Adjustable data collection rate for embedded historians

• US 7,933,666 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baier, John J., Campbell, John T., McGreevy, Robert J., Herbst, Robert J., Jasper, Taryl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAO, SHEELA S
• Application Number:
  US11/558,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20080114571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 702/179, 702/189, 702/187, 702/182, 700/74, 700/51, 700/34, 700/46, 700/52, 700/53, 700/55, 700/73, 700/75, 703/2, 703/6, 707/10, 709/248, 713/375, 713/400
• US Class Current: 700/74
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31323 Database for CIM
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• 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 that can vary a data collection rate via a rate adjustment component, to collect data with different level of granularity. The rate adjustment component can further include an estimation component that can automatically predict a required sampling rate for a stage of an operation, based on statistical models and data collected for similar operations and/or history data. Such difference in the granularity level can initiate in part in response to fault detection, alert triggering, and the like. Accordingly, future trouble shooting efforts can be performed with respect to data that is typically collected at an adjustable rate.

Claims

1. An industrial automation system, comprising:

at least one embedded historian integrated within an industrial controller that collects data from an industrial process at an adjustable sampling rate;

a rate adjustment component configured to vary the sampling rate for the at least one embedded historian based on a stage of the industrial process being performed; and

a storage medium configured to store the data collected by the at least one embedded historian and that manages a gradual decay for stored data,

wherein a first data collection sampling rate is associated with a normal operation stage of the industrial process, and a second data collection sampling rate is associated with a critical stage of the industrial process, and wherein the rate adjustment component is configured to cause the at least one embedded historian to sample data from the industrial process at the first sampling rate during the normal operation stage, and to sample data from the industrial process at the second sampling rate during the critical stage.

2. The industrial automation system of claim 1, further comprising an estimation component configured to generate a prediction of a required data sampling rate for a stage of the industrial process using a statistical model constructed based on prior data collected by the at least one embedded historian, the rate adjustment component configured to adjust the sampling rate for the at least one embedded historian in accordance with the prediction as the stage of the industrial process is being executed.

3. The industrial automation system of claim 2, further comprising a component configured to receive manual feedback regarding an efficiency of the data collection and to adjust the statistical model based on the feedback.

4. The industrial automation system of claim 1, further comprising a hierarchical data model representing the industrial automation system that is distributed to at least one controller in the industrial automation system and that has nodes representing units associated with the industrial automation system, the hierarchical data model enabling the at least one embedded historian to locate data of interest within the industrial automation system for collection.

5. The industrial automation system of claim 4, further comprising a directory service configured to operate with the hierarchical data model to enable adjustment of sampling rate and data collection via the at least one embedded historian.

6. The industrial automation system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component configured to facilitate determination of a data collection sampling rate by the at least one embedded historian.

7. The industrial automation system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one embedded historian is associated with at least one of a controller, a module in a chassis, a server, a sensor, or a factory component.

8. The industrial automation system of claim 1, wherein the rate adjustment component is part of an application that runs on a control unit and that functions as a management control center.

9. The industrial automation system of claim 1, further comprising a purge component configured to evaluate the stored data and to notify the at least one embedded historian whether data stored on memory associated with the at least one embedded historian is permitted to be overwritten.

10. The industrial automation system of claim 1, wherein the rate adjustment component is configured to adjust the sampling rate for the at least one embedded historian in response to a detected fault condition on the industrial automation system.

11. A method of collecting data via embedded historians within an industrial plant comprising:

identifying a process for collection of history data;

associating a first data collection sample rate with a first stage of the process;

associating a second data collection sample rate with a second stage of the process;

adjusting a data collection sample rate of an embedded historian to the first data collection sample rate when the first stage of the process is being executed;

adjusting the data collection sample rate of the embedded historian to the second data collection sample rate when the second stage of the process is being executed;

storing history data collected by the embedded historian to a storage medium associated with the embedded historian; and

providing a gradual decay of the stored history data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating a selected granularity of data collection with each of a plurality of function blocks that define and execute control functions that control the process; and

adjusting the data collection sample rate of the embedded historian as the function blocks are executed to achieve the selected granularity of data collection for each of the plurality of function blocks.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising defining a plurality of triggering events that correspond to execution of granularity levels associated with the plurality of functional blocks.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

receiving feedback regarding efficiency of collecting data at the respective granularity levels;

and

adjusting the data collection sample rate of the embedded historian based at least on the feedback.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising collecting data based on the plurality of triggering events.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically capturing data at a data collection sample rate associated with a given function block upon onset of activities relating to the given functional block.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising setting the data collection sample rate of the embedded historian based on type of data to be collected.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising collecting data across various levels of the industrial plant via a distributed plurality of embedded historians.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising adjusting the data collection sample rate of the embedded historian based on a time of the data collection.

20. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a rate adjustment component configured to vary a data collection sample rate for embedded historians that collect data from an industrial process for storage in a storage medium, the sample rate varied as a function of which stage of the industrial process is being executed to achieve a specified level of data collection granularity for the respective stages;

a purge component service configured to determine whether the data is required for future use and to purge the data from the storage medium if it is determined that the data is not required for future use; and

a directory that determines where a source or destination for a historian data structure is located.

21. The computer implemented system of claim 20, further comprising an artificial intelligence component configured to facilitate determining the data collection sample rate.

22. The computer implemented system of claim 20, further comprising a database configured to provide business related services the historians.

23. The computer implemented system of claim 20, wherein the rate adjustment component is part of an application that runs on a control unit of an industrial plant.

24. An industrial controller system comprising:

means for collecting data related to an industrial process with an embedded historian;

means for associating a first data collection sample rate and a second data collection sample rate with a first stage of the industrial process and a second stage of the industrial process, respectively;

means for adjusting a data collection sample rate of the embedded historian to the first data collection sample rate during execution of the first stage of the industrial process;

means for adjusting the data collection sample rate of the embedded historian to the second data collection sample rate during execution of the second stage of the industrial process;

means for storing the data collected by the means for collecting and supplying a gradual decay of stored data.

25. The industrial controller system of claim 24, further comprising means for graphically displaying a view of the industrial controller system.

26. The industrial controller system of claim 25, further comprising means for representing units associated with an industrial plant as nodes within an organizational data model.

27. The industrial controller system of claim 24, further comprising means for pointing to a source of data to be collected by the embedded historian based at least on a role of a requester of the data.

28. The industrial controller system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for determining whether the stored data is required for future use; and

means for purging the stored data if it is determined that the stored data is not required for future use.

29. The industrial controller system of claim 24, further comprising means for directly interfacing the embedded historian to an industrial controller.