Edge Container Orchestration for Industrial OT Data Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in utilizing data generated by OT devices effectively, as this data is often unused or unknown to IT environments, limiting the implementation of advanced functionalities and optimizations within industrial automation systems.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of software containers that receive data from industrial automation devices, determine necessary firmware updates or container images, and send them to edge devices, enabling the integration of new functionalities and data analysis capabilities by bridging the OT and IT environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If industrial control systems operate in the OT environment to control industrial devices, then device control and monitoring are achieved, but additional processes and data generated by the devices remain unused or unknown to the IT environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that bridges the OT and IT environments. This intermediary captures data from OT devices, processes it through containerized applications, and makes it available to IT systems. The intermediary layer enables data utilization without requiring direct integration between OT control systems and IT analytics platforms, thus resolving the information silo problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs containerized applications that can perform multiple functions across different device types and data formats. These universal containers can process various OT data types (sensor data, device status, operational parameters) and output results suitable for different IT applications (predictive maintenance, energy management, quality control), enabling broad data utilization from a single platform.
2Adaptability or versatility
If containerized applications are deployed to edge devices for data processing, then advanced functionalities and optimizations are enabled, but device complexity and deployment challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the container orchestration system automatically performs device discovery, container selection, deployment, and management. The system autonomously provisions containers on edge devices based on device capabilities and data requirements, eliminating the need for manual configuration and reducing deployment complexity while maintaining high functional capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pre-configured container images and templates that are prepared in advance with all necessary dependencies, configurations, and optimizations. These pre-packaged containers can be rapidly deployed to edge devices without requiring on-site customization, significantly reducing deployment complexity while delivering advanced functionalities immediately upon deployment.
3Loss of information
If data is collected from multiple industrial devices with different types and components, then comprehensive analysis capabilities are enabled, but data heterogeneity and processing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms heterogeneous device-specific data into standardized parameters through containerized data normalization processes. The system converts various data formats, protocols, and structures from different industrial devices into a unified parameter schema that can be processed by analytical applications, enabling comprehensive data collection without proportionally increasing processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to receive, from an edge device of an industrial automation system, data indicative of a type of one or more devices in the industrial automation system, one or more types of data generated by the one or more devices, one or more components included in the one or more devices, firmware of the one or more devices, or any combination thereof. When executed, the instructions also cause the processing circuitry to identify, based on the received data, either a firmware update for the industrial automation system or, from a container repository, a container that is implementable on the edge device. Additionally, when executed, the instructions cause the processing circuitry to cause a container image for the container or firmware update for the firmware to be sent to the edge device.