# US 11,644,815 B2 · Common data pipeline for sharing data associated with industrial automation systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,644,815 B2 - Document ID: US11644815B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/038,776 - Filed: 2020-09-30 - Published: 2022-03-31 - Granted: 2023-05-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-30 - Assignees: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Abhishek Mehrotra; Steven P. Taylor; Braun C. Brennecke; Evan J. Kausalik; John D. Mayer; Tyler C. Tamburlin; Richard S. Turk; Timothy R. Brennan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11644815B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/4155: characterised by program execution, i.e. part program or machine function execution, e.g. selection of a program - G05B 19/4185: {characterised by the network communication} - G06F 16/907: Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - G05B 2219/31175: Message comprises identification of sender, receiver, command and parameter - G05B 2219/31368: MAP manufacturing automation protocol - G05B 2219/35572: Data contains header and type of data - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a first electronic device to receive data generated by a plurality of components of an industrial automation system and characterize one or more portions of the data by applying metadata to the one or more portions of the data. The metadata enables a second electronic device receiving the data to determine one or more contexts of the one or more portions of the data. Furthermore, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to rearrange an order of the one or more portions of the data and cause the characterized and rearranged data to be sent to the second electronic device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a first electronic device to: receive data generated by a plurality of components of an industrial automation system; generate characterized data by applying metadata to one or more portions of the data, wherein the metadata enables a cloud computing device receiving the data to determine one or more contexts of the one or more portions of the data, wherein each of the one or more contexts comprise: the one or more portions of the data being associated with a particular component of the plurality of components; the one or more portions of the data being associated with a particular hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels of the industrial automation system; or a type of the data; rearrange an order of the one or more portions of the data to generate characterized and rearranged data; and cause the characterized and rearranged data to be sent to the cloud computing device, wherein the cloud computing device is configured to: analyze the characterized and rearranged data, based on the metadata, to diagnose one or more errors associated with the plurality of components of the industrial automation system; determine, based on the metadata, one or more computing devices to which to send at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data, wherein the one or more computing devices are different than the first electronic device and communicatively coupled to the cloud computing device; and send the at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data to the one or more computing devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein: the first electronic device is controlled by a first party; and the cloud computing device is controlled by a second party that is different than the first party. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the one or more contexts comprise the one or more portions of the data being associated with the particular component of the plurality of components and the particular hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the one or more contexts comprise the type of the data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the first electronic device comprises an edge computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the first electronic device to rearrange the order of the one or more portions of the data based on the one or more contexts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more contexts comprise the one or more portions of the data being associated with a particular component of the plurality of components. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the one or more contexts comprise the one or more portions of the data being associated with the particular hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels of the industrial automation system. ### Claim 9 A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving, via a first electronic device, data generated by a plurality of components of an industrial automation system, wherein the data comprises a plurality of portions having an original order; generating characterized data by applying, via the first electronic device, metadata to one or more portions of the plurality of portions of the data, wherein the metadata enables a cloud computing device receiving the data to determine one or more components of the plurality of components to which the one or more portions of the data pertain; rearranging, via the first electronic device, the data by modifying the original order of the one or more portions of the data to generate characterized and rearranged data; and causing, via the first electronic device, the characterized and rearranged data to be sent to the cloud computing device, wherein the cloud computing device is configured to: analyze the characterized and rearranged data, based on the metadata, to diagnose one or more errors associated with the plurality of components of the industrial automation system; determine, based on the metadata, one or more computing devices to which to send at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data, wherein the one or more computing devices are different than the first electronic device and communicatively coupled to the cloud computing device; and send the at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data to the one or more computing devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, comprising encrypting, via the first electronic device, the characterized and rearranged data prior to causing the characterized and rearranged data to be sent to the cloud computing device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-implemented method of claim 10, comprising rearranging the data prior to encrypting the characterized and rearranged data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein rearranging the data comprises modifying the original order by grouping one or more portions of the data together based on the one or more portions of the data being associated with a particular hierarchical level within the industrial automation system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein: the first electronic device is controlled by a first entity; and the cloud computing device is controlled by a second entity that is different than the first entity. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a cloud computing device to: receive, from another electronic device communicatively coupled to the cloud computing device, characterized and rearranged data generated by the other electronic device, wherein the characterized and rearranged data is generated by: applying metadata to one or more portions of data generated by a plurality of components of an industrial automation system; and rearranging an order of the one or more portions of the data; determine one or more contexts of the one or more portions of the data generated by the plurality of components of the industrial automation system, wherein each of the one or more contexts comprise: the one or more portions of the data being associated with a particular component of the plurality of components; the one or more portions of the data being associated with a particular hierarchical level of a plurality of hierarchical levels of the industrial automation system; or a type of the data; and determine, based on the metadata, one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing device to which to send at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data, wherein the one or more computing devices are different than the other electronic device; and send the at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data to the one or more computing devices. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the other electronic device comprises an edge computing device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the cloud computing device to determine, based on the metadata, that a component has been added to the industrial automation system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the cloud computing device to determine at least a portion of the one or more contexts pertaining to the component added to the industrial automation system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the type of the data is audio data, image data, or inventory data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors of the cloud computing device to: receive, from the one or more computing devices communicatively coupled to the cloud computing device, second data generated by the one or more computing devices based on analyzing the at least a portion of the characterized and rearranged data; apply second metadata to one or more portions of the second data, wherein the second metadata enables the other device to determine that the one or more portions of the second data relate to a software update, a security determination, a maintenance operation, or a diagnostic operation; and send the one or more portions of the second data with the second metadata to the other electronic device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second metadata is indicative of: the one or more portions of the second data being associated with the particular component of the plurality of components; or the one or more portions of the data being associated with the particular hierarchical level of the plurality of hierarchical levels of the industrial automation system.