Energy operations across domains

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018347842-A1
Application number	US-201816101844-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

For energy operations across domains, a method generates a native node and a foreign node that includes a foreign data structure that is defined with a foreign protocol and that represents information of a foreign device in a foreign namespace. The method links the native node and the foreign node in a native namespace and the foreign namespace by a translation function that automatically converts information between the foreign data structure and the proxy data structure using protocol specific structure converting functions. The method further establishes a first publish/subscription instance with message middleware for the foreign device as publisher of the first publish/subscription instance. The method translates a message from the foreign device using the communication stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
generating, by use of a processor, a native node comprising a proxy data structure that is defined with a native protocol and that represents information of a proxy device in a native namespace, and a foreign node comprising a foreign data structure that is defined with a foreign protocol and that represents information of a foreign device in a foreign namespace, wherein the proxy device communicates in a Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and the foreign device communicates in a non-CIP protocol; linking the native node and the foreign node in the native namespace and the foreign namespace by a translation function that automatically converts information between the foreign data structure and the proxy data structure using protocol specific structure converting functions; establishing a first publish/subscription instance with message middleware for the foreign device as publisher of the first publish/subscription instance; receiving published data metadata and a published data template from the message middleware; configuring a communication stack comprising a transport layer, a networking layer, and message reception layer to translate messages from the foreign device; and translating a message from the foreign device using the communication stack.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a reference linking the native node and the foreign node has a message middleware property indicating a data structure of the foreign node is from a message middleware connecting a remote foreign data procedure.

3 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
establishing a second publish/subscribe instance with the message middleware for a plurality of foreign devices as subscribers of the second publish/subscription instance; and setting a parameter in the plurality of foreign device subscribers using the second publish/subscribe instance.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the message middleware connects a network of the proxy device with a network of the foreign device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the translation function communicates through subscribe entities with the foreign namespace.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the publisher/subscription instance comprises at least one of a published data set, a subscribed data set, a data set, a data writer, and a data reader.

7 . The method of claim 6 , where the at least one published data set, subscribed data set, data set, data writer, and data reader follow an OPC Unified Architecture (UA) specification.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the message is encoded in a message protocol selected from the group consisting of Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) and Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP).

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the foreign controller is one of an industrial automation controller, a building automation controller, and domain specific supervisor, and the permission grant is generated based on a state of a domain specific application associated with the foreign controller.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a power management function modifies a foreign device power level to a modified power level if a modified power level satisfies a power level policy.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the power level policy is satisfied if an occupancy is less than an occupancy threshold.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the modified power level comprises one or more of reduced lighting and reduced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) settings.

13 . An apparatus comprising:
a non-transitory memory, communicatively coupled to a processor, the non-transitory memory storing code that performs: generating a native node comprising a proxy data structure that is defined with a native protocol and that represents information of a proxy device in a native namespace, and a foreign node comprising a foreign data structure that is defined with a foreign protocol and that represents information of a foreign device in a foreign namespace, wherein the proxy device communicates in a Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and the foreign device communicates in a non-CIP protocol; linking the native node and the foreign node in the native namespace and the foreign namespace by a translation function that automatically converts information between the foreign data structure and the proxy data structure using protocol specific structure converting functions; establishing a first publish/subscription instance with message middleware for the foreign device as publisher of the first publish/subscription instance; receiving published data metadata and a published data template from the message middleware; configuring a communication stack comprising a transport layer, a networking layer, and message reception layer to translate messages from the foreign device; and translating a message from the foreign device using the communication stack.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a reference linking the native node and the foreign node has a message middleware property indicating a data structure of the foreign node is from a message middleware connecting a remote foreign data procedure.

15 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processor further performs:
establishing a second publish/subscribe instance with the message middleware for a plurality of foreign devices as subscribers of the second publish/subscription instance; and setting a parameter in the plurality of foreign device subscribers using the second publish/subscribe instance.

16 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the message middleware connects a network of the proxy device with a network of the foreign device.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored there on that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations comprising:
generating a native node comprising a proxy data structure that is defined with a native protocol and that represents information of a proxy device in a native namespace, and a foreign node comprising a foreign data structure that is defined with a foreign protocol and that represents information of a foreign device in a foreign namespace, wherein the proxy device communicates in a Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) and the foreign device communicates in a non-CIP protocol; linking the native node and the foreign node in the native namespace and the foreign namespace by a translation function that automatically converts information between the foreign data structure and the proxy data structure using protocol specific structure converting functions; establishing a first publish/subscription instance with message middleware for the foreign device as publisher of the first publish/subscription instance; receiving published data metadata and a published data template from the message middleware; configuring a communication stack comprising a transport layer, a networking layer, and message reception layer to translate messages from the foreign device; and translating a message from the foreign device using the communication stack.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a reference linking the native node and the foreign node has a message middleware property indicating a data structure of the foreign node is from a message middleware connecting a remote foreign data procedure.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the process

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Guolin
• Brandt David D
• Flek Ondrej
• Kaufman Philip J
• Como Christopher W
• Rischar Charles M

Classifications

• F24F2120/10

  Occupancy · CPC title

• G06F9/546

  Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G06F9/541

  via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications · CPC title

• G05B19/048

  Monitoring; Safety · CPC title