Tracking and tracing across process boundaries in an industrial automation environment

• US 20060259634A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hood, Gavan W., Hall, Kenwood H., Kappelhoff, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/056 Programming the PLC
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32126 Hyperlink, access to program modules and to hardware modules in www, web server, browser
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• 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 that facilitates tracking and tracing products in an industrial environment comprises a reception component that receives data indicative of location of entities within an industrial environment, wherein the data conforms to a hierarchically structured data model. A monitoring component facilitates tracking and tracing the entities across process boundaries. Tracking refers to a process of uniformly building a track of objects that are forwarded to, processed for, applied in, or disposed of usage. Similarly, tracing is the process of uniformly generating a sample of traces of objects that are forwarded to, processed for, applied in, or disposed of usage.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates tracking and tracing products in an industrial environment comprising the following computer-executable components:

a reception component that receives data indicative of location of entities within an industrial environment, the data conforms to a hierarchically structured data model; and

a monitoring component that facilitates tracking and tracing the entities across process boundaries.

2. The system of claim 1, the boundaries comprise boundaries between batch, continuous, discrete, and inventory processes.

3. The system of claim 1, the received data is generated by one or more programmable logic controllers.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a view generation component that provides a view indicating current tracking and tracing parameters.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising an appending component that appends metadata to the received data, the metadata dependent upon an entity that is provided the view.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a genealogy component that facilitates creation of genealogy records across process boundaries over time.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a proxy component that facilitates utilization of data from a legacy programmable logic controller in connection with the tracking and tracing of the entities.

8. The system of claim 7, the proxy component comprises a mapping component that maps data from a flat data structure to data that conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.

9. The system of claim 7, the proxy component comprises a bridging component that converts data that conforms to a first network protocol to data that conforms to a second network protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, the second network protocol is CIP.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security component that ensures that an operator is authorized to review tracking and tracing data prior to providing the operator with such data.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filtering component that filters data relating to tracking and tracing of the entities based at least in part upon user identity.

13. The system of claim 1, the hierarchically structured data model is based at least in part upon one or more of ISA S88, ISA S95, and OMAC.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface component that facilitates provision of tracking and tracing data to a remote client.

15. The system of claim 14, the provision of the tracking and tracing data is accomplished by way of one of the Internet and an intranet.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a view generation component that creates a view of at least a portion of a factory as well as positions of the entities within the factory.

17. A method for tracking and tracing a product across process boundaries comprising the following computer-executable acts:

receiving data relating to a product from multiple programmable logic controllers, the programmable logic controllers control related processes, the data conforms to a hierarchically structured data model; and

utilizing the data for tracking and tracing the product across process boundaries.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a view that illustrates tracking and tracing parameters to an operator.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising ensuring that an operator is authorized to receive tracking and tracing data prior to providing the operator with such data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising mapping data from at least one of the multiple programmable logic controllers that does not support the hierarchically structured data model to data that conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising converting data from at least one of the multiple programmable logic controllers from data that conforms to a first network protocol to data that conforms to a second network protocol.

22. The method of claim 21, the second network protocol is CIP.

23. The method of claim 17, at least a portion of the data is obtained by way of RFID tags on entities associated with the product.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing access to the tracking and tracing data to a remote entity by way of one or more of the Internet and an intranet.

25. A system that facilitates performing tracking and tracing across process boundaries within an industrial automation environment, comprising:

means for receiving data relating to multiple processes within the industrial automation environment, the data conforms to a hierarchically structured data model; and

means for utilizing the received data for tracking and tracing purposes.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for converting data that does not conform to the hierarchically structured data model to data that conforms to the hierarchically structured data model.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising means for providing a map illustrating tracking and tracing data.