Digital Twin Registry for Automation Controller Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional controllers in automation systems lack the ability to dynamically interact with real-world objects, requiring programmers to manually adapt code when physical changes occur, leading to inefficiencies and production interruptions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of digital twins within an automation system, which provides a registry of digital representations of physical devices, allowing for uniform access and dynamic interaction through a process image backbone, enabling programmable interactions without explicit coding for each device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional controllers use static object models configured during commissioning, then the controller structure is simple and stable, but the system cannot adapt to physical changes without manual code updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital twins as virtual copies of physical devices and assets. These digital twins replicate the behavior, state, and properties of physical objects in the process image, allowing the controller to interact with virtual representations rather than requiring direct physical device recognition. When physical devices are added or modified, only the digital twin registry needs updating, not the core controller logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic object model where the registry of digital twins can be modified at runtime. New physical devices can be detected and their digital twins registered dynamically without requiring controller program changes. The system transitions from a static commissioning-time configuration to a dynamic runtime-adaptable structure.
2Productivity
If programmers manually adapt controller code when physical devices change, then the controller maintains precise control, but production processes are interrupted and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller system automatically detects changes in the physical process environment and self-updates its digital twin registry without requiring programmer intervention. The system monitors for new physical devices, detects their presence through the process image, and automatically creates corresponding digital twins, enabling the system to adapt to changes autonomously and maintain continuous production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-establishes digital twin templates and object models that can be quickly instantiated when new physical devices are detected. Rather than requiring custom code development for each new device, the system has ready-made digital twin structures that can be automatically configured and registered, dramatically reducing the time required to adapt to physical changes.
3Loss of information
If the object model is statically configured during commissioning, then the controller structure is stable, but real world objects are not visible or accessible via the object model
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital twins as virtual copies of physical devices and assets. These digital twins replicate the behavior, state, and properties of physical objects in the process image, allowing the controller to interact with virtual representations rather than direct physical devices. This makes real-world objects visible and accessible through the controller's object model.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital twin registry serves multiple functions: it provides visibility of physical objects, enables dynamic adaptation, simplifies programming, and maintains stable controller architecture. The universal registry structure can represent any physical device or asset in the automation system, making the system versatile without sacrificing stability.
4Ease of operation
If programmers reconstruct the state of real world objects into digital signals, then the controller can control output devices, but the process is inefficient and requires manual adaptation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital twins as virtual copies of physical devices and assets. These digital twins replicate the behavior, state, and properties of physical objects in the process image, allowing the controller to interact with virtual representations rather than direct physical devices. This makes real-world objects visible and accessible through the controller's object model.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital twin acts as an intermediary layer between the physical process objects and the controller's object model. Rather than requiring programmers to directly map physical devices to digital signals, the digital twin registry provides a standardized interface that simplifies interaction and automatically handles adaptations when physical devices change.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for using digital twins to interact with physical objects in an automation system includes a plurality of controller devices, a process image backbone, and a registry comprising a plurality of digital twins. Each respective controller device comprises a volatile computer-readable storage medium comprising a process image area. The process image backbone provides the controllers with uniform access to the process image area of each controller. Each digital twin in the registry corresponds to a physical device controllable via one of the controllers devices via a corresponding process image area.