Patents by Inventor Michael Obrist

Michael Obrist has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230113281
    Abstract: To configure an Internet of Things, IoT, device for collecting data from industrial devices, the IoT device is coupled to a IoT platform. The IoT platform stores device twin data of the industrial devices. The device twin data includes configuration information. The IoT device retrieves the configuration information from the device twin data stored in the IoT platform and uses the configuration information for collecting data from the industrial devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2021
    Publication date: April 13, 2023
    Inventors: Niklaus Meyer, Ettore Ferranti, Stephan Gerspach, Michael Obrist
  • Patent number: 11558279
    Abstract: A method and an access unit for accessing an industrial communication network are provided. An access unit has first ports connected to the communication network and at least one second port. The access unit is configured to pass data traffic between nodes of the communication network through the access unit in a first operational state of the access unit. The access unit is configured to pass data traffic to a test node via the at least one second port and/or allow test data to be injected into the communication network via the at least one second port in a second operational state of the access unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Hitachi Energy Switzerland Ltd
    Inventors: Dominique Graber, Michael Obrist, Stefan Meier, Stephan Gerspach, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Patent number: 11243508
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for analyzing an abnormal event in an industrial automation and control system, IACS, comprising the following steps: identifying the abnormal event; detecting a root cause of the abnormal event; and generating a notification if the root cause is not a user activity and, if the root cause is a user activity, evaluating the possible impact on the IACS caused by the abnormal event, and generating a notification if the evaluation of the possible impact does not match a predefined list of allowable behavior. The present invention also relates to a corresponding system and corresponding computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having computer executable instructions for performing the steps of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG
    Inventors: Hadeli Hadeli, Wolfgang Wimmer, Michael Obrist
  • Publication number: 20200084134
    Abstract: A method and an access unit for accessing an industrial communication network are provided. An access unit has first ports connected to the communication network and at least one second port. The access unit is configured to pass data traffic between nodes of the communication network through the access unit in a first operational state of the access unit. The access unit is configured to pass data traffic to a test node via the at least one second port and/or allow test data to be injected into the communication network via the at least one second port in a second operational state of the access unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Dominique Graber, Michael Obrist, Stefan Meier, Stephan Gerspach, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Publication number: 20170364053
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for analyzing an abnormal event in an industrial automation and control system, IACS, comprising the following steps: identifying the abnormal event; detecting a root cause of the abnormal event; and generating a notification if the root cause is not a user activity and, if the root cause is a user activity, evaluating the possible impact on the IACS caused by the abnormal event, and generating a notification if the evaluation of the possible impact does not match a predefined list of allowable behavior. The present invention also relates to a corresponding system and corresponding computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having computer executable instructions for performing the steps of the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Publication date: December 21, 2017
    Inventors: Hadeli Hadeli, Wolfgang Wimmer, Michael Obrist
  • Patent number: 9696696
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide substation automation systems for operating a high or medium voltage substation for an electric power transmission or distribution network. The substation automation system includes a multitude of secondary devices, which transmit and receive data from/to each other via multicast packets. The secondary devices include packet filters, which are adapted to be set up dynamically during the runtime of the substation automation system, in order to update the rules for forwarding multicast packets received from the station bus system to the application running on the secondary devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Michael Obrist, Wolfgang Wimmer, Gunnar Hilpert
  • Patent number: 9654345
    Abstract: A method, an engineering tool, and a computer program element for analyzing a communication of secondary devices in a Substation Automation System for a substation are disclosed. The secondary devices are connected to a communication network for controlling an industrial process, which industrial process can include a plurality of operational aspects of primary devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Michael Obrist, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Patent number: 9484738
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for operation of substations in which protection, control and measurement devices (e.g., Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)) exchange operational data over a data network, for example, according to IEC standard 61850. During maintenance, commissioning and fault situations, when one or several IEDs are inoperable, the data that these IEDs would have produced is substituted to ensure availability of the substation. To this effect, a dedicated substitute device is permanently installed that can take the role of any IED, and that is automatically configured out of a standard configuration description (SCD) file that describes the SA system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hubert Kirrmann, Michael Obrist
  • Publication number: 20140328213
    Abstract: A method, an engineering tool, and a computer program element for analyzing a communication of secondary devices in a Substation Automation System for a substation are disclosed. The secondary devices are connected to a communication network for controlling an industrial process, which industrial process can include a plurality of operational aspects of primary devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 6, 2014
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Michael OBRIST, Wolfgang WIMMER
  • Publication number: 20140303784
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide substation automation systems for operating a high or medium voltage substation for an electric power transmission or distribution network. The substation automation system includes a multitude of secondary devices, which transmit and receive data from/to each other via multicast packets. The secondary devices include packet filters, which are adapted to be set up dynamically during the runtime of the substation automation system, in order to update the rules for forwarding multicast packets received from the station bus system to the application running on the secondary devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Michael OBRIST, Wolfgang Wimmer, Gunnar Hilpert
  • Patent number: 8532944
    Abstract: An exemplary Substation Automation testing tool for IEC 61850 compliant substations is disclosed. The testing tool verifies the configuration of a first Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) that is part of a Substation Automation (SA) system and initially configured to perform measurement, protection and/or control functions in accordance with a substation configuration specification. Configuration information is first read from an internal server of the first IED and transformed according to a dedicated data model. Related information is then read from a second IED that has initially been configured to perform the same functions as the first IED, or from a Substation Configuration Description (SCD) file, and likewise transformed. The transformed data is then compared in order to identify discrepancies or inconsistencies and to resolve errors introduced by the IED configuration process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Claus Vetter, Aleksandra Kuc-Dzierzawska, Jakub Sipowicz, Christian Frei, Michael Obrist
  • Publication number: 20130215771
    Abstract: Each network message configured for transmission from a sender to a receiver IED across an Ethernet switch-based communication network of a PC/SA system is evaluated, and a graphical representation respective of process related operational aspects of each IED involved is generated and displayed. Sender and receiver IDs are determined from a logical data flow description that is part of a formal configuration representation of the PC/SA system. One of a plurality of operational aspects of the process is retrieved for each IED from the formal configuration description. Generating the graphical representation of the system includes forming groups of IEDs with identical operational aspects. For each group of IEDs, the respective operational aspect is indicated or displayed. A user may analyze the communication configuration of the system by looking at the graphical representation and determine the consequences of IED failures or engineering errors on other IEDs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Michael OBRIST, Tetsuji MAEDA, Wolfgang WIMMER
  • Patent number: 8392557
    Abstract: A communication stack performance of an Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) is analyzed in a communication network of a Substation Automation (SA) system. The IED processes network messages that are transferred with, or belonging to, a specific configurable SA communication service. A plurality of application level scenarios corresponding to a high communication load is executed. Among all network messages captured or intercepted during the scenario, the network messages destined to the IED and sent by the IED in response are identified. A number of the identified messages, a number of specific communication protocol elements or data items related to a service-specific property, and a number of changed protocol elements, which are indicative of an SA event, for which the value of the data item has changed compared to the value of the same data item in a previous message, are determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Gunnar Hilpert, Michael Obrist, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Patent number: 8265908
    Abstract: Protection, measurement and control IEDs in a substation compute if switches they control may be operated safely, according to interlocking rules or physical principles as well as the dynamic topology of the substation. The IEDs have access to the substation electrical topology, to real-time information generated by other IEDs, and to the rules for interlocking. A standardized Substation Configuration Description (SCD) of the substation for which a Substation Automation system is intended, and a standardized description of the implemented device functions or capabilities of an individual IED are utilized. The substation topology is available from SCD file, real time information about the position of switches and line voltage/current can be obtained via an appropriate protocol, and the interlocking rules are available in script form. These features apply both to simulated and real devices, and increase system testing possibilities by supporting an efficient configuration of a simulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Hubert Kirrmann, Michael Obrist, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Patent number: 8156061
