Using cloud-based data for industrial simulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11295047-B2
Application number	US-201816234039-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A cloud-based simulation generation service collects industrial data from multiple industrial customers for storage and analysis on a cloud platform. The service employs a simulation generator component that analyzes data to facilitate generating a simulation model that simulates an industrial automation system, including simulating or emulating industrial devices, industrial processes, other industrial assets, or network-related assets or devices, and their respective interrelationships with each other. The simulation generator component also analyzes modification data to facilitate generating a modified simulation model that simulates the industrial automation system based on the modification. The simulation generator component performs operation simulations using the simulation model or modified simulation model to facilitate determining whether making the modification is appropriate, determining or predicting performance of a modified industrial automation system, determining compatibility of a modification with an industrial automation system, or determining or predicting performance of the industrial automation system when processing a work order.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a memory that stores computer-executable components; and
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising:
a simulation generator component configured to, based on an analysis of a subset of a set of industrial data relating to a set of devices of an industrial automation system, simulate at least one device of the set of devices to facilitate simulation of the industrial automation system, and generate a simulation model that corresponds to the industrial automation system based on the simulation of the at least one device, wherein the industrial automation system is managed based on the simulation model.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable components comprise a collection component configured to receive the set of industrial data associated with the set of devices and store the set of industrial data in a data store, and wherein at least one of the collection component, the simulation generator component, or the data store is part of a cloud platform.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to be associated with a cloud gateway component via a collection component or a data store, wherein the cloud gateway component is configured to communicate at least one device model that models the at least one device to the simulation generator component via the collection component or the data store, and wherein the simulator generator component is further configured to simulate the at least one device based on the at least one device model.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to be associated with a cloud gateway component via a collection component or a data store, and wherein the cloud gateway component is configured to obtain the subset of industrial data from the at least one device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the cloud gateway component is further configured to receive a portion of industrial data from the at least one device, process the portion of the industrial data to generate the subset of industrial data, and communicate the subset of industrial data to the simulation generator component via the collection component or the data store.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one device is an industrial device, wherein the cloud gateway component is further configured to be integrated with the industrial device, or
wherein the at least one device comprises multiple devices, and wherein the cloud gateway component is further configured to be associated with the multiple devices.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the cloud gateway component is further configured to receive a portion of industrial data from the at least one device and, to facilitate generation of the subset of industrial data, at least one of filter the portion of the industrial data, timestamp the portion of the industrial data, format the portion of the industrial data, normalize the portion of the industrial data, summarize the portion of the industrial data, tag the portion of the industrial data with contextual metadata, or compress the portion of the industrial data, and wherein the contextual metadata relates to at least one of a time the portion of the industrial data was generated or at least one location of the at least one device within the industrial automation system.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the cloud gateway component is further configured to determine a first location of the cloud gateway component or a second location of the at least one device associated with the cloud gateway component within a component topology associated with the industrial automation system and communicate location information indicating the first location of the cloud gateway component or the second location of the at least one device to the simulation generator component via the collection component or the data store.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein the cloud gateway component is further configured to detect a cloud component in the cloud platform, establish a communication channel between the cloud gateway component and the cloud component, and communicate the subset of industrial data to the cloud component via the communication channel, and wherein the cloud component is, or is associated with, the simulation generator component, the collection component, or the data store.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate a response of the simulation model to an application of a set of operation data relating to a work order to the simulation model, determine an industrial system response of the industrial automation system based on the response of the simulation model to the application of the set of operation data, and determine whether the industrial automation system is able to satisfy a set of conditions associated with processing or completion of the work order based on a result of an evaluation of the industrial system response of the industrial automation system.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to simulate a modification to the industrial automation system based on a set of data relating to the modification, generate a modified simulation model that corresponds to a modified industrial automation system that incorporates the modification to the industrial automation system based on the simulation of the modification, and determine whether the modification to the industrial automation system is to be performed based on the modified simulation model.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate at least one of a modification response of the modified simulation model or a response of the simulation model, based on an application of a set of operation data to at least one of the modified simulation model or the simulation model, and determine at least one of a modified industrial automation system response of the modified industrial automation system or an industrial automation system response of the industrial automation system based on the evaluation of at least one of the modification response of the modified simulation model or the response of the simulation model.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate at least one of the modified industrial automation system response of the modified industrial automation system or the industrial automation system response of the industrial automation system, and determine whether the modification to the industrial automation system is to be performed based on the evaluation of at least one of the modified industrial automation system response or the industrial automation system response.

14. A method, comprising:
simulating, by a system comprising a processor, at least one device of a set of devices of an industrial automation system, based on analyzing at least a portion of a set of industrial data associated with the set of devices, to facilitate generating a simulation model that corresponds to the industrial automation system; and
managing, by the system, operation or configuration of the industrial automation system based on the simulation model.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
interfacing, by the system, a cloud platform with the industrial automation system via at least one cloud gateway component associated with the set of devices, wherein the cloud platform comprises at l

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

• G06F30/20 Primary

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06Q10/06 Primary

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

• Y02P90/80

  Management or planning · CPC title