Cross-Ecosystem Endpoint Registry for Automation Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automation systems with heterogenous ecosystems face challenges in endpoint discovery and interoperability due to varying mechanisms, runtime environments, and proprietary programming languages, leading to locked-in ecosystems and limited applicability to existing systems.
Innovation Solution
An endpoint registry system that enables cross-ecosystem discovery and management of service interfaces and data topics, using discovery components to register and share endpoints across incompatible ecosystems, allowing interoperability without altering existing systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If automation systems use heterogenous ecosystems with varying mechanisms, protocols, and programming languages, then each ecosystem can maintain its proprietary capabilities and ecosystem-specific optimizations, but consumers cannot easily discover and use endpoints across different ecosystems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (service registry, endpoint broker, or adapter layer) that mediates between heterogenous ecosystems. This intermediary translates and registers endpoints from different ecosystems into a unified format, enabling consumers to discover and access endpoints across ecosystem boundaries without directly dealing with the heterogeneity. The intermediary maintains the proprietary capabilities of each ecosystem while providing a common access point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal endpoint registration and discovery mechanism that works across multiple heterogenous ecosystems. By defining a common endpoint interface and registration protocol that can represent services from any ecosystem, the system achieves multi-functionality where a single discovery mechanism serves all ecosystems, allowing consumers to access diverse endpoints through a unified interface.
2Reliability
If automation systems implement platform-specific and proprietary automation functions, then each platform can optimize for its own requirements and performance, but integration complexity increases and systems become locked into specific ecosystems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the automation system into distinct layers: platform-specific implementation layers that maintain proprietary optimizations, and a common endpoint interface layer that handles cross-ecosystem communication. Each ecosystem's automation functions are segmented into self-contained endpoint definitions that can be independently registered and discovered, reducing integration complexity while preserving platform-specific capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of endpoint interfaces by introducing standardized metadata schemas and registration protocols that describe platform-specific capabilities in a universal format. By transforming proprietary platform parameters into standardized endpoint descriptors, the system maintains optimized platform-specific implementations while enabling cross-platform discovery and integration through parameter transformation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If consumers need to access endpoints across multiple heterogenous ecosystems, then interoperability can be achieved, but the resources and complexity for ecosystem owners to manage cross-ecosystem compatibility increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where each ecosystem automatically registers its endpoints with the universal registry using standardized protocols. Ecosystems serve themselves by implementing the endpoint registration interface, automatically publishing their services without requiring manual configuration or complex compatibility management. This reduces the burden on ecosystem owners while maintaining cross-ecosystem interoperability.
Data Source
AI summary
Service interfaces and data topics can be discovered and retrieved so as to bridge different industrial automation ecosystems, programming languages, platforms, and the like, together. For example, nodes of one ecosystem can discover endpoints (e.g., interfaces and topics) across heterogeneous incompatible ecosystems, without changing the ecosystem. Further, endpoint descriptions are managed across heterogeneous incompatible ecosystems. Endpoint descriptions can be automatically generated based on interface and topic description in an interface description file. Such descriptions can also be automatically exported into registries of other ecosystems.