US-12619222-B2 - Visualization of lifecycle information and management for an industrial network

US12619222B2US 12619222 B2US12619222 B2US 12619222B2US-12619222-B2

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing enhanced visualization of lifecycle information and management for a network, such as an industrial network, enable the creation/design of a virtualized network. The virtualized network eases the physical deployment/installation of a real network by using augmented reality (AR) to enable configuration/monitoring of the network using the virtualized network and real-time and/or historical information. Performance issues may be identified and visually conveyed to a user using AR overlay. The virtualized network may be created by a user via a network layout creation tool that combines both physical and logical mappings of devices and elements. One or more AR tools may be used to add, edit, remove, and/or manipulate elements of the network model using gestures. The virtualized network may be implemented as a digital twin of the location and used to assist in the physical deployment, maintenance, and monitoring of a network at the location.

Inventors

Alen Mehmedagic

Assignees

Schneider Electric USA, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230530

Claims (19)

1 . A system for monitoring an industrial network for a plant associated with the industrial network, the system comprising: a physical model builder configured to assemble a model of the plant by acquiring digital representations associated with the plant, each digital representation corresponding to a physical network element associated with the plant; a network model builder configured to assemble a model of the industrial network by identifying network connections between two or more of the digital representations; a visualization module configured to create a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the plant and the model of the industrial network and present at least a portion of the virtualization of the industrial network on an electronic device; and a network operation monitor configured to acquire information regarding operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and overlay the information on the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format; wherein the visualization module is further configured to receive, via the electronic device, a user gesture for a digital representation in the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and perform a function for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture, wherein the function performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture includes presenting a network connection of the digital representation as a cross-sectional pipeline view, the cross-sectional pipeline view comprising: a link graphical representation of a transverse cross-section of a pipeline that represents an available bandwidth of a link; and a plurality of stream graphical representations representing streams that utilize respective portions of the available bandwidth of the link, wherein the plurality of stream graphical presentations are presented as different pipes within the link graphical representation.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device corresponds to a geolocation of the electronic device in the plant.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the function performed for the digital representation is subsequently performed for a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the network operation monitor is further configured to identify network congestion between two or more machines of the industrial network, and the visualization module is further configured to overlay the network congestion on the virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the visualization module is further configured to, while overlaying the network congestion on the virtualization of the industrial network, present to a user on the virtualization a course of action to mitigate or remedy the network congestion.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the function performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture includes one or more of: presenting a datasheet for the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting a real-world image of the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting an internal view of the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; playing media with hookup instructions for the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting an operational status of the digital representation; configuring an operational parameter of the digital representation; and connecting/disconnecting the digital representation to/from another digital representation.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the different pipes within the cross-sectional pipeline view has a size, shading, numbering, tagging, and/or color that corresponds to one or more aspects of a data stream corresponding to each pipe.
8 . A method of monitoring an industrial network for a plant associated with the industrial network, the method comprising: assembling a model of the plant by acquiring digital representations associated with the plant, each digital representation corresponding to a physical network element associated with the plant; assembling a model of the industrial network by identifying network connections between two or more of the digital representations; creating a virtualization of the industrial network based on the model of the plant and the model of the industrial network and presenting at least a portion of the virtualization of the industrial network on an electronic device; acquiring information on operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and overlaying the information on the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device in a graphical format; and receiving, via the electronic device, a user gesture for a digital representation in the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device, and performing a function for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture, wherein the function performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture includes presenting a network connection of the digital representation as a cross-sectional pipeline view, the cross-sectional pipeline view comprising: a link graphical representation of a transverse cross-section of a pipeline that represents an available bandwidth of a link; and a plurality of stream graphical representations representing streams that utilize respective portions of the available bandwidth of the link, wherein the plurality of stream graphical presentations are presented as different pipes within the link graphical representation.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented on the electronic device corresponds to a geolocation of the electronic device in the plant.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the function performed for the digital representation is subsequently performed for a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising identifying degradations in the operation of the industrial network, and overlaying the degradations on the virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the function performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture includes one or more of: presenting a datasheet for the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting a real-world image of the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting an internal view of the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; playing media with hookup instructions for the physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting an operational status of the digital representation; configuring an operational parameter of the digital representation; and connecting/disconnecting the digital representation to/from another digital representation.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the different pipes within the cross-sectional pipeline view has a size, shading, numbering, tagging, and/or color that corresponds to one or more aspects of a data stream corresponding to each pipe.
14 . An electronic device for monitoring an industrial network for a plant associated with the industrial network, the electronic device comprising: a processor; a storage communicatively coupled to the processor and storing computer-readable instructions thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to: present at least a portion of a virtualization of the industrial network based on a model of the plant and a model of the industrial network; overlay information on operation of a portion of the industrial network corresponding to the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented; and receive a user gesture for a digital representation in the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented; wherein a function corresponding to the user gesture is performed for the digital representation in response to receiving the user gesture, wherein the function includes presenting a network connection of the digital representation as a cross-sectional pipeline view, the cross-sectional pipeline view comprising: a link graphical representation of a transverse cross-section of a pipeline that represents an available bandwidth of a link; and a plurality of stream graphical representations representing streams that utilize respective portions of the available bandwidth of the link, wherein the plurality of stream graphical presentations are presented as different pipes within the link graphical representation.
15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the virtualization of the industrial network presented corresponds to a geolocation of the electronic device in the plant.
16 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the function performed for the digital representation is subsequently performed for a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation.
17 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to overlay on the virtualization of the industrial network in a graphical format degradations identified in the operation of the industrial network.
18 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the function performed for the digital representation corresponding to the user gesture includes one or more of: presenting a datasheet for a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting a real-world image of a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting an internal view of a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; playing media with hookup instructions for a physical network element corresponding to the digital representation; presenting an operational status of the digital representation; configuring an operational parameter of the digital representation; and connecting/disconnecting the digital representation to/from another digital representation.
19 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein each of the different pipes has a size, shading, numbering, tagging, and/or color that corresponds to one or more aspects of a data stream corresponding to each pipe, the one or more aspects of the data stream including priority level, unicast or multicast traffic type, redundancy or non-redundancy path type, data speed, data volume, active or inactive stream, or wired or wireless connections.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of priority to and incorporates herein by reference U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/347,460, entitled “Apparatuses, Systems, and Methods for Providing Visual Lifecycle Information for an Industrial Network,” filed May 31, 2022. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to providing visual indicia of elements, and more particularly to providing visual lifecycle information for industrial networks. BACKGROUND Conventional industrial networks contain complex configurations to both physical and virtual elements. As networks become even more complex, the already elevated requirements for software management systems to manage and control industrial networks become even greater over time. For example, it is hard to visualize information flow in the day-to-day operation in a factory. It is hard also to visualize actual (e.g., geophysical world) deployment of the network at facilities. Most identification of physical locations is done through extensive schematics and network specialized software. For example, there are individual network-centric software solutions which mostly operate in the two-dimensional (2D) world (such as schematics) and which are isolated from the industrial automation process. However, combining individual network-centric software solutions with the industrial automation process is quite an engineering feat, one that requires extensive tool expertise. SUMMARY Provided herewith are apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing enhanced visualization of lifecycle information and management for a network, such as an industrial network. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure may provide industrial automation users with a comprehensive and global network management toolset. The toolset can provide efficient network creation, installation, configuration, operation, diagnostics, and repair on a global multi-plant scale. Implementations consistent with the present disclosure, such as one or more network expert tools (e.g., an EcoStruxtureNetwork expert by Schneider Electric) are capable of providing a software/hardware system for ease of creation, installation, configuration, operation, diagnostic analysis, and repair of networks through the use of enhanced visualizations and Augmented Reality (AR) concepts. Various levels of industrial plant personnel may be enabled to interact and see a network in a three-dimensional (3D) form and may be permitted to overlay its flows onto one or more plant processes. This may be achieved by combining data models and information flows of a cyberworld with the geophysical world. According to aspects of the present disclosure, apparatuses, systems, and methods may enable the creation/design of a network layout (e.g., for an industrial plant or other location), may ease the physical deployment/installation of the network (e.g., using AR by an installer using the network layout), and may enable configuration/monitoring of the network using the network layout, real-time and/or historical information, and AR visualization of the network and network information. One or more performance issues or parameters may be identified and visually conveyed to a user, for example using AR overlay. The network layout may be created by a user via a network layout creation tool which combines both physical and logical mappings of devices and elements. This may be accomplished, for example, in a 3D model or cyberworld, such as a metaverse. One or more AR tools may be used to add, edit, remove, or manipulate at least one device or element of the network model created using the tool. This may include the use of one or more gestures to perform such functionality. The network model may be implemented as a digital twin of the location, which may be used to assist in the physical deployment, maintenance, and monitoring of the network at the location. A plant or other location may be assembled through a virtual location (e.g., factory) builder where all elements can be acquired first as a digital twin followed by a physical embodiment, model, or actual thing. With use of AR aids such as vision input (e.g., via glasses, cameras, monitors, or electronic device) and controllers (e.g., gloves, body suits, or other input or capture element), industrial automation personnel may be placed into an augmented factory AR world where they can assemble a network using gestures and physical interaction, and may immediately see the results of these actions leading toward an operational system. Operational systems can be monitored in the physical world with an overlay of the networking elements (e.g., using AR) to watch information flowing from one element of the location to another where physically invisible elements are projected as digital twins. Errors/reductions in performance (e.g., performance parameter(s)) may be visually indicated and geophysically positioned so that immediate reaction is possible. A