Cloud Modeling of Industrial Automation Assets for Remote Optimization

The patent introduces cloud-based gateway devices as intermediaries between industrial automation devices and the cloud platform. These gateways facilitate data collection, device identification, and model generation without requiring direct complex integration between all system components, thereby enabling remote monitoring while managing system complexity through layered architecture.

The system is segmented into distinct functional components: cloud gateway devices for data collection, cloud platform for processing, modeler components for model generation, and virtualization components for creating virtual representations. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and maintained independently, reducing overall system integration complexity while enabling comprehensive remote monitoring capabilities.

The patent implements pre-deployed device models that are prepared in advance and stored in the cloud platform. When devices are added or modified, the system compares current device information against these pre-existing models to rapidly generate or update device representations without requiring complete real-time analysis of all device parameters, thus maintaining information completeness while reducing processing time.

The system creates virtual copies of physical devices through device models that replicate essential device characteristics, behaviors, and relationships. These virtual models enable comprehensive data analysis and decision-making support without requiring continuous processing of raw device data, as the models serve as simplified yet informative representations that can be processed efficiently.

The patent implements a universal device model structure that can represent multiple device types and industrial automation components through a common framework. The modeler component uses standardized templates and schemas that can be applied across different device categories, enabling the creation of multi-dimensional interactive models with high information content while reducing the complexity of model generation through reusability and standardization.

The device models employ a nested structure where complex industrial automation systems are represented through hierarchical levels of abstraction. Individual device models can be nested within system-level models, which are in turn nested within facility-wide models. This nesting allows comprehensive system representation at multiple scales while managing complexity by allowing users to interact with models at the appropriate level of detail without being overwhelmed by underlying complexity.