Patents by Inventor N. Andrew Weatherhead

N. Andrew Weatherhead 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).

  • Patent number: 8832579
    Abstract: The innovation relates to a system and/or methodology for the creation and management of industrial automation services and design templates. In addition, it allows for users to view processes, applications, protocols, data types, and so forth as semantically intuitive graphical objects that can be dragged, dropped, and tagged to allow for combining functionalities and/or integrating disparate applications or systems through a services model. Additionally, the innovation provides a library for user management of the services and templates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Patent number: 8677310
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and/or methodology for the abstraction and creation of templates for use in industrial automation. The system providing for the abstraction of one or more engineering specifications, and creation of design templates based at least in part on the abstracted design templates. Additionally, the invention provides a user interface for modification of the template creation process and/or templates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Patent number: 8601435
    Abstract: A system that facilitates module design in an industrial environment is provided. The system includes a module component that defines operations to control an industrial process. At least one class component is defined within the module that identifies a generic operation for the module, where the class component executes one or more of the operations within the industrial control process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount
  • Patent number: 8392008
    Abstract: Arbitrating access to industrial resources as a function of controller identify is provided herein. For example, a unique identifier can be associated with a control module that can distinguish the module from other components of a system. Upon receiving a request to control a resource, the identifier of the requesting module can be associated with that resource. In a case of multiple requests, an arbitrated ID can be chosen and added to an owner queue. The chosen ID is then published and, if the published identifier matches the module identifier, the module can assume control of the resource; if not, the module's request is placed into a request queue for further arbitration. The subject innovation provides for generally applicable arbitration that can reduce redundant code crafted for each module of a system, greatly reducing overhead costs associated with such redundancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount
  • Patent number: 8255869
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and/or methodology for the customization and transclusion of design templates/patterns for use in industrial automation. The system provides for the de-abstraction of one or more design templates, and generating engineering specifications via customization of the de-abstracted design templates. Additionally, the invention provides a user interface for modification of the template de-abstraction and/or customization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Patent number: 7966523
    Abstract: The innovation relates to a system and/or methodology for the configuration and creation of industrial automation designs. The system providing for the generation of functional specifications, software and hardware designs, as well as testing and testing schemas. Additionally, the innovation provides a user interface for modification of the designs and specifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Patent number: 7844349
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates data transportation between two ore more systems. A manufacturing execution system (MES) can include a portion of recipe data associated with discrete manufacturing. An MES interface component can seamlessly communicate with the manufacturing execution system (MES) to delivery and execute the portion of recipe data within a controller-based discrete automation environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount, Jennifer Wei, Kenneth Carl Meyer, Ronald L. Mauk
  • Patent number: 7725200
    Abstract: An automation control system can be efficiently developed and maintained as a hierarchical arrangement of configured components that pass process control parameters received from a control component and return reports back to the control component. In particular, control components compare a current configuration to a validated, saved configuration in order to report a configuration status as to whether a process can be conducted as validated. Yet, changes to the configuration of the automation control system that do not affect a validated portion do not preclude continued validated processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dale Edward Reed, Mark K. Carmou, N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Publication number: 20100082145
    Abstract: The invention relates to systems and/or methodologies for route management. More particularly, the invention relates to an industrial controller (e.g., logic controller) based route management solution. The route management solution can statically and/or dynamically determine, maintain, or otherwise manage a route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Raymond John Staron, John R. Parraga, Mark K. Carmount, Philip J. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 7684877
    Abstract: A system facilitates state processing in an industrial control environment is provided. The system includes a module component to facilitate control operations in an industrial control environment. A propagation component is embedded within the module component to communicate state information to at least one other module component. The state information is communicated in an upward or downward direction according to a hierarchical module configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount
  • Patent number: 7680550
    Abstract: A system is provided to facilitate state processing in an industrial control environment. The system includes a unit module to process components in an industrial control facility. A status component associated with the unit module provides present state information for the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount
  • Patent number: 7676292
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that facilitate construction of automation applications for utilization in an industrial automation environment. A design template component can provide a design template to yield a modular, hierarchical framework for an application. Further, a design pattern table can include a library of design patterns, where the design patterns can be organized according to respective classifications. Moreover, a design pattern component can integrate a selected design pattern from the design pattern table with the design template to construct the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Philip John Kaufman
  • Publication number: 20100050020
    Abstract: The innovation relates to a system and/or methodology for the configuration and creation of industrial automation designs. The system providing for the generation of functional specifications, software and hardware designs, as well as testing and testing schemas. Additionally, the innovation provides a user interface for modification of the designs and specifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Publication number: 20100042376
    Abstract: The innovation relates to a system and/or methodology for the creation and management of industrial automation services and design templates. In addition, it allows for users to view processes, applications, protocols, data types, and so forth as semantically intuitive graphical objects that can be dragged, dropped, and tagged to allow for combining functionalities and/or integrating disparate applications or systems through a services model. Additionally, the innovation provides a library for user management of the services and templates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Publication number: 20090327992
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and/or methodology for the abstraction and creation of templates for use in industrial automation. The system providing for the abstraction of one or more engineering specifications, and creation of design templates based at least in part on the abstracted design templates. Additionally, the invention provides a user interface for modification of the template creation process and/or templates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Publication number: 20090327991
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and/or methodology for the customization and transclusion of design templates/patterns for use in industrial automation. The system provides for the de-abstraction of one or more design templates, and generating engineering specifications via customization of the de-abstracted design templates. Additionally, the invention provides a user interface for modification of the template de-abstraction and/or customization process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: N. Andrew Weatherhead
  • Publication number: 20080098401
    Abstract: Arbitrating access to industrial resources as a function of controller identify is provided herein. For example, a unique identifier can be associated with a control module that can distinguish the module from other components of a system. Upon receiving a request to control a resource, the identifier of the requesting module can be associated with that resource. In a case of multiple requests, an arbitrated ID can be chosen and added to an owner queue. The chosen ID is then published and, if the published identifier matches the module identifier, the module can assume control of the resource; if not, the module's request is placed into a request queue for further arbitration. The subject innovation provides for generally applicable arbitration that can reduce redundant code crafted for each module of a system, greatly reducing overhead costs associated with such redundancy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount
  • Publication number: 20080097623
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates data transportation between two ore more systems. A manufacturing execution system (MES) can include a portion of recipe data associated with discrete manufacturing. An MES interface component can seamlessly communicate with the manufacturing execution system (MES) to delivery and execute the portion of recipe data within a controller-based discrete automation environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount, Jennifer Wei, Kenneth Carl Meyer, Ronald L. Mauk
  • Publication number: 20080097630
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate constructing automation applications for utilization in an industrial automation environment. A design template component can provide a design template to yield a modular, hierarchical framework for an application. Further, a design pattern table can include a library of design patterns, where the design patterns can be organized according to respective classifications. Moreover, a design pattern component can integrate a selected design pattern from the design pattern table with the design template to construct the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Philip John Kaufman
  • Publication number: 20080097624
    Abstract: A system facilitates state processing in an industrial control environment is provided. The system includes a module component to facilitate control operations in an industrial control environment. A propagation component is embedded within the module component to communicate state information to at least one other module component. The state information is communicated in an upward or downward direction according to a hierarchical module configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: N. Andrew Weatherhead, Mark K. Carmount