Norman R Swanson

US Patent:

6415418, Jul 2, 2002

Filed:

Aug 27, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/384507

Inventors:

Paul F. McLaughlin - Hatfield PA
Norman R. Swanson - Doylestown PA
Brian R. Reynolds - Philadelphia PA
Markku K. V{umlaut over (aa)}täinen - Kuvansi, FI
Pekka M. Salpakari - Varkaus, FI

Assignee:

Honeywell Inc. - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

G06F 1750

US Classification:

716 3

Abstract:

A system for, and method of, disseminating a functional block to a redundant controller for a real-time process control system and a real-time process control system incorporating the system or the method. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a dynamically linkable library object associable with the functional block and (2) a shared memory, associated with at least two nodes of the redundant controller, that receives the dynamically linkable library object and the functional block and provides concurrent access thereto by both the at least two nodes to ensure consistent memory images therefore without requiring one of the at least two nodes to be taken off-line.

US Patent:

8108853, Jan 31, 2012

Filed:

May 5, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/429093

Inventors:

Sunil S. Bale - Bangalore, IN
Ashish Sharma - New Delhi, IN
Norman R. Swanson - Douglassville PA, US
Paul F. McLaughlin - Ambler PA, US
Jay M. Doyle - Newtown PA, US

Assignee:

Honeywell International Inc. - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

G06F 9/44
G06F 9/445

US Classification:

717174, 717168, 717170, 717171, 717172, 717173, 717176, 717177, 717178

Abstract:

A method includes receiving a request to install a software release, where the software release is to be installed on a first device and/or a second device. The method also includes initiating installation of the software release on the second device and determining whether or not a user wishes to continue with the installation of the software release. The method further includes initiating installation of the software release on the first device if the user wishes to continue. In addition, the method includes restoring a second software release on the second device if the user does not wish to continue. The first and second devices may represent redundant devices, such as a redundant set of controllers in a process control system or a redundant set of I/O modules that facilitate communication between one or more controllers and one or more process elements in the process control system.

US Patent:

20110258433, Oct 20, 2011

Filed:

Apr 16, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/762215

Inventors:

Christopher Pulini - Conshohocken PA, US
Norman R. Swanson - Douglassville PA, US
Alexander Chernoguzov - Warrington PA, US
Niral B. Sanghavi - Lansdale PA, US
Channabasavaraj Raravi - Hospet, IN
Karthikeya S. Ramanathan - Bangalore, IN

Assignee:

Honeywell International Inc. - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

H04L 29/06
H04L 9/00

US Classification:

713153, 380270

Abstract:

A method includes synchronizing a first gateway with information from a second gateway. The second gateway operates in a primary role with at least one primary network address. The second gateway communicates with at least one wireless device that uses at least one encryption key during at least one secure communication session. The information includes the at least one encryption key. The method also includes detecting a switchover event at the first gateway. The method further includes, in response to detecting the switchover event, switching the first gateway to the primary role, communicating using the at least one primary network address, and maintaining the at least one secure communication session at the first gateway after the first gateway switches to the primary role.

US Patent:

62723863, Aug 7, 2001

Filed:

Mar 27, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/049880

Inventors:

Paul Francis McLaughlin - Hatfield PA
Joseph P. Felix - Glenside PA
Norman Raymond Swanson - Doylestown PA

Assignee:

Honeywell International INC - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

G05B 902

US Classification:

700 82

Abstract:

There is disclosed a redundant process controller for use in a process facility having a plurality of process systems that produce process data, wherein the process data are gathered by process controllers associated with the process systems and are exchanged by the process controllers via a network. The redundant process controller is associated with a first selected process system and is capable of receiving process data from at least one remote process controller and intermittently transferring the received process data to the first selected process system. The redundant process controller comprises 1) a primary process controller capable of storing the received process data, wherein the primary process controller transmits the received process data to the first selected process system; and 2) a secondary process controller capable of storing the received process data, wherein the secondary process controller detects failures in the primary process controller and, upon detection of a failure, transmits to the first selected process system the received process data in lieu of the primary process controller.

