Dynamic Metadata Linking for Automation Control Tags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional automation control and monitoring systems have a rigid definition of object types, making it difficult to manage and associate additional information with tags, leading to inefficiencies in configuration and maintenance as more components integrate, and requiring users to manually mirror tags and configure additional data across multiple components.
Innovation Solution
The system dynamically extends and manages property sets for objects by storing measurement data in a rigid structure and associating meta-data in a data store, allowing meta-data to be linked with measurement data, enabling pass-through capabilities and reducing the need for separate configuration of each object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid data structure is used to store measurement data, then data integrity and structure are maintained, but flexibility to associate additional information (meta-data) is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data storage system into two distinct parts: a rigid data structure for measurement data and a separate data store for meta-data. This segmentation allows each component to maintain its own characteristics (structure and flexibility) independently, resolving the contradiction between data integrity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data store as an intermediary component that bridges the rigid data structure and the need for flexible meta-data association. This intermediary enables dynamic linking of meta-data to measurement data without compromising the integrity of the original data structure.
2Ease of operation
If manual configuration is required for each tag and component, then precise control is achieved, but user workload and configuration time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by automatically generating meta-data and performing initial configuration tasks before the user needs them. The system pre-establishes data associations and structures, reducing the need for manual configuration later while maintaining precise control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically managing meta-data generation, association, and configuration. This reduces user workload and configuration time while maintaining the ability to achieve precise control when needed, as the system handles routine tasks autonomously.
3Ease of operation
If separate configuration is required for each component, then individual control is maintained, but system complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the configuration management of measurement data and meta-data into a unified system. By combining these previously separate configuration tasks into a single integrated data store, the system reduces overall complexity while maintaining the ability to control individual components through their associated meta-data.
Data Source
AI summary
An automation control and monitoring system is provided that includes an automation control component and a data store. The automation control component is configured to store measurement data acquired from a sensing component of the automation control system. Metadata is dynamically associated with the measurement data, such that at least a portion of both the data and the metadata may be accessed using a name reference that provides an indication of particular data from the one or more data fields and particular metadata associated with the particular data.