Systems, methods and computer program products for configuring an assembly line

• US 20060212823A1
• Filed: 03/16/2005
• Published: 09/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhagat, Rajesh M., Bournas, Redha M., Salkeld, David J., Narayan, Vishwanath, Peters, Paul D., Noller, David
• Application Number:
  US11/081,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20060212823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/783
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31104 Remote configuration of parameters of controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31196 SOAP, describes available services and how to call them remotely
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system for graphically and dynamically configuring an assembly line having process points where events can be triggered, includes: a service configurator for configuring services including imported Web Services; and a process configurator for configuring processes to be implemented in response to triggered events at the process points, wherein each of the processes comprises a sequenced list of the services to be invoked in response to the triggered event.

Claims

1. A system for graphically and dynamically configuring an assembly line having process points where events can be triggered, the system comprising:

a service configurator for configuring services comprising imported Web Services; and

a process configurator for configuring processes to be implemented in response to triggered events at the process points, wherein each of the processes comprises a sequenced list of the services to be invoked in response to the triggered event.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the service configurator imports Web Services definition documents for each of the Web Services.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a tree configurator for configuring the process points along the assembly line.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a process point configurator for associating the processes with the process points along the assembly line.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a message configurator for configuring input and output messages for the services and the processes.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a version configurator for selecting between at least:

creating a new assembly line for configuring; and

selecting a pre-existing assembly line for configuring.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a run-time engine that receives a triggered event from a process point, determines a corresponding process, and invokes the Web Services.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

a build-time engine that implements the services configurator and the process configurator; and

a storage system that receives and stores a catalog of services and a catalog of processes from the build-time engine;

wherein the run-time engine accesses the storage system upon receiving the triggered event to determine the corresponding process and Web Services.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is embodied within a graphical user interface.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a tree configurator for configuring the process points along the assembly line;

a process point configurator for associating the processes with the process points along the assembly line; and

a message configurator for configuring input and output messages for the services and the processes;

wherein the service configurator imports Web Services definition documents for each of the Web Services.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a run-time engine that receives a triggered event from a process point, determines a corresponding process, and invokes the Web Services;

a build-time engine that implements the services configurator, the process configurator, the tree configurator, the process point configurator, and the message configurator; and

a storage system that receives and stores a catalog of services, a catalog of processes and a catalog of input and output messages from the build-time engine;

wherein the system is embodied within a graphical user interface; and

wherein the run-time engine accesses the storage system upon receiving the triggered event to determine the corresponding process and Web Services.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising a version configurator for selecting between at least:

creating a new assembly line for configuring; and

selecting a pre-existing assembly line for configuring.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the process configurator comprises a deploy function to deploy the processes to a run-time engine.

14. A computer-implemented method for graphically and dynamically configuring an assembly line having process points where events can be triggered, the method comprising:

graphically configuring services including imported Web Services; and

graphically configuring processes to be implemented in response to triggered events at the process points, wherein each of the processes comprises a sequenced list of the services to be invoked in response to the triggered event.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein graphically configuring services including imported Web Services comprises importing Web Services definition documents for each of the Web Services.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising graphically configuring the process points along the assembly line.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising graphically associating the processes with the process points along the assembly line.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising graphically configuring input and output messages for the services and the processes.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising graphically selecting between at least:

creating a new assembly line for configuring; and

selecting a pre-existing assembly line for configuring.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving a triggered event from a process point, determining a corresponding process, and invoking the Web Services using a run-time engine.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

storing a catalog of services and a catalog of processes in a storage system; and

using the run-time engine, accessing the storage system upon receiving the triggered event to determine the corresponding process and Web Services.

22. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

graphically configuring the process points along the assembly line;

graphically associating the processes with the process points along the assembly line; and

graphically configuring input and output messages for the services and the processes;

wherein graphically configuring services including imported Web Services comprises importing Web Services definition documents for each of the Web Services.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving a triggered event from a process point, determining a corresponding process, and invoking the Web Services using a run-time engine;

storing a catalog of services, a catalog of processes and a catalog of input and output messages in a storage system; and

using the run-time engine, accessing the storage system upon receiving the triggered event to determine the corresponding process and Web Services.

24. The method of claim 23 further graphically selecting between at least:

creating a new assembly line for configuring; and

selecting a pre-existing assembly line for configuring.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising deploying the processes to a run-time engine.

26. A computer program product for graphically and dynamically configuring an assembly line having process points where events can be triggered, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to configure services comprising imported Web Services; and

computer readable program code configured to configure processes to be implemented in response to triggered events at the process points, wherein each of the processes comprises a sequenced list of the services to be invoked in response to the triggered event.

27. A system for graphically and dynamically configuring an assembly line having process points where events can be triggered, the system comprising:

a version configurator for selecting between at least;

creating a new assembly line for configuring; and

selecting a pre-existing assembly line for configuring.