INDUSTRIAL OPERATOR INTERFACES INTERACTING WITH HIGHER-LEVEL BUSINESS WORKFLOW

• US 20080269917A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalan, Michael D., Hood, Gavan W., Baier, John J., Chand, Sujeet, Hall, Kenwood H., Briant, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that enable high-level and abstract business engines to affect and influence plant-floor or industrial operations via dynamic and flexible operator interfaces. In a similar manner, actions directed from the operator interfaces can be communicated to higher level decision components of an enterprise to facilitate automated control and dynamics of the enterprise. In one aspect, an industrial automation system is provided. The system includes one or more controllers to process transaction events in an industrial automation environment. One or more operator interface components are provided that automatically adapt interface control functionality based on the transaction events.

Claims

1. A business transaction engine and operator interface method, comprising:

adapting a control platform with a business execution language;

providing message control capabilities for an operator interface;

interfacing the message control capabilities with the business execution language; and

automatically adjusting functionality of the operator interface via the business execution language.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing effects of a previous business activity that was carried out as part of a larger unit of work that is abandoned.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data about a current state and returning data regarding the results of a business compensation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a fault via one or more error handling procedures.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a status query that includes a request/response operation from the business execution language.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more message events to drive the operator interface.

7. The method of claim 6, the message events are part of an asynchronous (one-way) or a synchronous (request/response) operation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one alarm event that is associated with a time specification.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically enabling or disabling an event associated with the operator interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating global alarm events.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a fault handler to process errors encountered during an event.

12. A business transaction control system and interface, comprising:

means for operating a business execution language in a control system;

means for communicating to an operator interface;

means for controlling the operator interface from the business execution language; and

means for automatically adjusting the operator interface via the business execution language.