A computer-implemented method for remote management of on-site equipment and system thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a computer-implemented method for remote management of on-site equipment (10), comprising the steps of identifying, by an identification module (30), one or more on-site equipment (10) equipped with a protocol corresponding to said equipment (10), in which the identification is automatically or manually performed by said identification module (30); converting, by a conversion module (40), the protocol corresponding to the equipment (10) into a digital-ready protocol; and transmitting, by a communication module (50), the digital ready protocol over a wireless network to a storage module (70) for remote access and monitoring by a control center (90) thereafter; wherein the digital-ready protocol contains legacy data that are configurable in a manner that upon modification, said digital-ready protocol is incorporated with executable instructions and subsequently converted back to the protocol corresponding to the equipment (10), such that said equipment (10) may execute the instructions thereafter

Description

[0001] A COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD FOR REMOTE MANAGEMENT

[0002] OF ON-SITE EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEM THEREOF

[0003] FIELD OF INVENTION

[0004] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for remote management of on-site equipment and system thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method and system that converts a wide range of legacy protocols from on-site equipment to digital-ready protocols to be remotely accessed and managed thereafter.

[0005] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Previously, onsite equipment for utility stations, such as substations in the power sector or pumphouses in the water sector, were operated manually. Whenever there was an issue at the site, an engineer would need to physically attend to the site to resolve the issue. In recent years, there has been an attempt to digitize this process using remote communication technologies. However, in the development of this technology, it was found to be not cost-friendly as the existing equipment in these sites are not digitalready and require replacement of said equipment or components within the equipment to enable remote communication.

[0007] Many technologies have been implemented to improve on said system for remotely accessing on-site equipment. For example, a Korean patent with publication no. KR101813067B1 discloses a management system for gateway and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCAD A) maintenance and repairs. The management system adds an internet of things (loT) monitoring function to a gateway with multi -protocol support capacities or uses an loT monitoring node to enable quick maintenance and repairs. According to the present invention, the management system includes: a remote terminal unit (RTU) interface unit for interacting with an RTU; an intelligent electronic device (ZED) interface unit for interfacing with an ZED; a server interface unit for interactive with a SCADA server; a protocol conversion unit for connecting terminals of various protocols to the SCADA server through protocol conversion; a packet capture unit for capturing a packet transmitted through the server interface; a protocol analyzer for extracting data to be monitored by analyzing the captured packet; a state monitoring unit which compares the monitoring data extracted by the protocol analyzer with a predetermined reference value to determine whether there is an issue or not, and an LTE-M communication module for transmitting this information to a SCADA maintenance and repair management server through an loT network when the state monitoring unit senses the failure.

[0008] Another Korean patent with publication no. KR100663956B1 discloses a substation remote management system, which includes a remote management computer for operating and maintaining a remote location by remotely accessing the centralized monitoring and control panel of the substation to be managed by a pre-loaded remote management program, and the remote management computer. When the management computer attempts to connect to the centralized monitoring and control panel of the substation, the management main server is connected to the network and connects the remote management computer to the substation, analyzes remote access signal data received from the management main server, and connects the remote management computer to the remote management computer. A remote security device that determines the license to maintain connection to the substation is installed with a main computer and a remote device within the substation, and the status value of the substation's internal equipment is used inside and outside the substation through the remote device with a SCADA function. It is composed of a centralized monitoring and control panel that acquires electrical data values and connects a remote management computer from the remote security device to the main computer to view and monitor the data and remotely control various facilities of the substation, so that the management person can It allows operation and maintenance by accessing a computer from a remote location without the need to move to the remote location.

[0009] A technology as disclosed in a United States patent with publication no. US10833532B2 recites a smart grid for improving the management of a power utility grid using sensors in various portions of the power utility grid, using communications and computing technology to upgrade an electric power grid so that it can operate more efficiently and reliably and support additional services to consumers. The smart grid may include distributed intelligence in the power utility grid, to separate from the control center intelligence, including devices that generate data in different sections of the grid, analyze the generated data and automatically modify the operation of a section of the power grid. Further, the intelligent devices in the power utility grid may cooperate to analyze and / or control the state of the power grid.

