Using cloud-based data for industrial simulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9703902-B2
Application number	US-201314087835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A cloud-based simulation generation service collects industrial data from multiple industrial customers for storage and analysis on a cloud platform. The service employs a simulation generator component that analyzes data to facilitate generating a simulation model that simulates an industrial automation system, including simulating or emulating industrial devices, industrial processes, other industrial assets, or network-related assets or devices, and their respective interrelationships with each other. The simulation generator component also analyzes modification data to facilitate generating a modified simulation model that simulates the industrial automation system based on the modification. The simulation generator component performs operation simulations using the simulation model or modified simulation model to facilitate determining whether making the modification is appropriate, determining or predicting performance of a modified industrial automation system, determining compatibility of a modification with an industrial automation system, or determining or predicting performance of the industrial automation system when processing a work order.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a memory that stores computer-executable components;
a processor, operatively coupled to the memory, that executes computer-executable components, the computer-executable components comprising:
a collection component configured to collect a subset of industrial data from a set of devices of an industrial automation system and store the industrial data in a data store that is part of a cloud platform; and
a simulation generator component configured to simulate at least one device of the set of devices to facilitate simulation of the industrial automation system, and generate a simulation model that corresponds to the industrial automation system based on the simulation of the at least one device, based on a result of an analysis of the subset of industrial data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the collection component or the simulation generator component are part of the cloud platform.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising an interface component configured to interface the cloud platform with the industrial automation system via a cloud gateway device of the industrial automation system to facilitate communication of the subset of industrial data from the industrial automation system to at least one of the collection component or the simulation generator component.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to simulate a modification to the industrial automation system based on a subset of data relating to the modification, integrate the simulation of the modification with at least a portion of the simulation of the industrial automation system to facilitate simulation of a modified industrial automation system based on the modification, and generate a modified simulation model that corresponds to the modified industrial automation system based on the simulation of the modified industrial automation system.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate at least one of a modification response of the modified simulation model or a response of the simulation model, based on application of a set of operation data to at least one of the modified simulation model or the simulation model, and determine at least one of an industrial system modification response of the modified industrial automation system or an industrial system response of the industrial automation system based on a result of the evaluation of at least one of the modification response of the modified simulation model or the response of the simulation model.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate at least one of the industrial system modification response of the modified industrial automation system or the industrial system response of the industrial automation system, and determine whether the industrial automation system is to be modified based on a set of defined operation criteria and a result of the evaluation of at least one of the industrial system modification response of the modified industrial automation system or the industrial system response of the industrial automation system.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to generate a report that indicates whether the industrial automation system is to be modified in accordance with the modification based on a result of the determination of whether the industrial automation system is to be modified.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to obtain a set of historic operation data from the data store and generate a set of response data relating to a disparate modification response of the modified simulation model to an application of the set of historic operation data to the modified simulation model.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to obtain a set of historic response data from the data store, wherein the set of historic response data relates to a historic response of the industrial automation system or a previous version of the industrial automation system to an application of the set of historic operation data to the industrial automation system or the previous version of the industrial automation system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to compare the set of response data to the set of historic response data, determine a difference between the set of response data and the set of historic response data based on a result of the comparison of the set of response data to the set of historic response data, and determine whether to implement the modification in the industrial automation system based on the difference and a set of defined operation criteria.

11. The system of claim 4 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to respectively simulate modifications of a set of modifications for the industrial automation system based on respective subsets of data relating to the modifications, and generate respective modified simulation models of respective modified industrial automation systems based on the respective simulations of the modifications, wherein the set of modifications comprises the modification and a second modification that is associated with a second modified simulation model of the respective modified simulation models.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate a response of the simulation model, a modification response of the modified simulation model, and a second modification response of the second modified simulation model, based on application of a set of operation data to the simulation model, the modified simulation model, and the second modified simulation model, and determine an industrial system response of the industrial automation system, an industrial system modification response of the modified industrial automation system, and a second industrial system modification response of the second modified industrial automation system based on a result of the evaluation of the response of the simulation model, the modification response of the modified simulation model, and the second modification response of the second modified simulation model.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the simulation generator component is further configured to evaluate the industrial system response of the industrial automation system, the industrial system modification response of the modified industrial automation system, and the second industrial system modification response of the second modified industrial automation system, and determine whether the industrial automation system is to be modified based on a set of defined operation criteria and a result of the evaluation of the industrial system response of the industrial automation system, the industrial system modification response of the modified industrial automation system, and the second industrial system modification response of the second modified industrial automation system.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the simulation generator component determines that the industrial automation system is to be modified, and is further configured to determine whether to implement the first modification in the industrial automation system, implement the second modification in the industrial automation system, or implement a combination of the first modification and the second modification in the industrial system, based on a set of define

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Asenjo Juan
• Strohmenger John
• Nawalaniec Stephen
• Hegrat Bradford H
• Harkulich Joseph A
• Korpela Jessica Lin
• Wright Jenifer Rydberg
• Hessmer Rainer
• Dyck John
• Hill Edward Alan
• Conti Sal

Classifications

• G06Q10/06 Primary

  Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling · CPC title

• G06F30/20 Primary

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

• G06F17/5009 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• Y02P90/80

  Management or planning · CPC title