A cloud-based industrial controller that controls devices, processes, and other assets of an industrial automation system via control algorithms that execute on a cloud platform is presented. A cloud-based collection component collects information from the industrial automation system via cloud gateways associated with the industrial automation system or extrinsic data sources. The cloud-based industrial controller can monitor and analyze the information, generate control instructions based on the analysis results, and communicate the control instructions to the devices, processes, and/or other assets of the industrial automation system to control operation of the industrial automation system. The cloud-based industrial controller also can interface with a industrial plant-based industrial controller, wherein the cloud-based industrial controller can determine supplemental control instructions to the industrial plant-based industrial controller, based on the information, including extrinsic information, to assist in controlling the industrial automation system and control decision-making.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide method and device for providing service for a programmable logic controller (PLC), including: creating a virtual-functional-module-description file including an address of an input channel of a virtual functional module to be created; and creating the virtual functional module in a PLC based on the virtual-functional-module-description file, assigning the address to the input channel of the virtual functional module, and creating a virtual-functional-module-configuration file including a mapping relation between the input channel and an output of a service provider. The present disclosure proposes a concept of a virtual functional module which is used to map data provided by intelligent data sources outside the PLC to input channel of PLC so that the data can be the same as normal input values used by PLC program.

A cloud-based analytics engine that analyzes data relating to an industrial automation system(s) to facilitate enhancing operation of the industrial automation system(s) is presented. The analytics engine can interface with the industrial automation system(s) via a cloud gateway(s) and can analyze industrial-related data obtained from the industrial automation system(s). The analytics engine can determine correlations between respective portions or aspects of the system(s), between a portion(s) or aspect(s) of the system(s) and extrinsic events or conditions, or between an employee(s) and the system(s). The analytics engine can determine and provide recommendations or instructions in connection with the industrial automation system(s) to enhance system performance based on the determined correlations. The analytics engine also can determine when there is a deviation or potential of deviation from desired system performance by an industrial asset or employee, and provide a notification, a recommendation, or an instruction to rectify or avoid the deviation.

The need for a more readily usable interface for programmable devices is widely recognized. The present invention relates to programmable sequencing devices, or, more particularly, the remote controls for consumer electronic devices. The present invention provides an enhanced interface for facilitating human input of a desired control sequence in a programmable device by employing specialized visual feedback. The present invention also relates to a new interface and method of interfacing with a programmable device, which is usable as an interface for a programmable video cassette recorder.

Techniques for adjusting process variables in a process plant using gesture-based input on a user interface device include presenting a graphic representation associated with a process plant entity in the process plant and an indication of a process variable value corresponding to the process plant entity as measured with the actual process plant and providing a user control for receiving gesture-based input at a location on the user interface device corresponding to the graphic representation associated with the process plant entity to adjust the process variable value. In response to receiving gesture-based input from an operator to adjust the process variable value for the corresponding process plant entity, the user interface device presents an adjusted process variable value and sets the process variable in the actual process plant to the adjusted process variable value.

A cloud-based analytics engine that analyzes data relating to an industrial automation system(s) to facilitate enhancing operation of the industrial automation system(s) is presented. The analytics engine can interface with the industrial automation system(s) via a cloud gateway(s) and can analyze industrial-related data obtained from the industrial automation system(s). The analytics engine can determine correlations between respective portions or aspects of the system(s), between a portion(s) or aspect(s) of the system(s) and extrinsic events or conditions, or between an employee(s) and the system(s). The analytics engine can determine and provide recommendations or instructions in connection with the industrial automation system(s) to enhance system performance based on the determined correlations. The analytics engine also can determine when there is a deviation or potential of deviation from desired system performance by an industrial asset or employee, and provide a notification, a recommendation, or an instruction to rectify or avoid the deviation.

A secure lockable enclosure having a compartment therein, includes an electronically-actuated latching mechanism coupled to a door; a network interface; a sensor for sensing a characteristic related to a user attempting to gain access to the compartment; an environmental controller for heating and/or cooling the compartment; and a processor. The processor being adapted to (i) cause the network interface to transmit information indicative of a sensed characteristic of a user attempting to gain access to the compartment and capable of processing an unlock signal, and (ii) control the environmental controller based on a characteristic of an item placed in the compartment. An exemplary method controlling access by a user to the enclosure includes the steps of receiving identification information of the user from sensors associated with the enclosure; receiving identification information of an account holder; verifying the received identification information of the user against the account holder information and providing an unlock code to the lock device if the identification information of the user and account holder matches.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide method and device for providing service for a programmable logic controller (PLC), including: creating a virtual-functional-module-description file including an address of an input channel of a virtual functional module to be created; and creating the virtual functional module in a PLC based on the virtual-functional-module-description file, assigning the address to the input channel of the virtual functional module, and creating a virtual-functional-module-configuration file including a mapping relation between the input channel and an output of a service provider. The present disclosure proposes a concept of a virtual functional module which is used to map data provided by intelligent data sources outside the PLC to input channel of PLC so that the data can be the same as normal input values used by PLC program.

Intelligent dispenser of disinfectant gel for connection to disinfection habits monitoring system that includes a disinfectant gel dispenser, a user recognition device and an electronic device. The dispenser also includes a communicator device to transmit at least the user identification data and dispenser identification data to a computing device member of a disinfection habits monitoring system. The computing device can process the transmitted user identification data linking them to the individual dispenser transmitter of the identification data, permitting to determine the disinfection habits of each user individually, and the computing device can transmit to an information emitter information related with the users identified by the recognition device and information relevant to tasks performed or omitted by the users and/or in accordance with the sanitation protocols, or area information corresponding to the physical position of the individual dispenser.

An event analysis device having an event collector for collecting event log data representing an operation history by a DCS operator; an event analyzer for analyzing the event log data, and extracting basic unit operations or unit operations representing an operation method based on operations of the DCS operator or an operation intention based on operations of the DCS operator; an operation sequence extractor for extracting operation sequences which the basic unit operations or the unit operations are aligned in accordance with time order in every service time period; an operation clusterer for clustering the operation sequences based on similarity among the operation sequences extracted in every service time period; and an operation procedure generator for analyzing the operation sequences clustered in same type, and estimating a structure of the operation procedure based on the operation of the DCS operator.