Visualization of lifecycle information and management for industrial networks

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods for providing enhanced visualization of lifecycle information and management for networks, such as industrial networks, enable creation / design of virtualized networks. A virtualized network simplifies physical deployment / installation of a real network by using augmented reality (AR) to enable network configuration / monitoring using the virtualized network and real-time and / or historical information. Performance issues may be identified and visually communicated to a user using AR coverage. A virtualized network may be created by a user through a network layout creation tool that incorporates physical and logical mappings of devices and elements. One or more AR tools may be used to add, edit, remove, and / or manipulate elements of the network model using gestures. The virtualized network may be implemented as a digital twin of the location and used to assist in physical deployment, maintenance, and monitoring of the network of the location.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 347,460, filed on May 31, 2022, entitled “Apparatuses, Systems, and Methods for Providing Visual Lifecycle Information for an Industrial Network,” and is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to providing visual marking of components and, more particularly, to providing visual lifecycle information for industrial networks. Background Art

[0004] Traditional industrial networks contain complex configurations of physical and virtual elements. As networks become more complex, the requirements for software management systems to manage and control industrial networks become higher over time. For example, it is difficult to imagine the flow of information in daily factory operations. It is also difficult to visualize the actual (e.g., geophysical world) deployment of the network at the facility. Most physical location identification is done through a large number of diagrams and network-specific software. For example, there are separate network-centric software solutions that mostly operate in a two-dimensional (2D) world (such as a diagram) and are isolated from the industrial automation process. However, combining separate network-centric software solutions with industrial automation processes is an engineering feat that requires extensive tool expertise. Summary of the invention

[0005] Provided herein are devices, systems and methods for providing enhanced visualization of lifecycle information and management for networks such as industrial networks. Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure can provide a comprehensive global network management toolset for industrial automation users. The toolset can provide effective network creation, installation, configuration, operation, diagnosis and repair on a global multi-factory scale. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more network expert tools (e.g., Schneider Electric's EcoStruxtureNetwork Expert) can provide software / hardware systems by using enhanced visualization and augmented reality (AR) concepts to facilitate network creation, installation, configuration, operation, diagnostic analysis and repair. Industrial plant personnel at different levels can interact and see the network in three-dimensional (3D) form, and can be allowed to overlay their processes onto one or more plant processes. This can be achieved by combining the data model and information flow of the network world with the geophysical world.

[0006] According to aspects of the present disclosure, devices, systems, and methods can enable the creation / design of network layouts (e.g., for industrial plants or other locations), can simplify the physical deployment / installation of networks (e.g., by installers using network layouts using AR), and can enable the use of network layouts, real-time and / or historical information, and AR visualization of networks and network information to configure / monitor networks. One or more performance issues or parameters can be identified and visually communicated to the user, for example, using an AR overlay. The network layout can be created by a user using a network layout creation tool that combines physical and logical mapping of devices and elements. For example, this can be done in a 3D model or a network world (such as a metaverse). One or more AR tools can be used to add, edit, remove, or manipulate at least one device or element of a network model created using the tool. This can include using one or more gestures to perform such functions. The network model can be implemented as a digital twin of the location, which can be used to assist in the physical deployment, maintenance, and monitoring of the network at the location.

[0007] A factory or other location can be assembled through a virtual location (e.g., a factory) builder, where all elements can be first acquired as a digital twin, followed by a physical embodiment, model, or actual thing. By using AR aids such as visual input (e.g., via glasses, cameras, monitors, or electronic devices) and controllers (e.g., gloves, tights, or other input or capture elements), industrial automation personnel can be placed in an enhanced factory AR world where they can assemble the network using gestures and physical interactions, and can immediately see the results of these actions, leading to the operation system. The operation system can be monitored using an overlay of network elements in the physical world (e.g., using AR) to observe the flow of information from one element of the location to another, where physically invisible elements are projected as digital twins. Errors / degradations in performance (e.g., performance parameters) can be visually indicated and geophysically located, making immediate reactions possible. Because it is a holistic view of the network, its impact on the entire process can be visualized, and the network can be repaired accordingly, so that the process can be restored.

[0008] Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure (e.g., using EcoStruxtureNetwork Expert) in combination with one or more other industrial automation (IA) tools can be combined to bring user-oriented 3D visualization from its concept throughout the life cycle of the network with the help of digital twin concepts and AR to provide a personalized user experience. This approach moves the user interface (UI) implementation from the network engineering domain to the IA domain. According to aspects of the present disclosure, each individual in a plant or location is able to customize and visualize the network life cycle and / or information flow of automation process information throughout the plant or location (or a subset thereof).

[0009] One or more elements according to the present disclosure may include, alone or in combination: a) real-time visualization of information flow through the network and connected machine devices, overlaid on the actual industrial process; b) on-site visual network management, including information about the functions and physical locations of network devices, even in hidden environments; c) viewing customization levels based on the type of people interacting with the network and the information they need; d) network construction in a virtual store brings a sense of immersive experience, with superior technical support; and / or e) information-driven network management throughout the entire network life cycle.

[0010] Implementations consistent with the present disclosure may include software and / or hardware implementations that enable a multifaceted view of a network that can be supplemented with AR. This may include network lifecycle information and operations, including creation, installation, configuration, operation, diagnosis, and repair. Network users may include: engineers, installers, operators, maintenance technicians, and business personnel, among others. For example, during plant operations, an operator or network engineer may visualize one or more operations of a network. The present disclosure provides insights into the network lifecycle and the use of visualization methods and techniques to provide an immersive, interactive user experience throughout the network lifecycle.

[0011] The creation of a network can be viewed as an engineering process. The use of the network can be determined based at least in part on the applications served by the network. For example, for industrial automation, machine and digital factory applications can be used.

[0012] By using virtual reality complemented by AR visualization, digital twins can be used to provide a complete simulation of a machine. The level of detail of the digital twin can determine the level of integrability of the IA solution. Therefore, it is conceivable that all networked parts of a machine can be modeled (or a subset of them) and their physical characteristics described, as well as a networked digital twin. The Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPCUA) defines a model that describes physical and logical assets in parts 80-84 of OPCUA for field exchange (OPCUAFX), which is intended to be compatible with the methods and definitions of networking requirements.

[0013] Implementations consistent with the present disclosure may take into account the location of systems and related components, and may provide a mapping of network descriptions to real physical installations. For network creation, switches (e.g., bridges) having one or more physical characteristics suitable for the environment may be identified. One or more suitable features may involve size, power consumption, number of ports, temperature, electrical ratings, connection type (e.g., wireless vs. wired, etc.), and / or other switch features. A user may select a switch by connecting to a digital market (e.g., Schneider Electrical Market or any other authorized equipment supplier). Information from a facility layout system may be used to provide distances between devices. The system may include the ability to visually distinguish logical from physical connection paths. The system may also include the ability to visualize the wireless radius of the device (e.g., WiFi or 5G) and arrange them on the facility / house layout. In some cases, designs may be completed in a 3D network world, such as designs deployed using the Metaverse concept from MetaPlatforms. A feature of implementations consistent with the present disclosure is that gestures may be used to create devices and connect them based on information models provided by device manufacturers. In addition, procurement forms and delivery locations can be automatically filled in and placed by connecting to an inventory subsystem. Similarly, work instructions for physical wiring and deployment may be generated using detailed instructions. This may include cable quality, bend requirements, distance (e.g. Ethernet, Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer (APL), etc.), fiber type (e.g. all types) vs. copper (including CAT ratings for SPE (Single Pair Ethernet), etc.).

[0014] Implementations consistent with the present disclosure may provide an intelligent network system that is capable of translating IA requirements into network requirements. Examples of advantages consistent with implementations of the present disclosure include visualizing these connections and information flows by leveraging the characteristics of industrial equipment (e.g., it may use the OPC UA information model and the CNC Yang model in combination with geophysical information supplemented from the facility to create a global overview of the network). The system described herein is capable of representing the visual utilization of the network by various methods and may be based at least in part on user intent.

[0015] One or more paths from a specific entity exchanging data may be selectively highlighted, such as using a visual cross section of a link. Bandwidth utilization may be quantified by manipulating the width and / or strength of the connection representation associated with the link cross section view. For example, the cross-sectional dimensions may be proportionally sized according to the available bandwidth (e.g., 10 megabits (Mb), 100 Mb, 1 gigabit (Gb), etc.). Each connection may be selectively visualized using: OPC UA PubSub (including but not limited to Unified Architecture Datagram Protocol (UADP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and OPC UA Ethernet), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) / UDP, Internet Protocol (IP), Media Access Control (MAC), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), Priority Code Point (PCP), Stream Utilization, and / or any other relevant network information. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure may utilize any communication protocol defined in one or more standards that have data or metadata that may be visualized, mapped, and selected. For example, the presence of a protocol may be detected based on publishing device information and / or by capturing network content in real time. Devices that perform data capture (e.g., Ethernet taps) and processing, as well as protocol identification software, may be used. Such devices may be integrated into a system consistent with the present disclosure, or if they are part of an equipment switch or CNC, may be used to identify profiles and generate various flow information.

[0016] Distances can be visualized by merging physical (or logical) distances with network latency information, for example, where the underlying information appears to be far away. One or more visualizations can be provided to select a set of processes, for example based at least in part on one or more of the following: (a) applications: such as web, real-time processes, engineering tools, industrial automation management connections, etc.; (b) user profiles: such as machine operators, network engineers, production engineers, and / or any subset of IA application development; (c) network technology and network isolation and separation: such as TSN (PTP) domains, IP networks, VLANs, and virtual extensible LANs (XVLANs), etc.; and / or (d) total bandwidth availability based on network speed (e.g., 10Mb, 100Mb, 1Gb, etc.). Due to the availability of full virtualization and network function virtualization (NFV), in various embodiments, the entire system can be simulated before deployment. Automatic or manual topology management based on data provided by equipment vendors can be provided.

