Method and data processing system for monitoring operating states of a technical plant

• US 5,625,574 A
• Filed: 09/02/1994
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Fandrich, Joerg, Muller, Helmut, Griffiths, Antony
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Application Number:
  US08/300,434
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 364/550, 364/551.01, 364/552, 364/554, 395/60-77, 395/904, 395/906, 395/911, 395/907, 395/912, 395/914, 395/915, 395/575
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0278 Qualitative, e.g. if-then rules; Fuzzy logic; Lookup tables; Symptomatic search; FMEA

Abstract

The method and the data processing system of the invention monitor the operating states of a technical plant. The operating states of the technical plant are characterized with measured values measured or modeled at a lowest level of the system. The plant is monitored with the measured values and with technological knowledge relevant to the operation of the technical plant stored in a memory of the data processing system. First, the measured values are processed and converted into plant symptoms specific of the associated operating states. Next, a diagnosis of the operational state of the plant is established from the plant symptoms and a significance value is assigned to the diagnosis, or a significance value is first assigned to the plant symptom and the diagnosis is prepared therefrom. The assignment of the significance is based on the technological knowledge. The diagnostic information is thus rated before it is appropriately forwarded to the user surface.

Claims

1. A data processing system for monitoring operating states of a technical plant, comprising:

a) a measuring level with means for obtaining measured values representative of operating states of a technical plant;

b) a coupling level receiving the measured values from said measuring level, said coupling level having means for processing the measured values and for associating measurement-point-specific identifiers with the measured values;

c) an administration level connected to said coupling level, said administration level including an identifier addressing block;

d) an action level connected to said administration level, said action level including an action block with means for carrying out at least one of logical and arithmetic operations for determining at least one of plant symptoms, diagnoses, and respectively associated significance values;

e) a data level communicating with said action level, said data level including data memory means for storing measured-value-specific rules, confidence rules, confidence thresholds, plant symptoms, diagnoses and measured values; and

f) a display level with a user surface communicating with said data level and said action level.

2. A data processing system for monitoring operating states of a technical plant, comprising:

a) a simulation level with a data memory storing and issuing measured values characterizing operating states of a technical plant;

b) a coupling level communicating with and receiving the measured values from said simulation level, said coupling level including means for processing the measured values and adding thereto a measurement-point-specific identifier;

c) an administration level communicating with said coupling level, said administration level including an identifier addressing block;

d) an action level connected to said administration level, said action level including an action block with means for carrying out at least one of logical and arithmetic operations for determining at least one of plant symptoms, diagnoses, and respectively associated significance values;

e) a data level communicating with said action level, said data level including data memory means for storing measured- value-specific rules, confidence rules, confidence thresholds, plant symptoms, diagnoses and measured values; and

f) a display level with a user surface communicating with said data level and said action level.