Control Infrastructure Script Compilation Gateway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial control and home automation systems face challenges due to complex and costly configurations, incompatible architectures, and the need for multiple transport protocols, leading to high development and maintenance costs and limited scalability.
Innovation Solution
A platform-independent, protocol-independent, transport-independent, scalable, distributed control infrastructure with a scripting language and modular gateways that unify various control domains, enabling simplified configuration and rapid upgrades, and allowing communication through a cloud-based platform using Internet Protocol.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hand-crafted industrial control systems are configured for each specific customer requirement, then system functionality and reliability are improved, but device complexity and development costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal control system architecture that can handle multiple control domains (industrial control, home automation, building management) through a common platform. The system uses domain-specific language translators that convert various domain languages into a unified intermediate representation, allowing the same core execution engine to serve multiple purposes without requiring custom hand-crafted configurations for each customer.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is segmented into distinct modular components: language translators for different domains, an intermediate representation layer, a core execution engine, and device interface layers. This segmentation allows each component to be independently developed, tested, and maintained, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability through specialized modules.
2Reliability
If multiple domain-specific transport protocols are used for different control domains, then communication compatibility and reliability are improved, but device complexity and integration costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate representation layer that acts as a mediator between domain-specific protocols and the core control system. Each domain (industrial, home automation, building management) has its own language translator that converts native protocols into the unified intermediate representation, eliminating the need for the core system to directly support multiple complex protocols while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified intermediate representation serves as a universal communication interface that can represent data and commands from any control domain. This single universal interface replaces the need for multiple domain-specific protocol handlers, reducing integration complexity while maintaining compatibility with various transport protocols through the translator layer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom integration is performed for each control project, then system adaptability to specific requirements is improved, but productivity and time-to-market worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The control system enables self-service configuration through automated language translation and unified device representation. The system automatically translates domain-specific device descriptions into the unified intermediate representation, eliminating the need for manual custom integration work. This allows rapid deployment of control systems while maintaining adaptability to different domains through the translator architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Language translators and device interface layers are pre-configured for different control domains before deployment. This preliminary preparation allows the system to quickly adapt to specific project requirements by simply selecting and configuring the appropriate pre-built translators rather than performing custom integration work from scratch, significantly improving productivity.
4Ease of operation
If domain-specific control architectures are used for home automation, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability to new technologies and scalability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses dynamic language translation where the intermediate representation can adapt to new domain languages and protocols as technologies emerge. The translator architecture allows new domain-specific languages to be added without modifying the core system, enabling continuous adaptation to new technologies while maintaining ease of operation through domain-appropriate interfaces.
Data Source
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AI summary
Control infrastructure. In an embodiment, the infrastructure comprises a script execution module that comprises a compiler that compiles scripts, having instructions that reference device properties, into virtual-machine programs, a virtual machine that executes virtual-machine programs, and a script manager that stores scripts, retrieves scripts, and loads scripts into the compiler. In addition, the infrastructure may comprise gateway(s), communicatively connected to physical device(s). The gateway(s) may each comprise processor(s), driver(s) that each communicate with at least one physical device using a communication protocol to read and/or write device properties of the physical device, and a device manager that maps device properties referenced in the virtual-machine programs to device properties used by the driver(s).