Manufacturing system software version management
First Claim
1. In a computer-operated system for programming a manufacturing system, wherein a version of a program is downloaded to the manufacturing system and is associated with a version designator, a method for managing revisions to versions of the program, the method comprising the steps of:
- running the program on the manufacturing system, the program including subsets organized with respect to one another in a hierarchical fashion, the subsets comprising a top-level subset and a plurality of lower-level subsets related hierarchically to the top-level subsets and to each other, each of the subsets identifying a main object and a sub-object, a version designator being associated with each of the subsets, each version designator including a first version identifier associated with the main object and a second version identifier associated the sub-object;
revising the first version identifier of a certain lower-level subset when the certain lower-level subset is modified; and
if the modification of the certain lower-level subset affects other subsets, revising the second version identifier of the other affected subsets wherein the version designator comprises along with the first and second version identifiers, a version label, and a status identifier of released or validated.
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Abstract
Version management for manufacturing system software involves a two-part data structure, having two identifiers that are separately and automatically modified, depending upon the changes or modifications that are made, respectively, to top-level and lower-level subsets of manufacturing system programs. According to various other aspects of the present invention, methods for managing revisions involve automatically assigning a version designator under preselected conditions, automatically notifying personnel having a need to know of the change, and managing revisions by way of a revision compare function.
34 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In a computer-operated system for programming a manufacturing system, wherein a version of a program is downloaded to the manufacturing system and is associated with a version designator, a method for managing revisions to versions of the program, the method comprising the steps of:
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running the program on the manufacturing system, the program including subsets organized with respect to one another in a hierarchical fashion, the subsets comprising a top-level subset and a plurality of lower-level subsets related hierarchically to the top-level subsets and to each other, each of the subsets identifying a main object and a sub-object, a version designator being associated with each of the subsets, each version designator including a first version identifier associated with the main object and a second version identifier associated the sub-object; revising the first version identifier of a certain lower-level subset when the certain lower-level subset is modified; and if the modification of the certain lower-level subset affects other subsets, revising the second version identifier of the other affected subsets wherein the version designator comprises along with the first and second version identifiers, a version label, and a status identifier of released or validated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer readable medium having a data structure stored thereon for use in identifying programs for computer-controlled manufacturing systems, wherein the programs comprise subsets organized with respect to one another in a hierarchical fashion, the subsets comprising a top-level subset and a plurality of lower-level subsets related hierarchically to the top-level subsets and to each other, the data structure of the computer readable medium comprising:
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a first portion for indicating a revision to the top-level subset of a program; a second portion for indicating a revision to any of the lower-level subsets of the program; and a label indicating a status of the programs as released or validated. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for completing a data structure, stored on a computer readable medium, for use in identifying programs for computer-controlled manufacturing systems, wherein the programs comprise subsets organized with respect to one another in a hierarchical fashion, the subsets comprising a top-level subset and a plurality of lower-level subsets related hierarchically to the top-level subsets and to each other, the method comprising the steps of:
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in a first portion of the data structure for indicating a revision to the top-level subset of a program, storing, on the computer readable medium, a first symbol indicating that such a revision has been made; in a second portion of the data structure for indicating a revision to any of the plurality of lower-level subsets of the program, storing, on the computer readable medium, a second symbol indicating that such a revision has been made, and in a third portion of the data structure for indicating a status of the program, storing, on the computer readable medium, a third symbol indicating the status to be one of released and validated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification