US 12,111,626 B2
Software defined control system including I/O server services that communicate with containerized services
Anthony Amaro, Jr., Round Rock, TX (US); and Mark J. Nixon, Thorndale, TX (US)
Assigned to FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Oct. 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/504,953.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/211,535, filed on Jun. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0404813 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. G05B 19/042 (2006.01); G05B 15/02 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01); G06F 9/455 (2018.01)
CPC G05B 19/0421 (2013.01) [G05B 15/02 (2013.01); G05B 19/0426 (2013.01); G05B 19/418 (2013.01); G05B 19/4185 (2013.01); G05B 2219/31115 (2013.01); G05B 2219/31121 (2013.01); G06F 9/45558 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for implementing I/O server services that interact with containerized services in a process control system, the method comprising:
transmitting, by one or more I/O server services, one or more process outputs, received from one or more field devices, to each of a plurality of controller services configured to receive the one or more process outputs as controller inputs, each controller service implemented in a respective container and each executing a same control routine to generate a set of controller outputs to control the same particular portion of the industrial process via the one or more field devices;
receiving, at the one or more I/O server services, a set of controller outputs from an active controller service that has been selected from the plurality of controller services;
transmitting, at the one or more I/O server services, the one or more controller outputs to one or more field devices to drive a process output and to thereby control the particular portion of the industrial process; and
transmitting or receiving at least one controller input or output, at the one or more I/O server services, to or from one or more other services each implemented in a respective container to facilitate a process control function implemented via the one or more other services.