An object is to prevent automatic operation from being started while a monitoring function is in a disabled state. The present invention provides a robot system includes a robot, a control unit controlling the robot, and an operation monitoring unit having a monitoring function for monitoring contact or the possibility of contact between the robot and a peripheral object. The operation monitoring unit has a monitoring changeover switch that switches between enabling and disabling of the monitoring function. The control unit has a mode changeover switch that switches between a manual operation mode, and an automatic operation mode. The control unit performs control so as to inhibit the operation of the robot in a state in which the monitoring function is disabled and in which the operation mode is set to the automatic operation mode.

A controller is provided for coordinated control of various subsystems, such as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem, a camera subsystem, and a security subsystem, in a structure such as a home, by allowing automatic as well as manual changes to be made to the subsystems within their respective constraints. The controller may change the states or settings of the subsystems automatically upon occurrences of certain conditions, or allow the user to change them by switching a structure mode for the subsystems between a home mode and an away mode. A change in the structure mode may effect changes to some or all of the states or settings for some or all of the subsystems.

A system includes a manual tool data system having a manual tool data monitoring system configured to monitor one or more manual tools, a manual tool data acquisition system configured to acquire data corresponding to one or more operational parameters of the one or more manual tools, a manual tool data analysis system configured to analyze the data acquired by the manual tool data acquisition system, and a manual tool messaging system configured to generate messages based on the data analyzed by the manual tool data analysis system.

A system includes a manual tool data system having a manual tool data monitoring system configured to monitor one or more manual tools, a manual tool data acquisition system configured to acquire data corresponding to one or more operational parameters of the one or more manual tools, a manual tool data analysis system configured to analyze the data acquired by the manual tool data acquisition system, and a manual tool messaging system configured to generate messages based on the data analyzed by the manual tool data analysis system.

A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.

A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.

A visualization system for creating, displaying and animating overview and detail heat map displays for industrial automation. The visualization system connects the heat map displays to an interface component providing manual or automatic input data from an industrial process or an archive of historical industrial process input data. The animated heat map displays providing quality, prognostic or diagnostic information.

A visualization system for creating, displaying and animating overview and detail heat map displays for industrial automation. The visualization system connects the heat map displays to an interface component providing manual or automatic input data from an industrial process or an archive of historical industrial process input data. The animated heat map displays providing quality, prognostic or diagnostic information.

A method for designing, configuring and maintaining a drive device with a central database provided for application programs used for designing, configuring and maintaining the drive device. Data are stored in the central database as temporal data and can be read and supplemented by the application programs. Configuration rules, dependent on the life cycle phase of the drive device, for an execution and/or an extent of a configuration change to the configuration of the drive device are defined.

Some embodiments are directed to an apparatus for monitoring at least one thermal control device, the device including a power supply input terminal suitable for being connected to an electric power source. The monitoring apparatus includes an electronic console that stores control instructions from the or each thermal control device. The control instructions include, for each thermal control device, at least one temperature setpoint and one energy consumption setpoint; at least one temperature sensor suitable for providing temperature data measurements, the temperature and energy consumption setpoints being determined based on parameters comprising at least said temperature data measurements; and at least one device for controlling the electric power supply of the or one of the thermal control devices, connected to the power supply input terminal of said device and suitable for controlling the electric power supply of the device based on at least the temperature and energy consumption setpoints.