Industrial operator interfaces interacting with higher-level business workflow

• US 8,204,609 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Allen-Bradley Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Chand, Sujeet, Hood, Gavan W, Briant, Stephen C, Hall, Kenwood H, Baier, John J, Kalan, Michael D
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): GARLAND, STEVEN R
• Application Number:
  US12/163,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20080269917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83, 705/1.1, 715/762, 715/763
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that enable high-level and abstract business engines to affect and influence plant-floor or industrial operations via dynamic and flexible operator interfaces. In a similar manner, actions directed from the operator interfaces can be communicated to higher level decision components of an enterprise to facilitate automated control and dynamics of the enterprise. In one aspect, an industrial automation system is provided. The system includes one or more controllers to process transaction events in an industrial automation environment. One or more operator interface components are provided that automatically adapt interface control functionality based on the transaction events.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

adapting a control platform with a business execution language for controlling a business process of an enterprise;

interfacing the business execution language with a message control capability of an operator interface at a control level of the enterprise;

automatically sending, via the business execution language, a message to the operator interface in response to detection of a change to a business variable indicative of a condition of the business process, the message including a state of the business process; and

automatically adjusting functionality of the operator interface via the business execution language in accordance with the message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically sending the message comprises sending a compensation message containing data pertaining to a result of a compensation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving first data about the state of the business process and returning second data regarding a result of a business compensation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling the business process includes controlling at least one of purchase of a material, receipt of a purchase order, price calculation, management of a shipping arrangement, or production scheduling.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a message event to drive the operator interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the message event is part of an asynchronous operation or a synchronous operation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm event that is associated with a time specification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the functionality of the operator interface includes at least one of prompting for an acknowledgement of the change to the business variable via the operator interface, sending a new manufacturing instruction via the operator interface, prompting for feedback regarding the condition of the business process via the operator interface, or outputting a new control procedure to the operator interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting the functionality of the operator interface includes invoking a procedure with the operator interface to bring the business variable within a defined range.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing an error encountered during an event using a fault handler.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components that, in response to execution, cause a computing system to perform operations, including:

controlling a business process of an enterprise using a business execution language;

establishing communication between the business execution language and an operator interface of a controlled process operating at a control level of the enterprise;

responsive to detecting a change in a condition of the business process, automatically sending a message from the business execution language to the operator interface, wherein the message includes the condition of the business process; and

controlling the operator interface in accordance with the message.

12. A business transaction control system, comprising:

a transaction engine configured to control a business level process using a business execution language, the transaction engine interfacing the business execution language with a message control capability of an operator interface associated with a plant level control process,

wherein the transaction engine is further configured to automatically send, via the business execution language, a message to the operator interface in response to detection of a change to a business variable that indicates a condition of the business level process, wherein the message is configured to convey the condition of the business level process and, responsive to the message, operation of the operator interface is adjusted in accordance with the condition.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the transaction engine is further configured to receive a notification, from the operator interface, indicative of a change in the plant level process.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the transaction engine is further configured to communicate with a plant component associated with the plant level process based at least in part on the notification.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the transaction engine is further configured to adjust a business protocol associated with the business level process based at least in part on the notification.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a monitoring component configured to monitor for a change in at least one of a plant variable or the business variable, and to transmit data associated with the change to the transaction engine.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the transaction engine is further configured to invoke a procedure associated with the operator interface based at least in part on the change in the at least one plant variable.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the procedure includes at least one of an instruction, a confirmation request, a manufacturing instruction, or a feedback request.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the procedure comprises an alteration to at least one of a routine, a procedure, an instruction, a variable, a parameter, or an authorization.