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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564633-B2
Application number	US-201715621206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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 sec

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech 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

Classifications

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G05B23/0272

  Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user · CPC title

• G05B2219/31018

  Virtual factory, modules in network, can be selected and combined at will · CPC title

• G05B19/4185 Primary

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title