Self organizing industrial control system using bidding process
First Claim
1. An industrial control system for controlling an industrial process of interconnected machines operating on a manufactured product, the industrial control comprising:
- a communication link receiving a job description of a set of tasks for producing a desired product;
a plurality of autonomous control units, one associated with each machine, each autonomous control unit including;
(a) an interface connecting the autonomous control unit to the communications link to communicate thereon with other autonomous control units;
(b) an electronic memory holding data representing;
(i) machine constraints indicating constraints on the operation of the associated machine resulting from the limitations of the machine;
(ii) inter-machine constraints indicating constraints on the operation of the associated machine resulting from the interaction of the associated machine with other machines;
(iii) goals indicating desired operating points within the operational constraints; and
(iv) a bid protocol program;
(c) an electronic computer communicating with the interface to receive the job description and the electronic memory and executing the bid protocol program to;
(i) in response to the job description and bids by other autonomous control units, transmitting a bid over the communications link describing performance of a task by the associated equipment operating within the machine constraints, inter-machine constraints and according to the goals and in the alternative, a counterbid proposing new inter-machine constraints;
(ii) in response to counterbids received over the communication link from other autonomous control units, transmitting a modified bid over the communications link describing performance of a task by the associated equipment operating within the machine constraints, the inter-machine constraints as modified by the received counterbid and according to the goals, and in the alternative, a counterbid proposing new inter-machine constraints;
whereby the set of tasks for producing the desired product may be automatically allocated among the machines.
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Abstract
An industrial control system associates an autonomous control unit with each piece of equipment in an industrial process, the autonomous control units having a model of the equipment'"'"'s operation and data indicating constraints on the equipment'"'"'s operation. A product to be produced is abstracted as a set of machine independent steps and performance of these steps bid upon by the autonomous control units according constraints models and internal goals. Bids having conflicting requirements may generate counterbids until a completed plan for the production of the product is generated.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. An industrial control system for controlling an industrial process of interconnected machines operating on a manufactured product, the industrial control comprising:
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a communication link receiving a job description of a set of tasks for producing a desired product; a plurality of autonomous control units, one associated with each machine, each autonomous control unit including; (a) an interface connecting the autonomous control unit to the communications link to communicate thereon with other autonomous control units; (b) an electronic memory holding data representing; (i) machine constraints indicating constraints on the operation of the associated machine resulting from the limitations of the machine; (ii) inter-machine constraints indicating constraints on the operation of the associated machine resulting from the interaction of the associated machine with other machines; (iii) goals indicating desired operating points within the operational constraints; and (iv) a bid protocol program; (c) an electronic computer communicating with the interface to receive the job description and the electronic memory and executing the bid protocol program to; (i) in response to the job description and bids by other autonomous control units, transmitting a bid over the communications link describing performance of a task by the associated equipment operating within the machine constraints, inter-machine constraints and according to the goals and in the alternative, a counterbid proposing new inter-machine constraints; (ii) in response to counterbids received over the communication link from other autonomous control units, transmitting a modified bid over the communications link describing performance of a task by the associated equipment operating within the machine constraints, the inter-machine constraints as modified by the received counterbid and according to the goals, and in the alternative, a counterbid proposing new inter-machine constraints; whereby the set of tasks for producing the desired product may be automatically allocated among the machines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification