Abstract: A system comprises a vehicle radar sensor including an antenna, transmitter, receiver, and processor. The processor hosts a scanning control module that sends a control signal to the transmitter, receiver, or both, to generate radar beams; and a signal processing module that receives a reflected signal from the receiver to generate radar data. The system also includes an onboard application module and ground surface database. The application module is operative to access information from the surface database, access position and attitude data, access position and attitude uncertainty data, access radar installation data, and access radar data from the signal processing module; identify ground surface areas to be avoided based on the information from the surface database, the position and attitude, the position and attitude uncertainty, and the radar installation data; and perform modified radar operations and/or processing when the ground surface areas to be avoided are within a radar FOV.

Abstract: A conversation interface system provides remote access to manufacturing operation information using plain language message exchange. A cloud-based conversation interface service is exposed to an instant messaging application, and receives plain language queries from via the instant messaging application's interface requesting information relating to one or more industrial systems. The cloud-based system synchronizes the queries to one or more on-premise conversation interface agent devices residing at one or more plant facilities. The on-premise agent devices translate the queries and apply the translated queries to local sources of manufacturing operation data. The on-premise agent devices then generate and return response messages based on the retrieved information, and the cloud-based system directs the response messages the originators of the queries via the instant messaging interface.

Abstract: A layered industrial analytics architecture enables the flow of information from intelligent assets into tools and engines that perform analytics and enable decision-making in substantially real-time. The analytics architecture comprises analytic nodes that are distributed across multiple layers of an industrial enterprise, and includes system features that optimize movement of data across this layered architecture. Each analytic node includes base architectural constructs that host various analytic, data acquisition, and storage elements. These base constructs can operate autonomously, or in conjunction with other instances of base constructs or other elements of the control system. The system design uses a multi-platform compatible implementation that allows the base elements to be deployed on various different computing platforms.

Abstract: A layered industrial analytics architecture enables the flow of information from intelligent assets into tools and engines that perform analytics and enable decision-making in substantially real-time. The analytics architecture comprises analytic nodes that are distributed across multiple layers of an industrial enterprise, and includes system features that optimize movement of data across this layered architecture. Each analytic node includes base architectural constructs that host various analytic, data acquisition, and storage elements. These base constructs can operate autonomously, or in conjunction with other instances of base constructs or other elements of the control system. The system design uses a multi-platform compatible implementation that allows the base elements to be deployed on various different computing platforms.

Abstract: A conversation interface system provides remote access to manufacturing operation information using plain language message exchange. A cloud-based conversation interface service is exposed to an instant messaging application, and receives plain language queries from via the instant messaging application's interface requesting information relating to one or more industrial systems. The cloud-based system synchronizes the queries to one or more on-premise conversation interface agent devices residing at one or more plant facilities. The on-premise agent devices translate the queries and apply the translated queries to local sources of manufacturing operation data. The on-premise agent devices then generate and return response messages based on the retrieved information, and the cloud-based system directs the response messages the originators of the queries via the instant messaging interface.

Abstract: A conversation interface system provides remote access to manufacturing operation information using plain language message exchange. A cloud-based conversation interface service is exposed to an instant messaging application, and receives plain language queries from via the instant messaging application's interface requesting information relating to one or more industrial systems. The cloud-based system synchronizes the queries to one or more on-premise conversation interface agent devices residing at one or more plant facilities. The on-premise agent devices translate the queries and apply the translated queries to local sources of manufacturing operation data. The on-premise agent devices then generate and return response messages based on the retrieved information, and the cloud-based system directs the response messages the originators of the queries via the instant messaging interface.

Abstract: An improved system for establishing rules in a firewall for an industrial network is disclosed. Rules are established at an application level, identifying, for example, actions to occur between two devices. The action may be, for example, read data table or get attribute, and each action may require multiple message packets to be transmitted between the two devices in order to complete. A network device executing the firewall is configured to receive message packets from a sending device and to inspect the message packets to determine which action the sending device is requesting to perform. If the action corresponds to a rule in the database, the network device manages communications between the two devices until all message packets have been transmitted. Thus, a single action, or application, may be defined in the rules database to permit multiple data packets to be communicated between the devices.

