Digital twin outcome-driven orchestration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11868122-B2
Application number	US-202117471967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2021
Priority date	Sep 10, 2021
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present technology relate to digital twins of devices and assemblies. More specifically, some embodiments relate to the orchestration of digital twin models for representing industrial systems based on characteristics of digital twins. In an embodiment, a method of operating an orchestration engine in an industrial automation environment comprises identifying a targeted outcome for modeling the industrial automation environment, configuring a digital twin environment corresponding to the industrial automation environment based at least on the targeted outcome, and executing a process associated with the industrial automation environment using the digital twin environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating an orchestration engine in an industrial automation environment, the method comprising:
identifying a targeted outcome for modeling the industrial automation environment;
configuring a digital twin environment corresponding to the industrial automation environment based at least on the targeted outcome, wherein the digital twin environment comprises two or more digital twins, each digital twin of the two or more digital twins representative of one or more real entities of the industrial automation environment;
synchronizing each digital twin of the two or more digital twins with each other based on sensor data from the one or more real entities to mimic a timing of the industrial automation environment and tuning the two or more digital twins to achieve the targeted outcome in the digital twin environment; and
executing a process associated with the industrial automation environment using the digital twin environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a digital twin representation of the process associated with the industrial automation environment to a user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein tuning the two or more digital twins to achieve the targeted outcome comprises tuning each digital twin of the two or more digital twins using sensor data from corresponding ones of the one or more real entities to achieve the targeted outcome in the digital twin environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the targeted outcome comprises one or more of:
a performance fidelity of each digital twin of the two or more digital twins with respect to an actual performance of each real entity of the one or more real entities, and
a performance fidelity of the digital twin environment with respect to an actual performance of the industrial automation environment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the digital twin environment comprises searching a database of digital twins for digital twins having fidelity characteristics corresponding to the targeted outcome, wherein the database comprises a catalog of digital twins identified by at least their respective fidelity characteristics.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retuning the digital twin environment based at least on the execution of the process and the sensor data from the one or more real entities of the industrial automation environment.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein retuning the digital twin environment comprises modifying an operation of each digital twin of the two or more digital twins to perform according to the targeted outcome.

8. A computing apparatus, comprising:
one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media;
a processing system operatively coupled with the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media; and
program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media that, based on being read and executed by the processing system, direct the computing apparatus to at least:
identify a targeted outcome for modeling an industrial automation environment;
configure a digital twin environment corresponding to the industrial automation environment based at least on the targeted outcome, wherein the digital twin environment comprises two or more digital twins, each digital twin of the two or more digital twins representative of one or more real entities of the industrial automation environment;
synchronize each digital twin of the two or more digital twins with each other based on sensor data from the one or more real entities to mimic a timing of the industrial automation environment and tune the two or more digital twins to achieve the targeted outcome in the digital twin environment; and
execute a process associated with the industrial automation environment using the digital twin environment.

9. The computing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to provide a digital twin representation of the process associated with the industrial automation environment to a user interface.

10. The computing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to tune each digital twin of the two or more digital twins using sensor data from corresponding ones of the one or more real entities to achieve the targeted outcome in the digital twin environment.

11. The computing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the targeted outcome comprises one or more of:
a performance fidelity of each digital twin of the two or more digital twins with respect to an actual performance of each real entity of the one or more real entities, and
a performance fidelity of the digital twin environment with respect to an actual performance of the industrial automation environment.

12. The computing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein to configure the digital twin environment, the program instructions direct the computing apparatus to search a database of digital twins for digital twins having fidelity characteristics corresponding to the targeted outcome, wherein the database comprises a catalog of digital twins identified by at least their respective fidelity characteristics.

13. The computing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to retune the digital twin environment based at least on the execution of the process and the sensor data from the one or more real entities of the industrial automation environment.

14. The computing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein to retune the digital twin environment, the program instructions further direct the computing apparatus to modify an operation of each digital twin of the two or more digital twins to perform according to the targeted outcome.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having program instructions stored thereon to operate an orchestration engine in an industrial automation environment, wherein the program instructions, when read and executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to at least:
identify a targeted outcome for modeling the industrial automation environment;
configure a digital twin environment corresponding to the industrial automation environment based at least on the targeted outcome, wherein the digital twin environment comprises two or more digital twins, each digital twin of the two or more digital twins representative of one or more real entities of the industrial automation environment;
synchronize each digital twin of the two or more digital twins with each other based on sensor data from the one or more real entities to mimic a timing of the industrial automation environment and tune the two or more digital twins to achieve the targeted outcome in the digital twin environment; and
execute a process associated with the industrial automation environment using the digital twin environment.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to tune each digital twin of the two or more digital twins using sensor data from corresponding ones of the one or more real entities to achieve the targeted outcome in the digital twin environment.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the targeted outcome comprises one or more of:
a performance fidelity of each digital twin of the two or more digital twins with respect to an actual performance of each real entity of the one or more real entities, and
a per

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Schmidt Robert
• Nguyen Thong
• Schmirler Paul
• Liu Jingbo

Classifications

• G05B19/41885 Primary

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

• G05B19/41875

  characterised by quality surveillance of production · CPC title

• G05B2219/31001

  CIM, total factory control · CPC title

• G05B17/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G06Q50/04

  Manufacturing · CPC title