[0017] Even without 3D virtualization (e.g., Metaverse), for example, using current schematics, many of the concepts described herein are usable. Ordering selected network switches is feasible because current network management software has the ability to do so. The use of 3D visualization according to aspects of the present disclosure can enable an immersive experience and potential simulation of installation procedures for personnel assessment and training.

[0018] Since machines are typically closed systems, operators cannot see inside, nor can they see how information flows between machines or within machines (i.e., their internal networks). With the help of one or more elements of the present disclosure, users are able to visualize physical equipment on the floor of a place such as a factory along with internal and external information flow information. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure can enable visualization of one or more machines and their digital twins along with network infrastructure. Visualization may be scalable and can be zoomed in and out, bringing remote access and larger system configurations in advance planning combined with geolocation. For example, the configuration of two machines and corresponding infrastructure equipment located in a secure equipment cabinet can be visualized.

[0019] The IA application designer is able to select available data from the device / machine and connect it to another machine or an upper management system, for example using one or more gestures. Concepts such as OPC UA connection management can be used as a technical layer for connection provisioning. As scale grows, inter-plant communications can be visualized in a similar manner and presented at the correct user interest and / or permission level. Due to full immersion in application design, the clear boundaries in the life cycle of networked devices become somewhat blurred. When systems are selected rather than programmed, some design phase characteristics may be mixed with the installation and operation phases.

[0020] Once a network is designed in the IA Metaverse, it can be deployed in the physical world using AR with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Real network equipment can be purchased from suppliers and shipped to the installation location along with connecting cables. Simply using AR tools such as glasses or other electronic devices, installers can install and connect equipment according to the detailed plans developed during the simulation and creation phase of the Industrial Metaverse. Of course, according to aspects of the present disclosure, not everything in the real world happens according to plan, so defects in the installation phase can be automatically detected and reported to engineering personnel for correction (which can be done immediately through the shared user AR space).

[0021] Network devices can be scanned and physical information such as model and / or serial number can be integrated into the network digital twin, making it a complete representation of the device and enabling secure deployment.

[0022] There are a variety of possible services available during the installation phase. For example, (a) verifying the physical and logical assets of the network with the help of artificial intelligence (AI)-based image recognition, optical character recognition (OCR), barcodes or quick response (QR) codes, near field communication (NFC) tags, and other information sources or combinations thereof; (b) geophysical location of networked devices with actual distance measurement (e.g., active cable length determination), which can be enhanced by global positioning system (GPS) positioning and signal triangulation of existing wireless (e.g., WiFi or 3G, 4G or 5G devices) or by any other method to determine physical location; (c) network security commissioning based on installation work orders and schedules and equipment and personnel certification; and / or (d) real-time verification of the installation by matching with the global view of the network in the IA metaverse (e.g., when connecting a cable, the appropriate port can be highlighted, and a description of the cable can be provided or even matched with the cable packaging). If the device is active, instant feedback about adjacent devices can also be provided and verified. In fact, with respect to (a) above, embodiments consistent with the present disclosure can use AI-based image recognition to compare real-world images with images on file, and text information can be compared with specifications on file.

[0023] Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may leverage virtualization technology and broad ideas and augmented devices (e.g., Microsoft HoloLens, Google Glass, Oculus Rift, etc.) with supporting software hosting and integration platforms (e.g., Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud), network management tools (e.g., open daylight and / or vendor-specific network management tools), OPC UAFX information models, YANG models, etc., and AI-based platforms for audio and video processing and human interaction, such as language processing (e.g., through chatGPT, DeepMind, or other AI platforms), either individually or in combination. However, gathering information is currently difficult, and the vision for integration in the industrial world is quite lacking. To address this and other issues, embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may gather technological advances and combine them into new and novel industrial automation systems that can provide ease-of-use benefits to end users.

[0024] In various embodiments, according to aspects of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide one or more security (e.g., network security) services or operations. For example, one or more devices or machines (e.g., unauthorized devices and / or suspicious traffic associated therewith) can be identified and visualized to a user, for example, via an electronic device. An AR mapping of the device or traffic can be presented in an augmented view, and a user can provide one or more gestures to modify one or more connections or configurations of the network and / or device to stop or prevent harm or risk, such as by allowing the user to provide a gesture to disable communications to / from the device (e.g., by disabling one or more network ports to prevent communication). This can be performed remotely from the device without requiring immediate physical access to the device, such as when the device is inside a machine or cabinet.

[0025] According to various aspects of the present disclosure, a method for visualizing an industrial network is provided. In various embodiments, the method may include assembling a model of a factory associated with an industrial network through a virtual factory builder, wherein the elements of the factory (e.g., all elements or parts thereof) may first be acquired as a digital twin, followed by a physical embodiment, model, or actual thing. The model of the industrial network may be assembled based at least in part on recorded input from one or more system users. The recorded input may include gestures and / or physical interactions of system users, indicating various elements, features (e.g., location, device type, etc.), and / or the configuration of the industrial network. By overlaying information from or derived from a combined model of the industrial network onto information from or derived from a combined model of the factory, the operation of monitoring the industrial network may be presented via a visual interface (e.g., an augmented reality of a monitoring and control system presented on an electronic device), wherein information flowing from one element of the factory to another element is shown in the visual interface. Parameters, such as errors or performance degradation of the industrial network, may be identified and / or visually indicated in the visual interface. Parameters (e.g., errors and / or performance degradation) of the industrial network may be geophysically located and / or indicated in the visual interface, making immediate response possible. The method may include identifying and selectively visually indicating in a visual interface the impact of an identified parameter (e.g., an error and / or performance degradation) of an industrial network on one or more processes associated with a plant. One or more actions may be taken to address the identified error / performance degradation of the industrial network. The one or more actions may include providing at least one suggestion to address the identified parameter (e.g., error / performance degradation). In various embodiments, one or more actions may be automatically identified and initiated. One or more actions may be taken to reduce or eliminate the impact of the identified parameter (e.g., error and / or performance degradation) on one or more processes associated with the plant.

[0026] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a method for visualizing an industrial network is provided. The method may include assembling a plant model of a plant associated with the industrial network, assembling a network model of the industrial network, enabling monitoring of the operation of the industrial network, identifying at least one performance parameter of the industrial network, identifying the impact of at least one performance parameter associated with the industrial network on one or more processes, selectively visually communicating at least one performance parameter via an overlay of the industrial network at a user interface, and / or taking one or more actions to resolve at least one performance parameter. Visually communicating at least one performance parameter may include providing an augmented reality overlay depicting at least one performance parameter on or along one or more elements of the plant model. Visually communicating at least one performance parameter may include providing an enhanced internal view of at least one device of the industrial network. Visually communicating at least one performance parameter may include visually communicating one or more real-time or expected communication flows or states.

[0027] According to further aspects of the present disclosure, a method for providing services for a network is provided. The method may include creating a location model and a network model associated with the location model, deploying at least a portion of the network according to the location model, as part of deploying at least a portion of the network, selectively modifying the location model, obtaining information associated with at least a portion of the network, determining a performance parameter associated with at least a portion of the network, and / or visually communicating a performance parameter associated with the location model and the network model.

[0028] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a system for providing services for a network is provided. The system includes: a location modeling module configured to obtain device information of the network and create a location model; a memory configured to store the location model; an electronic device configured to visually communicate information related to the location model and further configured to allow a user of the electronic device to manipulate at least a portion of the location model; and a monitoring module configured to obtain information related to the network and identify at least one performance parameter related to the network. The electronic device can visually communicate a representation of at least one performance parameter related to the location model.

[0029] In general, in one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a system for monitoring an industrial network for a plant associated with the industrial network. The system includes, in particular, a physical model builder configured to assemble a model of the plant by acquiring digital representations associated with the plant, each digital representation corresponding to a physical network element associated with the plant. The system also includes a network model builder configured to assemble a model of the industrial network by identifying a network connection between two or more digital representations. The system further includes a visualization module configured to create a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the plant and the model of the industrial network, and present at least a portion of the virtualization of the industrial network on an electronic device. The system also includes a network operation monitor configured to obtain information about the operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and overlay the information on the virtualized portion of the industrial network in a graphical format. The visualization module is also configured to receive a user gesture of the digital representation in the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device via the electronic device, and perform a function of the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture.

[0030] In general, on the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method for monitoring an industrial network for a factory associated with the industrial network. The method particularly includes assembling a model of the factory by acquiring digital representations associated with the factory, each digital representation corresponding to a physical network element associated with the factory. The method also includes assembling a model of the industrial network by identifying network connections between two or more digital representations; and creating a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the factory and the model of the industrial network, and presenting at least a portion of the virtualization of the industrial network on an electronic device. The method also includes acquiring information about the operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and overlaying the information on the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device in a graphical format. The method also includes receiving a user gesture of the digital representation in the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device via the electronic device, and performing a function of the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture.

[0031] In general, in yet another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an electronic device for monitoring an industrial network for a factory associated with the industrial network. The electronic device includes, among other things, a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor. The memory is configured to store computer-readable instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to present at least a portion of a virtualization of the industrial network based on a model of the factory and a model of the industrial network; and overlay information about the operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the presented virtualized portion of the industrial network. The computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, also cause the electronic device to receive a user gesture of a digital representation in the presented virtualized portion of the industrial network, wherein, in response to receiving the user gesture, a function corresponding to the user gesture is performed on the digital representation.