    Abstract: The present disclosure is concerned with a validation of a configuration description of automated devices in a power network such as a Substation Automation (SA) system, or of a part or component thereof such as an individual Intelligent Electronic Device (IED), that is extended beyond the mere XML schema validation as provided by the known SCL-validation tools. In particular, the disclosure introduces machine-based validation of notations, requirements and/or conventions to be respected by the configuration description and/or the SA system, but not incorporated in or represented by the standardized syntax of the XML schema as defined in part 6 of the IEC 61850 standard. To this end, notations, requirements and/or conventions are initially converted into, or defined as, extended or augmented rules encoded in computer readable format.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Claus Vetter, Christian Frei, Michael Obrist
  • Publication number: 20110047264
    Abstract: A communication stack performance of an Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) is analyzed in a communication network of a Substation Automation (SA) system. The IED processes network messages that are transferred with, or belonging to, a specific configurable SA communication service. A plurality of application level scenarios corresponding to a high communication load is executed. Among all network messages captured or intercepted during the scenario, the network messages destined to the IED and sent by the IED in response are identified. A number of the identified messages, a number of specific communication protocol elements or data items related to a service-specific property, and a number of changed protocol elements, which are indicative of an SA event, for which the value of the data item has changed compared to the value of the same data item in a previous message, are determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Gunnar HILPERT, Michael Obrist, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Publication number: 20100256832
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and system for operation of substations in which protection, control and measurement devices (e.g., Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)) exchange operational data over a data network, for example, according to IEC standard 61850. During maintenance, commissioning and fault situations, when one or several IEDs are inoperable, the data that these IEDs would have produced is substituted to ensure availability of the substation. To this effect, a dedicated substitute device is permanently installed that can take the role of any IED, and that is automatically configured out of a standard configuration description (SCD) file that describes the SA system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Hubert KIRRMANN, Michael Obrist
  • Publication number: 20100204948
    Abstract: Protection, measurement and control IEDs in a substation compute if switches they control may be operated safely, according to interlocking rules or physical principles as well as the dynamic topology of the substation. The IEDs have access to the substation electrical topology, to real-time information generated by other IEDs, and to the rules for interlocking. A standardized Substation Configuration Description (SCD) of the substation for which a Substation Automation system is intended, and a standardized description of the implemented device functions or capabilities of an individual IED are utilized. The substation topology is available from SCD file, real time information about the position of switches and line voltage/current can be obtained via an appropriate protocol, and the interlocking rules are available in script form. These features apply both to simulated and real devices, and increase system testing possibilities by supporting an efficient configuration of a simulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Hubert KIRRMANN, Michael Obrist, Wolfgang Wimmer
  • Publication number: 20090070062
    Abstract: The disclosure is concerned with the testing of system level functionality involving several Protection, Control and Measurement (PCM) Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) of a Substation Automation (SA) system for IEC 61850 compliant substations. An extensive testing of all conceivable control or protection functions/applications of an extended SA system comprising a large number of IEDs with a multitude of configurations is facilitated by simulating at least one of the IEDs in a testing device. Hence, only a limited number of IEDs are physically present as individual devices in a test environment, the behaviour of at least one further IED being simulated by a dedicated testing device with appropriate data processing means. The testing device sends network messages indicative of the behaviour of the simulated IED according to its communication and device configuration over a substation communication network to the physically present IED to be tested. The proper working of the configured IED functions, i.e.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Hubert Kirrmann, Claus Vetter, Michael Obrist, Tetsuji Maeda
  • Publication number: 20090070051
    Abstract: A Substation Automation testing tool for IEC 61850 compliant substations is disclosed. It is concerned with the verification of the configuration of a first Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) that is part of a Substation Automation (SA) system and that has initially been configured to perform measurement, protection and/or control functions in accordance with a substation configuration specification. Configuration information is first read from an internal server of the first IED and transformed according to a dedicated data model. Related information is then read from e.g. a second IED that has initially been configured to perform the same functions as the first IED, or from a Substation Configuration Description (SCD) file, and likewise transformed. The transformed data is then compared in order to identify discrepancies or inconsistencies and to resolve errors introduced by the IED configuration process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Claus VETTER, Aleksandra Kuc-Dzierzawska, Jakub Sipowicz, Christian Frei, Michael Obrist