Distributed big data in a process control system
First Claim
1. A first process control device for supporting distributed big data in a process plant, the first process control device being a field device that performs a physical function to control at least a pre-determined portion of a process in the process plant, and the field device including:
- (i) a device processor;
(ii) one or more device tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage media having stored thereon a set of computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the device processor, cause the field device to at least one of;
(i) perform the physical function, generate process data corresponding to the performed physical function, and transmit, via a communication network within the process plant, the generated process data to a second process control device operating to control the process in real-time, or(ii) receive process data from the second process control device via the communication network within the process plant, and perform the physical function based on the received process data;
(iii) a first interface via which the field device is connected to an input/output (I/O) device, the I/O device disposed between the field device and a controller and communicatively connecting the field device to the communication network, the generated process data transmitted via the first interface, and the received process data received via the first interface; and
(iv) an embedded big data apparatus having embedded data storage and embedded computer-executable instructions stored on one or more embedded tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the embedded big data apparatus to;
locally store, in the embedded big data storage, the generated process data and the received process data;
perform a learning analysis on at least a part of the locally stored process data;
create learned knowledge based on a result of the learning analysis, the learned knowledge including at least one of a time relationship or a causal relationship between process variables having values included in the locally stored process data;
locally store the created learned knowledge in the embedded big data storage of the embedded big data apparatus included in the field device; and
cause at least a portion of the locally stored learned knowledge to be distributed, via a second interface included in the field device and communicatively connecting the field device with a process control big data network different than the communication network, to the second process control device in the process plant to thereby modify, based upon the distributed learned knowledge, an operation of the second process control device, the second process control device including a respective embedded big data apparatus and operating in real-time to control the process.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed big data device in a process plant includes an embedded big data appliance configured to locally stream and store, as big data, data that is generated, received, or observed by the device, and to perform one or more learning analyzes on at least a portion of the stored data. The embedded big data appliance generates or creates learned knowledge based on a result of the learning analysis, which the device may use to modify its operation to control a process in real-time in the process plant, and/or which the device may transmit to other devices in the process plant. The distributed big data device may be a field device, a controller, an input/output device, or other process plant device, and may utilize learned knowledge created by other devices when performing its learning analysis.
564 Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A first process control device for supporting distributed big data in a process plant, the first process control device being a field device that performs a physical function to control at least a pre-determined portion of a process in the process plant, and the field device including:
-
(i) a device processor; (ii) one or more device tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage media having stored thereon a set of computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the device processor, cause the field device to at least one of; (i) perform the physical function, generate process data corresponding to the performed physical function, and transmit, via a communication network within the process plant, the generated process data to a second process control device operating to control the process in real-time, or (ii) receive process data from the second process control device via the communication network within the process plant, and perform the physical function based on the received process data; (iii) a first interface via which the field device is connected to an input/output (I/O) device, the I/O device disposed between the field device and a controller and communicatively connecting the field device to the communication network, the generated process data transmitted via the first interface, and the received process data received via the first interface; and (iv) an embedded big data apparatus having embedded data storage and embedded computer-executable instructions stored on one or more embedded tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the embedded big data apparatus to; locally store, in the embedded big data storage, the generated process data and the received process data; perform a learning analysis on at least a part of the locally stored process data; create learned knowledge based on a result of the learning analysis, the learned knowledge including at least one of a time relationship or a causal relationship between process variables having values included in the locally stored process data; locally store the created learned knowledge in the embedded big data storage of the embedded big data apparatus included in the field device; and cause at least a portion of the locally stored learned knowledge to be distributed, via a second interface included in the field device and communicatively connecting the field device with a process control big data network different than the communication network, to the second process control device in the process plant to thereby modify, based upon the distributed learned knowledge, an operation of the second process control device, the second process control device including a respective embedded big data apparatus and operating in real-time to control the process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of supporting distributed big data using a field device that is (i) communicatively coupled to a first communications network of a process plant, (ii) operating, based on control signals delivered via the first communications network, to control a process in real-time in the process plant, and (iii) configured to perform a physical function to control at least a pre-determined portion of the process in real-time, the method comprising, at the field device:
-
at least one of; receiving, at the field device, data via the first communications network and using the received data to perform the physical function to control at least the pre-determined portion of the process in real-time, or generating, by the field device, data as a result of performing the physical function and transmitting the generated data via the first communications network to control at least the pre-determined portion of the process in real-time; collecting data at the field device, the data including at least one of;
(i) the data that is generated by the field device as a result of performing the physical function, (ii) data that is created by the field device, or (iii) the data that is received at the field device and used by the field device to perform the physical function;locally storing, in an embedded big data apparatus included in the field device, the collected data; performing, by the embedded big data apparatus included in the field device, a learning analysis on at least a portion of the locally stored data; generating, by the embedded big data apparatus, learned knowledge indicative of a result of the learning analysis, the learned knowledge including at least one of a time relationship or a causal relationship between process variables having values included in the locally stored process data, and wherein the learned knowledge is included in the data that is created by the field device; locally storing the generated learned knowledge in the embedded big data apparatus included in the field device; modifying, based on a first at least a portion of the locally stored learned knowledge, an operation of the field device to control the process in real-time; and distributing, via a process control big data network that is different than the first communications network, the first at least a portion of the locally stored learned knowledge or a second at least a portion of the learned knowledge to another device, the another device including a respective embedded big data apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A system for supporting distributed big data in a process plant, the system comprising:
-
a process control big data network having a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes including a first node that is a field device configured to at least one of; (i) perform a physical function to control at least a pre-determined portion of the process executing in the process plant, generate first real-time data corresponding to the performed physical function, and transmit, via a communications network within the process plant that is different than the process control big data network, the first real-time data to another process control device operating to control the at least the pre-determined portion of the process, or (ii) receive second real-time data from the another process control device via the communications network, and perform the physical function based on the second real-time data; and each of the plurality of nodes is configured to; collect respective data generated in real-time resulting from control of a process executing in the process plant; locally store the collected respective data at a respective embedded big data apparatus included in the each of the plurality of nodes; and perform, by the respective embedded big data apparatus included in the each of the plurality of nodes, a respective learning analysis on at least a portion of the locally stored data, thereby generating respective learned knowledge; locally store the generated respective learned knowledge at the respective embedded big data apparatus included in the each of the plurality of nodes; and wherein the field device is further configured to cause at least a portion of the respective learned knowledge that is locally stored at the embedded big data apparatus included in the field device and that is indicative of a result of a performance of the respective learning analysis of the field device to be distributed, via the process control big data network, to a second node included in the plurality of nodes for use in the respective learning analysis of the second node or in another respective learning analysis of the second node, the at least the portion of the respective learned knowledge that is locally stored at the field device including at least one of a time relationship or a causal relationship between process variables having values included in the locally stored process data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
Specification