Using cloud-based data for virtualization of an industrial automation environment with information overlays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709978-B2
Application number	US-201314088014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A cloud-based virtualization generation service collects industrial data from multiple industrial automation systems of multiple industrial customers for storage and analysis on a cloud platform. A virtualization management component (VMC) generates a virtualized industrial automation system of an industrial automation system based on data analysis results. The VMC facilitates remotely controlling the industrial automation system based on user interactions with the virtualized industrial automation system, and updates the virtualized industrial automation system based on collected data relating to the industrial automation system. The VMC customizes a user's view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on a user's role, authorization, location, or preferences, wherein different views of the virtualized industrial automation system with different data overlays are presented on different communication devices of different users. The VMC enables a user to filter data of a virtualized view and share information, including virtual notes, with other users.

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 industrial devices of an industrial automation system in a facility and a subset of data relating to a user, and store the industrial data and the subset of data relating to the user in a data store; and
a virtualization management component configured to:
generate a customized view of a virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to and interfaces with the industrial automation system, based on a result of an analysis of the subset of industrial data and the subset of data relating to the user, to facilitate remotely interacting with the industrial automation system in response to an interaction by the user with the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system, wherein the customized view comprises a customization of a view of a first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a second portion of the industrial automation system, wherein the second portion is within a defined distance of a current physical location of the user in the facility; and
remotely control the industrial automation system in response to the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system, wherein the remote control via the interaction is limited to only the first portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to the second portion of the industrial automation system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the collection component, the virtualization management component, or the data store are part of a 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 virtualization management component.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to determine the current physical location of the user is based upon location information of a mobile device associated with the user.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to determine the current physical location of the user based upon location information of a radio-frequency identification tag associated with the user.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the customization of the view comprises a customized subset of operational data to overlay on the view of the virtualized industrial automation system based on the second portion of the industrial automation system within the defined distance of the current physical location of the user.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to update the customized view to comprise another view of a third portion of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to a fourth portion of the industrial automation system within the defined distance of a new physical location of the user.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to modify the customized subset of operational data to generate a subset of filtered operational data based on a filter in response to receiving filter selection information from a communication device of the user.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to overlay a first subset of the subset of filtered operational data in proximity to a first virtualized object of the virtualized industrial automation system, and overlay a second subset of the subset of filtered operational data in proximity to a second virtualized object of the virtualized industrial automation system.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first virtualized object comprises at least one of a virtualized industrial device, a virtualized industrial process, a virtualized industrial asset, or a virtualized network-related device, and the second virtualized object comprises at least one of another virtualized industrial device, another virtualized industrial process, another virtualized industrial asset, or another virtualized network-related device.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to determine whether to communicate the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system to a communication device associated with a second user, based on information associated with the communication device or the second user, and a defined virtualization management criterion relating to sharing of the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system, in response to a request to share the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system with the communication device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to communicate the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system to the communication device, in response to a determination that the communication device is authorized to access the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system, to facilitate display of the customized view of the virtualized industrial automation system on the communication device.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to generate a virtual note comprising a set of information received from a communication device associated with the user, wherein the virtual note is a graphical representation of a note or a message associated with a virtualized industrial device of the virtualized industrial automation system that corresponds to an industrial device of the set of industrial devices.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to receive note placement information from the communication device and place the virtual note on the virtualized industrial device of the virtualized industrial automation system based on the note placement information.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to control viewability of the virtual note by a second communication device associated with a second user based on a viewability scope parameter received from the communication device associated with the user.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to generate one or more control signals, based on the interaction with the virtualized industrial automation system, and transmit the one or more control signals to the industrial automation system to facilitate the remote control of the industrial automation system.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the collection component is further configured to collect a second subset of industrial data relating to an operational response of the industrial automation system in response to the one or more control signals.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the virtualization management component is further configured to update the virtualized industrial automation system based on a subset of data r

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

• G05B2219/31018

  Virtual factory, modules in network, can be selected and combined at will · CPC title

• G05B23/0272

  Presentation of monitored results, e.g. selection of status reports to be displayed; Filtering information to the user · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title

• G05B19/4185 Primary

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title

• G05B19/4183 Primary

  characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification · CPC title