Method, apparatus and system for configuration-dependent control of furnishing information

• US 20070288528A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Ebert, Rudiger
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for updating technical data sets that perform maintenance processes in technical systems is provided. The technical systems include a plurality of components that can each be configured dynamically. After a change in configuration of a component is detected, a report is sent by a configuration database to a central management system. The current management system provides the current version of the technical data sets to a document server.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a technical data set for performing a maintenance process in a technical system that includes a plurality of configurable components, the method comprising:

providing a central management system that includes a memory that is operable to store technical data sets that perform maintenance processes;

providing a local document server in the technical system, the local document server being operable to retrieve the technical data sets with respect to the applicable system in an arbitrary configuration;

providing a local configuration database of the configurable components of the system and attributes for control of a respective component;

transferring a report from the configuration database to the central management system based on a change of at least one of the configurable components of the system, or a change of one of the technical data sets, wherein the report includes a request to update the technical data sets with respect to the change;

determining an updated technical data set based on the report and a set of rules stored in a memory of the management system; and

forwarding the updated technical data set to the local document server.

2. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein the report is based on an addition of a component, change of a component, replacement of a component, a change in configuration of the component, or any combination thereof.

3. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein transferring a report from the configuration database to the central management system includes exchanging the report from the technical system to the central management system via a communications connection.

4. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein each technical data set and/or each version of a technical data set is assigned a unique identification signal.

5. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein the attributes that are allocated to a given component and that are stored in memory in the configuration database include a reference to the updated data set or an identification signal that uniquely refers to a version of the technical data set.

6. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein the technical system is automatically updated with the updated technical data set.

7. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein the forwarding of the updated technical data set is tripped by the management system or the local data server.

8. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein determining the updated technical data set includes generating the updated technical data set based on a current configuration of the technical system.

9. The method as defined by claim 1, comprising:

forwarding a central change in at least a part of the technical data set to the system, and/or the components that are affected by the central change.

15. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein forwarding the updated technical data set to the local document server includes exchanging the updated technical data set from the central management system to the technical system via a communications connection.

16. The method as defined by claim 8, wherein generating the updated technical data set is based on a current configuration of one component of the technical system.

10. A control system that updates technical data sets that perform a maintenance process in a technical system, the control system comprising:

a technical system including a plurality of configurable components; and

a central management system that includes a memory that is operable to store technical data sets for configurations of the technical system;

wherein the technical system includes a configuration database and a local document server, the local document server including a memory that is operable to store and communicate technical data sets that correspond to the present configuration of the system, the local configuration database including an allocation module that is operable to allocate the attributes of a configuration that are necessary for a control of a component, and a reporting unit that is operable to send a report to the central management system.

12. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the report includes a request to update the technical data sets with respect to a change, in the event that a change with respect to at least one component of the system has been detected.

13. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the management system includes a memory that is operable to store a rule database that includes a plurality of sets of rules and is operable to automatically determine the most recently updated version of the technical data set based on a report sent from the technical system.

14. The control system according to claim 10, comprising a plurality of technical systems.

11. In a computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for performing a maintenance process in a technical system including a plurality of dynamically configurable components, the storage medium comprising instructions for:

storing in a central management system technical data sets for all the configurations of the system;

storing, in a local document server in the system, the technical data sets with respect to the particular configuration of the system, a local configuration database, and an allocation of the attributes of a configuration for control of a component;

sending a report to the central management system in order to request an updating of the technical data sets with respect to a change, in the event that a change with respect to at least one component of the system has been detected; and

detecting the most recently updated version of the technical data set, the detecting occurring in response to an applicable report.

17. A method for updating a data set in a technical system that includes at least one configurable component, the method comprising:

transferring a report from a configuration database disposed in the technical system to a central management system;

processing the report in the central management system; and

communicating an updated technical data set from the central management system to a document server disposed in the technical system.

18. The method according to 17, wherein the report transferred in response to a change of at least one configurable component of the technical system.

19. The method according to 17, wherein the report is transferred as a function of the current technical data sets.

20. The method according to 17, wherein the updated technical data set is automatically determined based on the report.