Patent ID: 8082049

Claim:
A method for operation of an automation system having at least one bus system connected to at least one bus subscriber and having a central control device connected to the bus system for controlling the at least one bus subscriber during normal operation, the method comprising: parameterizing and/or programming the at least one bus subscriber by the control device; identifying an interruption in a connection to the control device by the at least one bus subscriber; controlling at least one output of the at least one bus subscriber by the at least one bus subscriber as a function of the parameterizing and/or the programming upon identification of the interruption in the connection to the control device, the at least one bus subscriber having at least one input; evaluating the signals at the input by the at least one bus subscriber; and using the evaluated signals at the input for controlling the at least one output as a function of the parameterizing and/or the programming, the method further comprising the at least one bus subscriber identifying an interruption in the connection to the control device if said at least one bus subscriber does not receive any signal from the control device during a first definable time period, wherein said at least one bus subscriber switches to a transitional state upon identification of the interruption in the connection to the control device, wherein, in said transitional state, the at least on output of the at least one bus subscriber is governed by a previous parameterization and/or programming of the at least one bus subscriber by the control device, and wherein said at least one bus subscriber is switched to a safe final state if the connection to the control device is not restored within a second time period.