Object-oriented framework for chemical-process-development decision-support applications

• US 6,618,852 B1
• Filed: 09/13/1999
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dassault Systemes Americas Corp. (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Original Assignee: IntelliChem, Inc. (Texas) (Dassault Systemes SA)
• Inventors: van Eikeren, Joshua S., van Eikeren, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENDALL, CHUCK O
• Application Number:
  US09/394,746
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 717/1, 717/4, 717/100-118, 709/200, 345/764, 707/3
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/24 Object-oriented

Abstract

An object oriented framework provides a set of objects that perform chemical-process-development decision-support functioning and that permit a framework user to add extensions for specific processing features, thereby producing an application program that supports decision-making during chemical development activities. The framework includes a Chemical Process Definition Document category of classes for defining the chemical process, an Entity Creation category of classes for creating entities in the Chemical Process Definition Document, an Entity Validation category of classes for validating entities in the Chemical Process Definition, a Control category of classes for providing document control of the Chemical Process Definition Document, an Experimental Design category of classes for creating experimental designs, a Statistical Analysis category of classes for analyzing the results of designed experiments, and a Reporting category of classes for creating reports and analyses from the Chemical Process Definition Document. These classes provide the base framework upon which chemical-process-development decision-support application program is developed by the framework user.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit;

a user interface; and

a main memory having an operating system that supports an object-oriented programming environment containing an object oriented framework that includes a plurality of predefined object oriented classes that may be extended by a user, wherein the framework provides a decision support system for development of a chemical process, said chemical process being specified by a data object.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a chemical process recording mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating, assembling, validating and controlling information contained in the data object specifying the chemical process.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a chemical process characterization mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating and analyzing a statistical experimental process design for at least one of screening and optimizing a chemical process factor.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a chemical process reporting mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of a unit conversion, a cost estimation, and a task associated with said chemical process.

5. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the cooperating objects of the chemical process reporting mechanism include an object that identifies at least one of a resource and a sequence of logical events for performing a chemical process procedure on an automated device.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the memory includes a data object specifying at least one of a property, a behavior, and an attribute of interest of said chemical process.

7. The computer system of claim 6, further comprising an object specifying an activity sequence to convert a chemical reactant to a chemical product.

8. The computer system of claim 7, further comprising an object identifying a chemical procedure operation.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data object specifying said chemical process is implemented as an XML object.

10. An object oriented framework that includes a plurality of predefined object classes that may be extended by a user for use in a computer system having an operating system that supports an object oriented programming environment and which includes a memory in which cooperating objects comprising object classes can be stored, the framework providing an extensible decision-support system for development of a chemical process, said chemical process being specified by a data object.

11. The framework of claim 10 further including a chemical process recording mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating, assembling, validating and controlling information contained in said data object specifying said chemical process.

12. The framework of claim 10 further including a chemical process characterization mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating and analyzing a statistical experimental design for at least one of screening and optimizing a chemical process factor.

13. The framework of claim 10 further including a chemical process reporting mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of unit conversion, cost estimation, and a task associated with said chemical process.

14. The framework of claim 13, wherein the cooperating objects of the chemical process reporting mechanism include an object that identifies at least one of a resource and a sequence of logical events for performing a chemical process procedure on an automated device.

15. The framework of claim 10, wherein said data object specifies at least one of a property, a behavior, and an attribute of interest of said chemical process.

16. The framework of claim 10, further comprising an object specifying an activity sequence to convert a chemical reactant to a chemical product.

17. The framework of claim 16, further comprising an object identifying a chemical procedure operation.

18. The framework of claim 10, wherein said data object specifying said chemical process is implemented as an XML object.

19. A program product data storage device, tangibly embodying a program of machine readable instructions executable by a computer system having an operating system that supports an object oriented programming environment, the program product comprising:

a recordable medium; and

an object oriented framework recorded on the recordable medium, the framework including a plurality of pre-defined object oriented classes that may be extended by a user, wherein the framework provides decision-support system for development of a chemical process, said chemical process being specified by a data object.

20. The program product of claim 19 further including a chemical process recording mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating, assembling, validating and controlling information contained in the data object specifying the chemical process.

21. The program product of claim 19 further including a chemical process characterization mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating and analyzing a statistical experimental design for at least one of screening and optimizing a chemical process factor.

22. The program product of claim 19 further including a chemical process reporting mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of a unit conversion, a cost estimation, and a task associated with said chemical process.

23. The program product of claim 22 wherein the cooperating objects of the chemical process recording mechanism include an object that identifies at least one of a resource and a sequence of logical events for performing a chemical process procedure on an automated device.

24. The program product of claim 19 wherein the said data object specifies at least one of a property, a behavior, and an attribute of interest of said chemical process.

25. The program product of claim 19 further comprising an object specifying an activity sequence to convert a chemical reactant to a chemical product.

26. The program product of claim 25 further comprising an object identifying a chemical procedure operation.

27. The program product of claim 19 wherein the data object specifying the chemical process is implemented as an XML object.

28. A method of distributing a program product, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between a first computer system and a second computer system; and

transmitting the program product from the first computer system to the second computer system, wherein the program product comprises an object oriented framework that includes a plurality of pre-defined object oriented classes that may be extended by a user, the framework providing a decision support system for development of a chemical process, said chemical process being specified by a data object.

29. The method of claim 28 further including a chemical process recording mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating, assembling, validating and controlling information contained in the data object specifying the chemical process.

30. The method of claim 28 further including a chemical process characterization mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of creating and analyzing a statistical experimental design for at least one of screening and optimizing a chemical process factor.

31. The method of claim 28 further including a chemical process reporting mechanism comprising at least one category of cooperating objects including at least one object specifying at least one of a method and an attribute for at least one of a unit conversion, a cost estimation, and a task associated with said chemical process.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the cooperating objects of the chemical process reporting mechanism includes an object that identifies at least one of a resource and a sequence of logical events for performing a chemical process procedure on an automated device.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein said data object specifies at least one of a property, a behavior, and an attribute of interest of said chemical process.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising an object specifying an activity sequence to convert a chemical reactant to a chemical product.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising an object that identifies a chemical procedure operation.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the chemical process is specified by an object implemented as an XML object.