INDUSTRY TEMPLATE CUSTOMIZATION AND TRANSCLUSION FOR USE IN INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AND INFORMATION SOLUTIONS

• US 20090327991A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Weatherhead, N. Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and/or methodology for the customization and transclusion of design templates/patterns for use in industrial automation. The system provides for the de-abstraction of one or more design templates, and generating engineering specifications via customization of the de-abstracted design templates. Additionally, the invention provides a user interface for modification of the template de-abstraction and/or customization process.

Claims

1. A system facilitating customization of design templates, comprising:

a transclusion component that de-abstracts at least at least one design template; and

a customization component that enables modification of the de-abstracted design template, and generates at least one design specification based on the de-abstracted design template.

2. The system of claim 1, the transclusion component obtains at least one design template.

3. The system of claim 1, the transclusion component de-abstracts the design template by appending at least one class specific layer to the design templates.

4. The system of claim 3, the class specific layers include at least one of an industry specific layer, a customer specific layer, an application specific layer, and a project specific layer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the customization component enables modification of the de-abstracted design template, the modification can be based on at least one of a set of user input, an associated application, or a customization schema.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface component that provides for operator interaction with at least one of the transclusion component, the customization component, or a data store.

7. The system of claim 6, the user interface component exposes at least one interface that enables users to at least one of select one or more design templates, determine at least one class specific layer to append to the design templates, select or determine a transclusion schema, select or determine a customization schema, or customize the de-abstracted design templates.

8. The system of claim 1, the transclusion component obtains at least one of a user requirement, or a functional specification.

9. The system of claim 8, the transclusion component determines the class specific layers to append to the design templates based at least in part on the user requirements, the functional specifications, a set of user input, or a transclusion schema.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component that facilitates automating one or more features of the system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the features of the system are decomposed into one or more Holonic agents that facilitate at least one of the transclusion component, the customization component, or a user interface component.

12. A method facilitating customization of design templates, comprising the steps of:

de-abstracting at least at least one design template; and

customizing the de-abstracted design template to generate at least one specification.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising obtaining at least one design template.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein de-abstracting the design templates further comprises appending at least one class specific layer to the design template, the class specific layers including at least one of:

an industry specific layer, a customer specific layer, an application specific layer, or a project specific layer.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising customizing the de-abstracted design templates based at least in part on at least one of a set of user input, one or more data transfers, or a customization schema.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising exposing at least one interface that enables an operator to interact with at least one of the steps of de-abstracting the design templates, or customizing the de-abstracted design templates.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the interfaces enable the operator to at least one of select of a design template, determine at least one class specific layer to append to the design templates, select or determine a transclusion schema, select or determine a customization schema, or customize the de-abstracted design templates.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising automating via artificial intelligence at least one of the steps of de-abstracting the design templates, or customizing the de-abstracted design templates.

19. A system for customization of design templates, comprising:

means for acquiring at least one design template, and at least one user requirement;

means for de-abstracting the design templates by appending at least one class defined layer to the design templates;

means for customizing the design templates based at least in part on at least one of;

a set of user input, at least one data transfer, an associated application, or a customization schema; and

means for generating at least one engineering specification based at least in part on the de-abstracted design template.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for enabling a user to at least one of select at least one design template, determine at least one class specific layer to append to the design templates, select or determine a transclusion schema, select or determine a customization schema, or customize the de-abstracted design templates.

21. A template customization apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions related to de-abstracting at least at least one design template, and customizing the de-abstracted design template to generate at least one specification; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to execute the instructions retained in the memory.

22. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for de-abstracting at least at least one design template; and

code for customizing the de-abstracted design template to generate at least one specification

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising code for obtaining at least one design template.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein de-abstracting the design templates further comprises code for appending at least one class specific layer to the design template, the class specific layers including at least one of:

an industry specific layer, a customer specific layer, an application specific layer, or a project specific layer.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising code for customizing the de-abstracted design templates based at least in part on at least one of a set of user input, one or more data transfers, or a customization schema.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising code for exposing at least one interface that enables an operator to interact with at least one of the steps of de-abstracting the design templates, or customizing the de-abstracted design templates.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the interfaces enable the operator to at least one of select of a design template, determine at least one class specific layer to append to the design templates, select or determine a transclusion schema, select or determine a customization schema, or customize the de-abstracted design templates.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising code for automating via artificial intelligence at least one of the steps of de-abstracting the design templates, or customizing the de-abstracted design templates.