Abstract: A layered industrial analytics architecture enables the flow of information from intelligent assets into tools and engines that perform analytics and enable decision-making in substantially real-time. The analytics architecture comprises analytic nodes that are distributed across multiple layers of an industrial enterprise, and includes system features that optimize movement of data across this layered architecture. Each analytic node includes base architectural constructs that host various analytic, data acquisition, and storage elements. These base constructs can operate autonomously, or in conjunction with other instances of base constructs or other elements of the control system. The system design uses a multi-platform compatible implementation that allows the base elements to be deployed on various different computing platforms.

Abstract: A layered industrial analytics architecture enables the flow of information from intelligent assets into tools and engines that perform analytics and enable decision-making in substantially real-time. The analytics architecture comprises analytic nodes that are distributed across multiple layers of an industrial enterprise, and includes system features that optimize movement of data across this layered architecture. Each analytic node includes base architectural constructs that host various analytic, data acquisition, and storage elements. These base constructs can operate autonomously, or in conjunction with other instances of base constructs or other elements of the control system. The system design uses a multi-platform compatible implementation that allows the base elements to be deployed on various different computing platforms.

Abstract: A conversation interface system provides remote access to manufacturing operation information using plain language message exchange. A cloud-based conversation interface service is exposed to an instant messaging application, and receives plain language queries from via the instant messaging application's interface requesting information relating to one or more industrial systems. The cloud-based system synchronizes the queries to one or more on-premise conversation interface agent devices residing at one or more plant facilities. The on-premise agent devices translate the queries and apply the translated queries to local sources of manufacturing operation data. The on-premise agent devices then generate and return response messages based on the retrieved information, and the cloud-based system directs the response messages the originators of the queries via the instant messaging interface.

Abstract: An improved system for establishing rules in a firewall for an industrial network is disclosed. Rules are established at an application level, identifying, for example, actions to occur between two devices. The action may be, for example, read data table or get attribute, and each action may require multiple message packets to be transmitted between the two devices in order to complete. A network device executing the firewall is configured to receive message packets from a sending device and to inspect the message packets to determine which action the sending device is requesting to perform. If the action corresponds to a rule in the database, the network device manages communications between the two devices until all message packets have been transmitted. Thus, a single action, or application, may be defined in the rules database to permit multiple data packets to be communicated between the devices.

Abstract: An industrial control system includes an industrial controller and a series of bridge devices logically connected in a cascaded arrangement to facilitate data communication between the industrial controller and an I/O device. The control system further includes a programming interface connected to the industrial controller to provide modifications to the program and component configuration.

Abstract: A universal network adapter for a control system provides an appliance receiving a user selection of network cards for different proprietary network types and an internal interpreter running custom scripts downloadable to the appliance to map the network protocols of the different networks to a single common network communicating with the programmable controller. A buffer table interposed between the networks provides for a consistent ordering of data transfer in separate input and output sessions. Configuration data may be held by the appliance to configure the networks and the devices using the same scripting translation.

Abstract: An industrial control system communicating among various control elements via a serial network synchronizes the scanning loops associated with collecting and forwarding data along the network so as to substantially reduce transmission delay and jitter, using synchronization information passed along the network.

Abstract: An industrial control system includes an industrial controller and a series of bridge devices logically connected in a cascaded arrangement to facilitate data communication between the industrial controller and an I/O device. The control system further includes a programming interface connected to the industrial controller to provide modifications to the program and component configuration.

Abstract: A universal network adapter for a control system provides an appliance receiving a user selection of network cards for different proprietary network types and an internal interpreter running custom scripts downloadable to the appliance to map the network protocols of the different networks to a single common network communicating with the programmable controller. A buffer table interposed between the networks provides for a consistent ordering of data transfer in separate input and output sessions. Configuration data may be held by the appliance to configure the networks and the devices using the same scripting translation.

Abstract: An industrial control system communicating among various control elements via a serial network synchronizes the scanning loops associated with collecting and forwarding data along the network so as to substantially reduce transmission delay and jitter, using synchronization information passed along the network.