Process image within controllers enabling visibility and accessibility of real world objects
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsHartmut Ludwig, Thomas Gruenewald, Florian Ersch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for using digital twins to interact with physical objects in an automation system includes a plurality of controller devices, a process image backbone, and a registry comprising a plurality of digital twins. Each respective controller device comprises a volatile computer-readable storage medium comprising a process image area. The process image backbone provides the controllers with uniform access to the process image area of each controller. Each digital twin in the registry corresponds to a physical device controllable via one of the controllers devices via a corresponding process image area.
Claims20
A system for using digital twins to interact with physical objects in an automation system, the system comprising:
- a plurality of controller devices, wherein each respective controller device comprises a volatile computer-readable storage medium comprising a process image area;
- a process image backbone providing the plurality of controllers with uniform access to the process image area of each controller;
- a registry comprising a plurality of digital twins, wherein each digital twin corresponds to a physical device controllable via one of the controllers devices via a corresponding process image area.
A computer-implemented method for using digital twins to interact with physical objects in an automation system, the method comprising:
- receiving, by a computing device, a request to modify a state of a physical device in the automation system;
- retrieving, by the computing device, a digital twin corresponding to the physical device from a registry;
- determining, by the computing device, a function implemented by the digital twin that corresponds to the state in the request, wherein the function is implemented using process image data stored on a controller coupled to the physical device;
- and
- calling, by the computing device, the function using the digital twin.
A computer-implemented method for using digital twins to interact with physical objects in an automation system, the method comprising:
- receiving an indication that a new physical device was added to the automation system;
- determining type information and one or more properties related to the new physical device using an ontology of physical devices related to the automation system;
- generating a digital twin based on the type information and the one or more properties;
- and
- storing the digital twin in a repository with information describing relationships of the new physical device and other physical devices in the automation system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.