Patents by Inventor Ronald E. Bliss

Ronald E. Bliss 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: 10796156
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to industrial automation systems, and, more particularly, to collecting video streams from a variety of video devices in an industrial environment, identifying and analyzing potential problems in the industrial environment using the video streams, and presenting the video streams and data associated with the potential problem to appropriate recipients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi, Christopher Wayne Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael John Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave
  • Patent number: 10713307
    Abstract: A multi-platform industrial search system facilitates indexing and searching of plant-wide data residing on multiple different data platforms. The industrial search system automatically inventories industrial devices and other data sources located throughout a plant, and identifies available data items on each data source. The search system indexes the discovered data items in a federated data model that can subsequently be searched to locate data items or tags of interest. The federated data model records references to data items found on different types of data sources, including but not limited to industrial controller programs, human-machine interface applications, data historians, device documentation stores, inventory tracking systems, and other such data sources. The search system can also initiate automated searches of the federated data model in response to detected performance issues and deliver notifications and contextual information to plant personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bliss, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jonathan D. Walter, Jessica L. Korpela
  • Patent number: 10609185
    Abstract: A communications application that acts as a data server between one or more industrial devices and a client-side application is capable of detecting and uploading device description files from the industrial devices themselves. Upon discovery of an industrial device communicatively connected to a client device's communication port, the communications application determines whether a device description file for the discovered device is registered. If no device description file is registered for the industrial device, or if the discovered file is newer than a previously registered file, the communications application initiates an upload of the device description file from the industrial device if the file is stored on the device. Upon completion of the upload, the device description file is registered, thereby allowing the communications application to display information about the device and to manage data exchange between the industrial device and the client-side application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bliss, Yunpu Zhao, Chengquan Shi, Fabio Malaspina
  • Patent number: 10565390
    Abstract: An automation control system is provided that includes an interface device configured to enable a user to monitor, control, or monitor and control processes of the automation control system. The interface device includes a display that presents a graphical-user-interface that enables the user to monitor, control, or monitor and control the process of the automation control system. Further, a processor renders a plurality of interface screens to the display. The processor determines a current set of access rights of a protected interface screen of the plurality of interface screens, at least one object of the protected interface screen, or both. The access rights are inherited from access rights associated with one or more of the plurality of interface screens, a folder containing the at least one interface screen, or both. Further, the processor provides access, via the protected interface screen, to monitor, control, or monitor and control the processes based upon the set of access rights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Bush, Robert A. Brandt, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael B. Miller
  • Patent number: 10545492
    Abstract: An industrial data indexing system facilitates discovery and indexing of plant-wide data residing on multiple different data platforms. The indexing system automatically inventories industrial devices and other data sources located throughout a plant, and identifies available data items on each data source. The indexing system indexes the discovered data items in a federated data model that can subsequently be searched to locate data items or tags of interest. The federated data model records references to data items found on different types of data sources, including but not limited to industrial controller programs, human-machine interface applications, data historians, device documentation stores, inventory tracking systems, and other such data sources. The search system also caches selected portions of the data model to a user's personal device to allow these portion of the model to be accessed locally on the user's device without being online with the higher level indexing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi-Duran, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10528021
    Abstract: A multi-platform industrial search and notification system performs automated and manually initiate information searches across multiple disparate industrial data platforms. The search system is built on a search platform that unifies plant-wide control system information from multiple diverse sources under a common namespace, or federated data model. The system can monitor this federated data model for conditions that may warrant attention by plant personnel, and deliver proactive notifications and operational data to selected users via their personal devices. The system can customize presentation of this data based on the user's role, location, and/or other contextual information. To this end, the system can automatically generate user-specific and context-specific dashboards, widgets, or other visualizations, and render these custom visualizations to the user at appropriate times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave
  • Patent number: 10409242