[0032] Many other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art when reading the following disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] A more detailed description of the disclosure, briefly summarized above, can be obtained by reference to various embodiments, some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. Although the drawings illustrate selected embodiments of the disclosure, these drawings are not to be considered limiting of its scope, as the disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

[0034] Figure 1A A partial view of a simplified block diagram showing a realistic view of an embodiment of a machine according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 1B The present invention shows various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 1A A partial view of an embodiment of an enlarged view of the machine.

[0036] Figure 2A A partial block diagram of a unicast embodiment of a factory perspective of an implementation with two machine twins and one cabinet twin in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0037] Figure 2B A partial block diagram of a multicast embodiment of a factory perspective of an implementation with two machine twins and one cabinet twin in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0038] Figure 2C and 2D Partial virtualization of unicast and multicast communication path embodiments from a factory perspective according to implementations of aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Figure 3 FIG. 1 shows a method of displaying a user at a location according to various aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2A-2BA partial block diagram of an embodiment of any one of the factory perspectives.

[0040] Figure 4 A flow chart representing a method for providing visual lifecycle information and management for an industrial network in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0041] Figure 5A A partial block diagram of an electronic device according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0042] Figure 5B A partial block diagram of a system for providing visual lifecycle information and management for an industrial network according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0043] Figure 6 A partial diagram illustrating an example of a bandwidth utilization visualization in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0044] Fig. 7A A front raised perspective view of an example of elements of a machine according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0045] Figure 7B The present invention shows various aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 7A Example of an enhanced machine model of elements of a machine.

[0046] Fig. 8A A left front raised perspective view of an embodiment of elements of a machine according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0047] Figure 8B The present invention shows various aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 8A Example of an enhanced equipment model of an element of a machine.

[0048] Fig. 9 A raised front perspective view of an embodiment of an apparatus according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] Fig.10 A partial view of an example of a simplified three-dimensional network overlay is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0050] Fig.11 A partial view of an example of a simplified three-dimensional network overlay reflecting real-time manipulation in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0051] Fig.12 The reflections according to various aspects of the present disclosure are shown from Fig.12 Another partial view of an example of a simplified 3D network overlay manipulated in real time.

[0052] Wherever possible, identical reference numerals have been used to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. However, elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] First, it should be understood that the development of practical, real business applications incorporating aspects of the disclosed embodiments will require many implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's ultimate goals for the business embodiments. Such implementation-specific decisions may include, but may not be limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related, and other constraints, which may vary with the specific implementation, location, and time. While the developer's efforts may be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense, such efforts are still routine tasks for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0054] It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed and taught herein may be subject to many different modifications and alternative forms. Therefore, the use of singular terms, such as but not limited to "a", etc., is not intended to limit the number of items. Similarly, any relative terms used in the written description, such as but not limited to "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "up", "down", "upward", "downward", "side", etc., are for the sake of clarity when specifically referring to the drawings, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 1A An exemplary real machine 100 and real cabinet 105 according to various aspects of the present disclosure are shown in simplified block diagram form. Machine 100 can be, for example, any device or equipment that can be used for one or more purposes in one location (e.g., location 210). Cabinet 105 can be any equipment cabinet, such as can be used in a location (e.g., location 210) for housing network devices or equipment. Machine 100 can include one or more elements that can be included in machine 100 or otherwise associated with machine 100 (e.g., can be communicatively coupled to machine 100 when located in a different physical location). Cabinet 105 can also include one or more elements that can be included in cabinet 105 or otherwise associated with cabinet 105. Figure 1A The view of the machines 100 and cabinets 105 in FIG. 1 represents a real-world view showing a closed system, whereby an operator cannot see the interior of at least a portion of the machine 100 or cabinet 105, nor can the operator see how information flows between the machines 100 and / or cabinets 105 or their components and / or other entities through one or more network interfaces or terminals 110 and 112 on each machine 100 and cabinet 105. One or more machines 100 may be installed or installable at a location 210 ( Figure 2A-2B) and can be part of a location model created using a location mapping tool, which can be provided, for example, by a network expert tool, such as the EcoStruxtureNetwork tool from Schneider Electric Company of Boston, Massachusetts.

[0056] Figure 1B In simplified block diagram form, various aspects of the present disclosure are described. Figure 1A 100 . A digital twin is a digital representation of an intended or actual real-world physical product, system, or process that is used as an (effectively) indistinguishable digital counterpart to a physical twin for practical purposes such as simulation, integration, testing, monitoring, and maintenance. The digital twin 120 can be used to virtualize and selectively visualize the machine 100 in whole or in part. The digital twin 120 can be used alone or in part with one or more tool sets to enable visualization (e.g., augmented reality (AR) visualization) of physical devices associated with a location such as location 210, as well as internal and / or external information flows that may be associated with one or more machines 100 or elements thereof, as further described herein. The visualization can enable or allow installation of one or more machines 100 and / or related machines, equipment, or elements in terms of physical and logical configuration.

[0057] The digital twin 120 of the machine 100 may include one or more components related to the machine 100, such as a programmable logic controller (PLC) 130, a switch 140, a device 150, or any combination thereof. Although each of the PLC 130, the switch 140, and the device 150 is shown, it should be understood that in various embodiments, all, none, or more than one of these elements are related to the machine 100, and the machine 100 may have a plurality of components without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Figure 1B Additional elements not shown.

[0058] As shown in the example, the terminal 110, PLC 130, switch 140 and / or device 150 of the digital twin 120 can be connected via one or more paths (e.g., as shown in FIG. Figure 1B1, 2, and 3) are communicatively coupled. One or more paths (or a subset thereof) may be implemented as physical lines or internal bus connections between components. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, one or more paths may be implemented at least in part via wireless communication. In various exemplary embodiments, the digital twin 120 may be able to be visually communicated to a user, for example, via a display of an electronic device 320 as described herein. The visualization of the digital twin 120 may be scalable and may be zoomed in and out, and may allow remote access and larger system configurations in conjunction with geolocated floor plans.

[0059] Figure 2A An exemplary AR visualization is shown in simplified block diagram form, partially illustrating a system 200 at a location 210, such as in a particular area within a facility or factory, for example, with a machine digital twin and an equipment cabinet digital twin, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The system 200 at location 210 includes a machine digital twin 120 coupled to a cabinet digital twin 230, which is further coupled to the machine digital twin 210, each via one or more wired and / or wireless communication paths. In some embodiments, the machine digital twin 220 is a digital twin of a second machine 100. Thus, similar to the machine digital twin 120, the machine digital twin 220 may include a network interface or terminal 215 and one or more of an industrial controller 225, a switch 240, a device 250, or any combination thereof. The industrial controller 225 may be a distributed control system (DCS), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or even an industrial PC. Furthermore, although each of the PLC 225, the switch 240, and the device 250 are shown, it should be understood that in various embodiments, all, none, or more than one of these elements may be associated with the second machine 100, and such a machine may have Figure 1B Additional elements not shown in the figure may be included without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Cabinet digital twin 230 may correspond to a secure, real equipment cabinet at location 210. Figure 2A The illustrated embodiment provides an example of a configuration of a location 210 having two machines 100 and a plurality of infrastructure equipment, such as at a secure equipment cabinet.

[0060] The logical connection path 204 may be used to couple the machine twin 120 to the cabinet twin 230, and further to the second machine twin 220 corresponding to the second machine 100. The logical connection path 204 allows the machine twin 120 to send / receive messages to / from the second twin 220 through the cabinet twin 230. The logical connection via the logical connection path 204 may be implemented by the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), the Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPCUA), and / or any other protocol or architecture without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0061] According to aspects of the present disclosure, one or more connection paths at location 210, such as connection path 204 between machine twin 120 and second machine twin 220, may be selectively visualized via AR visualization. Such visualization may be achieved, for example, by using OPC UA (and compatible) protocols, including but not limited to Unified Architecture Datagram Protocol (UADP), UDP, and OPC UA Ethernet. A machine-to-machine (M2M) communication path 202 may be provided between the PLC 130 of machine twin 120 and the PLC 130 of machine twin 220. Communications to / from machine twins 120 and / or 220 may be provided in whole or in part by a network interface or terminal 110, such as Figure 2A As shown in the machine twin 120 of the system 200. One or more switches 140, 240 of the machine twins 120, 220 and the switch 212 of the cabinet twin 230 can be used to provide one or more communication or connection paths 204 between the machine twin 120 and the machine twin 220, respectively. In addition, the device 150 of the machine twin 120 can be logically coupled to the device 250 of the machine twin 220 via the logical connection path 204, and the logical connection path 204 can also be configured to be coupled to each other via the switches 140, 240 of the machine twins 120, 220 and the switch 212 of the cabinet twin 230, respectively. The communication paths 204, the machine-to-machine (M2M) communication paths 202 and other communication paths in the system 200 form a communication network for a facility or factory, which can be an industrial communication network. Similarly, one or more communication or connection paths 204 can be associated with a backup or redundant network of a facility or factory to provide network redundancy as needed.

[0062] According to aspects of the present disclosure, a user, such as an industrial automation (IA) application designer, can select a device and / or machine, such as machine 100, by selecting its digital twin 120 (e.g., by clicking on its visualization). The designer can view the data and specifications of the device and / or machine. And the designer can connect the device and / or machine (e.g., using gestures) to another device and / or machine, such as machine 100, via its digital twin 220 (or its visualization). The designer can also connect the device and / or machine (e.g., using gestures again) to an upper-level connection management system via its digital twin (or its visualization). Connection management concepts such as those implemented by OPC UA and software-defined network (SDN) concepts implemented via logical entities, such as centralized user configuration (CUC) and centralized network controller (CNC) in time-sensitive networks (TSN), and similar types of connection management concepts can be used as a technical layer for connection provisioning in various embodiments. As the scale grows, inter-location (e.g., inter-factory) communications can be visualized in a similar manner and optionally presented at the right user interest level (and optionally according to one or more permissions associated with the user and / or group). Furthermore, when the embodiments herein are combined with a design application, the traditionally distinct lines in the life cycle of a network device become less distinct. For example, when a system is selected from available systems, rather than being programmed during the design phase, some of the design phase features may be blended with the installation and operation phases of the life cycle.