[0010] Yet another United States patent with publication no. US10248601B2 discloses a system that includes at least one industrial control and automation field device and a remote terminal unit (RTU). The RTU includes input / output (VO) terminals configured to be coupled to the field devices. The RTU also includes one or more I / O modules having one or more reconfigurable VO channels configured to be coupled to the VO terminals. Each reconfigurable VO channels is configurable as an analog input, an analog input supporting digital communication, a digital input, a digital output, and a pulse accumulator input. The RTU further includes at least one processing device configured to control a configuration of each of the one or more reconfigurable VO channels.

[0011] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0012] An object of the present invention is to provide a system for digitizing legacy field devices or equipment without any equipment replacement. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a system and accompanying method for executing said system that can access the equipment remotely to reduce time to detect and resolve incidents in the distribution grid for utilities (e.g., power grids) at a fraction of a cost required for purchasing new equipment. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system that detects a protocol input of the equipment and automatically converts said protocol into a digital-friendly protocol to be transmitted wirelessly over the Internet or any wireless network.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for remote management of on-site equipment, comprising the steps of: identifying, by an identification module, one or more on-site equipment equipped with a protocol corresponding to said equipment, in which the identification is automatically or manually performed by said identification module; converting, by a conversion module, the protocol corresponding to the equipment into a digital-ready protocol; and transmitting, by a communication module, the digital-ready protocol over a wireless network to a storage module for remote access and monitoring by a central station thereafter; wherein the digital-ready protocol contains legacy data that are configurable in a manner that upon modification, said digital-ready protocol is incorporated with executable instructions and subsequently converted back to the protocol corresponding to the equipment, such that said equipment may execute the instructions thereafter.

[0014] Preferably, the method further comprising the step of checking, by a master protocol module, a compatibility of the digital-ready protocol relative to a master protocol.

[0015] Preferably, the master protocol is any one or a combination of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) master protocol and an Internet of Things (loT) protocol.

[0016] Preferably, the conversion of the protocol corresponding to the identified on-site equipment is done either before or after transmission to the storage module by the communication module.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computing system for remote management of on-site equipment, comprising: a field communicator having one or more processors including an identification module, for identifying one or more on-site equipment equipped with a protocol corresponding to said equipment, in which the identification is automatically or manually performed by said identification module; a conversion module, for converting the protocol corresponding to the equipment into a digital-ready protocol; and a communication module, for transmitting the digitalready protocol over a wireless network to a storage module for remote access and monitoring by a central station thereafter; wherein the digital-ready protocol contains legacy data that are configurable in a manner that upon modification, said digital-ready protocol is incorporated with executable instructions and subsequently converted back to the protocol corresponding to the equipment, such that said equipment may execute the instructions thereafter.

[0018] Preferably, the system further comprising a master protocol module which is configured for checking a compatibility of the digital-ready protocol relative to a master protocol.

[0019] Preferably, the master protocol is any one or a combination of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) master protocol and an Internet of Things (loT) protocol.

[0020] Preferably, the conversion of the protocol corresponding to the identified on-site equipment is done either before or after transmission to the storage module by the communication module. One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiment described herein is not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

[0021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiments from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation and many of its advantages would be readily understood and appreciated.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a computing system for remote management of on-site equipment.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a computer-implemented method for remote management of the on-site equipment based on the above-mentioned system.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an exemplary embodiment of the computing system for remote management of the on-site equipment.

[0026] FIG. 4 is another exemplary embodiment of the computing system for remote management of the on-site equipment.

[0027] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the invention shall be described according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and by referring to the accompanying description and drawings. However, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

[0028] It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general -purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce such a machine, such that instructions, that execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0029] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer- readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0030] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0031] The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings.

[0032] Substations or process plants are site environments that may generally include a plurality of equipment of different types, which monitor various aspects of processes within the sites, to ensure that the systems and components of the station are designed, tested, installed, operated, and maintained according to the operational requirements of the owners or clients, thus guaranteeing the operability, performance, reliability, safety, and information traceability of the sites.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a computing system for remote management of on-site equipment 10, preferably legacy equipment that are present in sites that have yet to be digitized. In particular, the computing system is configured to convert legacy protocols from existing on-site equipment 10 into digitalready protocols for remote access and management from a control center 90 thereafter. The computing system operates in a manner that the control center 90 may continuously monitor statuses of the equipment in the sites and provide maintenance or rectification efficiently from afar when an abnormality occurs within said sites. In a preferred embodiment, the on-site equipment 10 may each be integrated with a field communicator 20 having one or more processors, in which the processors are incorporated with a plurality of modules including an identification module 30, a conversion module 40, and a communications module 50, in which each module contains executable instructions for performing predetermined actions to enable remote management of said on-site equipment 10. In an alternative embodiment, the conversion module 40 may be incorporated into a cloud environment 60a as opposed to the field communicator 20 integrated into the on-site equipment 90. Preferably, the field communicator 20 may communicate with the control center 90 to provide operational and non-operational data on the on-site equipment 10 relevant to different site environments. Examples of this data may include analog data, digital data, load profile data, fault records, operations records, configurations, or the likes. By way of example, analog data may include, but are not limited to, information such as current, voltage, power, reactive power, and power factor. Examples of digital data may include logical inputs, logical outputs, digital inputs, and digital outputs. Further, load profile data may include information on load current on each on-site equipment 10 and other values corresponding to the different types of on-site equipment 10. Fault records may typically refer to data relating to various faults, such as fault locations, timestamp data, fault voltage and current, or the likes, while operations records may include information relating to the on-site equipment 10 operation such as operations of circuit breakers or other equipment, sequences of events surrounding a fault or disturbance, and the likes.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the identification module 30 may be configured to identify the one or more on-site equipment 10, whereby each on-site equipment 10 may be equipped with a protocol corresponding to said on-site equipment 10, with the protocol containing the legacy data as discussed above. Preferably, the protocol corresponding to the identified on-site equipment may be performed automatically or manually depending on user requirement. Upon identification, the protocol corresponding to the identified on-site equipment may then be converted by the conversion module 40 into a digital-ready protocol, whereby the legacy data contained with the protocol is thereby encoded into a digital format which is compatible for transmission thereafter. Upon conversion to the digital-ready protocol, said protocol may then be transmitted over a wireless network by the communications module 50 to a storage module 70 either within the cloud environment 60a or a hardware server 60b for remote access and monitoring by the control center 90 thereafter.

[0035] Preferably, the communications module 50 may be a transceiver that is capable of transmitting and receiving information through wired or wirelessly over a communication network, wherein the communication network may be a wireless network connection established via a wireless protocol cloud such as Long-Term (LTE) cloud, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and its derivatives, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), 3G protocol, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), 4G protocol, 5G protocol and the likes, in accordance with the advancement of wireless technology with time. Also preferably, the storage module 70 may be hardware storage modules established within the hardware server 60b, such as hard-disk drives (HDD), solid-state drives (SSD), memory modules (RAM) or the likes, or virtual databases established on the cloud environment 60a, which includes network attached storages (NAS), real-time databases (RTDB), or the likes, which receive the digital-ready protocol and allow remote access by the control center 90 thereafter. Additional databases may also be provided depending on application specific requirements. While the foregoing is illustrative of one possible database structure, other structures may be contemplated. For example, one or more of the databases may be consolidated in a single database, further subdivided, or otherwise differently organized.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the converted digital-ready protocol may be checked by a master protocol module 80, for its compatibility relative to a master protocol, which is preferably a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) master protocol. Preferably, the SCADA master protocol defines communication rules and structure between the control center 90, and the on-site equipment 10, where the SCADA master protocol ensures a language used by the digital-ready protocol can be understood by said SCADA master protocol and vice versa. Apart from the SCADA master protocol, the master protocol may also include an Internet of Things (loT) protocol, which is a communication standard that enable the on-site equipment to connect and interact with each other and the Internet. Additional functions of the master protocol module 80 may include remotely sending control commands from the control center 90 to the on-site equipment 10, transmitting alarms and events from the on-site equipment 10 to the control center 90 for operator notification and response, ensuring consistent data is being distributed across the system, detecting and correcting errors in the data transmission, and the likes. In summary, the master protocol module 80 allows remote supervisory control over the sites and accompanying on-site equipment 10 within said sites.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 2, the computing system executes one or more processes based on the plurality of modules in the field communicators as mentioned above. In Step 201, the identification module 30 may firstly identify the protocols corresponding to the onsite equipment 10. Upon identification of the protocol, the conversion module 40 may then be executed to convert the protocol into the digital-ready protocol, such as illustrated in Step 202. The converted protocol may then be transmitted out by the communications module 50 thereafter at Step 203.