    Abstract: An electronic operator interface based controller and device automatic downloads are provided. An electronic operator interface can determine if control logic or content used by an industrial controller has been updated, changed, or otherwise modified. If the content has been modified, then the electronic operator interface can automatically obtain the content and store a back-up copy in memory. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic operator interface can periodically update a backup copy of the content. Furthermore, the electronic operator interface can determine if the controller has lost its content, and restore the content from the most recent version saved in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bliss, Brian R. Oulton
  • Patent number: 10401839
    Abstract: An industrial workflow tracking and identification system captures optimal employee workflows for addressing maintenance issues or operating industrial systems, and renders these workflows at appropriate times in order to guide operators and maintenance personnel through optimal sequences for carrying out operations or addressing maintenance issues. The system monitors and indexes both plant-wide system data as well as employee behaviors, and identifies correlations between operational outcomes and user workflows. In this way, the system tracks and captures optimal employee workflows for addressing particular maintenance issues, performing certain procedures, or achieving preferred production outcomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi-Duran, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20190258863
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to industrial automation systems, and, more particularly, to collecting video streams from a variety of video devices in an industrial environment, identifying and analyzing potential problems in the industrial environment using the video streams, and presenting the video streams and data associated with the potential problem to appropriate recipients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi, Christopher Wayne Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael John Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave
  • Patent number: 10387392
    Abstract: An industrial control program development system allows a user to set metadata attributes for respective data items in the controller that indicate which of the data tags are to be monitored and collected by a separate industrial data historian system. When the industrial controller is deployed on a plant network, the data historian system reads the metadata attributes for the respective data items (e.g., data tags or data logs) defined in the controller and configures itself to collect and store data associated with the subset of data items that have been flagged for data collection. This system mitigates the need to manually configure the data historian with the identities of the data items that are to be monitored and collected for historical or reporting purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bliss, Anthony Carrara, Bruce T. McCleave, Jr., David P. Rapini, Michael John Pantaleano, Brian Alan Porter, Guangwen Sun, David Robert Curry, Ryan Cahalane
  • Patent number: 10325155
    Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to industrial automation systems, and, more particularly, to collecting video streams from a variety of video devices in an industrial environment, identifying and analyzing potential problems in the industrial environment using the video streams, and presenting the video streams and data associated with the potential problem to appropriate recipients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi, Christopher Wayne Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael John Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave
  • Patent number: 10319128
    Abstract: A industrial visualization system generates augmented reality presentations for rendering on a user's wearable computer as the user traverses an industrial facility. The system can leverage data indexed in a federated data model that unifies plant-wide data from multiple diverse sources under a common namespace. By leveraging the unified plant data and interacting with a wearable computer worn by a user, the augmented reality presentation system provides automation system data, notifications, and proactive guidance to a user via modification of the user's view of his or her immediate surroundings. Such modifications can include superimposing data values or indicators on the user's view of a machine or automation system through the user's wearable computer. The system can customize presentation of this information based on the user's role, location, line of sight, type of wearable device, and/or other contextual information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi-Duran, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10318570
    Abstract: An industrial search and diagnosis system discovers available data items across heterogeneous data platforms that make up an industrial enterprise and indexes the data items in a unified searchable namespace. The system also indexes non-textual or multimedia input, including image data, video data, and audio data. This multimedia data can be indexed by the system in association with the relevant industrial systems (e.g., machines, automation systems, devices, production lines, etc.) so that the system can provide the multimedia data to the user when the relevant industrial systems are searched or invoked. The system also accepts and processes multimedia data from as search criteria or for diagnostic analysis. In an example analysis, users can submit images, audio, or video of an industrial machine or automation system, and the diagnosis system can identify an operational abnormality based on comparative analysis performed on the multimedia information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi-Duran, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10313281
