Method and apparatus for retrieving time series data related to an activity

• US 7,152,068 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Rybarczyk, David F., Emery, Michael J., Mets, Christiaan M. H., Strilich, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S.
• Application Number:
  US10/026,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/100, 707/200, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 705/2, 702/57, 702/179, 709/217
• US Class Current: 707/792
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0264 Control of logging system, e.g. decision on which data to store; time-stamping measurements

Abstract

A method and apparatus that processes time series, event and/or activity data of a process according to a data structure. The data structure defines one or more activities that frame the time series, event and/or activity data. Each activity and each event has one or more attributes. Each attribute has a value. At least one of the attributes defines an interval of the activity by start and end times. Another attribute includes a time varying parameter that represents the time series data. Another attribute defines a time stamp of an event. The time varying parameter is linked to a device that produces the time series data when the process is run. The time series, event and/or activity data is collected and processed according to the data structure for storage in and/or retrieval from a memory. A relationship between data of one or more activities and the time series, event and/or activity data is processed according to the data structure to retrieve the time series, event and/or activity data from the memory.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus for accessing time series data of a process, said apparatus comprising:

a processor and an activity framing program that responds to input data entered by a user to define a data structure,

wherein said activity framing program responds to said input data to define said data structure with a plurality of activities of said process, at least one attribute of a first one of said activities, a definition of said attribute and a tag for a device that produces at least a portion of said time series data that occurs during said first activity, and

wherein said framing program further responds to a request that identifies said first activity and said tag by using said data structure to access said time series data to retrieve said portion of said time series data.

2. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data structure is additionally defined by a value attribute that is linked to said device, and wherein said request additionally identifies said value attribute.

3. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data structure is additionally defined by an equipment of which said device is a part, and an attribute of said equipment that has a value that is linked to said device, and wherein said request identifies said first activity and said equipment attribute without identifying said device to retrieve said time series data that is produced by said device and that is framed by said first activity.

4. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein said time series data is stored in a database.

5. The computer apparatus of claim 4, wherein said data structure is stored in one of said database and a separate memory.

6. The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said activities is something that happens or is planned to happen over a period of time during said process.

7. A method for using a computer to access time series data of a process, said method comprising:

operating said computer with an activity framing program in response to input data entered by a user to define a data structure,

wherein said activity framing program responds to said input data to define said data structure with a plurality of activities of said process, at least one attribute of a first one of said activities, a definition of said attribute and a tag for a device that produces at least a portion of said time series data that occurs during said first activity, and

wherein said framing program further responds to a request that identifies said first activity and said tag by using said data structure to access said time series data to retrieve said portion of said time series data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said data structure is additionally defined by a value attribute that is linked to said device, and wherein said request additionally identifies said value attribute.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said data structure is additionally defined by an equipment of which said device is a part, and an attribute of said equipment that has a value that is linked to said device, and wherein said request identifies said first activity and said equipment attribute without identifying said device to retrieve said time series data that is produced by said device and that is framed by said first activity.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each of said activities is something that happens or is planned to happen over a period of time during said process.

11. A memory media for controlling a computer to process time series data of a process, said memory media comprising:

program instructions of an activity framing program for controlling a computer in response to input data entered by a user to define a data structure,

wherein said activity framing program responds to said input data to define said data structure with a plurality of activities of said process, at least one attribute of a first one of said activities, a definition of said attribute and a tag for a device that produces at least a portion of said time series data that occurs during said first activity, and

wherein said framing program further responds to a request that identifies said first activity and said tag to use said data structure to access said time series data to retrieve said portion of said time series data.

12. The memory device of claim 11, wherein each of said activities is something that happens or is planned to happen over a period of time during said process.