GB2609451A

GB2609451A - Controller

Info

Publication number: GB2609451A
Application number: GB2111055.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Morgan Anthony; Spooner Bryan
Original assignee: Power Transition Ltd
Current assignee: Power Transition Ltd
Priority date: 2021-07-30
Filing date: 2021-07-30
Publication date: 2023-02-08
Also published as: GB202111055D0; WO2023007476A1

Abstract

The invention is directed to computer-implemented control system for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services. The system comprises a plurality of digital controllers, each controller including at least one interface for communicating with one or more hardware devices or software implemented services, and a distributed ledger network with which all of said plurality of digital controllers are in communication and via which information can be exchanged between the controllers. Each of the digital controllers may comprise a node of the distributed leger network. The system may be an energy control system.

Description

CONTROLLER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services

BACKGROUND

Digital controllers are used in many different spheres of activity to control physical, ID hardware devices and to control software implemented services The proliferation of Internet-connected devices and services brings with it significant advantages, such as being able to deploy and control distributed systems at scale, with multiple parties being able to collaborate to collect data and manage these distributed systems remotely. However, the deployment and management of distributcd systems also has its challenges, for example, in relation to ensuring interoperabilitv between elements of the system, ensuring timely and secure communication and data security, transparency and fairness to all collaborating parties.

SUMMARY

In general, embodiments of the present invention are concerned with addressing at least some of the challenges discussed above by providing a control system and method that utilizes distributed ledger technology (DLT) to facilitate bi-directional data exchange, for example, command and control information data between digital controllers that control hardware devices and/or software services. -1 -

In a first aspect, the invention provides a computer-implemented control system for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services, the system comprising: a plurality of digital controllers, each controller including at least one interface for communicating with one or more hardware devices or software implemented services; and a distributed ledger network with which all of said plurality of digital controllers are in communication and via which information can be exchanged between the controllers.

Using a DLT in this way for information exchange between digital controllers can offer significant benefits, including, for example, the ability to exchange information securely without users having to exchange personal details and providing controlled access via the DLT network to data stored in distributed private and public storage. A preferred DLT is Hcdera Hashgraph.

In some embodiments, each digital controller comprises a node of the distributed ledger network. In some embodiments, this 'embedded' node is a mirror node that can be used, for example, for cataloguing data exchange between the digital controller and the distributed ledger network.

IS Mirror nodes in the Hedera Hashgraph network, like the main network nodes, maintain the consensus state, but also, optionally, some portion of the historical transactions. Therefore, they provide an efficient way to get the state of the ledger out to many more users and applications in a short period of time, without having a major impact on the performance of consensus nodes in some embodiments, the embedded node (e.g. mirror node) may include a database with a structured taxonomy specific to an intended field of use for the control system.

In some embodiments, the interface of each controller includes one or more APIs and drivers for facilitating communication with the one or more hardware devices or software implemented services. In some embodiments, these APIs and drivers may be provided to the 25 controller from the DLT network via the embedded DLT node.

In some embodiments, each digital controller is a programmable logic controller.

In some embodiments, each digital controller is a plug and play digital controller. -2 -

In some embodiments, the embedded nodes are implemented within die controller by a plug-in PCB.

The system of this aspect has wide applicability for the control of connected hardware devices and software implemented services. One exemplary field of use is the energy sector.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, the system is an energy control system for controlling energy sector devices or services including one or more of smart meters; inverters, heat pumps; smart PV devices; energy storage and transmission devices; building climate control instrumentation; EV charging networks; market data services; network operator services; utility' supplier services; route to market provider services; electricity distribution within a building or between buildings; and master controller devices.

In a second aspect, the invention provides a plug and play digital controller for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services, the digital controller comprising: at least one interface for communicating with one or more hardware devices or software implemented services; and at least one interface for communication with a distributed ledger network via which information can be exchanged with other digital controllers connected to the network The plug and play configuration of the controller, facilitated by the inclusion of appropriate interfaces selected based on the system(s) that the controller is intended to interface with, enable the controller to be discovered by the system without the need for a physical device configuration or user intervention to add the controller to the system. For example, in the context of the energy sector, the controller can be configured for plug and play into existing smart building systems.

In some embodiments, the digital controller comprises a node of the distributed ledger network embedded in the controller. In some embodiments, die node is a mirror node for cataloguing data exchange between the digital controller and the distributed ledger network.

In some embodiments, the embedded node (e.g. mirror node) comprises a database with a structured taxonomy specific to an intended field of use for the control system. -3 -

In some embodiments, the embedded node includes one or more APIs and drivers (for example obtained from the distributed ledger network) for use by the controller interface for facilitating communication with the one or more hardware devices or software implemented senices.

In some embodiments, the plug and play controller is an energy controller for controlling energy sector devices or services, including one or more of smart meters; inverters; heat pumps; smart PV devices: energy storage and transmission devices: building climate control instrumentation; EV charging networks; market data services; network operator services; utility: supplier services; route to market provider services; electricity distribution within a building or between buildings; and master controller devices.

In a third aspect, the invention provides a computer-implemented method for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services using a control system according to the first aspect, the method comprising: receiving at a digital controller of the system operating data from one or more hardware devices or software-implemented services with which the digital controller communicates; writing the operating data to the distributed ledger as a transaction; processing the operating data to determine parameters for control data; and sending the control data to at least one of the one or more hardware devices or software-implemented services with which the digital controller communicates.

in some embodiments, processing the operating data to determine parameters for control data comprises using data obtained from the distributed ledger network in addition to the received operating data.

In some embodiments, the method comprises the creation of smart contracts in the distributed ledger to manage transactions between multiple parties using the system.

In some embodiments, the method comprises storing the operating data in structured data in a decentralized database implemented in the distributed ledger network using a taxonomy specific to an intended field of use for the control system. -4 -

In some embodiments, the method is for controlling energy sector devices or services, including one or more of: smart meters; inverters; heat pumps; smart PV devices; energy storage and transmission devices; building climate control instrumentation (HVAQ); EV charging networks; market data services; network operator services; utility supplier services; route to market provider services; electricity distribution within a building or between buildings; and master controller devices. The method may, for example, enable flexible energy trading and/or billing and settlement for energy production and/or consumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

ID Figure I illustrates schematically an example of a control system implemented with a DLT network in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates schematically an example of a digital controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of an example of a digital controller in accordance 15 with an embodiment of the invention, showing a modular component architecture; and Figure 4 shows an example of a control method that can be implemented in the system of claim 1, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments are described below. Embodiments may, for example, take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects.

The embodiments are illustrated in the context of controlling hardware devices in a distributed energy production and distribution network. The skilled person will appreciate, however, that the concepts and features described herein may be applied to a number of other -5 -contexts where digital controllers are used to control physical hardware devices or software implemented services.

Figure 1 shows schematically one example of a distributed energy control system that can be implemented employing the concepts disclosed herein. As seen in the figure, the system employs a digital energy platform, specifically a distributed ledger network (DLT network), to connect and provide for communication between multiple different entities in the energy production and distribution supply chain. The entities can include, for example, consumers and prosumers (i.e. entities who both produce and consume energy, including, for example, residential communities and large industrial / commercial sites), network operators, utility suppliers, and route to marker providers. The network can be used to manage generation, distribution, storage and consumption of energy and is particularly suited to scenarios where the energy generation is distributed. Devices and services associated with each of the entities who interact with the system communicate with the network via digital energy controllers.

Figure 2 schematically illustrates a digital energy controller in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, which can be used in the system illustrated in fig. 1.

The controller connects to and communicates with one or more devices to control them, in this example, energy equipment at prosumer DER (distributed energy resources) sites, including, for example, smart meters, inverters, heat pumps, smart PV (photovoltaic) equipment, and building climate control instrumentation. The prosumer DER site may, for example, be a residential community or an office building or other commercial or industrial premises. in another example in the energy sector, the prosumer DER may be an EV charging network.

The controller includes one of more device interfaces to enable the communication links with the devices it controls. These interfaces may take any of a number of suitable forms, including physical (wired) communication links and wireless communication links. Examples include wired connections, such as RJ45 (Ethernet; TCP/IP) and RS-485, and wireless connections such as WiFi, RF and 5G. Suitable APIs and drivers include those based on communication protocols such as MODBUS, JSON Webservices, Thread and Zigbee, for example. -6 -

In a typical implementation, embodiments of the invention aimed at the energy sector will include control capabilities to implement one or more of: * Control and optimisation of equipment and environment; Enabling on-demand services; Financial and non-financial reporting; Sustainable Development Goal and Target setting with tracking; Flexible energy trading; and Billing and settlement for energy production, distribution and/or consumption.

The controller also has an embedded DLT node that is part of the DLT network. As 10 noted above, the controller can communicate via the DLT network with one or more other digital controllers (not shown), which are themselves part of the network, as well as accessing information stored on the DLT network.

In this example, the DLT network is the Hedera Hashgraph public network' but the skilled person will appreciate that other suitable existing or future DLT networks could be used.

The Hod= Hashgraph network, a Ydgeneration public ledger, is preferred at present because the hashgraph consensus methodology can achieve very fast transaction speeds with low bandwidth consumption making it particularly suited to envisaged applications where transaction volume is high and low latency and energy is important.

