Logical Module Interface for Industrial Control System Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial control systems face complexity in integrating diverse components, leading to high costs and delayed system commissioning due to limited interoperability and consistency between products from different vendors, with engineers often focusing on implementation details rather than functional requirements, and lacking efficient distribution of processing loads.
Innovation Solution
A logical module and controller structure that facilitates interaction with various enterprise layers, hiding complex interfacing details and providing generic interfaces, allowing for enhanced communication and control across the enterprise while reducing the need for custom software, and enabling smooth system integration and configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple vendor products are integrated into a control system, then system functionality and capabilities are improved, but integration complexity and difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal module interface that enables different vendor products to interact through a common standardized interface. The module structure provides consistent methods and properties across diverse hardware components, allowing them to function as interchangeable units within the control system. This universality resolves the integration complexity by eliminating the need for vendor-specific integration logic while maintaining full system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an abstraction layer consisting of module templates and interface definitions that mediate between diverse hardware components and the control logic. This intermediary layer translates vendor-specific implementations into a unified interface, allowing engineers to work with standardized concepts while the underlying hardware diversity is handled transparently by the module abstraction mechanism.
2Ease of manufacture
If engineers focus on implementation details and technical specifications, then system integration can be achieved, but time and resources are wasted on non-functional requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes module interfaces, templates, and communication protocols during the design phase rather than during implementation. By pre-defining how modules will interact through standardized interfaces and providing reference implementations, the system eliminates the need for engineers to resolve technical integration details during deployment, significantly reducing integration time while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Adaptability or versatility
If control systems use vendor-specific interfaces and protocols, then product functionality is optimized, but interoperability and consistency between different products are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal module interface that works across multiple vendor products while maintaining each product's unique functionality. The interface standardizes communication methods, data structures, and interaction patterns, ensuring consistent interoperability. Each vendor's product can implement the standard interface while preserving its specialized capabilities, achieving both universality and product-specific optimization.
4Adaptability or versatility
If system integration is performed without standardized interfaces, then customization flexibility is maintained, but development and integration costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control system into modular components with well-defined interfaces. Each module can be independently developed, tested, and configured, allowing customization at the module level while using standardized interfaces for integration. This segmentation enables teams to work in parallel on different modules, reducing development costs while maintaining flexibility to customize individual modules as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A controller and module for an industrial automation system is provided. A logical module employs resources and logic to expose functionality of the module while providing generic interfaces to external components of the module. A controller is operable with the logical module to provide interactions with components that are at, above, or below a layer associated with the controller.