METHODS AND APPARATUS TO EXECUTE AN AUXILIARY RECIPE AND A BATCH RECIPE ASSOCIATED WITH A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090125906A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Irwin, William George, Moore, James Henry JR., Nanda, Tusar, Pettus, Nathan William
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/101
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32077 Batch control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32095 Text, menu driven editor for batch programming, phase sequence, parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32096 Batch, recipe configuration for flexible batch control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32128 Gui graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe execution are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves executing a first recipe, and before completion of execution of the first recipe, receiving an auxiliary recipe. The example method also involves determining whether the first recipe has reached an entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed. The auxiliary recipe is then executed in response to determining that the first recipe has reached the entry point.

Claims

1. A method to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe in a process control system, the method comprising:

executing a first recipe; and

before completion of execution of the first recipe;

identifying an auxiliary recipe;

determining whether the first recipe has reached an entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed; and

executing the auxiliary recipe in response to determining that the first recipe has reached the entry point.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary recipe is separate from the first recipe.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising executing the auxiliary recipe using process control equipment reserved for the first recipe.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the entry point is a transition point between at least two process steps of the first recipe.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising pausing the execution of the first recipe prior to executing the auxiliary recipe and re-activating the first recipe after completion of execution of the auxiliary recipe.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first recipe is associated with a first recipe identifier, and wherein the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising reserving equipment for the first recipe based on the first recipe identifier and facilitating the auxiliary recipe to use the equipment based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating the entry point by identifying a transition point between at least two process steps of the first recipe and determining that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

9. An apparatus to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe in a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a recipe interface to obtain an auxiliary recipe during execution of a batch recipe;

a process status identifier to determine whether the batch recipe has reached an entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed; and

an operating mode selector to cause execution of the auxiliary recipe in response to determining that the batch recipe has reached the entry point.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the auxiliary recipe is separate from the batch recipe.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the auxiliary recipe is executed using process control equipment reserved for the batch recipe.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the entry point is a transition point between at least two process steps of the batch recipe.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the operating mode selector is further to pause the execution of the batch recipe prior to executing the auxiliary recipe and to re-activate the batch recipe after the auxiliary recipe completes execution.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the batch recipe is associated with a first recipe identifier, and wherein the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a resource manager to identify equipment reserved for the batch recipe based on the first recipe identifier and facilitate use of the equipment by the auxiliary recipe based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier.

16. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

before completion of execution of a first recipe;

identify an auxiliary recipe;

determine whether the first recipe has reached an entry point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed; and

execute the auxiliary recipe in response to determining that the first recipe has reached the entry point.

17. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the auxiliary recipe is separate from the first recipe.

18. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to cause execution of the auxiliary recipe using process control equipment reserved for the first recipe.

19. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the entry point is a transition point between at least two process steps of the first recipe.

20. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to pause the execution of the first recipe prior to executing the auxiliary recipe and re-activating the first recipe after completion of execution of the auxiliary recipe.

21. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the first recipe is associated with a first recipe identifier, and wherein the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier.

22. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 21 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to reserve equipment for the first recipe based on the first recipe identifier and facilitate the auxiliary recipe to use the equipment based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier.

23. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to generate the entry point by identifying a transition point between at least two process steps of the first recipe and determine that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

24. A method to configure an auxiliary recipe for execution during a batch recipe in a process control system, the method comprising:

receiving first and second recipes;

identifying a transition point between at least two process steps in the first recipe;

determining whether the second recipe can be executed at the transition point; and

storing a recipe entry point in association with the second recipe in response to determining that the second recipe can be executed at the transition point, wherein the recipe entry point corresponds to the transition point.

25. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein determining whether the second recipe can be executed at the transition point comprises determining that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

26. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein determining whether the second recipe can be executed at the transition point comprises determining that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not conflict with execution of the first recipe.

27. A method as defined in claim 24, wherein the recipe entry point facilitates executing the second recipe at the recipe entry point after execution of the first recipe has started.

28. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising generating an error message in response to determining that the second recipe cannot be executed at the transition point.

29. An apparatus to configure an auxiliary recipe for execution during a batch recipe in a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a recipe analyzer to receive first and second recipes;

a phase transition identifier to identify a transition point between at least two process steps in the first recipe;

a rules compliance verifier to determine whether the second recipe can be executed at the transition point; and

an entry point generator to store a recipe entry point in association with the second recipe in response to determining that the second recipe can be executed at the transition point.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein the rules compliance verifier is to determine whether the second recipe can be executed at the transition point by determining that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not violate a process flow rule.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein the rules compliance verifier is to determine whether the second recipe can be executed at the transition point by determining that executing the auxiliary recipe at the transition point does not conflict with execution of the first recipe.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein the recipe entry point facilitates executing the second recipe at the entry point after execution of the first recipe has started.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein the recipe analyzer is to generate an error message in response to the rules compliance verifier determining that the second recipe cannot be executed at the transition point.

34. An apparatus to execute an auxiliary recipe and a batch recipe in a process control system, the apparatus comprising:

a recipe interface to obtain an auxiliary recipe during execution of a batch recipe, wherein the batch recipe is associated with a first recipe identifier and the auxiliary recipe is associated with a second recipe identifier equal to the first recipe identifier;

a resource manager to identify equipment reserved for the batch recipe based on the first recipe identifier and to facilitate use of the equipment by the auxiliary recipe based on the second recipe identifier being equal to the first recipe identifier; and

an operating mode selector to cause execution of the auxiliary recipe, wherein the auxiliary recipe is to use the equipment reserved for the batch recipe based on the resource manager identifying the equipment based on the first and second recipe identifiers.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the auxiliary recipe is separate from the batch recipe.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the batch recipe does not release the equipment prior to execution of the auxiliary recipe.

37. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein the operating mode selector is further to pause the execution of the batch recipe prior to executing the auxiliary recipe and to re-activate the batch recipe after the auxiliary recipe completes execution.

38. An apparatus as defined in claim 34, further comprising a process status identifier to determine whether the batch recipe has reached at least one of a user-specified phase transition point or a next available phase transition point at which the auxiliary recipe can be executed, wherein the operating mode selector is further to cause execution of the auxiliary recipe in response to determining that the batch recipes has reached the at least one of the user-specified phase transition point or the next available phase transition point.