公开(公告)号：US12228897B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-18

申请号：US18223395

申请日：2023-07-18

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Brian Lamothe ,  Narayanan Doraiswamy ,  Mark J. Nixon ,  Aaron C. Jones ,  Antonio Ubach ,  Sean Hernandez ,  Sireesha Dakoju ,  Krishna Joshi ,  Matthew Villarrubia

IPC: G06F15/173 ,  G05B15/02 ,  G05B19/414 ,  G05B19/418 ,  H04L9/40

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices. The compute fabric includes an application layer that includes configured containers or containerized software modules that perform various control, monitoring and configuration activities with respect to one or more devices, control strategies and control loops, sites, plants, or facilities at which control is performed, and includes a physical layer including computer processing and data storage equipment that can be located at any desired location, including at or near a site, plant, or facility at which control is being performed, at a dedicated location away from the location at which control is being performed, in re-assignable computer equipment provided in the cloud, or any combination thereof. This control architecture enables significant amounts of both computer processing and IT infrastructure that is used to support a process plant, an industrial control facility or other automation facility to be implemented in a shared, in an offsite and/or in a virtualized manner that alleviates many of the communications and security issues present in current process and industrial control systems that attempt to implement control with shared or virtualized computing resources set up according to the well-known Purdue model.
The industrial control system architecture is protected via more secure and customizable techniques as compared to those used in Purdue model-based control systems. For example, communications between any (and in some cases, all) endpoints of the system may be protected via one or more virtual private networks to which authenticated endpoints must be authorized to access. Endpoints may include, for example, containerized components, physical components, devices, sites or locations, the compute fabric, and the like, and the VPNs may include mutually-exclusive and/or nested VPNs. External applications and services, whether automated or executing under the purview of a person, may access information and services provided by the system via only APIs, and different sets of APIs may be exposed to different users that have been authenticated and authorized to access respective sets of APIs.
A configuration system operates within the compute fabric to enable a user to easily make configuration changes to the compute fabric as the user does not generally need to specify the computer hardware within the compute fabric to use to make the configuration changes, making it possible for the user to deploy new configuration elements with simple programming steps, and in some cases with the push of a button.

公开(公告)号：US12210329B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-28

申请号：US17503080

申请日：2021-10-15

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Anthony Amaro, Jr. ,  Mark J. Nixon

IPC: G05B19/04 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G06F9/455

Abstract: A software defined distributed control system (SDCS) in a process plant includes an application layer that includes a plurality of containers instantiated in a data cluster. Each of the containers is an isolated execution environment executing within the local operating system of a respective computing node. The containers cooperate to facilitate execution of a control strategy in the SDCS, and includes a hyper converged infrastructure (HCI) operating across the data cluster, which HCI is configured to communicate with the application layer via an adapter service. The HCI includes software-defined (SD) compute resources, SD storage resources, SD networking resources, and an orchestrator service. The orchestrator service is programmed to configure a first container to include a service executing within the first container. It also assigns the first container to execute on an available hardware resource to control a plurality of field devices operating in the process plant.

公开(公告)号：US12099555B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-24

申请号：US18373443

申请日：2023-09-27

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Mark J. Nixon ,  Peter Hartmann ,  Richard Clarence Dayo Fabros ,  Anthony Amaro, Jr. ,  John M. Caldwell

IPC: G06F16/00 ,  G06F16/903 ,  G06F16/9035 ,  G06F16/9038 ,  G06F16/908 ,  G06F16/909

CPC classification number: G06F16/90348 ,  G06F16/9035 ,  G06F16/9038 ,  G06F16/908 ,  G06F16/909

Abstract: To provide search capabilities in a process control system, a contextual knowledge repository is generated that organizes process plant-related data according to semantic relations between the process plant-related data and the process plant entities. When a user submits a process plant search query related to process plant entities within a process plant, search results are obtained by identifying a data set from the contextual knowledge repository which is responsive to the process plant search query. The search results are then presented on a user interface device based on the identified data set. To allow for searches to be performed by user interface devices external to the process plant, a data diode is disposed between a field-facing component and an edge-facing component of the process plant so that data flows from the field-facing component to the edge-facing component without flowing from the edge-facing component to the field-facing component.

公开(公告)号：US12085925B2

公开(公告)日：2024-09-10

申请号：US18079546

申请日：2022-12-12

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Mark J. Nixon ,  Anthony Amaro, Jr. ,  Noel Howard Bell ,  John M. Caldwell ,  Gary K. Law

IPC: H04L67/12 ,  G05B19/418 ,  G06F9/30 ,  G06F13/40 ,  G05B17/00

CPC classification number: G05B19/41885 ,  G05B19/4183 ,  G05B19/41835 ,  G05B19/41845 ,  G05B19/4185 ,  G05B19/41865 ,  G06F9/3017 ,  G06F13/4022 ,  H04L67/12 ,  G05B17/00 ,  G05B2219/13125 ,  G05B2219/13185 ,  G05B2219/2214 ,  G05B2219/31231 ,  G05B2219/32301 ,  G05B2219/32343 ,  G05B2219/32355 ,  G05B2219/32359 ,  G05B2219/32407 ,  G05B2219/40311

Abstract: A Multi-Purpose Dynamic Simulation and run-time Control platform includes a virtual process environment coupled to a physical process environment, where components/nodes of the virtual and physical process environments cooperate to dynamically perform run-time process control of an industrial process plant and/or simulations thereof. Virtual components may include virtual run-time nodes and/or simulated nodes. The MPDSC includes an I/O Switch which delivers I/O data between virtual and/or physical nodes, e.g., by using publish/subscribe mechanisms, thereby virtualizing physical I/O process data delivery. Nodes serviced by the I/O Switch may include respective component behavior modules that are unaware as to whether or not they are being utilized on a virtual or physical node. Simulations may be performed in real-time and even in conjunction with run-time operations of the plant, and/or simulations may be manipulated as desired (speed, values, administration, etc.). The platform simultaneously supports simulation and run-time operations and interactions/intersections therebetween.