[0038] At Step 204, the digital-ready protocol may then be stored in the storage module 70, which may then be accessed by the control center 90 via the master protocol module 80 to check the compatibility of said digital-ready protocol relative to the master protocol, as illustrated in Step 205. Upon determining the compatibility of the digital -ready protocol, the control center 90 may then retrieve all data corresponding to the sites and corresponding on-site equipment 10 and monitor their statuses accordingly, as illustrated in Step 206. In a preferred embodiment, the retrieved data may be configured by the control center 90 in case of any detected abnormalities, in which the configuration may be executable via the master protocol module 80. In this context, the digital-ready protocol may be encoded with additional executable instructions by the control center 90, in which the digital-ready protocol may then be transmitted out via the master protocol module 80 to the communications module 50 of the field communicator 20. The conversion module 40 may then convert the digital-ready protocol to the protocol corresponding to the on-site equipment 10 and the on-site equipment 10 may execute the instructions containing the corresponding configurations thereafter.

[0039] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the system for remote management of the on-site equipment 10 whereby the conversion may occur within the field communicator 20, denoted as an edge device, prior to being transmitted to the cloud environment 60a or the hardware server 60b, and remotely accessed by the control center 90 thereafter. On the other hand, FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment where the conversion of the protocols corresponding to the on-site equipment 10 may be converted within the cloud environment 60a. In FIG. 4, the protocols as received by the field communicators 20, shown as edge devices, are transmitted over the wireless network by the communications module 50 to be stored in the storage modules 70. The conversion module 40 may be incorporated to the storage modules 70 such that the conversion of the protocol corresponding to the on-site equipment 10 may be executable within the cloud environment 60a. Advantageously, the embodiments as presented above provides flexibility with power companies to digitize their infrastructure without the need for replacing any existing equipment and at a fraction of the cost for replacement, while being scalable based on amount of equipment 10 within the sites.

[0040] The present disclosure includes as contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a degree of particularly, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A computer-implemented method for remote management of on-site equipment (10), comprising the steps of: identifying, by an identification module (30), one or more on-site equipment (10) equipped with a protocol corresponding to said equipment (10), in which the identification is automatically or manually performed by said identification module (30); converting, by a conversion module (40), the protocol corresponding to the equipment (10) into a digital -ready protocol; and transmitting, by a communication module (50), the digital-ready protocol over a wireless network to a storage module (70) for remote access and monitoring by a control center (90) thereafter; wherein the digital-ready protocol contains legacy data that are configurable in a manner that upon modification, said digital-ready protocol is incorporated with executable instructions and subsequently converted back to the protocol corresponding to the equipment (10), such that said equipment (10) may execute the instructions thereafter.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of checking, by a master protocol module (80), a compatibility of the digitalready protocol relative to a master protocol.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the master protocol is any one of a combination of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCAD A) master protocol and an Internet of Things (loT) protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conversion of the protocol corresponding to the identified on-site equipment is done either before or after transmission to the storage module (70) bythe communication module (50).

5. A computing system for remote management on-site equipment (10), comprising: a field communicator (20) having one or more processors including an identification module (30), for identifying one or more on-site equipment (10) equipped with a protocol corresponding to said equipment (10), in which the identification is automatically or manually performed by said identification module (30); a conversion module (40), for converting the protocol corresponding to the equipment into a digital -ready protocol; and a communication module (50), for transmitting the digital-ready protocol over a wireless network to a storage module (70) for remote access and monitoring by a control center (90) thereafter; wherein the digital-ready protocol contains legacy data that are configurable in a manner that upon modification, said digital-ready protocol is incorporated with executable instructions and subsequently converted back to the protocol corresponding to the equipment (10), such that said equipment (10) may execute the instructions thereafter.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a master protocol module (80) which is configured for checking a compatibility of the digital-ready protocol relative to a master protocol.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the master protocol is any one or a combination of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) master protocol and an Internet of Things (loT) protocol.

8. The system according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the conversion of the protocol corresponding to the identified on-site equipment is done either before orafter transmission to the storage module (70) by the communication module (50).

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