Monitoring and controlling industrial equipment

• US 10,652,761 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WellAware Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WellAware Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Figoli, David, Harrison, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US15/473,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium for configuring a network edge device for communicating between an operational asset and a backend network that include the actions of establishing communication with a backend network through a first network connection. Establishing communication with a user computing device through a second, different network connection. Receiving an asset template that identifies communication protocols of the backend network and communication protocols of an operational asset to which the network edge device is coupled. Sending registration data to the backend network to register the network edge device and the operational asset with the backend network in response to receiving an instruction from the user computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for configuring a network edge device for communicating between an operational asset and a backend network, the method being executed by one or more processors of the network edge device and comprising:

establishing, by the network edge device, communication with the backend network through a first network connection;

establishing, by the network edge device, communication with a user computing device through a second network connection different from the first network connection, the second network connection comprising a direct communication connection between the user computing device and the network edge device using a local low-power network connection;

receiving, by the network edge device, an asset template that identifies communication protocols of the backend network and communication protocols of the operational asset to which the network edge device is coupled through a hardwire connection; and

in response to receiving an instruction from the user computing device, sending registration data to the backend network to register the network edge device and the operational asset with the backend network,

wherein communications through the first network connection and communications through the second network connection are performed according to different networking protocols, and

wherein the asset template identifies;

a first data format for data received from the operational asset,

a second data format for data to be sent to the backend network,

a control signal format of control signals for controlling operating parameters of the operational asset,

criteria for controlling operating parameters of the operational asset, and

alarm values associated with parameters of the operational asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset template facilitates communication between the operational asset and the backend network while permitting the operational asset to be agnostic to communication protocols of the backend network and permitting the backend network to be agnostic to the communication protocols of the operational asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset template is received from the backend network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the asset template is received from the user computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending data from the operational asset to the user computing device,

wherein the data includes data for displaying measurement data from the operational asset in a graphical user interface in a graphical representation of an analog gauge or digital meter display.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, from the user computing device, user input to view the data from the operational asset in a different format;

and sending, to the user computing device, the data from the operational asset in the different format, wherein the different format is a different level of abstraction for the data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising after registering with the backend network, sending data from the operational asset to the backend network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of the operational asset; and

requesting the asset template, wherein the asset template is specific to the determined type of the operational asset.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the user computing device, user input to customize asset template;

and modifying the asset template in accordance with the user input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network connection comprises one of one of a cellular network connection, a satellite network connection, or a random phase multiple access (RPMA) network connection, and wherein the second network connection comprises one of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) network, a local WiFi network, a ZigBee network.

11. A network edge device for communicating between an operational asset and a backend network, the device comprising:

a first communication interface configured to communicate with the operational asset, wherein the first communication interface is a hardwire interface;

a second communication interface configured to communicate with the backend network;

one or more processors coupled to the first communication interface and second communication interface; and

a computer-readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations to facilitate data communications between the operational asset and the backend network, the operations comprising;

establishing communication with a backend network through a first network connection;

establishing communication with a user computing device through a second network connection different from the first network connection, the second network connection comprising a direct communication connection between the user computing device and the network edge device using a local low-power network connection;

receiving an asset template that identifies communication protocols of the backend network and communication protocols of an operational asset to which the network edge device is coupled through the first communication interface; and

in response to receiving an instruction from the user computing device, sending registration data to the backend network to register the network edge device and the operational asset with the backend network,

wherein communications through the first network connection and communications through the second network connection are performed according to different networking protocols, and

wherein the asset template identifies;

a first data format for data received from the operational asset,

a second data format for data to be sent to the backend network,

a control signal format of control signals for controlling operating parameters the operational asset,

criteria for controlling operating parameters of the operational asset, and

alarm values associated with parameters of the operational asset.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the asset template facilitates communication between the operational asset and the backend network while permitting the operational asset to be agnostic to communication protocols of the backend network and permitting the backend network to be agnostic to the communication protocols of the operational asset.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending data from the operational asset to the user computing device, wherein the data includes data for displaying measurement data from the operational asset in a graphical user interface in a graphical representation of an analog gauge or digital meter display.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise after registering with the backend network, sending data from the operational asset to the backend network.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a type of the operational asset; and

requesting the asset template, wherein the asset template is specific to the determined type of the operational asset.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from the user computing device, user input to customize asset template;

and modifying the asset template in accordance with the user input.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network edge device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

establishing communication with a backend network through a first network connection;

establishing communication with a user computing device through a second network connection different from the first network connection, the second network connection comprising a direct communication connection between the user computing device and the network edge device using a local low-power network connection;

receiving an asset template that identifies communication protocols of the backend network and communication protocols of an operational asset to which the network edge device is coupled through a hardwire connection; and

in response to receiving an instruction from the user computing device, sending registration data to the backend network to register the network edge device and the operational asset with the backend network,

wherein communications through the first network connection and communications through the second network connection are performed according to different networking protocols, and

wherein the asset template identifies;

a first data format for data received from the operational asset,

a second data format for data to be sent to the backend network,

a control signal format of control signals for controlling operating parameters the operational asset,

criteria for controlling operating parameters of the operational asset, and

alarm values associated with parameters of the operational asset.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the asset template facilitates communication between the operational asset and the backend network while permitting the operational asset to be agnostic to communication protocols of the backend network and permitting the backend network to be agnostic to the communication protocols of the operational asset.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise sending data from the operational asset to the user computing device, wherein the data includes data for displaying measurement data from the operational asset in a graphical user interface in a graphical representation of an analog gauge or digital meter display.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a type of the operational asset; and

requesting the asset template, wherein the asset template is specific to the determined type of the operational asset.

21. The medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, from the user computing device, user input to customize asset template;

and modifying the asset template in accordance with the user input.