System and method for modification management of a configuration system

• US 10,191,477 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Iriguchi, Hiroshi, Yap, Alexander, Chu, Ka Wai Kathy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Viet Q
• Application Number:
  US14/927,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20170123410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 700 9, 707695
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41835 characterised by programme execution
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31229 Supervisor, master, workstation controller, automation, machine control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31418 NC program management, support, storage, distribution, version, update
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A modification management system for a configuration system, includes, not limited to a comparator, a record generator and a link generator implemented in one or more processors. The comparator is configured to determine if a first modification item in a first instruction file is modified. The record generator is configured to create a first record and to store the first modification item in a first record when the first modification item is determined, by the comparator, to be modified. The link generator configured to generate a first link between the first record and the first instruction file, wherein the first instruction file is configured to define at least one modification item for the configuration system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a comparator configured to determine if a first modification item in a first instruction file is modified, and to determine if a second modification item in one of the first instruction file and a second instruction file is modified;

a record generator configured to create a first record and to store the first modification item in the first record in response to the first modification item being determined, by the comparator, to be modified, and to create a second record and to store the second modification item in the second record when the second modification item is determined, by the comparator, to be modified, the second record being different from the first record; and

a link generator configured to generate a first link between the first record and the first instruction file, and to generate a second link between the second record and one of the first instruction file and the second instruction file,

wherein the first instruction file is configured to define at least one first modification item for a configuration system, and the second instruction file is configured to define at least one second modification item for the configuration system, and

wherein the comparator, the record generator and the link generator are implemented by circuitry or one or more hardware processors with software components.

2. The system in claim 1,

wherein the record generator is configured to create at least one of a first record identifier for the first record and a first link identifier for the first link.

3. The system in claim 1, wherein the link generator is configured to:

determine if there is a third modification item is related to the first modification item and not in the first record

generate a notification in response to the third modification item being determined to be related to the first modification item and not in the first record.

4. The system in claim 1, wherein the created first record comprises at least one of a user identifier, a date of the created first record and a file identifier of the at least one instruction file.

5. The system in claim 1, wherein:

the comparator is configured to;

register a first check-out event in response to the first modification item being checked-out;

register a first check-in event in response to the first modification item being checked-in; and

compare the first modification item at the first check-in event and at the first check-out event to determine if the first modification item is modified.

6. The system in claim 1, further comprising a table configured to store:

a record identifier of the record file;

an instruction file identifier of an associated instruction file; and

a link identifier of an associated link between the record and the instruction file.

7. A method comprising

determining if a first modification item in a first instruction file is modified;

determining if a second modification item in one of the first instruction file and a second instruction file is modified;

creating a first record and storing the first modification item in the first record in response to the first modification item being determined to be modified,

creating a second record and storing the second modification item in the second record in response to the second modification item being determined to be modified, the second record being different from the first record;

generating a first link between the first record and the first instruction file; and

generating a second link between the second record and one of the first instruction file and the second instruction file,

wherein the first instruction file is configured to define at least one first modification item for a configuration system, and the second instruction file is configured to define at least one second modification item for the configuration system.

8. The method in claim 7, further comprising at least one of creating a first record identifier for the first record and creating a first link identifier for the first link.

9. The method in claim 7, further comprising:

determining if a third modification item is related to the first modification item and not in the first record; and

generating a notification in response to the third modification item being determined to be related to the first modification item and not in the first record.

10. The method in claim 7, wherein the first record comprises at least one of a user identifier, a modification date and a file identifier for the first instruction file.

11. The method in claim 7, further comprising

registering a first check-out event in response to the first modification item being checked-out;

registering a first check-in event in response to the first modification item being checked-in; and

comparing the first modification item at the first check-in event and at the first check-out event to determine if the first modification item is modified.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a computer program to be executed by a computer to perform operations comprising:

determining if a first modification item in a first instruction file is modified;

determining if a second modification item in one of the first instruction file and a second instruction file is modified;

creating a first record and storing the first modification item in the first record in response to the first modification item being determined to be modified,

creating a second record and storing the second modification item in the second record in response to the second modification item being determined to be modified, the second record being different from the first record; and

generating a first link between the first record and the first instruction file, and generating a second link between the second record and one of the first instruction file and the second instruction file,

wherein the first instruction file is configured to define at least one first modification item for a configuration system, and the second instruction file is configured to define at least one second modification item for the configuration system.