Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive, via the processor, a characteristic of data to be collected from an operational technology (OT) device disposed within an OT network associated with an industrial automation system configured to perform an industrial automation process, determine, via the processor, that the characteristic exceeds a threshold value, and deploy, via the processor, in response to determining that the characteristic exceeds the threshold value, a container to a compute surface within the OT network that is disposed within a threshold distance of the OT device. The container is configured to receive the data from the OT device and process the received data.

Abstract: A method may include receiving an indication of an available updated container. The method may also involve identifying one or more compute surfaces comprising a first container and a second container that correspond to the available container, such that the first container may control one or more operations of an operational technology (OT) device. The method may also include scheduling a deployment of the updated container to replace the second container, receiving expected output data associated with a digital model associated with the OT device, and scheduling a switchover of control of the one or more operations to the second container based on the expected output data.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive, via the processor, a characteristic of data to be collected from an operational technology (OT) device disposed within an OT network associated with an industrial automation system configured to perform an industrial automation process, determine, via the processor, that the characteristic exceeds a threshold value, and deploy, via the processor, in response to determining that the characteristic exceeds the threshold value, a container to a compute surface within the OT network that is disposed within a threshold distance of the OT device. The container is configured to receive the data from the OT device and process the received data.

Abstract: A system may include temperature sensors configured to measure temperatures of devices within an industrial automation system. The devices may be disposed within enclosures separate from one or more spaces of an ambient space of the industrial automation system. The system may include thermal image sensors configured to acquire thermal imagery data associated with the ambient space. The system may include a processor configured to receive a first set of temperature data acquired by the temperature sensors over a period of time. The processor may further generate a second set of temperature data representative of one or more predicted temperatures associated with one or more additional spaces of the ambient space. The temperature model may represent expected temperatures of the one or more spaces with respect to the temperatures within the enclosures. The processor may generate a heat map visualization including one or more thermal indicators representative of the predicted temperatures.

Abstract: A method may include receiving an indication of an available updated container. The method may also involve identifying one or more compute surfaces comprising a first container and a second container that correspond to the available container, such that the first container may control one or more operations of an operational technology (OT) device. The method may also include scheduling a deployment of the updated container to replace the second container, receiving expected output data associated with a digital model associated with the OT device, and scheduling a switchover of control of the one or more operations to the second container based on the expected output data.

Abstract: An industrial safety zone configuration system leverages a digital twin of an industrial automation system to assist in configuring safety sensors for accurate monitoring of a desired detection zone. The system renders a graphical representation of the automation system based on the digital twin and allows a user to define a desired detection zone to be monitored as a three-dimensional volume within the virtual industrial environment. Users can define the locations and orientations of respective safety sensors as sensor objects that can be added to the graphical representation. Each sensor object has a set of object attributes representing configuration settings available on the corresponding physical sensor. The system can identify sensor configuration settings that will yield an estimated detection zone that closely conforms to the defined detection zone, and generate sensor configuration data based on these settings that can be used to configure the physical safety sensors.

Abstract: An industrial safety zone configuration system leverages a digital twin of an industrial automation system to assist in configuring safety sensors for accurate monitoring of a desired detection zone. The system renders a graphical representation of the automation system based on the digital twin and allows a user to define a desired detection zone to be monitored as a three-dimensional volume within the virtual industrial environment. Users can define the locations and orientations of respective safety sensors as sensor objects that can be added to the graphical representation. Each sensor object has a set of object attributes representing configuration settings available on the corresponding physical sensor. The system can identify sensor configuration settings that will yield an estimated detection zone that closely conforms to the defined detection zone, and generate sensor configuration data based on these settings that can be used to configure the physical safety sensors.

