Abstract: Method and apparatus for ascertaining a at a current time of consideration and for future times of consideration, wherein a first time profile of a base characteristic variable is mapped over the operating time, where the first time profile of the base characteristic variable represents a state of a reference machine at the time of consideration in dependence on the operating time and an actual characteristic variable that varies over the operating time be calculated by means of an individual function, where an input variable fed to the individual function is a performance characteristic variable of the machine, which is detected periodically via a machine data detection unit or is predicted for future operating times, and where the health characteristic variable is displayed as a second time profile by adding the ascertained actual characteristic variable or the predicted actual characteristic variable to the first time profile.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and a corresponding apparatus for allowing the introduction of pay-per-use models in the renting out of components in automation business. The challenge and the success in the introduction of pay-per-use models include appropriately addressing the conflict of interest between the protection of sensitive production data and the need to collect as much of the production data as possible for use as usage-relevant billing data. Therefore, a method is proposed that securely protects the data used and nevertheless allows the data to be reconstructed at a later time in the event of contentious questions.

Abstract: A system includes a first module configured to collect automation plant-related data that include at least operating data, and to generate based on the operating data manipulation-proof usage data which are then transmitted to a second module configured to determine at least a part of the manipulation-proof usage data, to form a checksum from the at least one part of the manipulation-proof usage data, to transfer the checksum to at least one node of a distributed ledger network, and to store the manipulation-proof usage data in an area outside the distributed ledger network. A third module participates in the distributed ledger network and is configured to obtain the manipulation-proof usage data from the area and to check the correctness of the manipulation-proof usage data by forming a checksum.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, at a node, a first measurement dataset indicative of at least one first observables of an event, obtaining, at the node, a second measurement dataset indicative of at least one second observables of the event, triggering a comparison between the first measurement dataset and the second measurement dataset, and selectively triggering at least one validation measure for either the first measurement dataset or the second measurement dataset depending on a result of the comparison, where the first measurement dataset is provided by a first measurement device, the second measurement dataset is provided by a second measurement device, and the at least validation measure is implemented at a distributed database.

Abstract: A mining node of an infrastructure of a distributed database includes a control circuitry. In an embodiment, the control circuitry is configured to: obtain a measurement dataset indicative of one or more observables of an event, the measurement dataset including processed raw data samples; perform a comparison between the measurement dataset and a reference dataset, the reference dataset including at least one of one or more predefined constraints associated with the event or a further measurement dataset indicative of one or more further observables of the event; and, depending on a result of the comparison, selectively trigger one or more validation measures for the measurement dataset, the one or more validation measures being implemented at the distributed database.

Abstract: A configuration dataset indicative of a setting of one or more operational policies of a control of an industrial field device and a measurement dataset indicative of an event associated with the industrial field device is read from a distributed database. An analysis of the measurement dataset is performed, depending on the configuration dataset.

Abstract: A measurement dataset indicative of operational characteristics of an industrial field device is obtained. In an embodiment, based on the measurement dataset, a performance indicator dataset including one or more figures of merit of the operational characteristics is determined and storage of the performance indicator dataset in a distributed database and storage of the measurement dataset in a non-distributed database is triggered.

Abstract: A method for switching channels in a wireless communication network comprising at least one access point and clients, wherein the communication network as secondary user uses one of a number of possible channels for data communication. In accordance with the invention, data communication occurs between the access point and the number of clients through the first transmit/receive interface of the access point on a first channel. Parallel to the data communication, a check of the possible channels occurs over the transmit/receive interface by a second transmit/receive interface of the access point to determine which of the channels are free channels that are not being used by any primary users. A channel switch from the first channel to one of the free channels occurs if a prioritized use of the first channel by a primary user is established by the access point of the communication network.

Abstract: A method for switching channels in a wireless communication network comprising at least one access point and clients, wherein the communication network as secondary user uses one of a number of possible channels for data communication. In accordance with the invention, data communication occurs between the access point and the number of clients through the first transmit/receive interface of the access point on a first channel. Parallel to the data communication, a check of the possible channels occurs over the transmit/receive interface by a second transmit/receive interface of the access point to determine which of the channels are free channels that are not being used by any primary users. A channel switch from the first channel to one of the free channels occurs if a prioritized use of the first channel by a primary user is established by the access point of the communication network.