Control Logic Synchronization for Remote Automation Servicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional control logic systems lack effective synchronization mechanisms for maintaining identical versions of control logic across different system locations, making remote servicing and testing challenging.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for synchronizing control logic between an automation controller and a communication network, where control logic is initially deployed to the controller and a representation is stored on the network, allowing changes to be made and re-deployed to ensure identical versions across both locations, enabling remote servicing and testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If control logic is maintained at multiple system locations without synchronization mechanisms, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of control logic consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a network representation (copy) of the control logic that mirrors the controller's control logic. This copy can be modified, tested, and validated on the network before being deployed back to the controller, ensuring consistency and reliability without adding significant complexity to the physical controller itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The network acts as an intermediary between control logic development/testing and deployment to the controller. Changes are made to the control logic on the network, validated there, and then synchronized to the controller, providing a safe intermediate environment that ensures reliability before actual deployment.
2Productivity
If control logic changes are made and deployed to automation controller, then operational efficiency is improved, but risk of deploying untested changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary testing and validation of control logic changes on the network representation before deploying them to the automation controller. This preliminary action on the network allows changes to be tested in a controlled environment, ensuring safety and reliability before actual operational deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization mechanism provides feedback between the network representation and the controller. Changes are made on the network, tested, and then synchronized to the controller, creating a feedback loop that ensures only validated changes are deployed, reducing the risk of deploying untested or erroneous control logic.
3Ease of repair
If remote servicing is enabled through network representation, then ease of repair is improved, but synchronization complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The network maintains a copy of the control logic and settings that can be remotely accessed and modified. This copy enables service personnel to make changes, test them, and deploy them remotely without physical travel to the controller location, significantly improving ease of repair while keeping the synchronization mechanism relatively simple through automated processes.
Data Source
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AI summary
Approaches are provided whereby synchronization is achieved between control logic at an automation controller and a representation of this logic at a communication network. Control logic is initially deployed to an automatic controller and a representation of this control logic is stored at the communication network. The automation controller is located remotely from the network. When a change is made to the representation of the control logic at the network, the control logic is re-deployed to the automation controller so that the operator of the control logic is synchronized to the representation. The synchronization is effective to allow a service center to remotely service the control logic without the need for traveling to the automation controller.