Distributed HMI Micro-Frontend Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current industrial human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are outdated, monolithic, and OS-dependent, making them inflexible and difficult to manage and evolve, failing to meet the agility requirements of modern software systems and users.
Innovation Solution
A distributed human-machine interface system comprising micro-frontend applications in separate containers, using a web-based protocol for communication, with a common HMI framework providing infrastructure and user experience functionalities, allowing for independent lifecycle management and deployment across geographically distributed control units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional monolithic HMI systems are used, then system stability is maintained, but adaptability and ease of evolution deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The HMI system is divided into independent micro-frontend applications, each encapsulated in separate containers. These modular units can be developed, deployed, and evolved independently while maintaining overall system functionality, thereby improving adaptability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A common HMI framework provides shared infrastructure functionalities (authentication, logging, messaging, licensing, layout management) that serve all micro-frontend applications. This universal foundation reduces the complexity burden of segmentation by providing reusable components and standardized interfaces.
2Ease of operation
If monolithic HMI systems are deployed on specific operating systems, then system stability is maintained, but ease of operation and deployment flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Containers serve as intermediary packages that encapsulate each micro-frontend application with its dependencies, runtime, and configuration. This intermediary layer abstracts the underlying operating system differences, enabling flexible deployment across various platforms while simplifying lifecycle management through standardized container operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional OS-dependent deployment mechanisms with web-based protocols (HTTPS, Web Sockets) for communication between micro-frontends and backends. This substitution enables platform-agnostic deployment and simplifies operation across different operating systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If HMI systems are designed for specific operating systems, then system stability is maintained, but adaptability to different platforms deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Containers act as portable intermediaries that package applications with all necessary runtime dependencies, ensuring consistent behavior across different operating systems. This intermediary approach maintains reliability by isolating each application from OS-specific variations while enabling broad platform adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from OS-specific binary deployments to web-based protocol communication with configurable parameters. By changing the communication paradigm to standardized web protocols and making system behavior configurable through parameters rather than OS-hardcoded behavior, the system achieves both platform independence and maintained reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed human-machine interface system for a distributed control system or integrated operations management, including: a set of view modules being separately isolated micro-frontend applications each implemented by a web component, each micro-frontend application including a backend application contained in a respective separate container, the backend applications communicate with their view modules using a web-based protocol, a common HMI framework for all of the view modules, the common HMI framework includes at least infrastructure functionalities and user experience design.