Method for operating an automation system and automation system using modified shared data across multiple control devices

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a program code for executing and/or controlling a method for operating an automation system (1, 100) comprising a local control device (2) and at least one field device (3) associated to the local control device (2), the method comprising the steps of:

• controlling (S1) an operation of the field device (3) by the local control device (2) based on control data (CD) generated by the local control device (2);
• in the local control device (2), receiving (S2) monitoring data (MD) from the field device (3), the monitoring data (MD) describing the controlled operation of the field device (3);
• in the local control device (2), modifying (S3) configuration data of the local control device (2) based on the monitoring data (MD), the configuration data being data based on the control data (CD) generated by the local control device (2);
• in the local control device (2), generating (S4) upload data (UD) comprising information about the modification of the configuration data and/or about changes in the operation of the field device (3) resulting from the modification of the configuration data;
• in the local control device (2) and/or in a central control device (5) communicatively connected to the local control device (2), deleting, encrypting and/or masking (S5) specified information from the upload data (UD) to generate modified upload data (MUD);
• in the central control device (5), determining (S51) whether the modified upload data (MUD) and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to an other local control device (4) based on similarity data indicating a ratio of the number of processes that are similar for an operation of the field device (3) associated with the local control device (2) and an operation of an other field device (6) associated with the other local control device (4) to the total number of processes and based on past data indicating whether previous modified upload data (previous MUD) of a certain category have been transmitted to the other local control device (4), wherein the past data comprises data indicative of past experience of sharing the previous modified upload data (previous MUD) with the other local control device (4), the past data comprises previous feedback information received from the other local control device (4) upon the other local control device (4) receiving the previous modified upload data (previous MUD) and the central control device (5) receiving previous information from technicians inserted into a database of the central control device (5);
• transmitting (S6′) the modified upload data (MUD) and/or the part thereof to the other local control device (4) if the central control device (5) determines that the modified upload data (MUD) and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device (4);
• in the other local control device (4), generating (S11) feedback data indicating whether the received modified upload data (received MUD) was useful for the other local control device (4) in improving the operation of the other field device (6) associated with the other local control device (4);
• transmitting (S12) the feedback data to the central control device (5);
• and
• incorporating (S13) the feedback data into the past data of the central control device (5).

An automation system (1, 100) comprising:

• a local control device (2);
• an other local control device (4);
• at least one field device (3) associated to the local control device (2);
• and
• a central control device (5) communicatively connected to the local control device (2) and to the other local control device (4);
• wherein the local control device (2) comprises:
• a control unit (21) for controlling an operation of the field device (3) based on control data (CD) generated by the local control device (2);
• a reception unit (22) for receiving monitoring data (MD) from the field device (3), the monitoring data (MD) describing the controlled operation of the field device (3);
• a modification unit (23) for modifying configuration data of the local control device (2) based on the monitoring data (MD), the configuration data being data based on the control data (CD) generated by the local control device (2);
• and
• a generation unit (24) for generating upload data (UD) comprising information about the modification of the configuration data and/or about changes in the operation of the field device (3) resulting from the modification of the configuration data;
• wherein the automation system (1, 100) further comprises:
• a protection unit (25) for deleting, encrypting and/or masking specified information from the upload data (UD) to generate modified upload data (MUD);
• wherein
• the central control device (5) is configured to determine whether the modified upload data (MUD) and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device (4) based on similarity data indicating a ratio of the number of processes that are similar for an operation of the field device (3) associated with the local control device (2) and an operation of an other field device (6) associated with the other local control device (4) to the total number of processes and based on past data indicating whether previous modified upload data (previous MUD) of a certain category have been transmitted to the other local control device (4), wherein the past data comprises data indicative of past experience of sharing the previous modified upload data (previous MUD) with the other local control device (4), the past data comprises previous feedback information received from the other local control device (4) upon the other local control device (4) receiving the previous modified upload data (previous MUD) and the central control device (5) receiving previous information from technicians inserted into a database of the central control device (5);
• the central control device (5) is configured to transmit the modified upload data (MUD) and/or the part thereof to the other local control device (4) if the central control device (5) determines that the modified upload data (MUD) and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device (4);
• the other local control device (4) is configured to generate feedback data indicating whether the received modified upload data (received MUD) was useful for the other local control device (4) in improving the operation of the other field device (6) associated with the other local control device (4);
• the other local control device (4) is configured to transmit the feedback data to the central control device (5);
• and
• the central control device (5) is configured to incorporate the feedback data into the past data of the central control device (5).

A central control device (5, 50) for an automation system (1, 100) the central control device (5, 50) being communicatively connected to a local control device (2) and to an other local control device (4), the central control device (5, 50) comprising:

• an upload data reception unit (51) for receiving upload data (UD) and/or modified upload data (MUD) from the local control device (2);
• a processing unit (52) for processing the received upload data (received UD) and/or the received modified upload data (received MUD) using a central artificial intelligence algorithm for generating generated modified upload data (generated MUD) based on the received upload data (received UD) and/or for determining whether the received modified upload data (received MUD) or the generated modified upload data (generated MUD) and/or a part thereof should be transmitted to the other local control device (4);
• and
• a transmission unit (53) for transmitting the received modified upload data (received MUD) or the generated modified upload data (generated MUD) and/or a part thereof to the other control device (4), wherein
• the processing unit (52) is configured to generate the generated modified upload data (generated MUD) by deleting, encrypting and/or masking specified information from the received upload data (received UD),
• the processing unit (52) is configured to determine whether the generated modified upload data (generated MUD) should be transmitted to the other local control device (4) based on similarity data indicating a ratio of the number of processes that are similar for an operation of a field device (3) associated with the local control device (2) and an operation of an other field device (6) associated with the other local control device (4) to the total number of processes and based on past data indicating whether previous modified upload data (previous MUD) of a certain category have been transmitted to the other local control device (4), wherein the past data comprises data indicative of past experience of sharing the previous modified upload data (previous MUD) with the other local control device (4), the past data comprises previous feedback information received from the other local control device (4) upon the other local control device (4) receiving the previous modified upload data (previous MUD) and the central control device (5, 50) receiving previous information from technicians inserted into a database of the central control device (5);
• the processing unit (52) is configured to receive feedback data generated by the other local control device (4) indicating whether the received modified upload data (received MUD) was useful for the other local control device (4) in improving the operation of the other field device (6) associated with the other local control device (4);
• and
• the processing unit (52) is configured to incorporate the feedback data into the past data of the central control device (5, 50).