Edge-Cloud Digital Avatars for Low-Latency IIoT Device Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Central-network-based intelligent management systems in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are hindered by network latency and limited communication bandwidth, particularly for real-time applications with large amounts of data, leading to inhibited operational performance.
Innovation Solution
Implementing digital avatars at the edge of the network for IIoT devices, utilizing edge computing to process data locally and send only pre-processed data to the cloud, thereby reducing latency and bandwidth consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cloud-based digital avatars are used to manage IIoT devices, then centralized control and comprehensive data processing are achieved, but network latency and bandwidth limitations inhibit real-time operational performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital avatar functionality into two components: an edge avatar deployed locally at the IIoT device to handle real-time processing, and a cloud-based digital avatar for comprehensive data management. This segmentation allows real-time operations to occur locally without network latency, while still benefiting from centralized cloud capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The edge avatar acts as an intermediary between the IIoT device and the cloud-based digital avatar. It pre-processes data locally and communicates only essential information to the cloud, reducing network bandwidth consumption and enabling faster local responses while maintaining centralized oversight.
2Loss of information
If all IIoT device data is transmitted to the cloud for processing, then comprehensive analysis is achieved, but network bandwidth is overwhelmed and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential features and pre-processed results from the raw IIoT data at the edge device level, transmitting only this extracted information to the cloud. This reduces the volume of data transmitted over the network while preserving the critical information needed for comprehensive analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The edge avatar performs preliminary data processing and filtering before transmission to the cloud, preparing data in advance to reduce the burden on network bandwidth and cloud processing resources.
3Ease of operation
If centralized cloud processing is used for all IIoT operations, then unified management is achieved, but operational efficiency decreases due to network dependencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by deploying the edge avatar at the IIoT device location, enabling autonomous real-time processing and control decisions to be made locally without depending on distant cloud resources, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining centralized management through the cloud avatar.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods may be used to implement twinned or linked digital avatars as an edge avatar and a cloud avatar for a particular physical device in an industrial site. The edge avatar is configured to ingest data generated in the industrial site and to use a model for the particular physical device to obtain device-specific parameters related to the particular physical device. The edge avatar also sends information related to the device-specific parameters to a cloud avatar that is linked to the edge avatar. The cloud avatar is implemented in a cloud network away from the industrial site. The edge avatar is also configured to receive updates from the cloud avatar for the edge avatar and to refine the edge avatar using the updates.