Modelling a complex system

• US 7,941,301 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ipr Value Ug
• Original Assignee: Roland Pulfer
• Inventors: Pulfer, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriquez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louis; Andre Pierre
• Application Number:
  US10/548,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,609 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2
• US Class Current: 703/2
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric

Abstract

The invention relates to the modeling of a complex system wherein units such as data and/or products are received, processed and forwarded in event chains of the system. Said modeling uses a defined set of basic types at the lowest description level for representation of the units and in order to describe the interaction therebetween. Each basic type processes data representing values of characteristics of the above-mentioned units. The set of basic types comprises a basic type known as forward, which represents the forwarding of the units, conducts data for the characterization of said units and is provided with an input and an output; a basic type known as merge which represents a combination of units, combines data for the characterization of said units and which has two inputs and one output; and a basic type known as divide which represents a fractionation of units, determines data for the characterization of units which arise from a fractionation from data of a unit that is to be fractionated and has one input and two outputs. Inputs are used to receive data from and outputs are used to transfer data into the respective basic group. Computer-based data-processing models of the system are created by forming a number of basic types and by combining the inputs and outputs of said basic types.

Claims

1. A method for modelling a complex system, comprising the steps of:

by an input apparatus and computer-based, data-processing system, receiving, processing and transferring data and/or product units in event chains of the complex system to the internal memory of the computer-based, data-processing system, by a computer-based, data-processing system, modelling the complex system on a lowermost description level by the use of a limited set of basic types for representation of the units and for description of their interaction,

wherein each basic type processes data, said data representing values of characteristics of the mentioned units, and

wherein this set of basic types comprises;

a basic type “

transfer”

which represents a transfer of units, leads through data for characterising these units, and comprises one input as well as one output,

a basic type “

merge”

which represents a combining of units, links data for characterising these units, to one another, and comprises two inputs as well as one output,

a basic type “

split”

which represents a dividing up of units, determines data for characterising units which result from dividing-up, from data of a unit to be divided up, and comprises one input as well as two outputs, and

wherein in each case inputs serve for receiving data into the respective basic type and outputs serve for transferring data out of the respective basic type, forming computer-based, data-processing models of the complex system by way of creating a quantity of basic types and linking inputs and outputs of these basic types; and

by the visualisation apparatus, used by a user, representing a graphical or textual representation of the basic types, which represent the model of the complex system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of basic types further comprises

a basic type “

source”

that represents a source of units, produces data for characterising these units and comprises one output,

a basic type “

store”

that represents a storage of units, stores data for the characterisation of these units and comprises one input.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the used basic types comprises

“

descriptions or functions”

, which describe a sequential behaviour of the basic type as a procedural sequence;

“

preconditions”

for describing a start situation which must be present so that the behaviour or the description or function of the basic type may be triggered; and

“

postconditions”

for describing an end situation which prevails after sequences of a corresponding behaviour, or of a description or function of the basic type.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the used basic types comprises

rules that describe a logic of the behaviour of the basic type;

and

exception conditions that describe a behaviour of the basic type in exception conditions.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of each basic type with a protocol function storing when it has processed which data and in which manner.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of combining the basic types on a higher abstraction step into objects, wherein one object in each case comprises no to several inputs or outputs, and a behaviour of the system is modelled by the object.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of an object representing an activity in a sequence schema.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of an object representing a process in an organisation.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of an object representing an element, that is to say a real physical unit which supports a process or an activity.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of an object representing an event chain, that is to say a recurring action sequence within the system.

11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of using objects for representing products, which products are displaced between processes, between elements and/or along event chains.

12. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

a user setting up and/or modifying the model;

representing a graphic or textual representation of objects and their relations on a visualisation apparatus;

the user changing said representations by way of an input apparatus; and

adapting an internal representation of the objects based on the basic types and of further attributes in accordance with these changes.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein objects represent any combination of:

activities in a sequence schema;

a process in an organisation;

an event chain, that is to say a recurring action sequence within the complex system; and

products, which products are displaced between processes, between elements, and/or along event chains.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of using data evaluated in the model for the control of the complex system, the complex system being a technical installation or a production process.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of representing relations between basic types or objects by relation types, wherein these relation types comprise

flow relations which represent a transmission of information or content between objects.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein relation types comprise

permanent relations which represent references or matchings between objects;

and

interaction relations, which represent an influence of one object on another, wherein the type of influence is known on model formation.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the relation types comprise

difference relations which represent differences between objects.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of setting up at least a part of the model by way of an automatic analysis of a software system, in particular by way of:

systematically searching through a network of dependencies and calls in this software system; and

by expressing this network in the model by way of objects and relations.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of acquiring data from a real running system;

and integrating the data into the model for matching the model to the real running system.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using data evaluated in the model for the control of the complex system, the complex system being a technical installation or a production process.