公开(公告)号：US20240288849A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-29

申请号：US18115317

申请日：2023-02-28

Applicant: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.

Inventor： Shu XU ,  Mark NIXON

IPC: G05B19/4155

CPC classification number: G05B19/4155 ,  G05B2219/42058

Abstract: A model predictive control (MPC) device includes an input interface configured to receive an industrial process input associated with at least one component of a process automation plant, an output interface configured to transmit a control instruction to control the component, memory configured to store first and second MPC process models corresponding to different states, and a processor configured to identify a current state parameter of an industrial process, and predict a future industrial process output using the first or second MPC process model, based on the current state parameter being associated with the first or second MPC process model. The processor is configured to calculate a target operating point according to the predicted future industrial process output, determine a control signal to drive the industrial process to the calculated target operating point, and output the determined control signal to control operation of the component of the industrial process plant.

公开(公告)号：US20240134356A1

公开(公告)日：2024-04-25

申请号：US18382288

申请日：2023-10-19

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Mark J. Nixon ,  Gary K. Law ,  Brian LaMothe ,  Narayanan Doraiswamy ,  Peter Hartmann

IPC: G05B19/418

CPC classification number: G05B19/4185 ,  G05B19/4184

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices. The compute fabric performs various control, monitoring, diagnostics, simulation, and configuration activities with respect to a plurality of devices at the one or more specific sites.

公开(公告)号：US20240053712A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-15

申请号：US17819532

申请日：2022-08-12

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Mark Nixon ,  Anthony Amaro, JR. ,  Robert Gustaf Halgren, III ,  Claudio Aun Fayad ,  Peter Hartmann

IPC: G05B15/02

CPC classification number: G05B15/02

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for an application marketplace for process control systems. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, machine readable instructions, and processor circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to detect at least one of a configuration or a state of operation of a process control system based on telemetry data associated with the process control system, execute a machine learning model to generate an output based on the at least one of the configuration or the state of operation, the output to be representative of a recommendation to change a portion of the process control system, and cause a change of the portion of the process control system based on the recommendation.

公开(公告)号：US20240039870A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-01

申请号：US18375818

申请日：2023-10-02

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS INC.

Inventor： Mark J. Nixon ,  Peter Hartmann

IPC: H04L49/253 ,  H04L67/12 ,  H04L12/46

CPC classification number: H04L49/253 ,  H04L67/12 ,  H04L12/4641

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented, includes one or more physical control or field devices located at one or more specific plant sites at which a product or process is being manufactured and further includes a transport network that securely provides communications between the compute fabric and the pool of physical devices using a communications gateway device at each plant site that provides secured communications between the compute fabric and the one or more physical control or field devices at each plant site. The communications gateway at each plant site implements one or more secured point-to-point or peer-to-peer communication networks between the compute fabric and the plant site using one or more virtual private networks.

公开(公告)号：US11886155B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-30

申请号：US16871988

申请日：2020-05-11

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Mark John Nixon ,  Alper Turhan Enver ,  Noel Howard Bell ,  Joshua Brian Kidd ,  Paul R. Muston

IPC: G05B17/02 ,  G05B19/418

CPC classification number: G05B17/02 ,  G05B19/4185 ,  G05B2219/31088 ,  G05B2219/31167 ,  Y02P90/02 ,  Y02P90/80

Abstract: Distributed industrial process monitoring and analytics systems and methods are provided for operation within a process plant. A plurality of distributed data engines (DDEs) may be embedded within the process plant to collect and store data generated by data sources, such as process controllers. Thus, the data may be stored in a distributed manner in the DDEs embedded throughout the process plant. The DDEs may be connected by a data analytics network to facilitate data transmission by subscription or query. The DDEs may be configured as a plurality of clusters, which may further include local and centralized clusters. The local clusters may obtain streaming data from data sources and stream selected data to a data consumer. The centralized cluster may register the local clusters, receive data therefrom, and perform data analytic functions on the received data. The analyzed data may be further sent to a data consumer.

公开(公告)号：US20240028006A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-25

申请号：US18479277

申请日：2023-10-02

Applicant: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.

Inventor： Mark J. Nixon ,  Jason A. Jordan ,  Brian LaMothe ,  Gary K. Law ,  Narayanan Doraiswamy ,  Ayub Lakhani

IPC: G05B19/418

CPC classification number: G05B19/41835

Abstract: A process plant and industrial control system architecture includes a generalized compute fabric that is agnostic or indifferent to the physical location at which the compute fabric is implemented. One or more applications, executing via the location-agnostic compute fabric, provide for access, management, and/or reconfiguration of various aspects of one or more process control systems across one or more physical sites operated by an enterprise. The one or more applications may, for example, provide for viewing of operational parameters and/or health statuses based upon information accessed from one, two, three four or more physical sites.