IoT Automation Architecture for Cross-Ecosystem Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy industrial and commercial automation applications are developed in isolation, lacking integration with remote vertical systems for maintenance, logistics, production, and accounting, leading to inefficiencies and the need for novel technology architectures to unify configuration, management, and operations across diverse ecosystems.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system for managing IoT-enabled devices using a specialized software architecture that models entities as Avatars, defines Automatons for state and behavior management, and utilizes Shareables for inter-peer communication and action initiation, leveraging microservices and APIs for integration and real-time connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If legacy industrial and commercial automation applications are developed in isolation with remote vertical systems, then each system can be independently configured and maintained, but integration between systems is lacking and interoperability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the automation system into independent microservices that can be deployed and managed separately. Each microservice represents a functional unit (e.g., maintenance, logistics, production) that can operate autonomously while being part of the integrated system, resolving the contradiction between integration capability and architecture complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer consisting of APIs and event buses that facilitate communication between isolated vertical systems. This mediator enables data exchange and coordination between systems without requiring direct integration, thus improving adaptability while maintaining manageable complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a unified software architecture is implemented to integrate diverse ecosystems, then interoperability and unified management are enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal software architecture based on microservices that can serve multiple functions across diverse ecosystems. The same architectural framework supports different vertical systems (maintenance, logistics, production) through standardized interfaces, enhancing interoperability without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic service registration and discovery mechanisms that allow the system architecture to adapt to different configurations and requirements. This dynamic approach enables the unified architecture to handle diverse ecosystems flexibly, reducing the perceived complexity through automated adaptation.
3Productivity
If remote vertical systems are operated independently, then system configuration and maintenance are simplified, but overall productivity and efficiency are reduced due to lack of integration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback loops through event buses and message queues that enable real-time communication between vertical systems. This feedback mechanism allows systems to automatically respond to events from other systems (e.g., production data triggering maintenance alerts), improving operational efficiency while maintaining independent system management through event-driven architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
In some embodiments, systems, devices, and methods described herein provide digitized ecosystem architectures connecting systems and processes within and among various entities using Internet-of-Things (IoT) to integrate physical assets of the entities. In some embodiments, one or more blockchain applications and/or smart contracts and further define and manage system integration.