US Patent:

61700444, Jan 2, 2001

Filed:

Dec 19, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/993336

Inventors:

Paul Francis McLaughlin - Hatfield PA
Norman Raymond Swanson - Doylestown PA

Assignee:

Honeywell Inc. - Morristown NJ

International Classification:

G06F 1200

US Classification:

711162

Abstract:

There is disclosed a system and method for maintaining data coherency between a primary process controller operable to execute process control tasks and a backup process controller operable to replace the primary process controller upon failure, wherein the primary process controller cyclically executes the process control tasks during base control cycles having a period, T. The system comprises 1) a tracking circuit operable to detect changed data in a main memory in the primary process controller; 2) a data buffer for temporarily storing the changed data; and 3) data transfer circuitry for transferring the changed data in the data buffer to a backup memory in the backup process controller at least once during each base control cycle of the primary process controller, such that the transfer of changed data does not interfere with execution of the process control tasks.

US Patent:

20210255605, Aug 19, 2021

Filed:

Feb 13, 2020

Appl. No.:

16/790318

Inventors:

- Morris Plains NJ, US
Joseph Felix - Lansdale PA, US
Norman Swanson - Douglassville PA, US
Jason Urso - Fountain Hills AZ, US

International Classification:

G05B 19/418

Abstract:

Methods and systems for synchronizing controllers in an automation control system, can involve arranging redundancy elements in an automation control system comprising a group of nodes, wherein the redundancy elements can include one or more primary controllers and a group of concurrent secondary controllers, and wherein a back-up to the primary controller can exist on any node. Such methods and systems can further involve backing-up of the primary controller by the one or more secondary controllers to allow the primary controller to maintain the one or more secondary controllers as a new, alternate secondary controller for a load balancing or an equipment update

US Patent:

20200310920, Oct 1, 2020

Filed:

Jul 3, 2019

Appl. No.:

16/502692

Inventors:

- Morris Plains NJ, US
Jason Thomas Urso - Houston TX, US
James Michael Schreder - Perkasie PA, US
John Rosa-Bian - Ambler PA, US
Norman Swanson - Douglassville PA, US
Jethro F. Steinman - Haverford PA, US

Assignee:

Honeywell International Inc. - Morris Plains NJ

International Classification:

G06F 11/14
G06F 13/42
G06F 9/50
G05B 19/418

Abstract:

A method of fault-tolerant process control includes providing a network process control system in an industrial processing facility (IPF) including a plant-wide network coupling a server to computing platforms each including computing hardware and memory hosting a software application for simultaneously supporting a process controller and another process controller or an I/O gateway. The computing platforms are coupled together by a private path redundancy network for providing a hardware resource pool. At least some of the computing platforms are directly coupled by an I/O mesh network to a plurality of I/O devices to field devices that are coupled to processing equipment. Upon detecting at least one failing device in the hardware resource pool, over the private path redundancy network a backup is placed into service for the failing device from the another process controller or I/O gateway that is at another of the computing platforms in the hardware resource pool.

US Patent:

20160299497, Oct 13, 2016

Filed:

Mar 23, 2016

Appl. No.:

15/078832

Inventors:

- Morris Plains NJ, US
Cathleen F. Kilpatrick - Bethlehem PA, US
Norman R. Swanson - Douglassville PA, US
Joseph P. Felix - Jenkintown PA, US

International Classification:

G05B 19/418

Abstract:

A method includes installing new communication interfaces in first process controllers of an industrial process control and automation system. The first process controllers are configured to communicate over a first supervisory network, and the communication interfaces are configured to communicate over a second supervisory network of a different type. The method also includes migrating the first process controllers to second process controllers of a different type while maintaining control over an industrial process being controlled by the first process controllers. The second process controllers are configured to communicate over the second supervisory network.