Industrial Development Hub Vault for Control Project Versioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial automation systems face challenges in development cycles due to complexity and custom nature, leading to long development times, cost overruns, and difficulty in managing and protecting proprietary intellectual property, especially in the absence of effective virtualization and simulation capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based Industrial Development Hub (IDH) with enhanced storage and design tools, providing a repository for storing and managing industrial control project code, device configurations, and digital assets, facilitating backup, restore, code conversion, and version management, while offering real-time design feedback and analytics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If industrial control projects are developed using traditional methods, then customization and proprietary control logic can be achieved, but development cycles become lengthy and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoiddevelopment cycle speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of control projects against design standards and best practices before deployment. The analysis component automatically evaluates projects for compliance with predefined standards, identifying issues early in the development process rather than during testing or operation, thereby accelerating development while maintaining quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms unstructured control project data into structured analytical parameters that can be automatically evaluated. By converting control logic into measurable parameters against predefined standards, the system enables automated assessment that speeds up validation while preserving customization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If comprehensive analysis and validation of control projects are performed, then design quality and reliability improve, but development time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign standard complianceVSAvoidanalysis system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The analysis system is segmented into modular components: a user interface for project submission, an analysis component that applies predefined standards, and a reporting module. This modular structure reduces overall system complexity while enabling comprehensive validation through standardized, reusable analysis rules

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary analysis layer between project development and deployment. This intermediary component automatically evaluates projects against design standards without requiring direct human intervention in the complex validation process, simplifying the user experience while maintaining rigorous quality checks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If version control and archival of control projects are implemented, then intellectual property protection and traceability improve, but storage requirements and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveversion traceabilityVSAvoiddata storage volume
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates structured copies of control projects with metadata that captures version information, analysis results, and compliance status. These copies are organized in an archival structure that enables traceability without requiring storage of multiple complete project versions, reducing overall data volume while maintaining version control capabilities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11899412B2Industrial development hub vault and design tools
Publication Date: 2024.02.13 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC
  • US11899412B2 patent drawing
  • US11899412B2 patent drawing
  • US11899412B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An industrial development hub (IDH) supports industrial development and testing capabilities that are offered as a cloud-based service. The IDH comprises an enhanced storage platform and associated design tools that serve as a repository on which customers can store control project code, device configurations, and other digital aspects of an industrial automation project. The IDH system can facilitate discovery and management of digital content associated with control systems, and can be used for system backup and restore, code conversion, and version management.