US 11,868,970 B2
Lifecycle management of industrial automation devices
Scott A. Miller, Oakdale, PA (US); Michael J. Anthony, Milwaukee, WI (US); Adam J. Gregory, Oak Creek, WI (US); Evan J. Kausalik, Appleton, WI (US); Robert J. Koba, Sosnowiec (PL); Randy Scott Oakley, Jr., Waukesha, WI (US); Beniamin J. Skubis, Bukowno (PL); and Rudy Zhi Yang, Dalian (CN)
Assigned to Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc., Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed by Rockwell Automation Technologies Inc., Mayfield Heights, OH (US)
Filed on Mar. 16, 2018, as Appl. No. 15/923,459.
Prior Publication US 2019/0287078 A1, Sep. 19, 2019
Int. Cl. G06Q 10/20 (2023.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01); G06Q 10/0631 (2023.01); H04L 41/0213 (2022.01); H04L 41/0803 (2022.01); G06Q 10/087 (2023.01)
CPC G06Q 10/20 (2013.01) [G05B 19/4183 (2013.01); G05B 19/4184 (2013.01); G06Q 10/06315 (2013.01); G06Q 10/087 (2013.01); H04L 41/0213 (2013.01); H04L 41/0803 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for managing device lifecycles within an industrial automation environment comprising a plurality of industrial machines, each machine comprising one or more industrial devices, the method comprising:
to receiving, from a user through a user interface, a request for lifecycle management data including a pre-determined time interval to repeat the request specified by the user and a scanning configuration, wherein the scanning configuration includes instructions specifying which industrial machines and industrial devices are to be scanned;
in response to receiving the request for lifecycle management data and the scanning configuration, producing configuration data for the industrial automation environment by aggregating scanned data obtained via a server or gateway, based on the scanning configuration, scanning a plurality of industrial devices within the industrial automation environment, the configuration data comprising a configuration of one or more machines within the industrial automation environment and a configuration of one or more industrial devices within each of the one or more machines, the configuration data further comprising a product name, a product number, a firmware revision number, and a serial number for each industrial device of the plurality of industrial devices;
transferring the configuration data and the request for lifecycle management data to a product compatibility and download center through a communication interface;
receiving lifecycle management data, including a lifecycle phase for at least one of the plurality of industrial devices, from the product compatibility and download center through the communication interface, wherein the lifecycle phase is one of active, active mature, discontinued, and end of life;
determining identities of replacement devices for one or more of the industrial devices that are in a discontinued lifecycle phase, by processing the configuration data and the lifecycle management data in a computing system within the product compatibility and download center;
generating, on a user interface, a graphical representation of the lifecycle phase of each industrial machine and one or more industrial devices within the industrial machine, and a textual representation of the replacement information for one or more industrial devices that are in the discontinued lifecycle phase;
generating, on the user interface, in response to a displayed lifecycle phase of discontinued for a given industrial device, a graphical representation of the replacement information comprising a migration to a different industrial device and lifecycle data for the different industrial device; and
managing the migration to the different industrial device by replacing the given industrial device with the different industrial device.