| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090016357 | SEPARATE SECURE NETWORKS OVER A NON-SECURE NETWORK - Systems and methods for creating and operating separate secure networks over a non-secure network are described herein. Some illustrative embodiments include a system that includes a router with one or more ports and control logic coupled to the one or more ports (the control logic capable of establishing a plurality of secure data paths with at least one other router across a network), and a plurality of external storage devices (each storage device separate from the router but capable of being detachably coupled to a port of the one or more ports, and each external storage device comprising configuration data defining one or more secure data paths of the plurality of secure data paths). Configuration data stored in a first external storage device of the plurality of external storage devices is different from configuration data stored in a second external storage device of the plurality of external storage devices. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20100226280 | REMOTE SECURE ROUTER CONFIGURATION - Systems and methods for securing a data communication network are described herein. An illustrative system includes a first router and an external storage device. The external storage device contains data that configures the first router. The external storage device is remotely coupled to the first router to configure the first router. The data that configures the first router includes the definition of a secure data path between the first router and a second router. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100228961 | HIERARCHICAL SECURE NETWORKS - Systems and methods for creating hierarchical network communications between trusted domains are described herein. An illustrative system includes a first, second, and third network. The first and second networks each include a plurality of routers, each router capable of establishing a secure data path with another router in the respective network. The third network includes a first router and a second router, each router capable of establishing a secure data path with the other router. The definition of each secure data path is provided by an external storage device that detachably couples to a router. The storage devices defining the secure data paths are unique to each router. The first and second networks communicate through the third network. | 09-09-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20100286798 | ECONOMIC CALCULATIONS IN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM - A process control system includes economic models disposed in communication with process control modules, as well as with sources of economic data, such as cost, throughput and profit data, and uses the economic models to determine useful economic parameters or information associated with the actual operation of the process plant at the time the plant is operating. The economic models can be used to provide financial statistics such as profitability, cost of manufactured product, etc. in real time based on the actual current operating state of the process and the business data associated with the finished product, raw materials, etc. These financial statistics can be used to drive alarms and alerts within the process network and be used as inputs to process plant optimizers, etc. to provide for better or more optimal control of the process and to provide a better understanding of the conditions which lead to maximum profitability of the plant. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100293019 | ECONOMIC CALCULATIONS IN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM - A process control system includes economic models disposed in communication with process control modules, as well as with sources of economic data such as cost, throughput and profit data, and uses the economic models to determine useful economic parameters or information associated with the actual operation of the process plant at the time the plant is operating. The economic models can be used to provide financial statistics such as profitability, cost of manufactured product, etc. in real time based on the actual current operating state of the process and the business data associated with the finished product, raw materials, etc. These financial statistics can be used to drive alarms and alerts within the process network and be used as inputs to process plant optimizers, etc. to provide for better or more optimal control of the process and to provide a better understanding of the conditions which lead to maximum profitability of the plant. | 11-18-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20090089247 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO STANDARDIZE DATA PROPERTIES IN A PROCESS CONTROL ENVIRONMENT - Example methods and apparatus to standardize data properties in a process control environment are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes associating a function block with a primary key. The example method also includes associating at least one data property associated with the process control environment with the primary key and storing an instance of the at least one data property in a history database associated with the process control environment. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090319060 | Continuously Scheduled Model Parameter Based Adaptive Controller - An adaptive process controller performs continuously scheduled process model parameter interpolation to determine a particular set of process model parameters which are used to develop controller tuning parameters for controller tuning. More particularly, a state-based, adaptive PID controller described herein uses a new technique to determine an appropriate process model to be used to perform adaptive tuning over the various operating regions of the plant, and in particular, uses a process model parameter determination technique that enables continuously scheduled process model parameter update over the various plant operating regions or points. The use of this continuously scheduled process model parameter update method provides for smoother transitions between tuning parameters used in the PID controller during adaptive tuning procedures which are implemented based on changes in the operating region or the operating point of the process, thereby providing for better overall control. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20100318934 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO PREDICT PROCESS QUALITY IN A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM - Example methods and apparatus to predict process quality in a process control system are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes receiving process control information relating to a process at a first time including a first value associated with a first measured variable and a second value associated with a second measured variable, determining if a variation based on the received process control information associated with the process exceeds a threshold, if the variation exceeds the threshold, calculating a first contribution value based on a contribution of the first measured variable to the variation and a second contribution value based on a contribution of the second measured variable to the variation, determining at least one corrective action based on the first contribution value, the second contribution value, the first value, or the second value, and calculating a predicted process quality based on the at least one corrective action at a time after the first time. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110134973 | APPENDABLE SYSTEM AND DEVICES FOR DATA ACQUISITION, ANALYSIS AND CONTROL - An appendable system includes a plurality of appendable devices that are adapted to interoperate with each other and/or a workstation via a communication network to monitor and/or control a process. Each of the appendable devices can communicate with one or more sensors and/or control outputs and includes a housing that facilitates mounting of the appendable device to a surface. | 06-09-2011 |