Using cloud-based data for virtualization of an industrial automation environment with information overlays

• US 10,564,633 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Asenjo, Juan, Strohmenger, John, Nawalaniec, Stephen, Hegrat, Bradford H., Harkulich, Joseph A., Korpela, Jessica Lin, Wright, Jenifer Rydberg, Hessmer, Rainer, Dyck, John, Hill, Edward Alan, Conti, Sal
• Primary Examiner(s): Huntley, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/621,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20170277171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0272 Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A cloud-based virtualization generation service collects industrial data from multiple industrial automation systems of multiple industrial customers for storage and analysis on a cloud platform. A virtualization management component (VMC) generates a virtualized industrial automation system of an industrial automation system based on data analysis results. The VMC facilitates remotely controlling the industrial automation system based on user interactions with the virtualized industrial automation system, and updates the virtualized industrial automation system based on collected data relating to the industrial automation system. The VMC customizes a user'"'"'s view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on a user'"'"'s role, authorization, location, or preferences, wherein different views of the virtualized industrial automation system with different data overlays are presented on different communication devices of different users. The VMC enables a user to filter data of a virtualized view and share information, including virtual notes, with other users.

Claims

1. A cloud-based 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 virtualization management component configured to;

generate a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to and interfaces with an industrial automation system in a facility, based on a result of an analysis of industrial data collected from the industrial automation system and data relating to a user, wherein the virtualized industrial automation system facilitates remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction by the user with the virtualized industrial automation system; and

remotely control the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system, wherein the remote control via the interaction is enabled for a first set of control commands with respect to a first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a second portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the second portion is within a defined distance of a current physical location of the user in the facility, and wherein the remote control is further enabled for a second set of control commands for a third portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a fourth portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the fourth portion is outside of the defined distance of the current physical location of the user in the facility, and wherein the second set of commands comprises less than all of the first set of control commands.

2. The cloud-based system of claim 1, further comprising a collection component configured to collect the industrial data from a set of industrial devices of the industrial automation system.

3. The cloud-based system of claim 2, further comprising an interface component configured to interface the cloud-based system with the industrial automation system via a cloud gateway device of the industrial automation system to facilitate communication of the industrial data from the industrial automation system to at least one of the collection component or the virtualization management component.

4. The cloud-based system of claim 1, wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to determine the data relating to the user comprising the current physical location of the user is based upon location information of a mobile device associated with the user.

5. The cloud-based system of claim 1, wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to determine the data relating to the user comprising the current physical location of the user based upon location information of a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the user.

6. The cloud-based system of claim 1, wherein the virtualized industrial automation system comprises a customization of a view of the first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to the second portion of the industrial automation system.

7. The cloud-based system of claim 6, wherein the customization of the view comprises a customized subset of operational data to overlay on the view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on the second portion of the industrial automation system within the defined distance of the current physical location of the user.

8. A method, comprising:

generating, by a cloud-based system comprising a processor, a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a portion of an industrial automation system in a facility, based on a result of analyzing industrial data collected from the industrial automation system and data relating to a user, to facilitate remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system; and

remotely controlling, by the cloud-based system, the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system, wherein the remote control via the interaction is enabled for a first set of control commands with respect to a first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a second portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the second portion is within a defined distance of a current physical location of the user in the facility, and wherein the remote control is further enabled for a second set of control commands for a third portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a fourth portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the fourth portion is outside of the defined distance of the current physical location of the user in the facility, and wherein the second set of commands comprises less than all of the first set of control commands.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving, by the cloud-based system, the industrial data from a set of industrial devices of the industrial automation system.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining, by the cloud-based system, the data relating to the user comprising the current physical location of the user based upon location information of a mobile device associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining, by the cloud-based system, the data relating to the user comprising the current physical location of the user is based upon location information of a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating, by the cloud-based system, a customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system comprising a customization of a view of the first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to the second portion of the industrial automation system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the customization of the view comprises a customized subset of operational data overlaid on the view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on the second portion of the industrial automation system within the defined distance of the current physical location of the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

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

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

generating a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a portion of an industrial automation system in a facility, based on a result of analyzing industrial data collected from the industrial automation system and data relating to a user, to facilitate remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system; and

remotely controlling the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system, wherein the remote control via the interaction is enabled for a first set of control commands with respect to a first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a second portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the second portion is within a defined distance of a current physical location of the user in the facility, and wherein the remote control is further enabled for a second set of control commands for a third portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a fourth portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the fourth portion is outside of the defined distance of the current physical location of the user in the facility, and wherein the second set of commands comprises less than all of the first set of control commands.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising receiving the industrial data from a set of industrial devices of the industrial automation system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising determining the data relating to the user comprising the current physical location of the user based upon location information of a mobile device associated with the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising determining the data relating to the user comprising the current physical location of the user is based upon location information of a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the user.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, the operations further comprising generating a customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system comprising a customization of a view of the first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to the second portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the customization of the view comprises a customized subset of operational data overlaid on the view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on the second portion of the industrial automation system within the defined distance of the current physical location of the user.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the operations further comprising:

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