Data processing methods and systems for use in industrial control

• US 20050125441A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kuhner, Ralf, Klein, Markus, Metz, Manfred, Clemens, Achim, Gaiser, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31205 Remote transmission of measured values from site, local to host
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Data processing methods and systems are disclosed for use in industrial control. The methods and systems may include receiving control data from automation components of an industrial control system by a first computer system, the first computer system being coupled to the automation components by means of a first network, storing at least some of the control data in a first database by the first computer system, performing a database query of the first database for determination of a subset of the control data, aggregating the control data of the subset, and transmitting the aggregated control data to a second computer system over a second network.

Claims

1. A data processing method comprising:

receiving control data from automation components of an industrial control system by a first computer system, the first computer system being coupled to the automation components by means of a first network;

storing at least some of the control data in a first database by the first computer system;

performing a database query of the first database for determination of a subset of the control data;

aggregating the control data of the subset; and

transmitting the aggregated control data to a second computer system over a second network.

2. The data processing method of claim 1, wherein the control data comprises a unique identifier of a valuation unit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the valuation unit is a product unit or a work unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control data comprises data expressive of a quantity of a valuation unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein aggregating is performed by aggregating quantities of similar valuation units.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein similar valuation units are identified based on predefined similarity criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the database query is performed when a load of the first network is low.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database query is performed periodically.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a database query is performed when a pre-programmed timer expires.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network has real-time capabilities.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network is a field bus.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second network is an internet protocol (IP)-type network.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a document containing the aggregated control data, and wherein transmitting the control data comprises transmitting the document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the document is an exchange infrastructure (XI) type document.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the document is a mark-up language document, such as a hyper text mark-up language (HTML) or extended mark-up language (XML) document.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second computer is coupled to a second database for storage of the aggregated control data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing a data processing step with the second computer system for financial valuation of the aggregated control data, wherein the second database is a ledger.

18. A computer program product comprising instructions for:

receiving control data from automation components of an industrial control system by a first computer system, the first computer system being coupled to the automation components by means of a first network;

storing at least some of the control data in a first database by the first computer system;

performing a database query of the first database for determination of a subset of the control data;

aggregating the control data of the subset; and

transmitting the aggregated control data to a second computer system over a second network.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein aggregating comprises aggregating quantities of similar valuation units.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 or 19, wherein the database query is performed when a load of the first network is low.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first network has real-time capabilities.

22. A computer system for controlling a manufacturing process, the computer system comprising:

means for receiving control data from automation components via a first network;

a first database for storing at least some of the control data;

means for performing a database query for determination of a subset of the control data stored in the first database;

means for aggregating control data of the subset; and

means for transmitting the aggregate control data to an offline computer system.

23. The computer system of claim 22, further comprising means for initiating the database query when a load of the first network is low.

24. The computer system of claim 22, further comprising control means having real-time capabilities.

25. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the first network comprises a field bus.

26. An industrial control system comprising:

a plurality of automation components;

a first computer system;

a real-time network for coupling the automation components to the first computer system;

an online database for storing at least some of the control data received by the first computer system from the automation components via the real-time network;

means for performing a database query for determination of a subset of the control data stored in the first database when a load of the real-time network is low;

means for aggregating the control data of the subset; and

means for transmitting the aggregated control data to a second computer system via a non-real-time network for offline processing of the aggregated control data by the second computer system.