BEACON-BASED INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION ACCESS AUTHORIZATION

Techniques to implement beacon-based access authorization to industrial assets in an industrial automation environment are disclosed herein. In at least one implementation, each industrial asset has one or more beacons that broadcast signals enabling a mobile device to measure its distance from the broadcasting beacon. Each signal also can include access level data defining access permitted for various users, depending on the user's authorization level and the calculated distance between the mobile device and the broadcasting beacon. In some implementations the mobile device can provide directions to the user to enable an otherwise disallowed operation. Access to industrial assets is thus limited by the calculated mobile device distance from the industrial asset and the user's authorization level.