically. It must therefore be possible to select which information will be accessed. However, it is not known beforehand which data need to be accessed. In particular, a situation can even arise in which a user on the connected computer does not even know how the automation installation which he is accessing is configured, or other such matters. It is therefore necessary to provide the user with a simple way of accessing the information available in the automation installation, so to speak in a tailor-made manner.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    An object of the present invention is to provide the user with such an opportunity. In particular, the intention is also to allow him to select the information according to his wishes.  
           [0008]    This object is achieved by virtue of the interface being able to be used from the computer to call up a search engine which is stored in the automation installation and which can be used to select the information about the automation installation which is available in the automation installation on the basis of at least one criterion, with the criterion for the automation installation being able to be prescribed in the form of an alphanumeric character string using the computer.  
           [0009]    This therefore allows the user to make appropriate inputs in order first to find out the information available in the automation installation as required and then to examine it if appropriate.  
           [0010]    If the interface can also be used to call up at least one connection list, hierarchically graduated access to individual information can easily be implemented. In this case, the connection list(s) preferably include(s) non-installation-specific operating functions, installation-specific operating functions and/or installation-specific details other than operating functions.  
           [0011]    If the interface can also be used to call up a help function, even users who are not generally familiar with the automation installation or automation installations in question can quickly communicate with the automation installation on a specific basis in a simple and secure manner.  
           [0012]    If the interface can also be used to call up an e-mail function, it is a simple matter to send an e-mail to another person coupled to the automation installation.  
           [0013]    If the computer can also use the interface to store a message in the automation installation, which message can be retrieved via the interface by the computer or by another computer coupled to the automation installation during subsequent access to the automation installation, a message can be left for another user even without an e-mail function. In this context, depending on the message, retrieval of the message can be access-protected or not.  
           [0014]    If the message is automatically erased by the automation installation after a storage time has elapsed, the storer or the retriever of the message does not need to be concerned with erasing the message.  
           [0015]    If access to the automation installation by the computer is password-protected, this prevents unauthorized persons from gaining read and/or write access to the automation installation. In this case, access can be subject to graduated enabling. Thus, by way of example, a large section of users can be provided with read access, whereas only a small section of the users are also provided with write access, and altering particularly important data is reserved only for particularly privileged users. This can be implemented, if appropriate, using a user name/password combination customary on computers.  
           [0016]    If the automation installation can store messages about states of a technical installation controlled by the automation installation in the automation installation such that the computer can retrieve them via the interface, the information available in the automation installation always reflects the current state of the technical installation.  
           [0017]    For standardization reasons, the interface is preferably in the form of an interface to the worldwide web. In particular, the search engine and possibly also the other functions which can be retrieved via the interface is/are integrated in a web portal which, so to speak, is the home page of the automation installation. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of an exemplary embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system,  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a web portal, and  
         [0021]    FIGS.  3  to  8  are basic illustrations of various functions which can be called up using the web portal illustrated in FIG. 2 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0022]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0023]    In line with FIG. 1, an automation installation  1  is connected to the worldwide web  3 —shown in highly schematic form—via an interface  2 . The worldwide web  3  also has a computer  4  connected to it which a user  5  can use to access the worldwide web  3 . The computer  4  is thus coupled to the automation installation  1  via the worldwide web  3 . Via the interface  2 , it is therefore possible to use the computer  4  to retrieve information from the automation installation  1  and to transmit messages, information and/or data to the automation installation  1 .  
         [0024]    Internally, the automation installation  1  has a processor unit  6  whose manner of operation is determined by a computer program product  7  stored in a read only memory  8 , particularly in an electrically erasable read only memory (EEPROM)  8 . The way in which the processor unit  6  works will be explained in more detail at a later point.  
         [0025]    The automation installation  1  also has input/output units  9  which are used to control and supervise a technical installation  10 . To this end, inter alia, a map of the input and output states of the input/output units  9  (process map) is stored in a process map memory  11 . A configuration memory  12  also stores information about the installation configuration and concordance information.  
         [0026]    The installation information makes it possible to produce a block diagram of the automation installation  1  and/or of the technical installation  10 . The concordance information makes it possible to ascertain to which technological unit the individual storage locations provided for the process map in the process map memory  11  correspond. If appropriate, this association can also be made beforehand, which means that it can be ascertained more quickly and can be output via the interface  2  if appropriate. The installation information and the concordance information together form the information about the automation installation  1 .  
         [0027]    Finally, the automation installation has another interface memory  13 . The interface memory  13  stores messages, user names, passwords and the like. This is explained in more detail below.  
         [0028]    Via the interface  2 , it is possible to use the computer  4  to call up a web portal  14  which is shown in detail in FIG. 2. The web portal  14  is, so to speak, the home page of the automation installation  1 . It is stored in the automation installation  1  as part of the computer program product  7 . All the functions  15  to  23  described below are integrated in the web portal  14 . They are thus likewise stored in the automation installation  1 .  
         [0029]    The web portal  14  itself can be called up by any user  5  via the interface  2 . To be able to call up functions  15  to  22  shown in the web portal  14 , however, an identity check first takes place. To this end, the automation installation  1  uses an identity check block  23  to request a user name and a password. Only if the entered password has been recorded for the entered user name is access to the functions  15  to  22  enabled. Access to the automation installation  1  by the computer  4  is thus password-protected.  
