Patent ID: 7415503

Claim:
A computer that is interconnected with a native control system and a non-native control system that are connected to control a process, wherein said native control system comprises a control processor interconnected with at least one native device via a native bus and wherein said non-native control system comprises first and second non-native devices connected to a non-native bus, said computer comprising: a configuration program that provides configuration data to said control processor to configure said control processor with a control program that when run controls and monitors said process using said at least one native device and said first and second non-native devices and responds to a signal from said first non-native device to cause said second non-native device to perform an action for control of said process and that configures a control interface agent with control data flow connections of said control processor and said first and second non-native devices for control of said process, wherein said configuration program transfers said control interface agent to a gateway interface device that is connected to said non-native bus of said non-native control system and to said control processor of said native control system via a network, wherein said control processor when running said control program controls the operation of said first and second non-native devices in the control of said process via the control data flow connections of said control interface agent, wherein said control interface agent is further configured to translate a status expressed in a native language to a non-native language and vice versa, and wherein said status is provided by one of said first and second non-native devices.