Abstract: An active illumination three-dimensional sensor device is configured with a number of diagnostic functions that can satisfy the requirements of industrial safety within the context of a single-channel safety sensor architecture. The sensor diagnostic functions provide sufficient diagnostic coverage for an optical safety sensor (e.g., a time-of-flight safety sensor) to achieve a desired safety integrity level without the need for multiple channels. The diagnostic features can be applied to one or more components along the single-channel path (e.g., the sequencer, the illumination source, input and/or output optics, image sensor pixel, etc.) to provide a level of diagnostic coverage that renders the optical safety sensor suitable for use within industrial safety applications requiring high safety integrity levels.

Abstract: An imaging system is provided for monitoring a field of view with a two-dimensional array of photo elements on which the field of view is imaged. The imaging system determines for each photo element a distance between the photo element and a surface of an object in the field of view by light emitted into the field of view and subsequently arriving on the photo elements and to determine a distance vector to form a coordinate image that includes the distance vector. A first memory unit stores the coordinate image, a second memory unit stores logical relations for the photo elements. A processing unit determines for each of the photo elements whether a logical relation is fulfilled and outputs a trigger signal when at least one of the logical relations is fulfilled.

Abstract: Imaging system includes pixel groups and a trigger generator to generate reset signals and a transfer signal. Each pixel group includes pixels and a programmable memory element to store a first or a second value. Each pixel includes a pixel circuit with a photodiode and a storage capacitance. The pixel circuit, the trigger generator, and the memory element are interconnected to permit the photodiode to be held at a constant voltage when the trigger generator sends the reset signal to the pixel circuit. When the reset signal is switched off, the photodiode accumulates a charge while being irradiated. When the transfer signal is received, the charge is transferred to the storage capacitance. The memory element blocks the transfer signal from arriving on all the pixel circuits when it has stored the first value and passes the transfer signal to all the pixel circuits when it has stored the second value.

Abstract: An active illumination three-dimensional sensor device is configured with a number of diagnostic functions that can satisfy the requirements of industrial safety within the context of a single-channel safety sensor architecture. The sensor diagnostic functions provide sufficient diagnostic coverage for an optical safety sensor (e.g., a time-of-flight safety sensor) to achieve a desired safety integrity level without the need for multiple channels. The diagnostic features can be applied to one or more components along the single-channel path (e.g., the sequencer, the illumination source, input and/or output optics, image sensor pixel, etc.) to provide a level of diagnostic coverage that renders the optical safety sensor suitable for use within industrial safety applications requiring high safety integrity levels.

Abstract: An active illumination three-dimensional sensor device is configured with a number of diagnostic functions that can satisfy the requirements of industrial safety within the context of a single-channel safety sensor architecture. The sensor diagnostic functions provide sufficient diagnostic coverage for an optical safety sensor (e.g., a time-of-flight safety sensor) to achieve a desired safety integrity level without the need for multiple channels. The diagnostic features can be applied to one or more components along the single-channel path (e.g., the sequencer, the illumination source, input and/or output optics, image sensor pixel, etc.) to provide a level of diagnostic coverage that renders the optical safety sensor suitable for use within industrial safety applications requiring high safety integrity levels.

Abstract: An industrial safety zone configuration system leverages a digital twin of an industrial automation system to assist in configuring safety sensors for accurate monitoring of a desired detection zone. The system renders a graphical representation of the automation system based on the digital twin and allows a user to define a desired detection zone to be monitored as a three-dimensional volume within the virtual industrial environment. Users can define the locations and orientations of respective safety sensors as sensor objects that can be added to the graphical representation. Each sensor object has a set of object attributes representing configuration settings available on the corresponding physical sensor. The system can identify sensor configuration settings that will yield an estimated detection zone that closely conforms to the defined detection zone, and generate sensor configuration data based on these settings that can be used to configure the physical safety sensors.

