Web Socket Session Binding for Industrial Device Profile Instances

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial automation systems require separate configuration tools for different devices, leading to a piecemeal design approach that complicates integration and debugging due to disparate programming efforts.

Innovation Solution

An integrated development environment (IDE) that uses a common design environment and data model to configure and manage multiple aspects of an industrial automation system, featuring a user interface for rendering device profiles, establishing communication channels, and assigning unique session identifiers for device configuration and management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate configuration tools are used for different industrial devices, then each device can be configured with device-specific functionality, but the system integration and debugging become more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice-specific configuration capabilityVSAvoidsystem integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal configuration interface that can handle multiple device types (PLCs, HMI devices, drive devices) through a single integrated development environment. The system uses device profiles with templates to provide device-specific functionality while maintaining a unified configuration approach, allowing one interface to serve multiple device types without requiring separate tools for each device category.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces device profiles as intermediary objects that mediate between the universal configuration interface and specific device implementations. These profiles contain templates and parameters that translate generic configuration actions into device-specific settings, acting as a buffer that enables unified configuration while preserving device-specific capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If separate configuration tools are used for different devices, then device-specific parameters can be configured precisely, but debugging and integration require switching between multiple tools

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice parameter configuration precisionVSAvoiddebugging and integration time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate configuration tools into a single integrated development environment that can configure controllers, HMI devices, and drive devices simultaneously. The unified interface allows users to work with all device types in one environment, eliminating the need to switch between tools during configuration and debugging phases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated development environment provides multi-functional capabilities to handle configuration, monitoring, and debugging of different device types through a single interface. The system maintains device-specific parameter precision while providing unified access to all configuration functions across different device categories.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12079624B2Method for connecting a web socket session with an object instance with automation device association
Publication Date: 2024.09.03 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC
  • US12079624B2 patent drawing
  • US12079624B2 patent drawing
  • US12079624B2 patent drawing

AI summary

An industrial integrated development environment (IDE) is designed to execute on a cloud-platform or a web-based platform. The IDE includes a library of device profiles that render graphical device configuration interfaces for reading and writing values of device parameters. To ensure correct binding of an instance of a device profile invoked on a client device and the corresponding physical device on the plant floor during runtime, the IDE system assigns a unique session identifier to each communication channel between a client-side profile instance and the corresponding physical device.