Modeling of an industrial automation environment in the cloud

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11409251-B2
Application number	US-201916599276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A cloud-based modeler component that generates interactive models of an industrial automation system(s) (IAS(s)) is presented. An interactive model facilitates remote viewing of, interaction with, troubleshooting of problems with, or optimization of industrial assets of an IAS. The modeler component polls industrial assets via cloud gateways to obtain information relating to the industrial assets to identify industrial assets of the IAS and relationships with other industrial assets or can receive information from a communication device that obtains information relating to legacy industrial assets to identify those legacy assets and their relationships. The modeler component generates an interactive model of the industrial assets of the IAS based on the information. The modeler component also can discover new industrial assets added to the IAS, can receive a pre-deployed model of an industrial asset from the industrial asset or another source, and can incorporate the pre-deployed model in the interactive model.

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 the computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising:
a collection component configured to collect a set of industrial data from a set of devices of an industrial automation system, wherein the set of devices comprises a first industrial device and a second industrial device; and
a modeler component configured to generate a model of the industrial automation system that corresponds to the industrial automation system, based on a first result of an analysis of the set of industrial data, wherein, to facilitate the generation of the model, the set of industrial data comprises device identification data received from the first industrial device, wherein the device identification data identifies the first industrial device, the second industrial device, and a functional relationship and a connection between the first industrial device and the second industrial device, and wherein the first industrial device detects and identifies the second industrial device in proximity to the first industrial device and the functional relationship and the connection between the first industrial device and the second industrial device, and generates at least a portion of the device identification data that identifies the second industrial device and identifies the functional relationship and the connection between the first industrial device and the second industrial device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modeler component is configured to determine a modification that is able to be made to at least one device of the set of devices, based on a second result of the analysis, to improve operation of the industrial automation system, wherein, based on the determination of the modification, the modeler component is configured to communicate a recommendation message to an interface or a communication device, and wherein the recommendation message recommends that the modification be made to the at least one device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or a data store are part of a cloud platform, wherein the computer-executable components further comprise an interface component configured to interface at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store of the cloud platform with the industrial automation system via a cloud gateway component of the industrial automation system, and wherein at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store receives the set of industrial data from the industrial automation system via the interface component.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first industrial device of the industrial automation system is integrated with or associated with the cloud gateway component, and wherein at least one of the collection component, the modeler component, or the data store is configured to receive a subset of the set of industrial data relating to the first industrial device and the second industrial device from the first industrial device via the interface component and the cloud gateway component.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the modeler component is configured to generate the model, comprising a sub-model of the first industrial device and the second industrial device, based on the analysis of the set of industrial data, comprising the subset of industrial data, and wherein the subset of industrial data comprises at least one of a pre-deployed model that models characteristics and operation of the first industrial device, identifier information that facilitates identification of the first industrial device, relationship information relating to one or more relationships between the first industrial device and one or more other industrial devices, comprising the second industrial device, or network-related devices associated with the industrial automation system, or information relating to the one or more other industrial devices or the network-related devices.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a discovery component configured to discover or detect a change to the industrial automation system, and wherein, based on the change to the industrial automation system, the modeler component is configured to modify the model of the industrial automation system to model the change to the industrial automation system and generate an updated model of the industrial automation system.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein, as part of an updated model analysis, the modeler component is configured to analyze the updated model to determine whether a portion of the industrial automation system is to be modified in response to the change to the industrial automation system.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein, based on the updated model analysis of the updated model, the modeler component is configured to determine a modification that is able to be made to the portion of the industrial automation system and at least one of communicate modification data to the portion of the industrial automation system to facilitate modification of the portion of the industrial automation system or communicate a recommendation message that recommends modifying the portion of the industrial automation system.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modeler component is configured to communicate a set of compatible configuration information associated with a sub-model of the first industrial device in the model to the first industrial device of the industrial automation system to facilitate configuration of the first industrial device, and wherein the set of compatible configuration information is in a format that is compatible with the first industrial device to facilitate the configuration of the first industrial device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable components further comprise a virtualization component configured to generate a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to and interfaces with the industrial automation system, based on the model or based on the set of industrial data and a set of data relating to the user, to facilitate remote interaction with the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the set of data relating to the user is received from a communication device that presents at least one of the model or the virtualized industrial automation system, wherein the portion of the set of data relates to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system by the user, and wherein the virtualization component is configured to remotely control the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system by the user.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the virtualization component is further configured to generate a customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system for display on a communication device associated with the user, determine a customized set of operational data, and overlay the customized set of operational data on the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system, based on one or more customization factors associated with the user of the communication device.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a system comprising a processor, a set of industrial data from a set of devices of an industrial automation system, wherein the set of devices comprises

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Strohmenger John
• Korpela Jessica L
• Fordenwalt Matthew W
• Pingel Jan
• Hickox Stephen L
• Weber Douglas B

Classifications

• G05B2219/31368

  MAP manufacturing automation protocol · CPC title

• G05B19/4155

  characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program · CPC title

• G05B2219/23456

  Model machine for simulation · CPC title

• G05B19/41885

  characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system · CPC title

• G05B13/04 Primary

  involving the use of models or simulators · CPC title