         [0030]    In principle, it is sufficient to protect access to the automation installation  1  by the computer  4  using one grade. If appropriate, access can alternatively be enabled on a graduated basis. Thus, by way of example, pure read access can be enabled for a large number of users, whereas additional write access is enabled only for a section of the users  5  and alteration of particularly important functionalities is enabled only for a few particularly privileged users  5 .  
         [0031]    The individual functions  15  to  22  which can be called up from the web portal  14 —provided that there is access authorization—are now described below. These are connection lists  15 - 18 , a search engine  19 , a message function  20 , an e-mail function  21  and a help function  22 .  
         [0032]    The computer  4  can be used to prescribe criteria for the search engine  19  in the form of alphanumeric character strings, which criteria can be taken as a basis for selecting the information about the automation installation  1  which is available in the automation installation  1 . By way of example, the search engine  19  shown in FIG. 3 can have the “valve” criterion prescribed for it. In this case, the search engine  19  lists all valves, their states and their function. By clicking on one of the hits ascertained in this manner, further information about this valve can then be retrieved from the automation installation  1 .  
         [0033]    In this case, the “valve” criterion above is obviously just one example. It would also be possible to enter other criteria, e.g. the criterion “open” for listing all open valves or “block 1” for listing all the information about “block 1”, for the elements contained therein (servomotors, valves, sensors, etc.). This allows very flexible searching and/or examination of the automation installation  1  or of its configuration and states.  
         [0034]    The link lists  15  to  18  can alternatively be used to retrieve non-installation-specific operating functions as shown in FIG. 4, installation-specific operating functions as shown in FIG. 5, installation-specific details other than operating functions as shown in FIG. 6, or current information. Clicking on one of the fields  15  to  18  branches to the respective link list.  
         [0035]    The link list  15  for non-installation-specific operating functions includes, in line with FIG. 4, a diagnostic function  24  and a module test  25 , for example.  
         [0036]    In line with FIG. 5, the installation-specific operating functions include an installation block diagram  26 , for example, with the current states of the technical installation  10  being able to be opened in the installation block diagram  26 . To show the installation block diagram  26 , the process map is thus also used. The messages stored in the automation installation  1  about states of the technical installation  10  (process map) can thus likewise be retrieved by the computer  4 .  
         [0037]    If appropriate, parts of the technical installation  10  can also be shown and mapped. Even individual values from individual sensors can be specifically picked out. The information about the automation installation  1  which is stored in the automation installation  1  and can be retrieved by the computer  4  via the interface  2  thus includes, in particular, the details about the installation configuration and the process map. If appropriate, other details, e.g. about service states and the like, can also be retrieved from the automation installation  1 .  
         [0038]    In line with FIG. 6, the installation-specific details other than operating functions include, by way of example, Internet/intranet addresses for the manufacturer, software writer, system maintenance engineer and so on.  
         [0039]    The current list  18  includes, by way of example, advice of the update state or of temporarily occurring problems.  
         [0040]    By clicking on the e-mail function  21 , it is possible to call up an inherently known window for creating and sending an e-mail.  
         [0041]    Clicking on the message function  20  retrieves a message window  27  shown in FIG. 7 from the automation installation  1 . This contains a list of available messages  28 . The messages  28  can be called up individually in an inherently known manner by clicking on them. In this case, callup might be access-protected. This is explained in more detail below in connection with FIG. 8.  
         [0042]    The message window  27  shown in FIG. 7 also has a clickable “new message” field  29 . Clicking on this field  29  opens a further window  30 , which is shown schematically in FIG. 8.  
         [0043]    In line with FIG. 8, the message writer can click on a “for all” field  31  or can enter a user name or user code in order to determine whether his message  28  is intended for all users  5  of the automation installation  1  or just for one particular user  5 . In the former case, retrieval of the message  28 —among the authorized users  5  of the automation installation  1 —is not access-protected, otherwise it is access-protected. This is because, in the latter case, the respective message  28  can be retrieved only by the user  5  who is authorized by the user name and the password.  
         [0044]    In addition, the user  5  can enter an explicit expiry date into a field  32  or can click on a field  33  for a fixed expiry date (e.g. 14 days after the message  28  is stored) in order to select when his message  28  is automatically erased again by the automation installation  1 . This input thus determines a storage time.  
         [0045]    Finally, the window shown in FIG. 8 also contains a field in which the actual message  28  (usually text) can be entered. The entered message  28  is then stored in the automation installation  1  by the computer  4  via the interface  4 . It can therefore be retrieved by the computer  4  or by another computer coupled to the automation installation  1  during subsequent access to the automation installation  1 .  
         [0046]    The functions  15  to  21 ,  23  explained above are essentially intended for a user  5  who is used to handling the web portal  14 . If the user  5  does not know what details he can enter into what fields, however, the user  5  needs to, may or can also click on the help function  22 . In this case, he is assisted in the use of the web portal  14  in the generally known manner by a help menu.  
         [0047]    The inventive form of automation installation  1  provides a simple way of operating the automation installation  1  conveniently using the computer  4 .  
         [0048]    The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.