The use of a DLT network in this way, with a DLT node embedded in the digital controller, also enables fast deployment and easy scalability, as well as offering benefits such as immutable, tamper-proof audit trails for all transactions and information exchange and the ability to provide excellent cybersecurity and data privacy (e.g. GDPR) compliance. Users of the system, for example, participants in the energy production and distribution supply chain, can exchange information and value with complete trust through the DLT network without exchanging personal details. It is also possible to create interoperable, distributed private and https://hcdcra.com/ -7 -public storage within the DLT network for the information captured and used by the controllers in the network The interface with the DLT network can be provided by a DApp installed on the controller. Backend functionality provided by this interface can include, in addition to communication with the DLT network (e.g. submitting transactions using the consensus services of the network), a crypto-wallet including, for example, a Crypto/Fiat gateway useffil for enabling paid for on-demand services. The backend also includes a mirror node database with an energy sector structured data taxonomy for storing and providing access to data from the network, and for cataloguing (in accordance with the specific taxonomy) data exchanged with the DLT network. The mirror node can, for example, include specific energy sector APIs for providing access to data stored in distributed private and public storage, with data accessibility being managed according to user permissions. The user permissions may, for example, be provided through subscription-based services. The same approach can be used to share private data with other participants in the DLT network.

The controller DApp also includes a frontend that provides a U I/U X for users and administrators to interact with the controller.

The controller in this example is a programmable logic controller, including appropriate components and programmed to provide the desired interfaces and other functionality.

As shown in figure 3, the digital controller can have a modular component architecture, in this example the controller being split into four distinct modules: a) a PLC (programmable logic controller) Software Toolkit consisting of the custom drivers and APIs which can be integrated directly into the PLC hardware unit or licenced individually; b) a PLC hardware unit which is designed to work with the PLC Software Driver and API Toolkit c) a DLT Software component which can be communicate with third party platform services or be integrated directly into the DLT Hardware component; and -8 -d) a DLT Hardware component, in this example a plug-in PCB (to plug-in to the PLC hardware unit) designed to work only with the DLT Software component.

In many applications these four components will fimction as a single unit, but the modular approach means they can, where appropriate, be licensed and used individually.

in the context of the energy sector example described here, the participants on the supply chain (e.g. as illustrated in figure 1) can be interconnected for communication and data transfer using different combinations of these components, with the DLT Software component providing the interface to the DLT network on all cases. This enables each connected controller (or other devices interfaced with the DLT network by the DLT Software component) to communicate with any other connected device through the DLT network. Especially when using Hedera Hashgraph, this provides DLT functionality to the participants, including: * Integration using industry standard APIs; * Use of real-time custom iterative producer/consumer feeds; * Guaranteed tntsted anonymity using tokenisation algorithms; * Use of portable Smart Contracts (e.g. EVM) to manage contractual behaviour among peers; * Information storage in structured data, decentralised databases using energy sector taxonomies; * State of the art security complying with 100% asynchronous Byzantine Fault Tolerant (aBFT) -security that is resistant to DDoS and Sybil attacks; * Fairness assured with timestamped finality and fair transaction ordering that cannot be manipulated by malicious nodes; * Excellent DLT performance and network energy efficiency; * Highspeed: capable of more than -10,000 low-latency transaction per second/per shard, with guaranteed finality within seconds; -9 - * Low transaction energy consumption of about 1Wh compared to, for example. Bitcoin which consumes in excess of 250 kWh per transaction, * The origin of information searched and retrieved will be validated via highspeed Merkel Tree state proofs and not be reliant on node based 'origin-block' ledger databases; and * Audit and traceability of all exchanges of information will be available down to the executed code level.

Figure 4 illustrates the basic operation of the digital energy controller described above.

The controller receives operating data from one or more connected devices, via the respective device interfaces. This operating data can be written to storage on the DLT network (via the DLT interface) for subsequent processing or use by other connected controllers.

Depending on the application, the controller might obtain additional data from the DLT network (for example via the mirror node). The operating data and (optional) other data can then be used to determine control parameters for the connected device(s). The determination (e.g. calculation) of the control parameters may be carried out by the controller itself or elsewhere in I5 the DLT network (with the determined control parameters being delivered to the controller).

The controller then sends the control parameters to the connected device(s) to control their operation.

