Smart device for industrial automation

• US 9,363,336 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawson, Douglas C., Reichard, Douglas J., Harkulich, Joseph A., Hessmer, Rainer, Chand, Sujeet, Farchmin, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/725,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31326 Database to manage communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31334 Database with devices, configuration, of plant
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33139 Design of industrial communication system with expert system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/12 Synchronisation of different clock signals provided by a plurality of clock generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/12 : 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 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 : Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A cloud-aware smart device that facilitates automated configuration and integration of the device within an automation system is provided. Upon installation within the automation system, the smart device determines its geographical location, identifies other devices on the system, and determines its role within the system. The smart device then establishes communication with a cloud platform running one or more cloud-based applications or services and sends a device profile containing the gathered information to the cloud platform. The device profile can be used to automatically configure the device for operation within the system or to add the smart device to an existing cloud-based application.

Claims

1. An industrial automation device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein computer-executable components comprising;

a plant context component configured to analyze an industrial automation environment in which the industrial automation device resides and determine context information relating to the industrial automation device in the industrial automation environment based on the analysis, wherein the context information comprises a hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in a hierarchical model describing the industrial automation environment and updates to the hierarchical model associated with the hierarchical position;

a profile generation component configured to generate a device profile for the industrial automation device that includes at least an industrial automation role and the context information of the industrial automation device; and

a cloud interface component that communicatively connects the industrial automation device to a cloud platform and sends the device profile to the cloud platform.

2. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the plant context component is configured to determine the hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in the hierarchical model by analysis of a topology of devices on a network common to the industrial automation device.

3. The industrial automation device of claim 2, wherein the plant context component is configured to determine an industrial manufacturing process performed by at least one of the devices on the network common to the industrial automation device;

and further comprising a role component configured to determine the industrial automation role of the industrial automation device based upon the industrial manufacturing process performed by the at least one of the devices on the network common to the industrial automation device.

4. The industrial automation device of claim 3, further comprising localization component configured to determine a geographical location of the industrial automation device, wherein the profile generation component is configured to include the geographical location in the device profile.

5. The industrial automation device of claim 1, further comprising a role component configured to determine the industrial automation role of the industrial automation device based on a type of the industrial automation device and the hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in the hierarchical model describing the industrial automation environment.

6. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the hierarchical model describes a hierarchical organization of at least one of devices, areas, or facilities in the industrial automation environment.

7. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the cloud interface component sends the device profile to a cloud-based application residing on the cloud platform.

8. The industrial automation device of claim 7, wherein the cloud-based application is at least one of a device management system, an operator interface system, a notification system, or a historian data interface system.

9. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the profile generation component is further configured to identify data required by the industrial automation device based on the industrial automation role of the industrial automation device and include an indication of the required data in the device profile.

10. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the cloud interface component is further configured to receive configuration information from the cloud platform.

11. The industrial automation device of claim 10, wherein the configuration information at least one of creates a new data tag in the industrial automation device, configures the industrial automation device to exchange data with a different device, or configures an operating parameter of the industrial automation device.

12. The industrial automation device of claim 1, wherein the cloud interface is further configured to communicatively connect the industrial automation device to the cloud platform through a proxy device.

13. A method, comprising:

determining, by an industrial automation device including a processor, context information relating to the industrial automation device in an industrial automation environment by evaluating the industrial automation environment in which the industrial automation device resides, wherein the context information comprises a hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in a hierarchical model describing the industrial automation environment and updates to the hierarchical model associated with the hierarchical position;

determining, by the industrial automation device, an industrial automation role of the industrial automation device within the industrial automation environment; and

sending, by the industrial automation device to a cloud platform, a device profile comprising information describing the industrial automation role and the context information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in the hierarchical model is based on an analysis of a topology of devices on a network common to the industrial automation device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining the industrial automation role is based on a type of the industrial device and the hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in the hierarchical model describing the industrial automation environment.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying, by the industrial automation device, data required by the industrial automation device based on the industrial automation role of the industrial automation device; and

including, within the device profile, an indication of the data required by the industrial automation device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the hierarchical model describes a hierarchical organization of at least one of devices, areas, or facilities in the industrial automation environment.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining, by the industrial automation device, an industrial manufacturing process performed by at least one of the devices on the network common to the industrial automation device; and

wherein the determining the industrial automation role of the industrial automation device is further based upon the industrial manufacturing process performed by the at least one of the devices on the network common to the industrial automation device.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising communicatively coupling the industrial automation device to the cloud platform via a cloud proxy device.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the sending comprises sending the device profile to a cloud-based application of the cloud platform that is at least one of a device management system, an operator interface system, a notification system, or a historian data interface system.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause an industrial automation device including a processor to perform operations comprising:

determining context information relating to the industrial automation device in an industrial automation environment by examining the industrial automation environment in which the industrial automation device resides, wherein the context information comprises a hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in a hierarchical model describing the industrial automation environment and updates to the hierarchical model associated with the hierarchical position;

determining an industrial automation role of the industrial automation device within the industrial automation environment;

generating a device profile for the industrial automation device that includes the context information and the industrial automation role of the industrial automation device; and

sending the device profile to a cloud platform.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the determining the hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in the hierarchical model is based on an analysis of a topology of devices on a network common to the industrial automation device.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the determining the industrial automation role is based on a type of the industrial device and the hierarchical position of the industrial automation device in the hierarchical model describing the industrial automation environment.