Automation Component Data Mapping for Interoperable Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern automation systems face challenges in enabling interoperable communication between diverse components due to varying data models and communication protocols, leading to potential communication failures when new components or standards are introduced.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for interoperable communication between a server and a client in an automation system, involving obtaining a reference to the server, analyzing its structure, and applying transformation rules to map the server data model to the client data model, allowing data exchange between components with different technical specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary solutions or protocol-specific profiles are created to enable interoperable communication, then communication between existing automation system components is established, but flexibility is lost when new components or standards are added
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal mapping mechanism that can handle multiple data models and communication protocols through a single standardized interface. The mapping layer acts as a universal adapter that translates between proprietary/protocol-specific data models and a standardized data model, allowing the system to work with diverse automation components without requiring separate proprietary solutions for each protocol or component type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mapping layer between automation components and the control system. This mapping layer serves as a mediator that translates data between different data models and protocols, enabling communication without direct integration between each component and the control system. The mapping layer absorbs the complexity of various protocols while presenting a unified interface to the control system.
2Adaptability or versatility
If automation system components use different data models and communication protocols, then component diversity and functionality are enhanced, but communication failures occur when new components are added
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-configuration and self-integration of new automation components through the standardized mapping interface. When a new component is added, the mapping layer automatically translates its data model to the standardized format without requiring manual configuration or integration work. This self-service capability allows diverse components to integrate seamlessly while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication system into distinct layers: the automation component layer with various proprietary data models, the mapping layer that handles protocol-specific translations, and the control system layer that uses a standardized data model. This segmentation isolates protocol-specific complexity to the mapping layer, allowing new components to be added at the component layer without affecting the control system layer, thus maintaining communication reliability while supporting component diversity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols and data models are supported, then interoperability with diverse components is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping layer acts as an intermediary that consolidates protocol-specific complexity in a single location rather than distributing it throughout the control system. All protocol translations and data model mappings are handled by this intermediate layer, which presents a simplified standardized interface to the control system. This concentrates complexity management in one place, making the overall system easier to maintain and extend.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized data model and mapping interface serve as a universal foundation that can accommodate multiple communication protocols and proprietary data models. Rather than creating separate integration paths for each protocol, the system uses a single universal mapping mechanism that handles protocol-specific details internally, reducing system complexity while maintaining broad protocol compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for interoperable communication between a server and a client, at least one of the server and client being a component of an automation system, the server being associated with a corresponding server data model, and the client being associated with a corresponding client data model, includes: obtaining a reference to the server; analyzing structure and output of the server to derive, based on at least a first technical specification, one or more element types associated with elements of the server data model; generating at least a partial mapping between the server data model and the client data model by applying a transformation rule set to the server data model, the transformation rule set defining for the one or more derived element types how instances of the one or more derived element types are to be transformed from the server data model associated.