Method and apparatus for auto synchronizing control system data structures with model composition

• US 10,054,912 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2015
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Srivastava, Ayush, Kurella, Nagesh Laxminarayana, Banerjee, Abhik, Thakur, Pavan Kumar Singh, Gundeboina, Siva
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUNG D
• Application Number:
  US14/886,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20170108835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4186 by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31369 Translation, conversion of protocol between two layers, networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating models of control systems based on the data emitted by the PLCs of the control system are disclosed. It is initially determined if the data of a PLC is structured data or unstructured data. If the data emitted by the PLC is structured data, a model of the control system is automatically generated based on the structured data from the PLC. If the data is unstructured data, information regarding the assets in the control system is obtained from another data source other than the PLC and a model of the control system is generated based on the received information and the data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing, by a computing device, data stored in a Programmable Logic Controller, the data associated with one or more assets of a control system comprising the Programmable Logic Controller and the data comprising a plurality of data elements;

determining, by the computing device, if the data is structured data or unstructured data;

if the data is structured data,

automatically generating from the data, by the computing device, a model of the control system;

and,

if the data is unstructured data,

receiving, by the computing device, information regarding an asset of the one or more assets that is associated with each of the data elements; and

generating, by the computing device, a model of the control system based on the received asset information and the data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data further comprises:

decomposing, by the computing device, the data elements into respective data components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data further comprises:

determining, by the computing device, that the data is structured data if the data components comprise a signal name, an asset generating a signal corresponding to the signal name, a value associated with the signal and an identification of a memory address on the Programmable Logic Controller.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data further comprises:

determining, by the computing device, that the data is unstructured data if the data components comprise a signal name, a value associated with the signal and an identification of a memory address on the Programmable Logic Controller and the data components do not comprise information regarding an asset generating a signal corresponding to the signal name.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the computing device in a memory, information regarding the generated model in an output file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the output file is one of a JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format, XML (extensible Markup Language) format and a CSV (comma separated values) format.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

enabling, by the computing device, generation of a HMI (human machine interface) for the control system from the output file.

8. The method of claim 1, the model comprises information regarding asset groups, the one or more assets, attributes of the one or more assets, processes executed by the one or more assets and interactions of the one or more assets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, information regarding an asset of the one or more assets associated with each of the data elements if the data is unstructured data further comprises:

receiving, by the computing device from a user, information regarding an asset of the one or more assets that is associated with each of the data elements of the unstructured data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving, information regarding an asset associated with each of the data elements if the data is unstructured data further comprises:

receiving, by the computing device from the user, information regarding interactions between the assets associated with the data elements of the unstructured data.

11. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic executable by the processor, the program logic comprising;

data accessing logic that accesses data stored in a Programmable Logic Controller, the data associated with one or more assets of a control system comprising the Programmable Logic Controller and the data comprising a plurality of data elements;

determining logic that determines if the data is structured data or unstructured data;

receiving logic that receives information regarding an asset of the one or more assets that is associated with each of the data elements if the determining logic determines that the data is unstructured data;

model generating logic that automatically generates a model of the control system based on the data if the determining logic determines that the data is structured data, and

the model generating logic generates a model of the control system based on the received asset information and the data if the determining logic determines that the data is unstructured data.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein:

each data element of the structured data comprises a signal name, an asset associated with the signal, a current value of the signal and an identification of a memory address on the Programmable Logic Controller comprising the data element and

each data element of the unstructured data comprises a signal name, a current value of the signal and an identification of a memory address on the Programmable Logic Controller comprising the data element and does not comprise information regarding an asset generating a signal corresponding to the signal name.

13. The computing device of claim 11, the program logic further comprising:

decomposing logic that decomposes the data elements into respective data components.

14. The computing device of claim 11, the receiving logic further comprising:

logic that receives from a user, information regarding an asset of the one or more assets associated with each of the data elements of the unstructured data.

15. The computing device of claim 11, the program logic further comprising:

logic that stores information regarding the generated model in an output file.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising instructions for:

accessing data stored in a Programmable Logic Controller, the data being associated with one or more assets of a control system comprising the Programmable Logic Controller and the data comprising a plurality of data elements;

determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data;

if the data is structured data, automatically generating from the data, a model of the control system;

and,

if the data is unstructured data,

receiving information regarding an asset of the one or more assets that is associated with each of the data elements; and

generating a model of the control system based on the received asset information and the data.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions for determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data further comprise instructions for:

decomposing the data elements into respective data components.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions for determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data further comprise instructions for:

determining that the data is structured data if each of the data elements comprise a signal name, an asset generating a signal corresponding to the signal name, a value associated with the signal and an identification of a memory address on the Programmable Logic Controller.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the instructions for determining if the data is structured data or unstructured data further comprise instructions for:

determining that the data is unstructured data if each of the data elements comprise a signal name, a value associated with the signal and an identification of a memory address on the Programmable Logic Controller and the data elements do not comprise information regarding an asset generating a signal corresponding to the signal name.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

storing in a memory, information regarding the generated model in an output file.