[0063] Note that although "digital twins" are mentioned here, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to digital twins, but more generally include any type of digital representation of a device and its functionality. Thus, for example, a network device here may also be acquired and / or constructed via a device data sheet available from a device manufacturer, which may be part of or separate from a digital twin of the device. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure that reference a digital twin of a device are equally applicable to a digital representation of the device, which may be part of or separate from a digital twin of the device.

[0064] In addition, in some embodiments, such as the above Figure 2A As shown in , the M2M communication path provided between the PLC 130 of the machine twin 120 and the PLC 130 of the machine twin 220 may carry unicast point-to-point communication, while in other embodiments, for example Figure 2B As shown in , the M2M communication path can carry multicast point-to-point communication.

[0065] refer to Figure 2B , again showing a partial AR virtualization in simplified block diagram form, partially depicting the system 200' at location 210. The system 200' is similar to Figure 2AThe system 200 has a machine twin 120, a cabinet twin 230, and a second machine twin 220, each equipped with Figure 2A . In addition, there is at least one additional machine twin 220' in the system 200', which has similar components to the corresponding parts of the second machine twin 220, including an industrial controller 225', a switch 240', a device 250' or any combination thereof. Because the M2M communication path is a multicast point-to-point communication path 202', sometimes also referred to as a point-to-multipoint communication path, at least one additional twin 220' shown in the virtualization here is able to receive the same data stream as the second machine twin 220. The multicast point-to-point communication path 202' allows a single message or a message from a single device to be sent to a group of devices.

[0066] Figure 2C and 2D Partial virtualization of unicast and multicast communication path embodiments according to aspects of the present disclosure are shown, respectively. Figure 2C As can be seen in the virtualization of FIG, when the M2M communication path carries unicast communication (labeled 202), each of the multiple data streams (only two of which are shown here at 260 and 262) is routed to a separate point or node in the industrial network. Figure 6 A cross-sectional virtualization of the communication path 202 is shown in FIG. 2 , which shows various data flows at or near the terminals of the cabinet twin 230. Figure 2D As can be seen from the virtualization of , when the M2M communication path carries multicast communication (labeled as 202 ′), the same data stream, such as data stream 260 , can be routed to multiple points or nodes in the industrial network.

[0067] Figure 3 An exemplary AR visualization is shown in simplified block diagram form, from Figure 2A The factory perspective of (or 2B) partially shows the system 200 (or system 200'), this time including the user 310 at the location 210 according to aspects of the present disclosure. As previously described, the system 200 includes the machine twin 120, the cabinet twin 230 and the machine twin 220 and their various elements, as well as the M2M communication path 202 and the logical connection path 204. Figure 3 Further shown is a user 310 at location 210. User 310 may use or otherwise be associated with electronic device 320, referred to herein as Figure 5A310 . As further shown and described herein. There is also an upper layer connection management system 330 (or application) and a visual network lifecycle information and management system 340 (or application), which are communicatively coupled to each other via appropriate wired and / or wireless communication links 350. A user 310 may be enabled to create and / or view at least one representation associated with a location 210 by accessing the upper layer connection management system 330 and / or the visual network lifecycle information and management system 340 via a wireless and / or wired communication link 360 using an electronic device 320. For example, the user 310 may use the electronic device 320 to create a virtualization of a physical space such as the location 210 in whole or in part. As further described herein, the user 310 may also use the electronic device 320 to view real-time or historical data associated with the location 210. In various embodiments, the user 310's view of the system 200 at the location 210 and / or the capabilities associated with the system 200 may be customized or tailored based, at least in part, on one or more access rights associated with the user and / or a group to which the user 310 belongs. For example, the user 310 may be limited to viewing only an enhanced representation of a portion of the location 210. Users 310 may be further restricted to viewing one or more augmented elements and / or real-time information based on their respective access rights and / or group permissions. In various embodiments, electronic device 320 may implement one or more AR elements and may include or be associated with a wearable AR device, for example to provide visualization and / or implement one or more AR operations described herein (e.g., gesture input, visualization display, etc.). Gestures may include one or more implementations of swiping, tapping, grabbing, pushing, pulling, drawing, tracing, etc. that may be used with 2D and 3D interactive software.

[0068] In addition to gestures, the electronic device 320 may also implement voice commands and controls in some embodiments to allow the user 310 to perform many of the same functions and tasks that gestures are used for. As previously mentioned, embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may leverage developments in the field of AI, such as GPT, Dali, and DeepMind, as well as other AI platforms, to provide enhanced gesture capabilities that combine traditional gestures with voice and video feedback. For example, a user may point to a device and ask the electronic device 320 to identify and match (via AI) the device with a diagram or digital twin available in cyberspace.

[0069] Figure 4A flowchart is shown representing a method or process for providing visual lifecycle information and management of an industrial network for a facility or plant according to various aspects of the present disclosure, which industrial network may include a time-sensitive network (TSN). Process 400 includes operation 402, in which a model of a physical system 200 is assembled for a location 210 in a facility or plant (e.g., through a machine digital twin 120, 220, a cabinet digital twin 230, and its elements and components). Such assembly of the physical model may include obtaining at least a portion of the physical model information from a user 310 via an electronic device 340. Additionally or alternatively, at least a portion of the physical model information may be obtained from a building or plant management system, a plant or building virtualization system or tool, a modeling system or tool, or any other information source related to the system 200 at the location 210. In operation 404, a network model of the location 210 is assembled. In operation 406, network operation monitoring may be enabled for the location 210. In operation 408, one or more operational characteristics associated with the location 210 or its elements may be identified, and indications of the operational characteristics may be selectively provided. At operation 410, impact parameters associated with the operating characteristic may be determined and associated impact indications may be selectively provided.At operation 412, one or more operations may be performed based at least in part on the identified operating characteristic.

[0070] conform to Figure 4Embodiments of the method may include a method for visualizing an industrial network. In various embodiments, the method may include assembling a model of a factory associated with an industrial network through a virtual factory builder, wherein the elements of the factory (e.g., all elements or parts thereof) may first be acquired as a digital twin, followed by a physical embodiment, model, or actual thing. The model of the industrial network may be assembled based at least in part on recorded input from one or more system users. The recorded input may include gestures and / or physical interactions of the system user, indicating various elements, features (e.g., location, device type, etc.), and / or configurations of the industrial network. By overlaying information from or derived from the combined model of the industrial network onto information from or derived from the combined model of the factory, the operation of monitoring the industrial network may be presented via a visual interface (e.g., an augmented reality of a monitoring and control system presented on an electronic device 320), wherein information flowing from one element of the factory to another is shown in the visual interface. Parameters, such as errors or performance degradation of the industrial network, may be identified and / or visually indicated in the visual interface. Parameters of the industrial network (e.g., errors and / or performance degradation) may be geophysically located and / or indicated in the visual interface, making immediate response possible. The method may include identifying and selectively visually indicating in a visual interface the impact of an identified parameter (e.g., an error and / or performance degradation) of an industrial network on one or more processes associated with a plant. One or more actions may be taken to address the identified error / performance degradation of the industrial network. The one or more actions may include providing at least one suggestion to address the identified parameter (e.g., error / performance degradation). In various embodiments, one or more actions may be automatically identified and initiated. One or more actions may be taken to reduce or eliminate the impact of the identified parameter (e.g., error and / or performance degradation) on one or more processes associated with the plant.

[0071] conform to Figure 4 Embodiments of the method may include a method for visualizing an industrial network. The method may include assembling a plant model of a plant associated with the industrial network, assembling a network model of the industrial network, enabling monitoring of the operation of the industrial network, identifying at least one performance parameter of the industrial network, identifying the impact of at least one performance parameter associated with the industrial network on one or more processes, selectively visually communicating at least one performance parameter via an overlay of the industrial network at a user interface, and / or taking one or more actions to address at least one performance parameter. Visually communicating at least one performance parameter may include providing an augmented reality overlay depicting at least one performance parameter on or along one or more elements of the plant model. Visually communicating at least one performance parameter may include providing an enhanced internal view of at least one device of the industrial network. Visually communicating at least one performance parameter may include visually communicating one or more real-time or expected communication flows or states.

[0072] conform to Figure 4 Embodiments of the method may include a method for providing services to a network. The method may include creating a location model and a network model associated with the location model, deploying at least a portion of the network according to the location model, as part of deploying at least a portion of the network, selectively modifying the location model, obtaining information associated with at least a portion of the network, determining a performance parameter associated with at least a portion of the network, and / or visually communicating a performance parameter associated with the location model and the network model.

[0073] Figure 5A A partial block diagram of an electronic device 320 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The electronic device 320 may include one or more of the following: a body 500, a capture module 510, a display unit 520, an input / output unit 530, a communication module 540, a processor 550, a storage device 560, or a combination thereof. One or more of the body 500, the capture module 510, the display unit 520, the input / output unit 530, the communication module 540, the processor 550, and / or the storage device 560 may be communicatively coupled to each other, for example, via a conductive bus 570. Although shown as each being housed within the body 500 of the electronic device 320, it should be understood that one or more of the body 500, the capture module 510, the display unit 520, the input / output unit 530, the communication module 540, the processor 550, and / or the storage device 560 (or its elements) may be physically remote from the body 500 of the electronic device 320 in whole or in part.

[0074] The capture module 510 may include a camera or other capture element configured to capture information related to the location 210. This may include a camera element that obtains visual information (e.g., image and / or video data) related to the location 210 or its elements. Additionally or alternatively, the capture module 510 may include one or more elements configured to obtain information related to the location 210 or its elements, such as ambient information (e.g., temperature, humidity, noise, lighting, and other environmental information), signal data, location or element health information, audio capture information, or any other data set or metadata related to the location 210 or its elements. The display unit 520 may be configured to visually convey information to the user 310 of the electronic device 320. This may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit, a light emitting diode (LED) unit, an organic LED (OLED) unit, a retinal projection display, and / or any other display unit or combination of display units capable of conveying information to the user 310 of the electronic device 320. The electronic device 320 may provide at least one input / output unit 530. The input / output unit 530 may enable the user 310 of the electronic device 320 to provide input to the electronic device 320. The input / output unit 530 may include a keyboard, a tactile input mechanism, an audio capture unit, or any other element capable of obtaining input from a user. In various embodiments, the input / output unit 530 may be associated with the display unit 520, such as in embodiments where the display unit 520 includes touch screen operation. In various embodiments, the electronic device 320 may include and / or may be coupled to a wearable device, such as providing a display to a user, enabling user input, and / or providing one or more operations described herein. In various embodiments, the electronic device 320 may include or may be coupled to a gesture input device that the user 310 may use to provide input. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic device 320 may include or may be coupled to an augmented reality auxiliary device, such as a visual input / output (e.g., glasses, a camera, a monitor, etc.) and / or an input element (e.g., a glove, an indicator, a tights, etc.). One or more augmented reality auxiliary devices may be coupled to the electronic device 320 and / or may be communicatively coupled thereto (e.g., via the communication module 540 described herein).

[0075] The electronic device 320 may also include a communication module 540. The communication module 540 may provide at least one wired and / or wireless interface for sending data or information from the electronic device 320 and / or for receiving data or information at the electronic device 320. The communication module 540 may be configured to communicate via at least one communication medium and / or network, such as one or more wired and / or wireless communication links and / or networks capable of exchanging information. In various embodiments, any configuration of one or more machines, devices, and / or elements capable of communicating via one or more communication media may be considered to be a network associated with a location (e.g., location 210). The electronic device 320 may also include a processor 550. The processor 550 may be one or more hardware and / or software processing elements configured to perform at least one operation of the electronic device 320, or further perform the operation. In various embodiments, the processor 550 may take the form of a microprocessor. Although not shown in FIG. 5 , the processor 550 may include one or more volatile or non-volatile memories, which the processor 550 may use to execute one or more commands. One or more sets of instructions may be stored at a local memory or storage device of the processor 550 and / or at the storage device 560. The memory 560 may include any volatile or non-volatile storage medium configured to store or access one or more sets of data or information that may be used by or in conjunction with the electronic device 320. The storage device 560 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), and / or any computer-readable medium capable of storing or retrieving information.

[0076] Figure 5B A partial block diagram of an exemplary upper layer connection management system 330 and a visual network lifecycle information and management system 340 that can be accessed by an electronic device 320 (or a user application 322 thereon) according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. In general, the upper layer connection management system 330 operates or is operable to configure and control various connections within a network, such as an industrial network (which can be a TSN network) at a location 210, using any of the network communication protocols mentioned above (e.g., OPC UA, NETCONF, etc.). The visual network lifecycle information and management system 340 operates or is operable to create a visualization of a physical space such as a location 210 and a system 200 in whole or in part, and to view real-time or historical data related to the location 210 and the system 200. The electronic device 320 (or a user application 322 thereon) can then access and use these systems via a communication link 360 between the electronic device 320 and these systems to perform various functions described herein.

[0077] In some embodiments, the upper layer connection management system 330 includes one or more external system interfaces 574 for interacting with various external systems, and a connection controller 572 for configuring and controlling various connections within a network (e.g., an industrial network at location 210). In general, the external system interface 574 operates to allow the connection management system 330 to send / receive messages and data to / from external systems (such as electronic devices 320 and visual network lifecycle information and management system 340) using appropriate communication protocols, and to communicate with them. The connection controller 572 operates to allow users (e.g., network administrators) including users 310 to configure connection paths between various devices in the network, or to deploy pre-computed paths for connecting devices, including via communication paths 202 (or 202') and logical connection paths 204. To this end, the connection controller 572 may include a CUC (centralized user configuration) 574 and a CNC (centralized network controller) 576, as well as any other logical entities that may be required. Note that the CUC 574 and the CNC 576 operate together to provide what is generally referred to as a software defined network (SDN), resulting in an intent-based network. The CUC 574 interacts with the devices and / or machines in the network to determine the parameters of the communication paths required for each device and / or machine and passes these requirements to the CNC 576. The CNC 576 receives the parameter requirements from the CUC 574 and configures the switches in the network accordingly to provide the communication / connection paths required by the devices and / or machines. Note that in an exemplary embodiment, the upper-level connection management system 330 is shown as controlling and configuring the devices and / or machines in the network through their digital twins (e.g., machine twins 120, 220, cabinet twins 230, and their elements and components). Of course, the upper-level connection management system 330 can directly control and configure the devices and / or machines in the network instead of using their digital twins.

[0078] In some embodiments, the visual network lifecycle information and management system 340 is a cloud-based system (or application) residing in a cloud computing environment, which may be a third-party cloud computing environment accessible via the Internet, or a private enterprise cloud computing environment accessible via a private intranet. One or more computing resources 580 on the cloud computing environment are used to host and execute the visual network lifecycle information and management system 340. The one or more computing resources 580 may include database resources, processor resources, memory resources, network resources, etc. These resources may be physical resources and / or virtual resources shared between one or more other systems or applications.

[0079] In some embodiments, the visual network lifecycle information and management system 340 on a cloud computing environment may include one or more visualization media databases 582 and a network information and management application 584. In general, the visualization media database 582 stores visualization media that can be used to provide enhanced visualization of a network, and the network information and management application 584 uses the stored visualization media to create, in whole or in part, a virtualization of a physical space, such as the location 210 and the system 200, and to view real-time or historical data related to the system 200 at the location 210. The types of visualization media stored may include operating manuals, technical specifications, user instructions, and other documentation for the equipment and / or machines of the system 200 at the location 210, as well as graphics, icons, images, video clips, audio clips, and other media that can be used to create an enhanced visualization of a network, such as the system 200 at the location 210. These visualization media may be organized by or within the one or more visualization media databases 582 using any suitable content indexing scheme known to those skilled in the art, which may allow for quick location and retrieval of specific media for playback. New and updated visualization media may also be added to visualization media database 582 from time to time as needed. For example, once a network device has been identified, in some cases network information and management application 584 may contact the device manufacturer website and obtain the virtualization media for the device.

[0080] As for the network information and management application 584, in some embodiments, the application 584 includes multiple functional components, including a physical model builder 586, a network model builder 588, an enhanced visualization module 590, and a network operations monitor 592. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that any of these functional components 586, 588, 590, and 592 may be separated into one or more sub-components and / or combined into one or more super-components within the scope of the disclosed embodiments. In general, these functional components 586, 588, 590, and 592 operate or are operable to provide the previously referenced Figure 4The corresponding functions described. That is, the physical model builder 586 can be used to build or assemble a model of the physical system 200 for a location 210 in a facility or factory (e.g., through machine twins 120, 220, cabinet twins 230, and their elements and components). The network model builder can be used to build or assemble a network model of the system 200 at the location 210. The enhanced visualization module 590 can be used to create a virtualization of the network for the system 200 at the location 210 using the physical model and the network model. In the network, the operation monitor 592 can be used to monitor one or more operating characteristics related to the network of the system 200 at the location 210 or its elements, and perform one or more operations based on the identified influencing parameters related to the identified operating characteristics.

[0081] Figure 6 A partial diagram showing an example of a bandwidth utilization visualization in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a visualization 600 can be provided as part of an enhanced view available to a user 310 of an electronic device 320. For example, the visualization 600 can be presented to a user 310 of an electronic device 320 during an installation process, during a configuration or provisioning process, during model or template manipulation, during real-time maintenance or monitoring, during simulation operations, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the visualization 600 can be used to present real-time usage information of a link 610 to a user 310 of an electronic device 320.

[0082] The visualization 600 may include a cross-sectional view of the link 610 and the corresponding utilization of the available bandwidth of the link 610. In the visualization 600, the link 610 resembles a pipeline with different types of immiscible fluids flowing therethrough, each fluid representing a data flow in the link 610. For example, the cross-sectional view of the link 610 may represent a 100 Mbps Ethernet link with 20% utilization on three virtual local area networks (VLANs). Reference is made to VLAN3 620, VLAN2 630, and VLAN1 640 showing Figure 6 When combined, VLAN3 620, VLAN2 630, and VLAN1 640 may combine to provide 20% utilization of link 610 at a given time. Within VLAN1 640, three flows 642, 644, and 646 are shown. Figure 6 As shown, VLAN1 640 may include 10% of the total link bandwidth (although it should be understood that each VLAN may utilize any percentage of the total bandwidth of link 610 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure). Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, flow 646 of VLAN3 640 may occupy 10% of the total bandwidth of link 610. Figure 6In the illustrated embodiment, the bandwidth utilization of streams 642 and 644 may be combined to represent the remaining 10% of the total bandwidth of link 610. Hovering over or tapping a given stream causes data associated with that stream (e.g., bandwidth) to be visualized, as shown at 650. Both unicast and multicast streams may be Figure 6 The manner shown and described is virtualized.

