Industrial automation multi-developer control code synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11609750-B2
Application number	US-202117157266-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Jan 25, 2021
Publication date	Mar 21, 2023
Grant date	Mar 21, 2023

Abstract

An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) supports collaborative tools that allow multiple designers and programmers to remotely submit design input to the same automation system project in parallel while maintaining project consistency. The industrial IDE also permits localized development of system projects, and provides an infrastructure for intelligently brokering between conflicting edits submitted to common portions of the system project.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for collaborative cloud-based development of industrial applications, comprising:
a memory configured to store a master version of system project data that, in response to deployment and execution on one or more industrial devices, facilitates monitoring and control of an industrial automation system; and
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory that executes executable components stored on the memory, wherein the processor and memory reside on a cloud platform, and the executable components comprise:
a user interface component configured to receive, from a first client device, a first edit record defining first modifications made to a first version of the system project data that is stored locally on the first client device; and
a collaboration management component configured to, in response to receipt of the first edit record:
determine whether the first edit record conflicts with a second edit record defining second modifications made to a second version of the system project data that is stored locally on a second client device, and which have been applied to the master version of the system project data, and
in response to determining that the first edit record does not conflict with the second edit record, apply the first modifications to the master version of the system project data and store the first edit record in association with the master version of the system project data,

wherein the collaboration management component is further configured to classify the first edit record and the second edit record in association with the master version of the system project data according to a classification schema that classifies the first edit record and the second edit record according to one or more classification categories.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the collaboration management component is further configured to, in response to determining that the first edit record conflicts with the second edit record, apply one or more conflict resolution rules to select between the first edit record and the second edit record for application to the master version of the system project data.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the collaboration management component is further configured to, in response to determining, based on application of the one or more conflict resolution rules, that the first edit record is to be applied instead of the second edit record:
roll back the second modifications from the master version of the system project data,
apply the first modifications to the master version of the system project data,
store the first edit record in association with the master version of the system project data as an applied edit record, and
store the second edit record in association with the master version of the system project data as an unapplied edit record.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more conflict resolution rules comprise at least a rule granting edit priority to a first user or user role over a second user or user role.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein
the first modifications and the second modifications comprise alternate versions of a modification to a same aspect of the system project data, and
the collaboration management component is configured to select one of the first edit record or the second edit record for inclusion in the master version of the system project data based on a comparison of the first modifications and second modifications relative to a selection criterion defined by the one or more conflict resolution rules.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the selection criterion comprises at least one of:
a modification determined to perform a control function using a least amount of code,
a modification estimated to subject a controlled industrial asset to a least amount of mechanical wear,
a modification estimated to perform the control function using a fewest number of mechanical movements,
a modification estimated to cause the automation system to consume a least amount of energy,
a modification estimated to cause the automation system to yield a greater amount of product output, or
a modification estimated to cause a least amount of machine downtime.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the collaboration management component is configured to select the one of the first edit record or the second edit record based on results of respective simulations performed on the first modifications and the second modifications.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more classification categories comprise at least one of identities of users who submitted the first edit record and the second edit record, an identity of an issue addressed by the first modifications or the second modifications, a user-defined classification category submitted with the first edit record or the second edit record, or an indication of whether the first edit record or the second edit record has been applied or has not been applied to the master version of the system project data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface component is further configured to render edit records, including the first edit record and the second edit record, associated with the system project data in a browsable format according to the one or more classification categories.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the collaboration management component is further configured to, in response to receipt of an instruction from the first client device or the second client device to apply an unapplied edit record, of the edit records, apply the unapplied edit record to the master version of the system project data.

11. A method comprising:
maintaining, on a system that executes on a cloud platform and comprises a processor, a master version of system project data that, in response to execution on one or more industrial devices, facilitates monitoring and control of an industrial automation system;
receiving, by the system from a first client device, a first edit record defining first modifications performed on a first version of the system project data that is stored locally on the first client device;
in response to the receiving:
determining, by the system, whether the first modifications conflict with a second edit record defining second modifications performed on a second version of the system project data that is stored locally on a second client device, and which have been applied to the master version of the system project data, and
in response to determining that the first edit record does not conflict with the second edit record:
applying the first modifications to the master version of the system project data, and
storing the first edit record in association with the master version of the system project data; and

classifying the first edit record and the second edit record in association with the master version of the system project data according to a classification schema, wherein the classification schema classifies the first edit record and the second edit record according to one or more classification categories.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the first edit record conflicts with the second edit record, selecting, by the system based on application of one or more conflict resolution rules, one of the first edit record or the second edit record to be applied to the master version of the system project.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
in response to determining, based on the application of the one or more conflict resolution rules, that the first edit record is to replace the second edit record:
undoing, by

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Stump Andrew R
• Carrara Anthony
• Srinivasan Eashwer
• Josipovic Srdjan
• Gregory Adam
• Coan Michael J

Classifications

• G06F8/20

  Software design · CPC title

• G06F8/35 Primary

  model driven · CPC title

• G05B2219/23427

  Selection out of several programs, parameters · CPC title

• G06F8/71 Primary

  Version control (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57); Configuration management · CPC title

• G05B2219/23425

  Selection of program, adaptive to process · CPC title