Automated methods and systems for analyzing data associated with an industrial process

• US 6,625,567 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell & Howell LLC (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Bell & Howell Mail and Messaging Technologies Company
• Inventors: McMahan, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Application Number:
  US09/434,406
• Time in Patent Office: 1,419 Days
• Field of Search: 702/179, 702/187, 702/178, 702/176, 714/20, 714/39, 709/318
• US Class Current: 702/179
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/50 Timing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/51 Sequence of process
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/23 Recording or storing data
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/24 Calculating methods; Mathematic models
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 43/00 Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/00 Folding thin material specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of particular products, see appropriate subclasses, e.g. D06F89/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00467 Transporting mailpieces postal sorting B07C
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00685 Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00798 using timestamps, i.e. recording time in message

Abstract

Automated methods and systems for analyzing data associated with an industrial process parse data entries received from devices in an industrial process, such as a mail or paper processing system. The parsing can include applying state machines to the data to identify events and produce output relating to the process for which the data is being analyzed. Statistical measures are computed for the output from each of the state machines. The statistical measures are compared to design limits. Output is displayed to the user in a format that facilitates interpretation of the data.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing time-tagged data associated with mail or paper processing comprising:

(a) reading a plurality of time-tagged data items received from a plurality of machines of different types associated with a mail or paper process, each data item including a time-tag portion and an event portion, the time-tag portion indicating a time of occurrence of an event associated with the mail or paper process and the event portion indicating the event, wherein the reading of the plurality of time-tagged data items includes accessing a log file containing the time-tagged data items, the time-tagged data items associated with an event of interest for a particular machine spanning multiple, separated entries in the log file;

(b) parsing the time-tagged data items to identify multiple, separated data items relating to an event of interest for a particular machine and produce output associated with the event of interest; and

(c) computing statistical measures for the mail or paper process from the output for the event of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving a plurality of time-tagged data items in real time and wherein reading a plurality of time-tagged data items includes receiving the time-tagged data items in real time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the time-tagged data items includes applying at least one state machine to the time-tagged data items for identifying time-tagged data items relating to an event of interest and producing output relating to the event of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the time-tagged data items includes applying first and second state machines to the time-tagged data items, the first state machine producing a first output and communicating the first output to the second state machine, the second state machine producing a second output based on the time-tagged data items and the first output from the first state machine.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing computed statistical measures with reference values associated with the mail or paper process and alerting the user when a predetermined relationship exists between the statistical measures and the reference values.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising simultaneously displaying, on a computer display device, process parameter values determined from the time-tagged data and reference values for the process parameter values.

7. A method for analyzing time-tagged data associated with mail or paper processing comprising:

(a) reading a plurality of time-tagged data items received from a plurality of machines of different types associated with a mail or paper process, each data item including a time-tagged portion and an event portion, the time-tagged portion indicating a time of occurrence of an event associated with the mail or paper process, the event portion indicating the event, wherein the reading of the plurality of time-tagged data items includes accessing a log file containing the time-tagged data items, the time-tagged data items associated with an event of interest for a particular machine spanning multiple, separated entries in the log file;

(b) parsing the time-tagged data items to identify multiple, separated data items relating to an event of interest for a particular machine and produce output associated with the event of interest, wherein parsing the time-tagged data items includes applying first and second state machines to the time-tagged data items, the first state machine producing a first output and communicating the first output to the second state machine, the second state machine producing a second output based on the first output from the first state machine; and

(c) computing statistical measures for the mail or paper process from the output produced by the second state machine for the event of interest.

8. A method for analyzing data associated with a mail or paper processing operation comprising:

(a) reading time-tagged data items received from a plurality of machines of different types associated with the mail or paper processing operation, wherein the reading of the plurality of time-tagged data items includes accessing a log file containing the time-tagged data items, the time-tagged data items associated with an event of interest for a particular machine spanning multiple, separated entries in the log file;

(b) parsing the multiple, separated time-tagged data items to identify parameter values for a parameter or parameters relating to an event of interest for a particular machine associated with the mail or paper processing operation;

(c) computing statistical measures for the event of interest based on the parameter values; and

(d) outputting the statistical measures in a manner that facilitates interpretation of the-tagged data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein reading time-tagged data items includes receiving parameter values in real time and storing parameter values associated with a parameter of interest in real time.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein outputting the statistical measures includes simultaneously displaying the statistical measures and reference values for the statistical measures on a computer display device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein outputting the statistical measures includes displaying, on a computer display device, a first window including parameter descriptions and a second window for displaying statistical measures of parameter values for a selected parameter description.

12. The method of claim 8 comprising displaying a window including a graph for simultaneously displaying measured parameter values and reference parameter values associated with the mail or paper processing operation.