    Abstract: An automated industrial notification platform creates a link between a given industrial asset and one or more people or support entities qualified to provide support for the asset. An industrial device or machine stores electronic expert tag information that records and catalogs one or more support people or entities to be notified in response to detection of various types of performance or maintenance issues. The tag can include the experts' identities, contact information, roles relative to the industrial asset, event priorities, and other relevant information. Since the tag is stored in a memory location of the industrial asset, the tag travels with the asset so that experts are globally associated with the asset regardless of the asset's location. Notification components integrated with the industrial asset detect conditions that may require expert assistance, and send an automated notification to one or more experts identified by the tag information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave
  • Patent number: 10120959
    Abstract: For displaying a node of a tree structure, a processor receives an anchor node creation command for a given node of a tree structure of nodes. The given node has one or more branches of parent nodes. The processor further removes the one or more branches of parent nodes and branches of sibling nodes of the given node from a display of the tree structure. In addition, the processor displays the given node as a topmost node of the tree structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Walter, Timothy J. Menge, David W. Comeau, Lawrence C. Bradley, Cheney Chengquan Shi, Winson Guangwen Sun, Ronald E. Bliss, David A. Snyder
  • Publication number: 20180292793
    Abstract: An electronic operator interface based controller and device automatic downloads are provided. An electronic operator interface can determine if control logic or content used by an industrial controller has been updated, changed, or otherwise modified. If the content has been modified, then the electronic operator interface can automatically obtain the content and store a back-up copy in memory. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic operator interface can periodically update a backup copy of the content. Furthermore, the electronic operator interface can determine if the controller has lost its content, and restore the content from the most recent version saved in memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bliss, Brian R. Oulton
  • Patent number: 10018978
    Abstract: An electronic operator interface based controller and device automatic downloads are provided. An electronic operator interface can determine if control logic or content used by an industrial controller has been updated, changed, or otherwise modified. If the content has been modified, then the electronic operator interface can automatically obtain the content and store a back-up copy in memory. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic operator interface can periodically update a backup copy of the content. Furthermore, the electronic operator interface can determine if the controller has lost its content, and restore the content from the most recent version saved in memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald E. Bliss, Brian R. Oulton
  • Patent number: 9939794
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to facilitate correct execution of a machine jog operation where a plurality of interfaces can generate a machine jog command, which is received by an industrial controller. One or more machine jog commands can be received and state data is maintained regarding whether a machine jog command has been received. An OR gate logic operation is performed on the state data to determine whether a machine jog operation has been received from any of the plurality of interfaces, and in the event of receiving a machine jog operation, a control command is generated to effect a machine jog operation. The plurality of interfaces enable interaction with the controller, to facilitate control of a machine from a plurality of locations. The system can be expanded to include further interfaces. Also, information regarding a machine jog command can be published to the plurality of interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Paul G. Kucharski, Joseph P. Izzo, Ronald E. Bliss
  • Publication number: 20180088566
    Abstract: An industrial data indexing system facilitates discovery and indexing of plant-wide data residing on multiple different data platforms. The indexing system automatically inventories industrial devices and other data sources located throughout a plant, and identifies available data items on each data source. The indexing system indexes the discovered data items in a federated data model that can subsequently be searched to locate data items or tags of interest. The federated data model records references to data items found on different types of data sources, including but not limited to industrial controller programs, human-machine interface applications, data historians, device documentation stores, inventory tracking systems, and other such data sources. The search system also caches selected portions of the data model to a user's personal device to allow these potions of the model to be accessed locally on the user's device without being online with the higher level indexing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi-Duran, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave, JR.
  • Publication number: 20180088564
    Abstract: An industrial workflow tracking and identification system captures optimal employee workflows for addressing maintenance issues or operating industrial systems, and renders these workflows at appropriate times in order to guide operators and maintenance personnel through optimal sequences for carrying out operations or addressing maintenance issues. The system monitors and indexes both plant-wide system data as well as employee behaviors, and identifies correlations between operational outcomes and user workflows. In this way, the system tracks and captures optimal employee workflows for addressing particular maintenance issues, performing certain procedures, or achieving preferred production outcomes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Sharon M. Billi-Duran, Christopher W. Como, Edward A. Gray, Kyle K. Reissner, Jonathan D. Walter, Mohit Singhai, Douglas J. Reichard, Scott N. Sandler, Ronald E. Bliss, Michael J. Pantaleano, Ryan Cahalane, Jessica L. Korpela, Bruce T. McCleave, JR.