Knowledge-based programmable logic controller with flexible in-field knowledge management and analytics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017017221-A1
Application number	US-201514800729-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2015
Priority date	Jul 16, 2015
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles includes the intelligent programmable logic controller executing a control program and one or more reasoning algorithms for analyzing data received and transmitted by the intelligent programmable logic controller. The intelligent programmable logic controller receives one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models from an external source via a deployment interface included in the intelligent programmable logic controller. The intelligent programmable logic controller dynamically modifies the reasoning algorithms during runtime of the control program based on the user-specified declarative knowledge models.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles, the method comprising:
executing, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, a control program; executing, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, one or more reasoning algorithms for analyzing data received and transmitted by the intelligent programmable logic controller; receiving, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models from an external source via a deployment interface included in the intelligent programmable logic controller; and dynamically modifying, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, the one or more reasoning algorithms during runtime of the control program based on the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more reasoning algorithms are configured based on one or more vendor-specified knowledge models.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more vendor-specified knowledge models comprise information related to one or more capabilities of the intelligent programmable logic controller, diagnostic knowledge available at the intelligent programmable logic controller, and a data layout information used by the intelligent programmable logic controller.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models comprise ontologies expressed using the Web Ontology Language (OWL).

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models comprise a predictive model expressed using the Predictive Model Markup Language (PMML) standard.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models comprise one or more rules expressed using the Rule Interchange Format (RIF) standard.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
executing, by the intelligent programmable logic controller, the control program using a first core of a processor included in the intelligent programmable logic controller, wherein the one or more reasoning algorithms are dynamically modified using a second core of the processor included in the intelligent programmable logic controller.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models comprise an indication of one or more soft-sensors available in the control program.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the modification of the one or more reasoning algorithms results in a new reasoning algorithm which performs a process comprising:
determining updated soft-sensor values corresponding to the one or more soft-sensors during each scan cycle; and storing the updated soft-sensor values during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller.

10 . An intelligent programmable logic controller comprising:
one or more processors configured to execute according to a scan cycle; a volatile computer-readable storage medium comprising a process image area; a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium; and a plurality of controller components executed by the one or more processors according to the scan cycle, the plurality of controller components comprising:
a data connector component with a deployment interface configured to receive one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models from an external source via the deployment interface included in the intelligent programmable logic controller,
a data analytics component with an automated reasoner module configured to execute one or more reasoning algorithms for analyzing data received and transmitted via the data connector component, and
a contextualization component with a knowledge manager configured to dynamically modify the one or more reasoning algorithms during runtime of a control program based on the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models.

11 . The intelligent programmable logic controller of claim 10 , wherein the deployment interface comprises a web server interface.

12 . The intelligent programmable logic controller of claim 10 , wherein the automated reasoner module comprises a rules engine.

13 . The intelligent programmable logic controller of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors comprise:
a first processor core configured to execute the control program; and a second processor core configured to modify the one or more reasoning algorithms in parallel with execution of the control program.

14 . The intelligent programmable logic controller of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors execute a plurality of threads comprising:
a first thread configured to execute the control program; and one or more second threads configured to modify the one or more reasoning algorithms.

15 . An article of manufacture for operating an intelligent programmable logic controller over a plurality of scan cycles, the article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:
executing a control program; executing one or more reasoning algorithms for analyzing data received and transmitted by the intelligent programmable logic controller; receiving one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models from an external source via a deployment interface included in the intelligent programmable logic controller; and dynamically modifying the one or more reasoning algorithms during runtime of the control program based on the one or more user-specified declarative knowledge models.

16 . The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the one or more reasoning algorithms are configured based on one or more vendor-specified knowledge models.

17 . The article of manufacture of claim 16 , wherein the one or more vendor-specified knowledge models comprise information related to one or more capabilities of the intelligent programmable logic controller, diagnostic knowledge available at the intelligent programmable logic controller, and a data layout information used by the intelligent programmable logic controller.

18 . The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
executing the control program using a first core of a processor included in the intelligent programmable logic controller, wherein the one or more reasoning algorithms are dynamically modified using a second core of the processor included in the intelligent programmable logic controller.

19 . The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein user-specified declarative knowledge models comprise an indication of one or more soft-sensors available in the control program.

20 . The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the modification of the one or more reasoning algorithms results in the one or more reasoning algorithms to perform a process comprising:
determining updated soft-sensor values corresponding to the one or more soft-sensors during each scan cycle; and storing the updated soft-sensor values during each scan cycle on a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium operably coupled to the intelligent programmable logic controller.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Lamparter Steffen
• Wang Lingyun
• Lepratti Raffaello
• Rosca Justinian

Classifications

• G05B2219/14065

  Checking step, diagnostic routine at end of each scan · CPC title

• G05B19/056 Primary

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• G05B2219/14083

  Derive diagnostic program from model needed for sequence program · CPC title

• G05B2219/14058

  Diagnostic, using expert, knowledge based system · CPC title

• G05B2219/14055

  Make log, journal, history file of state changes · CPC title