Industrial digital twin model environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12591218-B2
Application number	US-202318350058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2023
Priority date	Jul 11, 2023
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

A cloud-based digital twin modeling and testing system is capable of hosting multiple applications that can be used to simulate and test versions of a control design prior to deployment, including but not limited to control programming applications, controller emulation applications, machine simulation applications, or other such platforms. The digital twin modeling environment renders an interface display that allows a user to easily build a testable digital model of a control system by connecting components of a proposed control project to these applications. The system also allows the user to define inputs and test scenarios to be executed as a simulation. Based on the connections, inputs, and test scenarios defined by the user, the modeling system leverages the hosted applications as needed to execute the defined test scenarios and generate predicted metrics for the proposed control system design.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a memory that stores executable components; and a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes the executable components, the executable components comprising:
a user interface component configured to
render, a design canvas on a client device,
render, on the design canvas, first icons representing development and testing applications that are hosted on the system or linked to by the system, wherein the development and testing applications comprise at least an industrial control programming application and a controller emulation application,
receive, via interaction with the design canvas, selections of industrial control project files to be included in a system model, wherein the industrial control project files comprise at least an industrial control program, a human-machine interface (HMI) application, and a virtual model of an industrial machine,
render, on the design canvas, second icons representing the industrial control project files, and
receive, via interaction with the design canvas, a link between a selected one of the second icons representing an industrial control project file, of the industrial control project files, and a selected one of the first icons representing an application, of the development and testing applications, that is to execute the one of the industrial control project files;

a modeling component configured to generate the system model representing an industrial control system based on the industrial control project files and the link between the selected one of the second icons and the selected one of the first icons; and
a testing component configured to perform a test execution on the system model that simulates operation of the industrial control system and generates performance metric data for the system model based on the test execution,
wherein
the link instructs the testing component to execute, as part of the test execution, the industrial control project file using an instance of the application.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the applications further comprise at least one of an HMI development application or an industrial simulation application.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the industrial control project files further comprise one or more virtual models of machines included in the industrial control system.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the testing component is configured to execute the industrial control project file in the instance of an application defined by the link as being linked to the industrial control project file.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the testing component is further configured to open the instance of the application on a virtual machine instantiated on a cloud platform and to execute the industrial control project file in the instance using the virtual machine.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the link is represented on the project canvas as a line connecting the one of the first icons and the one of the second icons.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the user interface is further configured to receive, via interaction with the design canvas, definitions of operating scenarios of the industrial control system to be tested, and the testing component is configured to perform respective test executions on the system model for the operating scenarios.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the test scenarios comprise at least one of a machine startup sequence, a machine shutdown sequence, or a production sequence for producing a type of product or material.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the performance metric data comprises estimations of at least one of key performance indicators for the industrial control system, product throughput, energy consumption, emissions, machine wear, or machine downtime.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the testing component is configured to perform test executions on multiple system models representing alternative designs for the industrial control system and to generate multiple sets of the performance metric data for the multiple system models, the executable components further comprise an analytics component configured to perform comparative analytics on the multiple sets of the performance metric data; and the user interface component is further configured to render a result of the comparative analytics.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the result of the comparative analytics comprises at least one of a ranking of multiple system models as a function of a key performance metric or a recommendation for modifying one of the alternative designs in a manner predicted to improve a key performance metric of the industrial control system.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the executable components further comprise a differencing component configured to identify design differences between the system model and another system model representing another version of the industrial control system, and the user interface component is further configured to render, on the design canvas, a representation of the system model that graphically indicates the differences between the system model and the other system model.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the system executes on a cloud platform.

14 . A method, comprising:
rendering, on a client device by a system comprising a processor, a design canvas; rendering, by the system on the design canvas, first icons representing development and testing applications that are hosted on the system or linked to by the system, wherein the development and testing applications comprise at least an industrial control programming application and a controller emulation application; receiving, by the system via interaction with the design canvas, selections of industrial control project files to be included in a system model representing an industrial automation system, wherein the industrial control project files comprise at least an industrial control program and a human-machine interface (HMI) application, and a virtual model of an industrial machine; rendering, by the system on the design canvas, second icons representing the industrial control project files; receiving, by the system via interaction with the design canvas, a link between a selected one of the second icons representing an industrial control project file, of the industrial control project files, and a selected one of the first icons representing an application, of the development and testing applications, that is to execute the one of the industrial control project files; generating, by the system, the system model based on the industrial control project files and the link between the selected one of the second icons and the selected one of the first icons; performing, by the system, a test execution on the system model that simulates operation of the industrial automation system, wherein the performing comprises executing, as part of the test execution, the industrial control project file using an instance of the application in accordance with the link; and generating, by the system, performance metric data for the system model based on the test execution.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the applications further comprise at least one of an HMI development application or an industrial simulation platform.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the industrial control project files further comprise one or more virtual models of machines included in the industrial control system.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kilfoy Leo T
• Tresh Michael J
• Mccleave Jr Bruce T
• Rischar Daniel C
• Briant Stephen C
• Dunn Ryan P

Classifications

• G05B2219/31449

  Monitor workflow, to optimize business, industrial processes · CPC title

• G06F11/3698

  Environments for analysis, debugging or testing of software · CPC title

• G05B19/41885

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

• G05B19/4155 Primary

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

• G06F30/20 Primary

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