Multi-Aspect Control Objects With Shared Semantic Data Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial control automation systems lack efficient methods for creating and deploying reusable and customizable multi-aspect objects that can seamlessly integrate control, human-machine interface, and edge analytics capabilities, leading to inefficiencies in equipment optimization and collaboration among developers.
Innovation Solution
The development of multi-aspect object templates that include a semantic data model, allowing aspects like control, HMI, and edge analytics to share information, and are created and deployed using a programmable automation control (PAC) design hub, multi-aspect object builder, and deployment environment, facilitating collaboration and customization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional separate development approaches are used for control, HMI, and analytics components, then each component can be developed independently, but the integration complexity and deployment time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines control, HMI, and analytics capabilities into a unified multi-aspect object framework. Aspects are integrated modules that can be developed independently but are seamlessly combined within the same object instance, sharing common configuration and data models. This merging approach maintains ease of independent development while reducing integration complexity through unified object instantiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-aspect object framework provides universal functionality by enabling a single object to simultaneously perform control, monitoring, analytics, and user interface functions through its multiple aspects. This multi-functionality allows different capabilities to be integrated within one unified structure, reducing the need for separate integration mechanisms while maintaining the ability to develop each aspect independently.
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom multi-aspect objects are created for each specific application, then the objects can be highly customized, but the development effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The framework provides pre-built aspect templates and configuration structures that can be instantiated and customized for specific applications. Common aspects such as control, HMI, and analytics are prepared in advance with standard interfaces and data models, allowing developers to quickly instantiate and adapt them rather than creating everything from scratch. This preliminary preparation maintains high customization capability while significantly reducing development time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables copying and reusing aspect configurations across multiple objects and applications. Once an aspect is configured for a specific function, it can be copied and adapted for similar applications, reducing redundant development work while maintaining the ability to customize each instance as needed. This copying mechanism preserves adaptability while minimizing development effort.
3Ease of operation
If configuration information is not shared across aspects, then each aspect can be configured independently, but the overall system configuration time and effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The framework merges configuration management across aspects by implementing a shared configuration space within the multi-aspect object. Configuration information such as device parameters, data models, and communication settings are stored at the object level and automatically shared among all aspects. This allows aspects to be configured independently through their own interfaces while automatically benefiting from shared configuration data, thus maintaining ease of independent configuration while significantly improving configuration efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where configuration changes in one aspect automatically update and notify other aspects that depend on that configuration. This feedback ensures consistency across aspects while allowing independent configuration work, as changes are propagated automatically rather than requiring manual synchronization. This maintains independent configuration capability while improving overall configuration efficiency through automated consistency management.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed examples create a multi-aspect object, the multi-aspect object represented using a class definition; assign a first capability to the multi-aspect object, the first capability to communicate with equipment in a control system; assign a second capability to the multi-aspect object, the second capability to communicate with the equipment in the control system; create a semantic data model in the multi-aspect object, the semantic data model to share information between the first capability and the second capability of the multi-aspect object; deploy the first capability of the multi-aspect object on a first runtime platform; and deploy the second capability of the multi-aspect object on a second runtime platform, the semantic data model to communicate between the first and second runtime platforms to share the information between the first and second capabilities of the multi-aspect object.