SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTONOMOUS DYNAMIC PROVISIONING

• US 20150372865A1
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schmirler, Paul D., Biernat, Timothy S.
• Application Number:
  US14/739,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20150372865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3265 using certificate chains, trees or paths; Hierarchical trust model

Abstract

An industrial automation gateway for autonomous dynamic provisioning is provided. The industrial automation gateway includes a cloud communication interface coupled with, and configured for communication with, a cloud automation facility, and a processor coupled with the cloud communication interface. The processor is configured to determine a current configuration of the industrial automation gateway, and request a configuration update from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface. The processor is also configured to receive the configuration update from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface, and implement the configuration update within the industrial automation gateway.

Claims

1. An industrial automation gateway for autonomous dynamic provisioning comprising:

a cloud communication interface coupled with, and configured for communication with, a cloud automation facility; and

a processor coupled with the cloud communication interface, configured to;

determine a current configuration of the industrial automation gateway;

request a configuration update from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface;

receive the configuration update from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface; and

implement the configuration update within the industrial automation gateway.

2. The industrial automation gateway of claim 1, further comprising:

a dynamic software container coupled with the processor, configured to;

receive the configuration update, wherein the configuration update comprises new software components with additional functionality for the industrial automation gateway;

store the configuration update in a memory; and

bind the new software components into currently running systems within the industrial automation gateway without interruption of the currently running systems.

3. The industrial automation gateway of claim 2, further comprising:

an industrial communication interface coupled with, and configured for communication with, one or more industrial automation devices.

4. The industrial automation gateway of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a current configuration of the one or more industrial automation devices;

detect an addition of an industrial automation device to the one or more industrial automation devices;

query the added industrial automation device to determine its identity and configuration;

request a configuration update for the industrial automation gateway regarding the added industrial automation device based on its identity and configuration from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface, the configuration update comprising new software components with additional functionality to allow the industrial automation gateway to communicate with, and control, the added industrial automation device; and

transfer the configuration update to the dynamic software container to bind the new software components into the currently running systems within the industrial automation gateway without interruption of the currently running systems.

5. The industrial automation gateway of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transfer the identity and configuration of the added industrial automation device to the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface to update cloud service users with information about the added industrial automation device.

6. The industrial automation gateway of claim 4, wherein the configuration update comprises one or more of:

communication parameters, data collection parameters, or data conditioning parameters.

7. The industrial automation gateway of claim 1, further comprising:

an industrial communication interface coupled with, and configured for communication with, one or more industrial automation devices.

8. The industrial automation gateway of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a current configuration of at least one of the one or more industrial automation devices;

request a configuration update for the at least one of the one or more industrial automation devices from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface;

receive the configuration update for the at least one of the one or more industrial automation devices from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface; and

implement the configuration update within the at least one of the one or more industrial automation devices through the industrial communication interface.

9. A method for autonomous dynamic provisioning within an industrial automation gateway comprising:

determining a current configuration of the industrial automation gateway;

requesting a configuration update from a cloud automation facility through a cloud communication interface;

receiving the configuration update from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface; and

implementing the configuration update within the industrial automation gateway.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving the configuration update within a dynamic software container, wherein the configuration update comprises new software components with additional functionality for the industrial automation gateway;

storing the configuration update in a hardware memory; and

binding the new software components into currently running systems within the industrial automation gateway without interrupting the currently running systems.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a current configuration of one or more industrial automation devices coupled with the industrial automation gateway through an industrial communication interface;

detecting an addition of an industrial automation device to the one or more industrial automation devices;

querying the added industrial automation device to determine its identity and configuration;

requesting a configuration update for the industrial automation gateway regarding the added industrial automation device based on its identity and configuration from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface, the configuration update comprising new software components with additional functionality to allow the industrial automation gateway to communicate with, and control, the added industrial automation device; and

transferring the configuration update to the dynamic software container to bind the new software components into the currently running systems within the industrial automation gateway without interrupting the currently running systems.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transferring the identity and configuration of the added industrial automation device to the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface to update cloud service users with information about the added industrial automation device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration update comprises one or more of:

communication parameters, data collection parameters, or data conditioning parameters.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a current configuration of one or more industrial automation devices coupled with the industrial automation gateway through an industrial communication interface;

requesting a configuration update for the one or more industrial automation devices from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface;

receiving the configuration update for the one or more industrial automation devices from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface; and

implementing the configuration update within the one or more industrial automation devices through the industrial communication interface.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having stored thereon program instructions to facilitate autonomous dynamic provisioning within an industrial automation gateway, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

determine a current configuration of the industrial automation gateway;

request a configuration update from a cloud automation facility through a cloud communication interface;

receive the configuration update from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface; and

implement the configuration update within the industrial automation gateway.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

receive the configuration update within a dynamic software container, wherein the configuration update comprises new software components with additional functionality for the industrial automation gateway;

store the configuration update in a hardware memory; and

bind the new software components into currently running systems within the industrial automation system without interruption of the currently running systems.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

determine a current configuration of one or more industrial automation devices coupled with the industrial automation gateway through an industrial communication interface;

detect an addition of an industrial automation device to the one or more industrial automation devices;

query the added industrial automation device to determine its identity and configuration;

request a configuration update for the industrial automation gateway regarding the added industrial automation device based on its identity and configuration from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface, the configuration update comprising new software components with additional functionality to allow the industrial automation gateway to communicate with, and control, the added industrial automation device; and

transfer the configuration update to the dynamic software container to bind the new software components into the currently running systems within the industrial automation gateway without interruption of the currently running systems.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

transfer the identity and configuration of the added industrial automation device to the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface to update cloud service users with information about the added industrial automation device.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the configuration update comprises one or more of:

communication parameters, data collection parameters, or data conditioning parameters.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by the computing system, direct the computing system to at least:

determine a current configuration of one or more industrial automation devices coupled with the industrial automation gateway through an industrial communication interface;

request a configuration update for the one or more industrial automation devices from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface;

receive the configuration update for the one or more industrial automation devices from the cloud automation facility through the cloud communication interface; and

implement the configuration update within the one or more industrial automation devices through the industrial communication interface.