Patents by Inventor Sivaram Balasubramanian
Sivaram Balasubramanian 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).
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Patent number: 9413552Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a ring supervisor operating as a server for maintaining and allocating addresses for devices in a ring topology. The ring supervisor may obtain an ordered list of devices in the ring by sending a data collection frame that passes through each device around the ring with each device appending its preconfigured address information. The ring supervisor may then operate to apply the addressing provided by each device, or alternatively, allocate different addresses to each device from a separate pool. As a result, control program software for ring devices can be developed using a general pool of addresses without requiring specific knowledge of actual addresses. Also, if a device requires replacement, the device may be replaced without requiring modification to the control program to provide the address for the replacement device.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2014Date of Patent: August 9, 2016Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Jessica E. Forguites, Sivaram Balasubramanian, Mark G. Devonshire, Mark R. Hantel
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Patent number: 9374387Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a device, method and system which utilize hardware-based granular evaluation of industrial control protocol packets to withstand traffic storms. In an embodiment, packet evaluation circuitry coupled to a port may be adapted to evaluate one or more protocol fields contained in each inbound packet before switching circuitry can send the inbound packet to the proper destination. The inbound packet may be sent by the switching circuitry if it is a particular message, or may be selectively inhibited from being sent by the switching circuitry if the inbound packet does not contain the particular message for being sent and if the total number of bytes of the inbound packet type exceeds a threshold for the outbound port during a given period of time. As such, critical industrial applications may continue to operate in the presence of a traffic storm.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2012Date of Patent: June 21, 2016Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. Batke, Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Publication number: 20160149861Abstract: An improved system for establishing rules in a firewall for an industrial network is disclosed. Rules are established at an application level, identifying, for example, actions to occur between two devices. The action may be, for example, read data table or get attribute, and each action may require multiple message packets to be transmitted between the two devices in order to complete. A network device executing the firewall is configured to receive message packets from a sending device and to inspect the message packets to determine which action the sending device is requesting to perform. If the action corresponds to a rule in the database, the network device manages communications between the two devices until all message packets have been transmitted. Thus, a single action, or application, may be defined in the rules database to permit multiple data packets to be communicated between the devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2014Publication date: May 26, 2016Inventors: Brian A. Batke, Sivaram Balasubramanian, Petr Ptacek, Taryl Jasper
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Publication number: 20160036602Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a ring supervisor operating as a server for maintaining and allocating addresses for devices in a ring topology. The ring supervisor may obtain an ordered list of devices in the ring by sending a data collection frame that passes through each device around the ring with each device appending its preconfigured address information. The ring supervisor may then operate to apply the addressing provided by each device, or alternatively, allocate different addresses to each device from a separate pool. As a result, control program software for ring devices can he developed using a general pool of addresses without requiring specific knowledge of actual addresses. Also, if a device requires replacement, the device may be replaced without requiring modification to the control program to provide the address for the replacement device.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2014Publication date: February 4, 2016Inventors: Jessica E. Forguites, Sivaram Balasubramanian, Mark G. Devonshire, Mark R. Hantel
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Patent number: 9197576Abstract: The subject matter disclosed herein describes a method to allocate and prioritize data communications on an industrial control network. A transmission schedule including multiple priority windows and multiple queues is established. Each queue is assigned to at least one priority window, and each priority window may have multiple queues assigned thereto. A control device communicating on the control network transmits data packets according to the transmission schedule. Within each priority window, data packets corresponding to one of the queues assigned to the priority window may be transmitted. The data packets may be transmitted at any point during the priority window, but will only be transmitted if no data packet from a higher queue is waiting to be transmitted.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2010Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, David A. Vasko, Anatoly Moldovansky, Kenwood H. Hall, Anthony G. Gibart
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Patent number: 9160661Abstract: An industrial network with bidirectional communication for real time control includes nodes selectively operable in either a switch mode or a serial shifting mode. Nodes operating in the switch mode are capable of initiating data frames for transmission on the network and receiving data frames from the network. Nodes operating in either the switch mode or the serial shifting mode are capable of extracting and/or inserting data into a data frame as it is transmitted through that node. An initialization procedure determines end nodes and intermediate nodes within the network. The end nodes are configured to initially operate in the switch mode and the intermediate nodes are configured to initially operate in the serial shifting mode. The intermediate nodes are additionally operable to selectively toggle between operation in switch mode and serial shift mode and may operate in both modes during a single scan cycle.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2014Date of Patent: October 13, 2015Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 9100210Abstract: Multiple gateway devices communicating between a device level ring (DLR) network and a spanning tree (ST) network may be provided a gateway protocol that cooperatively ensures that only a single gateway is active at a given time. This cooperation may be effected by the transmission of advertise messages by gateways, the advertise messages holding precedence values so that only a single gateway having a highest precedence value is active at a given time. Loss of the advertise messages may trigger a gateway held in a backup state to assume an active gateway role.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2011Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Anatoly Moldovansky
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Patent number: 9100294Abstract: A device is configured to be operable in a plurality of network environments. A number of different configurations are available to be set on the device, where a first configuration enables operation on a first network, and a second configuration enables operation on a second, disparate, network. A plurality of external ports in conjunction with a multiplexer switch, network switch, internal CPU, external CPU, routing links, etc., can be combined to facilitate multiple configurations for the device. The device is suitable for incorporation into a human machine interface, for application in an industrial processing operation. Receive port information can be incorporated into a data frame to facilitate identification of an external port associated with the reception of the data frame. Applicable networks include linear topology, ring topology, star topology, Ethernet, ROCKWELL NEO, EtherNet/IP, one or more LANs, etc. Configuration can be via a USB device or an interface.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2013Date of Patent: August 4, 2015Assignee: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Gary D. Dotson, Benjamin Nave
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Publication number: 20140334341Abstract: An industrial network with bidirectional communication for real time control includes nodes selectively operable in either a switch mode or a serial shifting mode. Nodes operating in the switch mode are capable of initiating data frames for transmission on the network and receiving data frames from the network. Nodes operating in either the switch mode or the serial shifting mode are capable of extracting and/or inserting data into a data frame as it is transmitted through that node. An initialization procedure determines end nodes and intermediate nodes within the network. The end nodes are configured to initially operate in the switch mode and the intermediate nodes are configured to initially operate in the serial shifting mode. The intermediate nodes are additionally operable to selectively toggle between operation in switch mode and serial shift mode and may operate in both modes during a single scan cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Inventor: Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 8843652Abstract: A distributed control system and methods of operating such a control system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the distributed control system is operated in a manner in which interrupts are at least temporarily inhibited from being processed to avoid excessive delays in the processing of non-interrupt tasks. In another embodiment, the distributed control system is operated in a manner in which tasks are queued based upon relative timing constraints that they have been assigned. In a further embodiment, application programs that are executed on the distributed control system are operated in accordance with high-level and/or low-level requirements allocated to resources of the distributed control system.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2010Date of Patent: September 23, 2014Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 8824333Abstract: An industrial network with bidirectional communication for real time control includes nodes selectively operable in either a switch mode or a serial shifting mode. Nodes operating in the switch mode are capable of initiating data frames for transmission on the network and receiving data frames from the network. Nodes operating in either the switch mode or the serial shifting mode are capable of extracting and/or inserting data into a data frame as it is transmitted through that node. An initialization procedure determines end nodes and intermediate nodes within the network. The end nodes are configured to initially operate in the switch mode and the intermediate nodes are configured to initially operate in the serial shifting mode. The intermediate nodes are additionally operable to selectively toggle between operation in switch mode and serial shift mode and may operate in both modes during a single I/O scan cycle.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Publication number: 20140211657Abstract: A device is configured to be operable in a plurality of network environments. A number of different configurations are available to be set on the device, where a first configuration enables operation on a first network, and a second configuration enables operation on a second, disparate, network. A plurality of external ports in conjunction with a multiplexer switch, network switch, internal CPU, external CPU, routing links, etc., can be combined to facilitate multiple configurations for the device. The device is suitable for incorporation into a human machine interface, for application in an industrial processing operation. Receive port information can be incorporated into a data frame to facilitate identification of an external port associated with the reception of the data frame. Applicable networks include linear topology, ring topology, star topology, Ethernet, ROCKWELL NEO, EtherNet/IP, one or more LANs, etc. Configuration can be via a USB device or an interface.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2013Publication date: July 31, 2014Applicant: ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Gary D. Dotson, Benjamin Nave
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Publication number: 20140105004Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide a device, method and system which utilize hardware-based granular evaluation of industrial control protocol packets to withstand traffic storms. In an embodiment, packet evaluation circuitry coupled to a port may be adapted to evaluate one or more protocol fields contained in each inbound packet before switching circuitry can send the inbound packet to the proper destination. The inbound packet may be sent by the switching circuitry if it is a particular message, or may be selectively inhibited from being sent by the switching circuitry if the inbound packet does not contain the particular message for being sent and if the total number of bytes of the inbound packet type exceeds a threshold for the outbound port during a given period of time. As such, critical industrial applications may continue to operate in the presence of a traffic storm.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2012Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Brian A Batke, Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 8670303Abstract: Fault-tolerant Ethernet is provided through the use of special interfaces providing end-devices with duplicate ports that may be alternatively enabled with the same network address in the event of a fault detected by loss of the message from a beacon device. Unidirectional network errors in the direction from the end-device to the beacon devices are detected through a path check message from the end-device to the beacon device. Multiple faults may be accommodated without network interruption by adding top-level switches without increasing the number of ports on the end-devices by cross connecting a lowest level of switch.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2011Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Anatoly Moldovansky
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Publication number: 20140033295Abstract: A high-speed security device for network connected industrial controls provides hybrid processing in tandem hardware and software security components. The software security component establishes state-less data identifying each packet that requires high-speed processing and loads a data table in the hardware component. The hardware component may then allow packets matching data of the data table to bypass the software component while passing other non-matching packets to the software component for more sophisticated state analysis.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2013Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. Batke, Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 8555373Abstract: A high-speed security device for network connected industrial controls provides hybrid processing in tandem hardware and software security components. The software security component establishes state-less data identifying each packet that requires high-speed processing and loads a data table in the hardware component. The hardware component may then allow packets matching data of the data table to bypass the software component while passing other non-matching packets to the software component for more sophisticated state analysis.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2008Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Brian A. Batke, Sivaram Balasubramanian
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Patent number: 8493840Abstract: Fault-tolerant Ethernet is provided through the use of special interfaces providing duplicate ports that may be alternatively enabled with the same network address. A switching between the ports, corrects for single faults in a two-way redundant system without time-consuming reconfiguration of other end devices or the need for complex middleware in the end devices.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2010Date of Patent: July 23, 2013Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Anatoly Moldovansky
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Publication number: 20130121158Abstract: Multiple gateway devices communicating between a device level ring (DLR) network and a spanning tree (ST) network may be provided a gateway protocol that cooperatively ensures that only a single gateway is active at a given time. This cooperation may be effected by the transmission of advertise messages by gateways, the advertise messages holding precedence values so that only a single gateway having a highest precedence value is active at a given time. Loss of the advertise messages may trigger a gateway held in a backup state to assume an active gateway role.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2011Publication date: May 16, 2013Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Anatoly Moldovansky
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Publication number: 20130088952Abstract: Fault-tolerant Ethernet is provided through the use of special interfaces providing end-devices with duplicate ports that may be alternatively enabled with the same network address in the event of a fault detected by loss of the message from a beacon device. Unidirectional network errors in the direction from the end-device to the beacon devices are detected through a path check message from the end-device to the beacon device. Multiple faults may be accommodated without network interruption by adding top-level switches without increasing the number of ports on the end-devices by cross connecting a lowest level of switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2011Publication date: April 11, 2013Inventors: Sivaram Balasubramanian, Anatoly Moldovansky
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Publication number: 20120307679Abstract: An industrial network with bidirectional communication for real time control includes nodes selectively operable in either a switch mode or a serial shifting mode. Nodes operating in the switch mode are capable of initiating data frames for transmission on the network and receiving data frames from the network. Nodes operating in either the switch mode or the serial shifting mode are capable of extracting and/or inserting data into a data frame as it is transmitted through that node. An initialization procedure determines end nodes and intermediate nodes within the network. The end nodes are configured to initially operate in the switch mode and the intermediate nodes are configured to initially operate in the serial shifting mode. The intermediate nodes are additionally operable to selectively toggle between operation in switch mode and serial shift mode and may operate in both modes during a single I/O scan cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2011Publication date: December 6, 2012Inventor: Sivaram Balasubramanian