Control system for executing a task instruction by performing distributed processing via a number of modules

• US 6,347,253 B1
• Filed: 03/08/1999
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kohno, Yoshiaki, Fujita, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/264,002
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 700/2-3, 700/28, 700/7, 700/9, 700/19, 700/20, 700/23, 700/27, 700/30-31, 700/86-89, 700/169, 700/249-250, 700/173, 700/174, 709/100, 709/105
• US Class Current: 700/28
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4142 characterised by the use of a microprocessor G05B19/4141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33055 Holon, agent executes task and cooperates with other, distributed control

Abstract

A control system for executing task instructions, comprising a higher-order module for making an inquiry as to whether or not a task instruction can be executed, and a lower-order module for determining whether or not the task instruction can be executed, in response to the inquiry made by the higher-order module, the higher-order module including a task instruction decomposition section for decomposing the task instruction into a sequence of task instructions executable by the lower-order module, when the task instruction is inexecutable by the lower-order module, and further including a task instruction allocation section for allocating an executable task instruction to the lower-order module.

Claims

1. A control system for executing task instructions, comprising:

a higher-order module configured to make an inquiry as to whether or not a task instruction can be executed; and

a lower-order module configured to determine whether or not the task instruction can be executed, in response to the inquiry made by the higher-order module,

said higher-order module including a task instruction decomposition section configured to decompose the task instruction into a sequence of task instructions executable by the lower-order module, when the task instruction is inexecutable by the lower-order module, and further including a task instruction allocation section configured to allocate an executable task instruction to the lower-order module.

2. A control system according to claim 1, wherein said higher-order module includes an allocation optimization section which is used when a plurality of lower-order modules that can execute a task instruction are available and which allocates the task instruction to the lower-order modules according to optimization rules.

3. A control system according to claim 1, wherein said higher-order module includes:

a function model configured to store a sequence of task instructions that can be executed by combining a plurality of lower-order modules, and further to store attributes of the task instructions; and

a negotiation section configured to determine whether a task instruction can be allocated to the lower-order modules by referring to the function model.

4. A control system according to claim 1, wherein:

said lower-order module includes a negotiation section configured to send a schedule to the higher-order module in response to the inquiry made by the higher-order module when the lower-order module can execute the task instruction; and

said higher-order module includes an allocation optimization section configured to allocate the task instruction based on said schedule.

5. A control system according to claim 1, wherein said higher-order module includes:

a load model configured to store a schedule of the higher-order module and schedules of a plurality lower-order modules; and

an allocation optimization section configured to determine schedules used when the task instruction is allocated to the lower-order modules, by referring to the load model.

6. A control method for controlling a system that is made up of a plurality of modules being arranged to constitute a hierarchical configuration, wherein higher-order module which is arranged against one or more lower-order modules executes steps of:

making an inquiry to at least one lower-order module to check whether or not a task instruction can be executed, and for receiving a response from said lower-order module;

allocating the instruction to a lower-order module which responds to the inquiry that the instruction is executable, and decomposing the instruction if there is no lower-order module makes a response that the task instruction is executable, and making an inquiry to at least one lower-order module once again to check whether or not decomposed instructions are executable; and

repeatedly executing decomposition of instructions and allocation thereof until the decomposed instructions become executable by the lower-order module and are allocated thereto.

7. A control method according to claim 6, further including a step of, when a plurality of lower-order modules that can execute a task instruction are available, allocating the task instruction to the lower-order modules according to optimization rules.

8. A control method according to claim 6, wherein said higher-order module includes a load model for storing a schedule of the higher-order module and schedules of a plurality lower-order modules, and said method includes a step of determining schedules used when the task instruction is allocated to the lower-order modules, by referring to the load model.