System and method for automated process control
First Claim
1. A process control system comprising:
- a server to access to a database system and executes program code for the process control system;
a process record table in the database system that contains one or more process records, the process record indicating a current status of a process being controlled by the system;
an administrative query table in the database system that contains one or more administrative query records, the administrative query record specifying an administrative query that is associated with a query on the table of process records and with one or more administrative activities;
a program sequence table in the database system that contains one or more program sequence records that are associated with the administrative queries, the program sequence record specifying an administrative activity, a way of determining a next program sequence record in the set, and a condition which must be satisfied before the administrative activity specified therein can be performed;
a log table in the database system that contains one or more log table records logging executions of the administrative queries and result sets of process records returned thereby, the log table records including a next sequence pointer for a given execution of an administrative query and a given process record, the next sequence pointer specifying a next program sequence record and the log table record permitting determination whether a record belonging to a current result set returned by a current execution of a given administrative query is in one of a plurality of states; and
a portion of the program code which, when executed, selects one of the administrative queries for execution, executes the query associated therewith, determines which state a process record belonging to the current result set is in, if the state and the condition specified by the program sequence record so indicate, performs one of the associated administrative activities with regard to the process record, and responds when a process record is again returned by a subsequent execution of the administrative query by performing the administrative activity specified in the program sequence record specified by the next record pointer if the state of the process record and the condition specified by the program sequence record so indicate, and if the administrative activity is performed, setting the next sequence pointer as specified in the program sequence record.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process control system that automatically monitors processes and performs activities based on conditions detected during monitoring. The information needed to do the monitoring and perform activities is contained in tables in a database system. The process control system may be configured by configuring entries in the tables. An administrative query table has records that define administrative queries. Each administrative query has associated with it a query to be executed on a table of process records that indicate statuses of the processes being monitored, a scope that defines a subset of the process records upon which the query is to be executed, a schedule from which a time of next execution of the administrative query can be computed, and an activity. The activity is a set of one or more actions. When an administrative query is executed and the query associated with the administrative query is run on the table of process records and the result set is not empty, the activity is performed with regard to the process records of the result set. A plurality of activities may be associated with the administrative query, with the activity to be performed being selected on the basis of a state of a given process record with regard to the query.
63 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A process control system comprising:
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a server to access to a database system and executes program code for the process control system; a process record table in the database system that contains one or more process records, the process record indicating a current status of a process being controlled by the system; an administrative query table in the database system that contains one or more administrative query records, the administrative query record specifying an administrative query that is associated with a query on the table of process records and with one or more administrative activities; a program sequence table in the database system that contains one or more program sequence records that are associated with the administrative queries, the program sequence record specifying an administrative activity, a way of determining a next program sequence record in the set, and a condition which must be satisfied before the administrative activity specified therein can be performed; a log table in the database system that contains one or more log table records logging executions of the administrative queries and result sets of process records returned thereby, the log table records including a next sequence pointer for a given execution of an administrative query and a given process record, the next sequence pointer specifying a next program sequence record and the log table record permitting determination whether a record belonging to a current result set returned by a current execution of a given administrative query is in one of a plurality of states; and a portion of the program code which, when executed, selects one of the administrative queries for execution, executes the query associated therewith, determines which state a process record belonging to the current result set is in, if the state and the condition specified by the program sequence record so indicate, performs one of the associated administrative activities with regard to the process record, and responds when a process record is again returned by a subsequent execution of the administrative query by performing the administrative activity specified in the program sequence record specified by the next record pointer if the state of the process record and the condition specified by the program sequence record so indicate, and if the administrative activity is performed, setting the next sequence pointer as specified in the program sequence record. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification