US 12,007,733 B2
Floating master controller
Stephen Towner, Cypress, TX (US); Trung Nguyen, Sugar Land, TX (US); and Amit Saxena, Katy, TX (US)
Assigned to Siemens Energy, Inc., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed by SIEMENS ENERGY, INC., Orlando, FL (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/707,058.
Prior Publication US 2023/0315035 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. G05B 19/042 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/042 (2013.01) [G05B 2219/2238 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A floating master controller for a hardware unit in a system of a plurality of hardware units in network communication with each other that are each capable of carrying out at least one mechanical function and that each include a respective floating master controller, comprising:
a processor configured via executable instructions included in a memory to cause the hardware unit to operate in one of at least four modes in which the hardware unit is configured to operate, including a master mode, a backup mode, a tracking mode, and a fault mode,
wherein when the hardware unit is operating in the master mode, the hardware unit is configured to send control data to the other hardware units in the system to control the at least one mechanical function in each of the other hardware units,
wherein when the hardware unit is operating in the backup mode the hardware unit is configured to: track one of the other hardware units in the system that is operating in the master mode, and thereby operate the at least one mechanical function of the hardware unit responsive to control data received from the other hardware unit that is operating in the master mode; cause the hardware unit operating in the backup mode to begin operating in the master mode, responsive to the other hardware unit operating in the master mode entering the fault mode; and cause the hardware unit to begin operating in the backup mode and tracking the other hardware unit, responsive to the other hardware unit operating again in the master mode,
wherein when the hardware unit is operating in the tracking mode: the hardware unit is configured to: track one of the other hardware units in the system operating in the master mode and thereby operate the at least one mechanical function of the hardware unit responsive to the control data received from the other hardware unit that is operating in the master mode; cause the hardware unit operating in the tracking mode to remain in the tracking mode, responsive to the other hardware unit operating in the master mode entering the fault mode or is not being available; and cause the hardware unit to begin tracking the other hardware unit or a further hardware unit in the system, responsive to the other hardware unit operating again in the master mode or responsive to the further hardware unit operating in the master mode, and
wherein when the hardware unit detects an internal fault condition the hardware unit is configured to begin operating in the fault mode.