Methods and apparatus for process, factory-floor, environmental, computer aided manufacturing-based or other control system using hierarchically enumerated data set

• US 20040002950A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Brennan, Sean F., Weinrich, Steven M., LeMert, Paul W., Wright, Julia, DeRemer, Robert A., Hallquist, Robert D. Jr., Mundorf, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US10/414,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31342 Design of process control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31449 Monitor workflow, to optimize business, industrial processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32424 Task flow editing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/967 Visual or iconic programming

Abstract

The invention provides improved methods and apparatus for workflow editing. Such methods and apparatus permit, for example, user-defined and/or other tasks to be combined in any combination or combinations to specify a workflow. The tasks can be linked for direct, serial processing and/or for conditional processing that includes branching and/or looping. The invention also improved methods and apparatus of workflow definition and processing with extensible actions. The invention provides, further, improved methods and apparatus for workflow definition and processing which utilize workflow variables for communication of data and control information among tasks within a workflow. The invention provides, still further, improved methods and apparatus of workflow definition and processing with enhanced messaging. The invention provides, still yet further, improved methods and apparatus for workflow definition and processing which permit definition of hierarchically enumerated data types and for for definition of “plans” to collect, e.g., for storage, data such as the aforementioned hierarchical data types.

Claims

1. In a method of operating a process, factory-floor, environmental, computer aided manufacturing-based or other (collectively, “

process”

) control system, the improvement comprising

A. defining a hierarchical set values characterizing one or more aspects of the system,

B. establishing one or more objects or other data structures (collectively, “

objects”

) to maintain values associated with the control system, wherein at least object maintains a value selected from among the hierarchical set of values,

C. defining a data collection action including the objects,

D. executing the action one or more times to obtain values maintained by the respective associated objects.

2. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the hierarchical set defines a relationship between a subsystem of the control system and constituents thereof.

3. In the method of claim 2, the further improvement wherein the hierarchical set defines a relationship between an electrical subsystem of the control system and constituents thereof.

4. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement wherein the hierarchical set defines a failure mode relationship.

5. In the method of claim 4, the further improvement wherein the hierarchical set defines a relationship between any of a constituent of the control system, a failure mode, and a cause of failure.

6. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement wherein step (A) includes associating at least selected values in the hierarchical set with shortcuts uniquely identifying the respective associated values.

7. In the method of claim 6, the further improvement comprising treating as a reference to a selected value in the hierarchical set a shortcut associated therewith.

8. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement wherein step (B) includes establishing at least one other object to maintain any of a date/time associated with the control system, a true/false (or other binary) value associated with the control system, a numeric value associated with the control system, and a text value associated with the control system.

9. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement wherein step (B) includes establishing at least one other object to maintain a procedure comprising one or more commands that are triggered by executing the action including that object.

10. In the method of claim 9, the further improvement wherein step (D) includes responding to execution of an action including an object that maintains a procedure by any of generating a display to an operator, calculating a value, performing a comparison, and triggering a further activity.

11. In the method of claim 10, the further improvement wherein the step of triggering a further activity includes executing a further procedure.

12. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement comprising storing the representation of the hierarchical set separate from the object that maintains the value selected from among the set of values.

13. In the method of claim 1, the further improvement wherein step (D) includes obtaining values for the respective associated objects from any of an I/O source from an expression calculated from a value in another object.

14. In a method of operating a process, factory-floor, environmental, computer aided manufacturing-based or other (collectively, “

process”

) control system, the improvement comprising

A. establishing one or more objects or other data structures (collectively, “

objects”

) to maintain values associated with the control system, wherein at least a selected object is adapted to maintain a value selected from among the hierarchical tree of values that characterize the system;

B. executing a workflow processing engine to process one or more workflows, each defining one or more actions to be taken in response to events occurring with respect to the process and/or control applications;

C. the executing step including processing at least one workflow defining one or more data collection actions that include one or more of said objects, at least one which includes the selected object,

D. obtaining, as a consequence of executing a data collection action including the selected object, a value that is selected from among the hierarchical tree of values and that is associated with the control system.

15. In the method of claim 14, the further improvement wherein step (D) includes obtaining the value from the operator.

16. A system for process, factory-floor, environmental, computer aided manufacturing-based or other (collectively, “

process”

) control comprising;

A. a workflow processing engine that processes one or more workflows, each defining one or more actions to be taken in response to events occurring with respect to the process and/or control applications,

at least one workflow defining one or more data collection actions that include one or more objects or other data structures (collectively, “

objects”

) adapted to maintain values that are associated with the control system and that are selected from among one or more hierarchical trees of values that characterize the system;

B. a plurality of control applications that interface with an operator and/or control equipment for the process;

C. the workflow processing engine including an action processor that selectively responds to a trigger indicative of a timer or a scheduled or other event by executing a data collection action to obtain a value that is selected from among the hierarchical trees of values and that is associated with the control system.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising one or more further clients that are coupled with the workflow processing engine to provide an interface with the operator.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the data collection action executed by the action processor obtains information from the operator via the one or more further clients.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the process comprises a distributed control system.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the workflow processing engine responds to a scheduled event identified in a database associated with one or more of the control applications by executing the data collection action.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the workflow processing engine processes any of a material workflow, an equipment workflow, a supply chain workflow an information workflow.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the workflow processing engine detects an event by any of (i) searching a database for any of scheduled events or other triggering conditions, (ii) searching a scheduled events list, (iii) and executing a timer.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the action processor includes a scheduled event thread to identify and/or obtain events generated in connection with execution of the control applications.