Dynamic Voting Configuration for Industrial Automation Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial automation systems rely on fixed voting schemes for redundancy, which do not allow for customization or dynamic adjustment based on real-time conditions, limiting their ability to optimize availability and safety in industrial automation environments.
Innovation Solution
An optimization component generates a voting configuration that allocates available redundancy to provide an optimized combination of safety and availability, considering input data from industrial automation devices and environments, and can be dynamically adjusted to mitigate common mode failures and respond to faults.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed voting schemes are used for redundancy, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability and optimization of availability and safety are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic reconfiguration of voting schemes by allowing the system to switch between different voting configurations (e.g., from 2oo3 to 1oo2) based on real-time system conditions and fault states. This enables the redundancy system to adapt its behavior dynamically rather than being fixed, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and complexity by making the system flexible only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the voting parameter (the number of votes required and total votes available) based on system state. By allowing the voting threshold and total vote count to be modified dynamically, the system achieves adaptability in redundancy configuration without requiring complete architectural redesign, thus managing complexity while improving versatility.
2Reliability
If dynamic reconfiguration of voting schemes is implemented, then availability and safety are optimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the state of redundant components and automatically adjusts the voting scheme based on this feedback. When faults are detected, the system reconfigures the voting parameters to maintain optimal safety and availability. This automated feedback mechanism improves reliability without requiring complex manual intervention, as the system self-adjusts based on real-time conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The redundancy management system performs self-service by automatically detecting faults and reconfiguring voting schemes without external intervention. This reduces the operational complexity for users while maintaining high reliability, as the system manages its own redundancy configuration based on its internal state assessment.
3Reliability
If fixed redundancy allocation is used, then system stability is maintained, but fault tolerance and operational resilience are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static to dynamic redundancy allocation, where the voting configuration adapts based on system conditions. This allows the system to customize its fault tolerance behavior dynamically, improving reliability by optimizing the voting scheme for current operational requirements rather than being constrained by fixed allocation.
4Ease of operation
If conventional fixed voting schemes are employed, then ease of operation is maintained, but ability to respond to real-time conditions is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automatic feedback mechanisms that monitor real-time conditions and adjust voting schemes accordingly. This maintains ease of operation for users while enabling the system to respond dynamically to changing conditions, as the automated feedback loop handles the complexity of real-time adaptation without requiring user intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
The claimed subject matter provides industrial automation systems and/or methods that configure available redundancy. An interface component can obtain input data. Additionally, an optimization component can generate a voting configuration that allocates available redundancy to provide an optimized combination of safety and availability based at least in part on the input data.