Patents by Inventor Hans Beckhoff

Hans Beckhoff has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20190363906
    Abstract: In an automation-communication network, at least one distribution node comprises input/output interfaces each connected to at least one network segment. In a first network segment a first subscriber and in a second network segment a second subscriber are arranged. Data are exchanged between the first and the second subscriber by telegrams realized as scheduled telegrams and unscheduled telegrams. The distribution node receives an unscheduled telegram on an input/output interface and sends an unscheduled telegram on a further input/output interface. The distribution node determines a transmission duration for transmission of the unscheduled telegram. The distribution node transmits the unscheduled telegram. Prior to transmission, the distribution node deposits a first telegram information in a data field. The distribution node fragments the unscheduled telegram if the telegram cannot be transmitted within a time slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff, Erik Vonnahme
  • Patent number: 10483664
    Abstract: An electronic terminal block for a data bus has control electronics comprising first and second data-bus-contacting units connected via an internal data-bus line, and a connecting unit for connecting bus subscribers. The metal housing comprises a first face having a receptacle in a carrier rail, a second face having a recess for the connecting unit, a first side face, an opening for the first data-bus-contacting unit, and a second side face opposite the first side face with an opening for the second data-bus-contacting unit. A first non-metallic coupling plate for mounting onto the first housing side face comprises a first recess having an engagement feature in the region of the opening of the first side face, and a second non-metallic coupling plate for mounting onto the second side face comprises a first recess having an engagement feature in the region of the opening of the second side face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Hans Beckhoff, Michael Jost, Martin Podrouschek
  • Patent number: 10484520
    Abstract: A first participant transmits a clocked data sequence to a second participant of a communication network, wherein one data unit of the data sequence is transmitted per clock cycle by the first participant and wherein the data sequence contains a datagram as a write datagram which contains a header, an intermediate field following the header and a data field following the intermediate header, wherein the header, the intermediate field and the data field in each case have one or more data units. The second participant reads the header of the datagram, defines input data depending on the content of the header within a response time, and records the input data in the datagram while the data sequence passes through the second participant. The length of the intermediate field of the datagram is matched to the clock frequency of the data sequence and the response time of the second participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 10271249
    Abstract: A network includes a first network participant connected via a first connection to a further network participant. The first network participant receives a data message containing information that a parameter must be set to a first value, via the first connection. The first network participant checks whether it is connected via a second connection to a still further network, and whether the parameter is not set to the first value in the second connection. In this case, the first network participant forwards the data message via the second connection, clearing down the second connection, and re-establishes the second connection, where the parameter for the second connection is set to the first value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20190067842
    Abstract: An electronic terminal block for a data bus has control electronics comprising first and second data-bus-contacting units connected via an internal data-bus line, and a connecting unit for connecting bus subscribers. The metal housing comprises a first face having a receptacle in a carrier rail, a second face having a recess for the connecting unit, a first side face, an opening for the first data-bus-contacting unit, and a second side face opposite the first side face with an opening for the second data-bus-contacting unit. A first non-metallic coupling plate for mounting onto the first housing side face comprises a first recess having an engagement feature in the region of the opening of the first side face, and a second non-metallic coupling plate for mounting onto the second side face comprises a first recess having an engagement feature in the region of the opening of the second side face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Hans Beckhoff, Michael Jost, Martin Podrouschek
  • Publication number: 20190036730
    Abstract: A connecting unit to transmit process data of an automation process of an automation system to an external data infrastructure, configured as a field device for arrangement on a field level of the automation system. The connecting unit comprises a field bus module, network module and interface module. The field bus module is configured to interchange the process data via the field bus with a signal unit connected to the automation process via a field connection. The network module is configured to interchange the process data with the external data infrastructure, use the data network to transmit input process data to the external data infrastructure, and retrieve output process data from the external data infrastructure. The interface module is configured to interchange the process data between the field bus module and the network module. The interface module prompts interchange of the process data autonomously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Pascal Dresselhaus, Sven Goldstein, Hans Beckhoff, Ralf Vienken
  • Patent number: 10193705
    Abstract: In order to transmit data on a transmission path to which a control unit and several nodes are connected, the control unit cyclically outputs data in a continuous manner onto the transmission path during the entire transmission cycle time in the form of telegrams by taking into account the transmission standard, the nodes exchanging data with the telegrams during the cycle. The control unit subdivides the transmission cycle into a number of subcycles that have the same length. At least one communication telegram into which a first node can write data for a second node located downstream on the transmission path during the cycle, is sent in each subcycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Dirk Janssen, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 10116465
    Abstract: A method for operating a network that has a network subscriber that is connected to a superordinate bus and to a subordinate bus comprises steps for the reception of a first superordinate data message by the network subscriber via the superordinate bus, the extraction of first data from the first superordinate data message by the network subscriber and for the transmission of a first subordinate data message by the network subscriber via the subordinate bus. In one case, the first subordinate data message comprises the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Buettner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 10089268
    Abstract: A network subscriber comprises a plurality of individual functional units, each individual functional unit comprising an application interface. The network subscriber further comprises a network subscriber comprises at least a shared functional unit, a first interface for establishing a physical connection and a second interface for establishing a further physical connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Buettner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20180270336
    Abstract: A first participant transmits a clocked data sequence to a second participant of a communication network, wherein one data unit of the data sequence is transmitted per clock cycle by the first participant and wherein the data sequence contains a datagram as a write datagram which contains a header, an intermediate field following the header and a data field following the intermediate header, wherein the header, the intermediate field and the data field in each case have one or more data units. The second participant reads the header of the datagram, defines input data depending on the content of the header within a response time, and records the input data in the datagram while the data sequence passes through the second participant. The length of the intermediate field of the datagram is matched to the clock frequency of the data sequence and the response time of the second participant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 10069641
