CLOUD COMPUTING FOR A MANUFACTURING EXECUTION SYSTEM

• US 20100256794A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Duca, Andrew, McLaughlin, Paul F., Burd, Matthew G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31282 Data acquisition, BDE MDE
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/04 Manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/30 Computing systems specially adapted for manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

A computing cloud system includes at least one data storage unit configured to store information associated with at least one manufacturing execution system. The computing cloud system also includes at least one processing unit configured to execute instructions associated with the at least one manufacturing execution system and at least one communications interface configured to receive information from the at least one manufacturing site and to interpret the information.

Claims

1. A computing cloud system comprising:

at least one data storage unit configured to store information associated with at least one manufacturing execution system;

at least one processing unit configured to execute instructions associated with the at least one manufacturing execution system; and

at least one communications interface configured to receive information from at least one manufacturing site, to interpret the information from the at least one manufacturing site, and to provide information relating to the at least one manufacturing site.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one data storage unit is configured to store at least one manufacturing history, and wherein the information is provided to the at least one manufacturing site as if the information is stored at the at least one manufacturing site.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the information from the at least one manufacturing site comprises information associated with at least one machine at the at least one manufacturing site.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the information associated with the at least one machine comprises information obtained by sensors at the at least one manufacturing site.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the information obtained by the sensors at the at least one manufacturing site is used by the at least one processing unit to predict future equipment failure.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the information obtained by the sensors at the at least one manufacturing site is used by the at least one processing unit to refine operating parameters of the at least one machine.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein information is provided to the at least one manufacturing site through the at least one communications interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the information provided to the at least one manufacturing site comprises instructions associated with operation of at least one machine at the at least one manufacturing site.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is used by the at least one processing unit for regulatory compliance.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one communications interface is configured to connect a thin client to the computing cloud system through the at least one communications interface.

11. A method comprising:

operating a manufacturing execution system, wherein the manufacturing execution system comprises;

a data storage unit configured to store information associated with at least one client, and

a processor unit configured to use the information stored in the data storage unit;

connecting to the least one client; and

tracking an operation of the at least one client.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

controlling the at least one client.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data storage unit stores information associated with an operational history of the at least one client.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the manufacturing execution system is used to predict a hardware failure of an item within the at least one client.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the manufacturing execution system is used to maintain regulatory compliance.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a data storage unit comprising instructions associated with a manufacturing execution system;

a processor configured to execute the instructions; and

a communications interface configured to provide at least one communications link used to exchange information associated with the manufacturing execution system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is in communication with at least one client.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to control at least one client through the communications interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a manufacturing history of every client connected to the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to interpret information from the manufacturing history to determine if a fault occurs.