COLLABORATIVE AUTOMATION SYSTEM AND NETHOD FOR THE CONTROL THEREOF

• US 20100138015A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Mendes, Marco, Milagaia, Rui, Colombo, Armando Walter, Schoop, Ronald, Bepperling, Axel
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/95
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31161 Java programcode or simular active agents, programs, applets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31196 SOAP, describes available services and how to call them remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to a collaborative automation system (PS), comprising devices providing divided production and control services (D) such as transport and processing machines (M) with associated device agents (ST-AG, MA-AG), products with associated product agents (WP-AG), and a coordination unit (CO) providing a communication platform (SKP); the invention further relates to a method for the control of such a system. In order to obtain a dynamic detection and calling of processes in a loosely coupled production structure and infrastructure, the invention provides for devices (ST, MA, WP) providing the production and control services to be associated with a DPWS-based web service (ST-WS; MA-WS), wherein device functions are implemented into the DPWS-based web service as device service and agent functions. The communication platform (SKP) is designed as a uniform, DPWS-oriented SOA platform. The devices (ST, MA, WP) providing production and control services communicate via an integrated DPWS-based web service (ST-WS; MA-WS) and via a single communication platform (SKP), wherein device functions are implemented as device services (ST-WS; MA-WS) and agent functions describing device agents (ST-AG; MA-AG; WP-AG) as agent services in the DPWS-based web service. The communication platform is used as a uniform, DPWS-oriented SOA platform.

Claims

1. A collaborative automation system (PS) encompassing devices (D) that provide distributed production and control service, such as transport and processing machines (M) with associated device-agents (ST-AG, MA-AG), products with associated product-agents (WP-AG) as well as a coordination unit (CO) that provides a communication platform (SKP),

characterized in that,

a DWPS-based web service (ST-WS;

MA-WS) is associated with the devices (ST, MA, WP) providing production and control services, wherein, in the DPWS-based webs service, device functions are implemented as device service, and device agents, that describe agent functions, are implemented as agent service and wherein the communication platform is operated as a uniform, DPWS-oriented SOA platform.

2. Collaborative automation system according to claim 1,

characterized in that,

the DPWS-service, the agents service and the device service together with the device control and, if applicable, the device mechanics form a collaborative automation-service-unit (CASU).

3. Collaborative automation system according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that,

in the communication unit (CO) a layout of the flexible production system (PS) is implemented, particularly configuration and layout of the transport and production services as well as the state of production at runtime.

4. Collaborative automation system according to at least one of the prior claims,

characterized in that,

the modeling of the production systems and the coordination can be accomplished on the basis of appropriate modeling languages, such as for instance BPEL4WS, PN-derivatives, SFC-derivatives or flow diagrams.

5. Collaborative automation system according to at least one of the prior claims,

characterized in that,

the coordination unit (CO) can be arranged in an external, central, integrated and/or distributed implementation.

6. Collaborative automation system according to at least one of the prior claims,

characterized in that,

the coordination unit (CO) features a support interface for connecting with an agent system that supports the selection of services and the optimal routing of products.

7. Collaborative automation system according to at least one of the prior claims,

characterized in that,

the device agents (ST-AG;

MA-AG;

WP-AG) can be implemented locally on the collaborative automation service unit (CASU) or as separate components as product agents (WP-AG).

10. Collaborative automation system according to at least one of the prior claims,

characterized in that,

the modeling of the production systems and the coordination can be accomplished on the basis of appropriate modeling languages, such as for instance BPEL4WS, PN-derivatives, SFC-derivatives or flow diagrams.

8. Process for the control of a collaborative automation system (PS) encompassing devices (D) that provide distributed production and control service, such as transport and processing machines (ST;

PP;

MA) with associated device-agents (ST-AG, MA-AG), products with associated product-agents (WP-AG) as well as a coordination unit (CO) that provides a communication platform (SKP),

characterized in that,

the devices (ST, MA, WP) providing production and control services communicate by means of an integrated DWPS-based web service (ST-WS;

MA-WS) by means of a single communication platform (SKP), wherein device functions are implemented as device service (ST-WS;

MA-WS), and device agents (ST-AG;

MA-AG;

WP-AG), that describe agent functions, are implemented as agent service in the DPWS-based webs service and wherein the communication platform is operated as a uniform, DPWS-oriented SOA platform.

9. Collaborative automation system according to claim 8,

characterized in that,

in the communication unit (CO) a layout of the flexible production system (PS) is implemented, particularly configuration and layout of the transport and production services as well as the state of production at runtime.