[0083] Notice, Figure 6 The visualization 600 in is referred to as a cross-sectional view for illustration only. In reality, more information may be available at or near the endpoints to which the link 610 is connected, rather than near the middle of the link. Furthermore, multiple links may be connected to ports that configure (provision) VLANS and flows, so the term "cable" is simply shorthand for the data medium through which data may flow. The medium may include physical media, virtual media, or both. The medium may include multiple cables aggregated into a single large overall link, which may also be a wireless link (and therefore not technically a cable). Therefore, the use of the term "cable" is merely illustrative and may more accurately refer to one or more links 610 consisting of a medium and a connecting port. From this perspective, the visualization 600 may contain more information about the link 610 than just the bandwidth consumed. For example, the visualization 600 may also include timing information for any TSN data stream associated with such a link 610, presented in a similar manner to the bandwidth. In general, the visualization 600 may contain an overlay of any logical information flow on a physical medium separated according to purpose.

[0084] The visualization 600 may provide visual indicia to distinguish communications and / or bandwidth parameters, such as color coding according to data type or classification, flow parameters, or any other physical and / or logical parameter or measurement associated with the cable 610, VLAN, flow, etc. The size, shape, or parameter associated with the visualization 600 may relate to a parameter of the cable 610, such as total bandwidth. The size, shape, or parameter of a VLAN may relate to current and / or historical usage of the VLAN, such as the current bandwidth allocated to the VLAN and / or current bandwidth usage associated with the VLAN (e.g., by its flow). One or more parameters and / or settings associated with the cable 610, VLAN, flow, or other element may be modified, created, and / or removed during operation, such as by a user 310 of the electronic device 320.

[0085] Fig. 7A A front elevation perspective view of an example of an element (e.g., a PLC) of a machine according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The element 700 of the machine may be a portion of or an equivalent of the machine 100 as previously described. In various embodiments, the element 700 may be a controller, such as an Ethernet programmable automation controller (ePAC), such as a Modicon M580 unit from Schneider Electric. Fig. 7A As shown, from the perspective of the observer, there is no indication of the internal components of the element 700, nor is there an indication of the operating state and / or communication utilization or state associated with one or more elements 700 of the machine. Element 700 can be a device installed or installable at a location, such as at a machine or its cabinet. Element 700 can be included in a location model and / or a network model of the location, such as in a twin machine solution. The location model can include the physical location and / or configuration of the element 700 in space and / or the physical connection to one or more other devices or elements of the location. Element 700 can also be modeled by a network model of the location, such as reflecting one or more logical or communication paths or connections within the location or otherwise related to the location, such as between one or more machines or devices within the location or related to the location.

[0086] In various embodiments, the externally exposed Ethernet port of the device may be visually indicated by one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). These LEDs may convey limited information, such as information related to the user link status, link speed (limited to high and low), and the presence of limited communication (e.g., by indicating whether there is a fast flash of the LED). However, for internal connections, these LEDs do not exist. Once the device is loaded into a machine or cabinet, these LED indicators may not be exposed. The digital twin machine implemented according to the present disclosure can be nested in the same way as a part of the machine is nested in the machine. That is, the user may be able to peek into the machine or cabinet, and peek deeper into the parts and / or connections of the machine until the "atomic" level is reached. In various embodiments, one or more PLC cabinets and / or telecommunications cabinets, racks, or closed server rooms may be implemented as cabinets as described herein. The cabinet may be any type of enclosure, regardless of size. Therefore, looking down at the details of the machine may be referred to as zooming to the "atomic level", which may be similar to zooming out to the "universe" on a macro scale. The machine group and its components may be referred to as a factory part or factory, and its communication may be aggregated and displayed based on available data and modeling.

[0087] In the visualization case, some connections can be aggregated into larger connections. For example, if a machine has multiple network interfaces, then each individual interface and its connectivity can be visualized in the manner described previously. However, if the user zooms out to the macro connection level, then multiple machines can be connected to the cloud, and this can be reflected in one aggregated link to the cloud representation. In various embodiments, this aspect can reduce the number of visualization objects and network connections presented to the user.

[0088] Figure 7B The present invention shows various aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 7A700. The enhanced element 710 may include an enhanced rendering that overlays at least a portion of the element 700 or is visually separated from the element 700. The enhanced rendering may reflect one or more physical and / or logical elements of the element 700, optionally along with one or more communication paths, connections, or configurations. User 310( Figure 3 ) can view the augmented element 710, for example, using the electronic device 320. The user 310 can view the augmented representation as a three-dimensional (3D) view of the basic machine outline with one or more elements in or on the basic machine outline. The system can be configured such that at least a portion of the operations and / or information viewable by the user 310 of the electronic device 320 can be defined at least in part based on one or more roles assigned to the user 310, a group to which the user 310 belongs, parameters associated with the electronic device 320, or any combination thereof. For example, an installer user 310 of the electronic device 320 may only be allowed to view information and / or AR data that is limited to a defined installation area, known devices to be installed or configured, a time period during which the installer is provided access to the area, or any other limitation (e.g., geographic, temporal, and / or role-based).

[0089] Figure 7B The enhanced device model may also include a configuration diagram 720 that can be presented next to the enhanced element 710. The configuration diagram 720 shows an example of network traffic type identification that can be used for systems that comply with the present disclosure. For example, the configuration diagram 720 can mark and / or isolate network traffic or its simulation according to various aspects, such as but not limited to network traffic that can be assigned a best-effort state, video traffic that can be associated with monitoring, network management, and / or real-time applications that can include one or more priority streams. One or more identifications and / or states may be provided with different colors or other identification features for an enhanced view of the location 210 and / or its elements. The configuration diagram 720 may relate to one or more groups of information that can be viewed by a user 310 of the electronic device 320, such as network traffic associated with the element 700 and / or other devices or machines, such as through a wired and / or wireless communication medium. The information can be visually displayed to the user 310 of the electronic device 320, such as using an enhanced display of the display of the electronic device 320.

[0090] Fig. 8A A left front raised perspective view of an embodiment of an element of a machine according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The element 800 of the machine can be housed in a cabinet, such as an equipment cabinet. In various embodiments, the element 800 can be an ALTIVAR® series device available from Schneider Electric Company, USA. The element 800 can be part of the machine and / or can be designed to be used in conjunction with the equipment cabinet. Additionally or alternatively, the element 800 can be part of the machine 100 or a part thereof of the type previously described. Fig. 8A As shown, from the perspective of the observer, there is no indication of the internal components of element 800, nor is there any operating state and / or communication utilization or status associated with one or more elements of element 800 from a purely visual inspection. Element 800 can be a device installed or installable at a location, such as at its machine. Element 800 can be included in a location model and / or a network model of the location, such as in a twin machine solution. The location model can include the physical location and / or configuration of element 800 in space and / or the physical connection to one or more other devices or elements of the location. Element 800 can also be modeled by a network model of the location, such as reflecting one or more logical or communication paths or connections within the location or otherwise associated with the location, such as between one or more machines or devices within the location or associated with the location.

[0091] Figure 8B The present invention shows various aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 8A An example of an augmented device model of an element of a machine. The augmented element 810 may include an augmented rendering that covers at least a portion of the element 800 or is visually separated from the element 800. The augmented rendering may reflect one or more physical and / or logical elements of the element 800, optionally together with one or more communication paths, connections, or configurations. The user 310 may view the augmented element 810, for example, using an electronic device 320. The user 310 may view the augmented representation as a 3D view of a basic machine or device outline with one or more elements therein or thereon. The system may be configured so that at least a portion of the operations and / or information that the user 310 of the electronic device 320 may view may be defined at least in part based on one or more roles assigned to the user 310, a group to which the user 310 belongs, parameters associated with the electronic device 320, or any combination thereof. For example, the installer user 310 of the electronic device 320 may only be allowed to view information and / or AR data that is limited to a defined installation area, known devices to be installed or configured, a time period for providing access to an area to the installer, or any other restrictions (e.g., geographic, temporal, and / or role-based).

[0092] Similar to Figure 7B , Figure 8BAlso included is a configuration diagram 820. Configuration diagram 820 shows an example of network traffic type identification that can be used in accordance with the system of the present disclosure. For example, configuration diagram 820 can mark and / or isolate network traffic or its simulation according to aspects such as, but not limited to, network traffic that can be assigned a best effort state, video traffic that can be associated with monitoring, network management, and / or real-time applications that can include one or more streams. One or more identifications and / or states can be provided with different colors or other identification features for an enhanced view of a location 210 and / or its elements. Configuration diagram 820 can relate to one or more groups of information that can be viewed by a user 310 of an electronic device 320, such as relating to network traffic associated with element 800 and / or other devices or machines, such as through a wired and / or wireless communication medium. This information can be visually displayed to a user 310 of an electronic device 320, such as using an enhanced display of a display of the electronic device 320.

[0093] Fig. 9 A raised front perspective view of an embodiment of a machine according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The machine 900 may include one or more ports capable of connecting to a cable 910. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure may be configured such that an enhanced view presented to a user 310 of an electronic device 320 may be presented with visual markers, such as highlights or prompts (although not limited to visual criteria alone, but may be extended to, for example, one or more auditory or tactile feedback) during installation, operation, and / or maintenance of the machine 900. This may include real-time verification of the installation by matching with a global view of the network in the IA metaverse, such as using relevant installation information. In some embodiments, when a cable is connected, the appropriate port may be highlighted, and a description of the cable may be provided and / or matched to the cable packaging (e.g., using cable matching through optical character recognition (OCR) or other cable information—e.g., to ensure appropriate cable type, length, etc.). In addition, if the device is active, immediate feedback about one or more neighboring devices may be provided and verified according to aspects of the present disclosure (e.g., using neighbor matching, which uses link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) information or other available or obtainable information).

