Distributed Automation Delta Script Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional automation control and monitoring systems face inefficiencies due to reliance on centralized data models, leading to bandwidth and processing inefficiencies, as well as increased potential for inadvertent overwriting of state changes, especially when communicating state changes between components.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a distributed data model and state change communication using delta scripts, where only changed data is transmitted, and utilizing distributed execution engines to asynchronously execute commands, allowing for more efficient processing and reduced dependency on centralized components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If full state data is provided to communicate state changes, then completeness of state information is improved, but bandwidth efficiency deteriorates and processing efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of state informationVSAvoidbandwidth efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the changed portions of state data (deltas) rather than transmitting the entire state. The change notification message includes only the object identifier and the specific state changes that occurred, eliminating the need to transmit unchanged data and thereby improving bandwidth efficiency while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The state data transmission is segmented into individual change notifications rather than bulk transmission. Each notification is a discrete message containing only specific changes, allowing receivers to process only relevant updates and improving both bandwidth utilization and processing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If full state data is provided to communicate state changes, then completeness of state information is improved, but processing efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of state informationVSAvoidprocessing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transmits only the necessary portion of state data (the changes) rather than the complete state. This partial action approach sends exactly what is needed - the deltas - without excessive data transmission, improving processing efficiency while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Device complexity

If centralized data models are used, then system control is simplified, but system robustness deteriorates and single-point failures increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem control complexityVSAvoidsystem robustness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized data model into distributed data models across multiple components. Each component maintains its own data model locally, eliminating the single-point failure risk associated with centralized models while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized change notification interfaces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces change notification messages as intermediaries between distributed components. These standardized messages enable communication and coordination between components with local data models without requiring a centralized controller, thus improving robustness while maintaining system manageability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Device complexity

If centralized data models are used, then system control is simplified, but bandwidth efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem control complexityVSAvoidbandwidth efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10571898B2Control environment change communication

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC

AI summary

An automation control system is provided that includes a distributed automation component that receives and processes delta scripts describing state changes to one or more objects of a persistent object model.