Module for a technical installation and system and method for carrying out a technical process

• US 10,642,238 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (WAGO Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (WAGO Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Albers, Thomas, Holm, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanders, Joshua T
• Application Number:
  US16/072,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20190025785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 700 9
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4188 characterised by CIM planning or realisation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31196 SOAP, describes available services and how to call them remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Module 1 for a technical facility 90 comprising a technical hardware 10 for the execution of a technical sub-process, a control 20 for a local control of the technical hardware 10, wherein the control 20 is adapted to control the technical hardware 10 autarkical, and an external interface 22 of the control 20, wherein the external interface 22 comprises an administration shell 23, wherein the administration shell 23 publishes at least one service relating to an output product 140 of the module 1 via a network 62, and wherein the external interface 22 is adapted to request at least one service relating to an input product 130 of the module 1 via the network 62. Furthermore, a corresponding system for the execution of a process by means of a technical facility 90 as well as a corresponding method for the execution of a technical process by means of a technical facility 90 is claimed.

Claims

1. A system for the execution of a process by means of a technical facility comprising:

a. a plurality of modules comprising;

i. a technical hardware for the execution of a technical sub-process;

ii. a control for a local control of the technical hardware, wherein the control is adapted to control the technical hardware independently; and

iii. an external interface of the control;

wherein the external interface comprises an administration shell, wherein the administration shell publishes at least one service relating to an output product of the module via a network; and

iv. wherein the external interface is adapted to request at least one service relating to an input product of the module via the network;

wherein the plurality of modules can execute sub-processes of the technical process;

b. a request module, comprising;

an external interface including its own administration shell; and

c. a network which connects the plurality of modules and the request module with each other;

wherein;

d. the request module can request a service for an end-product at the modules via the network;

wherein the request module further comprises an own state machine;

wherein in a first state of the own state machine;

I. the request module requests a service for an end-product at the modules via the network;

II. a first module, that offers the service for the end-product, requests at least one service for its input product at the other modules via the network;

III. a second module, that offers the at least one service for the input product of the first module as an output product, requests at least one service for its input product at the modules via the network; and

IV;

the request module receives a message that the process is complete from one of the modules; and

wherein the own state machine of the request module transitions into a second state when the process is complete, wherein in the second state the process can be started.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein in the administration shell the at least one service relating to an output product of the module is published by means of standardized meta-information via the network.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the external interface is adapted to request the service relating to the input product by means of standardized meta-information relating to the input product via the network.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a state machine.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein at least one state of the state machine is published in the administration shell and wherein the state of the state machine is dependent on a response to the request for a service relating to the input product of the module.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modules is adapted to:

a. for processing the input product and for the output of the output product; and

/or

b. for measuring a physical quantity of the input product and/or of the output product; and

/or

c. for physically storing the input product and/or the output product.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the technical hardware is developed to produce the output product from the input product, and the technical hardware is furthermore developed to produce the output product by modifying the input product by,

a. change of a chemical composition;

and/or

b. change of at least one physical property; and

/or

c. adding of material; and

/or

d. clearing of material.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the administration shell comprises static information about the technical hardware and dynamic information as real-time values of the technical hardware, wherein the real-time values are generated by the control.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the control of each of the plurality of modules generates the real time values from:

a. measurement data and/or control data of the technical hardware; and

/or

b. communication data transmitted via the external interface; and

/or

c. states of the state machine to the service provided by the control and the technical hardware; and

/or

d. historical values of measurement data and/or control data of the technical hardware and/or of states of the state machine; and

/or

e. an extrapolation of measurement data and/or control data of the technical hardware and/or communication data and/or of states of the state machine.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the external interface comprises an OPC-UA server that comprises a definite specified information structure into which the administration shell is mapped.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the administration shell maps information in the structure of a module type package that comprises in a structured form all information that is necessary for the integration of the module into a technical facility.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the request module offers in its administration shell at least one service that contains the end-product.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein a module generates the message of completeness, when each of its input products, necessary for the process, is provided with the state “

available”

at its administration shell, and wherein the message of completeness is transmitted from the generating module to the request module.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the request module comprises a processing unit that is adapted to carry out an evaluation of the planned process, wherein the evaluation result is a prerequisite for the transition from the first state of the state machine to the second state of the state machine.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the processing unit of the request module is adapted to carry out the evaluation by means of an optimum calculation based on the technical complexity.

16. A method for the execution of a technical process by means of a technical facility, comprising a plurality of modules, at least one request module and a network, wherein the modules comprise a technical hardware for the execution of a technical sub-process and a control for the local control of the technical hardware, wherein the control comprises an external interface that includes an administration shell, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

a. publishing at least one service that is related to an output product of the respective module via the network by the administration shell of each module;

b. requesting at least one service that is related to an input product of the respective module via the network by the external interface of each module;

c. requesting at least one service for an end-product via the network by the request module;

d. receiving a message that the process is complete from one of the modules by the request module.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the following steps:

e. carrying out an evaluation of the planned technical process by a processing unit of the request module; and

f. starting the process in due consideration of the evaluation result.