    Abstract: A method for operating a communication network comprising a master and a number of subscribers. A message comprising a data field is transmitted by the master, wherein at least one of the subscribers, on receiving the message, reads data out of the data field of the message, and forwards the message to at least one other one of the subscribers after the readout, and wherein the at least one other one of the subscribers, on receiving the message, writes data into the data field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20180241585
    Abstract: A communications network comprises a plurality of participants. A first participant transmits a message repeating sequence of N?2 successive messages to a second participant. An action which can be performed by the second participant is assigned to each message in the sequence. The first participant begins to transmit one of the N messages at N successive transmission times T_I (I=0, . . . , N?1). Each of the N messages contains a field defining a waiting time assigned to the respective message W_I=T_(N?1)?T_I+?W_I (I=0, . . . ,N?1), where ?W_I is a non-negative tolerance time. The second participant selects one message from among the messages in the sequence which are successfully received by the second participant as a useful message, measures a time elapsed since reception of the useful message, and performs the action assigned to the useful message when the elapsed time has reached the assigned waiting time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20180176132
    Abstract: Data transmission in a communication network is performed via a transmission path with which a master participant and at least one slave participant communicate. The master participant outputs messages on the data transmission path with which the slave participants exchange data on the fly. The messages output by the master participant contain datagrams which comprise a control data field and a payload field, where the control data field has a command field and an address field. In the case that at least one message has at least one datagram which is a write datagram in which the command field defines the data transmission procedure to be performed by a slave participant with the payload field as a write procedure, at least the control data field of a further datagram is arranged between the control data field of the write datagram and the payload field of the write datagram.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Publication date: June 21, 2018
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 9991981
    Abstract: A method for operating a node in a communications network comprises the following steps: The node receives a reference time via the communications network. A transmit clock of the node, which was determined for an earlier clock cycle on the basis of a local clock of the node, is compared with the reference time. The local clock of the node is corrected on the basis of the comparison result. On the basis of the corrected local clock a transmit clock is determined to be used by the node for the current clock cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Dirk Janssen, Erik Vonnahme, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20170288348
    Abstract: A technique is provided for detecting decoupling of a first connector part, connected to a first device, of an electrical plug connector from a second connector part, connected to a second device, of the electrical plug connector. A corresponding method, a corresponding apparatus, a corresponding electrical plug connector as well as the first connector part and the second connector part of the plug connector, a corresponding device and a computer program product are stated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher Pohl, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff, Dirk Bechtel
  • Publication number: 20170185556
    Abstract: An input/output module is provided for a bus system having a socket, the five contact cups of which each may comprise an electrical contact, and a measuring device for detecting a connector of a four-wire data cable. The measuring device can be configured to detect, when a connector is inserted into the socket, whether the connector comprises four or five electrical contact pins which are each plugged into one of the contact cups and are electrically connected to the respective electrical contact of the contact cups. The measuring device may be configured to close a first and a second switching device only when five electrical contact pins are detected in order to apply a respective supply voltage from two DC voltage supplies to the corresponding plugged contact pins of the connector plugged into the socket via the respective electrical contacts of the contact cups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Holger Büttner, Thomas Rettig, Dirk Bechtel, Michael Jost, Christopher Pohl, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20170171096
    Abstract: A distribution node for an automation network comprises at least two input/output interfaces for transmitting and receiving real-time-relevant and non-real-time-relevant data packets, and a switching device connected to the input/output interfaces. The switching device forwards data packets received via an input/output interface via a further input/output interface using a switching table, where the switching table contains at least a data packet identifier and a transmission time in a data transfer cycle for each real-time-relevant data packet. Inter alia, the switching device can detect a data packet identifier on reception of a real-time-relevant data packet, and output the real-time-relevant data packet at the transmission time allocated to the detected data packet identifier in the switching table via an input/output interface as a transmission interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: THORSTEN BUNTE, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 9544258
    Abstract: In a network, a control node is connected to a plurality of network subscribers via a closed ring-shaped data path, wherein the network subscribers form a chain, starting from the control node, with a head subscriber as a termination for the chain. The ring-shaped data path transits through the network subscribers on an outbound route and an inbound route, wherein the network subscribers are designed to perform data interchange both on the outbound route and on the inbound route with data messages circulating on the ring-shaped data path. The control node is additionally designed such that it outputs data messages with an identifier on the data path, wherein the head subscriber has a filter function to use a prescribed identifier to block the further transport of data messages with the corresponding identifier on the inbound route following transit of data messages through the head subscriber on the outbound route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Patent number: 9467309
    Abstract: A data network comprises a master, a network distributor and a plurality of network users. The network distributor is connected to a master data path, a first and a second user data path. A method for transferring data telegrams in this data network includes the reception of a first master data telegram sent by the master through the network distributor, the compilation transfer of a first and a second transmission data telegram through the network distributor, and the reception of a first and a second reception data telegram through the network distributor. Further, the network distributor compiles a second master data telegram and transfers it to the master. In this connection, an access indicator of the second master data telegram represents accesses of the network user to the first master data telegram, the first and second transmission data telegrams as well as the first and second reception data telegrams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: BECKHOFF AUTOMATION GMBH
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff
  • Publication number: 20160165498
    Abstract: A network includes a first network participant connected via a first connection to a further network participant. The first network participant receives a data message containing information that a parameter must be set to a first value, via the first connection. The first network participant checks whether it is connected via a second connection to a still further network, and whether the parameter is not set to the first value in the second connection. In this case, the first network participant forwards the data message via the second connection, clearing down the second connection, and re-establishes the second connection, where the parameter for the second connection is set to the first value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Thorsten Bunte, Holger Büttner, Erik Vonnahme, Dirk Janssen, Thomas Rettig, Hans Beckhoff