Browser Engine Embedded Historian for Industrial Data Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial control systems lack seamless data exchange capabilities between various components of an enterprise, particularly in manufacturing, and do not provide suitable presentation features for visualizing data collected by embedded historians, making it difficult to optimize productivity and comply with regulations like 21 CFR Part 11.
Innovation Solution
An embedded historian system that employs a browser engine for direct data exchange with controllers, allowing users to query and browse data based on various criteria, including type, location, and time of collection, and groups related data using metadata for meaningful visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional control systems architectures are used, then data exchange between various components of the enterprise is limited, but implementing traditional PC-Historian with transitional layer provides data storage and retrieval capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the transitional layer from the traditional PC-Historian architecture and replaces it with a browser engine that provides direct interface to controllers. This eliminates the intermediate component while maintaining data storage, retrieval, and presentation capabilities, thereby reducing system complexity without sacrificing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The browser engine serves multiple functions: it acts as a direct interface to controllers for data collection, provides data storage and retrieval, and enables data presentation with visualization features. This multi-functional approach consolidates what previously required separate components, reducing overall system complexity while improving data exchange capability.
2Reliability
If PC-Historian with transitional layer is used, then data storage and retrieval is enabled, but data exchange rate is reduced compared to direct interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the transitional layer that was causing data exchange delays. The browser engine establishes a direct interface to controllers, eliminating the intermediate processing step while maintaining full data storage and retrieval functionality through its database capabilities.
3Speed
If embedded historians are used for direct data collection, then data exchange rate is high, but suitable presentation features for visualization are lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the high-speed data collection capability of embedded historians with the data presentation and visualization features of a browser engine. The browser engine's graphical interface capabilities are integrated with the direct controller interface, providing both fast data exchange and suitable visualization features in a single system.
Solution Approach 2:
The browser engine provides multiple functions including high-speed data collection from controllers, data storage in database, data retrieval with filtering capabilities, and graphical presentation with visualization features. This multi-functional integration eliminates the need for separate visualization components while maintaining high data exchange rates.
4Reliability
If local recording module is implemented, then compliance with regulations is achieved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The browser engine serves as both the data collection interface and the compliance recording system. Its database capabilities enable data archiving with timestamps and metadata required for regulatory compliance, while its presentation features facilitate audit and review processes. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated recording modules, reducing system complexity while maintaining compliance capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods that enable query based formulation requests to an embedded historian and data acquired thereby, via employing a browser engine. Accordingly, users can browse data collected by the plurality of embedded historians based on numerous selection criteria such as for example, type of data collected, location/time of data collection, and the like. Query specific request can be inputted to the browser engine, and data that match such request can subsequently be presented to the user. Thus, history data can be viewed based on user preferences, and in a meaningful manner to such user.