[0094] Fig.10A partial view of an example of a simplified three-dimensional network overlay according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. System 1000 includes multiple machines and / or elements (e.g., machine 100 and / or elements 700, 800) located at location 210. A user 310 using an electronic device 320 can be at location 210 and can use an enhanced view on the display of the electronic device 320 to view one or more devices and / or communication parameters or configurations. For example, in system 1000, an enhanced display of location 210 can be provided to user 310, including an enhanced overlay of various networked devices and current network information, generally indicated at 1002, 1004, 1006, 1008, 1010, respectively. This can include multiple visual elements describing states or parameters related to machines, devices, communication paths, cables, etc. This can include a color coding scheme that can visually describe the operating state of at least one machine, device, communication path, cable, etc. For example, in system 1000, a user 310 using an electronic device 320 can identify one or more errors or network problems at location 210. For example, this may include identifying congestion between two or more machines (e.g., optionally including as described above with reference to Figure 6 310 ). Information indicating congestion between two or more machines, such as congestion caused by an under-provisioned network, may be presented to a user 310 . One or more courses of action may be identified and optionally presented to the user 310 , or implemented by the user 310 , to mitigate or remedy any identified problems. The visualization may identify one or more redundant links, and may combine physical requirements / potential problems with network traffic information. This may include identifying problems associated with cable lengths approaching or exceeding distance limits. One or more round-trip delay issues may be visually indicated to a user 310 of the electronic device 320 , allowing the user 310 to quickly identify sources of network problems and remedy those problems, such as using one or more gestures in various embodiments.

[0095] One or more machines or devices of the digital twin of system 1000 can be distributed, centralized and / or hybrid. A centralized network controller (CNC) can be used to provide intelligence in network segmentation and calculation, for example as an information source. In this model, entities such as EcoStruxtureNetwork can act as an industrial centralized user configurator (CUC) and / or a central network controller (CNC), which can translate application requirements by integrating with one or more engineering tools such as Schneider Electric's EcoStruxtureAutomationExpert (EAE), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, human-machine interfaces (HMIs), and / or interpreting application requirements. The embodiments here have the ability to combine one or more of these entities with the needs of IA management systems such as manufacturing execution systems (MES), automated manufacturing systems (AMS), warehouse management systems (WMS), and enterprise resource planning (ERP), and can provide a global network connection view.

[0096] At this stage, entities such as EcoStruxtureNetwork are able to provide insight into the CNC computing configuration, directly accessing the device's virtual terminal from a distance (e.g., remote) or directly connected to the device. The virtual terminal can be imagined as having an enhanced web or CLI-like interface overlaid on the physical device, where each function can be prepared and connected to the relevant configuration in the network digital twin model. One example is to visualize the configuration of time-sensitive network (TSN) time-aware shaper gates as they are configured, such as the CNC having the ability to provide a network or part of it based on internal network calculations. Although in some deployments the CNC can be integrated into an entity such as EcoStruxtureNetwork, an entity such as EcoStruxtureNetwork can be configured to serve as a CUC for industrial applications and management systems that federate the CNC. Using information from EAE and other IA software, an entity such as EcoStruxtureNetwork is able to provide a variety of operations, including one or more of the following:

[0097] •Visual representation of network functions and their overlay on the physical topology.

[0098] • Matching of topology configuration, including original and redundant paths in the network.

[0099] • Enhanced virtual terminal for interactive configuration via gestures

[0100] • Visual representation of the configuration related to neighboring devices, with the following options:

[0101] • Network segmentation (maintenance, network management, operations, critical security, etc.;

[0102] • Traffic flow marking or application flow marking;

[0103] • Physical connections;

[0104] • Representation of expected flows connected with actual activities;

[0105] • Graphically represent the filtering, policing, and shaping processes of network devices as a series of virtual functions; and

[0106] • Network security access controls and current connections (e.g. including unidentified and / or potentially network-insecure devices, etc.).

[0107] • Represent the network as the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network model

[0108] • Network segmentation on VLAN

[0109] • Fragmentation over IP

[0110] • Segmentation based on application protocol

[0111] • TSN time domain

[0112] • TSN frame timing expectations

[0113] • Confirm configuration changes submitted by automation systems (such as CNC) as a response to changes in network connectivity.

[0114] • Redundancy protocols and selection of desired paths. This may include Rapid Spanning Tree (RSTP) as a redundancy strategy where redundant paths are not used if the primary path is available. If the primary path is lost, the redundant path may be activated after a delay. This delay is the network convergence time. A visualization may depict this state as a dashed line or fading connection. Additionally or alternatively, one or more replication protocols may be used to achieve seamless redundancy. Replication may refer to the copying of network traffic through the network, where frames are copied along the path and eliminated at the destination (802.1cb Frame Replication and Elimination (FRER)). Because there are copies of frames transmitted in parallel, the primary path frames for either path are not used and their copies are eliminated. Therefore, if one path is lost, another path is already active and communication is not interrupted. One or more visualizations may depict this scenario with a slightly different effect, such as flashing or light shading of the active link color. These types of redundancy can provide diagnostic value to the end user of the system; and

[0115] • Evaluate the latency and bandwidth utilization characteristics of the path.

[0116] • Evaluate the bandwidth utilization of the path.

[0117] Once the network is operational, it can be monitored, diagnosed, repaired, and / or expanded as a whole system, directly viewing the impact on the IA applications and the rest of the network. For example, simply by walking through the factory floor, an engineer or any personnel (e.g., user 310) can visualize network operations via electronic device 320 based at least in part on their preferences and their impact on current production. For example, by using a gesture to extend the time-aware shaper (TAS) time on a virtual configuration interface with appropriate authorization, an under-provisioned network can be adjusted and a fault can be cleared from the floor (as described herein with reference to Fig.11 Even if the physical connection is lost, a similar experience is possible.

[0118] Fig.11 A partial view of an example of a simplified three-dimensional network overlay reflecting real-time manipulation of a system 1100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The system 1100 includes an example of reconfiguring the system 1000 based on one or more identified network problems at a location 210. Using an electronic device 320, a user 310 may be allowed to manipulate one or more machines, devices, communication paths, and / or cables, for example using one or more gestures. For example, at 1102, based at least in part on the loss of a link between machines, at 1104, a redundant link may be activated, for example, by the user 310 via the electronic device 320, or more commonly, automatically by the system 1100 (primarily requiring user action to restore the lost network link, for which he / she can use the network visualization with geolocation here to effectively locate the interruption point and perform diagnosis and repair). At 1106, the enhanced view of the location 210 may then reflect the updated communication paths and states reflecting the activation of the redundant links. This may include depicting an identifier such as line thickness at 1108 to reflect loaded paths versus unloaded paths. At 1110, one or more visual indicia of the activity stream can be provided, such as using animated scroll dots or other visualizations to represent the active screen.

[0119] At this level, even collaboration between users and systems can be enhanced through content sharing and / or information mapping. For example, a floor engineer can share his or her view with an off-site or remote engineer, equipment manufacturer, or any other entity to, for example, provide improved diagnostic, deployment, or repair capabilities. This may be similar to remote viewing capabilities, however, in augmented reality, the entire experience can be enhanced and supplemented with intelligent information and selectively communicated or communicable. In various embodiments, in order to better coordinate actions, the floor engineer's view can be shared with the control room, or even the view of the field chief engineer can be shared. For example, a machine manufacturer can instruct a field engineer to look under the machine in front of the engineer to see a reset button, which can be optionally enhanced to provide a mark, such as color, highlight, or other means of identifying a specific component or device. In this example, the field engineer can use the enhanced view to perform the task, and the completion of the task can be recognized locally by the engineer or selectively remotely by one or more off-site users. The visualization of the information map can include information of the overall view, including the physical layer, logical layer, flow layer, and / or functional layer. This may include functional and role views from the physical, logical, flow, functional, and business layers. At the physical layer, implementations may include engineering, maintenance, and security operations, including managing physical network connections and policies. At the logical layer, implementations may include engineering and security operations, including managing logical network segments, connections, and / or policies. At the traffic layer, implementations may include engineering and security operations, including managing communication policies, monitoring usage, and identifying communication health. At the functional layer, implementations may include operations that include managing industrial functions. At the business layer, implementations may include management operations, including monitoring the impact of network elements on one or more businesses. Information may be shared based at least in part on network access levels and the relevance of the information. Although protocols may be updated, the principles remain the same, and thus implementations consistent with the present disclosure may be protocol agnostic and, therefore, not limited to only the protocols identified or described.

[0120] Embodiments consistent with the present disclosure may include an OPCUAFX information model that specifies assets and their functions supplemented with network interfaces. The model can be used to present all devices in a 3D perspective, such as using an electronic device 320. The NETCONF / YANG network model can be used to support large amounts of data for building links and information flows. One or more network diagnostic and monitoring protocols can be used to extend the network into the TSN domain. Microsoft, Amazon, Google and / or open stack clouds can be used to host complex services and provide data access. Communication protocols for efficient and unified data exchange can be used, such as OPCUA, REST, MQTT, etc. Enhanced devices such as Microsoft HoloLens, Google Glasses, etc. can be used as part of or associated with electronic device 320. Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, enhanced devices such as Microsoft HoloLens, Google Glasses, Oculus Rift, etc. can perform one or more operations described herein with reference to electronic device 320, and can also include or be communicatively coupled to one or more input / output devices associated with a user, such as to obtain gesture input from the user and / or provide information or feedback to the user. In some embodiments, electronic device 320 is an augmented device, such as Microsoft HoloLens, Google Glass, Oculus Rift, or any other electronic device capable of providing and / or being used with AR, virtual reality (VR), and / or metaverse environments or elements.

