Method and apparatus for retrieving activity data related to an activity

• US 20030120465A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rybarczyk, David F., Montalvo Roel, Ila K., Mets, Christiaan M. H., Strilich, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0221 Preprocessing measurements, e.g. data collection rate adjustment; Standardization of measurements; Time series or signal analysis, e.g. frequency analysis or wavelets; Trustworthiness of measurements; Indexes therefor; Measurements using easily measured parameters to estimate parameters difficult to measure; Virtual sensor creation; De-noising; Sensor fusion; Unconventional preprocessing inherently present in specific fault detection methods like PCA-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

A method and apparatus that processes time series, event and/or activity data of a process according to a data structure. The data structure defines one or more activities that frame the time series, event and/or activity data. Each activity and each event has one or more attributes. Each attribute has a value. At least one of the attributes defines an interval of the activity by start and end times. Another attribute includes a time varying parameter that represents the time series data. Another attribute defines a time stamp of an event. The time varying parameter is linked to a device that produces the time series data when the process is run. The time series, event and/or activity data is collected and processed according to the data structure for storage in and/or retrieval from a memory. A relationship between data of one or more activities and the time series, event and/or activity data is processed according to the data structure to retrieve the time series, event and/or activity data from the memory.

Claims

1. A method for processing the data of a process, said method comprising:

(a) collecting activity data from a first activity having a first interval and a second activity that has a second interval, said first and second intervals occurring during said process;

(b) processing said activity data according to a data structure that defines said first and second intervals such that said first interval frames said second interval at least in part; and

(c) storing said processed activity data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said data structure comprises an identity and a plurality of activity attributes for each of said first and second activities.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of said activity attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

start time, end time and item used in said process.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said item is an equipment, and wherein each of said activity attributes has an attribute value selected from the group consisting of:

date and/or time and device of said equipment used in said process.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of said activity attribute values of said second activity matches at least one of said activity attribute values of said first activity.

6. Apparatus for processing the data of a process, said apparatus comprising:

means for collecting activity data from a first activity having a first interval and a second activity that has a second interval, said first and second intervals occurring during said process;

means for processing said activity data according to a data structure that defines said first and second intervals such that said first interval frames said second interval at least in part; and

means for storing said processed event data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said data structure comprises an identity and a plurality of activity attributes for each of said first and second activities.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said activity attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

start time, end time and item used in said process.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said item is an equipment, and wherein said activity attributes has an attribute value selected from the group consisting of:

date and/or time and device of said equipment used in said process.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one of said attribute values of said second activity matches at least one of said attribute values of said first activity.

11. A method for retrieving activity data of a process that is stored in a memory, said method comprising:

(a) identifying a first activity that has a first interval, which occurs during said process;

(b) identifying a second activity that has a second interval, which occurs during said process and is framed at least in part by said first interval; and

(c) processing said first and second activities to access said memory to retrieve said activity data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein steps (a) and (b) utilize a data structure that comprises an identity and a plurality of activity attributes for each of said first and second activities.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said activity attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

start time, end time and item used in said process.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said item is an equipment, and wherein said activity attributes have an attribute value selected from the group consisting of:

date and/or time and device of said equipment used in said process.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of said attribute values of said second activity matches at least one of said attribute values of said first activity.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein step (b) identifies said second activity with a reference selected from the group consisting of:

time based reference with respect to said first interval, direct reference to said first activity and indirect reference to said first activity.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said time based reference is with respect to said first interval, and wherein all sub-activities are retrieved that are framed at least in part by said first interval.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said direct reference directly refers to said first activity.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said indirect reference includes a reference to an item used by said process during said first activity.

20. An apparatus for retrieving activity data of a process that is stored in a memory, said apparatus comprising:

first means for identifying a first activity that has a first interval, which occurs during said process;

second means for identifying a second activity that has a second interval, which occurs during said process and is framed at least in part by said interval; and

means for processing said first and second activities to access said memory to retrieve said activity data.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said first, second and third means utilize a data structure that comprises an identity and a plurality of activity attributes for each of said first and second activities.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said activity attributes are selected from the group consisting of:

start time, end time and item used in said process.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said item is an equipment, and wherein said activity attributes have an attribute value selected from the group consisting of:

date and/or time and device of said equipment used in said process.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein at least one of said attribute values of said second activity matches at least one of said attribute values of said first activity.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said second means identifies said second activity with a reference selected from the group consisting of:

time based reference with respect to said first interval, direct reference to said first activity and indirect reference to said first activity.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said time based reference is with respect to said first interval, and wherein all sub-activities are retrieved that are framed at least in part by said first interval.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said direct reference directly refers to said first activity.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said indirect reference includes a reference to an item used by said process during said first activity.

29. A memory media for controlling a computer to retrieve activity data of a process that is stored in a memory, said memory media comprising:

first means for controlling said computer to perform a first operation to identify a first activity that has a first interval, which occurs during said process;

second means for controlling said computer to perform a second operation to identify a second activity that has a second interval, which occurs during said process and is framed by said first interval; and

third means for controlling said computer to perform a third operation to process said first and second activities to access said memory to retrieve said activity data.

30. A memory media for controlling a computer to process the data of a process, said method comprising:

first means for controlling said computer to perform a first operation to collect activity data from a first activity that has a first interval and a second activity that has a second interval, said first and second intervals occurring during said process;

second means for controlling said computer to perform a second operation to process said activity data according to a data structure that defines said first and second intervals such that said first interval frames said second interval at least in part; and

third means for controlling said computer to perform a third operation to store said processed activity data.

31. A method for processing activity data of a process, said method comprising:

(a) processing a first activity that has a first interval and a second activity that has a second interval, wherein said second interval frames said first interval at least in part; and

(b) processing said first and second activities to access a memory to store and/or retrieve said activity data.

32. An apparatus for processing activity data of a process, said apparatus comprising:

first processing means for processing a first activity that has a first interval and a second activity that has a second interval, wherein said second interval frames said first interval at least in part; and

second processing means for processing said first and second activities to access a memory to store and/or retrieve said activity data.

33. A memory media for controlling a computer to process activity data of a process, said memory media comprising:

first means for controlling said computer to perform a first operation to process a first activity that has a first interval and a second activity that has a second interval, wherein said second interval frames said first interval at least in part; and

second means for controlling said computer to perform a second operation to process said first and second activities to access said memory to store and/or retrieve said activity data.