Method and apparatus for updating industrial assets

• US 10,310,837 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Digital Holdings LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Collins, Clifford Alex, Yu, Stella, Chadalawada, Venkata
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huda, Mohammed N
• Application Number:
  US15/247,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20180060058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 717172, 709245
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41855 by local area network [LAN], network structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A message is broadcast from an industrial device to a server. The message includes information identifying the type of the industrial device and indicates that the industrial device is to be configured. The message is received at the server, and at the server responsively determines correct configuration information associated with the type of the industrial device. The configuration information is transmitted from the server to the industrial device and a secure link is established between the server and the industrial device. The configuration information is received at the industrial device and the industrial device responsively ceases the broadcasting. Subsequently, the industrial device is configured according to the configuration information. Software from a storage unit is accessed according to the configuration information. Updated configuration information from the server to the industrial device over the secure link.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

broadcasting a message from an industrial device to a first server, a second server, and a third server, and receiving the message at the first server, the second server, and the third server, the industrial device including a processor and a sensor, the industrial device being a switch, a valve, a medical device, a turbine, a windfarm, or an engine, the sensor measuring a value, the message including information identifying the type of the industrial device and indicating that the industrial device is to be configured, the industrial device not knowing the address and not using the address of the first server, the second server, and the third server, wherein a single one of the first server, the second server, and the third server has and identifies configuration information associated with the type of the industrial device, the broadcasting of the message continuing from the industrial device until the configuration information is received at the industrial device, and wherein ones of the first server, the second server, and the third server not having the configuration information ignore the message;

wherein the first server includes the configuration information and retrieves the configuration information at the first server using the type;

wherein the second server does not include the configuration information and ignores the message;

wherein the third server does not include the configuration information and ignores the message;

transmitting the configuration information from the first server to the industrial device and establishing a secure link between the first server and the industrial device;

receiving the configuration information at the industrial device and responsively ceasing the broadcasting;

subsequently configuring the industrial device according to the configuration information, the configuring including entering a parameter value of a sensor or adjusting operation of the processor at the industrial machine;

at the industrial device identifying software needed to support the configuration and accessing the identified software from a storage unit according to the type of device indicated in the configuration information, the storage unit being separate from the first server, the second server, the third server and the industrial machine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the industrial device is a device located at a factory or plant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated configuration information is manually generated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated configuration information is automatically generated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is devoid of validation information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server includes a user interface configured to allow a user to initiate configuration updates.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the server operates the Fabric Configuration Service (FCS).

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a first server, a second server, and a third server;

an industrial device that is configured to broadcast a message to each of the first server, the second server, and the third server, the industrial device including a processor and a sensor, the industrial device being a switch, a valve, a medical device, a turbine, a windfarm, or an engine, the sensor measuring a value, the message including information identifying the type of the industrial device and indicating that the industrial device is to be configured, wherein a single one of the first server, the second server, and the third server has configuration information associated with the type of the industrial device, the broadcasting of the message continuing from the industrial device to all of the servers until the configuration information is received at the industrial device, and wherein ones of the first server, the second server, and the third server not having the configuration information ignore the message;

wherein the first server includes the configuration information and retrieves the configuration information at the first server using the type;

wherein the second server does not include the configuration information and ignores the message;

wherein the third server does not include the configuration information and ignores the message;

wherein the first server identifies the configuration information specifically associated with the type of the industrial device the first server being configured to transmit the configuration information to the industrial device and establish a secure link between the first server and the industrial device;

wherein the industrial device receives the configuration information and responsively ceases the broadcasting, the industrial device subsequently being configured according to the configuration information, the configuring including entering a parameter value of a sensor or adjusting operation of the processor at the industrial machine, the industrial device identifying software needed to support the configuration and accessing the identified software from a storage unit according to the type of device indicated in the configuration information, the storage unit being separate from the first server, the second server, the third server and the industrial machine.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the industrial device is a device located at a factory or plant.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the updated configuration information is manually generated.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the updated configuration information is automatically generated.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the message is devoid of validation information.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the server includes a user interface configured to allow a user to initiate configuration updates.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the server operates the Fabric Configuration Service (FCS).