Semantic Mapping Gateway for Brownfield Equipment Data Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in integrating brownfield devices and legacy manufacturing process equipment into contemporary industrial information models due to proprietary data models, necessitating a standardized communication protocol like IPC-CFX for interoperability in Industry 4.0 scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A gateway system that includes a parsing module, semantic mapping engine, interface module, mapping knowledge unit, and mapping compiler, utilizing knowledge-based mapping rules to transform proprietary data models into industrial information models like IPC-CFX, adaptable to various machines with low-resource hardware, and enabling flexible integration through AI-assisted or human-defined mapping knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary data models are used in legacy manufacturing equipment, then device-specific functionality is maintained, but integration into standardized industrial automation systems becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that sits between legacy brownfield devices with proprietary data models and modern industrial automation systems requiring standardized information models. The gateway performs semantic mapping and transformation of data models, enabling integration without requiring changes to the legacy devices themselves. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining device-specific functionality while enabling standardized integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms data from proprietary formats to standardized industrial information models by changing the parameters and structure of the data representation. The mapping engine converts source data models with vendor-specific parameters into target models with standardized parameters, enabling interoperability while preserving the original device functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional protocol conversion methods are used, then interoperability is achieved, but hardware overhead and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional hardware-based protocol conversion mechanisms with a software-based semantic mapping engine. Instead of using dedicated hardware modules for each protocol conversion, the system uses a virtualized software layer that performs data model transformation through knowledge-based mapping rules, significantly reducing hardware overhead and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway employs a universal semantic mapping engine that can handle multiple proprietary data models and convert them to various standardized industrial information models using a single platform. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate hardware converters for each protocol pair, reducing overall hardware resource requirements.
3Measurement precision
If rigid architectural changes are implemented to support new devices, then integration accuracy improves, but system flexibility and adaptability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic adaptability through a configuration-based mapping approach rather than rigid hard-coded transformations. The semantic mapping engine can be dynamically configured with new mapping rules for different data models without requiring architectural changes to the core system. This allows the system to adapt to new devices while maintaining high transformation accuracy through precise mapping definitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data transformation process into distinct modular components: parsing module, semantic mapping engine, and code generator. Each module handles specific aspects of the transformation independently, allowing high precision in each segment while maintaining overall system flexibility. The mapping knowledge base is segmented into reusable mapping rules that can be independently configured.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include a gateway for transforming a data model of a manufacturing process equipment into an industrial information model for automation purposes. The gateway may include: a parsing module for parsing information entities in the data model of the manufacturing process equipment applying a communication protocol of the data model; a semantic mapping engine for transforming the information entities into the industrial information model, the semantic mapping engine using a runtime environment for executing knowledge-based mapping rules; an interface module for providing access to the industrial information model; a mapping knowledge unit including a mapping rule base for maintaining one or more declarative mapping rules; and a mapping compiler for transforming the declarative mapping rules into executable code, for compiling the executable code into knowledge-based mapping rules and for feeding the knowledge-based mapping rules into the runtime environment of the semantic mapping engine.