Industrial Automation Controller Feature Licensing by Project Code
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation controllers often come with limited feature combinations, leading to customers paying for extra features they don't need and lacking essential features, with no option to customize or add/remove features post-purchase.
Innovation Solution
A system that analyzes project requirements, generates a manifest of needed controller features, and uses a remote server to authorize and enable only those features, allowing customers to purchase and enable specific capabilities on a project basis through an encrypted certificate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If customers purchase controllers with fixed feature combinations from manufacturers, then controllers are available with standardized configurations, but customers cannot find controllers with specific feature combinations they seek and may pay for extra features they do not need
Solution Approach 1:
The controller features are segmented into discrete capabilities that can be individually selected and licensed. The system divides the controller functionality into separate feature sets that customers can choose based on their specific project needs, rather than requiring them to purchase pre-bundled feature combinations.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller configuration is made dynamic through software licensing. Customers can add or remove features after purchase by obtaining additional licenses or removing existing ones, allowing the controller's capabilities to change over time based on project requirements rather than being fixed at manufacturing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customers purchase controllers with extra features to ensure all needs are met, then all possible features are available, but customers pay for features they do not plan on utilizing
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial licensing where customers only pay for the specific features they need for their project rather than licensing all available features. This allows customers to obtain exactly the capability level required without over-provisioning and wasting resources on unused features.
3Loss of energy
If customers purchase controllers that lack specific features, then controller base price is reduced, but customers must adapt applications to accommodate the purchased controller
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the customer's project requirements to identify exactly which features are needed. This allows the controller to be pre-configured with the appropriate feature set before deployment, eliminating the need for application adaptation while ensuring customers only pay for what they actually use.
4Device complexity
If controller features are fixed at time of purchase, then controller configuration is simplified, but customers are locked into features without the ability to add or remove features
Solution Approach 1:
The controller licensing system is designed to be dynamic, allowing features to be added or removed through software licenses after the initial purchase. This maintains simple hardware configuration while enabling flexible feature management through software-based licensing that can be updated as project needs change.
5Ease of manufacture
If controllers come with limited feature combinations, then manufacturing and inventory are simplified, but customers may end up purchasing a controller that lacks essential features
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of project requirements to ensure the controller configuration matches customer needs before deployment. This preliminary feature matching process ensures that customers receive controllers with adequate features for their specific applications, preventing purchases of under-equipped controllers.
Data Source
AI summary
Metering automation controller functionality includes accessing a project code that defines one or more operations of an industrial automation controller, analyzing the project code to identify one or more capabilities of the industrial automation controller that are utilized by the one or more operations, generating a file indicative of the one or more capabilities of the industrial automation controller, transmitting the file to a server that generates a certificate for authorizing the industrial automation controller to execute the project code, receiving the certificate from the server that identifies the file and an authorization for the industrial automation controller to execute the project code to perform the one or more operations, and transmitting the project code, the file, and the certificate to the industrial automation controller for execution.