Symbolic Industrial Device Access via Template-Based Data Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in coordinating data access from diverse industrial automation devices with different communication protocols and information model formats, leading to increased complexity and inefficiency in integrating new devices and managing operations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing symbolic data operations using symbol and template object instances to facilitate standardized and flexible data access, enabling devices to communicate using a common information model format, thereby reducing computing resources and simplifying data exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional data access methods are used for diverse industrial automation devices, then device compatibility is maintained, but system complexity increases and data access efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (gateway device or edge device) that sits between diverse industrial automation devices and the control system. This intermediary translates and standardizes data from multiple device types and communication protocols into a unified information model format, eliminating the need for the control system to directly handle device-specific complexities while maintaining compatibility with various devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal information model (such as OPC UA) that can represent data from different device types, communication protocols, and generations of industrial automation devices in a standardized format. This universal model allows a single control system interface to access data from diverse devices without requiring device-specific programming, thereby reducing system complexity while improving data access efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols and information model formats are supported, then device compatibility improves, but computing resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device acts as an intermediary that handles protocol translation and data standardization externally, allowing the control system to consume less computing resources. The gateway performs the computationally intensive tasks of supporting multiple communication protocols and information model formats, while the control system only needs to interact with the standardized unified model.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary data processing and standardization at the gateway level before data reaches the control system. By pre-translating device-specific protocols and formats into the universal information model at the edge, the system avoids redundant computing operations at the control system level, thereby reducing overall computing resource consumption while maintaining broad device compatibility.
3Productivity
If device-specific data formats are used, then data accuracy is maintained, but integration efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves as an intermediary that receives device-specific data formats, preserves the original data accuracy through faithful translation, and converts the data into the universal information model format. This process maintains the semantic meaning and precision of the original data while enabling efficient integration with the control system through standardized interfaces.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this present disclosure may include systems that perform operations including receiving a request to access data associated with an industrial automation device (86) from a requesting device and identifying the industrial automation device based on the request. The operations may include sending a query for template data to the industrial automation device based on the request and receiving the template data. The operations may include determining a data structure based on the requesting device and generating the data structure based on the template data and a mapping between the data structure and the template data. The operations may additionally include sending the data structure to the requesting device.