[0121] With these techniques and information they provide, entities such as EcoStruxtureNetwork can present various visual representations that may be useful to the user in diagnosing and / or repairing one or more network faults or simply tuning the network to optimize performance: this can include providing an animated set of 3D objects representing data flows, pop-up callouts (e.g., with sound effects) pointing to understandable statistics and suggesting the cause of the problem and suggested remedial actions, an integrated frame sniffer for direct flow analysis, real-time statistics of equipment and data flows using histograms or other plotting methods, equipment digital twin overlays of problem callout points at diagnostic information, hovering errors, warnings, information, and / or geo-located error locations (e.g., icons such as pictograms above the fault location visible from anywhere on the factory floor, and which can be customized to suit the visualization preferences of the user 310), and / or a cable or link cross-section that is equivalent to the original creation part enhanced with real-time feedback and / or information. For example, error indications, warning indications, safety warnings, and information identifiers are some of the categories that can be covered using one or more pictograms. One or more pictograms or icons can be specific to one or more products and / or devices and can be associated with one or more styles and / or identifiers. As part of the visualization of the digital twin, visualization of time synchronization can be achieved through instant diagnostics with visual markers of quality (e.g., green vs. red clocks). Visualization of one or more connections of unbilled or unauthenticated devices can be performed. Devices that are present and connected to the network but do not match the network plan (e.g., laptops, test equipment, etc.) may be marked with one or more security warnings. The various animation sets of 3D objects can include, for example, one or more of the following:

[0122] • Different colors, labels, numbers, and other ways of marking the priority or precedence of flows;

[0123] • Different colors, labels and numbers representing any gas point-to-point and multicast point-to-multipoint type traffic;

[0124] • Color shading, labels, and numbering to represent redundant paths;

[0125] • Animation level of marker data exchange speed;

[0126] • Line width representing the amount or volume of data (e.g., traffic load);

[0127] • Graphs of flow histograms;

[0128] • Transparent lines representing inactive but configured flows;

[0129] • a dashed line representing link loss; and / or

[0130] • Dashed lines, colors, and / or labels representing wired or wireless connections (e.g. WiFi, 5G, etc.).

[0131] The above examples are just a subset of representations that can be customized to suit the user's visualization preferences. All of these techniques can provide connectivity and data. However, all of these techniques are enhanced with intelligent binding of data using standardized protocols and provide useful representations for users. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure can provide the right data to the right user in the right format at the right time and in the right place (e.g., location). Even the various stages of the network life cycle may become blurred, and each network feature can be used at any stage based on the needs of network users and their confidence in changing the network.

[0132] Fig.12 Another partial view of an example of a simplified three-dimensional network overlay reflecting the real-time operation of the system 1200 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The system 1200 is similar to Fig.11 1100, except that additional network components are shown at location 210 in this view. Fig.11 In this example, the virtualization of system 1200 also includes a depiction of multiple routers 1202, 1204, and 1206 at location 210. Using electronic device 320, user 310 can view each router 1202, 1204, or 1206 and the reachability (i.e., reachable area) and directionality of each router, indicated at 1203, 1205, and 1207, respectively. Thus, some network devices are only within the reachability and directionality of router 1202, and some network devices are only within the reachability and directionality of router 1204, while electronic device 320 of user 310 is within the reachability and directionality of both routers.

[0133] In the above, reference is made to various embodiments. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the specifically described embodiments. On the contrary, any combination of the described features and elements, whether or not related to different embodiments, is considered to implement and practice the contemplated embodiments. In addition, although the embodiments may achieve advantages over other possible solutions or prior art, whether a given embodiment achieves a particular advantage does not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the foregoing aspects, features, embodiments and advantages are merely illustrative and are not considered to be elements or limitations of the appended claims unless expressly stated in the claims.

[0134] The various embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as systems, methods, or computer program products. Therefore, various aspects may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, which are generally referred to herein as "circuits," "modules," or "systems." In addition, various aspects may take the form of a computer program product contained in one or more computer-readable media, which has a computer-readable program code thereon.

[0135] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of non-transitory computer-readable media may include the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The program code contained on the computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0136] The computer program code for performing the operation of various aspects of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. In addition, this computer program code can be performed using a single computer system or by multiple computer systems that communicate with each other (e.g., using a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, etc.). Although various features are described above with reference to flow charts and / or block diagrams, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that each block of flow charts and / or block diagrams and the combination of blocks in flow charts and / or block diagrams can be realized by computer logic (e.g., computer program instructions, hardware logic, a combination of the two, etc.). Typically, computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device. In addition, a processor is used to execute this computer program instruction to produce a machine that can perform the function or action specified in a flow chart and / or block diagram block.

[0137] The flow charts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architectures, functions and / or operations of various embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each frame in the flow chart or block diagram may represent a module, segment or code portion, which includes one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions annotated in the frame may not appear in the order annotated in the figure. For example, the two frames shown in succession can actually be performed substantially simultaneously, or these frames can sometimes be performed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It will also be noted that each frame in the block diagram and / or flow chart illustration and the combination of frames in the block diagram and / or flow chart illustration can be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs a specified function or action.

[0138] It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, not restrictive. After reading and understanding the above description, many other implementation examples are apparent. Although the present disclosure describes specific examples, it should be appreciated that the systems and methods of the present disclosure are not limited to the examples described herein, but can be modified to be implemented within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered illustrative, not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the full scope of the appended claims and the equivalents of these claims.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring an industrial network for a factory associated with the industrial network, the system comprising: a physical model builder configured to assemble a model of a plant by acquiring digital representations associated with the plant, each digital representation corresponding to a physical network element associated with the plant; a network model builder configured to assemble a model of an industrial network by identifying network connections between two or more digital representations; a visualization module configured to create a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the plant and the model of the industrial network, and present at least a portion of the virtualization of the industrial network on the electronic device; as well as a network operations monitor configured to obtain information regarding the operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device and to overlay the information on the virtualized portion of the industrial network in a graphical format; The visualization module is further configured to receive, via the electronic device, a digitally represented user gesture in the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and execute a digitally represented function corresponding to the user gesture.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device in the plant.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation are then performed for the physical network elements corresponding to the digital representation.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The network operations monitor is further configured to identify degradations in the operation of the industrial network, and the visualization module is further configured to overlay the degradations on the virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture include one or more of the following: presenting a data table corresponding to the digitally represented physical network element; presenting real-world images of physical network elements corresponding to digital representations; presenting an internal view of a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; Playing media having connection instructions for physical network elements corresponding to the digital representation; Presenting digital representation of the operating status; Configure the operating parameters represented by numbers; as well as Connects / disconnects the digital representation to / from another digital representation.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The function performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture includes presenting the network connections of the digital representation as a cross-sectional pipeline line view, and wherein different data flows are presented as different pipelines within the cross-sectional pipeline line view.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein: Each pipe within the cross-sectional pipe line view has a size, shading, numbering, labeling, and / or color corresponding to one or more aspects of the data flow corresponding to the pipe.

8. A method for monitoring an industrial network for a factory associated with the industrial network, the method comprising: assembling a model of the plant by obtaining digital representations associated with the plant, each digital representation corresponding to a physical network element associated with the plant; Assembling a model of an industrial network by identifying network connections between two or more digital representations; creating a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the plant and the model of the industrial network, and presenting at least a portion of the virtualization of the industrial network on the electronic device; obtaining information regarding the operation of a portion of an industrial network corresponding to the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and overlaying the information in a graphical format on the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device; as well as A user gesture in the digital representation of the virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device is received via the electronic device, and a function corresponding to the digital representation of the user gesture is performed.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The virtualized portion of the industrial network presented on the electronic device corresponds to a geographic location of the electronic device in the plant.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation are then performed for the physical network elements corresponding to the digital representation.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising identifying degradation in the operation of the industrial network and overlaying the degradation on a virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture include one or more of the following: presenting a data table corresponding to the digitally represented physical network element; presenting real-world images of physical network elements corresponding to digital representations; presenting an internal view of a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; Playing media having connection instructions for physical network elements corresponding to the digital representation; Presenting digital representation of the operating status; Configure the operating parameters represented by numbers; as well as Connects / disconnects the digital representation to / from another digital representation.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein: Executing the digitally represented function corresponding to the user gesture includes presenting the digitally represented network connections as a cross-sectional pipeline line view, and presenting different data flows as different pipelines within the cross-sectional pipeline line view.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Each pipe within the cross-sectional pipe line view has a size, shading, numbering, labeling, and / or color corresponding to one or more aspects of the data flow corresponding to the pipe.

15. An electronic device for monitoring an industrial network for a factory associated with the industrial network, the electronic device comprising: processor; a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing thereon computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to: presenting at least a portion of a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the plant and the model of the industrial network; overlaying information regarding operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the portion of the virtualization of the rendered industrial network; as well as receiving a user gesture of a digital representation in the rendered virtualized portion of the industrial network; In response to receiving a user gesture, a function corresponding to the user gesture is performed on the digital representation.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein: The virtualized portion of the presented industrial network corresponds to the geographical location of the electronic device in the factory.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation are then performed for the physical network elements corresponding to the digital representation.

18. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein: The computer readable instructions further cause the processor to overlay the identified degradation in the operation of the industrial network on a virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format.

19. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture include one or more of the following: presenting a data table corresponding to the digitally represented physical network element; presenting real-world images of physical network elements corresponding to digital representations; presenting an internal view of a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; Playing media having connection instructions for physical network elements corresponding to the digital representation; Presenting digital representation of the operating status; Configure the operating parameters represented by numbers; as well as Connects / disconnects the digital representation to / from another digital representation.

20. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein: The functions performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture include presenting the digitally represented network connections as a cross-sectional pipeline line view, and presenting different data flows as different pipes within the cross-sectional pipeline line view, each pipe having a size, shading, numbering, marking and / or color corresponding to one or more aspects of the data flow corresponding to the pipe, the one or more aspects of the data flow including priority, unicast or multicast traffic type, redundant or non-redundant path type, data speed, data volume, active or inactive flows, or wired or wireless connections.

Images