Abstract: A method for determining a distance between a distance measuring device and an object includes the steps of illuminating the object with a short light pulse and long light pulses, outputting a signal value Uref at the end of an integration gate with an invariable delay between the emission start point in time of the short light pulse and integration start point in time ?s, forming a convolution function fc:=U(?) from the intensity of the light arriving on the photo element and ?s with a respective variable delay ? for each long light pulse between the emission start point in time of the long light pulses and the integration gate, the variable delays being different from each other to form the convolution function, identifying the delay ?c in the convolution function which corresponds to Uref, and calculating the distance by using the delay ?c in the convolution function.

Abstract: A method is provided for illuminating an object and for determining a distance value R. The object is illuminated with a light source and the light intensity of the light source is switched at a time T0 from an intensity Iout,h to an intensity Iout,l being lower than Iout,h and switched back to Iout,h at a time T0+Tn. A signal value U is outputted at the end of an integration window time period which has such a predetermined delay relative to T0 that either Ttof or Ttof+Tn is between an integration start point in time Tsd of the integration window time period and an integration end point in time Tsd+Ts, with Ttof being a point in time when light with the intensity Iin,l arrives first at the photo element, and Ts is longer than Tn.

Abstract: A distance camera includes at least one photo element, a trigger generator activating the photo element during a temporal integration gate, a light source illuminating an object with light pulses having a predetermined temporal intensity profile with a duration Tp, and an intensity sensor determining the intensity Ip of the light pulses arriving on the photo element. The integration gate has a predetermined delay to the light pulse emission start point in order to capture the light pulses back reflected from the object. The photo element outputs a signal value U at an integration end point in time T1e and in accordance with an intensity Ip and a duration of the light pulse arriving on the photo element during its activation.

Abstract: Imaging system includes pixel groups and a trigger generator to generate reset signals and a transfer signal. Each pixel group includes pixels and a programmable memory element to store a first or a second value. Each pixel includes a pixel circuit with a photodiode and a storage capacitance. The pixel circuit, the trigger generator, and the memory element are interconnected to permit the photodiode to be held at a constant voltage when the trigger generator sends the reset signal to the pixel circuit. When the reset signal is switched off, the photodiode accumulates a charge while being irradiated. When the transfer signal is received, the charge is transferred to the storage capacitance. The memory element blocks the transfer signal from arriving on all the pixel circuits when it has stored the first value and passes the transfer signal to all the pixel circuits when it has stored the second value.

Abstract: A distance camera includes at least one photo element, a trigger generator activating the photo element during a temporal integration gate, a light source illuminating an object with light pulses having a predetermined temporal intensity profile with a duration Tp, and an intensity sensor determining the intensity Ip of the light pulses arriving on the photo element. The integration gate has a predetermined delay to the light pulse emission start point in order to capture the light pulses back reflected from the object. The photo element outputs a signal value U at an integration end point in time T1e and in accordance with an intensity Ip and a duration of the light pulse arriving on the photo element during its activation.

Abstract: A distance camera includes at least one photo element, a trigger generator activating the photo element during a temporal integration gate, a light source illuminating an object with light pulses having a predetermined temporal intensity profile with a duration Tp, and an intensity sensor determining the intensity Ip of the light pulses arriving on the photo element. The integration gate has a predetermined delay to the light pulse emission start point in order to capture the light pulses back reflected from the object. The photo element outputs a signal value U at an integration end point in time T1e and in accordance with an intensity Ip and a duration of the light pulse arriving on the photo element during its activation.

Abstract: A method for determining a distance between a distance measuring device and an object includes the steps of illuminating the object with a short light pulse and long light pulses, outputting a signal value Uref at the end of an integration gate with an invariable delay between the emission start point in time of the short light pulse and integration start point in time ?s, forming a convolution function fc:=U(?) from the intensity of the light arriving on the photo element and ?s with a respective variable delay ? for each long light pulse between the emission start point in time of the long light pulses and the integration gate, the variable delays being different from each other to form the convolution function, identifying the delay ?c in the convolution function which corresponds to Uref, and calculating the distance by using the delay ?c in the convolution function.