System, method and article of manufacture for building an enterprise-wide data model

• US 6,167,406 A
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company LLC (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chalupa, Jan, Hafemann, Dennis R., Hoskins, Josiah C., Brooks, Ruven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US09/075,381
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/5, 707/10, 707/100-104, 707/200-206, 700/99, 705/8, 709/226, 709/229, 709/244, 345/333, 364/401, 364/402, 364/403
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A system software solution for controlling an enterprise having one or more components for controlling one or more aspects of an industrial environment. The software includes one or more components for controlling one or more aspects of an industrial environment with code that creates a database of components from existing schematics and timing diagrams. Each of the components have control, diagnostic and resource information pertaining to enterprise resources utilized in the industrial environment. The system also generates code that controls resources comprising cognitive and timing information that synchronizes events throughout the enterprise. The database of components including code that updates the database to reflect changes in the enterprise that manages the design, simulation, implementation and maintenance of a manufacturing enterprise utilizing the database of components. The enterprise control system integrates existing data models into control resources and stores the updated control resources in the database and creates visualizations including schematics, timing diagrams and sequencing charts.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an enterprise with one or more components, including a computer for controlling one or more aspects of an enterprise, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a database of components, each of the components containing control, diagnostic and resource information pertaining to enterprise resources in the enterprise utilizing existing product, process and machine models of the enterprise to populate the database;

(b) generating code for control resources from causal, sequence and timing information to synchronize events throughout the enterprise;

(c) updating the database of components to reflect changes in the enterprise;

(d) generating visualizations of the enterprise utilizing the control resources and a display to reflect changes in the enterprise; and

(e) controlling the enterprise utilizing the database of components and the visualizations.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, including a database component that defines hydraulic information for the enterprise.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, including a database component that integrates existing data models into the control resources.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, including a database component that defines diagnostic information for the enterprise.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, including a database component that defines user interface information for the enterprise.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, including a database component that defines safety information for the enterprise.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, including a database component that defines control information for the enterprise.

8. A system for controlling an enterprise, including a computer with one or more components for controlling one or more aspects of an industrial environment, comprising:

(a) a database of components, each of the components containing control, diagnostic and resource information pertaining to enterprise resources in the enterprise utilizing existing product, process and machine models of the enterprise to populate the database;

(b) a code generator that generates control resources from causal, sequence and timing information to synchronize events throughout the enterprise;

(c) the database comprising update code that updates the database of components to reflect changes in the enterprise;

(d) first enterprise system control code that generates visualizations of the enterprise utilizing the control resources and a display to reflect changes in the enterprise; and

(e) second enterprise system control code that controls the enterprise utilizing the database of components and the visualizations.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, including a database component that defines hydraulic information for the enterprise.

10. A system as recited in claim 8, including a database component that integrates existing data models into the control resources.

11. A system as recited in claim 8, including a database component that defines diagnostic information for the enterprise.

12. A system as recited in claim 8, including a database component that defines user interface information for the enterprise.

13. A system as recited in claim 8, including a database component that defines safety information for the enterprise.

14. A system as recited in claim 8, including a database component that defines control information for the enterprise.

15. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for controlling an enterprise, comprising:

(a) a database code segment containing control, diagnostic and resource information pertaining to enterprise resources in the enterprise utilizing existing product, process and machine models of the enterprise to populate the database;

(b) a code generator code segment that generates control resources from causal, sequence and timing information to synchronize events throughout the enterprise;

(c) the database code segment including update code that updates the database of components to reflect changes in the enterprise;

(d) a first enterprise control code segment that generates visualizations of the enterprise utilizing the control resources and a display to reflect changes in the enterprise; and

(e) a second enterprise control code segment that controls the enterprise utilizing the database of components and the visualizations.

16. The computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium as recited in claim 15, including a database component that defines hydraulic information for the enterprise.

17. A computer program as recited in claim 15, including a database component that integrates existing data models into the control resources.

18. A computer program as recited in claim 15, including a database component that defines diagnostic information for the enterprise.

19. A computer program as recited in claim 15, including a database component that defines user interface information for the enterprise.

20. A computer program as recited in claim 15, including a database component that defines safety information for the enterprise.