21. A computer-based, data-processing system for modelling a complex system, wherein the data processing system comprises means for carrying out the steps of:

by an input apparatus and computer-based, data-processing system, receiving, processing and transferring data and/or product units in event chains of the complex system to the internal memory of the computer-based, data-processing system, by a computer-based, data-processing system, modelling the complex system on a lowermost description level by the use of a limited set of basic types for representation of the units and for description of their interaction,

wherein each basic type processes data, said data representing values of characteristics of the mentioned units, and

wherein this set of basic types comprises;

a basic type “

transfer”

which represents a transfer of units, leads through data for characterising these units, and comprises one input as well as one output,

a basic type “

merge”

which represents a combining of units, links data for characterising these units, to one another, and comprises two inputs as well as one output,

a basic type “

split”

which represents a dividing up of units, determines data for characterising units which result from dividing-up, from data of a unit to be divided up, and comprises one input as well as two outputs, and

wherein in each case inputs serve for receiving data into the respective basic type and outputs serve for transferring data out of the respective basic type, forming computer-based, data-processing models of the complex system by way of creating a quantity of basic types and linking inputs and outputs of these basic types; and

by the visualisation apparatus, used by a user, representing a graphical or textual representation of the basic types, which represent the model of the complex system.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the set of basic types further comprises:

a basic type “

source”

that represents a source of units, produces data for characterising these units and comprises one output,

a basic type “

store”

that represents a storage of units, stores data for the characterisation of these units and comprises one input.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the used basic types comprises:

“

descriptions or functions”

, which describe a sequential behaviour of the basic type as a procedural sequence;

“

preconditions”

for describing a start situation which must be present so that the behaviour or the description or function of the basic type may be triggered; and

“

postconditions”

for describing an end situation which prevails after sequences of a corresponding behaviour, or of a description or function of the basic type.

24. A computer-readable medium comprising:

a computer program for modelling a complex system,

said computer-readable medium which may be read by a computer-based, data-processing unit,

causing said computer program to be loaded and implemented on said computer-based, data-processing unit, and

which when said computer program is implemented, carries out the steps of;

by an input apparatus and computer-based, data-processing system, receiving, processing and transferring data and/or product units in event chains of the complex system to the internal memory of the computer-based, data-processing system, by a computer-based, data-processing system, modelling the complex system on a lowermost description level by the use of a limited set of basic types for representation of the units and for description of their interaction,

wherein each basic type processes data, said data representing values of characteristics of the mentioned units, and

wherein this set of basic types comprises;

a basic type “

transfer”

which represents a transfer of units, leads through data for characterising these units, and comprises one input as well as one output,

a basic type “

merge”

which represents a combining of units, links data for characterising these units, to one another, and comprises two inputs as well as one output,

a basic type “

split”

which represents a dividing up of units, determines data for characterising units which result from dividing-up, from data of a unit to be divided up, and comprises one input as well as two outputs, and

wherein in each case inputs serve for receiving data into the respective basic type and outputs serve for transferring data out of the respective basic type, forming computer-based, data-processing models of the complex system by way of creating a quantity of basic types and linking inputs and outputs of these basic types; and

by the visualisation apparatus, used by a user, representing a graphical or textual representation of the basic types, which represent the model of the complex system.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the set of basic types further comprises:

a basic type “

source”

that represents a source of units, produces data for characterising these units and comprises one output,

a basic type “

store”

that represents a storage of units, stores data for the characterisation of these units and comprises one input.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein each of the used basic types comprises

“

descriptions or functions”

, which describe a sequential behaviour of the basic type as a procedural sequence;

“

preconditions”

for describing a start situation which must be present so that the behaviour or the description or function of the basic type may be triggered; and

“

postconditions”

for describing an end situation which prevails after sequences of a corresponding behaviour, or of a description or function of the basic type.

27. A method for modelling a complex system, comprising the steps of:

by an input apparatus and computer-based, data-processing system, receiving, processing and transferring data and/or product units in event chains of the complex system to the internal memory of the computer-based, data-processing system, by a computer-based, data-processing system, modelling the complex system on a lowermost description level by the use of a limited set of basic types for representation of the units and for description of their interaction, wherein each basic type processes data, said data representing values of characteristics of the mentioned units, and wherein this set of basic types comprises

a basic type “

transfer”

which represents a transfer of units, leads through data for characterising these units, and comprises one input as well as one output,

a basic type “

merge”

which represents a combining of units, links data for characterising these units, to one another, and comprises two inputs as well as one output,

a basic type “

split”

which represents a dividing up of units, determines data for characterising units which come from dividing-up, from data of a unit to be divided up, and comprises one input as well as two outputs, and

wherein in each case inputs serve for receiving data into the respective basic type and outputs serve for transferring data out of the respective basic type;

forming computer-based, data-processing models of the complex system by way of creating a quantity of basic types and linking inputs and outputs of these basic types;

combining the basic types on a higher abstraction step into objects, wherein one object in each case comprises no to several inputs or outputs, and a behaviour of the system is modelled by the object;

representing relations between basic types or objects by relation types, wherein these relation types comprise flow relations which represent a transmission of information or content between objects; and

by the visualisation apparatus, used by a user, representing a graphical or textual representation of the objects and their relations, which represent the model of the complex system.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of using data evaluated in the model for the control of the complex system, the complex system being a technical installation or a production process.