MODELING OF AN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION ENVIRONMENT IN THE CLOUD

• US 20160274553A1
• Filed: 03/16/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Strohmenger, John, Korpela, Jessica L., Fordenwalt, Matthew W., Pingel, Jan, Hickox, Stephen L., Weber, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,496,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4155 characterised by programme execution, i.e. part programme or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a programme
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23456 Model machine for simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31368 MAP manufacturing automation protocol
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A cloud-based modeler component that generates interactive models of an industrial automation system(s) (IAS(s)) is presented. An interactive model facilitates remote viewing of, interaction with, troubleshooting of problems with, or optimization of industrial assets of an IAS. The modeler component polls industrial assets via cloud gateways to obtain information relating to the industrial assets to identify industrial assets of the IAS and relationships with other industrial assets or can receive information from a communication device that obtains information relating to legacy industrial assets to identify those legacy assets and their relationships. The modeler component generates an interactive model of the industrial assets of the IAS based on the information. The modeler component also can discover new industrial assets added to the IAS, can receive a pre-deployed model of an industrial asset from the industrial asset or another source, and can incorporate the pre-deployed model in the interactive model.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable components;

a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising;

a collection component configured to collect a set of industrial data from a set of devices of an industrial automation system and store the set of industrial data in a data store; and

a modeler component configured to generate a model of the industrial automation system that corresponds to the industrial automation system, based on a result of an analysis of the set of industrial data, to facilitate remote interaction with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction with a virtualized industrial automation system generated based on the model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store are part of a cloud platform.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise an interface component configured to interface at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store of the cloud platform with the industrial automation system via a cloud gateway component of the industrial automation system to facilitate communication of the set of industrial data from the industrial automation system to at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein an industrial device of the industrial automation system is integrated with or associated with the cloud gateway component to facilitate communication of a subset of the set of industrial data relating to the industrial device from the industrial device to at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store receives the subset of industrial data from the industrial device to facilitate the generation of the model comprising a sub-model of the industrial device by the modeler component.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the subset of industrial data comprises at least one of a pre-deployed model that models characteristics and operation of the industrial device, identifier information that facilitates identification of the industrial device, information relating to one or more relationships between the industrial device and one or more other industrial devices or network-related devices associated with the industrial automation system, or information relating to the one or more other industrial devices or network-related devices.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a discovery component configured to discover or detect a change to the industrial automation system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the change to the industrial automation system comprises at least one of an addition of an industrial device or a network-related device to the industrial automation system, a replacement of a first industrial device with a second industrial device in the industrial automation system, a replacement of a first network-related device with a second network-related device in the industrial automation system, a connection modification of a connection associated with the first industrial device or the first network-related device, a parameter modification of a parameter associated with the first industrial device or the first network-related device, or a software or firmware modification of software or firmware associated with the first industrial device or the first network-related device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the modeler component modifies the model of the industrial automation system to model the change to the industrial automation system and generate an updated model of the industrial automation system based on the change to the industrial automation system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the modeler component analyzes the updated model to determine whether a portion of the industrial automation system is to be modified in response to the change to the industrial automation system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, based on a result of the analysis of the updated model, the modeler component at least one of determines a modification to be made to the portion of the industrial automation system, communicates modification data to the portion of the industrial automation system to facilitate modification of the portion of the industrial automation system, generates a recommendation to modify the portion of the industrial automation system, or communicates the recommendation to the portion of the industrial automation system to facilitate the modification of the portion of the industrial automation system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the modeler component receives a set of legacy industrial device data from a communication device that obtains the set of legacy industrial device data from a legacy industrial device that is not associated with a cloud gateway component, wherein the legacy industrial device is part of the industrial automation system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the legacy industrial device data comprises one or more visual images of the legacy industrial device captured by the communication device, or device information derived from the one or more visual images of the legacy industrial device captured by the communication device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the modeler component or the communication device employ a recognizer technique or an optical character recognition technique to facilitate deriving at least a portion of the legacy industrial device data.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the modeler component communicates a set of compatible configuration information associated with a sub-model of an industrial device in the model to the industrial device of the industrial automation system to facilitate configuration of the industrial device, wherein the set of compatible configuration information is compatible with the industrial device to facilitate the configuration of the industrial device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein a set of configuration information for the industrial device that is stored in the model is agnostic with respect to at least one of the manufacturer of the industrial device or an operational platform associated with the industrial device, and wherein the modeler component translates the set of configuration information to the set of compatible configuration information based on a subset of the set of industrial data relating to the industrial device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the modeler component communicates at least one of configuration information or manufacturing standards-related information of at least a portion of the model to another industrial automation system to facilitate configuration of at least a portion of the other industrial automation system based on at least one of the configuration information or the manufacturing standards-related information.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a virtualization component configured to generate a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to and interfaces with the industrial automation system, based on the model or a result of an analysis of the set of industrial data and a set of data relating to the user, to facilitate the remote interaction with the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the set of data relating to the user is received from a communication device that presents at least one of the model or the virtualized industrial automation system, and wherein the portion of the set of data relates to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system by the user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the virtualization component is further configured to generate a customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system for display on a communication device associated with the user based on one or more customization factors associated with the user of the communication device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more customization factors comprise at least one of a role of the user in connection with the industrial automation system, a preference of the user, an identity of the user, a device identifier associated with the communication device, a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the user, a set of access rights of the user to access the model, the virtualized industrial automation system, or the industrial automation system, authentication information associated with the user, a location of the user in relation to the industrial automation system, a location of the communication device in relation to the industrial automation system, a location of the radio-frequency identification tag associated with the user in relation to the industrial automation system, or context of a set of data associated with the model or the virtualized industrial automation system.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the modeler component or the virtualization component is further configured to determine a customized set of operational data to overlay on the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on the one or more customization factors.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the virtualization component is further configured to overlay the customized set of operational data on the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the virtualization component is further configured to remotely control the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the virtualized industrial automation system presents at least one of a three-dimensional virtualized view of the industrial automation system, a two-dimensional virtualized view of the industrial automation system, or a virtualized dashboard that comprises a set of operational data associated with operation of the industrial automation system.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of industrial data comprises at least one of data relating to an industrial device of the set of devices, data relating to an industrial process associated with the set of devices, data relating to an industrial asset, data relating to a network-related device of the set of devices that facilitates data communications associated with the industrial automation system, data relating to at least one interrelationship between the at least one device and at least one other device of the set of devices, data relating to an operating system associated with the industrial automation system, data relating to software associated with the industrial automation system, or data relating to firmware associated with the industrial automation system.

27. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a set of industrial data from a set of devices of an industrial automation system for storage in a data store associated with the industrial automation system; and

creating, by the system, a model of the industrial automation system that corresponds to the industrial automation system, based on a result of analyzing the set of industrial data, to facilitate remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction with the model or a virtualized industrial automation system generated based on the model.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

interfacing, by the system, a cloud platform, comprising the data store, with the industrial automation system to facilitate interfacing at least one of the model or the virtualized industrial automation system with the industrial automation system; and

monitoring, by the system, the industrial automation system via the interfacing to facilitate the receiving of the set of industrial data from the set of devices of the industrial automation system.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

communicating, by the system, a subset of the set of industrial data relating to an industrial device of the industrial automation system from the industrial device to at least one of a modeler component, a collection component, or a data store via a cloud gateway.

30. The method of claim 29, the subset of industrial data comprises at least one of a pre-deployed model that models characteristics and operation of the industrial device, identifier information that facilitates identification of the industrial device, information relating to one or more relationships between the industrial device and one or more other industrial devices or network-related devices associated with the industrial automation system, or information relating to the one or more other industrial devices or network-related devices.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

detecting, by the system, a modification to the industrial automation system; and

modifying, by the system, the model of the industrial automation system to generate a modified model of the industrial automation system that models the modification to the industrial automation system based on the modification to the industrial automation system.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

analyzing, by the system, the modified model to determine whether a portion of the industrial automation system is to be modified in response to the modification to the industrial automation system; and

based on a result of the analyzing of the modified model, at least one of;

determining, by the system, a subsequent modification to be made to the portion of the industrial automation system,

transmitting, by the system, modification data to the portion of the industrial automation system to facilitate the subsequent modification of the portion of the industrial automation system,

generating, by the system, a recommendation to modify the portion of the industrial automation system, or

transmitting, by the system, the recommendation to the portion of the industrial automation system to facilitate the subsequent modification of the portion of the industrial automation system.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

translating, by the system, a set of configuration information relating to an industrial device model that is part of the model to a set of compatible configuration information that is compatible with an industrial device of the industrial automation system, wherein the industrial device model corresponds to the industrial device; and

transmitting, by the system, the set of compatible configuration information to the industrial device of the industrial automation system to facilitate configuring the industrial device based on the set of compatible configuration information.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting, by the system, at least one of configuration information or manufacturing standards-related information associated with an industrial device model that is part of the model of the industrial automation system to another industrial automation system to facilitate configuring an industrial device of the other industrial automation system based on at least one of the configuration information or the manufacturing standards-related information.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

generating, by the system, a customized view of a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to and interfaces with the industrial automation system for display on a communication device associated with a user, based on the model or a result of an analysis of the set of industrial data and a set of data relating to the user, to facilitate the remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to interacting with the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

determining, by the system, a customized set of operational data to overlay on the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on one or more customization factors;

overlaying, by the system, the customized set of operational data on the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system; and

communicating, by the system, the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system with the customized set of operational data overlaid thereon to the communication device for display on the communication device.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

generating, by the system, one or more control signals, based on the interacting with the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system; and

communicating, by the system, the one or more control signals to the industrial automation system to facilitate remotely controlling the industrial automation system.

38. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

collecting a set of industrial data from a set of devices of an industrial automation system for storage in a data store associated with the industrial automation system; and

generating a model that corresponds to the industrial automation system, based on a result of analyzing the set of industrial data, to facilitate remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction with a virtualized industrial automation system generated based on the model.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a modification to the industrial automation system; and

modifying the model of the industrial automation system to generate a modified model of the industrial automation system that models the modification to the industrial automation system based on the modification to the industrial automation system.