Profile-Based Interface Adaptation for Industrial Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing industrial automation systems to manufacture specific products or perform certain processes is challenging due to varying configurations, component types, and location-specific requirements, with issues such as legacy components not being interpretable by newer systems and a lack of communication capabilities among components.
Innovation Solution
An industrial automation system tool that recommends suitable components based on user profiles, provides graphical user interfaces for configuration, and uses proxy-interface components to translate data between legacy and newer systems, as well as proxy-virtualizing components to generate virtual data for communication-lacking components, ensuring efficient operation and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If legacy components are integrated into newer automation systems, then system compatibility and communication capability are improved, but data interpretation accuracy and system reliability deteriorate due to incompatible protocols and formats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a profile-based intermediary layer that translates between legacy component data formats and modern system requirements. The profile stores mapping relationships that enable accurate data interpretation without direct integration, thus maintaining reliability while achieving compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes data parameters by applying profile-based transformations to convert legacy data formats into modern equivalents. This parameter transformation enables legacy components to communicate effectively while maintaining data accuracy through standardized parameter mappings.
2Ease of operation
If user interface is customized for each user, then user productivity and ease of operation are improved, but system complexity and time required for configuration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal profile system that serves multiple users with different requirements. The profile mechanism provides customized user interfaces for each user while using a common underlying architecture, thus achieving user-specific customization without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
User preferences and interface configurations are pre-stored in profiles. When a user logs in, their specific configuration is automatically applied without requiring real-time customization, thus providing personalized interfaces while eliminating the complexity of on-demand configuration.
3Speed
If profile data and user preferences are stored locally, then data access speed and response time are improved, but data security and backup reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested data storage architecture where user profiles are stored locally within the automation system (inner layer) while simultaneously being synchronized with remote cloud storage (outer layer). This nested structure enables fast local access while maintaining security through encrypted remote backup.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms that monitor data access patterns and automatically synchronize profile data between local and remote storage. This feedback loop ensures data security through regular backups while maintaining fast local access speeds through intelligent caching.
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial automation component may receive identification information associated with a user of the industrial automation component and determine whether a profile that corresponds to the identification information exists in a database. When the profile does not exist, the industrial automation component may receive a graphical interface template configured to be displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the industrial automation component, one or more parameter names configured to associate one or more measurements acquired by the industrial automation component, pre-load information comprising data configured to enable the industrial automation component to operate, or any combination thereof. The industrial automation component may then and generate a user interface view for the GUI based on the graphical interface template, the parameter names, the pre-load information, or any combination thereof.