Process for developing and implementing a model for the formal description of a collaborative system comprised of multiple distributed components, especially an intelligent, flexible production and/or process automation system

• US 8,010,333 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Colombo, Armando Walter, Schoop, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu; Cuong V
• Application Number:
  US10/991,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,475 Days
• Field of Search: 700/32, 700/99, 700/96, 703/6, 703/2, 379/10.03, 707/100, 717/105
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41885 characterised by modeling, simulation of the manufacturing system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31338 Design, flexible manufacturing cell design
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32166 Convert petrinet to sequence program for cell and to control program for machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32171 Transform, convert operator goals and information into petri nets
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32259 Flexibility, polyvalent machine, large buffers, permutation operations, alternative
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32328 Dynamic scheduling, resource allocation, multi agent negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32372 Petrinet, coloured, inhibitor arc, timed, object token Petrinet
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

Abstract

Process for developing and implementing a model (ASM) for the formal description of a collaborative system including multiple, distributed components, wherein analyzable models of the components are generated via simulation processes. The invention includes the steps of generation of models of collaborative units, preparation of a catalog of models of the collaborative units, assignment of a set of rules to the catalog for the specification of interactions among the autonomous models of the collaborative units and for the development of the model of the complex collaborative system, generation of the desired model using selected models of the collaborative units as the basic module from the catalog, and taking selected rules into account, and automatic adaptation of the model by deriving new rules, taking into account evaluation parameters for each application in one process operation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented process, for developing and implementing a system-model (ASM) for the formal description of a real flexible production- and/or process-automation system (AS) comprised of multiple, distributed real components (HW1-HWN), with hardware (mechanic) and software (control), wherein for each hardware (mechanic) of the real components (HW1-HWN), an analyzable high-level-Petri Net model is generated via simulation processes, comprising the sequential steps of:

identifying collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN) suitable to realize different production and/or process scenarios as autonomous basic modules based upon the hardware (mechanic) and the software (control) of the real components (HW1-HWN),

generating a high-level-Petri net model (M1-MN) for each of the collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN) using an analytical process based upon functional analysis, wherein at least one model (M1-MN) of a said collaborative unit (CAU1-CAUN) contains the high-level-Petri net model of the hardware (mechanic) of the at least one real component (HW1-HWN), as a skeleton of an agent-based-control unit (ASE1-ASEN) which is derived from the high-level-Petri net model of said hardware (mechanic) of said real component (HW1-HWN), intelligence (I1-IN) in the form of information on autonomous behavior with respect to cooperation with other models (M1-MN) of collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN), and an interface for cooperation and collaboration with other models (M1-MN) of collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN),

preparing a single catalog (K) with said models (M1-MN) of the collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN), each of said models being listed as an autonomous basic module model, wherein said single catalog (K) of said models (M1-MN) contains the results of a formal validation of structural and behavioral specifications of said collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN),

assigning a set of rules (R) to said catalog (K) for the specification of interactions among said autonomous models (M1-MN) of the collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN) and for the development of the system-model (ASM) of said real collaborative system (AS),

generating the desired system-model (ASM) by connecting a selection of said models (M1-MN) of the collaborative units as the basic module from said catalog (K), and

taking a selection of said rules (R) into account, whereby the models (M1-MN) interact with each other over said interfaces on the basis of said selected rules (R), automatically adapting the system-model (ASM) by deriving new rules (R), taking into account model evaluation parameters for each different modeled production and/or process scenario.

2. Process pursuant to claim 1, wherein the models of the collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN) are generated on the basis of expanded colored Petri nets (KOPLN).

3. Process pursuant to claim 1, wherein models (M1-MN) of collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN) are generated on the basis of components (HW1-HWN) having varying levels of precision, a module of a machine, a machine component, a sensor, an actuator, or a peripheral system.

4. Process pursuant to claim 1, wherein models (M1-MN) of collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN) are generated on the basis of reusable components (HW1-HWN).

5. Process pursuant to claim 1, wherein a discrete, event-oriented simulation process and/or a validation are used as the simulation process.

6. Process pursuant to claim 1, wherein the catalog (K) contains standardized models (M1-MN) of collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN).

7. Process pursuant to claim 1, wherein in the agent-based software unit (ASE1-ASEN) derived from the models (M1-MN) of the collaborative units (CAU1-CAUN), at least one primary function selected from the group consisting of control, monitoring, diagnostics, decision-making processes, preventive and corrective maintenance are implemented.