Examples of operations that might be implemented using the control systems of the present invention include: * Enabling on-demand services, such as managing energy generation, storage, demand and/or consumption based on parameters such as price and load -where required, payments can be managed with cryptocurrency within the DLT network (e.g. Hedera's FIBAR), which can avoid the need for long-term subscription-based arrangements -this approach enables straightforward peer-to-peer on-demand services; * Controlling and optimizing equipment and environment, for example, based on sensor data that tracks equipment performance and environmental parameters, which can be used in equipment control algorithms; -10 - * Methods to evaluate target performance parameters based on sustainable development goals, for example, tracking the actual performance parameters and optimizing controller settings for achieving the long-term sustainable development goal; and * Flexible trading, billing and settlement, for example, smart energy trading for PV based energy generation, with dynamic billing based on energy generation and consumption and bill payment procedure -as noted above, in relation to on-demand services, payments can be managed with cryptocurrency within the DLT network (e.g. Hedera's HBAR), including the use of micropayments, avoiding the ID need for long-term subscription-based arrangements involving intervention of a third party.

The skilled person will understand that various modifications and additions can be made to the examples described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, whilst the controller described above is used as a decentralized energy IS sector specific controller, ideal for supporting the evolution of a distributed energy sector, the skilled person will appreciate that the concepts described and claimed herein are applicable to many other sectors and applications.

-11 -

Claims

CLAIMS: A computer-implemented control system for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services, the system comprising: a plurality of digital controllers, each controller including at least one interface for communicating with one or more hardware devices or software implemented services; and a distributed ledger network with which all of said plurality of digital controllers are in communication and via which information can be exchanged between the controllers.
2 A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of digital controllers comprises a node of the distributed ledger network.
3 A system according to claim 2, wherein the node is a mirror node for cataloguing data exchange between the digital controller and the distributed ledger network.
4 A system according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the node comprises a database with a structured taxonomy specific to an intended field of use for the control system.
5. A system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the node comprises one or more APIs and drivers for use by the controller interface for facilitating communication with the one or more hardware devices or software implemented services.
6 A system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one interface of each controller includes one or more APIs and drivers for facilitating communication with the one or more hardware devices or software implemented services.
7 A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each digital controller is a programmable logic controller.
8 A system according to claim 7, wherein each digital controller is a plug and play digital control ler.
-12 -A system according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of digital controllers comprises a node of the distributed ledger network and the node is implemented within the controller by a plug-in PCB. 11. 12. 13. 14.
10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system is an energy control system for controlling energy sector devices or services including one or more of: smart meters; inverters; heat pumps; smart PV devices; energy storage and transmission devices; building climate control instrumentation; EN charging networks; market data services; network operator services; utility supplier services; route to market provider services; electricity distribution within a building or between buildings; and master controller devices.
A plug and play digital controller for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services, the digital controller comprising: at least one interface for communicating with one or more hardware devices or software implemented services; and at least one interface for communication with a distributed ledger network via which information can be exchanged with other connected digital controllers.
A digital controller according to claim 1 I, comprising a node of the distributed ledger network.
A digital controller according to claim 12, wherein the node is a mirror node for cataloguing data exchange between the digital controller and the distributed ledger network.
A digital controller according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the node comprises a database with a structured taxonomy specific to an intended field of use for the control system -13 -
15. A digital controller according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the node comprises one or more APIs and drivers for use by the controller interface for facilitating communication with thc one or more hardware devices or software implemented services.
16. A digital controller according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controller is an energy controller for controlling energy sector devices or services including one or more of: smart meters; inverters; heat pumps; smart PV devices; energy storage and transmission devices; building climate control instrumentation; EV charging networks; market data services; network operator services; utility supplier services; route to market provider services; electricity distribution within a building or between buildings; and master controller devices A computer-implemented method for controlling hardware devices and/or software implemented services using a control system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the method comprising: receiving at a digital controller of the system operating data from one or more hardware devices or software-implemented services with which the digital controller communicates; writing the operating data to the distributed ledger as a transaction; processing the operating data to determine parameters for control data; and sending the control data to at least one of the one or more hardware devices or software-implemented services with which the digital controller communicates.A method according to claim 17, wherein processing the operating data to determine parameters for control data comprises using data obtained from the distributed ledger network in addition to the received operating data.A method according to claim 17 or claim 18, comprising the creation of smart contracts in the distributed ledger to manage transactions between multiple parties using the system.
17.
18.
19.-14 -
20. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, comprising storing the operating data in structured data in a decentralized database implemented in the distributed ledger network using a taxonomy specific to an intended field of use for the control system.
21. A method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the method is for controlling energy sector devices or services including one or more of smart meters: inverters; heat pumps; smart PV devices; energy storage and transmission devices; building climate control instrumentation; EV charging networks; market data services; network operator services; utility supplier services; route to market provider services; electricity distribution within a building or between buildings; and master controller devices.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the method enables at least one of flexible energy trading; and billing and settlement.-15 -